"I'm sorry to report that we are almost as ignorant of our whereabouts as you are. All I do know is that this place is the little dragons' home world."

"That," Zara points at the array of food spread out before the small group at the fire. "Wouldn't be lunch, would it?"

"I'm famished!"

She steps away from Dae knowning her half-sister would chastise her for her forwardness.

"Well as I said before, you're welcome to what food we have. Please come and eat, and let's all get to know each other, your friends and mine."

Dae moves forward towards the light of the campfire ",We thank you for your kubd invitatiob and hospitality to strangers."

Her curiosity rose at the young nans words, However Dae refrained from asking the questions that his words raised in her mind.

Soronuume stood silent watching as the newcomers approached, she noticed traces of elven blood in the faces of some of the strange travelers and at the sight of this softened her wariness. Taking a step forward the wood elf spread her hands out, palms facing upwards in the elven sign of greeting and respect.

"Well met,"Soronuume said in a musical voice accented with the tones of Evermeet, "I am Soronuume Selu Elmare."

"Hi, there," called out the teen elf who had been riding the black and white pinto mule.

Zara reached into her haversack and pulled out a flat package wrapped in a piece of cloth. When she unfolded it it revealed a plated and eating utensils.

"Is someone serving," she asked brightly, "or is it serve yourself." Typical of most teens she had four hollow limbs and a hollow stomach.

She set the cloth on the ground and stood over the array of food, plate and eatingware in hand, waiting for a reply.

Oko will dismount quietly from his horse as the group makes their introductions

"That," Zara points at the array of food spread out before the small group at the fire. "Wouldn't be lunch, would it?"

"I'm famished!"
as Zara steps away from Dae, Oko stops in shock at the abruptness of Zara’s question. Then, tying his horse to a stout tree to prevent any trouble with the new stallion. Oko walks over to Zara.

"Well as I said before, you're welcome to what food we have. Please come and eat, and let's all get to know each other, your friends and mine."

Dae moves forward towards the light of the campfire. “We thank you for your kind invitation and hospitality to strangers."

Soronuume stood silent watching as the newcomers approached; she noticed traces of elven blood in the faces of some of the strange travelers and at the sight of this softened her wariness. Taking a step forward the wood elf spread her hands out, palms facing upwards in the elven sign of greeting and respect.

"Well met." Soronuume said in a musical voice accented with the tones of Evermeet, "I am Soronuume Selu Elmare."

"Hi, there," called out the teen elf who had been riding the black and white pinto mule.

Zara reached into her haversack and pulled out a flat package wrapped in a piece of cloth. When she unfolded it revealed a plated and eating utensils.

"Is someone serving," she asked brightly, "or, is it serve yourself?" Typical of most teens she had four hollow limbs and a hollow stomach.

She set the cloth on the ground and stood over the array of food, plate and eating ware in hand, waiting for a reply.
“Now Little one, please show some rrestraint” Oko will tell Zara softly. Turning to the new folks he will say out loud with an apologetic half bow.

“Please forrgive this little one’s unseemly self invention; this is her firrst extended jourrney. We do have some supplies we can add to the Common pot”

He will then take the reins of the mule and also tie it up to a tree.

"We were just beginning to settle in when you folks showed up. You all seem to have the look of battle on you. Were you chased through the portal?"

He looked over the motley group and then over the group he was now a part of and said,"Well the fates have placed us together, for what reason I cannot fathom. However, we are in a strange land and it would behouve us to stick together."

Devon remembered that his magic for so long had been a secret. Then he decided to reveal that secret to the group he met up with. Now he would extend that trust, though doing so made him nervous with the 'Sorceress Extraordair' present. He felt a sense of competition in the presense of other mages.

"For those who don't know I am the sorcerer Devon Worcslayer. I specialize in offensive spells though I have a few invaluable spells and skills at my disposal that
help me get through tough times that doing damage doesn't help in."

"I second and third that," she says filling her plate to almost overflowing. She finds a place to sat and folds up slightly ungainly and almost upsets the food on her plate but quick reactions keep the food from hitting the ground.

Az Devon speaks of being a magic user Zara look up brightly, "ME, maybe you can teach me some thing, the rug lady is too...." so looks to Dae and does not finish the sentence. "Anyway, I want to learn it better."

Moraglin mutters not quite under her breathe (DC 20). "The blind leading the blind"

She moves forward letting her flying carpet settle to the ground. "So kind of you to invite us for dinner."

"Yes the signs of battle on on a few of us. I prefer to fight from a distance. I value my skin to highly to get close to my enemies. However unfortunately the numbers were excessive for our fighters so when we found the old partal stones we made use of them and here we are for now."

Zara leans over by to Oko and whispers, "You are not my mother." Then she gives him a big smile and goes back to eatting, though Oko had the feeling that had she not been among strangers she would have stuck out her tongue at him.

After getting through half the plate Zara pauses to get her second wind. "So which way are we going. Mother always told me to follow the rivers downill. Thats were you find people living."

Three people run afoul of ancient magics. One a Cleric of Pelor, sent to investigate and the recently discovered ruined temple. He was more a healer than a fighter but he was the closest priest of a high enough ability and experience the local folk were afraid that this might be a place of evil and many would not go out into their fields claiming evil had been released. The good Cleric undertook to reassure the village folk by promising to examine the ruins. As he enter the ruins he took care as he examined the main hall entering a smallish room that was still intact hw examined the walls for any clues trying to discern its nature. Casually he passed though a set of carved pillars, set into a niche.

The next sight he saw......

..........................................................

The forest was deep and dark, the great trees around the Ranger almost spoke to him, could it be that they could tell him of the ruins of the Elven city he had found, a city so old that none of his long-lived kind knew nothing of it. Weaving through the trees and buildings he passed by a set of carved wooden pillars, looking like they had been there ages, yet the carving on them looked as if they had been done yesterday. He traced one of the cravings with his fingers and walked through them to see if he could find any ruins or elven writing on them.

Suddenly the scene changed and he saw.....

.........................................

The thief ran, the guild had turned on him, No city in Orleans was safe for him anymore. He ran through the twisted tunnels filled with building rubble and collapsed masonry, and turns of the City Below, the forgotten places that people just built over. He had never ventured so far into this section of the City Below before, it was just to dangerous but his only hope was that others would not dream of him penetrating this far. This area was dangerous, not just too old buildings crushed under the weight of newer buildings above, but from the creatures that made their homes down here in the dark ruins.

The Guild was tenacious, and the reward for his capture dead or alive was high so high his "friends" might gladly turn him in for it. Unfortunately he was an ethical thief. Thinking he heard footsteps behind him he dove through a narrow gap between fallen pillars and rolled up neatly to his feet and froze and he saw..........

......................................................... Whoever posts first comes through first.

Each of you will exit between two pillars of carved stone, onto a knoll, at one end of lush high valley several miles across rimmed with a thick forest of many deciduous tresses and of lofty evergreens. The valley slants off to it the right toward a river that ran through it before it headed off in that direction. (The ranger might discern that direction as roughly west once he can see the sun move from its apex.) to the east rose high a snow-covered range mountains and to the south a shorter range with but a few of the most tall still having snow caps and all about the rim of the valley were verdant forests of evergreens and deciduous trees. A scattering of trees and bushes also dotted along the meandering river course.

The sun is high in the sky. A pair of golden hawks circled in the bright blue sky searching for a meal. Rabbits, whose warrens were scattered about the hill top, popped up to see who was disturbing them. The warm sun beats down on them and a crisp light breeze blows down the valley.

Down the knoll in lush river meadow, graze a double handful of horses of horses and the smoke of a small fire drift lazily up through the branches of some low hanging trees.
M:

Standing there, Xander looks around. "What in the name of Pelor...?" He draws his mace, gripping it tightly. The man hoists his shield up, the lightweight metal fitting comfortably on his arm. "I finally get out of the temple, get some time to myself and now...this. Though it seems nice, just..." He begins to pace around the area, looking around skeptically before kneeling down. He puts the mace at his side and checks his belongings, muttering here and there about life in general.

Brianna welcomed all the new arrivals. While you all get settled in I will go out and stand watch. We have not been bothered so far but that does not mean we will not be." If I find anything I will sound my horn, she patted the curved horn at her side. Taking up her bow and sword she moves out to the edge of the meadow and whistles for Shadowbane.

Slipping on the bitless bridle on his head, she deftly avoided his quick nip of displeasure. The nose piece looses enough to allow him to bite. The tall well build Amazon woman swung up on his back in one fluid motion. Uncasing her bow she strings the recurved composite bow.

Brianna rode out into the meadow keeping watch on the camp area and it environs. Seeing nothing she began to ride around the knoll to make sure nothing was creeping up on then from behind the knoll. She made it quick setting Shadowbane off at a gallop, her flaming red hair flowing from under to hair band. She laughed in simple enjoyment of the breeze in her face and the fell of a fine horse between her legs. She was enjoying the warmth of the sun in a clear sky arching overhead. A blue so bright it reminded her of the Great Plains of her homeland—a lost homeland in a lost world now. Brianna would not let the dark thoughts to dim the beauty of the day she shook her head. She would make her way in this new world as best she can.

Suddenly a diminutive scarlet winged sinuous form shoots like an arrow out of the forest straight towards the Amazon but since her back was turned, she obviously did not see it approach but Xander does from his hill top location.

Seeing the form shoot out at the newcomer and unsure of what is going on-Xander lets his instincts go into overdrive. He moves as quickly as he can in his full metal garb, shield raise and points his mace at the flying creature. "For Pelor! Get down! I shall handle this beast me lady!" A streak of what looks like sunlight streaks from him at the target.

OOC Searing Light, 22 Damage. 28 Touch Attack. Damage is different if it is undead.