Unusual Activity: Eastern Citadel

*mialee curiously watches the vines as they move*

Drurazhor remains motionless, glancing between everyone in the hall.

Aria Sighs and looks at the cat
"you Spit out ALL of the information now before that things blows up! For all we know that things grace is grabbing is what stabilizes it, that things goes?.. We're all Dead." It was a bluff, most likely but.. the cat was with-holding information..

The cat stares at Aria blankly, and reply's with an even more vague 'meow', before looking back at Grace and Valerion.

*Quirking a brow at Aria, chuckling before he looks back at the portal*
"I can teleport us all out of here the second something happens, I am holding ready a spell to slow down the time so far that I have about ten seconds to cast the one to bring us all out of here, and after investigating this I will investigate the dagger, I am curious what secret it holds."

After minutes of waiting, the vines pull out of the hole a small cylindrical length of deep purple crystalline gemstone. Comparing it to the hole, in shape and size it looks like a near prefect fit. As if it had grown into it like a plant would have.

In the light of the tunnel, the group has time to inspect and focus on it. It seems to be giving off a faint light from inside, eroding at the darkness about 1 cm away

Drurazhor keeps looking at the crystal, as if the light it emanates had made him hypnotized, he frowns at it, then after a few moments, he glances back at the other people, seeing if any of them might know anything about it.

*Grabbing his staff, his favourite one, "The Mindshield" tighter Valerion stares at the cylindric gemstone, concentrating his magical senses on it, before after a few moments he says* "A spell of Identification."

As Valerion focuses his will on the crystal, it's glow grows from 1 cm to 2 cm and remains that way. To those within 1.5 m a weak bass pitched hum is heard.

*A slight smile creeps over Valerions face as he looks at the cylinder, nodding slowly before opening his tome, reading a few sentences of it*

"Hmmmmmm, Not magical in itself in the slightest, but reacts to magical use, someone please use a minor spell on it, another concentrate on their magic senses, concentrate on every ever so slight change*

Grace glances to Aria and Mia, still focusing her attention and control on the vines- retracting them form the pyramid, but keeping a few young shoots wrapped around the cylinder, holding it in place above the pyramid. Hopefully the other arcanists in the room could discover more about the strange stone and be a little more open in sharing said discover.

*Mialee steps closer and cast a simple light spell on the crystal*

Aria looks at it and frowns trying to judge what it is. We'll know it's powerful it val runs off with it. She sighs he's a damn greedy bastard.. when he's not doing something in teh shadows that is.

While the light does help the group see the object, the spell itself causes no effect on it other than overpowering the light coming from it.

Aria frowns.. "Did.. you two hear that?..I sounds.. like.. voices??I.. what is this thing?..."
she steps back, this was getting creepy.. doom portal. creepy noise glowy things- all in a 'normal' day damn..

*Valerion has remained silent, staring more intensely on the cylinder, before he starts rubbing his chin*

"It absorbs magic, it is not magical for itself, without any actual reference of clerical, alchemical or druidical specialists I cannot say more about it so far...unless it is transported into a laboratory that is properly equipped for such needs. This is the first time I come across something like this."

Grace frowns, the vines tightening in reaction to her concern.

"Aria?"

Voices? With Aria, it was never entirely certain what was actually happening and what was happening in Aria's head. Grace cocks her head, listening. Although she did say 'you two' perhaps it was something she suspected only the arcanists could hear?

She glanced quickly to Valerion. So what was the stones purpose? If it absorbed magic... was it to stop the pyramid over powering? Prevent magic leaking out of the portal? Act as a... store? Absorbing magic to a certain level, and allowing the portal mechanisms to retake that energy and power the portal?

*mialee glances at aria as she listens for anything*

Currently both Grace and Mia hear nothing more from the crystal other than the previous bass humming.

The crystal does appear to be reflecting more light, as if polished.

Aria frowns and looks at valerion."If it's a store it stay with teh pyramid...too risky.. also I want to try casting a simple spell on it, Ray of frost.. to see what it does?.. How it reacts?..this.. we need to figure it out.."

"I think you're charging it- the stone. Possibly channeling magic directly into this- and then putting it back into the pyramid, will activate the portal- or something similar. What ever the other gem was, obviously the portal can work with out it. In which case.. let's not put this one back into the portal."

What ever this stone was, it was likely rare if Valerion didn't know- or hadn't known- about it. Grace didn't trust him. It was unwise to trust him. It would also be foolish to think he wouldn't want to obtain the stone somehow. Something as unusual as the gem was sure to catch his interest.

*For a moment Valerion seems to ponder his eyes fixated on the crystal before he nods to Aria*

"I believe I know now though, I saw an opening before and considering a few other information from before, and you two's insights, the main Crystal that had been loaded and charged with highest magical energy was there already, the big one, in the Tip, this seems to be a replacement or something to fall back upon, if properly charged, it might activate the portal again, it is not much different from a diamond golems heart, or a piece of exaltium, just a different crystal,

Aria can you identify this crystal, mayhap as an ioun stone made construct?

So we can conclude, that whoever has stolen the main power unit, has either knowledge of it's ability and wants to use it for the same purpose like in the pyramid or as a weapon, about this pyramid that certainly leads to another plane whichever it might be, I vote for exploration on the other side in very close proximitry then return here and destroy all power units, this pyramid is a knot but the main target was surely never what it was now, I do not think it "appeared" as the dwarf said, except maybe in his own perception, and if so, it serves no purpose nor served any in the past that would benefit the realm.
After the exploration, destruction of the existing anchor on the other side and return here, I am capable of opening a portal that enables us to travel in between planes, if necessary, I will use my mark in the riftstone to go there with it, from which return is rather easy, that or just bring us all back with my spell of interdimensional teleportation.

She looks at it and pull a book of of her bag Ever so often she glances to the object then her book again, humming to herself

"Feel free to go through if that is your wish- I will not. I am never comfortable leaving this plane, even with a deity helping bridge nature's blessing. I will remain here and keep watch."

Grace wasn't lying about dislike planar travel and being distanced from Nature, even if the Balance and greater force of the world existed in all planes in one form or another. This plane was where the balance was the most stable, and where the nature she was connected to the strongest. However, it was also because she did not trust Valerion. He had means to preform his own planar travel. Grace did not.

Drurazhor looks at Valerion, after pondering a bit, he looks at the crystal and the pyramid, then sights and moves closer to Grace, a signal that he won't leave that place aswell.