Faerun awaits...

Istar noticed the disapproving looks certain crew members gave her , but despite some of those looks being rather nasty they failed to lower her spirits. After all , she had just found her One True Love and found such a love reciprocated - why would dirty looks from strangers upset her? Besides , the euphoria still coursing through her veins from the kiss ensured it would take something truly awful to dampen her joy. Her soft lips still tasted of the Fire-Maned beauty , causimg her heart to flutter. Her heart yearned for more , though her modesty kept her from actively seeking it.

The Paladin walked into the After Castle closely behind the Halfling , a radiant smile gracing her slightly rosy features. She wasn't sure whether she had introduced herself yet or not to the Captain , and so quickly after Rihaly finished introducing herself the Elf eagerly did the same. "Hello , I'm Istar Valerys , Paladin of Corellon Larethian." Her mouth opened for a moment , about to introduce Rihaly as her true love , before quickly closing. 'I'll ask if it's okay for me to introduce her as my Truest Heart Friend later.' "Your vessel is the most magnificent I've ever seen! You should be very proud of her." She would've asked where they were going , but her beloved Halfling had asked that question before she was able. Instead , her mind - and her nose - brought a different query forth. "May I have a ladle or two of the Beef Stew , sir? The Fish was delectable , but I find myself still a little peckish.. if you don't mind , I'd hope to taste some of your cook's concoctions."
 
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From the door you hear the murmured conversation of two friends. Though the words are not distinct enough to make out what was said.

However as you step they both stop speaking and turn to look at you. Rihaly you see some charts and maps of lands and seas you've only heard of, as well as bills of lading and inventories. Some of those items look or sound expensive and you're pretty certain some of them are dangerous.

"They are rats. Not a knock or so much as a 'by your leave' before barging into my room." The Captain took a slow sip from a low ball cup, his grey-blue eyes looking first to the halfling then to the elf. Judgement was easy to read in the way they lingered and bored into each of you in turn. Though a smile remained on his face. The half-orc closed his eyes and heaved a large sigh, downing his drink in the process. "Well I did warn you about them."

With a shrug and wave of his hand Keth let's the Captain take the lead. "Well miss padfoot, we are generally heading to Illinvur, from there your team will disembark and venture to an ancient temple which has recently been taken under new management." His left hand moved to turn a map so you can see and taps a small spot on the northern edges of Cormanthor.

The Captain looks up and nods in a respectful manner. "A pleasure Lady Valerys." A small smirk played across his face. "I am very proud of her." He took a small sip of his drink before pointing to the door. "As to the food you'll have to speak with The Chef. He's very good at what he does, but only serves from the galley." He held both hands up wide. "Even in my own ship in my own cabin he will not bring me food." A hearty laughs leaves him as he sits back down.

Keth had been sitting quietly watching his new team, trying to get a sense of them. He shrugged and tapped the rim of his cup. "I suppose we should get some food before the crew leaves the dregs then huh?"
 
The captain at least has a point, yet Rihaly shrugs with apparent unconcern. "If I waited for an invitation before I went to explore somewhere new I'd never get anywhere interesting. And isn't that why the team wanted me?" Her smile grows as she watches Lady Valerys charm the Captain whose quarters they had just inadvertently invaded with her direct and honest manner. The young elf (and her mind boggles briefly at the phrase, however apt) doesn't seem to completely understand the effect she had on people, the halfling reflects. When she does, she will be truly formidable but Rihaly is glad she has the opportunity to know the elf before life taught her to guard her innermost self. She trusts she will never give her a reason to hide from her, and hopefully will be able to open up more herself.

The halfling woman likes maps. She hovers over the one she can see, tracing a finger in the air over the curve of the coastline until Keth suggests a meal, then looks up and shakes her head. "No thank you, maybe later. I'd like to hear more about the mark, but I can wait until you've filled up to hear what we know." She's eaten well of fish recently, and is aware this could be her biggest job yet. A careless burglar is a dead burglar, so she looks around and makes a quick mental sketch of the room's contents with particular note of anything that could conceivably be a threat to them.

Keth and Istar seem to be heading off to eat, so she turns back to the captain and hops up to take a seat on the edge of his table. "It's a hard life when your own crew refuse to take care of you," she jokes. "Don't they know you're up here, wasting away while you plan a safe course for them, free of storms and sky pirates?" She leans down, trailing her finger over the destination he marked and roughly where she thinks they are from her look over the edge of the world earlier. "I'll tell you what. If you're willing to tell me more about the Coral, her speed and how the ring of fire helps her fly then I'll go and personally fetch you a bowl of the stew. What do you say?" She smiles suddenly, grey eyes agleam. "I may even knock."
 
Istar glanced down towards the floor , cringing as the Captain reprimanded her for her lack of tact. "I'm very sorry , sir." Technically it wasn't her fault , as her Truest Heart Friend had led the way , but she still felt the need to apologize. Her abashedness passed rather quickly , however , and she lit with wonder as the Captain informed them of their upcoming mission. She'd never been to Illinvur or explored an ancient fortress , and the prospect she'd be able to do so with her One True Love exhilarated her. 'Nothing awful will happen to us as long as we love and trust in each other!'

The Paladin graciously bowed when the Captain adressed her with her more formal title , though he'd notice it was a rather masculine bow instead of the ladylike curtsy one might expect from her. She didn't seem to be as unnerved by his use of a formal title as she was when the Halfling used it , mostly due to the fact that she was less familiar - or , at least , less friendly - with the Captain. Though she remained eagerly smiling she raised an eyebrow at the ship owner's hearty laugh , failing to fully understand his dry wit.

The young Elf's attention eagerly turned to her beloved Halfling as soon as her Fire-Maned love started speaking. By the way she yearningly looked at the beautiful woman , it would've been easy for a perceptive being to discern how very smitten she was. She couldn't help but cringe slightly at Rihaly's disregard for manners , but her mild discomfort was quickly erased by her love for the small woman. 'I promised her I wouldn't take umbridge with her ideals , even if they were different from mine. Besides , it isn't the worst thing she could've done. She's my True Love - I can't stay discomforted with her over something so trivial!'

After the Fire-maned beauty spoke with the Captain the Paladin tightly gripped her One True Love's hand , giving it a very gentle tug. Her voice was full of mirth and affection. "Come on Rihaly , we can go get ourselves some stew and then we can all come back here to talk more about the mission over our food! Wouldn't that be wonderful?" She turned her emerald gaze to the Captain. "And we'll bring the Captain a bowl too - I'm sure he'd appreciate it!" Smiling all the wider the young woman tugged slightly harder on her Truest Heart Friend's small hand. "Come on, let's go!"
 
The Captain nods at the halfling's logic, which was the same thought behind why most thieves did what they did. He raised his cup to her and filled a new glass and slid it towards the entry specialist. "Very true indeed Rihaly." From the cup you are able to smell something sweet, but not like honey or sugar, and a very potent hint of fermented grains and other ingredients meet you nose. In response to Istar's apology the Captain waves it away, as if there was nothing to apologize for.

The half-orc shrugs at Rihaly's declining his invitaion. "I suppose that means the long ears and I will have a chance to talk then." He did not look exactly pleased about the prospect of talking with the elven paladin, but he was willing to talk with her civilly.

The Captain smiles at Rihaly and silently chuckles at the comment about the crew. "Ah now to be fair I trust my Boatswain and First Mate to deal with those things." He leaned back and kicked his feet up on the table. "What fun is being captain if you have to work all the time?" The halfling's non-chalant attiutde was begining to win over the the Captain. "Tell you what. You just knock from now on and I'll tell you about the Dragon. But as to you getting me food," The smile remained on his face as he shook his head. "I eat with the rest of the crew in the Galley."

Looking at the padfoot and the Captain then the holy knight, the half-orc snorted out a sigh and leaned into to speak so only Istar could hear. "I don't think our little Nipper is interested in food." He gave an eyebrow raise and nodded to the door, as he set his cup on the map table. "Besides The Chef won't let you take food from the Galley, so if you want to eat it, you'd best eat it there."
 
Rihaly gives a tender smile and shakes her head to her love's urgent encouragement. "No my princess, you go ahead but I've already eaten. I only have a little stomach," she pats it for effect, "and it's stuffed full of fish." Istar's fish. And Keth's fish. And butterflies to boot. She sneaks a conspiratorial look across at the Captain, then stretches up to whisper in the elf's ear. "I bet the Chef isn't really paying that much attention, he has a whole crew to feed. See if you can sneak out some food for later?" Old habits die hard, and her eyes sparkle with challenge even as she steps back and squirms her hand free of the paladin's grip.

She turns back to the Captain and gives him a forked smile. "I can do that, although if you don't say anything when I knock I can't guarantee my nose won't lead me in anyway. To see if you're fine, or need a paladin's attention." The curiosity of halflings is proverbial, and while Rihaly dreams of one day becoming a thief of legend, her path to that future does not lie through petty theft from her friends and allies. "It's the right thing to do," she remarks piously, then hops up into a chair opposite his and revisits her earlier interests."So tell me more about the Dragon? How did you come by her, and how does she fly?"
 
Istar was visibly relieved that the Captain harbored no ill feelings towards her - though despite her clear relief , and her ever-consistent eager happiness , she failed to hide a slight cringe at the though of conversing with the Half-Orc. She was quite aware that her new Team Leader wasn't particularly fond of her , and though she tried to be at least cordial with all those she met she'd rather not hear the older man disparage her. Still , she knew she'd have to speak with him sooner or later. Perhaps in conversing with him she could alleviate whatever friction existed between them.

The Paladin heard Keth whisper in her ear , and while she knew he was right she merely nodded her head and waited for her Truest Heart Friend to respond. She couldn't help but feel slightly dissapointed that her One True Love would rather converse with the Captain , but that feeling passed quickly. She understood that her small lover would've been filled after eating so much fish - she herself might have been , had she eaten more than the three-fifths of one the Halfling had left her. She might've been satiated with just one fish , given the butterflies still fluttering in her stomach , but As it was she remained peckish.

The Elf's emerald eyes widened in surprise as Rihaly's gentle whisper registered in her mind , leaving her taken aback enough that the smaller woman had little trouble slipping free of her grasp. 'Just because my Truest Heart Friend asks me to do something doesn't mean I need to do it. Right? Mother did say it's okay to not carry out a lover's request if I don't agree with it..' Though her mind - and heart - was racing , she still managed to give a gracious smile when she was indirectly mentioned.

Istar waited until her beautiful Halfling was done speaking before moving to give her a gentle hug , softly whispering into Rihaly's ear in an eager voice. "I suppose I'll see you after I eat , then , my Truest Heart Friend. Please do tell me what incredible things you learn about this magnificent Airship! I'd love to hear it! You're such a wonderful person Rihaly. I love you!" With that she's planted a soft , chaste kiss on the Fire-Maned beauty's cheek , pulling back from the comfortably loving embrace. After she neared the door she turned around to show her One True Love an eager , impassioned smile. "I'll return to you soon , my beautiful Queen!" 'I was permitted to show my affection wasn't I? She already termed me her Princess , and.. why should we hide our Love?'

The young Elf carefully watched her Lover for a reaction , nervous she had done something to upset the Halfling. If the reaction seemed hostile or disapproving her emerald gaze would drop down the floor , her pale skin crimson with embarrassment and a cringe gracing her features. If it was positive she'd widely smile , bright emerald eyes alit like gems , and blow a kiss to the beautiful woman. Either way , she'd depart quickly after along with the Half-Orc.
 
And so the first evening in the air played out quietly.

Once the airship cleared the clouds the temperature in general rose to a comfortable chill, where a cloak wrapped around you would be sufficient.

Throughout that first evening and following day Rihaly learned much about the ship and how it worked and how she came into the service of the Captain. The ring of fire was no ordinary fire, it was not even a spell as such. It was living fire harnessed from the elemental planes and gladly provided propulsion for the craft, in exchange for being able to consume the basics any flame requires: fuel. Whether it was wood, cloth, the odd bird that got close. To Rihaly's slight dismay, and adventurous intrigue, learned the ship did not have a mast to climb, but had four pylons around the ship's hull supporting the fire.

The Captain told finally the Dragon has been his to command for several years, and was in fact the reason NI choose him too join their ranks. He had been a merchant/pirate of some note and was climbing in (local to Waterdeep) renown when he had been approached about a chance to increase his spectrum of clients.

Istar and Keth maintained a polite professional attitude, despite their personal feelings towards or about the other. The half-orc seemed to hold more resentment towards the elf and anyone else. He was friendly with the half-elf and even with the dwarf own ran the galley. And while the Chef was very friendly the halfling rogue found a way into good good graces, even though that might not seem like it given how she was constantly trying to sneak food out, only to either be caught or dodge a airborne cleaver, which was followed by much foul mouthed yelling and cursing, not once ever followed up up on.

As to the specifics of the job not much more was learned. They were go into the ruined temple retrieve the phylactery, which is supposed to be a tome of some sort, and return it to Nameless Intent, before the minions of the Lich could claim it. No map of the temple is known, but it is expected to be either tapped or under non-friendly inhabitantion.

It has been two full days and is midday of the third when the group finds the ship descending into the hilly scrublands a few miles south of Illinvur.
 
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On the first day the halfling played most-in-sight. Having found no mast to climb, when she wasn't bending the ear of the captain or first mate she would be seen scaling one pylon or another until the flames almost licked at her hands. A dinner's entertainment spent trying to smuggle food out past the Chef's eagle-eyed gaze and dodging (in one case catching) flying blades was followed by a restless night in the bunk across from Istar's. The halfling had no reason to fear or doubt her elf friend, yet this had all come on so fast that she still wrestled with the reality of it all. Five times she dozed off then snapped awake. Four times she pinched herself to be sure she wasn't dreaming. Three times she crept across the decking to see the moonlight play across the face of her eager lover, peacefully asleep. Twice she changed her mind about the whole relationship, and by the time the sun rose and illuminated the skyship she had managed to let go of many of her fears and accept maybe, just maybe she had one amazing new girlfriend.

On the second day Rihaly had a new fascination; though she kept trading quips with the Captain and Chef (a cleaver slammed between her spoon and bowl of oats nearly made her spit her breakfast the width of the room) she rarely moved more than three paces from Istar's side, coaxing her to peer over the ship's side and sharing tales of her own adventures in Cormyr and the paladin's training in her home forest. That night was much more restful, and her own bunk was left empty while she found a place to sleep close against Istar's side.

Her dreams that night were warm and comforting.

This morning she's predictably as far forward on the ship as she can coax the elf into following her, body mostly over the side as she hooks a hand and foot through the railing and peers at the ground coming up below. "I can't see any landing points," she calls back over her shoulder. "Do you think it's going to land on the ground? Can the Coral land on the ground, or will the fires get in the way?" She was reassured that they weren't actually tangling with a Lich.

Its minions should make life interesting enough.
 
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Istar had spent much of the first day at introducing herself to the Airship's crew , when she wasn't at her Lover's side that is. Currently most of them referred to her as 'Lady' or Milady' instead of simply 'Istar' , though it was easy to notice that the use of such titles didn't bother her quite as much as it had when the Halfling had used them - after all , the beautiful Rogue was her equal , and the ship's Crew were strangers. She had hoped for her relationship with the Team Leader to be more amicable , but for reasons she failed to discern there was quite a bit of animosity between them. She might've tried working with him further , had they not posessed enough amity to have a decent professional relationship. Perhaps she'd try to speak with him about improving their relationship later - for now , Rihaly was the main focus of her attention.

The silver-locked Elf hadn't possessed the same doubts and concerns her Truest Heart Friend did , lacking any experience to seed doubt in her enthusiastic young mind. To her , True Love such as they shared was an unbreakable bond , as strong as the Adamantine in her heirloom sword and as gentle as the finest silks. As she peacefully rested she dreamed of her homelands , of her parents , and now of Rihaly. The dreams were impossibly idyllic , but nevertheless her untested heart believed them to be her future. Their love would be as true and as perfect as she believed her own parents' to be , and be just as eternal.

The Paladin was ecstatic to have her One True Love at her side most of the day , though it took her Truest Heart Friend quite a bit of coaxing to get her to approach the ship's railing. At one point she had leaned over the railing just as the Halfling did , but the ship rocking beneath her had her shooting her hands out to grab ahold of something within an instant , simultaneously precluding her from being quite that daring again. She had gladly volunteered the story of her past when asked - she was going to regardless , anyway - though in contrast with her Fire-Maned Lover's adventures she found it a bit dull , with some notable exceptions. It would be abundantly obvious how much she treasured High Forest , Corellon , and her beloved Mother and Father just by how much reverence she spoke of them with - though the same reverence appeared in her voice speaking of her One True Love , as well. By the time the beautiful woman joined her in sleep
, she had been deep asleep , Celebcarca cradled in her arms instead of her Lover. If she were honest she strongly desired to cradle the gentle Halfling in her arms , but was simply too modest to ask.

Istar was standing very close beside Rihaly , a bit farther back from the edge than her Queen but still cautiously peering over the edge. "I hope so. I'd rather not have to fall down from it. I'm sure our brooches would keep us from dying , but all the same.. well , I'd rather avoid falling altogether if I can avoid it. Perhaps the fire ring can collapse somehow , like a normal ship's sail? That would help with a ground-based mooring point. I'd still imagine it'd be higher up than normal , with a large ramp or even a staircase leading down from it. It could actually be some kind of fortress or castle. Wouldn't it be incredible if our mooring point was a majestic castle , Rihaly?" If she were fully honest the only thing that didn't excite her about the mission , asides from the heights the Airship occupied , was the fact that they wouldn't directly engage the Lich. She was hoping to use Corellon's mighty power to vanquish it , just as she had the Skeletal giant in her Trials.

But that minor disappointment was more than outweighed by all the wonderful benefits the mission had. The smile gracing her pale features was eager and idyllic at once , looking out over the land beneath her before turning to Rihaly , taking in the Halfling's striking beauty. 'She's so wonderful. I'm so glad Corellon's path for me allowed me to meet her..'
 
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The ship gets lower and lower, at a slow and steady rate, though nothing resembling the moorings or ramps or walk ways is evident where the ship is going to. The trees, while spread far and thing, do seem to provide some small obstacle for the crew. A pair of whom are out on the bowsprit calling out distances and heights to the helm. Even to Rihaly they look precarious balanced, as if one strong gust of wind would send them falling to a painful end, but they move with a carefree and experienced grace. "Twenty legnths off Starb'd!" "T'tiry lengths bottom!"

The Captain stands at the helm, just behind his First-mate and Boatswain, watching their progress.

Keth walked up behind both of you, arms folded over his chest, his long brown coat barely moving the breeze as the ship moved through the air. "The Dragon can't land unless there is a mooring high enough for it and those are not going to be found out here on the fringes of a country." Looking to Istar. "So no grand castle for you to day dream about, which means," Looking to Rihaly. "You won't be able to relieve the Lord and Lady of their valuables either." There is a hint of a smile on his face as he leans out over the railing, simliar to Rihaly and watched the ground get closer and closer. "So we have two options to get down." The half-orc raised an eyebrow and looked between you both to see what you would come up with as an answer.

"Ten lengths to bottom!" The urgent call went out from both lookouts on the bowsprit. The ship shuddered ever so slightly, reversing its forward direction as it came to a slow stop. As you look over the side the ground was still a good drop away, you might guess a distance of 30 or 40 feet.
 
A castle would be very exciting, maybe there would be a tower atop a hill with a needle-thin spire reaching up to where the Dragon's Coral could tie off to it. Like a sky dock maybe; Rihaly's mind still span at the thought of Horizon drifting above the landscape, but there couldn't be that many sky cities in Faerun or she'd have come across one before. "That's a great idea Istar! Let me know when you see it!" The halfling had wondered if Nameless Intent had a presence in the area, and the thought of noble allies they could visit before (and even after) their mission definitely appealed to her idea of adventuring. Camping out in forests is all well and good for the elves, she smiled fondly up at Istar, but I like a little more comfort when I can.

One hand in Istar's to anchor herself, Rihaly was leaning out and trying to spot their landing point when the half-orc came up behind them and delivered the sad news. The halfling turned to face him and gasped, one hand on her chest. "Keth! You make it sound like I'm some kind of thief!" She wrestled with a smile that won its way onto her face despite the dramatic denial. "I'd never dream of taking everything from one of our friends and allies." Maybe a special prize. Or a trophy or something. If they had something seriously tempting. She'd be polite about it anyway. It was a moment before she tuned back in to what he was saying, and to what he wasn't saying.

The half-orc's face was expressive enough, and her mind had just begun to explode with wild surmise when the lookout's shout drew grey eyes back to the ground, no longer coming up to meet the sky ship. "You don't mean..." her voice trailed off as she glanced back at the team leader and gave an enormous smile. "You do mean!" One hand behind Istar's head, she stretched up to give her a warm kiss and a whisper in her ear. "Take option two, my love." She knew her elf love didn't like heights, and it meant much to her that she was willing to be as close to the railing as she was. Rihaly would never ask her to follow her as she took a long look at the brooch firmly affixed to the inside of her cloak. She stepped backwards once, twice, then ran forward and vaulted over the side, wild laughter trailing behind her.


Acrobatics (style)
Roll(1d20)+13:
17,+13
Total:30
 
The half orc shakes his head as Rihaly clears the railing with a fluid grace only seen in professional acrobats and only the most lithe elven bladedancers. The laughter trailing off as a fleeting thought crosses your mind, 'How does the brooch work? Do I need an activation word?' About halfway down the halfling rolls into a midair tucked somersault that splays out into a front flip and just as her feet lightly touch the ground her hands pop into the air like a victorious champion.

He looks to Istar. "What is your decision long ears?" His left hand gripping the railing casually, the other resting on his right hip pushing the coat back, revealing an odd cluster of six tubes with a wooden grip.
 
Istar was rather absentminded when the Half-Orc appeared behind her and started speaking , her mind already exploring some magnificent castle with her One True Love. She actually seemed a bit startled to hear his gruff voice sound behind her , but her usual eager demeanor reasserted itself rather quickly - though her face fell for just the briefest moment as her waking dreams of a majestic castle were quashed. Her brow furrowed just slightly as she tried to puzzle out just what it was the two options were. 'Are those longboats for disembarking? I suppose they could be perform that task , as well as obviously serving as lifeboats.. but then what's the other option? Repel down on ropes of some sort?'

The Paladin was still puzzling over the question when she felt the light kiss upon her lips , her face flushing crimson and her eyes going wide. Just as the beautiful Halfling was running back towards the edge her mind finally discern's just what the first 'option' was. "Rihaly , wait!" , she cried , reaching out to stop her Lover - but by then it was much too late to halt the Fire-Maned beauty from gracefully leaping overboard.

The Elf rushed to the railing , looking down in sheer horror as her Truest Heart Friend fell rapidly to the ground. For a moment she looked as if her entire world had been shattered , but just as soon as it seemed all hope was lost her One True Love stuck a graceful landing , raising her arms in victory. A wide smile appeared on her features , falling slightly and returning in greater force , before falling and returning again slightly weaker. All the while her right hand tightly gripped one of the balusters , turning around and slowly sliding onto the deck.

Istar's mind was still reeling slightly when she heard her Team Leader's question , looking up towards the Half-Orc with a smile still containing traces of shock. 'I imagine riding with one of the Longboats would take me quite a few minutes longer , and I don't want to keep my One True Love waiting on me too long..' After an extended pause her soft voice sounded just loudly enough for Keth to hear. "Please don't mock me if I seem rather graceless." With that she slowly stood back up , sat on the railing and , whispering a prayer to her beloved Corellon , carefully slid down into the open air. To her credit she didn't scream , though as she plummeted her arms flailed quite wildly and her eyes were tightly screwed shut.
 
Keth starts to shake his head and is signaling to the crew to get the long boat ready when the elf says.

"Please don't mock me if I seem rather graceless."

To which he cocks his head in a curious manner to watch the elf sit on the rail and lean back, letting gravity take over. "Well, shit. Didn't think she'd do it." The half orc watched for a moment as the elf tried to swim and fly at the same time as she plummeted towards her graceful partner. "Nevermind, she took the leap."

In your flailing and leg kicking you manage to turn yourself over so you are now watching the ground and Rihaly come towards you!
 
Yes! Yes-yes-yes yes!

After one moment of stomach-lurching uncertainty when the halfling was convinced the brooch wasn't going to work without a command word she hadn't stopped to ask for, Rihaly's flight down to the ground was poetry in motion. Now she danced giddily on terra firma and looked up with a huge smile to watch Istar's more dignified descent in one of the ship's long boats. But- wait! That dizzy flailing figure over the side could only be her elven friend who had proven once again that she would not let herself be bound by fear. That or Keth had pushed her, and the short woman mentally swore vengeance if that was the case even as she ran across to where the paladin was coming down. "Istar! I'm coming," she cried, stepping neatly into place to catch the falling woman. Istar settled feather-light into her arms and Rihaly had enough time to smile with proud delight in her love's courage. Then the enchantment cut out, and Istar dropped immediately to her feet, Rihaly still holding her (but on her knees now instead).

Still beaming.

"Hi there!"

Strength (Catch)
Roll(1d20)-1:
5,-1
Total:4
 
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Istar peeked her eye open for the briefest moment , only to be greeted by the rapidly approaching ground - she quickly surmised she was about to land face-first. 'Oh please Corellon , please don't let this be my death!' Despite the rapidly growing panic in her mind she still clearly heard her One True Love call out to her , sounding quite panicked herself. "Rihaly , don't! I'll hurt you!"

It therefore surprised the young Paladin to find herself softly landing , face-down , in the Fire-Maned beauty's arms. She mirthfully laughed at her good fortune , rolling gently to the ground a moment's later to look up at her stunningly beautiful savior. An ear-to-ear smile graced her features. "Oh my.. thank you so much for catching me! You aren't hurt are you? I'll admit I almost didn't jump , but.. well , I didn't want to leave my Truest Heart Friend waiting!" She leaned up to gently draw the Halfling into a loving embrace. "Your landing was so much more graceful than mine.. I didn't know you had the Grace of a Paladin in addition to her Heart! You only seem to get all the more wonderful the longer I know you , my Queen. Is there any end to your majestic wonder , Rihaly Ironmar?" With that the silver-haired Elf planted a chaste and innocently passionate kiss upon Rihaly's lips. "I love you so much!"
 
Not a moment later and only a foot or so away the half orc lands. Shaking his head as he stands from the low half crouch he landed in, his long coat spread out behind him. "Alright you two, get up and let's go." Your team lead starts trudging up the slight incline heading North West, which takes him directly below the Dragon's Coral and the ring of fire.

As you catch up to the half orc you hear him grumbling to himself. "....star crossed true lovers I'm stuck with! The Lord in Iron must be testing me." You do see him take a quick drink from a silver flask as he's walking.

As you walk you hear the crew dropping the anchors and getting the long boats ready to make land. You steadily make your way in the opposite direction of the village of Illinvur and away from the airship.
 
Her lips locked on Istar's, Rihaly is forced to laugh when she hears the half orc mutter to himself. She lifts up on an elbow and smiles fondly down at her eager lover, "We should get going, Startouched." Belying her own words, she daubs another kiss across the paladin's mouth and then springs to her feet. She offers Istar a hand up, her eyes smiling into the elf's own vivid green. Though they're off on a dangerous adventure together, Rihaly feels sheer bubbly delight that feels much like the earliest days after she and Harrison had admitted how they felt about each other. Her face falls, and once Istar is on her feet she moves quickly on up the trail in Keth's wake.

"So how far are we from the temple? Are we trying to creep up on them, or do we not care if they know we're coming?" Rihaly is moving easily now, her cloak rippling out behind her. She brushes a hand down her sleeve and her cloak and clothes turn a mottled grey she's learnt is good at blending into stonework and shadow. They don't know exactly what they're going into (at least Rihaly doesn't) so she fully expects to go in ahead to find their enemies and find a way to slip past them. Or set up an ambush she supposes, although that depends on how her colleagues want to approach this.
 
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Istar's keen hearing picked up on the Half-Orc's words , though instead of her One True Love's laughter she wore a somewhat confused expression. 'How can we be Star-crossed and Truest Heart Friends? True Love always conquers all.. doesn't it?' The confusion quickly gave way to her usual eagerness , however , and she gleefully returned the Halfling's kiss. She mirthfully laughed at the new title Fire-Kissed beauty had given her , swiftly taking the offered hand and rising to her feet. "That's such a wonderful nickname Rihaly , I-" Her gleeful words were swiftly cut off as she noticed her Lover's demeanor shift from their usual mirth and affection to a rather downcast one. 'Did I upset her? Or.. no , she's not even this taciturn even actively engaged in mission-related things. I must have upset her.'

Try as she might , the young Elf struggled to find a reason why she could've upset or offended her Truest Heart Friend. The only thing she conclusion she arrived at that made any sense was that she possibly did something to remind Rihaly of her former Love , but how could she have? She wasn't cruel.. was she? Rushing to catch up to the rest of her small team she opened her mouth to ask , but shut it just as quickly - she'd wait until they were alone to work out whatever issue they may have had.

The Paladin waited a moment before softly asking a different question altogether , trying to mirror her Lover's mission-centric mindset. Though she was trying to maintain tact and pleasantry , her downcast demeanor clearly signaled her distress. "What sorts of enemies can we expect to encounter , si- Keth? Purely undead , or will there perhaps be living thralls amomg the Lich's army?"
 
Keth walked steadily away from the airship and the village, only glancing back at the Rihaly and then Istar in turn. "We're only a few miles from the ruins, and I would prefer the current occupants to not know we're coming," He took another sip from his flask and offered it to Rihaly. "But since they're just squatting it doesn't matter if they know we were there or not."

If Rihaly took a drink, she would smell a strong spirit that burned the nose, she would also feel a warm spicy pepper burn as the liquid went down.

"I doubt there will be any undead there, we're getting the tome before the lich can get it's minions can get it." The group continued walking, and Keth would answer questions as they came up. "I do expect traps, so you'll be earning that brooch." Looking at the small sized cut purse.
 
"Only a few miles?" Rihaly glanced up at the sky and walked quickly along. The others weren't moving too fast for her to keep up, but her short stride meant the same pace was just shy of a run for her. No harm done; sinuous and athletic, the halfling could keep this pace up for hours if she needed to. She made a quick mental inventory of her tools and equipment, then the burglar accepted the flask without missing a step. Focusing on the adventure ahead helped her to shake free of the malaise of memory, and taking a draught from the silver vessel sent a spiced fire searing down her throat.

The halfling whistled appreciatively once she got her breath back. "What is that, Keth? Dwarven Whisky?" She offered the flask to Istar next, and returned it to the half-orc once she was done. As they walked up towards the temple ruin, she watched the sun dapple through the leaves onto the ground ahead. It made her think of the sun shining up through the ship's porthole this morning, watching it shine golden on her lover's cheek and she smiled slightly to herself. If this whole temple ended up being a trap-filled nightmare, Rihaly knew what she would be holding onto and it wasn't some abstract ideal.

It was a peaceful soul, untroubled sleep and beautiful silver hair coiled around her fingertips.

And perhaps a fabled treasure or two.
 
Though Istar was happy to hear they weren't far from their destination , she was somewhat confused by the rest of the Half-Orc's information. 'Who are these 'Current Occupants' he mentioned? Aren't the Lich and their army supposed to arrive at some future point? He hasn't mentioned anyone currently occupying the ruins before.. and why am I needed if the Lich's minions aren't going to arrive until well after we've accomplished our mission?' She couldn't avoid a subtle wince crossing her features at the thought of traps , though she knew that with her One True Love leading the way she likely wouldn't be affected by one.

The Paladin graciously smiled at her Lover's offer , but held out her open palm in a gesture of refusal. "Thank you for the very kind offer my Truest Heart Friend , but.. I'm afraid I don't share your enjoyment of strong whiskeys." At that moment she realized the Fire-Maned Halfling was practically running to keep up with the two taller beings , bringing a very sympathetic expression to her ivory features. "Si-Keth , perhaps we should slow down somewhat so my Queen.." She flushed crimson as she realized her tactless mistake in using the affectionate title directly to the Team Leader , something of an awkward silence passing before she hastily corrected herself. "Er , Rihaly , can keep pace with us two without her having to expend so much energy. It's only a few miles away isn't it? It's not as if we have a particular need of haste , right? As you previously stated , the Lich's servants aren't supposed to arrive until some time after our departure. Wouldn't conserving our energy better aid us for this particular mission , S-Keth?"
 
Keth looked over his shoulder and nodded. "Yup, just a short jaunt through the woods." Noting that the halfling was having to almost had to run to keep pace. He took the flask back, snorting at Istar's polite denial of the drink. "More for us then." Muttering as he slipped the silver flask back into a coat pocket as he answered Rihaly's question, seemingly ignoring the elf's request to slow the pace. "It's Old Law whiskey, 200 year old recipe." Giving the rogue a conspiratorial wink as he spoke. "Better then the stuff bearded gnomes brew and cheaper then what the long ears make." Noting the potential for someone else who appreciated the fermentation of grain.

His pace did slow just enough to step between the lovers, Istar on his left and Rihaly on his right. The later would find it easier to keep pace without the group slowing noticeably. "We don't know when the corpses minions will arrive, they could be there or not." He shook his head. "Doesn't matter though, we're gonna get the book, either from the squatters or the minions. So we should make haste," The half orc looked ahead, looking for the first signs of the ruin. "The fewer things that try and kill me today the better. Now we should see the entrance soon enough, which should be two stacked stone pillars set against a small dome of earth."

In truth it would be several more minutes before anyone of the three would see the stone pillars that marked the entrance.
--------------------------
Roll a perception check
 
The going seemed to be easier now. That, or Keth had meant to slow down a little. She had noticed his stride shrinking, though she couldn't peer inside his head to understand his motives. Looking across at Istar again she saw the half-orc had placed himself in just the right place to keep them focused on the mission ahead. "Old Law?" she echoed. "Where is that from - the Marches?" She didn't have a lot of tolerance for alcohol, but she was a long time devotee of flavour. She leaned forward to give the elf a smile around their leader, shaking her head. "Thanks for thinking of me Startouched, but I'll keep up." If the first challenge Rihaly failed at was keeping up with her party on a walk in the countryside, she would never live it down.

Cheered by the exhilaration of their journey through the sky and their approach through to the site, the halfling bounced happily and looked on ahead. "If the gods are smiling, we can get there before the Lich's minions. I bet Istar can persuade the squatters to just let us have the phylactery and draw the evil after us until we hand it to the buyer. No-one can resist her persuasion for long," she bragged possessively. "She has a truly silver tongue." She straightened and turned her attention back to the temple approaches, looking for the stone pillars the half-orc described while a light flush washed over her cheeks.

Perception
Roll(1d20)+11:
18,+11
Total:29
 
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