Finding Afame's fame (Afina)

[Ebiris]

Now just in case Simmer's coming in behind her, Afina turns her gaze upwards and casts a spell of fiery tentacles, causing a forty foot wide circle of flaming rubbery appendages to shoot out of the walls at the edge of the tunnel that led down here. Given their fiery and non-cold iron state they should give Simmer a much warmer welcome than the stone floor. She'll wait around a moment to listen for any pyro-dryad sounding noises.

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Afina: 277+15/277, heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), greater mage armour (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 73, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear, 50% miss chance
Spell charges: 6/10/10/7/9/8/9/8/7/7

[Anastasia]

Nothing like that, unfortunately. No sign of Simmer falling into your trap.

[Ebiris]

It's not a trap! It's a... thoughtful consideration. Oh well, she'll use a limited wish to emulate Sending. "Hello Simmer, I'm in a structure at the end of a windy tunnel. It's safe to follow! Just shout when you hit tentacles."

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 277+15/277, heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), greater mage armour (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 73, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear, 50% miss chance, 50% spell failure
Spell charges: 6/10/10/7/9/8/9/7/7/7

[Anastasia]

'Busy, natives aren't happy,' Is all you get back from Simmer.

[Ebiris]

Joy. Well the tentacles will keep for a couple of minutes so Afina will just hang around here and wait. She needs ages for her magic to come back to normal anyway.

[Anastasia]

As you wait, smoke begins to swirl around you. It pushes against your compromised winds, slowly starting to overcome them. "Who are you," A voice whispers into your ear, like the movement of the wind. "You dally in things beyond your ken, abomination."

[Ebiris]

"Perhaps so," she acknowledges, crossing her arms. "I am Afina Devilsbane and I come in peace. If you claim dominion over this place, say the word and I will leave." She's here to further her understanding of the elements, not to make enemies after all.

[Anastasia]

"You have power," The voice whispers still, "Your friend battles the guardians on even terms and holds her own. Why have you come here, abomination?"

[Ebiris]

"For the same reason I have become what you label as an abomination," Afina answers, debating whether she should just leave on her own terms. It sounds like Simmer's got it handled for the moment though. "I seek the power of the elements. Air and Earth, Fire and Water, the extremes are a part of me. So now I turn my attention to the bridges. Smoke and Ooze, Magma and Ice so as to broaden my understanding."

[Anastasia]

"Prove yourself," The voice says, "Prove that you have begun to understand Smoke."

[Ebiris]

"Thus far all I've seen is a collection of elementals committing suicide," Afina replies blandly. "Why? I haven't the slightest notion. It's the sort of display I'd expect to see on Ash or Vacuum rather than here. This is my first visit and your plane remains a mystery to me. I will tell you what I surmise, though," she decides to offer up her interpretation of the place from broad planar knowledge and her own elemental leanings. "Smoke is a plane at odds with its progenitors. While Fire burns brightly for all to see and Air exposes grand vistas in every possible direction, Smoke occludes everything under its sway. Why that is remains to be seen."

[Anastasia]

"Air flows and Fire burns, but Smoke hides. Air feeds the flames, but it makes the fire consume its fuel and lead to its demise. Smoke rises as its fuel is consumed, as its life is burned away." The voice says, "Smoke is a sign of life and a sign of death. To mortals it is a sign of fire and warmth, where they can endure winter, but if they breathe it in, they choke and perish."

[Ebiris]

The first part is interesting, although the second doesn't offer any great insights because fire could be substituted for smoke in the statement without meaningfully affecting its content or significance. But still, symbolism sounds apt to describe Smoke.

"Smoke is a byproduct, it is fire that consumes air, that reacts. Smoke is only the product of that, not the cause. It symbolises death but it is not death itself... at least, not so profound and certain a death as fire represents," she says while thinking over the concepts enumerated.

[Anastasia]

"Yes," The voice agrees, "You begin to understand."

[Ebiris]

"That is what I am here for," she confirms. "Will you allow for the presence of my friend and I, in this spirit?"