"How would you recommend we go about it? Perhaps a giant could smash it?"
Even at this distance, Gabe hears snipits of Samen and Abnakis's conversation. Those with keen senses can hear him muttering to himself, "What glory could there be in something so obnoxious, even if this is a fake?"
"Smashing would be a good start. Sound damage could be effective too. Find the weak point to strike, and Gem's own rigidity will lead it to destruction."
You see the pattern of the lattice structure in your mind's eye. Judging from what you know of the the outside and the type of gem, the whole thing follows a strange, almost organic pattern, like a nautilus shell. The 'veins' and tunnels will all converge at one central point, in the heart of the gem.
Your perception check reveals a figure surprisingly close to you --- you barely catch a glimpse of a reflection off one of the elenoid's facets. It is a gem creature, roughly elenoid in shape, and almost perfectly invisible. It is cautiously making its way toward your companions.
Samen's weak eyes, less deterred by the luminous gem, peruse the structure, looking for weaknesses.
"I see the weak point. It's at the center of the object. We'll need to go in one of those small holes." He points with his spectral limbs, "There, and there."
Qizzlvutz lets out a little squeak when their vision fades away. Hunkering down and listening, "Qizz is small."
Keeping her stance over the little mycos and squeezing a little with her legs. Knowing she is not much help at the moment and simply waiting for the chance to sink her axe into anything
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Turning to face in the general direction of the large, blinding object, Abnaki says "Well, let's carry on then. Shall we send the giants in first?"
"Hmm, perhaps it would be better to have them begin bashing from the outside. They're not going to be small enough to fit in the existing holes. I expect reinforcements will be coming, and they can cover us from the outside."
The assassin is starting to make its move. Please roll a full round of attacks (add sneak attack damage)
From out of nowhere, Gabe appears throwing feet, fists, and elbows at seemingly nothing. As one of the blows connects, you see a shimmer of what might be a creature.
Abnaki will hitch a ride with a giant, as he still cannot see, although he is pretending that he can.
Gabriel assault upon the unseen is wildly successful - the creature is caught off-guard. As the first blow lands, a faceted shape blinks into sight. The second blow breaks off an arm, and the creature begins screaming in pain, an awful, screeching sound.
"No! I'm special! I'm spec-"
Crack. A spinning kick by Gabriel knocks off the thing's head. It shatters, leaving a toppling body behind.
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Pulling the crumbled crystal out from his arms, Gabe mumbles, "You were special all right. But you shatter just like those bugs." Looking to the others, he sees the giants preparing to jump. Not wanting to be left behind he starts a slow jog building up speed to make his own jump. Finally reaching the edge, he leaps into the air like it's second nature.
One of the giants slips on its own bloody footprints (the skin of the soles having been shredded by the ice), and makes a poor jump.
Bellowing in pain and fear, the hill giant manages to grab on to the edge of the citrine, but its grip is beginning to slip-
Samen sighs and lets go of the last charge he was holding onto of his stunning spell. He floats over to the giant and waits for the last of his passengers to dismount. Expending mental energy, he shares his form with the endangered giant.
"Relax, you're fine now. While the others wait outside, you're coming with us."
The giant face contorts in surprise as it becomes nebulous thought-substance...
and for a moment, Qizzlvutz freefalls through the now-empty air.
The summoned eagles swoop down to save Qizzl, and deposit the myco upon the floating citrine.
Gabe sees the thrice-broken start wandering towards the opening and shake his head. He jogs a bit to get ahead of him and puts a friendly hand on his chest. Chuckling, "Patience friend. Let me see what awaits us there." Seeing that Abnaki isn't looking directly at him as he speaks, Gabe waves his hand in front of Abnaki's face. "And you can't even see? You are brave! Follow behind but not too quickly." Laughing to himself, Gabe moves into the huge crystal being as unnoticeable as he could.
"Try not to mention the blind thing too loudly. I don't know how long it will last, and we haven't established our position with these fey deeply enough that they won't turn on us if we show weakness." Abnaki sticks his feet into the ground, utilizing his earthglide to help keep him from stumbling, following behind Gabriel.
Abnaki, your eyes burn anew, seemingly inflamed by the mere proximity of the Citrine Sun.
As you trek slightly ahead of the rest, no sights or sounds reveal themselves to you.
A smell, however, tickles your nose. Smoke, iron, and lust. Any ifrit would recognize it immediately - the musk of efreeti. Julian Opal appears to have more allies than you imagined.
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Kallik feels a moment of pity for the small mushroom creature, her host, so obviously out of their element. It will be alright, little one, she send to Qizzlvutz. She wishes for a solid hand to place on the little creature's shoulder, but pushes such melancholy thoughts from her mind. We will do this together. I am here.
Wamblee addresses the giants. "Brothers in strength; remain here. Count to ten, slowly, and then use all that great strength upon this structure. Let the Gems know fear, for a change. Honor and glory!"
With that said, he walks into the false sun, guarding his allies' back.
Gabe comes back into view shaking his head. "This just got a bit more complicated. I think our warlock adversary has an efreeti on his side. I didn't see anything but I could smell it."
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"That could certainly be problematic, but it does give me an idea that could even things out."
To counter the efreeti, I would like to cast Contact Other Plane to request the aid of the salamander, Kessh-Amon.
Here's the link where we encountered him before, WAY back.
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Samen takes a deep breath and steadies himself to call out across the void for Kessh-Amon. His ties to elemental magic had waned substantially upon his apotheosis, so this is purely a mental exercise of groping in the dark. Still, a bargain had been struck, and his mind could trace the thread of that connection back through the infinite vastness of the planes to call out. Every relationship forms a connection, and like a line at sea, he pulls himself along until his mind finds his target. He may not be answered, but he would at least be heard.
Kessh-Amon! The time has come to join the fight. Not against Moon directly, but his allies in ascendancy. They have a champion, an efreet. A foe I am sure you are well versed in fighting. On behalf of the Seelie fey, I humbly request your aid to free them from the grip of this oppression.
At first, there is nothing. A sense of patient judgement, stretching across the empty expanses between worlds. An intake of breath.
One of the softskins that took revenge on behalf of my blighted offspring? Yess. Yes! My slavecraft is yours. We shall burn our enemies and hear their screams and drink their blood as it boils from their eyes! Use your ugly magicks to bring me forth, and you shall witness carnage and hate.
You hear a skitter-scatter rush of clinking legs against citrine surfaces. Your magic has been noticed, and the rush will be upon you in moments.
Seeing Samen being summoning, Gabe mentally prepares himself to push back the crystal onslaught. As he assumes his fighting stance, a thought tickles the back of his mind, What if it's more swarms? Please don't let it be swarms! His persistent shade, still tormenting him in little ways.
Moving in front od Samen and waiting for anything to be foolish enough to get close to her. Memories of prior battle and different elen to keep safe racing though her mind.
Abnaki, guided more by sheer intuition than actual senses, places his hand on Samen's shoulder. He reaches into the heart of the fey land that he's in, and wills with all his might. This world was made to bend to the whims of it's inhabitants, and he would make it bend to him. Folding time in on itself, he does some startling. For Samen only, he changes the value of time. Each second for the mage was actually more like 1.2. Time flowed faster for him.
Looking around and feeling panic start to set in. This is so much bigger than anything they were ever supposed to deal with. But everyone is doing something, helping Samen. Sucking in a much of air that slowly bubbles out. Moving to Samen and linking their minds. Hoping to share the burden. To make it easier for him to call whatever it is he is trying to bring here. Its gotta be important.
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The redcaps are coming. The sound of metal boots on darkened citrine is ominous. The gremlin-like creatures march in double-time hate, their beady eyes narrowed in glee.
The redcaps are coming. If any Fey could be consider Unseelie, 'tis they. The malicious hunger for blood is in their name, their very nature. Crimson-flecked fingertips flex, and long tongues loll and drool.
...the rubycaps are coming. Looking like huge, untended parasites, each creature has a melon-sized ruby growing out of its head. The bloated gems leak now and then, some oily fluid that is difficult to identify.
The rubycaps are here.
A lilting bit of mocking laughter as one of the stunted creatures scores a touch on you. It holds the scythe up in the air, letting a few drops of your blood fll into is mouth. It smacks its lips loudly, continuing the jesting.
The redcaps find little purchase on Wamblee's skin ; despite the screeching sounds of blades as they strike home, very little blood comes out of the rocky hide of Wamblee.
Gabe is somewhat relived that it isn't swarms of jeweled bugs advancing on them. Unfortunately that relief is short lived as a scythe draws some blood. His counterattack is swift though, leveling blows at the odd creatures both to push them back and to eliminate them.
Screaming and letting the want for blood take over. Kallikc rushes to help Gabriel. Aiming for the ruby's when the opportunity presents itself
-----
Closing their eyes and trying to drown out the noise of battle, of violent death. Samen is doing something important and they can help. They will help, prove that they are here for a reason.
----
Samen immediately feels the mental mycelium of Qizzlvutz as the mindlink meshes ; curious, but not intrusive.
Abnaki lets loose a careless story about a man who wished to do more with his days, so fulfills an entire lifetime of work in the span of a week, to die an old man before his time. He succeeds in speeding up time around Samen, as the air takes on an artificial, greasy feeling.
Alone, Qizzlvutz concentrates along with this strange mind-man. But...not alone. With Samen in mind, and with Kallik in spirit. This is not so bad. Qizzlvutz sees a bright blue moment in its mind, almost divine in beauty ; the spell sets deeply in this inspiration, ready to become reality.