As the group hustle to level land, well ahead of the flow of incinerating liquid, they also see what it is that Xavier is directed towards, a rope and wood bridge spanning a gaping canyon.

"We need to get across that bridge!" Chiron shouted as he angled toward the crossing. "Seluumiel, Camille, dismount and head across as soon as Xavier says it's safe. I'll take the chest across."

The paladin wasn't sure if the bridge would hold the weight of the charger, but he pushed those negative thoughts to the back of his mind. Once he reached the bridge though, he pulled the length of coiled rope out of his pack just in case. As he reached the edge of the cliff, he realized the rope wasn't going to be of much use. The gap was simply far too wide for a single rope to reach across, in fact he'd need more than five times as much rope as what he had with him to span the chasm.

"Xavier, I need you to make sure this bridge is safe. You seem to be the lightest of your feet and most likely to notice and avoid any rotted planks. Please hurry. And be careful!"

Xavier arrived at a rickety rope bridge before any of the others did. Oh dear, a rickety bridge, why did these things always happen to him? He didn't want to go first, but then Chiron called out,

"Xavier, I need you to make sure this bridge is safe. You seem to be the lightest of your feet and most likely to notice and avoid any rotted planks. Please hurry. And be careful!"
Of course... send the little guy, who just got caught with a bit of blood on his lip. Chiron was probably just being pre-emptive, putting Xavier in a position that would compromise him, and kill him likely. The paladin was probably too annoyed by him. Xavier was about to protest, but he saw the lava flowing behind the others, and decided he needed to save his neck... and of course, Camille would be okay by herself. She always was.

Xavier turned to the rope bridge and began to stride across it, hoping desperately that it didn't break.

As they reached the rope bridge Tenacity pulled her horse to a stop. At this Seluumiel let Chiron take the chest from her before dismounting. Once her feet touched the ground she looked up to the still mounted knight and spoke her thanks.

"Tenacity, I owe you a debt of gratitude my friend. Let it be the will of the Seldarine that I have chance to repay it," the moon elf paused a moment to let her gaze linger on the other woman before turning to make her way to the bridge.

Seluumiel moved across the short distance with haste, molten volcanic rock still rushed at them leaving little time for hesitation. It was that fact that led her to follow the paladin's plan without voicing her own concerns. So she stood at the edge of the cliff and watched Xavier make his way across. With each step the pale man took Seluumiel offered prayers to Sehanine hoping the lunar goddess would see them all to safety.

There the elf stood at the foot of the bridge waiting for some sign from Xavier that it was safe to cross. Seluumiel steeled herself, for the very moment the man signaled she would set foot on the bridge and cross it.

"Tenacity, I owe you a debt of gratitude my friend. Let it be the will of the Seldarine that I have chance to repay it," Seluumiel said.

"We're not out of the fire yet," Tenacity said. She looked out across the bridge and then back toward the lava flows. Weighing the odds of digging a hasty trench against getting everyone across the ravine safely, a third option occurred to her.

"You may have that chance sooner than you thought. Seluumiel, Camille, do you have any magics that might bolster the strength of the bridge or prevent the worst harm that might befall us if the bridge were to fail or burn behind us? I used a safewing emblem once, I don't know what magic powered it, but maybe you have something similar?"

(tumble check 25)

Xavier stands at the beginning of the bridge and gives it a few good shakes, then a couple of jumping stomps. The bridge barely moved. Amused at this he yells out,"Hey, Everyone watch me!"
And with that he proceeds to do a lengthy series of hand springs alternately landing his feet then hands on the boards and rope hand rails. Making it halfway, he turns with a semi-crazed smile on his pale face and yells,"Come on in the bridge is fine! Horses too, its more than strong enough!"

Tenacity says to Seluumiel,"You may have that chance sooner than you thought. Seluumiel, Camille, do you have any magics that might bolster the strength of the bridge or prevent the worst harm that might befall us if the bridge were to fail or burn behind us? I used a safewing emblem once, I don't know what magic powered it, but maybe you have something similar?"


Thinking fast, Camille gets the attention of the the two women. Camille gives a sly smile and says,"I may have just the thing", with that she pulls from one of the pouches on her belt a small stone, no larger than a gold piece. On the stone is a symbol of a drop of water over a symbol for flame.

As she ties the stone to the bridge's rope hand rails she explains,"This is a Fire Warding Stone. It should hold back the lava's destructive nature long enough for us to get across. It should strengthen the rope against fire, though I've never used one in this way before, anyway, here's hoping."
After fastening the stone securely to the rope, she begins running across the bridge, looking back with hope the others will soon follow.

The danger builds as the lava from the imposing mountain pours forth slowing only slightly due to cooling. The lava is however mere yards away from the bridge now and the bridge is the only hope for the group, at least until.....

Xavier crossed, and called out that it was okay to cross the bridge, probably safe for multiple people too. However, as he stood on the other side, it seemed like the others weren't even going to come. Maybe they didn't hear him... Silly other people.

"I said HEEEEEEYYY!!! IT'S OKAY TO CROSS!!!"

"Come on in the bridge is fine! Horses too, its more than strong enough! HEEEEEEYYY!!! IT'S OKAY TO CROSS!!!" Xavier shouted back across the gorge.

"Okay move!" Chiron urged as soon as he heard Xavier's call. He helped guide Tenacity onto the bridge, then began the crossing with as much speed as he could manage, saying silent prayers to Ilmater with every step.

At Xavier's assurance of safety Seluumiel set foot on the bridge and began to make her way across. With every step she gave thanks for the lightness of frame the Seladarine had graced her with. The moon elf moved with a cautious speed hoping and praying all would make it to the other side.

Camille starts to move across the bridge with caution. with a speed of 120ft/rnd and makes it off the bridge in 3 rnds. and stands near her brother Xavier. waiting for the other's. she turns to her brother "where do we go from here?" she asks as Camille and her brother wait's for the other's to cross

Xavier had checked the stoutly made bridge as carefully and quickly as he could for happenstance of possible tragedy, all the while knowing if he took too long the inevitible blight of lava would come in contact with the ropes and planks and burn the bridge down. When confident in the bridge's supportive abilities he shouted ,"Come on in the bridge is fine! Horses too, its more than strong enough! I said HEEEEEEYYY!!! IT'S OKAY TO CROSS!!!"

By the time he finished shouting he had exited the bridge and waited anxiously on the other side for the others to begin their trip across.

After tying what she believed would buy more time for the others onto the bridge, Camille began an all out run for the other side, keeping her eyes on her brother and her goal, for they were one and the same.

The lava was gaining ground, melting the sand in its path to obsidion and threatening to do the same to the remaining party, as those who remained prepared themselves for one of the most dangerous crossings in their collective lives.

Seluumiel was next on the bridge. She began running, praying every step of the way for her safe crossing and the safe and uninjured state of the others who had yet to cross. The first part of her prayer was answered followed very shortly by the second. Camille had made it without harm to the arms of her brother.

After Chiron helped to lead Diligence and Tenacity onto the bridge path, she spurred the steed into action, lauching into a full canter and blowing past Seluumiel and made it to the end in no time. Seluumiel completed the trip shortly after unschathed and safe.

Chiron was the last. After helping Tenacity he grabs the chest full of the old wizard's belongings and begins one of the hardest sprints he's ever endured. He could feel the burn of fatigue in the back of his calves (or maybe it was the heat from the lava) and the strain in his lower back from the load he carried.

The ropes and wooden planks become doused in a deluge of lava, but interesting enough the ropes don't begin to burn immediatly, but the planks are a different story. The tension of the tightly tied ropes snap and pull apart the weaken and charred wood. The ropes unravel and as they do they begin to burn. Snap, goes the ground level ropes as they burn to hempen ash....."almost there!"....SNAP, goes the left handrail...."Almost there, Gotta make it"....SNAP goes the right handrail......

Chiron, in a last ditch effort tosses the chest the last ten feet and it lands rolling and tumbling at Xavier's feet. He then tries to jump the remaining distance, but there is nothing there under his feet to push off from, for the bridge drops out from under him. Along with the fallen bridge, Chiron Po plumits out of sight into the canyon!

Everyone was safe, or well on their way to safety. Chiron looked over back and saw the lava quickly closing on the bridge; so much closer than he thought it'd be. Heaving the chest up onto his shoulder he ran for the far side of the bridge with everything he could muster.

Half way.

Again he looked back. This time the bridge disappeared into smoke and flames. The molten rock plummeting over the edge of the cliff down into the canyon below would have been a pretty sight if he weren't observing the fall from a rapidly disintegrating bridge.

Only a few more feet. The bridge shook. The fire ward must have finally been overwhelmed, which meant he had mere seconds before the whole structure would give way. He hurled the chest to the ground near where Xavier stood watching.

Less than ten feet. Chiron wasn't sure if he had the time to finish running across. He'd need to follow the chest and just launch himself the last couple of feet. His legs protested at the exertion, but he knew he could just lay there once he was across. With a minor adjustment to his stride, the paladin threw his arms up and pushed his legs down with all his strength. The bridge wasn't there to push back. The timing of his jump succeeded only in keeping him within sight of the group for a half second longer than the bridge before dropped from sight, a look of surprised confusion on his face.

*****

Tenacity was the first to the cliff's edge, joined quickly by others. On the opposite wall, the lava still poured down into the gorge, but it seemed to the group less threatening now, being separated by such an expanse. Below them then bridge followed the ground a few feet out at an incredibly steep angle before dropping straight down. The bridge was sliding back and forth in an odd sort of way.

A moment later, a gloved hand reached up from below the angle of the cliff wall and grasped the next plank of the bridge-turned-ladder and Chiron pulled himself into view. He was breathing heavily and had a trickle of blood running from one nostril, but otherwise looked none the worse for wear.

"I think," he panted, "we should avoid..." In his current state, climbing and talking appeared to be mutually exclusive. "...Nevermind." So he gave up the latter and concentrated fully on the former, making it up to level ground shortly thereafter. He never did make it to his feet though, preferring to simply collapse onto his back after crawling a foot or two away from the edge.

"That was fun," he said, still trying to catch his breath, "And now that I've done it once, I never ever want to do that again."

He laid there for a moment just staring at the sky, then asked a question in its general direction. "I don't suppose we know where we are, do we?"


((Chatted with Tiamat about this before writing it up. Made some skill checks while we were both in the chat room here.
Balance rolled 20 +2 (Dex) 22
Climb rolled 7 +3(str) 10
climb took 10 +3 13
climb took 10 +3 13))

Seluumiel watched in horror as the bridge fell out from underneath Chiron sending the paladin tumbling into cavern below. There was nothing she could do, no aid she could offer - his life was now in the hands of the gods. Bowing her head the moon priestess offered silent prayers, first to Sehanine Moonbow and then to all the Seldarine.

It seemed this world was not abandoned by the Seldarine for it did not take long for her prayers to be answered. In but a few short breaths Chiron Po appeared hoisting himself up from the edge of the cliff. The moon elf looked up the heavens and offered her thanks to the Seldarine before moving over to where the paladin lay panting.

"That was fun," Chiron said, still trying to catch his breath, "And now that I've done it once, I never ever want to do that again."

He laid there for a moment just staring at the sky, then asked a question in its general direction. "I don't suppose we know where we are, do we?"

Seluumiel knelt down beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder, "There is time enough for that later. For now let me offer you healing."