The four members charged out of the cages, following behind Zaelynir. They knew that they had to run - the mind flayers had some way of tracking them wherever they went, and however they hid - simply sticking to the shadows would do them nothing. Lance and Phyrra simply ran along, Zaelynir not releasing information on where they had to go quite yet. The incubus wasn't sure if the mind flayers were strong enough to hear his telepathy, knowing they were telepaths himself...but at the same time, that power was reserved for last resorts, of which this wasn't one.

The group followed after Zaelynir, descending a massive staircase that slowly wound its way down and around to a lower level. Behind them, they could see only a few mind flayers still chasing after them, the rest splitting off as more and more of their thralls stirred from the stasis that they'd been in, trying to escape from the cages. Zaelynir knew that almost none of them would make it...and that was a sacrifice he was more than willing to accept.

They made it to the base of the staircase, looking out on a series of dimly-lit buildings of various sizes. However, Zaelynir intuited the one the drow had told him about - it stood noticeably higher than the rest, positioned near the far end of the city. Behind it, a massive ring arced up into the air, stretching high enough to reach even the ceiling above it.

As soon as Wake saw the ring, he reached out to it with his mind, sending out a pulsing single for portals - what came back was almost strong enough to knock him off his feet. It wasn't just a portal...it was the strongest one he'd ever laid eyes on. It was clear right now that it was inactive, but he could only assume it was fitted to travel to one of the darkest places in the planes - portals that strong weren't suited to ordinary locations. The ranger hoped that it might take them to a plane they wanted to reach...but that complicated things plenty. Phyrra needed to return to Guallidurth to deliver the gem, potentially meaning another ten days before they'd be back here...that sort of time wasn't something that they had to spare.

Zaelynir pointed out towards their destination in the distance, his wings beating behind him. "Now, if everyone would follow me...we've got a gem to steal."

Wake looked back, seeing the mind flayers gaining on them. "We need a plan. We need to out pace them. Shavvir?"

The shadar-kai nodded, gripping his shoulder as a Dimension Door appeared in front of them. The two whisked their way forward, leaving Lance and Zaelnir far behind. The rogue still looked around, confused...only thirty seconds ago, everything had looked dire. "How do you know where we're going...what's happening?"

Zaelynir smiled, taking to the skies. "I asked nicely...at least, I tried. Do you think Phyrra is the first puppet Lolth has sent to fetch this? Come now...best not get left behind." Zaelynir flapped his wings, soaring into the air. Even if the mind flayers could run faster...they certainly couldn't fly."

Lance let out a sigh, taking Blink and throwing it up into the air. He warped towards it once it reached the rooftops above, able to catch up with Wake and Shavvir soon enough. Zaelynir soon caught up, the mind flayers that had been chasing them now safely away from them. The rest of the town was oddly quiet...there was space for far more mind flayers than they'd seen thus far. The four of them knew that their exact positions were known...and likely, their destination as well.

Far to the back of the city, Phyrra and Maul heard commotion from up above them, staying put while still sussing out the situation. After a minute, however, they saw the other four members run down the staircase they'd just previously been in, each leaping forward. Behind them, several mind flayers chased, trying to keep up but failing. The four of them seemed to be headed towards a specific location...from their perpendicular angle, however, it was hard to tell exactly where.

"We should follow them...if nothing else, they're going to need our help."

Maul shook his head. "Negative. Others compromised, destinations uncertain. Discern font location. Chart course."

"I don't know where it is...I have no way to find it. We can't go wandering through here, or they'll be onto us as well. I can't keep warping us around forever, Maul. We've got one more chance to escape, and searching through each and every building here isn't going to work. If the others have an idea, we need to follow it.

"Location acquisition unlikely. Destination variable."

Phyrra let out another sigh...this wasn't going anywhere, and she was spending more of her time understanding the warforged's words than she wanted. "It's unlikely, but possible. We don't know what happened up there...but something clearly did. I'm willing to gamble on them learning where they're going. If you don't want to follow, that's on you. I'm going after them."

Maul looked at Phyrra, his mechanisms brimming with frustration - gambling. The mere thought of trusting his life to chance was deplorable. However...the portal. His people. The warforged were still trapped within Acheron, and this was the closest he'd been to ever setting them free...but he needed Wake. Without Wake, that opportunity vanished. He despised the idea of chasing after the likes of Zaelynir, but his asset was also among that group - and he needed that asset alive. The warforged stood up and walked towards Phyrra, standing stock-still. "Accompanying."

"Good. I'll take us as close as I can." She opened up yet another Dimension Door and sent the two of them hurtling through it - still considerably behind the other four, but making ground. The rooftops of Oryndoll were simplistic, the mind flayers not worried about such physical matters. As such, they made good time, though still falling behind the likes of Lance's dagger or Zaelynir's wings. Phyrra watched as the incubus dove into the windows of one of the buildings closest to the ring - slightly taller than the others, but otherwise relatively ordinary. However, he was only in there for a moment, wings flapping even harder as he exited. A blast of psychic energy pulsed towards him, Zaelynir clutching his head in pain...they needed to get there...faster than they were.

"Hold on...I'm doing this one last time." Phyrra called upon even more of Lolth's divine power, forcing yet another Dimension Door to appear in front of them, leaping even closer to the front of the pack. They weren't far behind Wake and Shavvir now, the six of them closing the distance in tandem. Soon, they all arrived, Zaelynir looking back at Phyrra with frustration.

"You failed to mention there would be an Elder Brain?"

Upon hearing the words, everything clicked into place...why they'd been paranoid as soon as they got near to Oryndoll, why the others were able to be precisely traced...all of it. There was an Elder Brain here...that was new. Phyrra knew enough about mind flayers to know that there were very few in existence, often only in the most powerful of the mind flayer hives...of which Oryndoll certainly qualified. "I didn't know...I promise. Is the Font in there?"

Zaelynir nodded, his usual sly smile returning. "You aren't the only doll Lolth used to go fetch her jewelry...but you might be the one to succeed. Now, how do we deal with an Elder Brain?"

"Act impulsively. Don't plan anything, don't think anything, just act. If you give it a chance to learn your motives, it will be one step ahead of you. They already know what we're here for, but they can't figure out how we're going to get it...because we won't figure that out. We go in there, and we see what happens. If you need a reprieve, deal it a serious blow...that will shake the mind flayers for a moment." She looked at the others, Wake and Maul clearly not happy with the 'plan'...namely, the obvious lack of one.

"We can't just - "

Phyrra stopped the archer in his tracks, holding a finger to his mouth. "I know it's not easy for you. This is the best option. If you'd like to plan everything ahead of time, you're welcome to get yourself captured again." She spoke quietly, loud enough only Wake could hear her. "We need to talk about that ring...now." She looked back towards the others. "Any other questions? The mind flayers are getting closer."

That they were...too close. Zaelynir was the first to act, more than happy to act on a whim...Phyrra was rather confident that was the only way he knew how to act. As the others started their way towards the building, Phyrra walked astride Wake.

"Maul said he recognized that ring - it can be calibrated to point anywhere in the planes. Do you think, if I bought you enough time to get there, you could figure out how to operate it?"

Wake furrowed his brow, understanding now why the portal's presence earlier was so potent. "Probably. I've never seen anything like that, and I might need some help - if the mind flayers built it, I won't know where to start."

"That's fine...I can understand their language. I want you to open a portal to Lolth...I know where she is. I think this is actually why we were sent here...I think she wants to aid us personally."

Wake stopped just outside the building, shaking his head. "No. Phyrra...no. Creatures that powerful have no place on the Material plane. I know that she is your deity, and I respect that choice...but bringing her here is not the answer. It could spark another war, one where you and I are pawns, not leaders."

"Wake." She paused, thinking just how to word this. "Every mission Lolth has given me, there's been an ulterior goal, something I needed to figure out. And I mean every time. When she told me she wanted the Font, I knew that wasn't what we were coming down here for - she wanted something else nearby. That portal is the only possible option...what she's looking to do, convincing the drider to ally with us, to fight under me? It's not something that will be easy to do from afar. I ask that you trust me...if only this once. After that, we can use the portal to go somewhere else. That's fine...I think that's why she sent us here, specifically. Maul says he knows the calibrations to get to Acheron...I'm sure you'll figure out how to get it to send us to the Nine Hells as well. But please...trust me."

Wake sighed. "Okay. I can trust you. However, you sent the four of them in to get a gem, and they don't know that it's a diversion. They're risking their life for you, my brother is risking his life for you... and I'm not helping until we get what we were told we came for. Once the Font is in our possession, I'll follow you to the portal. I promise."

"Thank you, Wake. I won't forget this."

Phyrra turned her eyes towards the building, already hearing the sounds of chaos from within. Wake was right...she'd drug all of them along, a necessary diversion while she figured out the true goal. She didn't want to have to bring any of them back from death, though was prepared for it should it be necessary. "Alright. Let's go."

She leaped into the building, already seeing the illithid madness in front of them. It looked to be some sort of library, or perhaps a place of research...books joined all sorts of other bizarre objects on the walls and shelves, likely written in languages all but lost to the ages at this point. Phyrra did a quick scan for the Font of Knowledge, knowing that the need for compulsion was lessened on her - the elder brain was threateningly intelligent, but her ring held its creeping advance off of her.

On the elder brain...it dominated the library. In the center was a vat of brine, long and sinuous tentacles reached out to hold the massive brain in the center of it, nearly ten feet in diameter. The tentacles had woven themselves into the brain, a meshlike structure both supporting and feeding it, pulling knowledge, thoughts, feelings...everything, from those around it. Phyrra could feel its presence upon seeing it...true intellect, unbridled intellect, in the flesh.

As Phyrra finished looking around the room, her initial search came up empty, much to her chagrin. If she'd just seen it once...she had a spell that could locate it, but not without having laid eyes on it before...unless.

She scanned the room once more, looking for anything else remotely similar - a necklace, a ring, anything that might contain a gemstone. It was still difficult to tell, but she could only hope that her lack of finding one in her immediate vicinity would bode well. She looked to the ceiling, grasping at Lolth's divine grace, channeling more of it within her.

"Show me a gemstone." Her voice was low, her vision slightly distorting as the spell completed. Most everything remained exactly the same, but as her eyes scanned the room they were innately drawn in one particular direction, a tunnel created on some fourth dimension pulling her towards it.

"Lance!" Phyrra started running around the library as more and more mind flayers started pouring in, Maul and the others desperately trying to fight back. Maul, by far, had the easiest time, the mind flayers having no interest in his metallic form, leaving him free to fend off the others. A blast of fire erupted just as Phyrra ducked around a corner, Zaelynir taking to the air and scorching everything beneath her. Wake continued to phase around as he let more and more arrows fly, trying to fight back against the ocean of mind flayers likely encroaching on their position. It wasn't a winnable battle...they just had to lose slowly.

Phyrra continued to follow the tunnel emblazoned in her mind, growing brighter and brighter as she got closer and closer to the source. She rounded one final corner, nearly slamming into a bookshelf from the sharp turns. What she found was...a box. Amongst the plethora of powerful artifacts and forgotten grimoires in the library, the Font of Knowledge was in...a box.

At least, she hoped it was the Font...without a specific object to locate, she'd only been guided towards the closest gemstone to her upon finishing the spell. So long as Zaelynir's information was correct, it was entirely possible it could be somewhere else in the library, but she'd figure that out afterwards. She wanted to make sure that this was worth pursuing, however, reaching out with her drow blood...either the box, or what was inside of it, radiated powerful magic...perhaps both. If it wasn't the Font, it was still something worth investigating.

"Lance...can you get in? It might be trapped."

He looked at the box, seeing a rather simplistic lock keeping it shut. "Not a problem. Of course."

Phyrra nodded. "I'll provide cover." She summoned her spider companion, instantly lashing out at a mind flayer that had been able to break free from the rest of the pack. Deadly poison coursed through its veins as the spider's fangs struck true, Phyrra blasting it with a beam of radiant light while Lance knelt down, spreading out his lockpicking tools and setting to work.

As soon as he touched his tools to the lock, however, the library vanished. He found himself in some sort of extraplanar space, one filled with complete darkness. In front of him, hovering high in the sky...he could only assume it was what they came here for. A brilliant, dazzling gemstone, one lined with intricate silver filigree. Even with no knowledge of magic, he could feel it radiating a strong presence...but he had to get there first. He looked around...nothing was here, as far as he could see.

Lance walked forward carefully, arms out and waiting in front of him. He only made it a few paces before hitting an invisible wall...but the recoil from it was unbelievably painful. A sharp spike of pain raced up his arm and coursed through his entire body. The mere shock sent a necrotic blast flying off of his body. He watched it intently, noting exactly how far it made it before seemingly hitting an object...that could be useful. He threw Blink forward in the same direction, watching it hurtle through the air before colliding into seemingly nothing, hearing it clatter to the floor. Lance warped to his dagger, picking it up...that was the challenge. He needed to reach the gemstone, and carefully...all within a pitch-black room where the walls would likely kill him before he got even halfway there.

Back outside, Phyrra watched as Lance vanished upon touching the box. Panicking, she reached out...it was some sort of teleportation, but she didn't know which. Her panic only raised as another mindflayer found her, several more quickly piling on...it didn't matter if they couldn't sense her, but it seemed as if Lance's action had set off some sort of mental alarm.

She felt several pulses of psionic energy blast her from all sides, one far stronger than the rest - the elder brain. Her vision momentarily blacked out, her senses overloaded trying to handle the barrage of psychic blasts on her. She fell to the floor, one hand clutching the necklace Lolth had given her, the other keeping her from completely collapsing.

When her senses came back to her, she wasn't alone. She watched as an arrow ripped through a mind flayer dangerously in front of her, the tentacles of which mere inches away from her face. They were going to consume her mind...and had she not had help, they would have succeeded. Another arrow pierced another, followed by several flaming bolts. Wake was the first to find her, taking a more personal touch as he grabbed an arrow, simply stabbing it into another mind flayer's skull. He looked about, quickly noting that Phyrra was alone. "Where is Lance."

She shook her head frantically, gesturing back at the box. "As soon as he tried to open it, he disappeared...I don't know where to." Phyrra scrambled back to her feet, trying to fend off another mind flayer that was coming towards them. She didn't know what the rest of the library looked like, but they'd probably fought off dozens already...and yet, far more remained.

"Phyrra. He's in danger. I can feel it." Just then, Wake seized up in pain, his arm going rigid. He could feel every misstep that Lance was making within the invisible maze...and knew exactly how close he was to dying. "You've sent him to die." A few seconds later, and Wake seized up once more, the archer's features starting to look pained.

Phyrra looked back at the box, and then at Wake. "Then I'm going after him. Give me a Sending Stone. If you hear from me, grab the box, and get to the portal. Lolth lives on the 66th layer of the Abyss...I'll save Lance, wherever he is." Lance grabbed one of the Stones and handed it to her, immediately starting a counter-argument.

She didn't bother listening to Wake's rebuttal...her mind was set. She grabbed Lance's lockpicks that had clattered to the floor earlier, shoving them into the lock. Instantly, she was teleported away, hurtled off into some demiplane that seemed constructed solely to house the Font of Knowledge. She saw it, hovering bright and proud in the sky...but beneath that, she saw Lance. He was little more than a heap on the ground, trying to crawl his way forward, but making little progress. He was close to the stone...but it didn't look like he would make it.

"Lance!" Phyrra walked forward, immediately hitting an invisible wall. A shock ran through her system, strong enough to take her to the ground as well. So this is what had happened...she'd sent Lance into a plane designed to kill him...but she couldn't let that happen.

"Phyrra...I'm sorry. I couldn't reach it." Lance was still unable to get himself off the ground, collapsed amidst the blackness surrounding him."

The drow shook her head. "No...you're getting out of here. We're getting out of here." She had a spell that might help...one that might aid her in getting through this - True Seeing. She seeked Lolth's power from within even this hopeless place, feeling the Spider Queen's warmth and love flow through her once again.

Suddenly, everything became clear - the walls, the ceilings, and plenty of other things that she hadn't been able to see previously. Everything was illuminated in shimmering light - she could make it through.

Phyrra brought the Sending Stone up, speaking into it. "I've found him, Wake. We're getting out of here. He's injured...but I'll take care of him."

A voice responded, faint and weak. "Thank you."

Phyrra moved carefully through the maze, seeing blast marks from where Lance had likely run into the walls. With the spell active, she was able to make it through safely, reaching the half-elf in record time. She knelt down, quickly tending to his wounds while she poured Lolth's grace through her. "There...you're not going to die in here."

To her surprise, Lance actually reached up, wrapping his arms around her in a hug, tears staining his cheeks. "I'm sorry I failed you...I'm sorry."

She shook her head, hands cupping his face. "No, Lance. I failed you. I sent you in here not knowing the dangers...this was my mission, and I was willing to sacrifice others to achieve that. I promise you this...it won't happen again. Now come...let's get back to Wake."

Lance nodded, the two of them standing up. Phyrra quickly grabbed Lance's arm, keeping him behind her...if anyone was going to suffer anymore pain, it wasn't going to be him. She guided him through the rest of the maze as the winding corners and twisted passages got ever more complicated. The further they went, the more they had to duck, jump, and crawl through more complicated passages - if it weren't for her spell, they both would have been dead minutes ago.

Eventually, they reached a long hallway...Phyrra couldn't see an end beyond it, the Font of Knowledge floating in the air above them. Soon, the maze simply opened up into nothingness...it was simply them, and the gem.

Phyrra finally let Lance free, allowing the half-elf to walk free on his own once more. She brought the Sending Stone to her mouth once again. "Wake, we're close to the Font. Get to the portal."

"Doing our best." Wake jumped into the air, launching another arrow at yet another mindflayer...there were simply too many of them, and it seemed like there was always a dozen more just on the horizon. He remembered Phyrra's warning from before - the elder brain was the director, what kept them organized. They didn't necessarily need to kill it...they just needed to disorient it enough to break free. However, organization was out of the question - another thing Phyrra had been right on. Anytime Wake tried to announce a plan, a mind flayer was always there, ready to thwart it. The only way to do this was off the cuff - it would have been more painful if they hadn't been doing that for several minutes now.

Wake threw two more arrows, leaping around higher and higher, positioning himself on one of the bookcases. He saw the top of the elder brain - a perfect, clear shot. He cast a spell, teleporting forward until he was just on top of the elder brain. Teleportation had been the one thing thus far to confound the mind flayers - they knew his position, and the frequent jumps had saved him many times.

He cast another spell...one that he hoped would do the trick. A blast of wind ripped up from underneath the elder brain, gnawing and ripping at the tentacles that supported it. The gusts were strong enough that several of them actually started getting thrown loose - at the same time, a horrid, horrid screech filled his mind. A physic pulse blasted his mind, but this one was weaker, more defensive than offensive. He looked around at the mind flayers that he could see - they too seemed to be clutching their head, their link with the elder brain momentarily severed.

"Run!" Wake teleported once more, joining back up with the others. As he got back in position, Zaelynir unleashed a massive pyroclasm on the nearest wall, erupting a hole just large enough to escape out of - it would have to do. Maul charged through first shield-first, ripping the hole wide open. Shavvir ran through next, Wake and Zaelynir close behind. As soon as they were all through, the shadar-kai dropped an orb of darkness...and something else.

"Go...that will buy is the time we need." Shavvir pushed forward, finally free of the mind flayers for the first time since they'd entered the city. The four of them ran towards the massive ring just beyond them, quickly scaling a staircase until they were at the base of the ring. Wake quickly located what appeared to be the operational console, several different mechanisms present on the stone surface. Lance shouted into the Sending Stone. "Phyrra, we're in position, but we don't have much time. Where are you?" He looked down at the box that he was still clutching - they were in there...but they needed to get out. He looked down at himself, finally having a chance to breathe. He was in bad shape...again. "What's happening in there?"

"Ran into a problem!" Phyrra dodged out of the way - something had shown up just as they were about to reach the Font - something invisible. Her spell enabled her to see it, but Lance had fared less than optimally. She'd called upon some of her drow blood earlier, cloaking the strange figure in a green shroud, making the outline visible...but it was still a phantom. Even Phyrra didn't know what they were up against, the true form of the figure still very difficult to make out. It moved fast...terrifyingly so.

She'd also sustained a few wounds - not from the creature, but from Lance. He was still struggling to control this reactionary instinct within him, the bolts flying out at odd directions. The drow had been struck a couple times, each time the necrotic missile eating away at her flesh. She knew Lance was still trying to control this power...but he needed to figure it out quickly.

The green shroud came flying at her once more, dodging out of the way once more as it flew by her, a rush of claws narrowly missing her robes. She looked back up at the Font...if it wasn't so high up, this would me much easier. They hadn't even scratched the creature...this wasn't a battle they were going to win with brute force. "Lance? Can you reach it!"

He looked up to the sky, nodding. "Probably."

"Go. I'll buy time."

Lance threw Blink into the air, watching it hurtle through the endless void around them. As it did, Phyrra got caught by the strange creature, sharp claws raking against her robes, leaving several gashes on her side.

"There's some inscription here, elvish script. I don't know the language." Lance looked around, seeing Phyrra get caught by the horrifying creature.

Phyrra looked up...so that was likely their way out. "Okay. I'm coming up." She channeled the depths of her drow blood, her body feeling momentarily weightless as she rose slowly into the air, leaving behind the green shroud below them. Within seconds, she'd reached the massive gem, circling around to find the inscription on the back of it.

"Deep Speech...this must be truly ancient."

"You know it?"

Phyrra nodded. "It is a favorite among the aberrations within the Underdark. I know enough. Let me see what it says." Phyrra focused on the script, making out the words.

"The less you have of me, the more powerful you feel. The more you have, the less powerful. Speak my name, and claim your leave with me." Phyrra sighed...a riddle.

Lance looked at her, furrowing his brow. "I don't know the clue...but we came in here for one thing. It might be that."

Phyrra focused on the script once again. "Knowledge...it make sense. Without it, you're foolish. You feel powerful due to your lack of understanding of the world around you. As you gain more, you realize just what is out there. I think...it's both a riddle and a warning. Whomever claims it gains untold knowledge...the gem is warning you of just what might come from that."

Lance looked around. "Well, that warning should have been on the box holding it. I don't exactly see another way out. Let's go."

Phyrra nodded. "Let's." She spoke the word in Deep Speech, mirroring the ancient script on the gem. "Knowledge."

Lance looked at the mechanisms on the console, trying to make sense of it...he understood the basics, but the details required an understanding of a language that nobody knew...nobody except Phyrra. He set the box on top of the console, still trying to work with what was known to him.

The console had three mechanisms - a radial dial, a vertical lever, and a spinning disk set within the console. The first was simple, sixteen clear anchor points for the dial making its purpose clear as a method to choose one of the sixteen planes. He spun the dial around until it was pointed perfectly at the bottom right, the location where the Abyss was on almost every map of the planes. Once he'd locked it into place, the lever seemed to glow, an elvish script illuminated in front of him. He couldn't make out the language...but he wasn't going to let that stop him. As he pulled the lever down, the script started flashing at a blindingly fast rate, changing rapidly to the point that he could barely read it.

Wake had a guess...but wanted to be sure. He moved the dial to the bottom right, pointing to the nine hells. Once there, he moved the lever again, this time the script changing much more slowly...layers. Wake counted nine distinct characters, matching the nine layers of the hells...he could only hope that they were in order, guessing as to what '6' was as he changed the dial back to the planes. He adjusted the lever carefully, lining it up with what he believed to be the 66th layer...Lolth's domain.

As he started to look at the spinning disk, the box in front of him started shaking violently, the lock eventually flying open of its own volition. In front of him stood Lance and Phyrra...they'd finally returned. In Phyrra's hand was a small jewel, easily able to fit into the palm of her hand. As he watched though, the jewel sunk into her flesh, sinking into her hand and emerging on the other side. There, however, it stayed, half-embedded in her skin...it was a part of her now.

Phyrra's eyes roared with a flash of light as the Font of Knowledge's power took root within her - when it was finally finished fusing with its hosts, Phyrra struggled to stay standing, hands gripping the console next to her.

"Are you...okay?"

Phyrra stayed still for several seconds, regaining her balance. At first, she felt no different...but that quickly changed. It was as if all knowledge was floating about in her brain, waiting to be accessed. She didn't know how to do so quite yet, but she could sense information within her that wasn't there before...she just didn't know exactly what information as of yet. "Yes. Let us summon Lolth...I am the Font of Knowledge now."

Phyrra circled around to the other side of the console, checking over Wake's work. It all made perfect sense to her now...she knew what the dials meant, and knew that Wake had put them exactly where they needed to go, knowingly or not. "Good job...open the portal."

Wake looked at her one again, and then again at the configuration he'd made in front of him. "Are you...no. Nevermind."

"Hmm?" The drow looked at him with genuine curiosity, unsure as to where his thought was going."

He looked up one final time, shaking his head. "I trust you." He was going to ask if she was confident that the position was right...but he knew it was. This wasn't some ploy, some grand plan to destroy all of them...if Phyrra really wanted that, she wouldn't have saved Lance from within the box. He continued feel the effect of the healing she'd given him, but the archer could tell from a cursory glance that his brother looked in far better condition than he did - something that was only possible if Phyrra had healed him. Wake knew from experience all of the terrors that existed within the planes...among them, Lolth was far from topping that list. If Phyrra was confident that this would open a portal to her, and only her and her servants...he was pleased. Lance slammed down on the fourth mechanism on the console, a simple button with no text of any sort...its role was simple. Wake pressed it, awaiting for what was to follow.

Phyrra watched with glee as the entire portal turned jet black, the sounds of the mind flayers gaining on them meaning nothing to her...all would bow before the Spider Queen. The first thing she saw was what she always saw - her wondrous head, decorated in intricate silvered jewelry. Her arms were the next to appear, equally decorated and filling a significant portion of the truly massive portal in front of them.

However, the rest...the rest was new to Phyrra. She was only partially surprised by the arachnid feet that came stepping out, massive pyres of deadly flesh that could eliminate anything they stepped on. Six more came out in due time, all carrying a massive, bulbous thorax, bloated with web and touting a stinger laden with certainly some of the most potent venom in the planes. Phyrra wasn't surprised by Lolth's true form...she was known as the Spider Queen for a reason, and that image certainly was present in the grandiose form in front of her.

Lolth gave one glance at the horde of mind flayers that had finally reoriented themselves, holding out a single fist towards all of them "Cease your advance!" As soon as she spoke the words, each one did exactly that, standing rigid in place as the deity issued her command. "You hold no place in this city anymore, wretched illithids. Abandon your homes, seek refuge if you can find it...in time." The last words came as Lolth's commanding tone turned into a smile, her arms raising into the air at once. As she did, a horde of spiders came billowing out of the portal - massive spiders, some nearly the size of buildings, but most easily comparable to a humanoid.

Some of the mind flayers considered standing and fighting, but all of that bravado died as soon as the first wave of spiderlings hit the mind flayers. They leaped and attacked their prey, nearly devouring them whole with deadly talons and deadlier venom. The mind flayers were culled like wheat in a field, the rest instantly turning and running away...only a few of them making considerable headway before being caught. Within minutes, the entire population would be dead...this was now Lolth's home.

The Spider Queen turned her attention towards Phyrra, her form rapidly shrinking, spider appendages collapsing into lithe humanoid legs. By the time the transition was done, Lolth was only a foot or so taller than Maul, but still significantly taller than the rest. Even still, she remained ever-resplendent, the silver jewelry that adorned her gargantuan form maintaining its relative size on this smaller shape. "Look at me, my faithful Phyrra. You have once again done as I intended...but have you done as I asked?"

Phyrra nodded, holding her hand up to Lolth and exposing the Font of Knowledge to her. "I have, my Queen, but not alone. The Font of Knowledge is in my possession...but I am afraid that I cannot give it to you as requested. It bound itself to me upon releasing it from its prison...I do not know how to undo that binding."

Lolth simply shook her head. "You cannot, for it cannot be done. I have sent many drow to retrieve the Font of Knowledge, all that had earned a great deal of my favor. It was meant to be a gift among my most loyal, one to signify yourself as my favored...I find it fitting that you were the one to accomplish this task. You have served me well, Phyrra...I will do what you have requested of me, and far more."

"Oh?" Phyrra remembered just why they'd come here...it wasn't simply because Lolth had asked her to. Lolth had promised her the drider...but it sounded like that was not the complete deal anymore.

"You said it yourself. There is not a drow in the Underdark that would dare disobey my order. I am here, in all my glory...and I will have them fight for you. You are my chosen, Phyrra. Among all the drow that walk this earth, you are the one that I value more than the rest...any drow that stands with you shall be in my good graces, and I will communicate this personally."

"And you think they'd fight...among the drider?"

Lolth smiled. "Phyrra...I will be fighting amongst the drider. I sent you here to find this very portal, and you have done so. It has been eons since I have breathed the air of the Material plane...and I do so now because of your success. I shall personally stand alongside you in your endeavors, and see this one through to the end. Empyria is the strongest coalition of forces the Material plane has ever produced, perhaps strong enough to rival the armies of other planes...I shall enjoy watching them falter. However, I know that the drow may be enough...I may be a god, but I know my limits. I presume this portal shall serve you well, yes?"

Phyrra looked at the others momentarily, nodding. "Yes...this will aid in our travels."

Lolth clapped her hands together, walking towards the city that had just recently been overrun. "Splendid...I had presumed as much. I know that there is much that you would wish to talk about, but such things can happen once you have accomplished your goals. I must make my journey to Guallidurth...the drow await me there."

Phyrra was still struggling for words, the true form of her deity finally revealed to her...Lolth was every bit as brilliant as she'd expected. "Thank you, my Queen. I will not fail you."

Lolth smiled, turning away from the group. "Of that...I am certain."

With that, Lolth turned her attention towards the spiders that were still ransacking the city, humming a happy tune as the sounds of wailing mind flayers filled her mind...this would be where she made her root within the Material plane.

Wake called for all of the members of the Syndicate to gather around the console, looking at the four mechanisms upon it. "This can take us four places...Carceri, the Abyss, the Nine Hells, and Acheron. Maul, you said that you knew the calibrations to get us there...does anyone have a concern with that plan?" In his mind, Wake was accepting of holding off on the Nine Hells...if nothing else, he presumed they would be there shortly.

Zaelynir shook his head. "I wouldn't dare make a deal with a demon...either it's our last stop, or it's not worth our time."

Lance nodded similarly. "I don't suppose Molag will have an army, per se...just him. Best to wait and see how much time we have left before making any decisions."

Wake turned his attention towards Shavvir. "I only see a way to set it for the outer planes...I'm afraid even a portal this powerful can't reach the Shadowfell. I'm sorry."

"We'll get there soon enough...I'm confident in that."

Wake paid Shavvir's words little mind, turning his attention to the warforged. "Go ahead, Maul...let's get going."

"Understood." Maul circled around to take stand in front of the console, drawing from his memory banks to remember exactly where they'd been set. The portal he'd used had been in a language he could read, a benefit he didn't have here...but that would be of little concern for him. He positioned the mechanisms exactly as he remembered, turning the radial dial almost all the way to the left - Mechanus, the plane of the modrons and the leftmost plane, bordered Acheron. It had been the exact reason why the battlegrounds had been drawn there, so close to modron territory...had the warforged been pushed any further back, they'd be at an even bigger disadvantage than they had been. As soon as he moved the dial, the portal slammed shut, awaiting further modifications before reopening.

Maul moved the lever to the very top, denoting the first layer of Acheron, Avalas. Over the course of time the warforged had taken the fight to Thuldanin, the second layer, but Maul had no knowledge of where. It would be easiest to follow traces from their point of origin, and advance from there.

Maul positioned the final mechanism properly, rotating it around until it was exactly as he remembered it...if it wasn't accurate, it would be close. He activated it, the portal opening once again in a cloud of utter blackness...it would be impossible to know if he was correct until he'd walked through it.

"Coordinates determined. Location acquired. Avalas set." Maul walked towards the portal, pausing as he heard others behind him.

"Are you sure?"

He looked at the portal...there was only one option. "Coordinates accurate." He continued walking, not waiting to look behind him to see if the others would follow him...his people awaited.

The others watched as Maul walked confidently through the portal, disappearing on the other side. "Well...we've got no choice now. Let's go." Shavvir followed after him, and then Wake, Lance, Phyrra, and finally Zaelynir. Each one stepped through the portal, emerging on the other side.

"Who is your master, incubus...if that is indeed what you are?"

Zaelynir turned around...he was just about to step through the portal, all the others before him having gone through already. His eyes narrowed, trying to read Lolth's body language, but the trickster goddess was far more skilled than he could ever hope to crack. "Orcus has been my commander."

Lolth smiled. "Commander, yes...if that is how you wish to word it. There are many among the demons that would revel in seeing Empyria little more than a stain in the annals of history. I have heard whispers of...considerable rewards for any that play a key role in making that happen. Empyria is the pinnacle of order and rule...there are many in the infinite layers that despise it on the premise of what it stands for."

"And your point?"

Lolth smiled. "Phyrra speaks to me on many occasions...it is why I favor her. I know that you are here simply to watch your companions struggle at the task laid out before them. Perhaps you should take a more active role in Empyria's destruction...unless you favor remaining an incubus forever.

Zaelynir furrowed his brow, taking another step through the portal. "I will take that into consideration." With that...he entered Acheron.

Word Count: 7428

Total Word Count: 44651