Lyra took a few steps back and smiled. “Welp. My job here is done.” She glanced at the Magic User and told him, “You’re up Lannis.”
"Where are you going comet?” the wizard frowned, snapping his fingers and pointing to the western crystal. “You're part of this next part. I'm gonna need you, Atom Ant and Batmanuel over here to do the ritual.”
“Who is he talking about, Senor?” Abraxas whispered to Kovid. “I do admit occasionally mispronouncing a name, but those are no one in the party.”
Lannis continued, “I'll teach it to you, we all hold our weapons and we recite it around the evil gem first. Gambit can sit on the throne if he wants I guess. What Nightcrawler does with his time is really none of my business."
“Once again, Monsieur, only you are amusing to you.” Wyn moved up onto the dais and checked the throne’s seat briefly before sitting down.
“Spare me the speechifying Remmy.”
“Hope you’re right about this, Big Brain,” Kovid grumbled, taking up position around the pedestal. “We got an escape plan ready?”
Wyn pointed to the secret door, currently open. “Don’t wait. We all run trew if’n dis don’t work.”
“Will do,” the dwarf lifted the Ram’s Horn in his free hand. “Let me know if you want me to use the horn. I can be the last through.”
Lyra was looking over the gem, mouth turned down as she was able to see its presence heavily tinged with evil influences. “Who knows - maybe dismantling this will do something to alarm the others outside and they’ll come in here to inspect anyway. Might be a win win. I say let’s go for it.”
“Regarding the horn,” Brendon offered standing at the ready between the throne and the secret passage, “After this gem thing is done and if.... if no one knows we’ve done anything, maybe we shouldn’t blow the horn.”
“Why not?” Kovid asked.
“If they come in and see what we’ve done they will pull all their critters to the vault. And THAT might be more than we can handle.”
“Hey, Captain Sparrow, one problem at a time, ok?” Lannis pointed at the zombie snake still staring at the main door. “You are on serpent duty. Stay alert.”
Feeling pretty good about the entire thing, Abraxas smiled around the pedestal, grinning broadly. "Let's take down these gems, eh amigos?"
Wyn glanced down at the base of the throne and the wooden toggle had raised out of the base of the left leg again. Nodding to himself, he looked out over the entire room and then took a deep breath. “H’okay mes amis. Time to say au revoir to de evil gem. Offop, how we do dis?”
Lannis had everyone take out their found weapons: Lyra’s Lolthian Flail, Abraxas’ Morrigaan Scythe, Kovid’s Theystran Warhammer, and his own Ishtarian Rod. In his free hand he had a piece of paper that he held in front of him ready to read. “This is the prayer from the Ishtari Crate that THAT,” he pointed to the eastern gem, “crystal had once sat in. There is a specific wording and most likely intonation and prayer involved. Now the dragon didn’t have that for his gem, but with all the Goddess Weapons here I figured we’re well set to DEACTIVATING this crystal first. So we’ll go around, I’ll do the main narration, and each of you on YOUR goddess’s parts will lean in and touch the Crystal with the weapon and recite the line there.”
“Ok, we can do this.” “Sounds great Big Brain.” “Sounds Bueno para mi!”
“Alright then, No fucking around,” Lannis gave the other three a deep stare. “I’m not getting my nipples blown off because you think it would be funny to ad-lib a line or two.” Getting only nods in return he cleared his throat. “Remember, lean in, touch the gem with your weapon, hold it there when you talk, the move to the next person.”
“We’re good, Lannis.” Lyra assured him. “Get it started.”
“Ahem.” Lannis looked up at the Crystal and then began. “The Sun Rises in the Dawnlands. It is our charge to keep the Darkness at bay.”
He handed the paper to Abraxas who took it and placed his Scythe against the Crystal. “By the Bounty of the Princess of Grain do we feed the hungry warriors.”
Kovid took it next, hammer touching the gem. “By the Brilliance of the Moon Goddess do we illuminate the shrouding dark.”
Lyra was next, Flail against the crystal, “By the Children on the Queen of Monsters do we fight the devouring hordes.”
“This is so fucking exciting,” Brendon whispered, Wyn nodding, mouthing the words as well from the throne.
Lannis took the page back and touched the Rod to the prismatic gem. “By the Love of the Wanting Mother do we balance the weave of magic.” He leaned back and let his voice deepen, calling upon the end part of the ritual to add gravitas to his words. “The balancing power of the four watch over the elven nation and protect its people from harm. The Dawnlands in return promise to ever hold the hordes of Jector in the Dark. May the Eye of Ishtari make real the will of the prism crowned when the jeweled Light’s shine is needed most.”
And then they all stepped back.
And nothing had changed. The two gems continued to work at odds with one another, running up and down the rainbow scale in opposite oscillations. “I…I don’t get it.” Lannis muttered.
“Great job, Big Brain,” Kovid frowned.
“Hey! It’s not my fault you three morons can’t follow directions. One of you must have fucked up.”
(Wis checks: Abraxas (happened at his turn) Blue 12 – failed. Lyra (present at time of ritual, highest wisdom) Half Wis check White 17 – failed. Wyn (highest point in the room, watching the ritual) Half Wis check Orange 4 – Success! I can give a little hint.)
“Monsieurs,” Wyn interrupted. “I tink dat sometin happened when Abraxas did his part, but it didn’t happen when anyone else did dere part.”
“So I did it correcto?” Abraxas asked beaming.
“P’rhaps.”
“What did you see?” Lyra asked.
“Well, it was very exciting to see and even Monsieur Du Lac agreed wit me.”
“I did!” Brendon said.
“And I TOUGHT dat when Abraxas did ‘is part dat it was working. Whe he leaned forward, I saw dat the rainbow light reached out from de gem a little bit, lookin’ like it was gonna reach around him and maybe give him a hug, little tendrils of lights as such.”
“Did it react to his weapon?” the Cleric asked.
“No, de light didn’t seem to care about de weapons, but it did care only when Abraxas got real close to it, like it was tryin’ ta reach around de fighter for some reason. Din’t happen for anyone else in de room.”
“Why didn’t the Goddess weapons work then?” Kovid asked.
“Because Ator the useless gargoyle and Moira the useless medusa didn’t know what the fuck they were talking about.” Lannis groused.
“I don’t know.” Wyn shrugged. “But dey were talkin ‘bout de goddess weapons for the Ishtari Gem de Ispan put up. Not de Corfard gem you was all dewin.”
Lannis nodded his head slowly. “And Corfard wouldn’t have access to the elven priests or their weapons when he established this gem.”
“So, what is it that’s special about Abraxas to make the Corfard gem react and no one else?”
“I was made blind before. And I did talk to Cardboard in my capeza. Maybe that is why?”
Time now is Day 7, 9:25 AM
(OOC)
Not quite what was needed for this, Lannis. What’s the group’s thoughts?
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