Pizazz's Myth Drannor

Simaal jumps in the hand, because obviously that's what was meant to be, and learns an important lesson. Do not fight giant hands. 10 and the second one if first one actually makes 17.

The hand grabs Simaal...closing powerfully on him... 29 bludgeoning damage.  Then the hand carries him to the window and tosses him out.  Simaal plummets down to the ground.  Behind him, Toc attempts to dodge the hand.... 8.  Toc is grabbed by the next hand, which crushes him 31 as it also carries him out the window, and tosses him away.  As he begins to fall though, it's as if he's falling through water because he plummets in slow motion.

Simaal plummets like a rock, though as he's about to slam into the ground, some field or force shimmers about him and he lands with a soft thud on the rock.  The smashed up guardian is laying next to him.   Toc is still falling but appears as if he'll land next to them in a few seconds.  The guardian, with groaning metal and creaks pushes itself up, and stands there looking much the worse for wear. Though as Simaal watches, the dents begin un-denting...scratches seem to dissolve away, and the guardian seems to rapidly repairing itself.  

Thyrius meanwhile seems to have revealed himself and garnered the attention of at least one hand.  The hand moves towards him, and, with an open palm, just shoves Thyrius.  Thyrius, athletics or acrobatics vs DC 24. 

"Well that... was... interesting... so you have it at least, right?" Simaal grins as he dusts himself off and looking around for other threats.

Thyrius groans in anticipation of the shove.

-> Thyrius' acrobatics check: 28 

Should he fall, he'll try his best to minimize damage by using his cat instincts (Uncanny Dodge?)

The hand shoves him and sends him flying 20 feet out the window, leaving him no chance to grab a ledge.  The dark leonin brother briefly windmills his limbs as he falls...and comes plummeting out from above.  Simaal watches as the Leonin slams into the ground, legs first and absorbing a bunch of the hurt, then rolling out of it and coming to rest in a half crouched pose.  He winces though.  It clearly wasn't a painless process.  70 falling damage (divided by two for uncanny dodge.) 

Toc comes gently landing to the ground.  He smiles at Simaal and holds out the statue, "Yup.  No idea what it is, but we got it." 

Mirica, Russel, and Nuzej meanwhile watch as the other brother, the golden fearsome warrior lion, charges bravely at the portal and leaps through, vanishing.  

The hands meanwhile, settle back into space around the room at the top, having expelled the boarding party. 

Thyrius, Simaal, Mirica, Nuzej, and Russel can all take a turn.

Initiative : Thyrius: 23 | Toc+Guardian: 22  |  Simaal:  16  | Mirica:  15 |  Nuzej: 14 | Russel: 11 |  Hands: 11-10 |  Xemnez:  7

After glancing back once at Mirica before she fully disappeared from view, Xemnez eyes returned to the portal with narrowed eyes. There is but a moment's hesitation on his part, for both instincts and nature squabbled within the Leonin. But one inevitably had to win out in the end...

'... Let others know I wnet to scout what let beyond the portal. Should be back soon' With that, Xemnez rushes on through the gate uncertain of if the mystical hands might yet have the means to effect things on the ethereal plane.

"Uhm... I think I heard a crunch this way, we better check out who it is... Also good construct" Simaal says appreciatively.
Assuming finding a splatcat, "When did you get here... well snap, ewww... uhm.... I can do a little healing so at least you can stop some of the blood loss" Simaal moves over to assist and puts hand on shoulder in case you let him. 6. We may need the other healer soon enough... let's get some cover and spend 10 mins relaxing while he checks the tower out." We re-enter tower but do not go upstairs.

Thyrius lets Simaal magically tend to the worst bruise on his left leg but not for too long. Despite the visibly horrible fall, the black cat is not as close to death as some might have guessed.

Unlike Simaal, however, Thyrius is not only reentering the tower to wait. His brother is still up there and the golden lion is too brave, too valiant a warrior to sit on the sidelines. He is liable to enter either combat or that strange portal without hesitation, and Thyrius will not let him fight alone. Whether Mirica and that bird are joining him matters little in Thyrius' mind right now. He is going back up and his previously enabled footwrappings will come in handy.

-> Movement: 70ft toward the top of the tower.

-> Action: Dash another 70ft.

-> Bonus action: Cunning Action - Dash a third increment of 70ft.

-> Any opportunity attack possibly aimed at Thyrius while he moves is made at disadvantage.

"Curiosity killed the cat..." sighed Mirica. Never before the proverb was so on point. Now it was a choice between "easy come - easy go" and "risk the world for a suicidal stranger". On one hand, in the eyes of the gods one life could be as important as the lives of all the creatures in the world, but on the other, if the group perishes in this endeavour, there will be no "eyes of the gods" since the gods will perish with the world. No. Diving into the random portals was not the way to find more clues for opening the central chamber. Definitely a chance (one out of a million(s)) but not the way. She could afford, though, a bit of waiting. Surely, another brother will dive after the first one but he had to be told where to go.

Mirica waited for Thyrius (he could see into Etherisl, right?) to come back up and see that Xemnez is not with them anymore, and then pointed at the portal.

As Simaal notices the rush up the stairs he mentally says "Wait, why are you going up, we have the tower! And even if there's a good reason what are you going to do other than get thrown out again? What are you planning to do?". To Toc "Since it's unlikely he'll listen, do you have a way to slow down a fall? I might but it's untested so no idea if it will work. We can take two sides each, you take sides he'll likely be throw out, so stick to the left side" he shouts after the running cat unless it decided to pause and talk.

Toc glances at Simaal as the black cat zips away in a blur of speed, leaving only the sound of the rush of wind. "Actually, I do not really. Here, hold this. Unless you'd like to come with me back to the stairs up top?"  He passes the small tower to Simaal and then with or without Simaal, with a quick motion and a muttered arcane word he implodes into a tiny twisting point and vanishes. 

Thyrius moves like the very wind....sprinting around the tower, in through the front, and then up the stairs. A cold blast of wind is all the sign of passing as he charges up the steps. He comes running around the last curve towards the upper room only to find Toc (and potentially Simaal), already there, looking down the stairs at him. 

Toc smiles and holds something out for Thyrius, "If you insist on going back into the room, perhaps it may be helpful to have this in your pocket."  He passes Thyrius a Feather Token(feather fall). 

Peeking up into the room, the six hands are still in place around the outside, waiting silently. The portal remains open, crackling slightly with energy. 

It would seem that the black cat has no way to look into the ethereal, but Toc still can and glances around.  "Hmmm....i don't see our ethereal companions, though, I believe they did all move outside the tower when we first engaged the hands." 

(Since Mirica was waiting for Thyrius to point at the portal, consider her returning to it)

Simaal's with the group upstairs not inside the room, and certainly quite a bit down the stairs apparently not quite fulfilling the useless role of "shield wall". He taps the small tower again wondering if the gate will disappear and re-appear.

Simaal did come with Toc and is standing next to him.  Toc looks to Thyrius, "Oh, there's Mirica and Russel now. She's....motioning towards the portal and waving. Now I think she's pantomiming a....cat...preening itself...yes...and...is pointing at the portal again.  Ahh.  I have it." He turns to look at Thyrius, "I think your brother went through the portal."  Simaal stands there tapping on the mini tower with his finger. It has no effect. The hands don't seem smart enough to realize the statue is "within their grasp"...and continue floating on the edges of the room.

Mirica showed Toc two thumbs up (not entirely sure he translated her correctly but hoping for the best) and looked at the group questioningly. Xemnez did not return, the portal did not close up. What would be their next move?

Thyrius did not wait for Simaal's questions at the bottom of the tower but, upon arrival at (nearly) the top, the Leonin would have stopped to take stock of the top level. Simaal could have asked his questions then, if still interested. As for his interaction with Toc, Thyrius accepts the magical feather token with a courteous nod.

Once informed of Mirica's message, Thyrius replies with: "Don't bring the mini-tower into the room, lest you want to be thrown out once again." He thinks for a moment and reverts his thought: "Or do we WANT to bring the mini-tower into the portal?" He lets the others decide, his hand extended in case they vote for him to take the miniature into the portal with his speed. He does not give them much time to think. He is rushing into that portal soon.

(OOC: Are we still in initiative?)

Simaal observes the small tower, any inscriptions or the like? Mentally "Maybe identify it if it's magical, We don't know where it leads and if he's in trouble or not, but if we all go then our primary mission may become in jeopardy.. Tower shouldn't go in, we don't know what it does, but we know multi dimensional places do not react well to multi dimensional places."

The portal closes. 

Simaal runs down the stairs and after looking around  touches the tiny tower.

Toc watches Simaal run away with the statue, "I think we may need that!"  

Simaal, with the tower in his hand, reaches the floor, and continues to tap it in different spots all to no apparent affect.  (no one upstairs yells, "the portal is back!")