Moving spheres

[Ebiris]

Nothing significant, we're not going immediately into battle so we can buff up on site if it looks necessary.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Avatarlicia: 582/582
Active spells: Extended nondetection (CL 32), many moments of prescience (CL 31), extended greater anticipate teleportation (CL 32)
Defences: AC 56 (touch 32), CMD 73, spell resistance 46, status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), nondetection (DC 47)
Stat buffs/penalties:
Perceptions: Darkvision 60, perception +44
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/13/12/11/9/9/10/8/8/8/7/6/7/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/17/17/16/9/6

Marie: 589/589
Active spells: Extended superior resistance (CL 31), epic mage armour (CL 31), extended mind blank (CL 31), greater arcane sight (CL 31), bibliotheca arcana (CL 31), extended nondetection (CL 31)
Defences: AC 82 (touch 35), CMD 71, spell resistance 45, energy immunity (electricity, negative energy), energy resistance 10 (acid, cold), (petrification, polymorph, form-altering, energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, mind-affecting), protective aura, nondetection (DC 46), ray deflection
Stat buffs/penalties: +15 insight knowledge
Perceptions: Darkvision 60, blessed sight 120, see invisibility, greater arcane sight, perception +46
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/10/10/8/9/9/8/8/8/8/8/6/5
Limited SLAs available: Meteor swarm, time stop

[Anastasia]

Marie meets the two in the desert, Syala's avatar appearing. "Reminds me of the third level of Arborea a little bit," she says, "More classic desert than this one."

[Ebiris]

"They're even both filled with portentous ruins," Alicia says. "Though since we're being invited I hope we get a bit of guidance towards finding this one, those directions don't give a great deal to go on."

"At worst we can just fly around really high and sharpen our senses, right?" Marie suggests, smiling to see the pair.

[Anastasia]

"We can try teleporting to it," Syala suggests, "The way may not be barred, at least to us."

[Ebiris]

Alicia dislikes that sort of blind teleporting ever since that time she got bounced into the Far Realm, but she supposes that's not really a danger to her anymore. "Let me try, then." She focuses on Marie's description of an old stone city rising out of the sands near here and teleports.

[Anastasia]

You appear in a central chamber. A center place, where dozens of paths all unite. Paths from the desert, paths from ruins, paths from below ground. Crumbling stone is here, an ancient place forgotten. In the center was once some form of mural or design, but it is too faded to make out details anymore.

It is an Inevitable of solid gold plating and iron beneath that greets you. It has three claws as toes, a corded body of steel and adamantine, and no facial features. Humanish and yet not, bowing to you. "Alicia Reynes, you are precisely on time." It says.

[Ebiris]

After telling Marie that they're clear, the eladrin and other goddess teleport over too... and then get stuck on Alicia's greater anticipate teleport spell.

"Syala and Marielle will be here momentarily," she says, not wasting time talking over things that'll have to be repeated until they arrive. And when they do? "The Prime seems a strange place for this sort of... education?" she hazards.

[Anastasia]

"And yet, here we are," The quarut agrees as the other two appear, "Syala and Marielle," he greets, voice pleasant if not warm. He steps forward, the faintest whirring of gears and pistons, of oil and the other strange things of Mechanus.

A ripple. Your conversation until now repeats in an instant, seen by Marie and Syala. For Marie, it's like hearing the entire thing real time, except it takes virtually no time at all.

[Ebiris]

Marie just smiles and nods, letting the deities talk.

"So, what is the purpose here?" Alicia asks once they're all caught up.

[Anastasia]

Syala has a hand on her hip, "I'd like to know that, too."

The quarut merely agrees, "The purpose is to let you understand the magic of time. Chronomancy is forbidden, but you are permitted to know of it as the divine."

[Ebiris]

"And how are we going to go about that?" she asks the obvious follow-up.

[Anastasia]

"You will use your divine power to straighten the fractured times here," The quarut says, "You have permission in this case, for ad the divine you have a right to know. So has been determined and so I have waited here ages."

After a moment, "Anything you find here is yours, tribute and gifts to honor you. Any dangers are ones you must overcome yourself."

[Ebiris]

"You've waited here ages? For us specifically?" she asks. "How long?"

[Anastasia]

"Twenty years ago I traveled into the past to preserve this place for your coming," The quarut says. "I have waited 1,831 years, 83 days, 8 hours, 31 minutes and 18 seconds."

[Ebiris]

The war with Daa-vid was 1000 years ago, right?