The altar

Xairo considered Zagan's suggestions for the fire element, his brow furrowing in thought. The venom candles would certainly be potent, imbued as they were with the essence of lethal serpents. But there was something alluring about the idea of a fire pit, a constant flame that they could feed and maintain throughout the ritual.

"Let's go with a fire pit," Xairo decided, rising to his paws. "We can gather stones to build a ring, and collect dry tinder and wood from the forest." He moved to the center of the altar platform and began to clear a space, using his paws to dig a shallow depression in the earth. The soil was dark and rich, still damp from the morning dew. Xairo worked methodically, shaping the pit until it was a perfect circle, just wide and deep enough to contain a modest fire.

"Xairo Saxe"