Io's Labyrinth

[Corwin]

"Makes you wonder whether Io merely created the framework allowing it, or if Ajan had a process he had to follow exactly, doesn't it?"

[Anastasia]

"Well yes," Amaryl admits, reddening a little bit, "Ah, we all have our loves. I see why it was so successful. Learning more about those rituals could greatly behoove us."

Oberuth is smiling at that, "I finally have a reason to why I've had to fight half dragon shocker lizards."

"Ajan may be an exception with his power," Antenora remarks, "There are many paths as Io said, not all paths are equal."

[Ebiris]

"I think it's like magic, with iterations over time providing for both efficiencies and compromises - though I expect we'll learn more soon. I don't think there's any reason to disturb the eggs for now though, so..." she leads the way West.

[Corwin]

Seira shudders. "I bet there's a greater demon that spawned all those shocker lizards infinities ago, and now you can't get rid of them no matter what you try."

[Nephrite]

"Er, I'm sorry, you've all mentioned Ajan a few times, who is that?" Moore asks as he follows after Alicia.

[Corwin]

"The most ancient and respected red dragon I've ever run across," Seira is all too happy to fill Moore in. "Two millennia ago the gods banded together to seal the heretic Gnomish God-King and used Ajan as one of the seal's keepers. One of my goals is to actually free him at long last, so even though I'm barred from doing it in person I'm trying to sponsor a team to do it as fast as humanly possible."

She eyes Oberuth meaningfully at that.

[Nephrite]

"Oh! I see." Moore smiles. "Well, once matters here are done, if you'd like any help with the endeavor, feel free to ask. There are quite a few people in Creation that need rescuing from awful circumstances."

[Anastasia]

Beyond this you can see to the west the passage slowly becomes a darker blue again, while to the east the blue fades, becoming a metallic-silvery color.

To the east is also a passage to the north before it slowly turns southerly. Cold air blows from the east to the west, like a breath of winter. And after a moment, Seira sees it - a great, sudden gust of blizzard breath, cold enough to freeze a mountain solid. Yet with it being this far away, she can easily step back, avoiding it as it sweeps past and to the far west of the hall.

Map update.

https://i.imgur.com/xyIDhoE.png

[Corwin]

"I don't think it works unless you serve a conventional deity, but thanks for the offer all the same," Seira tells Moore, before giving Oberuth another meaningful look.

After taking a few more steps back than strictly necessary from the piercing cold.

[Ebiris]

"Lets backtrack a little?" Alicia suggests after that rush of frozen air. "If we go North from where we met Madigar we'll be closer to where it curves North over there," she points Westward. "Also there was a passage midway up from there that I think probably won't go far so we can see what it has first as well."

[Corwin]

"I agree, let's check that out before throwing ourselves into frost."

[Anastasia]

Oberuth returns those looks with a nod, letting it go at that.

"Going back would make more sense," Antenora agrees, as suddenly - !!!

The crackle of lightning roars down the hallway west to east, as if a retort to the frost breath. It whizzes past just to the north of all of you, crackling through the hall.

"Let's go back," Jetina agrees quickly, "Being stuck between dueling dragon breaths is a bad decision."

[Ebiris]

"We might need to come at that area from another angle entirely," Alicia nods, but she'll still check out that Westwards passage North of where they met Madigar since it should be a short trip regardless.

[Corwin]

"Once we do need to scout, I'll take care of things," Seira promises. "Hey, wanna hear this story about how I dodged lightning once while swimming through an underground cavern?"

[Anastasia]

This western hall leads to a short, simple dead end. Engraved into the floor is a magic circle, nine fold patterns woven within it.  The party's greater arcane sight lets them discern it is a teleportation circle.