There's not really enough information for a summary, so I plan to roll it together. The summary would be like:

The PCs talked briefly with Octessa, continuing the conversation covered at the end of 20-21. Prepared to investigate the arcane disturbance, Morgrim teleported the group to a village in central Kuromera, where they scare children and are approached by a guard. The guard knows the general local Wu-Jen, Ko-mo, who the PCs are seeking, and the PCs head south. Ko-mo is pleased that Octessa has sent help, but was more hoping for a whole contingent of Zem Tower wizards. The PCs didn't listen to Octessa enough to explain why this isn't possible. They approach the area, which is shot through with strange invisible energies, and disturbing animal behavior. They take their time approaching it, getting information about how often the area shines with a powerful pulse of magical energy (that even has a visible component- it does this weekly, and will do so in 6 days). The PCs take long enough standing at the edge the aged druidic adventurer Chrysanthemum pops by long enough to be surprised and to mention that it is still "drawing power" in a thoughtful and surprised manner, before treeporting away. It's clear that this is a "Proditial" region- one of the areas where divine power flows out in a largely wild but normally controlled manner.

Upon going downstairs into the structure the group finds that the superstructure at the top is clearly just a small portion of the entire area, which appears to be the Proditial Region of Fedahar- disturbing because Fedahar has been dead for over a thousand years, and as such his former Proditial Region should have been abandoned long ago- and certainly shouldn't be able to do whatever it is doing. Upon entering, the PCs get into a ludicrously epic battle versus a score of fallen angels who were busy trying to corrupt a legion of stone pegasi, a battle that was very interesting and that the melee combatants super loved forever. The PCs then find that where the door previously led to a staircase heading up, now there is simply a sparse starfield outside.

They find a key and quite a number of magical items on the dead fallen angels. Rope trick seems to still work, so they cuddle in a dog pile and decide on what spells to bring to bear next.

Use this post if you want to discuss! I may post an additional thing related to Alenka's fire elementals in here later as well.

Well, yeah. And ponies stand on four feet.


Ass.

I'm concerned that we puppy-piled too soon. We are assuming that each subsequent puppy pile will bring increasing chances of our DM going in dry, so we need to be judicious about what spells we use. I know we got pretty well depleted in that battle, but...I just can't help but wonder if we should explore a little more before climbing up the rope.

I also think I need to consider using some of the abundance of scrolls I have hoarded.

We absolutely needed a puppy pile then. We were totally screwed. We just need to keep track of our piling versus the number of days until we all die.

Or maybe we get turned into gods if we're in there when that happens. Tough call. It might be worth the gamble.

Hmmmm. Being a god would be cool. I'm sure that's what our ever-benevolent DM has in store for us.

God of negative hit points?

Rerax hurled itself at Metiody and Nrasa, but they caught Rerax with their prowess and greater Dexterity!

Metiody went up, and Nrasa went right, and Rerax felt its limbs tear apart. What would Rerax do now? Rerax wobbled vigorously. Nrasa doubled back, charging its core. Upon reaching it, they enveloped, then seperated seconds later, each smaller than when they started. Their laughter vibrated in the fiery ether. Metiody, distracted, spun into a many limbed star shape above them.

It was so good to be a fire elemental.

Another group played near a spire a bit further away. They had all chosen this point because it was thinner here, and sometimes something magic would happen, and someone would go away. When they came back they always had good stories!

There was suddenly a change in the ether down and corewards- something new? A pair of dark bands rotated, each the size of a small grefli. This could be a summon-hatch! But Rerax was closest to it, and felt no draw. The drawing sensation was part of it, so said Strshshsh. Nrasa had not noticed it yet, and was busy conflagrating up to full size. Metiody saw it, but was not drawn either.

The darkness was joined by light- a dimmer light, not pure and red. No, this was... something else? It spread into a strange shape, small, and very detailed.

Rerax wasn't sure what to do about that. Then Rerax realized- it should be burned! Burn the new shape, that always makes it better. Rerax went over, but the shape spoke- and in fancy Ignan too!

"I AM ALENKA THATCHER, AND BY THE SPARK OF VIRIN I AM HERE TO COMPEL SERVICE"

YESS! Rerax had heard about this, but didn't remember it until now. It was so hard to rememeber things before they happened. Rerax meant to work on that, but always forgot. This time Rerax would remember to remember things later. Nothing could go wrong with that plan!

Rerax quickly flamed over to the alenkathing. Would Rerax be bound by the shard of Virin, Lord of Fire?

"THIS TIME, I AM HERE BECAUSE THERE MUST BE MORE TO THE SOURCE OF FIRE THAN NEAR MINDLESS BRUTES WHO WIGGLE WITH JOY AT A CHANCE TO DIE ON THE BLADES OF MY ENEMIES. I SEEK A CREATURE OF INTELLIGENCE AND SUBSTANCE SHOW YOURSELF NOW"

As the alenkathing spoke, a wave of desperate desire swept over Rerax. Rerax flamed as bright as possible, and moved in a double-circle. The others had all come over as well, and they were alive with excitement, almost bursting. Rerax didn't see any mindless brutes, but just in case, vigilance!

"This is of interest."

Another voice! This one was from the spire. It would be loud if Rerax was close, but Rerax was far, so it was soft.

Then the voice was closer, and much louder. It came from an oddly shaped elemental, smaller than normal, with a normal sized elemantal, a deeper red than normal. Both had flamed over from the spire almost instantly. He saw the spire in the distance begin its slow collapse into smoke. He would be there playing in it, but this was much more interesting.


"I am Turoa Lim-Lam, and this is my servant, Bremth. I have felt your calls before, but never of this flavor. You are desperate to find something of use to you, and I am intrigued."

"I DO BIND YOU BY THE SPARK OF VIRIN"

"Humanoid of some sort? I think from Caligo. You can bind us easily enough, but I've long ago crafted items that will prevent Bremth or myself from being yanked involuntarily."

"Well, then, what is it you want?"

Rerax was getting a bit bored. Why wasn't he tied to the spark already, so he could go and burn stuff and tell stories while he could remember them?

"I seek access to Caligo as I miss the simple pleasures afforded by places that are not constantly on fire. My power here means nothing, and grows, err, glacially. But if I again had access to a physical plane, I would be able to gain power and pleasure. Ennui, I am afraid, is a built in part of the elemental sources, and I do not wish to succumb. If you summon me and give me a small measure of the treasure I help you aquire- say, one part in forty, and perhaps an occasional spell or scoll- then I will help you when I can, and so can Bremth. You cannot summon us at full strength yet, but we can arrive in part. As a warning: I will not, if I can help it, be discorporated in your service. Bremth has no such concerns- he will reform in a day. I will as well, but it will take me a month to gain back my other powers. If I am pleased, then I will grant you his service as well, at times."

"I am not certain that I trust you, but we have ways to discern your intentions, should they be evil."

Then the alenkathing went away! And so did the stupidly shaped fire elemental.

Rerax was VERY unhappy about that. Rerax looked over and saw that Metiody was gloomful as well, so he cleaved Metiody into two. Metfoda and Fodiody! Now there were more friends! Everyone was very happy again, and they saw a smoke spire in the distance collapsing, and flamed over to it.



It was so good to be a fire elemental.