(Sure, will continue to keep track. Though would love for everyone to add to their CS the money: 216 pp, 3912.5 gp, 7037 sp, 2371 cp )

"Thyrius, you said you do not know much about that new soul container you keep. Then maybe if you go with Toc, it would be wise to leave the thing behind, rather than bringing another lich - even if a soul - on the scouting mission. Who knows how it will interfere with the search. In case you are unwilling to part with it, I'd rather someone else is going with Toc for now."

Simaal pipes up "Well if it's not an issue magic wise, I wouldn't mind coming along, after all, what are the chances we're going to be dunked in water this time. And sure it's probably going to be caves filled with poison, but it's not like I've been recently charmed by an underground nymph or the like."

(OOC: Money added to CS. I even made that 0.5gp into an electrum piece. Its hard to find those these days.)

Mirica is wise, but Thyrius finds himself disagreeing with the cleric this time. "I am unwilling to part ways with either the token or my brother. In fact, part of me thinks the token can't even be removed from my belt/person. I do believe it is secure to me, both physically and spiritually, but you bring up a good point, and should I feel any interaction of this lich with the other, I'll be sure to send the token away, either with me attached to it or not. My brother's dimensional hole should do the trick, for example."

"Then it looks like we are all going. No point in leaving behind just two of us." Mirica would want (and need) a good rest before going anywhere but after that - ready to fight another lich.

Toc nods, "Very well, we all go. Let us get a good rest in. By my calculations we have another 3 days to track down Demise before he reforms." 

Under the watchful gaze of the powerful, lazily rotating mythallar, the group spends a good long time resting.

The time to take a break is well appreciated by everyone.  There are still gobs of books here to read, and anyone so inclined can study all sorts of material, either on the nature of high magic in each of the eight schools, or from the ancient netheril library, that also seems to include books on ancient elven high-magic. The library is a treasure in and of itself.  

Thryius meanwhile spends much of his time, tucked out of the way either reading the heavy tomb, or communing with the Lich soul. 

Toc spends a bit of time moving about the sizeable buried complex casting ritual spells to renew his protections.  His copy Tic also moves about the place, making sure people have what they need. 

Xemnez and Thryius find that Toc has modified the magical protections in this place. The hallways are no longer filled with fog, the doors are no longer all locked. The place feels less alien and more welcoming. Though, after looking around, they revise the 'alien' comment. They find a wide hallway leads away from the main Mythallar chamber and leads to a complex of 8 chambers arranged in a large square. Each of these chambers seems dedicated to a different "school" of magic, and contain all sorts of fantastical effects or items. Each also contains a library of its own. One room is full of tiny automatons that have been carefully placed upon the many shelves on the exterior walls. While many appear to be toys for children, a few sport amazing detail work. One has a veritable markets worth of half-visible and insubstantial people continually walking through the room.  Another has incorporeal shields that glitter and hover along the exterior walls.  One unsettling room has walls made of a highly-polished mirror-like substance, making the room feel like it extends to infinity in every direction, somehow without echoing repeating images of yourself.  A room that smells of charred bone and that is filled with a thick black mist that conceals everything within is the least homey feeling.

Each is separated by doors and short hallways, and though nothing seems dangerous outright, Toc does suggest some caution.  

Regardless, time passes....as it is want to do. Easily one might say. Though its inexorable march forward feels just as easily like an unstoppable wave of water...always advancing, threatening to wash away all intentions and deeds.  Though perhaps this place of distorted realities and manipulations is just affecting your mind.

The next day, everyone readies themselves for battle. Thyrius reveals no secret information from his time with the Lich, and though looking a bit troubled seems well rested. Together, Nuzej and Toc both confer for a time as everyone gathers in the ante-chamber off off the main Mythallar chamber. Tic appears to be coming as well this time.  The three wizards huddle up discussing, and then Toc nods.  "Nuzej will attempt the teleportation first. Best of luck everyone." 

With the mornings "water breathing" ritual complete, and another spell to link everyone's minds, the group is ready.  Toc pulls out a fragment of Demise and casts a spell.  "Ready."

Bracing for the discomfort of the teleportation, and the potential gut wrenching pain or any other crazy effects, the group readies themselves.  Nuzej mutters a spell.  A twisting vortex of light and noise and then silence and darkness as you all stand in a cave. Its dusty and dry....and feels particularly cold. No moss or lichen grows here. Sand and dust fill the cracks in the floor. Tic, Toc, and Nuzej quickly confer.   Toc speaks, "Sorry, looks the same, but we're not close. It's just a similar looking cave. We're going again."  He nods to Nuzej, this time Toc casting the teleport spell. 

Once again the group arrives at a cave. It looks similar to the last. None of the underdarks familiar mushrooms or growths, or glowing lichen. Just darkness, dry and dusty. The hallways seem natural, but a quick inspection of a rock, wall, or floor and you see inscriptions upon them. It was worked stone once, now partially collapsed and so cracked and jumbled that it looks more like a natural cave. Somehow the passage is still intact. The symbols are clear though. Draconic, and written in the now recognizable Netheril glyphs. You have found a Netheril ruin. If it is a the remains of a floating city is yet to be seen. Toc nods, "I can feel it.  It's this way. But. I have a bad feeling about this. Something around here is turning my stomach." 

Staring down the maw of a dry dusty hallway, your hearts beat faster unbidden. You are aware of the cool breath as you draw it into your throats. The silence and stillness of this place feels like its just waiting. 

Toc steps forward to lead the group, but after two steps he stops suddenly.  He looks back at the group, frowning, but doesn't say anything. He keeps looking. "Um, move back a moment." He backs up and then you hear him mentally, "...about now? How about now?" 

The wizard curses, and summons flames into his hands, and hurls it down the passage. Less than a foot from him the flame simply vanishes.  

"The phylactery is that way. But.....so is...an area divorced from magic. No magic is going to work going forward. Maybe just for 10 feet. Maybe for longer. Tic will have to stay here."

Mirica did not like that sensation of silenced magic. It felt like sudden deafness with an overwhelming feeling of loneliness for complete cut off from the watchful eyes of her god. But if it had to be done, so be it. "Guess we better leave things like bags of holding with Tic then. Would he be able to teleport to us once we are on the other side?"

She rearranged a few reagents and was ready to go.

Simaal mentally says "let's see what we can see... assuming it works..." Simaal squints for a split moment then nothing happens... unless you can see invisible, in which case a small eye starts floating into the darkness along the edge of the upper right side of the passage. Simaal mentally relays what he sees. Later once entering the anti-magic field, his clothing shimmers and studded leather armor becomes apparent over his more basic under clothing. On the bright side, it will be rather obvious to all when he's out of the anti-magic field.

Simaal's mental eye appears, but as soon as it hits the anti-magic area, it too fizzles and vanishes. 

Toc assures Mirica, "You've no fear of your bags, just....get anything out of them you want now. While we're in the field, you won't be able to fetch stuff." 

A full rest, some reading, and a meal had apparently made Thyrius a bit more resilient to teleportation. He doesn't feel so ill after two trips, and is quite glad.

"Surely the phylactery itself is not being this anti-magic field, right? I would imagine it would be very hard to regrow a lich within such areas." Thyrius checks his gear, lamenting silently all the features he won't be able to put to good use while in the field. "Let's us hope all magic returns to our tools and equipment once we reach the other side of this field."

Toc glances at Thyrius, "I agree, I can't imagine the phylactery being inside this field. Hopefully we simply need to pass through this. Let us proceed." 

The group moves forward down the passage but it's not more than twenty feet before the zig zag passage splits. In fact, it seems to split several times, in many ways. It seems to have led to a system of catacombs. It seems you're in an area that is about 10 x 10 criss crossing passages, between which the cave walls are set with large niches with wrapped up, dust covered bodies laid to rest. Amidst the bodies, are containers. Clay, tin, stone, glazed, carved, bone,....all manner and size of containers sitting amongst the ancient bodies. 

Simaal looks around and mentions to the group mentally if possible "I do not think we should touch anything at this time until after, touching anything else is likely to cause more trouble than it's worth." Simaal also regularly looks at his arms to see if his armor is no longer supressed.

Nuzej, still recovering from his failed teleportation attempt, perks up when they reach the anti-magic field. "I could try otiluke's resilient sphere. Roll through. But it likely won't work, and even if it does, it will not allow spells to be cast through it," he says through the link. "Otherwise, this is a job for Jezun."

Simaal is unable to telepathically converse with the others, his armor still looks like plain leather armor.  (I'll let you all know when 'magic' kicks in again.) 

Jezun "takes the wheel" so to speak.  (It sounds like trying a sphere was an idea, not that you actually did it.  If you want to actually try the experiment, let me know.)

(@BB: Money added, and following Lerus example of using an electrum piece. And with the exception of petty change of 10 PP and 200 CP, the rest of his split he'll leave in his portable hole)

Although taken aback by the end results of Toc's suggestion, Xemnez hadn't the heart or will to prolong contention on the manner. But rather, he took as a blessing in disguise, as a brief conversation in Leonin with his brother at some point spurred him on in investigating the library and try to read up more about the realm. Such had been the warrior's intention, and though stymied by the material's focus on the many facets of the arcane in particular, he pushed -- no, challenged himself to read all the same, if only to better his general knowledge into an art that seemed to increasingly encompass much of their future interactions.

General Knowledge: 3.(3) (Just for funsies)

But time ever marched onward, as it must for all... as far as the Leonin was concerned, anyhow. Seeing his brother's troubled look, he offered no words of comfort, but rather stuck close that morning knowing (or believing at least) his presence would suffice in raising his elders spirit... regardless of the claims of a certain lich.

Present:

"Conserve the spell. Until we've accomplished our objectives or disabled this field, best not to waste anything needlessly." Xemnez finally chimed in as he stepped up to examine one of the passages. "Oh what I wouldn't have given to be a minotaur right now..." He quietly mused with a smile to his voice, before aloud asking, "Can the undead function in fields of non-magic?" He asks of the others. "If not, we should be mindful then all the more of more mundane traps that liter this place." Xem warned, before then brandishing his mighty 10 foot pole with a grin. One of the few things he'd stop to take out the hole before moving on into the field.  "Some at least." He adds a little cockily.  "But I otherwise agree with Simmal.  Leave the dead and their burial adornments alone. For now."  

"And here. One of you can take this chalk to mark our passing. " Xemnez holds out two pieces. Just as soon as they leave his hands, he goes back to examining the many paths hopeful yet of discerning any scraps or wearing down of the floor that might suggest frequent passage down a path. 

Survival: 20.(20) 

And if /that/ didn't work, he'd just as well take the right most one with the intention of sticking to the right, prodding at the floor and ceiling ahead of them every 10 to 20 ft at a time.

"A labyrinth ahead?" Thyrius wondered.

Knowing that his magically-boosted fighting style is not going to be possible in the trial ahead, Thyrius does something he rarely would do otherwise: he reaches for the small bow and bundle of simple arrows he had been carrying for some time. "Back to my cub days," he whispers, "before I was able to convene with spirits."

He also keeps ready to implement the numerous tools he brought along, should they be needed. In particular, he readies himself to reach into his bag of ball bearings should a handful of them come in handy to trigger traps. 

Mirica agreed with the general notion. "Even if each of the containers here is a phylactery, they should not be the phylactery we came for." She joined the search-for-clues party, trying to figure out if some of the passages were more travelled than others.

Survival: 26 (And one more: 21 if Shifting is allowed. Since it is not a magical ability but part of the race physiology - can Mirica do it in the antimagic field?)

(To cover more ground Mirica can take the other entrance, not taken by Xemnez. Quietly, if possible: Stealth 20. And we can count my previous roll as Perception since Xemnez got Survival covered)

Toc whispers, "Indeed....undeath is not a magical phenomenon, and as such, spirits, and other such creatures can move about fine. I've done experiments. In fact, a Liche inside an anti-magic field is a fearsome foe...for all intensive purposes...immune to everything."  

Mirica attempts to shift, and does so successfully.  While Xemnez examines the area to the left of the entrance, she examines the area on the right. There is an infrequently trail of foot steps through the dusty hallway. It leads both to and from the hallway you've come from, and goes to the left, then immediately to the right and straight down into the center of the catacombs. The two of them examine the trail and figure it is used maybe once a year, and not for many months now. 

Thyrius has his short bow out, and reconfigures his gear, ready for a more traditional battle than he's been a part of recently. 

Toc returns back out to the front, down the hall and out of the field.  He casts invisibility on himself, vanishing.  With that done he returns, becoming visible immediately.  He sticks his hand out of the field and it vanishes.  Satisfied, he begins moving about the space, placing his hands into the various alcoves.  "If I see my hand vanish, i'll know there is no field there."

"Looks like signs are leading to the center. Can we go there to check if the field is active there too?" Mirica did not mind Toc testing every alcove and could wait but had to inform others about the findings of the "scouting party". Of course, the way was marked by the X-s.