All That Glitters

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+45 Cresiel
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 65 > [d20=20]
> roll 1d20+59 Xandra
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 61 > [d20=2]

You see it, a glimmer. The black disc surrounded by purple begins to subtly glow the moment you enter the cavern.

Chance to react.

[Nephrite]

An alarm? Or maybe...

"Back -- back, the way we came." Moore says, as he tries to get back in case it's some sort of weapon!

[Anastasia]

Wise, perhaps.

Xandra's eyes widen and she flies back with haste, Cresiel just behind her. It's just in time - the eye emits a strange, strobing blast of black, that seeks onto the three of you.

Reacting quickly enough gives you a +3 circumstance bonus to armor class for this attack.

> roll 1d20+35 touch AC Moore
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 36 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+35 touch AC Cresiel
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 42 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+35 touch AC Xandra
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 51 > [d20=16]

Moore is missed. Cresiel is hit. Xandra is hit.

> roll 1d20+24 SR check
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 26 > [d20=2]

The blast washes over the two celestials, but fizzles away without doing anything. Yet the stone near them as they pass back and ito the previous cavern is gone, utterly disintegrated.

[Nephrite]

Moore flies on, a bit further than he was going to originally, before he turns around to peer towards the symbol of Shar to see if it's still glowing at all.

"Okay, wasn't expecting the giant black eyeball magical laser defense, I admit." Moore says through some quick breaths. "If they didn't know we were here before they know -someone- is here, at least... but even so, it may just be an automated one... hmm." He shakes his head.

"We found them and are here. If they're going to come to try and fight us, we fight them outside of their magical range, we'll have an advantage." Moore says. "I will take time to contact Lord Crystalle again, unless either of you have a faster way?" He looks to the two of them.

[Anastasia]

Cresiel shakes his head. He pantomimes a large oval again, then has two fingers 'walk' to it and through it, then three fingers on one hand in front of one finger on the other, with Cresiel carefully mouthing, 'Talking'.

[Nephrite]

"Well, sure, we could Gate there and back, but what's the point if we're just going to come right back here?" Moore asks. "I suppose time might matter. All right, let's go, then." Moore gestures and off they go to Arborea, and then back to Mineral!

I'm keeping track of the spells for this, don't worry. That makes 7, by the way. Who knew regular Plane Shift might ever be useful!

[Anastasia]

Woosh and woosh. You return to Crystalle's palace, the Archomental still sitting on his throne in the courtyard. "You return," Crystalle greets, "How goes your efforts?"

[Nephrite]

"We've discovered where the Sharran are hiding. Somehow or another, they managed to get a large... pyramidal structure inside a cavern in Eberly Rock. It has a weapon atop it that... if my guess is right, it sends out magic similar to disintegrate. It was also able to pierce through out invisibility, but nothing else in the cavern could. We also did not encounter Rumbling Slide, though we ended up taking a different path." Moore explains.

"I'm not quite normally so.. reticent to fight, but you made it clear you wanted to be informed, so I want to make sure I follow that reasoning, Lord Crystalle." He finishes.

[Anastasia]

"You found it? Good," Crystalle says, a moment as the invisibility on Cresiel and Xandra vanishes.

A deep exhale from Cresiel, "Finally. We must learn a means of telepathic communication before doing that again."

Xandra smiles faintly, "I thought you were enjoying it. Though regardless, fighting silenced was not a good option, so I supposed a tactical retreat."

[Nephrite]

"For future reference, you can just dispel the spell if you need to. Or I can for you. I think you can. Would you believe me if I told you it never came up before? Anyway yes, we'll have to seek the wisdom of Celestia for that, later." He huffs once as he turns back to Crystalle.

"I can't say for certain if they knew we were there or not. The fact that we didn't instantly have several Sharrans on top of us when the weapon tried to strike us would indicate that I think it is simply an automated magical defense." Moore explains.

[Anastasia]

"Will you be able to handle it?" Crystalle asks, "Such a defense makes a direct attack by massed forces costly."

[Nephrite]

Moore nods. "It's dangerous, but it can't hurt us if we get inside it. I didn't have a chance to look for entrances, but even if it doesn't have one, we can assuredly make our own if we need to." Moore says. "I can protect us with some magic before we return. Lord Crystalle, do you have any way of preventing them from teleporting or otherwise leaving Mineral?"

[Anastasia]

Crystalle smiles - a strange thing to see on him, but he does.

"That is trivial once I have a location."

[Nephrite]

Moore nods again, a grim look.

"Then this is how I think we should approach this." Moore says with a look to his allies. "I will cast protective magics and bolster us with my words before we return. Lord Crystalle, if you can get us back to where we were again... or, if you can somehow get us to the temple's outskirts... then I think we can take things from there. I don't know how many they have within it, but... well, considering what happened to their outlying guards, I wasn't impressed."

[Anastasia]

"I can," Crystalle says, "After that I will seal it and the battle will rest in your hands." Looking closely at the three of you, "Can you handle it?"