File: ThreeSnakesOneCarriage.jpg (243 KB, 1215x717)

243 KB JPG

>>46756817
It's when it is time to go you finally come across the flaw in your plan. The bitter cold, and the winds, have made riding on top of the carriage and untenable prospect for yourself, Liama, and Veles. Unable to sustain a heating charm of that magnitude for as long as the trip would be would leave yourself and Veles drained by the time you arrived. There was nothing for it so the only option was to ride in the cab, which meant squeezing seventy five feet of coils all told into one coach. Colume was at a premium, but you did manage it at great cost to personal space. McCain, riding on top with Dahz on shotgun bundled himself warmly as you set off. Inside, trapped in awkwardness of your own design, the three of you tried to avoid at the very least becoming knotted together as you jostled and shook down the road to South Fork. On arrival, Liama and yourself sprung out of the coach and into the waiting warmth of the local inn like a shot, as Veles slowly lumbered his way in your wake. Shaking his head at the strange ways of this society of yours.

Inside, you figured there might be a change of plans necessary.

>Keep on to Riverport, should be able to get to Captain Keel more discretely through the city.
>Head to Snake's Landing, its far warmer and you'll be able to get out of this awkwardness.
>Other?

>>46756843
>Keep on to Riverport, should be able to get to Captain Keel more discretely through the city.
It might be uncomfortable, but I'm going to trust Capt. Keel's advice.

>>46756843
>>Keep on to Riverport, should be able to get to Captain Keel more discretely through the city.

File: AddTwoMoreColorsToThemix.gif (1.97 MB, 540x304)

1.97 MB GIF

As tempting as it is to deviate and get out of the situation, Keel's warning resonates inside you. You opt to stay on the path, filing back into the coach after a stiff drink on the bartenders recommendation. Piling back into the coach you swear you can hear McCain laughing to himself as he urges Traveller and Greenbriar onwards. You slip through South Fork otherwise unimpeded, and note that Enos the shopkeeper is repairing yet another window on his shop, however it looks like something went inwards instead of the minotaur throwing someone out.

The three of you attempt to talk while trying in vain to avoid the quagmire that your coils are becoming. Conversation is sparse to say the least. The most animated of conversations was brought to a halt when Veles was explaining a particularly tricky aspect of illusion magic to the two of you and the carriage hit a bump in the road. A yellow and black banded tail, freed from whatever confines it had been sequestered in rebounded out and hit you square across the face. Louder than it was forceful, you turn to look at the offending tail as a mortified Liama attempts to reign in the errant limb. As the three of you continue your sad dance for space you give silent thanks that you're smallest of the lot.

File: YouSleptTheDecidedlyOppos(...).png (976 KB, 900x643)

976 KB PNG

>>46758434
The road to riverport is long, and even making good speed on the roads its a full days journey. Up to a week if you're driving cattle, you remember. It's early morning when McCain rolls through the reservist picket on the outskirts of the city. Half awake, having given up any attempt at keeping body parts to yourself as the need for comfort outweighed the need for propriety, you spill out of one side of the carriage. You untangle yourselves and push past the group of city slickers enjoying the free comedy skit you put on and head for the hotel you stayed at before. The decision is unanimous, and the four of you check in to the biggest room they have.

It didn't take long to get fully rested, the wonders of actually having room to sprawl out and doze recooperating your three. Leaving the exhausted McCain to his bed, you head downstairs and plan your next move.

>Try and contact the Nitor from here.
>Try and find a boat to take you out to Keel's camp.
>Other?

>>46758434
Maybe it'd be wise to invest into a bigger coach

>>46758476
Agreed.
>>46758456
>Try and contact the Nitor from here.

>>46758456
>>Try and find a boat to take you out to Keel's camp.
Maybe be on the lookout for stuff to bring back

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>46758506
Let's roll to see who's Idea goes?

>>46758456
>>Try and find a boat to take you out to Keel's camp.
Let's go have a word directly. Discretion is going to be our friend here.

>>46758987
Never mind then. We're finding a boat.

File: Colds.jpg (5.9 MB, 2250x1800)

5.9 MB JPG

"Lets go see about finding a boat to take us to Keel." You decide while munching on some reheated breakfast as one of the servers whisks away your plate.

"Something bigger than the one we used last time, yes?" Veles says through a mouthfull of eggs, "Unlike the wagon, I do not think the floating things can handle the weight of us on top of the size."

"Agreed." Liama says wholeheartedly

"To be fair," You start, defensively, "My father built that carriage with a lamia in mind. Operative word being 'a' lamia."

Leaving the carriage issue be for now you head out and search for a boat that will take you along the coast until you find the Nitor. Predictably the Merfolk skiffs don't pass muster, the size and weight displacement not up to what you need. Eventually you find a cargo barge that routinely runs between Snake's Landing and Riverport that'd take your group in for 50 isens. Not having much in the way of options you hand over the money and go to find McCain. You eventually find him checking Traveller and Greenbriar into the stables and drag him and you things along to the barge.

As the operator and his mates get out the punt poles and begin nudging the lumbering monstrosity along, you take refuge from the winds behind a tarpaulin draped stack of boxes. While not altogether unpleasant this far north, it still is winter and you can feel it. It's a good several hours before you cath sight of the LSID floating serenely against what looks to be a sheer cliffside. Above it you can see the telltale fires and banners of a nitor posting, and you're helped aboard by Keel's men. Liama immediately goes with Keel for a rundown on the situation. Veles, left to his own devices for the time being, heads over to the mancers, probably to get a glimpse of whatever magic they are doing to this barrier.

>Go check in with the Schola
>Get the situation from Keel
>Other?

>>46759596
>>Go check in with the Schola

>>46759596
>>Get the situation from Keel

>>46759596
>Get the situation from Keel

>>46760048
Stops copies me

File: NO.jpg (149 KB, 710x423)

149 KB JPG

>>46760129

File: Somethingnew.png (372 KB, 600x900)

372 KB PNG

You follow Liama, with McCain in tow as you leave Veles to do loiter around the schola camp. Keel greets you as you head into the captains quarters of the sloop. "You have something in mind then about this barrier?" Were the first words out of his mouth.

"Nothing concrete, but I figure Veles can pick it apart pretty well." You answer.

"Well, we've made no progress on that front. But the Phoenix have apparently." A tired looking Keel says

"How so?"

"They've got to have an exit a physical one. We've been getting harried by small groups, maybe at a time tops. We've not really got the numbers to keep the schola secure"

>Search around for the other entrance
>Try to help the Schola with their stuff
Either way I'm gonna need a 1d20 roll. Lower is better in this case.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>46760443
>Try to help the Schola with their stuff
PLEASE RNG! Roll a 1!

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>46760443
>>Search around for the other entrance
check out that 18

>>46760523
>2
THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH!

>>46760443
>>Try to help the Schola with their stuff
How many at a time?

>>46760630
Best of three usually.

>>46760646
You wrote:
>We've been getting harried by small groups, maybe at a time tops
We don't know how large these small groups are.

>>46760692
Ah, thought you meant how many rolls at a time.

Groups of three tops also. Dunno where that word went.

File: lamiamale.jpg (695 KB, 636x900)

695 KB JPG

Rolled 8, 11, 8 = 27 (3d20)

"I guess we'd better get to work then." You say quickly, "I'll go see if I can't help Veles work his magic. Literally in this case."

Leaving Keel to his business you hurry over to where Veles is talking to a rather intent looking head researcher.

"-nd that's how Phoenix Talismans work nowadays." The magi says outlining a complicated looking sketch to Veles.

"So it literally is just Roc magic bound to talismans." Veles says with understanding. "So why aren't your methods working?"

The magi stammers for a moment, allowing you a moment to slip in and make your introductions. Gathering his thoughts he rallies, "All our signs point to it being your standard Phoenix magi traps, only to the Nth degree. They've failsafes within failsafes. And probably double that given the breach they had happen. They must be draining magical power like mad to keep it up."

"So it's not behaving like Roc magic. Is there anything you'd say it is behaving like?" Veles said, with the air of someone who's got the solution, but would very much like it to be worked out on its own.

"I'm not certain. The only thing close would be the permanence of old citadel enchantments still running long after it died, but... no... you don't think?" The magi says, as realization hits him as well.

Veles shrugs "My learnings diverged from the path you went down long before yours even thought to branch. I cannot say if what we think is the same. I can only provide ways of thinking, or perhaps get hands on myself."

"I can't recommend that." The Schola Magi warns, "The backfeed nearly killed the person we had scrying, he's only just now recovering and insofar as we can tell the countermeasure is still firing."

"Then perhaps we can find another way to solve the problem." Veles says, before slipping into the snake cant <What say you, Sasha? Shall we try and and fight the magic, or try something different?>

>?

>>46761200
Why aren't we doing that already?

>>46761200
Let's both start poking it, see if we can't put a hole in it to let the sparkles leak out.

>>46761200
<What would you suggest as an alternative? I'm not as learned as you are, and don't have enough of the picture to make a guess.>

File: lamiamale2.jpg (88 KB, 518x777)

88 KB JPG

<Why aren't we poking it already?> You ask, smiling apologeticly to the confused magi who you're talking around.

<Well, if it is as the as these ones say, and the enemy has focused so much on this barrier on the front, then they must be using significant amounts of power.> He says patiently.

<Let's both start poking it, see if we can't put a hole in it to let the sparkles leak out.> You say, causing him to laugh.

<I must admit the idea of foiling their most advanced magic has a certain satisfaction to it, I am just wondering if you have seen the alternative I see.>

You frown. <What would you suggest as an alternative? I'm not as learned as you are, and don't have enough of the picture to make a guess.>

He switches back into the common tongue, "It like this, if they are entering and exiting the thing as they so please, yet this barrier seems to be as permanent as it does, then there must be a point where the barrier ends." For emphasis, he bends and picks up a handful of dirt, "And normal earth begins."

The mage looks unimpressed, "We'd thought of that, but we'd need miners and blast charges to get through the rocks around here, not to mention logistics and defending them. Not to mention it could collapse the whole thing around us. We'd like to take at least a few survivors, get to the bottom of their reasoning before they get to see the gallows."

"But you aren't getting anywhere?" Veles asks, with a quiet smile.

The mage fumes a bit, "No we aren't."

Veles switches back to Snake Cant. <My reasoning is thus. It is a matter of stamina. Turning their barrier against them is doable I imagine, but would leave us spent for the fight surely to come after, shaping and altering the elements however, that is well within draconic abilities, and would leave us less taxed. So I put the decision to you. How well do you trust these men to solve the problem beyond the barrier?>

>Break down

>>46762234
>Break down the barrier
>Burrow your way in
Either way it'll take a 1d20 roll, modifiers dependent on choice.

Also this damn client is eating my updates for some reason, apologies.

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>46762234
>We dig.
I feel slightly retarded for not having thought of that.

>>46762264
>>Burrow your way in
That's the less taxing, right?

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>46762264
>>Burrow your way in

>>46762348
Less taxing on you. It would however, be a smaller ingress for the nitor that are assembled. If they were to got that way.

File: YourInYourElementWithFire(...).png (4.1 MB, 2482x1500)

4.1 MB PNG

>19+4+1

"I think I get your meaning. We'll see about tunnelling our way in."

The Schola Nitor magi just rolls his eyes. "This I've got to see. Preferrably from a distance."

Cross referencing with the schola's findings, and a geographic model they rigged up of what the cave should look like, you find a nice little spot for Veles to work his magic. With Liama and McCain standing guard, and the members of the schola gathered around more out of curiosity than anything else you and veles get to work. Using his blade, Veles channels water and begins clearing away the soil and loam and smaller things, the pressurized blasts coming from the edge of his catalyst. He spends a good deal of time backwashing it out until it finally reveals the hard stone beneath.

Focusing harder, the stream of water becomes a jet, and he carves out a circular opening into the rock.

"Ok Sasha, what I need you to do is to use as much fire as you can. Visualize it penetrating the stone."

You nod, then grin to yourself as you place your hand near the recessed engraving. "Can do."

It starts as a little flame, then grows, and brightens as the heat radiated further, starting as an orange, before turning a white hot as the gout of flame bored its way into the rock. You feel, less than see the Schola people shielding their eyes as the brightness grows and envelops everything around you. You eventually feel something give in the rock, and begin widening the hole. Pulling your hand back, you blink a few times to adjust to the changing light. In front of you a smoothly bored hole, and down below.... well you can just make out the giant dark hulk of what's left of the ship you hit earlier. Turning away from the red hot stone, you approach Veles.

"How'd I do?"

By way of answer he turns you towards the Nitor, who are sitting agape.

File: LamiasSpillingSpaghettiEv(...).jpg (19 KB, 600x450)

19 KB JPG

>>46763521
And here's prolly a good stopping point. Will try and get something going within a week. Maybe next monday, we seem to have folks more available at this time. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.

>>46763550
Thanks for Running Chem!

>>46763550
See you soon then.

>>46763550
Thanks, Chemlab, always a joy.