Date night

[Anastasia]

Syala appears with a little splash, lights fading as she sinks into the waters. She puts an arm around your shoulders and says, "You called, dear?"

"It's about these stones," Jessica begins, filling her in quickly.

> roll 1d20+68 K:D assuming she alter realities up a +10 insight bonus and a +10 competence bonus (Lore of the Gods and whatever else)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 83 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+68 K:P assuming she alter realities up a +10 insight bonus and a +10 competence bonus (Lore of the Gods and whatever else)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 84 > [d20=16]

Syala listens, only a faint flex of divine will to tap her into lore noticed as she does.

"Have you ever heard of iron coal?" Syala asks. "It's a minor good trade from Earth. It's like coal but better, it doesn't make smoke when it burns. If you've ever seen coal burning, you know it sends up black smoke everywhere. It's just as potentially smoky and unpleasant as coal can be, but with no smoke, it doesn't produce the hazards and they ultimately burn off harmlessly. What's lesser known is that if you get an iron coal deposit close to the border of Magma, the iron coal can be exposed to various toxic gases that leak over from Magma. The iron coal sucks them right in over the ages and turns red. Red iron coal's mildly poisonous and rare - but if you place it in water, lets the poisons dissolve into the water and spread them. Makes the water undrinkable and toxic, much worse than normal exposure to red iron coal. The rest of it I'm not sure about, but that sounds like what they're using."

Iron coal is from Dragon 347, just by the way.

[Ebiris]

"Interesting," Alicia says, learning something new. "How big are the red iron coal rocks they're using and how close together are they? Is it enough to cover the lake entirely or are there paths between them?"

[Anastasia]

"There are paths," Jessica says, "Which I strongly suspect are monitored. It doesn't cover quite everything and the stones move, but it seems...now that I think about it, coordinated in a way, or at least enough."

[Ebiris]

"One thing I wasn't clear on from Valar's description - is it a lake like you'd see on the prime or here where it's a flat surface of water with air on top, or is it a fully enclosed mass of water filling the cavern from top to bottom?" she asks so as to better visualise it.

[Anastasia]

"The latter," Jessica says, "I'd estimate sphere-like from what I saw, but I can't verify that."

[Ebiris]

"Thank you, that makes the most sense," she nods. "So what else did you see over there?"

[Anastasia]

"I didn't see much in the way of creatures," Jessica says, "And stayed far away. But I think I saw a few dao in protective magic and clothing from a distance. With how unpleasant the water is, I would suspect magic and scrying oversees most of the observations. Unless they're recruiting Ooze Elementals."

Syala grimaces at that, splashing a bit of water over to Jessica. "This sounds like a bigger death trap than usual, though I am getting dungeon ideas."

[Ebiris]

"It's not really suitable for sending an army. Might be best if we or our avatars went ourselves to subdue the defenders then gated in forces to capture it once we've taken control of the safe zone in the middle," Alicia says on reflection.

[Anastasia]

"I don't like going in alone when they get an army and we don't," Syala agrees, just as reflective. Her gaze goes upwards as she thinks, "If the Cauldron can spare her, Sanzha could be useful here."

[Ebiris]

"Hmm. We can ask but they've had her all along and still haven't felt able to handle this front," Alicia says. "I can ask though. Myself, Marie, and Sanzha should be sufficient to bypass the defences and defeat whoever they have guarding the place and afterwards we can gate in forces to capture it. Did you catch wind of anything of note regarding the dao or other active forces defending it, sister?"

[Anastasia]

"Nothing substantial. Open water like that makes stealth almost impossible," Jessica says, "I didn't push it too far, enough to know we at least aren't walking into a defensive line."

[Ebiris]

"Well in that case I'll fetch Marie and we'll go visit the Cauldron again to see if Sanzha can be spared," Alicia rises out of the water. "Thank you for checking that all, Jessica. Gives me more comfort about going in there."

[Anastasia]

Jessica smiles, "If you need me, call on me. I'll even go again if you want me to come."

[Ebiris]

"Warmed up to the place after all?" she asks Jessica amusedly. "Alright, it can be four of us for the initial assault. You worked well with Marie last time."

[Anastasia]

"One thing," Jessica says, "For the love of Mys...of myself," she says with a queer, confused expression, "...nevermind, that's something to think about later. Just make sure we have a telepathy spell in place so we can communicate non verbally with ease."