Lothor thought a shatter spell sounded like it might work, but also like it might sends ice shards flying their way. Trust magic to be a double edged sword. He grinned a bit as he ran his hand along the large double edged blade of his own sword. Lots of things had two edges.

He hoped the idea of a gust of wind would help preserve them from any flying ice. It was a good idea. Still, he turned away from the ice as the spell was being cast - best to let his backpack absorb the brunt of the ice while he protected his face. Still, he knew something nasty might be trapped in the ice and released when it shattered. Hopefully it would be flayed by the shards, but if not, Lothor fully intended to turn as soon as the ice had shattered and be ready for anything that came from the ice. Until that time he would watch their backs while presenting his to the ice.

As the party moved down the long hallway to the Iced over doorway, the healers healed until once again everyone was back to max health. Then the door was in front of them covered in thick ice. No one could say that Ulthok had not made sure to keep the room closed till the party could deal with it.

For the next few minutes idea's were tossed back and forth, fire, the use of axes, and other possibly chancy ways to clear the ice away. Finally once more it was the Halfling Thief/Mage that came up with a party agreed upon idea.

"I'm going to cast Shatter. It will center about 3 feet inside the doorway in the ice. Seeing that ice is a crystal of water it may work to break the ice into chunks that can be more easily moved or melted. The amplified magic could actually pulverize the ice. Stand back and be ready to shield yourself in case it bows back this way."

Sirene standing quietly alongside Ulthok as he began to cast reached out a ringed hand, readying magic of her own. Her thinking if the halfling's plan did work, perhaps the aid of buffeting winds might keep the shards of ice away from them. The party would thank her forethought as Ulthok uttering the words sent the spell into the ice.

At once the spell intensified three fold blew the ice apart, sending large shrapnel sized pieces flying everywhere. Hitting the stone walls those same pieces ricocheting towards the party only to hit Sirene's gust of wind and were turned back towards the door. The force of the blast though harmless still forced a few members to their knees, but no injuries were sustained.

With the doorway now open the party headed into the 50x50 circular room and as they entered they could easily frozen pieces of bloody body parts everywhere. The body parts both severed and crushed there was no way identify who or what they had once been.

However every ones eyes were at quickly drawn to the center of the room where a huge reddish gem, untouched by blood or ice, pulsated in-closed in a crystal globe, the gem at its center. Held in place in a spider web type wired frame above a pool of dark, now frozen water, bursts of electrical flashes coming quickly at random.

Could this be the flying castles power source, the way to destroy this ugly Githyanki creation and save the fortress of Craggian Core below.

(DM OOC: Ok gonna post my OOC's here again its much easier. Yeah, yeah I'm going bipolar so kiss me.

Ok your in the room with the castles possible power source in front of you. Watcha gonna do.
All healing has been added and everyone is back at max. Next post next Sunday the 10th)

Lothor looked into the gem room with everyone else. The gem drew his eyes for a moment, but quickly turned away to survey the room. He glanced at the bloody mess of body parts splashed around the room to see if he could tell if Ulthok's tormentor was among them, but without none of the parts seemed big enough to give up their secrets, at least not from a distance.

He spoke briefly. "This is beyond me. The gem I leave to those whose skills offer some chance of success. While you work, I will watch the hall we entered from. I think a quick search for another entrance might be worth our time."

So saying, the big warrior positioned himself to the side of the entry and kept watch the way they had come.

"Could we perhaps disintergrate the thing and be done with it?"

Ulthok looked at Cor, "Yeah I could do that, but let's see if it's warded or protected first." With that Ulthok pulled one of his throwing stars and through it into the crystal ball.

Rayne stood back, waiting for Ulthok to shatter the ice. Though she had anticipated it to shatter, she had definitely not expected it to be as violent as it was. The blast knocked her back a stride; however, Rayne found herself unharmed. Sirene's gust of wind had prevented any injuries from occurring to the party.

They moved into the room. Anyone that had been in here had been smashed to pieces from the ice wall. Rayne shuddered slightly at the thought of what could have happened had they been caught in it.

It wasn't long for the gem in the globe to draw everyone's attention. The globe had not been punctured or smashed by the ice. Quickly, the party began to plan about how to destroy the glove and gem.

Pacing around the room, Rayne tried to notice anything out of the ordinary, aside from the gem in the centre. It was strange that there wasn't a trap or something on the gem. Sure, it had been guarded, but it seemed too easy...

The shards of icy and mortal remains crunched beneath the weight of her step. Only fey grace and enchanted boots silenced the macabre percussion as she glided through the room. There was a thickness to the very air as if some unholy power sought to hold them still. Siréne found herself shuddering despite the lauded serenity of her mantle. With every step forward the darkness only grew deeper.

The found themselves facing a floating gem crackling with magics. All logic insisted that this was the source of the places dark power, the very gem they sought. It stood here alone, with not even the lowliest thrall to guard it. That was all to easy for her thinking.

It seemed she was not alone in this theory, for before she could give breath to her thoughts, Ulthok hurled a glittering object at the gem. There was no release of power or summoning of guards, only the mundane shattering of glass.

Siréne narrowed her eyes. She was not yet ready to throw caution to the wind. There might still be something lurking in the depths, waiting to snare them. Ancient magic flowed through and she directed it toward the gem delving for any trap that might yet be unsprung.

((OOC: Casts Find Traps))

The blow back from the shattering caught Alyia off guard forcing her to her knees.
Quickly looking around she sighed softly when the rest of the party seemed un harmed by the shards.

Getting up, Alyia's attention was drawn to the caged gem at the center of the room. Alyia's gaze drifted down ward to the pool below.

Frowning Alyia mused to herself calling Xin forth she bid him to search the gem from above an report back anything that seemed like it would give them a hint or advantage.

Alyia tensed as the crackling magic in the room made the hair on the back of her neck rise as she shifted defensively.

Her hand falling to cover her spell pouch.

Rayne strode around the room, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. The sound of shattering glass drew her attention. Ulthok's throwing star shattered the crystal around the gem. That just left the gem still floating in the centre.

Examining a piece of the crystal on the ground, Rayne found it was ice cold, even through her gloves. Though she only applied a bit of pressure, Rayne found that the crystal was easy to crush into dust. She dropped the dust back on the floor, feeling her hand quickly warm back up.

Sirene seemed to be examining the gem, so Rayne stepped back. Turning to the party, and pulling out her anti-magic gem, she asked, "So, shall we finish this now?"

Cor couldn't believe he had forgotten about the gems. "Aye, the gems should do the trick." Pulling out his gem he looked at the others. "On the count of three we throw then in. One. Two. Three." Cor toss his gem and was not sure what to expect.

Lothor heard the brief discussion about the gems. He was a bit surprised it went so quickly - it had the feel of "oh, sure, lets give that a try." But what did he know about this stuff? Very little.

So the big warrior prepared to follow the lead of those more versed in magic. While trying to keep his eye on the tunnel he prepared to toss his gem in when the others did.

And he couldn't help himself - he also prepared to turn and shield himself from whatever blast resulted. Even though he was pretty sure it would either be nothing or a whole lotta something that would require more than a duck-n-cover drill.

Ulthok watched the globe around the gem ahatter and crumble. The cage continued to be suspended over the well. With the power bolts coming up from that pit the mage guessed that both the gem and the well were the source of the castle's power. This wouldn't be easy to destroy but they had been armed with the antimagic gems and told to use these to stop the power.

"We need to use the gems we were given..now. Cor, you and i toss ours in the cage...the rest of you toss yours in the well. We need to attack both to be sure. So activate your gem as you were told and let's got this done....Then look for cover and protect yourselves."

The mage figured those that sent them would guessed not all of each party would survive so that not all of a party's gem would be needed to do the job. Ulthok hope that tossing four gems in the cage and six in the well would be enough.....if indeed this was the source.

Then he heard Cor and they all tossed on his count of three.

Peri.......

The little companion fluttered near Ulthok as he pulled the gems from their hiding place. Hearing his instructions she purched on his backpack, she wasn't going to be seperated from him again. She knew his mind now and she felt the loss and hope in his heart for Valene. Purhaps she had already escaped with White Queen.

As Peri pondered their actions now she thought it a paradox of magic. Using magic to destroy magic. The power of the well and stone would give the antimagic gems more strength until they distroyed the source of their added strength. Turning the power against itself.

Clutching tightly Peri held on as Ulthok made his retreat after tossing his gems. "Hide behind the big ones." she thought. But now other than Cor they were all big ones.

Roan withdrew the Gem he had been carrying and took his turn, throwing it into the Well with a prayer spoken to Odin, before quickly striding away, making sure that Ulthok and Peri were protected by his large frame, as the Human Ranger/Cleric remained alert for any type of unforeseen attack against the rear of the company of adventurers.

Magic permeated every inch of the room, but any snares that might have been now lay in ruins amongst the icy shards crunching beneath their feet. With no other threat found by her divination there was no course but forward. This was what they had come for.

Gripping the gem in her hand, Sirene breathed an ancient prayer to the Great Goddess. So many of their number had been lost to the horrors of this foul place. Yet the stood here now and the light of hope began to burn before them. Lifting the gem to her lips, she breathed a prayer for each of the fallen.

"One... Two... Three..."

Cor's voice rang out through the room and they each hurled their stones into the well. It was in the hands of the Goddess now.