Cat's Rage fades and she drinks her greater healing potion.

[4d4+4=16]

Cat gains 16 HP and is now 26 HP.

Yulya lights the way though Hell-ga is already lighting the way.

Ashley rally heals her summons as you all move carefully through the tunnels.

You pass another collapsed passage possibly dug by Bulettes and follow the supercats South through well supported tunnels. One final scream emanates from the West, causing the cats to quicken their pace and follow the source of the sound.

The passages seem to be infused with tiny growths of crystals of unknown origin and type increasing the further West you go, culminating in a large chamber.

A maze of tunnels ascend from this chamber, that's not unusual, what is unusual is the construction or rather the accretion of the surfaces of this cavern. The ceiling and walls of this cavern are covered in small crystal growths the same that were scattered at first but have become entirely crystal lined with a terrifying but beautiful geode-like cave. Yulya remembers this, it was the same cavern that Ashley Panther conveyed through M3gan's mental connection. Where at the center of this was at one time the dark and mysterious black crystal, floating motionless. There in the center of the cavern is indeed that structure she remembered from the vision.



Dozens of skeletons, some beginning to become encrusted in crystals, in rusted scraps of armor, are scattered across the cavern floor. Some are dwarf skeletons, while others appear to be the remains of larger individuals. Amid them are half a dozen bandits that seem to have recently been killed, along with some recently disturbed skeletons again, un-looted. The skeletal remains of dozens of dead warriors attest to the fierceness of the fighting that took place long ago, an echo of which recently took place.

Steep escarpments lead down into this large cavern leading 15 feet down to the large lower section in the middle. Small Carved stone footholds can be used to climb up and down. The dusty remains of a large stone foundation lay in the middle section.

The glow is reminiscent of the Forge of Spells and seems to have a shaft ascending through the ceiling roughly where the Forge of Spells was above.

The remains of a large workshop is barely noticeable in the crystal covered rubble, likely damaged by some ancient battle that laid waste to the cavern. In the middle of the room is a ruined stone foundation, a throne of sorts, in which an eerie aqua light still glows, shining like a shaft of light through a hole in the ceiling.

Throne of Crystal.

What might be described as a throne in the center of the room is surrounded by small crystals of black amethyst that strangely reflect some unseen lights. It looks as if something roughly the size of a hand is missing from the center. You can easily deduce that this may be the output of the forge of spells, a place that long ago could have transferred large quantities of magic. Ashley can tell the gem she holds would have fit nicely in this place, but it has been ripped free. You can deduce this is where the heart of the mountain once laid. A flow of magic still emanates here and seems to be condensing into these crystals, perhaps hundreds of years from now, another heart will grow to replace the one taken.



[Arcana DC15 1d20+5=15]

Yulya's keen eye for the arcane, deduces that the throne is not the output but rather the source of the magic that suffuses the surrounding caverns and that fed the forge of spells and is still charged with potent energy. The socket is indeed perfectly shaped to match Ashley's Heart of the Mountain as if it grew there to fit the space. The crackling of electrical energy radiates from the throne, since the mechatherial Goddess' panther was lightning immune, it could have taken the heart without an issue. It changes as Ashley gets closer, reaching finger-like tendrals of lightning pointing to her as if it knows she has the heart and wants it back.

It's clear that this magic was directly connected to the Forge of spells, focused here through a permanent channel through time-space and was the final working head of the device. Whatever piece of the forge of spells was that was stolen must have harnessed this energy in some way, perhaps to permanently enchant magic items.

A young girl lays now motionless near the throne, dangerously close to that electrical discharge, now motionless.

[Interactions Required]

Alice gives Ashley a sour look, not even waiting for her answer.
Of course not. They're useless, and now even dangerous. Can you at least have them guard us - without paralyzing or setting us on fire if possible - while we retrieve that girl?

Alice looks around in surprise, bewildered that no further enemies are in sight
So this is it? Throne room, deepest part of the mountain? Where we were supposed to go? I bet none of those dwarves was ever even close to here. Who the hell was supposed to operate that thing? Surely no dwarf. Some Demigod perhaps or- wait, I've heard about something like that! Humans on Terra experimented with the Negative Plane and it went terribly wrong.  The rift will never close again. What idiots....

Alice snaps out of her musings with another disdainful look to the cats - from a safe distance.
Cat, I doubt this device has an Emergency Stop button to just shut it off. You gotta drag that girl out of the danger zone but be careful! I can't get close to the discharges or it'll be curtains for me!

Alice takes her 10ft pole and ties Cat's rope to one end, forming a loop that tightens when pulled - a lasso on a long stick.
Place the loop over her foot and then drag her back! Her foot not the neck, you hear? Or we'll need Yulya's resurrection magic!



Alice assists Cat but keeps a safe distance from the Throne's discharges - and Ashley's lynxes.

Alice is looking increasingly annoyed



Hey, as far as I recall YOU rushed us here because we must rescue the girls while I told you we'd be running straight into the enemy's trap. Now we're here, I tried to follow your advice and now it's the opposite? No matter what I do it's never right for you! Maybe I should throw a firebomb at her to see if it's really a girl or another scaly shapeshifter? We should never assume anyone we encounter is what he looks like!

Ah whatever!
Let Yulya-sama check the area for traps and determine where we should go!

Yulya sighs and shakes her head
Girls PLEASE we have neither time nor strength for such nonsense!
If there is no trap, enemy or danger for the girl here I agree with Ashley we should carefully advance and search the area. But we must make sure that girl is neither dying on us nor an enemy in disguise!



Yulya casts GUIDANCE on herself and searches the area for traps. If there is nothing she tries to determine from a safe distance if the girl at the throne is really human and if she is in immediate mortal danger. If necessary she directs Alice to poke her with the pole
We must be careful! It might be another illusion or a camouflaged enemy luring us into a trap!