((You gonna pass your post Kallista?))

((Sorry ive been missing notifications on dndbeyond every once and a while so sometimes i miss things, one sec))

Kallista looks at Lazlo, Aelar, and Balgrium, as well as Raia. "I'll... do my best," she seems even more uncomfortable than normal, but decides to try and bolster their own health.

((Casting Aid on Lazlo Aelar and Balgrium, and if i get the chance cast greater restoration on Raia again))

As Kallista unleashes her energies, she feels a sudden sucking sensation in her chest. This is swiftly replaced by a stinging pain. The titan that's been bolstering her with its strength is under attack, right as she finishes restoring Raia's strength. They have no time to waste.

Hurrying through the Hearth, however, they find the halls utterly abandoned. There's no guards to speak of at all, no garrison to stop the group. Balgrim leads them through to the Heart Chamber which is completely empty. Not even the bodies of the dwarves who fell defending it are present, just the blood stains left where they died. The silence in the great chamber is eerie.

Balgrim hurries up to the machine, looking about warily.
"Tis a trap, aye? Must be... no way it could be this simple..." he says, ready to fight, but he makes it right up to the device unbothered.
He looks back to the group and shrugs, then proceeds to shut it down normally, rather than use the kill rune.

With the constant pumping noise of the Heart gone, the group is able to hear noise from below, deep within the underground passages and echoing all the way up.
Kallista feels another sting in her chest, this time, she can feel some of the strength from the titan leave her.

Raia looks towards the winding staircase down into the mines, wings curling around her body. She means to pursue the Skell, but she hesitates when she looks back to the group.

"I'm going to take chase. Not only for my wounded pride, but to ensure that they won't be able to attack Guiston using the underground passages again."

"They're hurting it..." Kallista says

Aelar looks around, then back at Raia.  "Do you want me to come with you?  Will it help?"  He decides it's OK if he lets his fear show.  He'll go if she wants or it'll help but he's not stupid enough not to be scared.

Lazlo looks at Aelar “If you’re going, I can’t let you go alone. I mean I can.  I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine- but I shouldn’t, should I?  From what I’ve seen between the two ladies here they can pretty much save us all by themselves… but I guess someone should make an accurate record of their deeds.” Lazlo takes out the journal gifted to him and begins to write with little attention to the facts. 

Raia looks back to the youngsters and steels herself.
"Kallista will only have her boon for a little longer... I can't quite explain it... but I feel you will be safer if you stay near me. From beginning to end, this has been an unconventional attack... so we will respond in kind. They must be made to pay for the lives lost here today. If we're going... we go now!" she says, and grabs hold of Aelar and Lazlo while the rest of the guards secure the chamber just in case.

Aelar looks around as Raia grabs theirs arms and runs after the Skell.  "Balgrim...see you soon!"

Raia, he sends telepathically, how is your power?

Lazlo scribbles manically in his journal as he is dragged off to the gods knows where "... promised them an eternal place in the hall of heroes as she drove them on towards an uncertain fate..."

Raia dives down into the shaft, spreading her wings out and arching them like a parachute as she glides down the stairwell shaft, all the way down to the bottom. There's a familiar shrieking of metal and a heavy thumping sound coming from the cave walls, like the beating of an enormous heart... the beat is erratic, however, as whatever the Skell are doing is taking its toll.

Kallista can feel the strength starting to drain out of her... the titan doesn't have long.

There's only one way to go, though the passage ahead is large enough to accommodate a full size dragon. After all, at one time, this was a very productive mine. Kallista can feel exactly where to go... she feels drawn to the source as the titan is now fully being assaulted by whatever means the Skell have found to kill a titan with. From the sounds echoing through the hewn stone walls, they can't be far from meeting their true enemy face to face.

Raia also uses her powers to offer up a cleric-style bless to Aelar and Lazlo, on top of Kallista's aid. She doesn't want the boys hurt in any way.
"Whatever is ahead... stay behind me. I will protect you without fail, this time..." she says.

"Y-yes. Stay behnd you. Got it. I'll subdue the urge to rush ahead of everyone and do something... anything at all."  Lazlo says voice shaking.

Aelar nods at Raia's response.  Then let's stop them!

The winding tunnels of the mines gives way to a section that clearly had been once sealed off but is now freshly excavated by the mining labors that were commissioned by the crooked elements of Guiston's elite ruling class. Following these newly created arteries leads to a huge open chamber that was created around the titan's enormous body, caused by the creature's slow sleeping movements over hundreds of years. In this case, this chamber, roughly the size of a soccer field and 3 stories tall, seems to open up right above the titan's chest, which the Skell have placed some kind of machine made out of the mining labors over that is drilling into. The erratic, distressed thumping of a heart the size of a whale echoes throughout... why these labors continue to function when the heart chamber has been shut down must be due to changes the Skell made to their design.

There is a small battalion of actual Skell soldiers here, their faces covered by masks, their bodies encased in simple grey robes, making them utterly nondescript, devoid of identity.

Despite Raia's size and metallic, shimmering body, the group have yet gone unnoticed from the sound of the drilling.

Aelar, Kallista, Lazlo, roll for perception with advantage please.

Perception 6

ok let’s try again- the dice roller is reading as unavailable? If it kicks in take my first roll.

10 lol- ok after I made the 2nd roll it worked . 6 it is.

Aelar Perception 12

Perception: 20

Kallista in particular is able to see that one of the figures is slightly different from the rest and appears to be the commander. The person's robes are a bit thicker and hang off their body differently, like there's armor present. They're also staying close to the drill to see its progress.

Raia's perception: 19

Kallista also the only one who can see the commander clearly.

ooc: how big is a Skell battalion? 

Lazlo's eyes widen at what he is seeing in front of him. As a range of emotions (from terrified to awestruck) floods over him he sticks as close as he can behind the dragon, Raia. 

Kallista looks over at the others, and points out the one who seemed to be in charge quietly. "We need to stop them."