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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RangerWickett" data-source="post: 1317006" data-attributes="member: 63">I'm going to update this some time.  Really, I am.  I'll post the first part of the next chapter, still under construction . . . for about a year now.When we last left our heroes, they had bravely entered the Innenotdar Fire Forest, which has been aflame for sixty years.  Protected by alchemical balms to ward off the flame, they hoped to evade the pursuing Ragesian inquisitors, who wanted to capture and kill the party because it contains magic-users.  However, the sentient spirit of the forest which calls itself Indomitability tried to stop the party, allowing the inquisitors to enter the forest even without magical defenses against the great heat.  The inquisitors were nearly upon the group when Rivereye Badgerface, the group's psion, made an agreement with Indomitability to help it if it helped them defeat the inquisitors.  The mysterious forest spirit agreed, and its flames flared again against the pursuing Ragesians, allowing the heroes to easily dispatch them.  Now the party must find Indomitability, and 'free' it from its prison.  But what could possibly have imprisoned something called 'Indomitability?'Cast of Characters:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Diogenes, human wizard, trained as an enchanter.  His mentor Gabal is a powerful Evoker, but Diogenes believes that enchantment and charm spells are more effective than simple damage.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Kathora Danava, human warrior, son of a general in the Ragesian army, forced to flee because of his minor magical abilities.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rivereye Badgerface, known as "Filthmonkey" to some, a goblin psion who grew up among gnomes.  He trained with one of the advisors to the late Emperor Coaltongue, but with Coaltongue's death he had to flee, because Leska, the high inquisitor, disapproves of psions.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rantle, a human warrior, has no magical ability, but is trying to catch up with his sister Katrina, who has already fled Ragesia and is heading toward the safety of Lyceum.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Haddin Ja-lafa, and Crystin Ja-nafeel, father and daughter, brought with the party from the town of Cerri.  Haddin wanted to fight against the Inquisitors, but they knocked him unconscious and dragged him along.  Crystin is prone to visions.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Torrent, a water mage who is guiding the group back to Lyceum.</li> </ul>Guided by a faint psychic sense that Rivereye is picking up, the group presses through the fire forest.  Kathor rides his own horse, and Torrent is lain across the back of Rivereye's pony K-POD, but the rest of the group walks.  It takes them most of the rest of the day before they find anything unusual, but when they do, it is not what they expected.Through the crackling of burning wood comes the sound of a huge chorus singing in a language unfamiliar to most of them.  Only Rivereye knows enough to recognize it as the language of the fey, but he can only make out a few words from this distance.  The song is about a long journey from home, into foreign lands."That doesn't sound too bad," Rantle comments.Diogenes looks at Rivereye.  "They'd better be evil fey or something.  What kind of stupid idea was it to agree to release the fire spirit.  'Evil fire monster.'  No, that doesn't sound dangerous."Crystin draws in a sharp breath, and looks down at Rivereye.  "Your inability to measure danger will get you killed some day."Crystin's father, Haddin, coughs and shakes his head.  "Whatever the hell they are, let's just go around them.  I've got - *cough, hacking wheeze* -  I've got nothing against fey."They are the ones who imprison me, says the fire of the forest suddenly, roaring around them with anger.  Fulfill your promise to release me, or burn where you stand."Let's go save the fire beast," Rantle says quickly."Good idea," Rivereye laughs, nervously.  "Let's go."They ride on ahead for a few minutes until they see a hill ahead of them.  The song is coming from the other side of the hill, now with its chorus accompanied by a single elderly male voice."Hey, interesting," Rivereye says.  "I think the one guy singing now is the person this story's about.  He says he's traveling away from home to collect the song of the world.  So, what do we do now?"Haddin clears his throat wretchedly, spitting a mouthful of soot onto the ground.  "I say to hell with this 'Indomitability.'  It sounds like - *choke, cough* - . . . whatever it is, it's trouble.  Send the gnome to look.  At least if he gets killed we won't have lost anything."Diogenes flips open his spellbook and starts looking for something, while Rantle offers his opinion.  "Haddin, you haven't done anything useful for the party, so you don't get a vote.  Anyway, we'll probably need the help of the thing to get out of here, so it can't hurt to take a look."Haddin glowers back.  "Go take your muscles and badger someone else."Diogenes straightens and points at his spellbook.  "Here it is.  Detect <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />."  He waves his hands in a spell, and suddenly Haddin glows with intense light.  "Haddin, look, your aura is overwhelming.  I . . . I cannot stand to look at it anymore."  And the spell ends, the light fading away.Crystin turns her head mechanically toward Diogenes and says, "Leave my father alone.  He knows what is best for us."Diogenes laughs.  "And what's up with your daughter?  Half the time she does exactly what you tell her, and the rest of the time she's spewing out tidbits of wisdom.  You've got her well-trained."Rivereye shrugs and starts to go, but</blockquote>

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