Pizazz's Myth Drannor

Simaal sighs... "well that didn't work, no portal appeared near the statue."and heads back up.

Thyrius looks at Simaal with a flustered look: "What did you do?" The Leonin was about to dash into the portal within the next seconds and then, suddenly, the path was closed before him. "What happened?"

Nice. Now the portal is gone... But experimenters were not done yet and did not seem like stopping playing any time soon. She searched her backpack for something to write a message on (in the worst case, Russel had the writing tools with him and could land some).

"Ask the eyes where Xemnez is now?" She made sure Toc read it and pointed toward the tower with the all-knowing eyes.

"I didn't do anything, apparently, it decided to close on its own, I thought I could re-open it but it didn't work. Maybe it has to be on the pedestal and touched for it to open again. Unless there's a day or who knows how long delay in activating it. Identification of oddities should be priority bef... well never mind what's done is done. Any volunteers to put it on pedestal, touch it then run away again? Granted still goes back to my question of what are people going to do once portal back up. We don't know where it leads."  

Toc looks about, and then a ghostly hand appears next to Simaal to clutch the statue.  "Last time, i touched it when i was standing in the room, but it wasn't on the pedestal, and it opened the portal, but...maybe it needs to go back to the pedestal to recharge, or, maybe it's a once a day thing. Thyrius, it'll take me 10 minutes to identify it. But it's your brother and we don't know if he needs us right away. Do take the time to identify it, or do I return the tower to the pedestal, then try to touch it...and...keep experimenting to try and re-open the portal?"

He glances over at Mirica who's been scribbling quickly, "Or...Mirica suggests we get over to that other tower, and use the divining eye thing to spy on your brother. Perhaps I could identify this while you and Simaal use the eye?  Or....?"

The moments are ticking by and not knowing if Xemnez needs your help immediately makes each heartbeat that passes feel like an eternity. 

"If it is going to take 10 minutes, give it to me and tell Mirica to go ask the eyes." Thyrius offers no further explanation and extends his hands towards Toc.

Toc shrugs and hands the statue to Thyrius. He turns to the empty air nearby and makes some motions.  

Mirica, you see Toc look at you.  He points to his eye.  Then he points to you.  Then he points "away", in the vague direction of that other tower.  Then he double points at you and points away again. Then he gives a thumbs up and turns his attention back to Thyrius. 

Thyrius has a couple of ideas, one significantly swifter than the other. His boots still activated, and uncertainty about his brother's situation creeping up, Thyrius uses his magnified speed (up to 210ft every 6 seconds) to dash into the room, place the statuette onto the pedestal, and take quick note of whether the portal reopens or the miniature seems to be recharging (no more than a couple seconds).

If the portal opens, he yells "NOW!" and jumps in, leaving the miniature on the pedestal.

If the statuette seems to be charging, he returns to Toc and Simaal's side, leaving the contraption to charge.

If nothing happens, he returns to Toc and Simaal with the miniature in hands using his cat speed, lest the hands catch him. If this is the outcome, he'll try his slower plan next.

Thryius leaps forward with a burst of speed. As soon as his foot touches the floor of the room...with the statue in his grasp....the doorway in space shimmers into existence.

"NOW!" he yells as he leaps through before the hands can stop him.  (Does he carry the statue through, or drop it, toss it at the pedestal, or back at the players, orrrr, something else?) 

"I am watching you?" Mirica was translating Toc's pantomime unsure if she understood it right when the portal opened again and, as expected, Thryius jumped through it. Now they lost both brothers. Mirica shrugged and moved towards the "eyes" tower. Hopefully, one could ask questions from Etherial, but if it does not work... Back to floating around in search of some writings on the walls?

Smaal concentrates for the moment and mentally says "Well biased on my experiment I believe it's a disintegration portal since we didn't say the right password or the like. Either that or it goes to different plane." 

Afraid the portal will close if the miniature returns to Toc and Simaal's spot, Thyrius carries it with him into the portal.

"DONT TAKE IT WITH YOU, WE'LL NEVER OPEN THE PORTAL AGAIN!" Simaal yells. Mentally "if we get separated go clockwise towers."

Thyrius leaps into the portal.  The small tower doesn't go with him though. Simaal and Toc watch as the statue clunks to the ground and skids onto the floor. One of the hands quickly picks up and and places it gently back onto the pedestal. 

Toc looks at Simaal with a heavy sigh. He turns to make more motions at Mirica, but she is already starting to float away in pursuit of the far off tower. He makes a displeased grunt noise, and a bat appears, clinging to his shoulder.  The thing leaps off and flutters across the room and into the portal.

A moment later it comes wildly flapping backwards, escorted by the two brothers, both of whom are in the physical world.  From the look of it, Xemnez is in the process of shoving his brother out of the portal....along with himself and the startled bat.  

Toc mutters, "See, not a 'disintegration' portal....which I doubt is even a thing." 

Then the hands all react.  

Xemnez, Thyrius, and Simaal can all roll initiative to see who reacts first.  Mirica, this all happened pretty quick, and Russel gets your attention with some fluttering noises, so you can see the brothers emerging before you depart, and roll init if you like as well. 

Toc : 11

Hands: 13. 4. 9. 

"Not again, not like this, not like this.... " murmurs Simaal as he goes at 8 and launches a stream of fire at the nearest hand dex DC 19 26 (full or none).

-> Thyrius' initiative roll: 21

His boots are still active, so it is time to grab the miniature again and run downstairs. (move, action: dash, bonus action: cunning action - dash. Any opportunity attacks are rolled at disadvantage.)

-> Xemnez Initiative: 12. 

Mirica Initiative: 3

Thryius, in a blur, runs past the pedestal, grabbing the statue once again, and zips down the stairs past Toc and Simaal.  His passing is followed with a strong gust of wind that blows their hair and clothing back a bit. 

Then two of the hands are next quickest to respond. One lunges for Xemnez, attempting to grab him.  16 Grapple Check vs Athletics or Acrobatics Xemnez.

While the other hand opens fully in a surprised fashioned, and then moves to follow Thyrius. The hand comes flying down the stairs past Toc and Simaal who duck out of the way of the huge magical hand. It's moving quickly, but not nearly as quickly as the Thyrius. 

If Xemnez fails the grapple check, he is crushed by the hand and takes 20 bludgeoning damage as it squeezes him, and then it flies to an opening and tosses him out of the tower.  The ground below comes rushing towards him.  59 falling damage unless he has a way to avoid it. 

Xemnez's turn.  He's either up in the tower with 5 hands, or down below feeling a little worse for wear. 

Somewhere in the back of Xemnez mind, the temptation to just let the hand do its work and expedite his decent down finds a loose foothold. But too proud to surrender, he growls out in defiance while trying to hold the hand back.

--> Xemnez Athletics: 35. 

(OOC: As mentioned on discord, if allowed to spend a reaction/make a save, then he will do so to slow descent)

But a "valiant" struggle quickly ends with his unceremonious defenestration off to the side. A crater may be left, his pride surely wounded, and yet from the bottom of the tower, he couldn't help but let out a pained chuckle as he eventually peels himself off the ground, dusts himself off, and take a moment to get back his composure while waiting for the others to join him.

... Though in remember seeing the one hand fly off down the stairs presumably after his brother, Xemnez grumbles and rushes (dashing if need be) to stand by the entrance ready to wrestle the pursuing hand if it should chase his brother as far.

Bonus Action: Second Wind for 20.

Action: Ready to Grapple a Giant Hand: 26 vs targets Strength(Athletics) or Dexterity(Acrobatics).