09/18/2026: Statue of Limitations

The lost city of the duergar sits inside an active volcano, a real estate decision that explains most of the neighborhood's problems. The Crown complains loudly about the heat as the party descends. "It is SO HOT! And when was the last time you washed your hair?! It's disgusting!"

Alistir, already wilting, sags a bit more under its weight. Debbie comes to their defense, brandishing her Bag of Holding at the Crown. "Shut up about the heat or you're going in the bag!"

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As they push deeper into the volcano, the conversation turns to what Alistir and Titania still need: obsidian touched by a dark dwarf, and a pinch of ash scraped from a ruin destroyed by Hephaestus.

"Who is Hephaestus?" asks KFC.

"The god of forges," Hester tells her. Reyna's eyes go wide. "So we need part of Debbie's kid?"

The group slows, looking at one another. Alistir, the Crown heavy on their brow, admits miserably, "Titania and I need the ash. Please, Debbie.

"

Debbie fumes for a moment. "The Fire Elemental is an adult. Ask it. But promise me you'll respect whatever it decides."

"Of course."

Sweating in the increasing heat, the two Reynas lead the party to explore a city trapped in time. It appears the populace left in the middle of dinner. The air is thick with ash — not the ash of a catastrophic eruption, just the ordinary ash of a place that lives inside a volcano. The party had hoped for something more dramatic, and is, for the moment, disappointed. They fan out to search the empty streets.

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Hester spots a vessel docked on the river of lava running through the town's center: a one-person submarine of green iron, fireproof and, as everyone present unhappily recalls, once popular for torturing fey. Before climbing in, she borrows the Crown for protection from the heat. The controls resemble a video game controller, sized for Hester, which she does not question. She rolls up the map scrolls — thick, leathery things depicting a network of lava tunnels — and pockets them for translation.

⚔️

Reyna finds a round, single-room home of good quality and poor timing. The food has ossified and the belongings lie dusty and scattered, but the stone and metal furnishings have held up. Under the bed is an adamantine longsword, an enormous weapon for a dwarf but a perfect fit for her hand. She also finds a set of fine brass tableware, which she decides not to steal. Nearby lie a diary and schematics for a very large statue, both in Dwarvish, both going home for translation.

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Debbie reasons that no blacksmith evacuates with his entire stock, and heads for the forges in search of an obsidian blade. There is none. There is, however, a jeweled hand axe worth hundreds of gold, which she claims while acknowledging that looting a lost civilization is an ethical problem. She resolves to be thoughtful about it while doing it.

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Alistir and KFC climb a great staircase and meet the statue: sixty or seventy feet of obsidian duergar, except for the head. Someone has re-carved it into a crude bullywug. At its feet lie wilted flowers, a stuffed toy frog, and a scroll, all within range of lava that would cook a visitor. The Crown grants heat resistance, and the pair cross the narrow bridge.

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The scroll is a letter, and it is not written to them.

"Father, I came back to the statue again. I know it isn't you. I know that." Murgaxor goes on to explain that his arcane skills have made it look more like his father, which helps. He mentions the students from another time, who came looking when they should have stayed where they belonged. "I hate them for what they did." He closes with a request: "Give me a sign."

The carving settles the practical question. The whole statue was made from a single block by duergar hands, so every shard around its base counts as obsidian touched by a dark dwarf — frog face excluded. Debbie carefully wraps a few large, razor-sharp pieces in leather and adds them to the rest in her Bag of Holding.

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The party now has a grieving professor, a desecrated god, and a need for a plan. KFC suggests destroying the statue's head. Alistir suggests giving Murgaxor his sign.

The plan, once thoroughly improved upon, is theatrical. Debbie will appear as the spirit of Murgaxor's late father, assisted by disguise, illusion, and a very large amount of magic. The message will be brief: "I was wrong. I talked to the gods and they're like, yo, dude, you're screwed up." The group compares it to Amadeus and to Scooby-Doo, and nobody argues with either comparison. The ethics are discussed and remain unresolved.

One problem remains. Squid would be left in this timeline, perilously near Murgaxor, who has kidnapped him several times before. Alistir and Titania both hesitate. If Murgaxor has a change of heart — or the opposite — Squid is the first thing in reach. Titania suggests that the other version of Alistir could keep watch. Reyna, rolling her eyes, notes that this is not reassuring.

The party keeps plotting, wanting a plan in place before they leave the abandoned city.

Somewhere, Murgaxor is waiting for a sign from his 'father.'