Terana growls and strikes once, twice, thrice more!
Between Terana's and Victrix's fury, the second clockwork doesn't last long. Soon, it is a pile of scrap on the floor beside its companion.
The fight didn't take long, but the noise has surely alerted anybody nearby of your presence...
"Move!" Terana commands telepathically and starts hustling down the corridor, sparing a brief second to close some of her wounds.
Valentin adds a couple of applications from his CSW wand to Terana's healing.
Terana curses, quite fluently in four languages and keeps walking. What Simon says makes sense but with foes likely alerted for battle scouting is going to take more time that its worth.
This hall extends onward, ending after forty feet in a metal bridge spanning an expanse of water. The chamber beyond is the hollow inside of a massive sphere, almost two hundred feet in diameter. The outer forty feet of the sphere is entirely filled with water. The water is in constant motion, moving in a clockwise rotation, urged along by palm-sized metal vents along the outer wall. An inner wall of clearly magical force contains the water. No solid matter obstructs vision to the device at the chamber’s center. The bridge crosses the divide, with the water somehow flowing around it, leaving it with a twenty-foot ceiling of open air.
You can see a pair of aboleths swimming within the water of this barrier. Each is surrounded by numerous mirror images. They glare at you through their three red eyes as they clutch wands in their tentacles.
At the center of the chamber, a multilayered sphere of silver metal ringed with brass spins and shifts in the air. A metallic walkway encircles the device, which floats without support in the center of the great spherical chamber housing it. Every few seconds, the bands that make up the layers of the sphere shift, revealing intricate arcane runes, as well as concentrically smaller spheres of platinum, gold, and other exotic metals lined with brass. An array of metallic and crystalline devices rests on a dais that lies at the base of the walkway.
Standing at the dais is an androgynous Azlanti in gray robes. Simon immediately recognizes this as an illusion, however. Ema's ghaele azata indicates a spot in the air behind the whirling Synchrony Device, where it can see the invisible form of the veiled master, Ochymua!
"At last, we meet face-to-face," Ochymua says through its illusory mouthpiece. "The upstart savages who have trespassed on my latest endeavor! Your kind was never anything more than an experiment gone wrong. But the time has come to restart the experiment known as humanity. With this device, I shall wreak havoc on your world and wipe the slate clean. Those who survive shall be enslaved, and this time, we will exercise far more caution and not allow you the autonomy or free will to turn against us.
"I offer you one last chance to depart and allow me to proceed uninhibited. Failure to comply will result in your annihilation."
Terana may be a paladin but she isn't stupid. She advances slowly, trying her best to look peaceable and uses her honed senses to try and locate the aboleth's real location.
Simon stops Terana from taking any more steps as he spots a hidden symbol spell at the end of the bridge, between you and the Synchrony Device.
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Simon hands Terana an extract of True Seeing to Terana as he draws Seaspike.
Looking up at Ochymua's illusory form. "You offer us a choice between slavery and a chance at true freedom. Certainly you don't expect us to take this offer, so why waste words?
We, on the other hand, offer you a better bargain. Depart this world with the rest of your kind and never come back and you can have your life."
Valentin casts True Seeing on Victrix, then attempts to cast Dispel Magic on the symbol.
"Or don't." Victrix glares and raises her aberration-killing blade. "You'd certainly make me happy."
Terana quaffs the extract without question and is thankful for the nearly full-face helm which helps conceal her grin as the aboleth appears in her view.
As Valentin successfully dispels the symbol, Ochymua lets out a psychic shriek as the algollthu prepare to fight!
Ochymua quickly attempts to dominate Victrix, but the magic circle prevents the veiled master from assuming direct control. It pulls out a scroll and activates it, briefly stopping time for itself!
The creature seems to lurch a bit as it comes out of the time stop effect. Several gruesome monsters appear around you, looming menacingly! Fortunately, Simon recognizes them as illusory menaces meant to distract you!
Meanwhile, the aboleths each cast chain lightning, the electricity leaping between all of you!
Ema was glad that the clockworks went down and was in full agreement about moving on. When they were healed up and ready they entere what Ema knew would be the end of this fight, once and for all. She would finally be able to rest one way or another when this was over with and she squared her shoulders and entered.
Ema saw the aboleths on either side, both under the effects of a mirror image spell it seemed, and heard Ochymua speak. Ema noted that Gael told her where the real Ochymua was behind the false image of an Azlanti. Ema scoffed at him as Valentin dispelled the sigil and said, "You need better minions Ochymua. They failed to kill me when they had the chance and now I will finally avenge my people., her voice was cold as Cocytus itself as she glared at him, "and now I will end you even if it kills me!"
Ema grimaced as she felt the lightning tear through her but did not let it stop her. She chanted and gestured sending a prismatic spray of colors washing over the minions to her left on the map as her eyes flashed magnifying the effect of the strength behind the spell.
Ema was ready to counter the next spell that got cast.
Her azata, meanwhile, flew down to attack the southern aboleth. As it went it drew the greatsword from it's back and slashed downwards at the monster's head.
Staggered by the force of the electric bursts, Valentin considers healing, but knows that he needs to protect the party.
He casts Communal Protection vs Evil on Ema and Victrix. "Go. There is no further need to stay close to me."
Terana throws off the lightning almost without twitching and her wounds close as she hurries forwards towards Ochymua.
Victrix lets out an enraged scream and charges, hoping to beat Terana to Ochymua. "DIBS!"
Ema's prismatic spray washes over one of the aboleths, instantly transforming it to stone! The newly created statue is swept up in the rushing waters circling the Doomsday Store's central chamber.
The arcanist's summoned ghaele misses the other aboleth. Simon dives into the water to confront that foe as well, while Terana and Victrix rush towards Ochymua.
Ochymua focuses its attention on the approaching warriors. Ema attempts to counter its magic, but she fails, and Terana disappears as the veiled master banishes her to an extradimensional maze!
Meanwhile, the other aboleth swims a few feet back from the azata and Simon and casts a spell, attempting to trap Simon in an icy prison!
Ema quickly cast a spell tagged at the spell making the nearby aboleth have so many images of himself. When she was finished she released the counter magic as her eyes flashed.
Ema's eyes flashed then and converted a spell to her reservoir.
Victrix races up to Ochymua and lunges with her blade!
Gael assumed a defensive stance as she cast a spell while avoiding giving the aboleth any openings.
It then moved in closer to the aboleth to threaten it.
"No dibs!" Terana replies, blinking out of sight and reappearing a bare moment later. She summons her divine power and hurries forwards to join in the aboleth smashing.
Ema fails to dispel the aboleth's mirror images. Simon misses with his spear thrust. Ochymua lashes out with a tentacle as Terana closes with it.
Though the paladin resists the electricity that zaps her, she still feels a lance of psychic power stab into her mind. Despite the pain, she slices deep into the veiled master's body! Victrix comes up alongside her and chops into the monster with her axe!
Hissing in pain, Ochymua flies back a few feet before unleashing a prismatic spray of its own! Unfortunately, Ema fails to counter it again!
The aboleth swims back a bit and tries to hit the ghaele with a disintegrate ray!
The Synchrony Device's rotations are gradually increasing in speed as the combat continues! "Emalliandra! There isn't much time!" Ema hears Jazaradan's voice in her head. "You must prevent the device from activating! Follow my instructions! Quickly!"
Valentin staggers under the fiery impact. He considers going on the offensive, but seeing that everyone is taking wounds he decides to move closer and channel (excluding the veiled master)
Ghael easily shrugged off the worst of the spell cast on it. Having previously moved in on it's target Gael unleashes a flurry of strikes at the aboleth in an effort to at least take out it's images if not outright kill it.
As the Azata did its best whirling dervish impression with a greatsword Ema heard her father's voice speaking to her in her mind. She knew he was right and she didn't hesitate to ask him, What do I need to do father? Please tell me quickly!
"Get to the control panel and activate the levers and dials in the order that I indicate!" Jazardan replies. Ema spots the array of metallic and crystalline devices on the dais at the base of the walkway surrounding the Synchrony Device. But she recalls the warning from Lurisian, the ascended manasuptra. Can her father really be trusted?
Ema nodded and stepped forward through a crack in reality to appear next to the control panel. She then cast a spell to create walls of force around herself to keep the aboleth at bay. Alright father, I'm ready.
Ema began to follow directions to deactivate the device.
Victrix's skin briefly turns grey as the prismatic spell hits her and tries to turn her to stone. Unfortunately for the veiled master, it's not even nearly enough to stop her.
"I SAID DIBS!" She roars and steps up to cut the aboleth to pieces with her aberration-killing sword!
Terana has been training for this her entire life and no magic is going to stop her now!
Victrix misses with her attacks, but Terana fares better, smiting Ochymua thrice! The veiled master is terribly injured, but still manages to cling to consciousness.
Meanwhile, Simon stabs the aboleth with Seaspike, wounding and sickening it. The summoned ghaele lands a hit as well as it winnows away the monster's mirror images.
Ema teleports to the control panel and wards herself as she studies it, quickly ascertaining the basic connection between the platform and the Synchrony Device. In addition to Jazradan's instructions, she sees two other options to disable the device: activating the chamber's fail-safe protocol to flood the chamber with the waters of the fluidic barrier (the Device was designed to cease functioning while in aquatic environments), or to power it down completely.
"No! Get away from there!" Ochymua shouts. It tries to cast another spell, but Ema quickly identifies as it as greater oneiric horror and shuts it down with a counterspell!
Seeing its spells having little effect, the aboleth attacks Simon with its tentacles! His magical defenses keep him safe from harm!
Terana battles on, striking Ochyma with all her divinely powered might!
Valentin creates a Wall of Stone between Ema and Ochymua so the caster can work on the device without interference.
Victrix does much the same!
The ghaele continued to tear into the aboleth before with wild abandon.
Ema, having dispelled one spell cast at her and safely blockaded in with the controls, could only trust her friends would be able to keep focused Ochymua occupied while she worked.
The ghaele slices at the aboleth while Simon stabs with Seaspike. The enchanted spear serves its purpose as each strike delivers a deep wound to the aboleth. With the final blow, the monstrous creature finally ceases its struggles, tentacles twitching as it rolls belly-up!
Meanwhile, Victrix lands another good hit against Ochymua. But it is Terana who truly shines, the paladin also fulfilling her lifelong purpose, smiting the veiled master again and again! Its psychic screams echo in your ears as Terana's glaive eviscerates it. Blood stains the metallic floor as the ancient aberration collapses. The light fades from its beady eyes as the mastermind behind all of Talmandor's Bounty's woes finally dies!
But the Synchrony Device continues to power up, despite Ema's efforts. "What are you doing?" Jazradan says in her mind. "You are not following my instructions, daughter! Do not disobey me! Do as I command!"
Ema realizes the controls Jazardan is instructing her to activate will not turn the doomsday device off, but rather will allow Jazradan to assume control of it!
"What's happening?" Terana demands, spinning around. "There must be an emergency way to turn it off!"
Valentin moves over to Ema, giving her Guidance.
With the fighting over and everyone coming over to help Ema knew she could do this. "Alright, I will try to do this one more time, if I can't turn it off normally then we'll use the failsafe." Once more Ema worked the controls in an effort to power down the device safely.
With Simon working beside Ema, they succeed in deactivating the Synchrony Device. It spinning slows before coming to a stop, the planar energies that had been building within it dissipating harmlessly.
"No! What are you doing?" Jazradan shouts furiously. The translucent form of the arcanist appears in the air beside the control panel. It is clear now that he is no mere projection as he had claimed--he is a full-on ghost, and a rather angry one at that!
"I have waited for millenia for this moment, and I will not let anybody squander it, not even my own flesh and blood! The Synchrony Device will fulfill its intended purpose--the complete and utter destruction of the algollthu menace! Stand aside or face the consequences!"
Ema was glad they had successfully shut down the machine and equally sad that her father had shown his true colors. He hadn't uploaded to the machine as he said after all but was a ghost. Ema smiled sadly as she stepped back from him and said, "I'm sorry this happened father." Ema quickly cast a spell and a floating sword appeared that lashed out at her father's ghost..
*Edit*
The Azata knew it's next enemy to fight and looked with sadness on the spectre as she attacked it without hesitation.