Mowenites Unite - Episode Ten

==Summary:==
Mowen had granted individuals the experience needed to hone their skills. In exchange, these people were called to begin their charge. Whether the agents attended the once secret but prestigious academy or were in service to the empire or owed them, six people were sought out and called into service to work the lines of diplomacy, sometimes within the shadows, getting done what needed to be done. Safety was not guaranteed. Mowen was working on a new defensive construction that the world had not seen since the Golden Age of Magic. The six were required to engage in skullduggery, cloak and dagger diplomacy, and questionable missions in service to the empire, all in an effort to build something important.
==Client:==
Empire of Mowen
==Agents:==
*Asher "Whiffle-Tongue" - Lizardfolk Wizard
*Gobin Glowstep - Halfling Druid
*Krixx Sharptooth - Kobold Artificer
*Merdaer - Drow Rogue
*Tar'ren r'Eehp r'Eehp - Frogfolk Warlock
*Xilon Harkus Starrati - Half-Elf Wizard
==Adventure:==
The Ritual of Binding Elemental required the practitioners to create a ritual octagon with four points. The red corundum would be focused while verbal components were spoken over a minute. When the target was reduced to a low amount of life force, creating a point of contact between the gem and the elemental would bind it.
Xilon and Asher went to Virgil to probe his mind on what might be in the mountains. Xilon was a little shy because he hadn't seen Virgil in years.
"So Crystal Academy is sending you on a death mission, huh?" Virgil asked.
Virgil told them that the Whispering Cutlass was not called the All-Tales-Told Cutlass. However, was willing to give them the location of a cave and the description of the cliffs outside of it. He mentioned flying snakes and all manner of weird critters living in the crevices of the rocks. There was also a massive fire elemental.
The group traveled northward. They passed Ivaio through to Ylan, then up to the Iron Ridge. Along the way they were approached by groups of Mowenite rebels. The rebels had a proposition. They invited the group to speak telepathically and pass through a Zone of Truth.
The first question posed was: How loyal are you to the Empire?
Krixx said his loyalty was with his friends. Gobin said he didn't know, he just worked there. 
Do you believe you are on the side of good?
Asher said he was, as did Xilon and Gobin. Merdaer asked for the definition of good.
Do you believe the Empire of Mowen is on the side of good?
Merdaer once more asked for the definition of good. Asher said he truly did not know if Mowen was on the side of good, and Xilon said he was trying to figure that out himself.
Do you fear for your safety or the safety of those you love if you should cross the leaders of Mowen?
Asher said yes. Krixx said that treason came with death. Merdaer said his position there was of relevance. Xilon said he was always fearful for the safety of himself and his loved ones no matter the leader. Gobin said he didn't know the leaders well, but he thought they'd be nice to him.
Finally, they asked if any of them were willing to cross the line to risk their lives for the sake of saving many others.
Asher said he would, and Gobin said he already had multiple times.
The rebels offered to let them join the rebellion but didn't pressure them. Gobin said they needed to work on their satisfaction survey skills. Asher said that it was difficult to talk about treason in the open and perhaps they were doing their best.
Krixx said they could ask him if he wanted to join on their way back.
Tar'ren's answers did not get him recruited.
The group reached the mountain. They climbed. Tar'ren asked Merdaer to tag-team, using Mage Hand to hold and strike their pitons.
The cliff was steep and the handholds were uneven. Some were loose. The climb went slowly. Gobin cast Meld into Stone. He pressed his body against the face of the mountain and melded into the rock. However, he thought that he could use this to climb up the mountain but couldn't. Krixx cast Spider Climb and climbed up.
Merdaer and Xilon fell down the rock wall and scuffed their boots. About halfway up, Xilon, Tar'ren, and Tourmaline lost their footing and scraped themselves.
At the top of the first cliff, the group saw holes where snakes and creatures would crawl out. They were careful not to disturb the flying snakes.
Asher saw a stairway and went near it. The air was warmer there. Merdaer didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Gobin noticed a creature curled up between the rocks. It was a fire snake and didn't look like it would be friendly. It hadn't noticed them yet.
Gobin cast Speak with Animals. He approached the snake, which hissed at him. It didn't appear to be an animal. Gobin asked the creature to let them pass. The snake glowed a bright orange and was about attack.
Merdaer disengaged and cast Chromatic Orb using cold damage. It missed. 
Tourmaline went right in front of the snake and slammed into the snake. Asher cast a Ray of Frost and extinguished the snake. An intense heat washed off its body, and its yellow eyes went out.
Gobin covered the corpse with rocks. He didn't like fires. 
Tar'ren peeked into the creature's den and saw nothing.
The climbers continued up the mountain. At the top of the ridge, Merdaer saw fire mephits playing hot potato, bouncing a fireball between them. The creatures noticed them and threw the hot ball at Merdaer. It missed.
Asher cast Snilloc's Snowball Swarm, buffetting three of the creatures. Xilon cast a cold Magic Missile, hitting all three that Asher hit. One of the creatures died. The mephit exploded into a pool of lava. The lava didn't seem to affect the other mephits.
A mephit got close to Gobin and Merdaer, spewing fire breath. Merdaer got coated while Gobin only got singed.
Tar'ren blasted one of the mephits, causing it to explode. He then backed away to Asher's side and asked him how it was going.
The mephit's lava flowed down the cliff and into the burrows of the flying snakes, causing the snakes to flee their den.
Krixx guarded the rear against snakes to protect the mages.
The untouched mephit sprayed fire on Gobin and Merdaer. Merdaer disengaged and cast Chromatic Orb. It missed.
Gobin cast Tidal Wave up the mountain, knocking the mephits prone. One died and exploded into lava, which got solidified into rock.
Asher cast Ray of Frost and popped the final mephit, drenching Gobin in lava.
Xilon prepared to freeze the snakes if they got close. However, the snakes merely went into new burrows.
Gobin hopped out of the lava. He asked Xilon to fix his clothes. Xilon said they still had to deal with the fire elemental, so he would wait until after.
Tar'ren asked for a Gobinberry. Gobin gave him one. Tar'ren cast Prestidigitation to make it cold and gave it to Gobin as a treat so he wouldn't think about his burning feet. Tar'ren also mended Gobin's clothes.
The party continued to climb stealthily. They reached a point where they could enter the mountain itself. They noticed a dull orange glow coming from within. The group took a short rest. Merdaer wanted ice and Asher supplied some for him. 
The group gave Krixx the red corundum so that he could touch it to the elemental when it was time to enact the ritual.
Entering into the orange-glowing cave, Krixx noticed little veins of lava spilling into a pool to the northwest. That was where the glow was coming from. Krixx noticed that one of the rocks looked like a stinger. Krixx warned the group and moved to the other end of the cave. Gobin tiptoed quickly to catch up to Krixx. Xilon cast Protection from Energy and moved behind Gobin. Asher readied a Ray of Frost and moved behind Xilon. Merdaer moved behind Asher. Tar'ren moved behind Merdaer.
The group continued moving. Asher noticed the weird rock disappear into the lava, but nothing came out to attack them. There were still plenty of caves to get through before reaching the fire elemental, however. It got increasingly hot and those wearing metal armor felt baked.
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Mowenites Unite - 10