The lost fortress (Afina, Jaela; 85 days left)

[Corwin]

Taking 10 for Spellcraft 69.

[Ebiris]

"I think we're in the clear for now," Afina says, turning to the others and seeing Jaela has already grabbed the book. "We can't secure this place without committing Aurora to its defence, unfortunately. Anyone we left here would be over-run sooner or later if the devils are determined to release this beast."

[Anastasia]

"Then what do we do?" The Master says, "It is a horror, I have no doubt about it. Yet if we leave it, it will emerge to trouble us in our final battles. That seems transparently clear."

There's some intensely powerful sealing magic that's recovering, as magic to undo it fades away. From the looks of it, it was on the verge of collapse.

[Corwin]

"Still, this place was lost for millennia...." Jaela trails off, trying to see if that was via some magic that still remains in fragments, or if their ancestors merely buried the whole thing really deep and hoped no one would show up at the front door.

[Ebiris]

Afina lets Jaela study it, because hopefully the bindings aren't something that can be casually undone by the next devil to happen along. "I'm not sure we can weather the attacks that will come if Aurora appears on Lifasa, not yet. The best we can do might be to leave enough of a force here to stall any further attempts long enough that we can send heavy reinforcements in." She glances at Apasa. "I'm hopeful this was an independent gambit of his that no other devils will be keen to follow up on, but we can't count on that."

[Corwin]

While she thinks about this conundrum, Jaela asks Vul'lath, 'What's the best way to leave a sensor here to tell us if the bindings are being messed with by another devil? Persistent scrying efforts?'

[Anastasia]

Elaborate what you're trying to find out, Jaela?

[Corwin]

Epic magic to hide this fortress from everyone, which Apasa might've broken through when he came here. I figured I might be able to see if it existed at all from the seals and anything in the ambience.

[Anastasia]

Nothing that you can detect from here.

'In the short term,' Vul'lath replies, 'More sophisticated measures and rituals in time would be desirable.'

[Corwin]

'Let's go,' Jaela declares. 'Vul'lath will make sure we keep an eye on the place and we can Wish the entrance out of existence, at least.'

[Ebiris]

Afina nods and creates a floating disk for easily ferrying Apasa around.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina 329+4/329
active spells: glaciante's spiteful ward (CL 29 attached to epic mage armour), heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), epic mage armour (CL 27), greater heroism (CL 25), afina's perfect vision (CL 27), shield (CL 27), recitation (CL 30), sublime revelry (CL 31), death ward (CL 30), good hope (CL 30), interplanar telepathic bond (CL 26), haste (CL 27), ferocity of sanguine rage (CL 27), many moments of prescience (CL 29)
defences: AC 99 (touch 63), spell resistance 42, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear, mind-affecting, critical hits, negative energy, death effects, half damage from melee/ranged attacks, 50% miss chance, freedom of movement
perceptions: blindsight 200, low-light vision, darkvision 60, all-around vision, see invisible/ethereal, spot +70, listen +70
spell slots: 5/8/10/8/7/0/3/8/6/8/5/1/0
1 moment of prescience left

[Anastasia]

Going to do that then just get the hell outta here?

[Corwin]

Yes. I'll open a Gate to Aurora and Afina can Wish the entrance to be eliminated as if it never existed and we'll step through?

[Ebiris]

Afina only has limited wishes, and I don't get what you mean by entrance anyway. Do you mean the caves? The phase door you made earlier? The front door to the place that we never actually found?

Also Afina will have to summon more slaads for passwalls so we can get back out the way we came, since the ones made earlier vanished when the summon ended. She has spells enough for that though.

[Corwin]

I meant the caves, and I could do it with Miracle if we want to.