Lost Lab of Kwalish

((I'll go ahead and undo the use of Ana's teleportation if you're good DM, since Gravity caught her.))

Ana thanked Gravity for the good catch and saving her from having to use up some power which might come in handy. But then she shook her head in disbelief as Gravity walked off after the paladin. Was she trying to get herself killed...? Did she forget what just happened an hour ago when she went off on her own without the rest of them? Even weakened, if indeed it was, the demon lord would be far too strong for them. And what would they gain from it...? Apart from its eternal enmity? 

Her feet were moving after Gravity though.

"I'll uh..." She couldn't think of anything to say so she just kept going.

((She'll try to stay hidden, especially before they go into the balor's room. Hide: 24 )) 

I think everyone is converging on the hallway where the balor is trapped at the end in a black bubble held within the mouth of a large green demon face sculpture protruding from the far wall of the hall.  The control room is to yiur left just beside the bslor, who lies apparently unconscious on the ground.  There are still muralists working diligently on the mural further near the mouth of the tomb.  Pentival is in the control room when you arrive, with his hand firmly around a big red lever.

"Pentival, you can't win the battle against Tarnhem...it's nothing but self-annihilation."

Creep attempts to discourage the half-dragon Paladin from pulling the big red lever, and moves near the black bubble to examine if the draining process is still active.

Samogri will try to move to the balor “you ok now” 

Pentival refuses.  "Evil grows where cowards live.  If I fall in battle, another will rise to take my place. If we each flee, in turn, evil walks, unopposed.  Now, balor.   Eet my blade! "

He pulls a lever he assumes, (correctly) will release the balor. Con save 7, force damage:  6.

A weakened, but conscious, Tarnhem exists the (sculpted) green devil's mouth. "Where is the shaoechanger called Phenex?" He growls.

"He met his end in the Chapel of Vecna.  Now prepare to join him in death, fittingly in this tomb of horrors."

(I know that moat of you know that outsiders generally can't die except on their native plane of existence, and I suppose that is true, but I don't consider it a widely known fact among inhabitants of the prime material plane, at least not Oerth or Faerûn. Maybe in Sigil.)

The balor takes flight as the black sphere from which he emerged, unmoors from the devil's face and begins to move down the hall, the entire concave surface collapsing into a smaller spher.  As it passes beneath him, blocking the alcove where Pentival stands at the controls, Tarnhem scoffs: "foolish paladin.  Allow me to pass without a fight and you will come to no harm.  I seek to end the madness of the creator of this tomb before my progeny grows too powerful.  Where then, is the architect of this Tomb of Annihilation?"

The muralist start losing their minds, screaming and running out the entrance to the cave as the black sphere, now 2ft in diameter heads toward them. "It's loose!" they cry.

Roll initiatives (combat may occur between the NPCs, but combat is just an option on the table for PCs.)

Tarnhem: initiative 6 persuasion 24

Pentival: initiative 15 insight 15

Waiting on initiatives. Best to state intended actions simultaneously, but if you'd rather wait, that's OK with me.  The black sphere is made pink on the map for visibility.  It moves 20ft per round.

Tetrevess initiative 16 

“Ignore that foolish paladin, we have no quarrel with you, mighty Tarnhern.  I killed Phenix.  We seek the destruction of this place and the defeat of it’s architect.”

Gravity: Initiative 4 (previous post)

Gravity will expend another charge of the Wand of Web in order to cast Web on the entrance to the alcove and restrain the half-dragon inside the alcove. Then she takes shelter inside the nearby pit and yells:

"Moghaddam is inside his office room, do you want me to show you the way to the room?"

(Where do I find the updated map? Edit: Resolved, thanks @DM)

Ah, geez. Forgot to post it here. 'D'oh!'

Squares are 10ftx10ft

Gravity may want to revise the action, due to locations and line of sight

https://www.owlbear.rodeo/game/HW2kKYQ0I

Arcana check to recognize the sphere, assuming someone helps 30. 

Initiative 18 “follow us to your weapons and revenge will be yours” Sam will start walking back to the altar room 

Initiative 18 

Quote from Tesservett >>

Arcana check to recognize the sphere, assuming someone helps 30. 

 How do any of these people help meaningfully help  perform an arcana check?

Tarnhem is receptive to Sam's suggestion. "That is a  fine suggestion," he affirms.

Heh isn’t someone an artificer?  Or take the first roll without advantage?  (Can’t see what I rolled on my phone)  That’s the problem with PBP, It’s hard to coordinate on actions.

Quote from Wile_E_Coyote >>

Quote from Tesservett >>

Arcana check to recognize the sphere, assuming someone helps 30. 

 How do any of these people help meaningfully help  perform an arcana check?

 Like any knowledge check (History, Religion, etc) I think it's a matter of helping each other remember things. So, maybe Ana who is proficient in Arcana btw, could add some pieces of the lore and Tetrevess could fill in the gaps. That's how I imagine it.

I think knowledge skills (those that in 3.5 would have been a subset of knowledge: e.g. arcana, history, religion) are more or less things you know or you don't.  

 I think advantage is a potent tool that shouldn't be totally free on every skill check.  I also can't see the first roll for Arcana, so if neither of us knows, I guess just reroll it. 

@Wile_E_Coyote, @Tesservett

(just doing this the way other groups on PBP do it,  I think the help is pretty potent in 5e) 

I can reroll.  14

Tetrevess: In response to the ripples in the weave you create with your arcane concentration, the black sphere moves another 10ft toward you, above the edge of the pit farthest from the entrance to the tomb, then slowly halts and remains there. Floating. 

<Trying not to spoil things, but also hoping you don't hate me for my ruling: >

 Genuine spoiler: