The Rime Tower (Afina, 86 days left)

[Anastasia]

'Approximately an hour and a half or so ago, and he didn't say. Along the path, though, so one of the two directions it goes in.' Tepen replies.

[Ebiris]

Assuming Moore was going slowly due to poor visibility? She'd estimate he'd make it maybe five miles in that time? It depends a lot on if he was waylaid or distracted, or on the other hand was making any effort at hurrying. There's no way to know, unfortunately.

"Jaela, make a gate five miles North along the Choking Path, I'll try South," she says, casting a gate and then flying through hers to have a look around, concentrating on maintaining it.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina 329+20/329
active spells: glaciante's spiteful ward (CL 29 attached to epic mage armour), heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), epic mage armour (CL 27), many moments of prescience (CL 29), greater heroism (CL 25), afina's perfect vision (CL 27), shield (CL 27), death ward (CL 20), sublime revelry (CL 31), good hope (CL 30), control winds (CL 27), interplanar telepathic bond (CL 26)
defences: AC 96 (touch 60), spell resistance 42, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear, mind-affecting, critical hits, negative energy
perceptions: blindsight 200, low-light vision, darkvision 60, all-around vision, see invisible/ethereal, spot +70, listen +70
spell slots: 6/9/10/8/7/9/2/8/8/6/6/0/3

[Corwin]

Jaela is happy to follow this plan!

She does ask, however, 'Tepen, does Balyss have a preference for a direction?'

[Anastasia]

'I'll ask,' Tepen sends back, 'information in soon. Be prepared to teleport over, both of you.'

For Jaela:

You've heard of it, it's a road that runs through Smoke. It's the main travel and trade passage, with a few safe spots with towns where the miasma isn't overwhelming. It has lots of branches and side tracks, as well as local dangers.

It's known that the natives of Smoke tend to guard and monitor it to their own ends. However, the more remote stretches are mostly left to their own devices, to better and for worse.

Really, as long as you have magic to breathe or don't need to breath, it's not the worst path. Dangerous but there's more dangerous unless you get unlucky. Of course, that goes out the window in the remote stretches.

[Anastasia]

Listen, Afina.

[Ebiris]

[18:47] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+70 listen
[18:47] <Serith> Ebiris roll for Serith < 81 > [d20=11]

[Anastasia]

Afina can hear far away roars, perhaps? The sound of something large expressing displeasure, she thinks.

Meanwhile Jaela is a few steps behind, opening her portal. As for hers...

Listen.

[Ebiris]

Can I take 10 for 55 on arcana/planes and 10 for 57 on nature to identify what sort of creature is making those roars?

[Corwin]

Taking 10 for 41

[Anastasia]

Jaela doesn't hear anything from her portal.

Not normally, Afina, but you know this creature so it's plausible.

A chill goes down Afina's spine. She knows the fury of Nessian Pit Fiends, having survived multiple encounters with them. It sounds like at least several of them.

[Corwin]

'Nothing here,' Jaela reports. 'Not that I can hear, anyway.'

[Ebiris]

Afina flies back through her gate. "Jaela, mine is near them. Come on!" she calls. "Nessians, lots of them!"

[Corwin]

"I'm there!"

And Jaela crosses over through her gate and then through Afina's in one swift motion!

[Anastasia]

Short pause as I get Moore's thread moving.

In the meantime, how fast do you all move?

[Corwin]

Speed of 140ft. I'll likely match Afina's double move/run, whichever works.