A Wizards Research

[*Sunshine]

"Hoi!"

The man catches the gem quickly then jumps back as is shatters in his hand, the map Clahra saw before forming around him.

"Sheesh you sure scared me for a moment. A little warbing would have been appreciated." He looks around, examines the map and the locations shown there in awe.

[*Sunshine]

"Over there!" the lesser genie says in the hope to be somewhat helpful- or perhaps he just wants to get rid of this odd thing in his hands soon.

Taking her notes is easy- Clahraxes knows the planes well enough to have a good idea where the locations are.

One is in a mountanous area near Brass, one in a stormy, foggy vortex on the plane of air. A watery cave on some rock floating in the eternal sea is the next location she writes down, followed by a small dao fortress.

Then there is a palace of Ice, a settlement in a cave surrounded by magma, a mining outpost on the plane of minerals and some creepy, creepy tower on the plane of ash.

There are also notes and comments about those places and Clahra finds out that the locations on the elemental planes hold keys of some kind- while the para and quasi elemental planes hold locks- most likely to unlock whatever is hidden in the Abyss.

When the Janni tosses the gem at her and the map fades she is sure she has enough to find the places and to start her hunt and/or investigations.

[*Ghost in the Machine]

Clahra leaps up taking the rogue stone. She had to hurry. She has no idea what she is looking for. She has no idea what all these locks and keys are for. She has no plan and no strategy. Small details like this have never stopped her before. She knows where she needs to be. The rest she'll work out on the way. She heads upstairs and bathes. Then going through her cupboards she takes the blue silken Hijab and dark brown Sari she wore on her last visit to Brass. Slipping on a pair of sandals she heads through the portal in her tower through the Abyssal temple to The Lower Ward and finally fire opal in hand she steps through the portal to the elemental plane of fire.

[*Ghost in the Machine]

The trip to The Elemtal Plane of Fire had been interesting. Clahraxes was not the only one looking for the keys, and nor was the mysterious Bluejay whom she had been reading so much about. She had found what she was after. The Heart of Fire. The essence of fire elemental monolith hidden in a tomb below a mountain range several days travel from Brass. She was not the first to arrive though. An expedition led by a noble salamander in the employ of a Dao had got there first. She had found what remained of them. The salamander had told her that to work out which key effected which lock she must study the wards that guarded it. The wards around this particular tomb had been cold. They had snuffed out the fire creatures. What could that mean? Her mind raced. Snuffed them out, burned them out. What was left of them? What was left of them? Of course! Yes! Ash! The death of fire! Ash! That must be where she must go next. The Alu Fiend's sense of realisation was tempered by foreboding. She was experienced Planewalker enough to know that the Quasi Elemntal plane of Ash was a dangerous place to be. That is if she could find a way to get there. Think Clahra. Think!

((I know according to the cannon there is a gate to Ash in Limbo called the Wandering Way. And there is one on a prime world called Athas. Or at least that is the chant. Question is does my character?

[*Sunshine]

(( After witnessing her high Lore skill I say she knows about those portals))

Clahra remembers to have read about several portals that lead to this place and a little research reveals there is also one that only recently in the Lower ward, some waste heap that is filled with ash and cinder from the nearby foundry, the locals might also already know what the key is.

Of course what way she chooses to enter is plane is up to her...

[*Ghost in the Machine]

Another plane. Another set of challenges for the Alu Fiend to put her wits against. She had made her way to the tower and passed a series of trials each involving practical knowledge of the inner planes. She had passed them all and without resorting to magic or violence. Well alright a little violence but it was only one mephit. Where to next though? Where to next? The Dao were seeking the same thing as her. She should be cautious. Yes. She should avoid them for as long as she could. In their own home they'd be near invicible. She'd take the other keys. Open the other seals. Then get to them last when she had the advantage. Yes! That would work. But they know all this. Yes! Yes, yes they know! They know They'd be expecting that. She'd confront them instead. Suddenly and quickly. She didn't even stop to think. She left her tower again and made her way to the Lower Ward. There was a gate to The Anvil there. She'd go now. Right now. To the Alu Fiend's twisted logic this was the perfect plan.

[*Ghost in the Machine]

Back in Shendivaril back on the outer planes. There were eighteen inner planes in total, that was two lots of three, three times. Two of them were energy planes, four of them were elemental planes, these were the major ones. Imix is the prince of evil fire creatures and his name has four letters. Sunnis is the Archomental of good earth creatures and her name had six letters. But only four of them were different! No no no! These were the answers to yesterday's questions.

Concentrate Clahra concentrate. Air and water were left. We were half way done, two more keys and two more locks. Which one next. It had started in the air. Of course it had this was the seat of the Vaati. It should end there to. That meant water next, into the depths. That was tomorrow's question.

Today only had one question, what did the maker make!? She'd find the answer to this one first. Clahraxes cast gate. She wasn't going to an Inner Plane today. That was yesterday, and tomorrow. She was going to The Outlands today.

[*Sunshine]

The Outlands feel familiar to her, perhaps because of all the time she spent on the neutral aligned inner planes?

It is warm and surrounded by the ruins of a long forgotten town the Alu Fiend hears only the waters of a nearby river, the wind that blows through the ruins, feels the dirt beneath her feet.

A peaceful place but she nows she might be able to find answers here.