The devil withdraws his blade from the river bed and shakes it free of sand. Almost casually, he sighs and then turns to face you. Shaking his head back and forth with disappointment he says:
"Such fools. So be it. Remember to sleep lightly ... you never know what may be lurking in the forest."
With the last word, he cackles an evil laugh and then teleports away in another flower-shaped burst of fire.
When the flames clear, you are alone again and you resume your hike down the river towards the Seela village. After a couple of hours, the forest begins to darken slightly and through breaks in the ever present cloud of smoke above you, the sky is deepening to a darker purplish blue.
Ahead, the shores of the river widen, and the banks slowly rise until they are ten feet or higher. Fires still crackle with resilient fire atop the cliffs at these distant banks, but this wide area is free from flame. The everpresent ash is thinner here, and you can see the gray surface of a murky lake a mile ahead, seeming to stretch away for miles more. You realize that where you walk was once part of the lakebed, which must have been burning away slowly for many years. The heat here is weaker, but still sweltering without your magical protection.
From down the river and around a distant cliff, a haunting chorus pierces the sounds of the inferno. There is magic in the air, and its song is like a dirge. The flames of the trees dim as it swells, but the voices singing it are weary,
and the fire seems unquenchable.
As you pass the cliffs, you can see that you are now standing in the midst of the Seela village. It consists of a dozen huts that appear to have been magically sculpted like those in the Elven village up river. There are also several caves in the cliff-face, and a 15 foot tall stone watch tower on the shore. Three Seela stand atop the tower, singing a powerful song in their native tongue of Sylvan. The song sounds much like the one Tiljann sung earlier, except that its full potential is being released here. Their voices carry across the lake and echo back like a chorus of dozens.
A simple wall of burning foliage lines the shore and a 5-foot stone wall stops approaches from the southeast. The only other entrance to the village (asides from the one you're currently standing in) is along the shore to the southwest.
As soon as you arrive, Tiljann spots you from the tower. She waves and calls out to you and then begins banging on a drum. The deep rhythmic thumps ring out across the lake and you now see that the sounds have summoned a large number of Seela. Perhaps 30 or so have exited from their huts or are gliding down from their caves. They look at you with wide eyes and gossip amongst themselves.
Tiljann jumps down from the tower and lands before you with a smile and a greeting. Following closely behind her is an older Seela male. This fey man, though wiry and emaciated, wears a commanding expression in his angular face. Studded leather arm covers his chest and legs, but not his arms, which are muscular like a warrior’s. Wings like splayed, withered leaves fan behind him, one of them scarred and damaged from an old battle. He smiles and greets you:
"Welcome to our village strangers. I am Papuvin Songleader, and I speak for our community. Tiljann has told me of your presence and I am eager to converse with you. Can I offer you a welcome to my meager home?"
