Obsidian: The Goblins of Mac Anu

With the Mac Anu treasure map completed, the Adventurers have finally gotten enough of an idea about where the Goblins under Mac Anu are coming from, and start approaching on their position. This is a two-part sequence of battles and will be prelude the last Obsidian scene.

Liminality
Mac Anu - Sewers

The flicker of fire continues to illuminate the rivers beneath Mac Anu, as the team continues to move further. A small team of Landers serving as the boat crew, pushing the team further and further along the rivers. The Goblin maps have been gathered, and the team now has a good idea where they were coming from.

There's that grinding sound of wood on stone as the boats land on a lowered stone platform at the back of the Root City's border walls, after having sailed around through a maze of channels. The team deploys, getting on the stone walkways, and enter a hallway. Blue lights turning on one by one, detecting them as they step in. As they do, they find items on the ground. Bones of rats and goblins, left behind by whatever killed them. Additionally, they spot these 'grooves' in the ground, where something scarred the ground itself. As if something heavy was dragged trough here like a blade.

Continueing forward, the team finally comes upon a set of massive doors. The Goblin Slayer moves his hand, telling folk to remain quiet, and motions for the aid of some of the stronger members of the party, slowly opening the door to form just a slight gap.

Beyond that gap...

A single chamber hall, with a massive black mirror. Before it, a single pedestal, with a blue glowing water. Above it, gazing towards the mirror, is a massive black shadow that looms in the middle of the air. Thick 'stalks' come off of this floating shrouded entity speaking in a language that is utterly alien to those present here. It's made of clicks and howling whispers amidst something that almost sounds human, if it did not have the growling undertones.

Across from it, is a figure that can only be described as... smug. Black hair combed back, devilish ears, and a nice red suit. A pair of glasses. But by the transparency of his figure, it is notable that he's clearly not there.

"It will not be long before the Adventurers find this chamber now. By my estimation, you will not be able to defeat them. But your particular set of skills will be able to annihilate at least two to four of them from existance. You will remain there, and do battle, until reinforcements arrive. Is that understood?"

There's whispering sounds then as shadows move in from the 'sides' of the chambers. Two crimson eyes seem to come together amidst the dark. Staring towards the door, with smaller stalks on them. Then suddenly, there's this sound like water rushing amidst the darkness... and two flares of golden light suddenly splash forward. Like a magical liquid, almost like someone was using high pressure water, race at the doors. People are forced to duck out of the way! There's a single Adventurers who quickly use their shield and try to halt the sudden flash of light...

Only to literally be erased where they were standing. Their health rapidly dropping from 100% to 0% with barely a second having passed as those beams sweep and try to catch those who were hiding behind the doors!

A gravestone appears where that unlucky Adventurer had been.
Merek
Mac Anu - Sewers

    Merek comes along with the party and takes the time to wear his dark attire, with the hood up to his features while he nods along to the party. Then, they come upon the place, and notice that man speaking like a hologram, "That's. The man from the vision, the one I saw with my Oracle. It's the man with the glasses. The one who took the Soul Mirror!" He's quiet, then he tries to evade, only to see when the blast comes, erasing his arm from existence while he's thrown back. "AHHHHHHHHH!" The man then will stand while he draws up the free hand with the greatsword.
Kotono
Mac Anu - Sewers

Kotono overestimates the situation at hand here, and she barely even starts her dodge when she's hit by the attack... and finds that her left arm is missing. "Aaaugh!" She cries out, although it's more in shock than pain. "Good thing I'm not a southpaw!" She comments to Miyako once she's recovered from the shock of losing her left arm. "Hopefully it'll regenerate soon enough." With that, Kotono goes in with her remaining arm and attempts to slash at one of the observers as if saying, "What are YOU looking at?"
Mikage
Mac Anu - Sewers

The goblin problem in Mac Anu had been one of Mikage's focuses during the recent weeks, whenever she wasn't otherwise occupied by underwater explorations. Thus, when the maps had been gathered, she was one of those who volunteered to seek out the source of the problem. The Ranger had been quiet much of the journey, Rama looking more than a little unhappy to be aboard any kind of boat. The cat seems happier once they stop and he is able to disembark onto the stone walkway.

Mikage eyes the strange blue lights, following quietly. She doesn't need the motion from the Goblin Slayer to know that they are in deep and drawing attention to themselves. So, she hangs back, Dawnbringer held against her side with an arrow already nocked to the bow.

When the strange creature turns attention towards them, Mikage is quick to move. Rama, on the other hand, not so much. The cat hestiates, causing Miki to have to back-track, scooping up the feline and rolling out of the way behind the door, just in time. It leaves her with a bit of singed armor and Rama missing some of his fur, but neither had taken a direct hit.

"What the hell is that thing?" She lets Rama down, "Stay out of sight, for now. That thing could likely blast you off the map." Something that would have dire effects on her as well.

Instead, Mikage presses her palm against the blue stone currently slotted into her weapon, then steps out far enough to fire a single arrow above the main creature. It shatters into a series of icy shards that rain down from above.
Goldenblade
Mac Anu - Sewers

Goldenblade has come, with the other adventurers, to put an end to the goblins beneath Mac Anu once and for all. Hopefully. Given the importance and risk level of this fight, she's left her backpack full of rocks at home today. She follows the group, looking around carefully, and watches quietly, squinting up ahead at what might be between the doors. She doesn't get a great view, but she does note when it's time to get the hell out of dodge. She doesn't just lean aside, either, this looks like kind of a bog deal, so she flat out vanishes, leaving no trace. A determined search will find her in a shadow a dozen yards away.

When it becomes clear what we're facing, both swords come out, and she leaps into the fray. "Nothing for but to do it," she mutters, and wades in from the shadows with both swords swinging, cutting and rending, or at least passing through the target deeply enough to be scored as damage. She has no idea what it is, but it's obviously what we're here to fight, based on all the other adventurers dogpilng it. Hopefully their efforts will be enough!
Syx
Mac Anu - Sewers

If someone had asked him why he was here, Syx would have just said because someone told him there was going to be a fight. He didn't care about the goblins, or whoever the weird ghost guy or whatever was.

He just wanted to throw down with some big monsters.

As soon as the laser blasts come towards the group, however, Syx is quick as ever, diving to one side, rolling a couple of times, and then kipping back up onto his feet. He's not going to stop there, however. No sense losing momentum. He picks up his pace, moving towards one of the side walls and using it to jump off of.

He has to get himself above one of the Observers, so that he can drop down on top of it and lay in with a super sick looking elbow drop at full speed.
Prophylaxis
Mac Anu - Sewers

Prophylaxis distinctly remembers signing up to exterminate goblins under Mac Anu. He does not remember reading anything about floating eyeball monsters that shoot laser beams capable of cleaving arms and legs from bodies and straight up disintegrating advenuters unfortunate enough to get themselves hit. It's a beholder, he knows that. The empty space where his arm used to be makes that /abundantly/ clear. "That," he glares directly at the mirror, "Is that the mirror that was stolen from the vaults at Eastal...?"

Unfortunately, casting is a little difficult with only one arm. Until he figures out how to compensate with just one hand operating his staff, the Magus is going to just have to manage with what few innaccurate cantrips he can conjure.

He seems... actually pretty okay with only having one arm overall, thouguh. It's just disappointing that he's lost it /before/ actually getting to fireball anything.
Rizadoman
Mac Anu - Sewers


    Rizadoman was fortunate to not have been in the front of the party as the high pressure water races at the door leaping back, using his bone scimitar to parry some of the blast and uses the forst of the blast to push himself to the side of it. Unfortunately for Rizadoman his bone scimitar is now paper then and falls appart. " Don't let it hit you," he says pointing out the obvious before he lifts the rocks of what was once the arch of the doorway magically into the air and flings them towards the observer as if to retaliate but more importantly, to lay down covering fire.
Erufu
Mac Anu - Sewers

Thet Adventures are getting to the bottom of this mess and it just goes deeper and deeper it seems. They hit the door and the Elf has a real bad feeling about this she looks at what is before them. She narrows he eyes for a moment. With Erufu being fast on her feet is all that saves her.

"Don't say its name!"

She calls out to Mikage, it seems Erufu has an idea of what it could be. She evades the destination beam, flipping out of the way she comes in for a landing and levels her bow.

"Do not sit still, keep moving."

She fires a shot and then is on the move. She doesn't even know if her shot landed with the Observers, but she has no time to sit still.
Arianne
Mac Anu - Sewers

There's something... soothing, about being on the boats like they are. At least for the gnome. But, then, she can tell they're solidly made, even with the grinding of their wood on the stone. But she hops off with the rest of them, her armor rattling a bit with the impact of her landing. Keeping in mind how things went last time, her warhammer is starting on her back this time, buckler on her arm and a katana strapped at her side. Her grey gaze scans the area around them... and instantly catching on the lights that detect their presence and start to shine. She spends a moment investigating one, making a note to give it a more thorough look when all is said and done - everyone else getting ready gives her so brief a time for it.

She does slide her stride at the sound of speech ahead of them. Especially when something seems so... /off/ about it, even with the game's translation effect in place. She doesn't recognize anything about it, but she takes a moment to try and remember the cadence of it. Maybe they can find some other scrap, and get a hint at what truly hides behind that illusion?

Still, it doesn't help with the attack hurled their way, and her focus on the illusory projection costs her a bit of reaction time - even as the rays blasting through them all kill someone who bunkered down and tried to bear through it. She registers that much at least, and doesn't try the same... but she still ends up with a hole burned clear through her armor, missing a chunk of her gut. There's a hiss at the feeling of that absence, that hole, but she pushes through. One hand settles on the hilt of her katana, Mana poured down into the blade. She angles herself just so, and draws it with with a flash of fire and what would be a deep, hard, kiai - if she wasn't missing a chunk of diaphram, anyway. The flames lash across the distance, grasping at the central mass of eyes and stalks even as she keeps advancing with the blade in hand.
Amalthea
Mac Anu - Sewers

    What's with all that whispering? One minute Amalthea is trudging through the Mac Anu sewers, and then the next minute the party comes to a door and eye-beams go flying everywhere.
    Eye beams that immediately reduce an adventurer to a tombstone.
    "Son of a-"
    Leaping aside from the doorway, the old paladin flings herself aside.
    It's not fast enough.
    The pain hits her, even scaled down, it's enough to be stunning as she looks at where her sword arm used to be, her sword clattering to the floor at her boots.
    "Agh, son of a..." She scowls, stomping on the blade and causing it to flip up as she catches it with her teeth.
    And then everyone busts into the room to fight a monster staight out of a D&D session.
    Well.
    Into the breach she goes flailing her sword around with her teeth.
    It's not elegant. But it works.
Miyako
Mac Anu - Sewers

    Miyako has spent the past hour grumbling about being dragged away from her own work, but she's followed along - mostly at Kotono's urging, it seems. Or maybe she's just annoyed at the goblins. "Look," she says, about to snark off at the villain, but whatever she was about to complain about is rather swiftly interrupted by a laser-like jet of water and a scream of pain. "<BLEEP!>"

    She's thrown to the ground by the impact, her arm vanishing in a blur of crimson pixellation, and she spits further curses as she twists to one side to avoid a possible follow-up, then tries to get to her feet. "Oh, you <BLEEP>! You wanna play that way? Fine! We'll play it that way!" A series of runes lights up as she sweeps her remaining hand towards the floating orb, and a (similar, if much smaller) laser-water-jet of her own appears. (This one glows green! Neat!)
Mizuki
Mac Anu - Sewers


    Mizuki's eyes widen with recognition, at the sight of that figure communicating by hologram or whatever. She also has suspicions about what the other one is... confirmed when it turns around! She's kind of worried about the 'wipe from existance' thing, though! When the attack comes, she leaps out of the way... and is speared through the chest by the light!

    Is this it? Does Sam die here, annihilated from existance?

    Mizuki falls to the ground... Huh, this, this doesn't feel like nonexistance OR being dead. Her HP 'only' went down by almost half... She breathes a sigh of relief, and looks down at the GAPING HOLE THROUGH HER BODY "AAAAAAH!" She pokes the hole because CURIOUSITY, and shivers, before standing up in a combat stance and glaring at the Beholder. "Hey! You are Wizards of the Coast IP, they were VERY PARTICULAR about not putting beholders in the SRD! What are you doing here?!" More conversationally, she adds, "D'you think CC Corp had THAT license too? Man, can you imagine DMing and playing a campaign through a FullDive interface, that'd be pretty--" she shakes her head, "Not now!"

    She points at the assembled monsters. "So the guy setting you against us thinks you're a challenge that's likely to kill two to four of us, huh? Well I'm Mycroft Hellfire of the Well-Tuned Murder Engine! And our motto is: CR PLUS FIVE OR GO HOME!"

    While shouting those words, she starts making hand seals, and then suddenly there's a wave of darkness sweeping towards the enemies! Eye monsters need to SEE to attack, right? So obstructions they can't see through are probably a good idea!
Proteus
Mac Anu - Sewers

Goblins seem to be a constant problem for the Adventurers. They keep coming up with unexpected support and strange benefits allowing them to enact plans and deviousness far beyond what they would normally have been capable of before the Black Wave.

The World has changed. And they have to change with it. Proteus continues to seek solutions to the new problems of the World. As they arrive, Proteus kneels down and inspects the bones.. but more importantly, the grooves. The Imp frowns at the sight of those grooves. "I wonder..." She murmurs to herself.

Her suspicions are borned out as they look into the next room. the sight of the giant black mirror brings the Imp's eyes to widen. "What? The Soul Mirror? Why is he using it /here/ of all places?" She murmurs... And then something notices them. "Gggh! We've been seen!" Proteus hurls herself out of the way, but it's not so simple. The burning light clips Proteus, scorching a chunk out of her torso with screaming, dimmed pain radiating through her body along with the strange sensation of absence. "Not again." She hisses. "Not this time."

She tumbles into the room and flicks her hands forwards, producing a complex-looking brassy cube with gem inlays in complex patterns, the large box hovering in her hands. Her fingers flick and twist around it, moving at high speed as latches unlock and the object unfolds, blooming into a contraption of gleaming levers, gearwork, and latches that clamp together and lock into place, shifting into the form of a topaz-inlaid long pole with a large spiked orb on the end. "This World belongs to us!" Proteus cries out. She charges forward into the scrum, the flail spinning and lashing out to dip into battle, tangling one enemy's combat arm and yanking the goblin off balance before she slips past, the cloaked Imp weaving through the chaos towards her goal.

She only takes one look at the figure in the back before she frowns. "Of course." She mutters, before she turns her attention to the Mirror and how it's propped up. "Mirror... They operate on vision... We need to push it so it can't reflect any of us!" There is a spinning of the flail, and her hands flick out, tracing a pattern: V S M before the butt of the staff section slams into the floor.

Behind the mirror, a pillar of earth erupts, trying to tip the mirror over. It's not very successful. "D... Damn! It's heavy!" Proteus gasps. "We need to work together on this!"
Liminality
Mac Anu - Sewers

The Observers' big red eyes widen, and this wicked toothed grins appear on their faces, cackling in an alien sound as the team survives for the most part and begins to charge! As Kotono approaches the one on the right of the hall, it uses one of its stalks to spray a liquid fire, partially intercepting her blade as she cuts across it, leaving that typical red stripe of damage and causing it to wobble backwards. Only to get elbowed by Syx, dumping the right side Observer down closer to the ground for a moment.

Behind it, the Beholder's stalks suddenly move in reaction to the sounds. Mikage's arrow barely avoiding the sudden flush of golden light that lances across the sides of the hall, before the ice begins to rain on it while it's still turning. Then, its enormous white eye opens, and there's a flash of light... as her ice rain stops in the middle of her barrage. Just... erased from being.

A blast of fire from Merek's carves against its side, causing it to bob back a bit. But it's clear that there's a 'limited' amount that the blasting physics is having on this one. Goldenblade barely avoids a second volley from the Beholder's stalks, as it sprays a dazzling light at her, followed by a jet of flames, cutting at the bottom of its body before it suddenly moves up into the air - using the rather tall hall's structure to avoid further hits from Goldenblade. Only to be met with Arianne's flames which push against its body until it finally sends a spray of superheated water at her to force her to halt her assault!

Behind it, the illusionary man has disappeared after flashing a white grin, further reducing the amount of light in the room that is not coming from the blue lights in the hallway behind them, and the various attacks and torches!

Prophylaxis' cantrips move towards the Observer, right as it turns and its eye falls on him. The moment he attempts to use his cantrips, they just falter, even though his mana is used up in the process!

A massive stone then hits the one on the left, breaking apart across its body! Followed by an arrow which plants itself into its eyelid as it quickly closes its singular red eye... and then re-opens it as the arrow breaks apart. Only to get stabbed right in the eye by Amalthea wielding that blade between her very own teeth! Ripping into its socket, and cutting into it, leaving that red gleam of damage as the blade comes out again! Mizuki joins Amalthea moments later in that assault, after she stops Uta-ing, and blasts a sea of darkness across the body of the Observer...

Another carving blade of water shoots out, but this one comes from Miyako. Slamming into the Beholder and carving a chunk of health out of it with their spray! Then suddenly, a quake. Earth behind moved behind the mirror all of the sudden, as Proteus spends their magic! There's a loud grinding of Stone on Metal in a way that makes peoples' ears ring, while big red warnings appear over the mirror!

<< IMMORTAL OBJECT >>

<< IMMORTAL OBJECT >>

<< IMMORTAL OBJECT >>

<< IMMORTAL OBJECT >>

Before the earth magic falters under the pressure of the mirror being just too damned heavy - barely having moved.

Then suddenly, light disappears after a short 'gleam' on the mirror's surface. There is this sudden heavy 'BREATH' through the hall as if something the size of the chamber itself just blew out their candles. Their torches. And a moment later... their magic. There's only the vague blue light coming from the walls behind them in the hallway...

The Observers moving, the Beholding moving, but almost impossible to track without some kind of source of light! The mages who attempt to use their Magical abilities have them falter entirely, trying to relight hte place. Right before there's a sudden /wave/ of flames that spews through the chamber! Fire racing to try and catch their bodies - like a jet of liquid napalm, only it goes out the moment it hits the ground. And the Observers and Beholders remain far enough at the back of the chamber that the occassional sudden jet of flame doesn't make it possible to see them easily!
Arianne
Mac Anu - Sewers

Mana surges through Arianne's shield, and drags it up into the blast of the super-heated, steaming water; the blast strikes it, and the enhanced steel sends it spraying around her in a malformed 'bubble' spell, sending splatters of liquid to hiss and steam up off of the stone. She gives a soft snort at the attempt to drive her back, and instead bulls through... even after the mirror snuffs out the flame on her sword, and the various other lights in the room. Further splashes of fire are broken on her shield, drying it off as she considers the room around them. Remembering the placement of the things in those brief flashes and with her own 'tunnel-adapted' vision...

... and she darts forward, putting all her weight - and that of her gear - into the cut of her blade, even as it glimmers in the light of an observer's burst of flame aimed elsewhere in the chamber; that sharp edge is seeking out the Beholder's flesh, as she tries to arc it towards some of those dangerous stalks. It's a clean, fierce strike from her perspective, even as she readies herself for the powerful monster to pull some trick.
Mikage
Mac Anu - Sewers

Mikage looks over towards Erufu, blinking on confusion. She doesn't seem to understand why saying the creature's name would be an issue, especially as she doesn't even know it, at least at first! Then, all of a sudden, that grinding sound causes Mikage to wince and Rama to whine from his hiding place.

She reaches back for another arrow, only to have the magic within her relic flicker out, the glow vanishing along with some of the light in the surrounding area. "That... can't be good." Luckily, while she has leaned heavily into magical abilities in recent months, Rangers have some natural physical abilities as well.

Her speed is the one that comes in most handy, allowing her to edge out of the way of the wave of flame heading in her direction, dodging it by neatly running up a nearby bit of rock to leap over it and then land on the ground, bow held before her. Despite not having magical power behind it, her arrows can still do quite a bit of damage.

At least, that's the hope.
Rizadoman
Mac Anu - Sewers


    Suddenly the lights are dimming and Rizadoman is reminded of the movie theaters of the old world for a brief moment before his eyes track the Observer. " My ancestors taught me to not fear the darkness, for it is the best time to hunt. " The lizard man runs towards the Observer ready to rip into him, claws bared before the flames come. Without a second thought the Werefang puts himself between the napalm like flames and the imp with the puzzle box trying to shield her with his body, arms crossed against his chest and lets out a roar of pain. As the fire may go out when it hit the ground, across his arms were still lit aflame as he returns to charging the observer, striking out with both claws, fire and all.
Kotono
Mac Anu - Sewers

Fortunately, Kotono's on her top game this time with her reflexes on high alert, and even with only one arm available, she still manages to spin out of the way (she ain't gonna tumble for ya right now!) and avoid getting caught. Kotono puts the observers aside to go after the main Beholder as if to show that she's not afraid of anyone right now!
Merek
Mac Anu - Sewers

    Merek watches while the whole thing seems to fall into chaos. The man shifts the one hand of his then begins to charge to swing that greatsword up into the observers, while he lifts up a magical shield with the sword pointed forward. It's notable that even with only that arm, he can still use magic and weapons. The man looks to the mirror, "You know, I'm wondering what way they even moved it all."
Prophylaxis
Mac Anu - Sewers

"Well, think about it. Mac Anu is a Root Town-- a key safezone for Adventurers in Fourlands. We have no idea /how/ Root Towns work, only that they do-- and that they are home to a teleportation system that is, for now, inactive. Besides that, Lia Fail was a Root Town, too, and that's where the Black Wave came from. So..." Prophylaxis muses in a vaguely Proteus-ward direction... but ultimately shrugs in a manner suggesting his utter lack of a decent answer. "The Soul Mirror's powers are unknown, but apocalyptic. Whatever they're planning, it's not good. There are too many possibilities, and I like none of them."

He also doesn't like how the damn lights just went out-- and more importantly, how absolutely trash his mana bar is looking all of a sudden. Flame, brilliant and blazing, sluices towards them. Prophylaxis clicks his tongue and rushes forth to meet it... And, specifically, to take cover behind a conveniently placed stone pillar. Again and again he darts closer to the beholder, leaping out of one piece of cover just to find his way behind another, until finally he's in spitting distance--

Or, rather, in throwing distance.

"That eye looks pretty sensitive. Probably a lot of mucous membranes." Prophylaxis crooks his neck to support his staff against his shoulder, while his one arm fetches a vial filled with OMINOUS RED-BLACK GOO. It's... an awful mixture of every bit of medical waste his laboratory has produced over the past little while. What will it do? Who knows! But every good scientist knows that getting lab waste in your eye is the absolute worst. "This'll probably sting," he says with a grin, before hurling the glass vial so hard into the Beholder's glaring eyeball that the glass shatters into countless shards on impact.
Miyako
Mac Anu - Sewers

    And now the lights are going out. And everything is about to be On Fire. Welp. That's just wonderful. Miyako tries to throw up a quick magical shield - but it fizzles out, and she rather desperately ducks aside from the burst of flames -- fortunately, despite her curses, managing to avoid losing any limbs this time. "You absolute raging pillock!"

    Her roll takes her much too close to one of the monsters for comfort, so she swipes her hand, menu appearing briefly as her naginata drops into the waiting palm, and immediately jabs the blade into the monster's face!
Syx
Mac Anu - Sewers

Oh no, Syx is not done yet. Not by a long shot! However getting blasted by flames is no good either. Syx kicks a foot on the ground hard, breaking a piece of the rock off and grabbing it, putting it between himself and the flames in order to keep himself safe.

He quickly throws the burning rock down before it burns his hands, "Not cool, dude!" Literally, though He moves to pick up again, once more heading for the Observer. This time instead of going up the wall, he goes straight at it.

As soon as he reaches a high enough velocity, he leaps up into the air, kicking one foot out at the eye of the Observer, and using the momentum from that kick to do a flip and land a second kick to one of the stalks.
Goldenblade
Mac Anu - Sewers

Goldenblade ducks a viscious lasing from another eyestalk as she cuts sideways, while the floor takes the hit meant for her. She's quite pleased, and would not mind if the floor soaked up more hits intended to strike her. It's harder in the dark, of course, but it helps that she's got her own source of light, or at least fire that provides illumination.

The fire doesn't make her harder to see, but she's agile enough for the moment. Laying about her with blades flashing, metaphorically anyhow, she cuts into the beholder for as long as she can before jumping clear when it takes a shot at her.
Proteus
Mac Anu - Sewers

The mirror proves to be yet more difficult to deal with than she expected. "Gggh. If I could only..." She mutters, her hands clenching as she looks down at the black leather gloves, feeling them creak. "I could solve this problem if I could just..." He teeth clench as she is forced to fall back... And then the lights go out. Proteus flicks her hands, trying to light up the place but a moment later, the mirror... seals their magic. At least for now. "D... damn! Again?!" Proteus grimaces. She can't see in the dark! Ironic, considering how often Imps are known for skulking around in dark places. But they have other talents...

Unfortuantely, this puts her completely off base as the flames rush in. Proteus brings up her arms, trying to futilely shield against the enemy. "Gggh!" She gasps, preparing to feel the rest of her HP bar vanish... When Rizadoman leaps into the way and shields her against the attack. She opens her eyes, and looks up at the Were Fang who protected her. "Thanks. I owe you one." She says, turning back to the mirror and leaping to scramble up along the side, clambering up to the top of the thing. "Anyone who has room! Give me a hand! The solution to this puzzle... Is to work together! If one can't do it, maybe several of us can!" Proteus begins trying to lever herself at the top, trying to push the thing forward to get it off of the back wall so someone else can add their assistance in some manner...
Amalthea
Mac Anu - Sewers

    It grows dark. The party is likely to be eaten by a grue. Or a Beholder in this case. But once Amalthea hacks through an Observer's eye, she readies herself to continue the fight as the chamber darkens.
    But it looks like the fight, while chaotic, is mostly attended to.
    And then Proteus, much like Gondor, calls for aid.
    Amalthea rushes for the mirror, spitting aside her sword a she tries to wedge her shield behind the mirror for leverage and pry.
    It's not easy with only one arm though.
Erufu
Mac Anu - Sewers

Erufu is still moving she's only pausing to shoot as she goes. Worse the mirror can't be taken out maybe that's for the better. She's not sure for now the Observers are proving to be a problem and the Beholders are making to be a very big issue. She keeps moving she'll be having a problem trying to line up a shot but he will take one at one of the Beholders, going right for the eye. Even as that happens the attacks keep coming. She's very lucky she didn't rely on magic there something just seems to be up the quake though that's left him wondering a bit. How sturdy is this place? Then she hears Proteus and bounds across the combat zone. She will then put everything she has into it, pushing as hard as she can letting out some very unelf like grunts as she does so.
Mizuki
Mac Anu - Sewers


    It occurs to Mizuki that she should probably say something about beholders. "The central eye is antimagic! The stalks are all NASTY things like petrification, disintigration, and elemental attacks!" And then it goes dark. The abrupt change is enough for Mizuki to notice for once, though her eyes quickly adjust. And the magic goes away... Damn, that's bad for a lot of them! She barely dodges bursts of flame... "Hey! They're not supposed to be able to fire magical attacks into antimagic! ...Unless those are technically conjuration effects..."

    Fortunately, as a Ninja Mizuki can certainly make use of physical attacks as well! Zig-zagging to try and dodge fire, she charges the nearest monster (an observer) and then tries to leap up and grab it, clawing and biting at its back in hopes of restraining its movement... oh wait, stalks! She goes wide-eyed as she remembers that and leaps away again!
Liminality
Mac Anu - Sewers

Arianne's blade finds the flesh she was seeking. The finely honed blade ruptures into the Beholder's flesh, causing it to careen around and try to get her off. Wrapping one of its stalks around her throat like some tentacle and /pulls/ her out of it, along with a spray of red glow around a green liquid which splatters against the ground and starts 'hissing'. An arrow then jabs right into that same hole Arianne had left, expertly shot by Mikage from her weapon. While it's notable that her Relic never stopped being lit, her magic is indeed impossible to call out in that moment.

To the side, the Lizardman makes a heroic stand, shielding Proteus from the dangers of those flames, before their claws reach the Observers and rip into its body, tearing a chunk of flesh from its closed lid - causing the monster to let out a monsterously pained sound! Merek's flames in the meantime, fail to produce, but his blade still hacks just fine into one of the same Observer's stalks - ripping it off with a fine swing of their blade.

The Beholder then is met by Kotono's fists, pushing it down a bit towards the ground, where others can more easily reach it. Such as Prophylaxis' flask of medical waste, which shatters against it, and causes it to thrash and let out fierce pained sounds. Winking its eye constantly, causing tears to well up and slowly wash away the painful substance!

The right side observer in the meantime has to contest with the fact that Miyako is stabbing it with their Naginata. The weapon ripping its bladed tip into a part of its lid, and then cuts a mean smile of red across its body! It tries to get away, only for Syx to land with their kick, slamming the Observer down and back into Miyako's Naginata, ripping deeper into its body, before being pulled out and cutting off one of its stalks! Mizuki jumping in a moment later, and claws and tears another stalk out of it, before it manages to wind up for another attack...

At the back of the room, the team begins to move towards the mirror within the darkness. But that strange sensation of being breathed upon remains. No...

No it's not breath.

It's like a draft. That sensation that someone left a door open somewhere in the room, and it was pulling out air. And the place that air is escaping from isn't this room... it's the mirror.

Proteus begins to climb the tall mirror. Certainly, she makes her way there. But the moment she begins to push, she'll find just HOW heavy this thing is. Even that enormous monsters from the Oracle view that Merek had shown... that thing had to /drag/ the mirror. Amalthea begins to try and pry her blade closer to the bottom, but she'll notice that the Integrity of her blade starts falling /really/ fast with how much force she has to put behind it.

Erufu starts to make some progress through. Using her small body to push against it, helping with Proteus's leverage after climbing up with him. Until suddenly...

Amidst the dark, something tries to grab at Erufu. It barely registers in the dark. The glisten of fingers that reach out from within the mirrors. Hands that grab at Proteus and Erufu, then soon Amalthea too... and then suddenly jerk on them, trying to pull them <IN>.

As the Observers and Beholders are forced to stop attacking for a moment, the lights come on again as various magics show their lights. And they get to see something within the mirror. A green... grassy place. Or, no, that's green rocks. A valley, almost dark. And on the other hand, a little distant from there...

Teeming.

It's utterly teeming with Goblins. It's like a plague, an infestation. It's like someone just accidentally disturbed an ant's nest, and ants are just pouring out, even over and on top of one-another. They are still just a little ways out. But they are approaching towards the event horizon of the mirror in numbers that are mind-numbing. But there's something else in the backdrop. The hands grabbing at the ones holding the mirror are not coming from those goblins though. It's almost like the event horizon itself is trying to grab hold of them!

It's like a massive 'sphere' that had been dropped into the surface, only half of it still visible, and listing on its side, with a massive antenna-like structure sticking out of it. At the very tip of the enormous structure, which seems to loom as tall as Aincrad Tower itself, is what looks like blue orb, followed by another piece of the antenna just... floating above it. Stilling rings at its tip. And the sphere itself, it too has various pieces... spikes sticking out of it.

The team doesn't have time to gawk for too long however, as the Observers and Beholders seem to have charged up their previous attack again. That golden Disintegration Ray suddenly flashing out. Surging across the battlefield, aiming for legs, for arms, for heads. Their anti-magic effect seeming to be less effective for a moment, thanks to Prophylaxis' earlier splash of medical waste!
Mikage
Mac Anu - Sewers

"Rama!" Mikage calls into the darkness, summoning her companion to her side. Luckily, he has better eye sight than even she does. With everything going on seeming to carry a heavy feeling of the unknown, she wants to keep him close.

The wind blows against her hair, drawing her attention towards the mirror, just in time for the lights to return. Shielding her eyes with one arm, she looks over to see the strange occurances around the mirror. Another place, a strange structure, and Goblins, lots of Goblins.

She stares, though it is only for a moment. Cyrus would likely be better into figuring out exactly what was actually going on. For Mikage, this is just one more level of weird ontop of the weird she has been experiencing as of late.

No time to dwell on it, as the powerful attack from the enemy creatures comes sweeping by again. It almost looks as if it will hit her, but instead it impacts what appears to be a shadowy haze that resembles her and Rama, the two actually safe some distance away.

"Rama, see if you can do some damage up-close." She slicks her hand down along his spine, transferring her magic to the lynx, who charges towards the Beholder, avoiding direct line of sight before leaping with frosty claws to dig into whatever part of the creature he can latch onto.
Merek
Mac Anu - Sewers

    Merek looks around to where people once were, and now where people are being taken on with powerful assaults upon them. He didn't want to do it again, still those with the need to protect like him. The man walks forward while he then shifts the sword away, his only arm with him being lifted up to point towards the Beholder. The man then will focus upon it, "Unlocking restriction." Why, why do people all need to keep being killed in front of him. Why can't he do anything, besides swing his weapon.
    Again and again, every time. He thinks back and to Xander, you can't save everyone. You can try though, he focuses all of his will on the creature while he begins to solve the Enigma Piece. To the Beholder, he begins trying to manipulate the code, he begins drawing it away. Perhaps assailing the enemies is well enough quite a lot to ask, so he will try to will its ability away to the observers along with anything else that isn't an Adventurer. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Kotono
Mac Anu - Sewers

Once again, proving that speed can be helpful along with a clear mind, Kotono avoids being caught once again. She shuffles around before heading towards the observers once again, only this time she takes to the air in an attempt to deliver a flying kick.
Arianne
Mac Anu - Sewers

The bite of her blade digging into the abomination's flesh is satisfying. The way a stalk wraps around her neck and starts strangling her is much less so. She struggles, the fingers of her left hand scrabbling at it, digging in between its skin and her own - and she starts working it free, slamming at it with the hilt of her sword. Between that and her struggling, she manages to wrench herself free. It leaves Arianne gasping for breath as she back off a moment, re-centering herself... and getting a glimpse of the mirror, and its destination. The horde on the green rocks, the strange sphere with its antennae and a strange orb... "... That's worrisome," she states obviously.

But then a hand dances on the air in front of her, pulling up Camelot's Interface from her menu to check something... and she snarls, a fierce, satisfied grin blooming on her lips. "Clear away from the mirror!" She barks out, giving them the time they need to try and slip free. Then she punches down to finalize her changes - twisting the ground beneath the mirror. Sinking it at its front, and rising it at its back, while smoothing out an area larger than it is; she wants it to lie flush against the stone. It won't be airtight, but... it should suffice.
Goldenblade
Mac Anu - Sewers

Goldenblade is able to avoid the disintegration rays with a nimble dodge, staying a step ahead of the beholders, but in an unusual case of situational awareness, she sees Prophylaxes about to get zapped, and body-checks him out of the way. It's not at all like she wasn't paying attention and missed him because of tunnel-vision, but the net effect is her missing an arm rather than Proph missing a head, so that's good, right? She'll wrap her stump around him a moment to steady herself up, and him, too, if he needs it, then break and resume the attack.

It's a bit different than her usual two-bladed style, since one arm's gone, but it's fiercer for that much more concentration on the single attack. The piercing strike bites deep, sinking in and stealing the beholder's precious HP. It's got far too much, so it can afford to have less.
Rizadoman
Mac Anu - Sewers


    Rizadoman looks at the golden beams of death and does his best to roll away however one precious part was tucked in as well as the others as he stands and suddenly feels off balanced. His tail had been disentigrated. There were stories in his village of those who lost their tails, none of them were good. In fact this very thing would leave him shamed and dishonored if anyone in his tribe ever found out. " Oh ancestors, please do not lose faith in me. I shall take revenge for this travesty." Covering his snout he begins to blow into his hands forming a rather large ball of fire ,which Rizadoman continues to blow up to the size of a beach ball, before he throws it at the Observer, stumbling forward in the process.
Prophylaxis
Mac Anu - Sewers

It's really too bad that this poor beholder is being confronted by a person who knows perhaps a little too much about how to absolutely ruin someone's day through their eyeballs. As it turns out, Prophylaxis is kind of a jerk when there are monsters to fight! "Hurry up with that mirror," Prophylaxis calls back to TEAM HACKIMP as the beholder flails and writhes in absolute, tear-flooded agony. "Move it, destroy it, whatever! I don't want to know what it will do--"

He looks back at just the right time. That is, at just the wrong time.

A world of endless, expansive emerald. A landscape that seems... just /green./ But not /just/ green. There are creatures there. Goblins. An incomprehensible tide of goblins, and... Something much like a tower that looms in the background. "What... What in the world..."

The distraction comes at the worst possible time. A column of golden light washes through the world from his blind spot, and scythes towards his head...

But just before it carves /through/ his head, someone knocks him out of the way. "You--" Goldenblade... is without an arm. The doctor grimaces, then turns back toward the beholder. "Okay. First thing's first..."

That monster-- has a giant eyeball. It behaves like a giant eyeball. Prophylaxis lifts his staff at the giant eyeball and whispers a word of power. Several, in fact. A dozen magic spells cast in sequence, each one the exact same. Each one an electrical fuzz spell... All of which are set up such that they flash and strobe in random and erratic patterns around the Beholder's eye.

If it doesn't outright drive the creature into an epileptic seizure, it'll at least distract it with a blinding light show...!
Erufu
Mac Anu - Sewers

Things seem to be going pretty well, she's putting all the weight she has into it. If there was a time for her to go all out now is such a time. She feels something off with the air and she can't quite place it. Then she does it's the mirror wait what's going on even with the power that everyone is pushing against it? Something else comes from the mirror hands are grabbing at her and are trying to pull her in. She cries out in warning, trying to get loose. She thankfully avoids getting pulled in. She stares in horror at what's on the other side so many goblins there are so many goblins that she feels a rush of fear.

Then comes the Beholder and the elf is force to get on the move again she'll open fire on the Beholder with an arrow and keep moving. She now knows what's going on the Goblins are coming through the bloody mirror, or so zhe thinks.
Amalthea
Mac Anu - Sewers

    This isn't working.
    This isn't working at all. Between things trying to grab her and her weapon integrity dropping precipitously, Amalthea scowls as she is forced to give up on her attempt and return to the battle at ha-
    What is that in the mirror?
    No seriously, she's forced to pause for a beat to stare at the vast, spheroid, towering shape on the other side.
    The problem comes when the eye-beasts unleash their deadly destructive rays once again.
    Forced to leap away from the mirror, tumbling aside with her sword back in her teeth as she lunges for the Beholder with a spinning slash that she aims for that damned eye, sword glowing to life with white holy light as she clenches it in her teeth.
Syx
Mac Anu - Sewers

Now Syx can see something crazy going on near the mirror. But it's too far away for him to do much to help them out. So instead of keeps his focus on the Observer he's been battling with. He pushes through and rolls, flames building around him as he rolls, dodging the disintegration beam that lances for him.

Keeping the flames going, he wheels around, using his speed to keep up with the Observer as he comes around the side. He knows the thing can see him no matter which direction he comes from, but that's what he's going for.

He leaps up, swinging a fist wreathed in flame at one of the eye stalks, to punch it with an extended haymaker. Then he follows up as he drops past the Observer with a backflipping kick, still covered in flames.

He wishes he was livestreaming this, that move would have gotten him a ton of subs.
Miyako
Mac Anu - Sewers

    "That's.... That's a LOOOOOT of goblins," Miyako says, staring at the scene in the mirror. It really is a whole freaking lot of the bloody nuisances. And she's barely managed to get up, her naginata held in her only remaining hand. Darkness gathers in a sphere at the tip's blade, the spell so familiar by now she can sometimes cast it without rune-scribbling.

    "Now, I just have to say,"

    And staring at the mirror she fails to get out of the way in time, as the disintegration ray takes her leg off.

    "Glark!" Wait, no, that wasn't what I wanted to say!

    Down she goes, fallen over and rolling desperately away, the sphere of darkness loosed wildly at the nearest target - the same Observer she sliced a moment ago.
Mizuki
Mac Anu - Sewers


    This is going... okay?

    And then they see it: With a direct connection between brain and mouth, Mizuki blurts out: "The Mirror is a portal to the GOBLIN DIMENSION?! ...Goblins are from another dimension?! Are they ALIENS in this setting? ...Wait, do monsters really come from the moon after all?!"

    She glances from the mirror to the monsters here with them, and breathes, "Maybe they DO have Dragonmech too..."

    But then the monsters are ready to attack again, and Mizuki has to watch out for any stalks looking her way and dodge disintigration beams! She races across the floor on all fours, trying to get behind the observer she just attacked again before hurling kunai at it, trying to hit the glowing red 'wounds' her previous attack left!
Liminality
Mac Anu - Sewers

Rama jumps and gets onto the Beholder, biting down and holding on for dear life! The magical ice that eminates from its jaw rippling through the Disintegration Stalk and starts to freeze it in place. A pale blue color overcoming the stalk!

Merek attempts to start solving his Enigma Piece, with Kotono protecting him - just barely getting to an observer in time and kicking one of its stalks - forcing the Disintegration Ray to just barely miss the man! And he's not the only one messing with things at the moment. Arianne begins to work away the ground beneath the Mirror. A glow infusing onto the ground, and slowly 'melting' it away. The tile breaking, and the earth beneath starting to give way. The cracking of the ground obvious as she digs an angle beneath the mirror, starting to wear away at its stable surface, and slowly turning it forward...

Causing the mirror to start and list over. Grinding, the smell of heated metal flowing into the chamber thanks to the intense scraping of the metal on the ground. But Arianne will notice that it's a lot harder to do when there's things pressing on the surface. The interface constantly needing adjustments, and she's just not making them fast enough.

The Goblin Slayer, no doubt upset that these are not the Goblins he was expecting or promised, lets out a grunt of a sound at seeing the quantity of Goblins on the mirror's other side. He instead takes a leap and throws his blade towards the side of one of the Observers, stabbing into its side and causing it to list, before taking out a small handaxe he had in his belt. A blast of fire stops another stalk from hitting the Goblin Slayer, thanks to Rizadoman, before that Axe chops into its body!

Dowafu continues to blast things with his Stone Blast, now that he can use magic again. Blasting the Beholder while things are getting fired at it. The sudden flash of light blinding the Beholder, causing it to close its massive eyelid. The continuous strobing lights forcing its attacks to get almost random in nature! Blasting its stalk-attacks around at random. Only for Goldenblade to finally recover from the damage she took and jump in, finally /shattering/ the icicled Disintegration Ray stalk that Rama was keeping frozen.

A loud shattering sound rippling through the area, warning people of this feat. Followed by another arrow stabbing it in the back, causing the Beholder to /almost/ touch the ground as some of its power leaves it. The holy power of Amalthea's then finally and truly forcing it to the ground, causing it to momentarily 'bounce' a bit off of the surface, a searing red line left through its body at the end of her cut!

Black fleck begin to lift from Merek's location. Orbs rising, as the Beholder suddenly halts. Its big eye staring at him...

Before its stalks suddenly point outwards at the other two Observers, while Syx is jumping about near one of them. A fierce haymaker along one of the stalks ripping it off of its body, before their backflip kick pushes the Observer a bit up into the air!

Miyako's dark sphere blasts against the other Observer, momentarily blinding it and surrounding it in darkness that slowly eats away at its health! Mizuki landing just as the darkness fades, and carves into the red damage zones, ripping off another stalk off of the creature...

And jumps off just in time as the Beholder suddenly loosens its stalk attacks upon the Observers! Those who are sensitive to the Law of Alba can feel this sense of the Law being Broken by whatever Merek just did. But it works out in their favor right now, as the Beholder continues attacking the Observers, tearing into their health. It doens't have its Disintegration ray anymore. But the high level monster is clearly powerful enough to not just damage them, but finish them off thanks to the damage the Observer teams had done, leaving just the Beholder remaining...

And that damned mirror...
Arianne
Mac Anu - Sewers

There is no swearing from Arianne. She's not even paying attention to the battle, now, trusting others to shield her as she keeps working with Camelot's Interface; her fingers dance through the air, as she manipulates a three-dimensional overlay and slider set that only she can see, constantly tweaking and adjusting; slowly getting used to manipulating terrain against the wishes of things already on it; just pushing up against the mirror isn't the way she needs to do it, she realizes. She needs to bring it up only after it's started sliding/tipping forward to keep it from settling back into place. Physics is her ally, here, and she just needs to leverage them properly.

And so she keeps trusting in her allies to cover her back (since she hasn't taken more damage) and maintains focus, twisting and nudging settings as she keeps trying to seal the 'gate' in the quickest way she can.
Goldenblade
Mac Anu - Sewers

Goldenblade notices Arianne's use of Camelot's interface and recognizes the effect immediately. And for good reason, she's had a lot of use for it, herself, recently, and she's quite good at it. A few quick gestures, one handed since her other arm is off, and the effect Arianne's trying to achieve starts to happen more quickly. She's backed off from the fight for a moment, the visor across her vision as she attempts to seal in the gate. "I didn't think of this," she admits to Arianne, "I saw the monster, but didn't take in the whole picture." But with the stone flowing more quickly now, hopefully we can get this done!
Amalthea
Mac Anu - Sewers

    No sooner than the Beholder hits the ground, Amalthea spits her sword aside--
    And raises her shield.
    And starts slamming it. Down, smashing, battering, wielding her shield like a cudgel, she stands atop the Beholder and just starts heatedly laying into it.
    "This is for my arm, you visene-deficient, abberant, -freak-!"
Mikage
Mac Anu - Sewers

In moments like this, Mikage certainly has a feeling as if she doesn't understand something important. But, she also isn't the sort of person to dwell on it when there is still a potential enemy to be dealt with.

There is a moment of surprise when Merek somehow manages to cause the enemies to turn against each other. It causes her to stare briefly in his direction before blowing a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "Rama, retreat before you get caught in the cross-fire!" She calls, allowing the little feline to drop back while the monsters are distracted with each other.

Taking a breath, she channels her own elemental magic into the next arrow, creating a storm effect around it as she draws it back. "Alright, let's do this." Releasing the arrow, it impacts with the force of a Tsunami, wind and water battering the monster.

If nothing else, this is what the Ranger is good at. Killing things.
Rizadoman
Mac Anu - Sewers


     Rizadoman was expecting to have to dodge another beam of death or mark of chaos, or even just a turn everything to ash ray, however none of it ever came so here he was wobbly and only one poor monster to behold his rage. So he charged the beholder and let out a roar that obviously embraces his monster heritage before the lizardman stabs into the beholder with his claws and raking at flesh.
Proteus
Mac Anu - Sewers

This is a problem. There's no real... moving parts. No resources. Nothing Proteus can use to try to gain leverage. This is something that the Imp simply can't seem to do anything about. The others bail from the mirror, and Proteus can't blame them, especially when she feels it grip at her. "No... It's trying to..." She leaps away, her fingers quickly sketching another ability activation: ^ S O

A whirlwind launches her across the room away from the mirror, breaking free of the event horizon as Arianne and Goldenblade work together to do, well, the thing she was trying to accomplish, and she looks back at the mirror as they begin working with it. She sees the vision through the mirror, and her eyes narrow. The Goblins are a problem, but... Looking past the creatures, the sight of that tower beyond... The half-buried thing jutting out, the technological, massive object... "... The weapon." She says. "That's the weapon being stored within it, intended for the End of Days. But what /is/ it? Stay out of it! We don't have the forces to push back against that level of opposition yet!"

As much as Proteus wants to put her hands on the thing and do Proteus Things at it, that's just suicide at the moment. There's far too much in there to survive for long. Instead, she turns towards the Beholder. "Put a hole in me, will you...? Initiate the first alignment." She mutters, and she thumbs a latch on the flail, the staff form popping loose as she reshapes the weapon into a gleaming brass recurve bow, attaching the 'flail head' at nock. It pops open, revealing a focusing lens as she raises the puzzle-bow and levels it at the Beholder. "I've chosen the proper solution for something like you." There is a click as Proteus activates the weapon, and runes gleam around the assembly.

                                  + ) ! .                                  

The weapon surges with Light magic as Proteus channels the power through the weapon, the core radiant gold. "KALEIDOSCOPE... BANISH!" She cries... And releases the shot.

The bow fires, a bolt of light launching outwards that shatters into a bombardment of radiant multicolored beams that crash down upon the Beholder, shredding into it.
Merek
Mac Anu - Sewers

    Merek looks to the Beholder which he set upon the observers, nodding a bit that people are safe, then he takes a look to the Mirror. He could walk into it, to learn mysteries. Though then, he will remember what he was taught. 'Don't make people that worried about you.' He nods a bit, "Thank you," then while all of them will team up onto the enemy, he will begin to walk up to the mirror, though instead he will lift up with a hand.
    "I call upon the power within Yamato, to draw a shield, to protect us from that which is beyond." He then lifts up with that hand a little further, while rocks begin to form in a master spell cast, the shield sliding up the front of that image while it begins to form a protective shield. "Sealing Gaia!" The sigils begin to appear, "That will only buy us a little time."
Erufu
Mac Anu - Sewers

She now gets why the mirror was locked away, she's got a very good idea of why it's locked away. She will trust in those far more skilled to deal with the Mirror. she can do more good, going after the Beholder. Seeing what it did, makes her grin. Mezzing the enemy was always a good call but she's not sure who did it. She'll see Proteus is settiung up somthing and a damn fool idea gets into her head. Out comes her dagger as she zipz in intening to drive into the beholder's primary eye before she back flips away from it to get clear of her comrade's attacks..
Prophylaxis
Mac Anu - Sewers

Once again, Merek does... /something/ to mess with the monster. This time, the Beholder is compelled to fire upon its fellows, thereby freeing many of the others up to take care of the mirror. That mirror-- there's something within it. Something that Proteus identifies as a weapon. Perhaps even /the/ weapon. If someone were to jump across that gulf of space and time, maybe they would be able to... Learn something? Learn what? It'd be a one way trip either way. Prophylaxis' jaw sets. His attention fixes on a certain item he's kept in his inventory since the incident at Eas, but...

No. Not worth the risk. What would he even be able to learn before being torn apart by goblins? /If/ the fragment would even work up there.

And besides-- /how/ many of them are missing body parts? They need the doctor more than they need the explorer. Prophylaxis turns toward the Beholder as the party's onslaught tears through what's left of its hit points. For now...

For now, he will just bide his time, rest his still-struggling MP bar, and pick off the straggling adds that haven't quite been obliterated by their treacherous leader.
Syx
Mac Anu - Sewers

Now Syx has no idea what the hell is going on over there. He's too focused on fighting the Observer. Which is why he's surprised when he looks over at the Beholder and it's suddenly attacking the same thing as Syx.

"Yo what the fuck!?" He yells, flipping away in time to avoid being hit by the Beholder as it in turn kills the Observer, "Hey you kill stealing fucktard! That was mine!"

Now Syx is pissed, and he takes a second to pop his neck, before rushing at the Beholder. He doesn't jump this time, no. Instead he twists as he approaches, and launches a massively powerful kick, getting full extension on the kick, essentially trying to split the Beholder in half with the force of the kick.
Mizuki
Mac Anu - Sewers


    The idea of running into the mirror for self-sacrificial recon doesn't occur to Mizuki; She simply doesn't assume dying on another world would lead to respawning, having forgotten that someone else already did that months ago, and also, she has a healthy fear of death and there's something extra creepy about the idea of being torn apart by a horde of monsters compared to something more instant.

    Mizuki keeps her distance, expecting an attack from the Observer... when suddenly it's taken out by the Beholder?! She looks over at the Eye Tyrant and sees it... fighting on their side now? "Did someone... monster-tame it or something?!" Apparently not, as it gets dogpiled by many of her fellow raid members and its HP reduced to 0.

    She could throw an attack it it just for the chance to look cool, but that's not how the Well-Tuned Murder Engine rolls. Gotta hold onto any available resources in case of sudden attack. Didn't the weird vision guy say there were reinforcements on the way?! Mizuki looks around for any other doors into the room before realizing he was obviously talking about the goblins.

    Yeah, okay, if THOSE break through she definitely would regret having wasted any MP! She runs over to the mirror, careful to stand off to the side and not TOO close, though. "How do we close it?!" She looks between Goldenblade and Arianne. "What is she doing...?"
Liminality
Mac Anu - Sewers

Arianne and Goldenblade begin to work together on the Camelot Interface. And the moment they do, they may notice that their interfaces are... interconnected. When Arianne moves a slider, Goldenblade sees it move immediately on their side, and vice-versa. Notably however, they also start getting strange freaky 'artifacts' on their view. A small window popping up of another Camelot session, indicating sliders moving haphazardly far to the NorthEast. Though it's entirely grayed out. Either... they are not in range, or don't have the ability to interact with that session.

Amalthea goes to task on the Beholder. With it low enough to the ground now, her first shield slam pushes it down into the ground and causes it to leave a green acid smear on the ground. Rizadoman coming in from behind it, pushing it back into Amalthea's shield while ripping into its backside. One of his claws raking so fiercely, he eradicates another one of its stalks before it can get out of the state that Merek had forced upon it!

Mikage and Proteus take aim at the same time at the listing Beholder. Storm magic, empowered by the Relic within Mikage's bow. And Proteus, using her own magic to empower the bow she's wielding. A flurry of light eminating from both sides. The howling wind around Mikage wearing at the ground as she draws on the string, while Proteus' light flits - some of it bending towards the mirror itself, creating a strange illusion of split light.

The Beholder looks like it's about to pull away, only for Erufu to dive onto its center eye, stabbing into it and causing it to close its lid in anguish, before getting off just in time... and it gets /cored/ from two sides. The light coming from one side, splashing into multiple colors - while Mikage's powerful howling winds and storm starts to create a vacuum powerful enough to rip the Beholder apart from within. And as the blows connect from either side and envelop, Proteus' Light power further gets absorbed into Mikage's winds, causing the magic to almost go out of control...

Right as Syx comes down upon it with a massive drop-kick, which SPLATTERs the Beholder's parts every which way from the force of the combined magical and physical forces excerted upon the monster from all sides!

Stone begins to form as Merek tries to put a stone Iris on the Legally Not A Stargate(tm).

The enormous mirror begins to list... slowly looming and leaning forward.

<< IMMORTAL OBJECT >>

<< IMMORTAL OBJECT >>

<< IMMORTAL OBJECT >>

<< IMMORTAL OBJECT >>

And CRASHES down onto the floor, mirror side down! Closing the event horizon from beign seen, and possibly(?) closing the gate. It is impossible to see the effect of this move on the mirror, but by all logic, this should stop the wave of Goblins from getting through. They could barely move it. How are some Goblins with no leverage and maybe half an inch of leeway going to do so?
Kotono
Mac Anu - Sewers

Things are taken care of... for now anyway. There's always more goblins to take care of. And Kotono will be ready.

And better armed too!
Arianne
Mac Anu - Sewers

The fact that their Interfaces have linked up makes Arianne start to wonder... and the fact that there's another session to the northeast makes her wonder /more/. Still, they get the mirror toppling with a satisfying crash, and the others have dealt with the Beholder and Observers while she was focused on her work. So she gives a stretch, popping her joints, and then looks over to Goldenblade. "Thanks. And... hey. I want to try something. Repeat after me, and then let's try saying this in sync; Erra lhasya rre ganna yeal ganna." She gives the words the cadence of a chant, even as she tries to figure out where that other session is; she can only imagine the kinds of things they could get done with three of these Interfaces working together...
Rizadoman
Mac Anu - Sewers


    Rizadoman lets out a sigh of relief as the beholder falls and turns ready to fight the wave of goblins, right before the mirror is tipped. " Oh thank the Nagas." It is all he can say as he looks at the mirror as he feels exhausted and turns to look at his missing tail making a sad lizard whimper before he looks back at the others. " So then obviously this was the source of goblins, does this mean that the great hoard of goblins in the sewers is done for ? "
Goldenblade
Mac Anu - Sewers

Goldenblade hrms to Arianne, having wondered the same thing. A smooth layer of earth slowly rolls over the back of the mirror, sealing it in from being flipped over, or even seen ince she finishes smoothing the floor. It's like it's not there, or as much like that as she can make it. When Arianne starts speaking gibberish to her, though, she huhs, and asks, "You been drinking?" The words make no sense, though she did sense the other Camelot Interface session, farther away. "They seem to automatically sync up when close. I guess it doesn't happen when they're farther away. We could do some experiments to find out how close they need to be to link up?"
Merek
Mac Anu - Sewers

    Merek looks to the people speaking that language, and notices Arianne and Goldenblade. While he thinks about it, he offers a word to them as well, it's all he knows, making the sound which he practiced quite a bit. "Enne," towards whatever it is they're speaking to, and waiting to see if that does anything in addition. He takes the scroll with him while he will begin writing the phrase mentioned as well. "What's syncing up?" he asks, "What are we doing."
Liminality
Mac Anu - Sewers

As Merek speaks the word Enne... there appears to be a soft glow from one of the corners of the mirror somewhere. But it's hard to tell, it's turned on its face.
Prophylaxis
Mac Anu - Sewers

Prophylaxis quirks his brow at the strange glow. The word... Lit something up? "Does that do that often?" Prophylaxis asks, gesturing at the mirror. "Things lighting up when you say 'Enne' that is."
Erufu
Mac Anu - Sewers

The Camelot interface is put to use not that the Pooka notices in the middle of the fifth she notices what happens to the Beholder though as she does score a hit on its eye. She leaps away just in time as it's dual cored and that's that. That is the end of the monster whose name must not be spoken. She'll rise up. Checks herself over, she's got all her limbs. She got off lightly today and she'll move to help her companions s potion will be handed out and she looks as Arianne speaks in a tongue she does not know but it sounds very pretty and it catches her attention...
Merek
Mac Anu - Sewers

    "Yes, it does that on the Chaos Gates too, it's Alv," Merek mentions, to anyone not knowing. The man seems to think about it, while he speaks along to the mirror, and repeats something from an old song that he remembers. "Wee yea ra enne ar fee ar dor ar ciel." He puts his all into it. It's all that he recalls that was an exact match to Enne.
Arianne
Mac Anu - Sewers

"... Did you close your interface? It's... Alv, apparently. And that phrase makes it react. I was curious as to whether or not the reaction was stronger with multiple, linked interfaces. If we could find a way to make them more potent, we could potentially do more and greater works with them." The gnome spreads her hands, indicating what they managed to do with two of them working together, compared to one. And with a third off in the distance to be looked into and potentially recruited... Well. "Look at it, and try the phrase. You should see the reaction."

"... and we have access to a menu option called the Camelot Interface. It's a construction and weak terraforming tool."
Miyako
Mac Anu - Sewers

    With two limbs temporarily missing, Miyako - out of the fight - has crawled behind cover and sits there, downing a healing potion and hoping that her arm and leg grow back soon.

    Camelot Interface, hmm? "Why did no one mention this to me before...."
Goldenblade
Mac Anu - Sewers

Goldenblade listens to Arianne, hrms. She nods slowly, not that she has any idea what Alv is. She /does/ say to Arianne, "We could experimemt by cooperating on projects, if you like? I'm a bit tied up at the moment, but I should be free soon." She nods at the reaction, and agrees, "I felt the one off in the distance, but that it wasn't linked." She will open her interface, and attempt to speak the phrase, in case it does anything?
Mizuki
Mac Anu - Sewers


    "Interface? What interface?"

    Mizuki STARES when Arianne explains. "WHAT?! HOW??" She pulls up her menu, just to see if this is a new feature she just never thought to look for. "How is... What? How does... how can there be... why??"
Prophylaxis
Mac Anu - Sewers

"Where did you learn that, exactly?" The doctor's brow creeps closer to his hairline, "I had to memorize something from a Traveller to get anywhere, and I still have no idea what any of it means."

Alvish is a strange and mysterious thing, it is.

"Also," he says, jabbing a syringe into his shoulder. "Everyone who's missing a limb-- or otherwise injured-- line up. I've got potions for days."
Mizuki
Mac Anu - Sewers


    Prophy speaks up, and Mizuki looks down at herself and shivers. She reaches into the hole and grabs her tail behind her back and shivers more.

    A moment later, she's standing in front of Prophy, trying to make sad kitty eyes. "Help." =^;.;^=
Goldenblade
Mac Anu - Sewers

Goldenblade shrugs to Proph, and says, "I've had it since the game started. I guess I learned it in character generation?" Which was certainly sufficiently confusing for Goldenblade that any detail is unrecoverable. But she'll line up for heals. Her arm's off, and that stings a bit.
Merek
Mac Anu - Sewers

    Merek looks then to Prophylaxis, while he thinks about it. "Ancient tablets, cross-referencing with the songs found in ancient languages that Landers sing and a Chaos Gate used to interface cryptography. Trial and error, I am with the Cult of the Lost. We found it while researching scripture." The man nods a bit,"I know two actually new songs from exploration. At least one with a specific ability. In fact, when it comes up, I've always found it comes with any technology we find."
Prophylaxis
Mac Anu - Sewers

Prophylaxis' eyes gleam ominously. He only has one hand-- how does he hold so many syringes? How does he loom so large when he is but one man, one doctor, with so many syringes.....!?

Mizuki is the first to receive the Healenating. There will be others.

"I see... So there /is/ a connection there. I suppose I'll have to do some more digging. Thank you for the information." What was that about a cult? Eh, it'll probably be fine. Probably. "If they're linked to the operation of Alvish technology... I'd like to get the Chaos Gates up and running as soon as possible as well, so if there's anything you're able to share, I'd be appreciative. Use of the Chaos Gates would certainly help us rush to deal with any Black Waves that may propagate from our continued climb up the tower."
Arianne
Mac Anu - Sewers

"I went hunting for it pre-Apocalypse. I wanted an edge for the post-expansion housing market." The craftgnome says, simply. "No idea how to unlock it these days, though. Everything's changed." And, her tone says, she doesn't really care. Still, Arianne nods to Goldenblade. "I'd like that, I think. To cooperate. Better tools means more challenging work, and that's what I'm looking for." She sheathes her katana, finally...

...and steps up for healing; she does have a great big hole in her gut, after all, that's going to make it challenging to eat or handle heavy breathing. Like if she'll need to run.
Miyako
Mac Anu - Sewers

    Miyako hauls herself up on the piece of rubble she was covering behind, using her naginata as a crutch as she hobbles towards the doctor. "Hmm, that reminds me... I need to check my notes about something, some names I came across while I was surveying in Shibuya... need to talk to you about that, Merek."
Rizadoman
Mac Anu - Sewers


     Rizadoman approaches Prophylaxis and attempts to make the same eyes of Mizuki, " Please sir, my tail, please fix it." It is all he can do as he again tries imitate the sad kitty noises of Mizuki. Obviously the doctor must enjoy such things else Mizuki would never have done it. He even tried to applie water magic to his eyes, and damn was it starting to sting.
Goldenblade
Mac Anu - Sewers

Goldenblade's interface is already an upgraded model, Arianne might have noticed, but she's been doing a /lot/ of construction, recently, including Yamato's first superhighway. Well, first paved road, anyhow. She smiles to Arianne, and will, after a bit of fumbling, send her a friend request, so they can get together more easily next time and figure this out.
Proteus
Mac Anu - Sewers

The mirror topples, and the monsters are slain. Most of them lived... Though Proteus couldn't help but remember the few Adventurers initially caught by surprise by the Beholder's blast. "Tch... Our enemies are stepping up their game. Their plans are getting more dangerous." She shakes her head, putting a hand over the gaping hole in her side. She steps up and gets in line for healing, her expression contemplative.
Prophylaxis
Mac Anu - Sewers

Prophylaxis just stares at Rizadoman. Just. Stares.

"Please," he says in a quiet whisper before sticking the lizardman full of needles, "Never do that again."

Beat.

"Anyway, we'd all best get ready. That demon in glasses said something about reinforcements, and I'm not sure he was /just/ talking about the mirror."