After a nice chat in the pub, Sureiya will retire to the inn. Exhausted from a long travel, the ranger will have whatever the inn calls a dinner, and relax for a while in his room.
"That Folka was a cool guy, I hope he does well whenever he is. I think the Duke mentioned something about proving his innocence, but I wonder what the hell that had to do with us."

Once it feels late enough, the ranger will place all his belongings inside his bag of holding, and hide it somewhere inside of the room. Then he will get some sleep on his study bed.

Once he's had his share of drinks, Torinn heads back to the inn and hits the bed hard. With how exhausted he is, it takes him very little time to fall asleep.

Since Samel has no place to sleep, the duke reserved a room at the inn for him. After the discussion, he explored the city before finally going to the inn. He slept there for the rest of the night.

Sariel, having retreated to the inn eventually as well, partakes in writing a letter home about her discussion with Ilar.

Briefly venturing into town to procure new equipment, Myn returns to his lengthy inn relaxation.

Upgrade Darkspiral Rod to +2 and procure Acrobat Boots.

Thankfully, the adventurers have a peaceful night's sleep (or trance as the case may be) at the inn. Sariel is up late writing her letter, but it hardly affects her since trancing does not require as much spare time as sleep. Early in the morning, Myn manages to do some quick shopping and return to the inn before the messenger arrives. The messenger asks Torinn to round up the party so they can visit the ducal palace in about one hour's time, for briefing on their next assignment.

The reagents required for upgrading the darkspiral rod from +1 to +2 cost 3696 gp (and the enchanting process will need to be done by Sariel or another ritual caster with Enchant Magical Item). Myn manages to find a pair of acrobat boots on sale for 552 gp.

Torinn is roused from a series of half-remembered dreams. He's only awoken when the messenger knocks on his door and rouses him from his fitful resting. He vaguely remembered something about his god telling him... something? And just like that, it's gone.

No point dwelling on that, he decides. He'll figure it out later; right now he has to bring everybody around for the mission. He knocks on the doors of, in order, Sureiya, Sariel, Myn, and Samel, telling each in turn, "Rise and shine, everybody. It's time to go save the world again."

Sureiya wakes up and follow Torinn.

Samel wakes up as well, put his cloak on, and follow torinn and Sureiya without being seen until the rest of the group arrives.

>>11563
stealth roll 1d20+3: 12 [1d20=9] http://orokos.com/roll/94388

Interested in listening to the Duke's words, Sureiya follows Torinn's order and walk along the rest to the Palace. Apparently, Samel was trying walk through a different route while staying hidden, but his attempt is no more than child's play to his well trained senses.

Torinn is only able to round up Sureiya and Samel, the other two adventurers seem noticeably absent or are sleeping in. The messenger informs the dragonborn that if they need more time to tend to their needs that's fine, as you won't be leaving immediately, the duke merely wants to hear from you directly and inform you of the details of your next mission.

>>11567
Torinn directs those with him to follow him to the ducal palace.

The nondescript messenger leads Torinn, Samel, and Sureiya to the ducal palace. They don't even have a chance to sit down before they are called into the audience chamber by Letharst. The duke sits on his throne at the head of the chamber, and a handful of ducal guards flank him, with Letharst standing behind the three adventurers as they enter the opulently decorated chamber. The duke was leaning to the side, resting his head on one hand as you enter, and he gives you a lazy wave as you approach the throne.

"You have returned," Prestor announces as he nods with an approving look. "It is good to know that such capable adventurers have the good nature to aid our fair city in these times of darkness." With this, he stands, seeming to suddenly fill with vim and vigor as he addresses you with sweeping and dramatic gestures. "I've heard there were more complications on your underwater voyage. Please, do tell."

>>11570
At the duke's insistence, Torinn relates what happened during their journey. About the underwater city, about the illithids, about the eladrin, about the ghost, about the library (he lingers on this point with some sourness), about Savenoul and the experiments carried out on him, about Hemah the Dreamer, about the abomination they fought, and about how the whole thing came down to the wire. "It was a hard fight," he finished, "But we perservered and were victorious in the end. After that, though, the whole place started flooding and we had to leave immediately."

The duke absorbs the tale with a thoughful face, and slowly reclines back in his throne. "It would seem that trouble is starting to associate itself with the leylines--particularly the focal points that Elayne selected for the ritual casting. This suggests to me that perhaps these points are where one can access the leyline's power most directly... worthwhile knowledge. It'd be safe to assume there may be something waiting for you at the next leyline as well, and if the Fell King can communicate through the leylines, well, he may have already got to whatever is there. It is best that you are prepared for such an event."

He gives a lazy, off-hand gesture, and continues on, "I'm expecting the five trained griffons we have procured from Waterdeep to arrive sometime this afternoon. When you are ready, they will bear you towards the final focal point on the intersecting leylines. Reports from my contacts in Luruar is that diplomacy has succeeded in stalling official talks of war, but there is increased activity in the far reaches of Many-Arrows. Unfortunately, we do not have direct diplomatic contact with the orc kingdom, so it is impossible to know how things are unfolding on their end. Haste would be prudent, as the Fell King could escalate the situation at any time. If reports of orcish raids reach the ears of those in Luruar, it is unlikely the leaders will be able to prevent open hostility."

>>11574
"We won't let it come to war. The Fell King will fall before then, we will make sure of it." A thought comes to Torinn, and he voices it with some concern. "It occurs to me that all the guardians of the leylines so far have had some sort of elemental affinity. Sankis controlled fire, and Hemah controlled water. What do you suppose the next guardian of the leyline will have control of?"

The duke gives a disinterested look as he gestures, saying, "An odd observation. However, not unexpected, as the leylines appear to be connected to the Elemental Chaos, which is what remains of the ancient elemental planes that existed in the pre-Spellplague era. The plane of air in particular seems appropriate, given its location. Elemental denizens of that plane were known to have power over wind, lightning, and thunder."

>>11576
"Whatever they can do, we'll be ready for them."

Once the dragonborn ends his explanation, Sureiya questions as well.
"I got a question about that griffon nonsense. How long is this travel supposed to be?"

"Ah, yes. That is the unfortunate part. Even at the top speed of the griffons, it will take you nearly two tendays to reach the distant Plaguewrought Lands," Prestor responds steadily. "And another two weeks to return."

"two... two rides!" Samel Gurns.

"Are we supposed to feed them? Pardon me my duke. This is the first time I will be part of something so... interesting..."

"Two tendays?" Torinn parrots. A lot could happen in two weeks. Hopefully that would be enough time for the P.I. to find something and send word.

"We will provide you with sufficient supplies for the journey, both for yourselves and your griffons," the duke replies lazily, waving his hand as if to brush away the party's concerns. "I know it is a long journey, but it is the ideal point at which to perform the ritual. I merely hope that war can be prevented for that long."

Shocked by the Duke's reply, the ranger adds
"Hmm, I would like to see the travel route plan then. There are some dangerous places out there in which I would rather not sleep in."

"I believe captain Highwind has the route planned and will relay it to you upon delivery of the griffons, which he is overseeing," the grand duke explains.

"Alright, I'll have to give it a check once he arrives. Is there anything else we should know?"

"Just be careful, my friends. I'll be hoping to see you again as soon as you return, for preparations to locate the Fell King and settle things," the duke says simply.

>>11590
Samel smiles at those words.
"As long as you don't forget my reward, my duke, there is no need to worry about our safety."

Samel then bows, and add
" Well then, if we are going to ride for 20 days, I need an appropriate study plan. If you excuse me..."
He leaves

>>11592

Samel heads to a library and asks about any book/information relatives to the plaguewrought lands west of Tymanther.

He then goes to the griffon-mounted knights of Waterdeep and asks for advices about the griffons.

Finally, he asks around if anyone sells the ritual "Speak with Dead", attempts to find it and buy it if he can.

>>11590
"Don't worry, we'll be back. Count on it."

With that said, Torinn heads back to the inn to wake the others.

Samel isn't able to find much information on the Plaguewrought Lands or the particular earthmote, though there are some brief mentiond earthmotes in vague terms: floating isles held aloft by magic that were created in the Spellplague. There seems to be no consistent geography to them, and each one that has ever been explored has varied widely--many are inhabited, some are not.

On the griffon cavalry of Waterdeep Samel is able to scrounge up more information, but isn't able to read very much because of time constraints. He does learn that the griffons were well-trained and fiercely loyal, brave in combat and nearly tireless in travel. The griffons were said to be able to fly faster than any sailing ship, should the wind favor them, and often assisted their riders in battle.

The speak with dead ritual, Samel is able to locate for 380gp.

Torinn and Sureiya head back to the inn and wait for the others to finisher their tasks and get ready to head out.

A bit anxious of the long travel, the ranger will go out to shop some stuff in the meantime.
Sureiya will look for and buy two journeybreads, two extra waterskins, a miner's helmet and something to help him to gather food before camping.
Pay for the items. Also, nobody knew (not even Sureiya), but his clothes are actually a Gray Rain Clock, so I will also pay for that now.

About the time the five adventurers finish their preparations and gather together, the messenger from the palace returns and informs them that the griffons will be arriving momentarily at the docks. Once they complete their final arrangements, they head to the docks.

The scene at the docks seems to be business as usual, though slightly less populated. In the distance you see Sid, kneeling atop his underwater transport with a metal panel open, fiddling with the gears and workings inside. His workclothes are stained with grease, but he notices your arrival and waves. Docked nearby is a larger merchant ship, and five griffons look like they've just been unloaded. The beasts are much as you might imagine them--the head, wings, and foreclaws of an eagle with the body and backlegs of a lion. They appear large and muscular, with yellow beaks, beady black eyes, white feathers, and brown fur. There are runed bridles and saddles on them that clearly look magical, and saddlebags that appear to be stuffed with supplies.

The griffons look calm and undisturbed, despite the gawking they provoke from onlookers. A human woman and a half-orc man appear to be tending to them, but more importantly than that, there is a familiar man in showy red-and-gold robes examining the griffons, apparently lost in thought. His blond hair looks a bit unkempt, as if he's had a few sleepless nights as of late.

Sureiya walks and attempts to talk with the man of the red robes.
"So, will these Griffons do the job? I'm not very trilled with the idea of a long air travel, but it seems to be the only choice."

The human robed man turns to face Sureiya, and gives him an unreadable smile. "Ah, hello! It has been some time, has it not?" He turns back to face the griffons, and nods approvingly, saying, "Surely these are sturdy companions who can bear you safely a great distance. Though I am to understand you have quite the journey ahead, is that right? I admit, I am sketchy on the specifics."

>>11614
Once Samel arrives with the others, he realises that the group is not complete by the number of griffons. He looks around and finds Myn and Sariel, then he goes to them for small talk.

He gives them a pleasant smile.
"Some says that griffons can fly faster than any sailing ship, I guess that we will find out.

My name is Samel, I will be joining your group for this mission."He bows
"I will put my life into your hands, and will protect yours with the magic of my lord."

"Yeah, well, there are some details I have to check up, but seeing I managed to find you here, I might use this opportunity as well. Would ya mind to talk for a bit?"

Sariel gives Samel a quick look, then stares past him and towards the Gryphons.

"A long trip? I would rather not soar free of gravity for too long," she scoffs. Sariel eyes Sureiya. "Nice cloak."

"Well, perhaps I can be of some help then. But excuse me one moment," Valanor replies to Sariel first, then faces Sureiya, who appears to be attempting to confront the sorcerer. "Of course, I'd be happy to discuss matters with you."

From Myn's shoulder, his imp eyes the human in the red-and-gold robes suspiciously. "That guy, he creeps me the hells out," it mutters in the secret language only the imp and Myn understand.

Torinn takes everything in stride; he has ways to keep himself busy while flying. "Not afraid of heights, are you?"

"Nice? I have been wearing the same thing for a long time" Sureiya replies.
After that, the ranger walks a short distance away from the party with Valanor, and once he's sure his conversation will be private enough, Sureiya changes his tone a bit and comments.

"Well, from the looks it seems you have be working day and night on this mess. Have you found something about the Fell King we should know about?"

Sariel shakes her head dismissively when Valanor decides to address Sureiya, and instead goes to examine the gryphons.

>>11625
She also deigns not to acknowledge Torinn in any way, shape or form. Frankly, the paladin's irreverent attitude is starting to work on her nerves.

Even a half-orc can be more appreciative of her, and considering they're brutish, barbaric creatures sprung off from what is likely a history of rape and plunder, that's saying something.

Briefly, Sariel considers whether it might be that Torinn is actually a kobold dressing as a dragonborn. He certainly has the personality for it.

Valanor walks off with Sureiya, and speaks in a lower voice, "There is something you should know, yes. I believe miss Cragmaul is alive."

"Cragmaul? That's great!" says Sureiya, still trying to keep his voice low.
"There is any plan already to go and for her?"

"I don't know where she is, exactly, right now, is the problem," Valanor says quietly, flipping his hair. "I saw the shadar-kai take her prisoner, which would be odd if they planned to merely kill her, but I wasn't able to keep following them--I had to make it back before the portal closed completely. Once back, I moved as quickly as I could, but... anyways, they must be holding her somewhere in the Shadowfell." He nods, looking satisfied, then faces Sureiya directly and says, "Have you spoken to Thelkra?"

"Ugh, this guy is rather perceptive ,he must be a dragon."
"Yeah, I had a talk with her yesterday, and among other things, she told me about her spellscar.
She also seemed to be rather worried about Cragmaul, did you not tell her that she's alive?"

"I tried to get in touch with her this morning, but she wasn't in her quarters, so I left her a letter," Valanor replies, still looking directly at Sureiya. "I would like to talk things over with her, but, I must depart again shortly, and I can't seem to track her down at the moment... she seems to have taken a liking to your group, so I thought maybe I could make it up to her by helping you out. Hopefully things will settle down shortly and I'll be able to return, but for now, I think it's best if I kept a low profile in Baldur's Gate."

Meanwhile, while Valanor talks things over with Sureiya, the rest of the group is approached by Sid. "Hello hello!" the gnome calls out, waving a greasy, glove-covered hand. "About to head out, are you?"

"A low profile? ...Do you think you have been targeted by someone?" the ranger questions.

"Let's just say there are certain attentions that would hinder my long-term goals," Valanor replies enigmatically, yet easily.

"Oh no," Sariel responds to Sid. "We were appreciating the griffins for a moment, but changed our mind. The Warlock and I," she gestures to Myn, "have reached an understanding and I will sever his ties to his foul patron imminently, whereas this," she gestures to Samel, "has offered to single-handedly bring down the Fell King.

"In response, Kobold boy here," she gestures to Torinn, "has decided to take up a life as librarian at Baldur's Gate. We were just saying our goodbyes."

Sid appears a bit dumbfounded by Sariel's response, and stands there, quiet and mouth agape. Exasperated, he turns his gaze from one adventurer to the next.

>>11639
Torinn whispers to Sid, "I think she's being sarcastic. It's her time of the month after all, tends to make her snarky.

"Erm, well, i-if you say so," Sid manages to stammer as a reply. He holds up another funny-looking handhold device and says, "A-anyways, I've got this here for you guys. A Modified Leyline-Tracer 3k, designed for long-range tracking! Should keep you headed the right direction when you're flying, it's attuned specifically to your destination...!"

"Asking you about these goals would probably get me anywhere. Well, if you are in our side then I guess it doesn't matter.
So, I'm gonna check some details about the travel, I think Sariel wanted to have some words with you as well." says Sureiya, returning to inspect the Griffons again.

"Thanks Sid, that should really come in handy to avoid getting lost. By any chance do you know where can I find captain Highwind?"

Boring of the explanation, Myn directs a smile towards the new minion, speaking to him quietly aside.

"Samel, was it? I will welcome your support from here onwards."

Valanor smiles and bows to Sureiya, then takes a few steps towards the rest of the group to make sure he can face them all, and says, "Might I inquire as to your destination? I may be able to assist in some fashion."

"The captain? He should be around here somewhere..." Sid looks around, then nods to the nearby merchant ship, "Maybe he's bringing something in from there!"

"Alright I'll go check over there."
Then, making a pause, he replies to Valanor as well.
"Not very sure, but it seems we are going on a hell of a journey to the Plaguewrought Lands.
Torinn, could you fill him of the rest?" says the orc just before going to the ship.

Torinn gives Sid a friendly nod and trades out the old device for the new one. He smiles, saying, "You never cease to amaze, Sid." When he gets put in the spotlight, Torinn says, "Well, it's as Sureiya says. We're going to fly to the Plaguewrought Lands. It's going to take about two weeks per trip, though. They'll have plenty of time to prepare for our arrival, and things could escalate in our absence." He whispers conspiratorily, "Call it a hunch, but I'm certain something big will go down; Four weeks is a long time. You don't have a way to make travel go faster, do you?"

>>11644
Samel raises his head and looks at Myn. He thinks
"Why do I have to be polite all this time, it's obvious that no one here understands the real meaning of my sentences. Alright let's get done with it."

"Thank you kind sir. Yes, my name is Samel."
He looks around and says
"I would ask for your name, but it seems that everyone is having a discussion over there. You should go check the details with the others. We can continue this conversation later as we will have a lot of time during the voyage."
He bows once again and finds a spot where he can hear everyone and sits there for a while. He thinks "That should do it."

Sureiya catches captain Highwind as he is coming up from below deck, carrying a decent-sized sack at his side. He nods to the half-orc, with a "Good day."

Valanor opens his arms as he replies to Torinn, saying, "Actually, yes. I may be able to help you there. As you are no doubt aware, I am capable of quite a few feats of sorcerous magic." With this, he kneels down, pulls out a piece of chalk, and begins to sketch a large circle on the surface of the dock beneath his feet. "In addition, I have traveled this world a great deal in my various searches. One thing I have been very careful to make note of since the Spellplague is the presence of teleportation circles. The notorious city of Ormpetarr has one such circle, held by a secretive cabal of mages that shelters pilgrims journeying to the Plaguewrought Lands. If you wish, I can create a linked portal to that destination. You and your griffons should be able to pass through, and it would cut down on your travel time considerably. It wouldn't do anything for your return trip, of course, since the portal would last less then a minute."

The linked portal ritual is a common and well-known ritual, though most of you know that the majority of permanent teleportation circles were destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperative by the Spellplague. Teleportation magic without the use of these portals is all but impossible.
A history or streetwise check may give you more information on Ormpetarr and the nearby Plaguewrought Lands.

>>11651
streetwise on Ormpetarr http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3968916/ (24) and Plaguewrought Lands
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3968918/ (22)

Streetwise DC 10: The Vilhon Wilds is one of the last great frontiers of Faerûn. The ruins here attract attention, but the risks are great. Only the hardiest explorers who venture in make it back. The richest sites lie within or along the edge of the Plaguewrought Lands where the Blue Fire is still active. The Order of the Blue Fire, a benevolent group of spellscared who help others and study the effects of the Spellplague, maintain a settlement along the northern edge of these lands called Ormpetarr.

History DC 10: Since the devastation of the Spellplague, civilization has been slow to return to the region. It quickly earned a reputation for being wild and lawless, which has become self-fulfilling. Ormpetarr, the city of the Scar, rests along the northern edge of the Plaguewrought Lands. The merchants of this city "cater to" pilgrims, adventurers, mages, and others who seek the ruins of the Plaguewrought Lands for one reason or another. Though it has a reputation as a rather rough city, it is the closest thing to a center of civilization that can be found in this region, and the Order of the Blue Fire maintains some semblance of protection for the citizens. The Plaguewrought Lands themselves are comprised of surreal landscapes thta are breathtaking in their beauty, grandeur, and instability. Earthmotes are common in this region, as are rolling "waves" of earth that constantly shift, revealing deep ravines that often go as far down as the Underdark.

Sariel raises an eyebrow.

"And this would not put our mission more at peril than however long these griffins would take?"

Take 10 on Knowledge(history), I have a +10 mod anyway.

Valanor shrugs, staning up from his work, and offers a smile, saying, "You should take the griffons with you, to avoid traveling on foot in the Plaguewrought Lands. And for the journey back, of course. Otherwise, I cannot think of why it would put your trip in peril. The Order of the Blue Fire's agents are generally benevolent towards those journeying therein."

"Hey there, Captain. We just gave a glance to the griffons and they seem to be pretty tough, but I'm interested in seeing the trip route to reach the Plaguewrought Lands. And... this ship seems to be filled with interesting stuff, are any of these rations for the travel?"

"I have a map with the route plotted out here," the guard captain replies, walking onto the deck and then onto the dock. "And these are magic canteens to supply you with water for the journey." He stares a bit at Valanor upon noticing him, as if lost in thought, then turns back to the half-orc and says, "If you wish to analyze the route, come here. All of the spots marked for your nightly rests should be safe."

Sureiya follows Highwind.

>>11650

Myn blinks once, nodding and turning his attention back towards the loathsome noble as he idly spins his imp around by the leg.

"...I suppose I'm in no position to be picky here."

Captain Highwind goes over the map with Sureiya, while the imp Myn is twirling makes annoying, high-pitched chitters of protest.

Valanor shrugs and goes back to work on his chalk circle, saying, "Well, I'll have the circle ready in a few moments. Then I'll need some minutes more to cast the ritual, but at its conclusion, the portal will only remain open for a very short time. If you're willing to accept my help, feel free to tell me when to start. Though if you need more time to prepare, I can wait a short while."

>>11662
"Well I'm ready. Not sure about everyone else."

>>11663
"Portal huh? Alright this will be interesting."
Samel stands up and goes near Torinn
He murmurs "May Oghma protects us "

Valanor finishes up the circle, stands, and looks down at it briefly before looking back to the party, smiling expectantly.

Once Sureiya and captain Highwind finish with the map, Highwind turns around towards the griffons and announces, "Perhaps now's a good time to inspect the birds."

Torinn whistles, "Not bad. They're certainly tough enough to get us there."

"Yeah, they should do the job."
Sureiya somehow gets informed about Valanor's plan and questions him.

"Can you really do that? That would really make this much faster."

"Yes, well, as soon as you're ready I'll begin," Valanor confirms to Sureiya. "It's the least I could do for friends of Thelkra."

"If there's anything left you wish to do in town, I suggest you do it quickly," the captain says, eying Valanor a bit suspiciously but saying nothing about his offer of teleportation.

>>11680
Torinn gets on the toughest looking of the bunch of griffons. He finds it natural enough to direct the creature towards the magic circle and nods at Valanor, saying to the party, "All right, everone. Let's get ready to ride."

Just before taking a griffon, Sureiya questions to Sariel.
"Hm, did you have a chance to enchant my weapon?"

"Ah, right, knew I forgot something..." Sariel produces the Harmony Blade from her Bag of Holding. "An increase in its power, yes? I made the enchantment as potent as I could manage, given time, expertise and resources." And thus hands him the extra-enchanted weapon.

Sureiya takes his blade back and smirks in response.
"It looks real good. I'm sure this will help me smack those bastards, thanks a bunch."

>>11688
Sariel suppresses a smirk. "Mind you, 'tis not magic guides its strikes. If you fail, don't blame the tool--you still have to aim. The enchantment only helps you bypass their armour, not their mobility."

Surprised by Sariel's reply, the ranger explains "I wasn't complaining you know, I can recognize a fine blade when I see it."

"Hey Sureiya," Torinn calls out, sounding a tad impatient, "Can you and Twinklefingers get on your rides and come over here already?"

Sariel positively glares at Torinn.

"Perhaps the overgrown lizard would like to shut its yap," the eladrin replies sharply, "lest it will find its next reckless charge to be its last."

So saying, she fetches her griffon, taking it by the reigns and leading it towards Valanor, where she awaits the opening of the portal. She spares Torinn no further glance.

Having enjoyed a ride on a giant fly in his youth, Myn mounts the griffon with slight enthusiasm.

Samel also mounts one of the last griffons. It takes him quite some time to do it because it is the first time he is doing something like that. He manages to get on without any trouble.

"Hah, so you two are already like that?" says Sureiya, just before giving a good look to the remaining griffons.
Then he gets close to one of them a gives pets him a bit before mounting it.

Once the group is mounted, Valanor smiles and kneels over the circle, beginning a strange chant, occasionally accompanied by enigmatic gestures. The circle glows and pulses ominously as he does so, and it's clear he's begun performing the ritual. After ten minutes, the circle glows, and the area within the circle shimmers, and the sorcerer steps back from the newly-created portal.

"Move quickly, friends, the portal will not last for long!" Valanor instructs.

Just before getting in, the ranger questions "I might be pushing our luck too far , but, is there any way for us to get back with a portal just like this one?"

"I already explained that I cannot help you there," Valanor says apologetically. "The portal in Baldur's Gate was rendered nonfunctional in the Spellplague, and no one has been able to set up another permanent one here."

"Oh.. something's must be wrong with my head today. Captain, could you please lend us the map and the canteens anyway?"

Samel takes a step forward.

"No more waiting orc! We have to go now. Let's go partners!"
Samel takes the lead and enters the portal.

Torinn lightly punches Sureiya in the shoulder for his remark, then has his griffon rear back. "All right, everyone. Let's get cracking," he says before leading his mount through the portal.

Scratching the back of his head, Sureiya gives up and gets through the portal.

By the time the ritual is complete, captain Highwind has already stowed a map of the route and the canteens in the griffons' saddlebags.

Each of the adventurers mounts their griffons, and quickly moves them onto the shimmering circle. As soon as their griffons cross the threshold, they find themselves in a large, dimly-lit room. On the somewhat dusty stone floor, a large, runed circle is inscribed that Myn or Sariel could easily identify as an old teleportation circle used for Linked Portal rituals.

The ceiling is quite high, at least fifty feet up, and the walls appear unadorned. It appears this room has not been used in some time, though the doors out are quite large, at least thirty feet high and twenty feet across, and are somewhat ornately decorated, if a bit dusty. The only illumination in this room is provided by a few everburning torches that are mounted on the walls, placed strategically around the room to provide light. Oddly though, they seem a bit dimmer than normal everburning torches.

The room is otherwise completely empty and apparently devoid of life.

A bit dizzy from the travel, the ranger inspects a little the room, looking for an exit.
"Ugh... I still hate magic."

Moving forward on his griffon, Sureiya determines that the only readily visible exit is the set of double doors.