As Citrine continues to babble on about several things, lost in her own thoughts, two figures emerge from the doorway behind you all. One shares the features of the other Gem-ini, wrapped in purple cloth and carrying a large sword. The other is a hulking mass of muscle, large cloven hooves clomp against the ground echoing loudly within the chamber. The creature possesses the body of a man and the head of a bull. Its nostrils flare up as it catches your scents and locks eyes with the group. It moves into a stance, ready to charge before the woman stops him, resting her hand on his arm.

"Easy, Taurus, these are not are our enemies and that one, well, I believe he's learned his lesson." She says, gesturing to Kai, the Bull-man stands straight but his form remains taunt, ready should the party attempt anything. The woman then turns her attention to the still babbling Citrine.

"Sister, I'm afraid now is not the time for your stories nor our trials." The yellow head pauses, her single eye growing wide at the sight of the new arrivals.

"Taurus! Amethyst! Your out of your room! Oh that is-"

"The intruders have torn a portal through to the inner chamber." The purple one,Amethyst, says. She pauses for a moment, but Citrine sits quietly by the orb, a look of shock over her face. Amethyst continues.

"We are out of time, I need the Champions to come with me now. Open the backdoor to the Pools. We need to move quickly."
"I- Okay, sister." Citrine replies quietly, she closes her eye and with an intense look of concentration, her dismembered arm crawls its way to the levers. With surprising speed it pulls and twist the levers, the ground shaking violently as the image of Pisces is cleared away, this time replaced with the eerie image of a moon, shrouded in fog that seems to beckon you.

The purple woman then walks to Kai, pressing her blade against his throat.
"Sit and stay. Once this is all over our Lady will decide what to do with you. Citrine, make sure he doesn't leave this place." Kai nods fearfully at her. She doesn't wait for an answer from Citrine, as she and the the bull-man begin to usher the group toward the door.

"We must hurry, prepare yourselves if you must, but do it swiftly. I'll meet you all on the other side." With the woman disappears through the doorway. Taurus staying behind group, looking agitated, tail flickering as he waits for you all to move.

Lari watches in fascination as the arms do their work. "How do they get the leverage?" Lari wonders aloud.

After the woman disappears, he turns toward the bull man and gapes for a moment, thinking. He stirs himself and asks, "Is there no time or safe place for us to rest? Some of the group is quite hurt."

Taurus grunts, eyeing the group, before reaching down into a pouch on his side. He produces four vials of a dark green substance handing one to each of you. He pulls out his own, drinking it down. The potion takes effect quickly, healing the creatures wounds and wiping away all traces of weakness in his form, imbuing him with strength. He then gesture for you all to drink yours.

Ivellios gladly drinking his vial and proceeds to follow the woman. "Let us hurry then!"

Byg’wigg also happily chugs his drink and feels invigorated!

[OOC: I totally missed us leveling up. Lari will now be a bladesinger! What is our xp at? Also, how are you handling spell cost, Shy? Like for identify.] (EDIT: I just saw the PMs.)

Lari throws back his potion then smiles as his various wounds close and his head clears. He pulls out his spell book and hurriedly flips through the pages.

*glug, glug, glug* "Aaaaaah. That hits the spot. Let's do this."

You all enter into the door and for a moment you are weightless, it feels as thought you are falling, but it is the span of a second your feet touch the ground again. You stand in a middle of a large platform in a room of stars, the room itself is very similar to the room you all left Aries and Urso in. The platform is much larger, barren of pillars, and water bubbles up from some unknown source in the center, washing over your feet. An endless night sky stretches before you, and in the distance you see similar platforms like the one you stand on. Water rushing off the sides creating endless water falls that flow into the black abyss beneath you, and finally an enormous, pale white moon hangs in the sky above you, shrouded with an eerie fog.  

You currently are standing next a large, black, ornate coffin. It is much bigger than any humanoid creature would use and is decorated with gold trimmings, and swirling patterns that seem to form the images of several flowers carved into the dark wood.

Another look around a large set of stairs at the opposite edge of the platform from where you are currently standing, and several hooded figures are currently making their way up.

Amethyst stands in the center of the platform, sword drawn and ready. Taurus comes to stand beside her, fists raised.

"Halt. You intrude upon our Lady's private chamber. The Priestess known as Orianna, I hold you accountable for the destruction of our home and I charge you with the deaths our friends and loyal companions: Ursal, Guardian of the Sands; Sagritus, The Moon's Guide; and Topaz, Guardian of the Halls and my beloved sister. With overwhelming evidence, I find you guilty, and I sentence you to death."

Amethyst says to the blue-cloaked figure as they reach the top of the stairs. Orianna, now revealed, throws back her hood revealing the face of an elvish woman with sharp features, blue tinted skin, and white hair.  Her face is cool and composed in the face of the two guardians.

"Another set." She sniffs, looking at the two with disdain. "I shall make quick work of you." Her attention is then drawn to the four of you standing in the back.

"And you've brought friends too, pity it won't make a difference, you all shall die like the rest. Then I shall purify this place, and gift it to my Prince. Then he shall look on me, acknowledge my work; my  loyalty to him and I shall be Ascended." A look of reverence washes over her face as she looks to the sky above. With a snap of her fingers the other cultist draw their weapons.

Everyone it's time to roll Initiative.

OOC: For convenience: You all are currently at one end of a platform and the cultist are at the opposite end, having just climbed the stairs up to said platform. Amethyst and Taurus in front of you at the center of the room. The platform is about 60ft wide all around.

Currently you can only see 4 of the cultists and the High Priestess Orianna.

“Pleases. Byg’wigg be the one making quick works of you. You be standing before greatest of great one. Byg’wigg be giving you chance to be kneeling for yous rudeness.”

Initiative: 20

Initiative: 7

"You have no right to this place, defilers!" Initiative 9

"A monologue?" Lari sighs and shakes his head as he drops his pack to the floor, rolls his shoulders, and draws his sword. He stands ready, sword in his right hand, Amber spell focus in his left. Initiative: 21.

Scamp: Runs up his master and rests across both of his shoulders and hisses. Initiative: 12.

OOC: Once more, Lari tops Byg’wigg haha

Orianna: 12

Cultists: 13

Hooded figures: 19

Amethyst: 20

Taurus: 22

Initiative Order:

Lari (21), Taurus(21), Byg'wygg(20), Hooded figures(19), Cultists(19), Orianna(15), Scamp(12), Amethyst(12), Quintoc(9), Ivellios(7)

Lari,Taurus, and Byg'wygg are up first. You currently see Orianna and a squad of four cultists standing at the top of the stairs. There are more but they are hidden from view by the bodies of the others and the decline of the stairs.

Lari begins a sort of singing chant. He shifts his weight forward into a spin while swishing his thin blade. As he spins, he casts mage armor on himself. He completes the spin and continues to flow forward while chanting and swishing. He enters into a blade song and dances 35 feet forward. [For the next 10 rounds, Lari's AC is 19 amongst other things.]

Performance: 17

His movements are graceful. Those that don't know the Elven art of blade singing would probably think he is just showing off or trying to be a distraction... Lari hopes everyone is impressed.

Insight to see if I’m impressed: 11.

Byg’wigg is very impressed by the fanciful movements. However, Byg’wigg’s eyes begin to crackle as his maniacal laughter fills the skies. A massive, 60ft-wide, Byg’wigg face-shaped, cloud appears 100ft in the sky as Byg’wigg casts Call Lightning! “Byg’wigg gave you chance! Now you be facing Byg’wigg, the Greatestest One!” Orianna and any goons within 5ft of her must make a Dex Save for half or take 18 lightning damage as lightning fires out of the Sky Byg’wigg’s mouth. Byg’wigg will then Wild Shape into a Crag Cat while the Sky’Wigg still fires electricity.

Orianna Save: 6

Cultists Save: 14

Taurus, with a bestial roar, charges forward at Orianna, swinging both of his large fist down on her.

Attack1: 16 Damage:7

Attack2: 21 Damage:6

(Using a ki point) Taurus swings at her once more then rears back before bringing his horns down.

Attack3: 20 Damage:5

Horns: 9 Damage:9

OOC: That moment when Byg’wigg is more effective than the guardian of the Taurus constellation

Orianna shrugs off the damage caused by the lightning, deftly avoiding most of Taurus's attacks as well. The cultists' charred body fall to the ground beside her, their weak bodies unable to withstand the blast of electricity.

The two hunched over, hooded figures struggle up to the top of the stairs, pushing away the other cultists, to stand beside her. Orianna snaps her fingers and at the same time both throw off their robes, revealing the twisted forms of half-bird, half-woman creatures; Harpies. With similar cries both take to the sky above the field flying 50 feet above the center where Lari and Amethyst currently are.

At the same time two more cultist move up to the top and both make attacks against Taurus.

Attack:14 Damage:2

Attack:13 Damage:7

And finally.

Orianna drops her staff to the side. She spreads her arms wide in a grand gesture.

"I do this for My Prince, to prove myself I shall defeat you in his form!" With that her body begins to grow, her physical form seeming to disappear and scatter as a strong wind begins to fill the space. Gone is the elven woman, replaced with large form of an Air elemental. The elemental, with its remaining action make a slam attack against Taurus.

Attack:23  Damage:18

Initiative Order:

Lari (21), Taurus(21), Byg'wygg(20), Hooded figures(19), Cultists(19), Orianna(15), Scamp(12), Amethyst(12), Quintoc(9), Ivellios(7)