Nymph interlude (Afina)

[Anastasia]

"Oh, that's marvelous! You must have the most marvelous story," Devin declares brightly, the elemental clapping. After a few moments the other elementals join in. "Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations!"

Gold eyes them all, "Yes, but to the matter at hand, we seek wisdom about Sinkhole itself."

"Oh, but this is wisdom." Simmer pipes up, smiling, "See, this wizard gets it. Of course the answer is to join with a magma paraelemental. Okay, you could do better by going with a pure fire elemental, but damn it, he's still getting it."

[Ebiris]

Is that sarcastic? Afina's not sure. Sarcasm got one killed back home, but she's gained some experience with the form of 'wit' since coming to know Adrian.

Still, she's not sure and it would be poor to take offence if it was sincerely meant. "It does make for a potent combination," she agrees with Simmer.

[Anastasia]

"Oh my goodness, yes, I do get it," Devin agrees, "How did you balance the elements and what names did you call on? I can't imagine anything less than a four-fold diagram of Grumbar, Akadi, Kossuth and that annoying wet one I won't profane us with would do. Still though, you wouldn't get anything stable out of it, so you'd need something incredibly powerful to act as a stabilizing catalyst as well as to ensure that degeneration won't occur. Dragon's blood, maybe? No no, it would show. Fiendish or celestial blood's right out, too much baggage. Oh of course, your own fey nature. Young woman, did you use yourself as a catalyst and a canvas to paint on at once? Marvelous!"

[Ebiris]

"It was more of an introspective process than that," Afina replies. "Originally it started when I was exposed to Magmasoul in fire, making me a pyrofey just as my friend Simmer here is. That would have been the end of it but for a prismatic dragon I know who believed I was beginning a journey much like his own. I was taken enough with the idea to pursue it, and yes I do believe my sylvan nature was an important aspect. Seira was my primary patron throughout the process, and I can't recommend enough that you should visit the Cauldron if you have any interest in mingling the elements."

[Anastasia]

Devin nods along the entire time, "Marvelous story, marvelous news. I'll absolutely have to go there and learn more. There's only one question: Who is Seira and what is the Cauldron? I've been rather provincial the last couple of centuries, all tied up in Magma. The elements aren't much for spreading news and gossip, I'm afraid, and it sounds like something I'm supposed to know but I don't."

[Ebiris]

"Don't feel bad, I didn't know anything about it until recently myself," Afina commiserates her similarly provincial existence. "Seira is a newly risen dragon deity, who seeks to foster goodwill and understanding between the elemental planes. The Cauldron is her realm on the Astral Plane."

[Anastasia]

"Mmmm. I'll take a vacation soon and go see," Devin says, "Now then, the marvelous facts about the Sinkhole. You should be fine, but expect lots of magma and looser lava. Loose enough to swim and sink through, which is the point. They purify the elementals who go through, you'll just have to endure. Hope you can breathe in it or don't need to breathe. Leave the elementals alone in there and they should do the same. There's creatures in there called Magarmin, they're a cross between para elementals and spiders. They're predators and will eat you as gladly as the elementals."

[Ebiris]

"Are there no intelligent guardians?" she asks. Breathing isn't much of a problem for her and Simmer, although Arrel and Gold would certainly have concerns.

[Anastasia]

"Not as far as I know, but I've never been all the way down. Magma gets skittish down there," he admits, "Dreadfully unbecoming of an elemental, but he really doesn't like whatever's at the bottom."

[Ebiris]

Physical purification won't help her, and she's not likely to learn much from supplicant elementals and animalistic predators. Was this the wrong place, or will she find something worthwhile at the bottom? "Well it sounds like the bottom is where we want to go. Thanks for your help, Devin. If you do visit the Cauldron say that I sent you, they should treat you well," she says, going to board Gold once more.

"Also if you ever decide to follow a more martial calling, come visit Aurora! A monolith's body paired with a wizard's mind would make a mighty ally!"

[Anastasia]

Devin waves, "What is Aurora?" he calls back.

[Ebiris]

"A mobile demiplane fortress, we use it as our base in our war against Hell. It used to be called Medicant aeons ago if that's a name you recognise!"

[Anastasia]

"I'll look it up," Devin calls as you fly off. Once you're out of earshot, Simmer says, "That was a lovely little interlude. I wish more wizards had good sense like he does."

[Ebiris]

"When you get to it it's just a nicer form of lichdom. He has immortality but he's denied his own flesh," Afina says. "Still, he was an agreeable sort. I hope he does decide to come visit us later."

[Anastasia]

"Powerful allies are needed," Arrel says, "How powerful a wizard is he, do you think?"