Pizazz's Myth Drannor

Toc leans to one side, towards Mirica, while still glancing up the tower where their allies still were.   
“Not completely true. There was that grove of trees we passed on the other side of the city. Maybe those are Zurkwood trees.”

"Unless "zurkwood" and "netheresian oak" are the same things, it does not help. But I see your point, wood could survive. Still, do not remember any wands around. Did that adamantine statue have a wand? Maybe inside its not metal but wood? No, it would break with all the tumbling about... We should keep an eye for wooden wands then." Judging by her tone, she was not sure the task is possible at all. "Does the corpse have a wand?" It was possible, the dead was a netheresian mage and had the needed instrument.

"Hmmm, well ensuring we do a a reasonable search of our surroundings as we travel would be one way. Most towers appear to have at least one mage in them, plus we never searched the towers thoroughly. While I doubt the chicken bolt would work, it would be something I'd try in any case. I can't remember if anyone picked up a wand yet, but that market seems to be a wealth of items, and we barely spent time there."

Nuzej peers at the direction the frozen mage seemed to have been walking. Is there likely a destination that might have a wand 

“Toc, can you locate object today? We can put any of ours in a bag of holding for a moment. Otherwise… needle, haystack.”

Thyrius opines through the mental channel: "Mirica's suggestion of searching the wizard's corpse seems the most obvious to me at this moment. That said, something tells me these wall-knights would jump into action should we step any closer, much like those disembodied hands in the hags' tower." He stops to look at the anvil again: "We could perhaps get a hint on what may happen in this room if either Toc or Nuzej can decipher the arcane runes on the anvil and hammer. Why don't all of you come up?"

Toc responds to Mirica, "Oh. I don't know what Zurkwood is, and I'm not familiar with Netherese Oak either.  But yes, ok."  Then he mentally nods to Thyrius, "Very well, we'll head upstairs."  The large shield guardian remains downstairs standing placidly outside the tower while Toc and Nuzej, and potentially Mirica (if she wants) head upstairs. 

While they walk up, Toc turns to Nuzej, "I can't. I actually don't know that spell.  Seems terribly useful, not sure how I have gotten by without it all these years. Can you do it tomorrow? We might need to wait a day to find this thing and gain access."

From the stairwell, Thyrius, Simaal, and Russel move aside to let Toc peer at the anvil and hammer. Nuzej and Toc confer for several minutes while examining the runes. 21  Their mental exchange seems to get more and more animate until finally Toc reveals what Nuzej and him have come up with.  "After carefully examining this thing from afar, we both agree. It is an anvil of Disjunction. This tower is dedicated to the study of abjuration. Magic meant to stop, prevent, and dissolve magic. This anvil is the pinnacle of that power. We believe that any magical item placed on the anvil and struck with the hammer will be entirely separated from its magical bonds. I would hesitate to say that even an artifact placed here would be rendered inert." 

Still thinking back to the last statue. It was clear that the statue, if it indeed was a transformed person, was turned to adamantine in mid-act of casting a spell.  Then, likely, the city crashed, and they were tossed about inside the tower before coming to rest in a corner, on it's side.  Careful inspection DID reveal that there was a wand tucked into their belt...but it, like the rest of the statue, is adamantine. 

"Why would anyone want to destroy a magic item?" Mirica indeed walked with the others upstairs (it seemed safe for now) and now was standing outside the room. As she spoke, though, she realized, that yes, there could be a few things that could very much benefit from becoming useless. Beginning with some Mythallars. "Anyway. Do you see the wand by that dead wizard?" She looked for herself too. (Perception: 25 )

If she sees one, she would ask if Toc can bring it here without entering the room (Mage hand?) but if it's not possible to see anything, she would risk stepping into the room and getting closer to the bodies, ready to dodge any incoming attack.

"If I am understanding this correctly" Thyrius ventures a new proposal, "Toc and Nuzej are suggesting we go back to the previous tower, retrieve the adamantine wizard, place the statue on the anvil, and strike it with the hammer. Assuming this brings the person and their items back to an organic state, we can then get or negotiate for the wand with the revived wizard, hoping it is the correct oaken one."

Thyrius looks around: "Sounds like a plan?"

Though loathe to not heed his brother suggestions, assuming it had been directed at all to him to come up with the rest, Xemnez had been fairly adamant in standing guard outside and had replied as much on the subject. Just as he would insist upon Thyrius continuing to assist the others, as the shield guardian plus his own prowess would be enough to stem the tide against any roaming or unexpected threats. 

But if kept abreast on the situation above then it is through the link he add, "If that is the plan, then we should be prepared to subdue the wizard as well. These mages of your world have already proven mad or arrogant enough to try unseat the boundaries of this world once, after all. I did not see this statue for myself, but it may not even matter how broken it may be like the rest for those who've pushed at the boundaries of all things should one be revived."

"Let's just see first if that mage on the floor has his wand on him." The idea to fight the netheresian wizard (and probably after fighting those statues around the anvil too) did not sound compelling.

Mirica doesn't see a wand on the dead frozen wizard, but he's in an awkward position. She decides to chance it and move into the room. Immediately a mental voice issues in her mind, "Use of the anvil is forbidden. Do not attempt to use it or we will be forced to defend it." The eyes of the blue skinned creatures watch Mirica. But the threat wasn't against going over to inspect the wizard, so she does so. The warriors in the room watch, but do not stop her. 

She examines the body, and indeed finds a wand tucked into a clever wand sheath on his belt. She chips away at the ice enough to withdraw the belt and pull it and the wand away. She returns to the group. Who knows if it's a Zurkwood wand, but it is certainly a wand.  Toc examines it and begins identifying it. He figures its actually made out of oak, and is a Wand of Enemy Detection. 

Meanwhile Toc responds to Thyrius, "I actually....had not implied that. Though....that could certainly work I suppose...." He frowns and thinks about it for a few moments.

"Well, it's a wand. Wooden wand. Let's hope it was made of the right wood." She left the wand with Toc. "Thyrius, the idea of restoring that other wizard was sound, if (!) it is not the statue but a living being (questionable, never heard of turning onto the metal), if (!) that anvil would actually restore her instead of killing the last spark of magic and leaving her as a proper statue forever, and if (!) our new blue friends would allow us to even try. Speaking of which..." Mirica made a few careful steps towards the closest guardian of the envil. "Not going to touch the anvil. But may I ask - why do you guard it?"

"I have been commanded thus, and so I do," the creature responds simply, within her mind.

Aha... Now the question was if their fighting skills were matching their intelligence... Not that she was going to check. "Whoever commanded you to do so, is long gone. I mean, dead." Unless the one commanding was Auril herself, it was a safe bet. "But as you wish."

"So, the last tower? I feel like we missed one on the way here." Mirica looked out of the window (and another one if there were more than one) to check the surroundings. "It should not be the tower at the edges of the city, but which one from inner towers we have not visited yet?" She looked at others who waited outside the room. "You can come inside, the guards seem to guard only the anvil." Hopefully, someone more perceptive could spot the missing tower.

Mirica glances around. It's very clear that there are six towers spaced equally around the center tower, and then two towers out further. However, where one of the inside six towers should be, there is instead a collapsed tower.  (Y18 on the map) 

Furthermore, based on the previous 7 towers, everyone here knows enough about magic to say you've seen all of the schools of magic, except Necromancy.  From here you can see the remains of a toppled tower laying scattered around the area. Its fractured base, protrudes from the ground like a broken tooth. The ground around it seems to be moving...in an odd churning fashion, though it's difficult to tell from here.

"I guess I read more into your words than I should have," Thyrius apologizes to Toc and Nuzej. "Nonetheless, should this wand not work, let us not forget that the adamantine wizard also has one in their possession. Let us also hope that there are no penalties for mistakes while performing this eight-step ritual."

Thyrius will lead the way in scouting the fallen tower. Assuming a full hour has not yet passed, he should still be benefiting from truesight and invisibility. If it is the necromancy tower, his Among the Dead feature should also help.

-> Stealth check: 36  

Nuzej asks Toc if he would like to attune to the wand if not, he offers to. "It could prove useful in here."

Then he lists through the instructions.

“First, shield thy heart with a wand from the Nether Oak.”
"Second, summon a flame in the palm of your hand"
"Third, a burnt palm loosens the tongue. Shed a secret about yourself for all to hear"
“Fourth, coax a secret from another.”
“Fifth, quench the flame in thy palm with ice”
"Sixth, hide thyself behind a mask"

"It seems the broken tower is where we would find the last one. Who wishes to take a look? Mind the moving ground."

"At least anything that could die here, is dead by now." Realizing this is not very reassuring when one speaks about necromancy, Mirica corrected herself. "I mean, completely destroyed. Found final rest." She shook her head. "Let's check the rubble."

The first thing to do was to locate the top of the tower and hope the jigsaw puzzle the ceiling could be reduced to, would not be too complicated.

Perception: 29

The group descends the tower with the anvil, and moves stealthily across the city.  As they do so, they all freeze in place as the ground rumbles slightly. In an open space between two districts there is an area where the otherwise icy hard black stone ground looks disturbed, about 150 feet from your location.  Everyone takes cover cover quickly. As they watch, a large creature comes clambering up out of the ground. Thyrius and Xemnez immediately recognize the creature as the same type they fought near the Mythallar. The rest of you see a strange creature with a thick neck, 30 feet tall, no face, just a blank knob for a head, and a huge maw in the center of its chest. The thing carries with it a huge hammer.  Most unnatural looking, the creature seems to "sniff" around, and then goes stalking off in another direction, walking across the open city. Soon enough it's disappeared amidst buildings and is out of sight. 

The group continues towards the toppled tower. As you get closer, the source of the moving ground is obvious. Hundreds of grey severed hands are all about the area of the fallen tower. However, rather than laying still, the hands are skuttling about, moving bits of rubble from one place to another. Based on their lack of size, leverage, and strength, they're only able to move about small pieces. As well, it's clear they are not well coordinated, since one moves a rock from one place to another, and then two more quickly move that same rock to another spot. The rocks that they are moving are worn smooth from a thousand years of being moved about. The hands are worn through to bone, and in many cases stubs of bones that continue to wear down over the centuries. The result is what must have been an endless, disgusting dance of stone and undead flesh in a strangely captivating churning mass.  Sadly, the site looks well and good collapsed. You could probably start an excavation project, but digging through the rubble will take you quite some time.  Probably a solid days worth of work. The good news though is that it does look like the tower fully collapsed here, in this spot. Your thoughts travel back to the bits of tower and city you found fallen back in the ice caves and realize those must have been towers along the outer edge. 

Toc glances about the site, "Nuzej and I could probably incinerate all of these hands with a few spells if we need to clear the space to work. Also...I can summon an earth elemental to help us excavate."