[IC] Chapter 2-5: You're whirling 'round...

[Lugar]

"Ok, so we finish looking in this lair then go search for the dragon in the water... ugh, I hate water." He replies to Toot, remembering the soggy encounter with the adamantine war-machine in the haunted cellar...

"In the mean time, c'mon, lets just go around the dumb bugs and be on our way."  Lugar will take a chunk of mushroom out with his axe and examine it briefly, looking for poisons. (+10 craft poison making) Then he will chop through any thick mushrooms in his way if necessary from then on out.

Ooc - just to be clear, go around the dumb bugs means cut through the mushroom forest not go right past the ants.  
Ooc2 - I may not be able to post tomorrow as I will be traveling.

[DM Surranó]

OOC - We may have split brain or Toot is still debating the water elemental's fate while facing the ants... I'm fine either way but assuming the latter for sake of continuity

Shanna nods slowly, then repeats the nod three times in fast succession.
"That's actually feasible," she muses, "if the elemental perceived time as brief and we perceived it as much longer."

Meanwhile in Axe-land...

Lugar chops at the mushrooms without any significant effort. The thin mithril blade designed to sever drow or dwarven bodyparts, part flesh and shatter bone alike, doesn't prove to be the ideal tool for cut a wedge into more fibrous material. It gets stuck upon each and every strike, but with significant effort and an unorthodox style that resembles more of cleaving chunks of meat rather than splintering wood, Lugar actually manages to fell one giant mushroom that crumbles to pieces as it hits other mushrooms, and a rain of pieces from hats of other mushrooms also pour down on the party and the ants. Luckily, nobody is hurt and while the ants hold their ranks, the way to the inner ring seems to be within reach, maybe needing half an hour of chopping, and even that can be cut in half by deploying two hefty axes.

OOC - assuming the party will proceed this way

... as time passes, the ants leave with half of their booty, and the new path to the inner ring is now open. Apart from myconide debris covering the ground, It seems to be a safe passage.

OOC - marking on roll20 soon.

[Toot]

"Me have worked with Elementals often," Toot replies to Shanna.  "Me not aware of any noticeable understanding of difference in time between here and where elemental come from.  They not always 100% accurate but most have returned on time which why me asked elemental to come back early.  Me think searching pool first is likely smarter because it take less time than searching mushroom place.  But everyone seem to really want to die in mushroom place first so me will follow."

While the others hack at the mushrooms, Toot will use his woodland stride to try to move through the overgrown mushrooms while keeping Boo close so any shared spells continue.  He should be able to move through the mushrooms unless they that have been magically manipulated to purposely impede motion.

[DM Surranó]

Yes, Toot can pass unhindered.

Shanna nods at Toot's wits.
"Indeed, time on inner planes passes at the same subjective speed as on our plane. But even if it were flowing faster or slower, their perception of time should match ours, as long as they and we are both at the same place. But what if..."
Shanna falls silent, with a barely hidden smirk on her face, apparently expecting, what's more, encouraging the wise jermlaine (or anyone else for that matter) to finish the sentence.

[Torin]

... if your elemental stepped into a pocket dimenson or into another plane.

- I also know at least one spell - Time Stop - which changing the time around of the target.

OoC - maybe Torin heard some other spells too, but I don't know which are allowed to (N)PCs
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthrea...ime-Magic)

[Toot]

Toot will watch the mage and cleric as their minds do a kabuki dance to come up with explanations for the elemental not returning with greater and greater mystification.  Pocket dimensions, arch-mage level magic, time dilations and whatever else just happen to be lurking within this pool.  

"Interesting," Toot replies slowly.  "Me not dismissing those possibilities but usually the simplest answer is correct answer.  And me would rather have elemental be attacked then deal with the near epic powered explanations yous both come up with for why elemental disappeared.  Me could have summoned a more powerful elemental to search pool to make sure cuz if it is one of things yous suggest it be something we really should know about.  Maybe if we had a divination spell...  But doodids not get good divination until next tier of power called Commune with Nature.  Torin, can't you ask for divination spell to help answer some of these questions?"  

[OoC: Divination is a 4th level Cleric spell.  Toot doesn't get access to Commune with Nature until next level.  ]

[DM Surranó]

If translated to Zelgadis he makes an impassionate note.
"I tend to agree with the little one. We are after a beast with ravenous hunger, aren't we. I don't get any of this time being faster yada-yada. That's like highest ranking demons' power and as I said, that is matched only by... dragons... "
He stops short before blurting out the last word in his own revelation.

Now, a DMPC and an NPC vouch for two opposing statements. which one will you believe? but divination sounds like a neat idea

[Silent Giant]

OOC - assuming the party will proceed this way

... as time passes, the ants leave with half of their booty, and the new path to the inner ring is now open. Apart from myconide debris covering the ground, It seems to be a safe passage.

OOC - marking on roll20 soon.

Let's make a shorter way  - he continues cutting with the next ring

[DM Surranó]

Another hour passes and the two sweating woodsmen make a path through fungi. The party arrives at the centre, with prime view on the force cage.

[Silent Giant]

Follow me - he says and moves to north