Shake the dust off your feet

[Ebiris]

"Later," Alicia agrees quietly. "Don't want to let anything slip by here."

[Anastasia]

Give me Perception again, +2 bonus now.

[Ebiris]

Take 10 for 100.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia HP: 801+20/801
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 41), extended nondetection (CL 41), greater heroism (CL 38), epic mage armour (CL 39), sensual blessing (CL 40), divine insight (CL 38), energy immunity (electricity) (CL 41), energy immunity (fire) (CL 41), energy immunity (acid) (CL 41), greater anticipate teleportation (CL 40), greater foresight (CL 40)
Defences: AC 94, CMD 110, spell resistance 53, energy immunity (fire and cold), status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, imprisonment, banishment, and fear), nondetection (DC 56), freedom of movement
Stat buffs/penalties: +4 morale attack/skills/saves, +10 armour AC, +25 competence perception, +7 insight AC/ref
Perceptions: tremorsense/blindsight/scent 6 miles, see magic, clearsight 60 feet, perception +88
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/10/9/8/14/9/9/8/7/2/7/4/7/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/23/23/23/11/7/16/5

Marie HP: 760+20/760
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 41), bibliotheca arcana (CL 38), extended nondetection (CL 41), greater heroism (CL 38), epic mage armour (CL 38), sensual blessing (CL 38), divine insight (CL 38), energy immunity (electricity) (CL 39), energy immunity (fire) (CL 39), energy immunity (acid) (CL 39), neutralise poison (CL 38), life's grace (CL 38), duelist's friend (CL 38)
Defences: AC 84, CMD 85, spell resistance 53, energy immunity (electricity, fire, acid, sonic negative), status immunity ((petrification, polymorph, form-altering, energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, mind-affecting, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, fear, death effects and disintegration), nondetection DC 56
Stat buffs/penalties: +4 morale attack/skills/saves, +15 insight knowledge, +25 competence perception
Perceptions: Greater arcane sight 120ft, tremorsense/blindsight/scent 1 mile, perception +83
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/10/10/10/9/9/7/8/8/8/7/4/6/7/5/4

[Anastasia]

Another hour passes. Another. Two total, no sign of anything remarkable. A few minor demons of little note and nothing else.

> roll 1d100
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d100 --> [ 1d100=22 ]{22}

As the hours slip by and you await the two?

Alicia.

You never told me Antenora was such a drama queen. Violet's told me all about the speeches Antenora gave her.

[Ebiris]

Well they're likely to be here all day. Maybe two.

Still, Marie and Jessica have their avatars hiding out with Mymtha in Dead Rat's Nest, they'll know if they missed him.

And oh, look there's Malcanthet.

She's not even going to reply to that one, they're not on 'casual speaking' terms.

[Anastasia]

Ah, don't be shy. Lovely G'renna reminded me of some of the fruits you sampled in your first visit to my realm. No wonder you chose someone like Syala. So...violent.

What can I say? I enjoy learning more about you.

[Ebiris]

She must be terribly bored.

Well, Alicia's busy and not here for idle chit-chat.

Fate of Creation hangs in the balance.

[Anastasia]

Or perhaps those two have you oh so busy right now? Or perhaps you and your sister are keeping each other...occupied?

As you endure Malcanthet, you see something. About a mile further away from your position a portal opens. A covered wagon, quite large, comes through. It is drawn by a pair of nightmares, and a hooded and robed figure drives.

[Ebiris]

Can she identify where the portal came from?

Any interesting magic on or in the wagon?

[Anastasia]

The portal came from Salt.

There's but one in the wagon - the entrance to an extra dimensional space, which holds quite a bit of space, you can tell.

[Ebiris]

Probably irrelevant. Alicia keeps her attention on the portal to Dead Rat's Nest. Yarus is most likely to teleport to its proximity so he can quickly walk through, or so she assumes.

[Anastasia]

A moment later - the portal rips open anew. A moment of screams before a raw blast of glass-like black sand comes out. Before your eyes the rider, the wagon and the nightmares are all ripped apart. Like razor blades, with chunks torn away withering into salt. Barrages and bursts also strike at once, sapping everything from what they touch, reducing them to dry dust.

In a mere instant the wagon and its rider is no more, only broken ruins as with a shudder, the extradimensional space collapses, a mighty BANG as the portal shuts at the same time.

'What?' Syala sends to you.

[Ebiris]

I think that was Tor Salinus. Lets not mention this to Seira.

[Anastasia]

He's still remarkably deadly. Nice trick. Is she ever going to go after that lizard?

[Ebiris]

I doubt it, since he never leaves Salt there's not enough impetus to turn her grudge into action.