"Dropping— wait no, keeping the image to block charges!"

The darkness flickers for a moment, as she almost lapses in her concentration. When it returns, it's a little off from where it was, and anyone looking at it might have noticed the irregularity.

Two more arachnids rush out of the darkness and climb up onto the walls. They bite into Julen's shoulder and side. Ouch.

"They're in, image down soon!"

Yanor draws on his flame spirit. Burning hands. He scorches both of the climbers with a cone of fire.

Tomas slams his rapier through the side of a climbing arachnid. It falls unconscious from the wall. Julen dodges out of the way.

Julen carves into the remaining arachnid with two slashes. It bleeds a lot but doesn't go down.

No way to get the final arachnid in the Image, so it's useless now. She drops it.

...there's not actually much she can do, though. Acid Splash it is. Hits, at least.

The arachnid claws twice at Julen and rends flesh from bone. He slumps to the ground unconscious.

Yanor runs up to Julen and heals him with shaman magic. His most severe wounds close and he wakes up.

Tomas pierces the final arachnid in the eye. It collapses from the wall and goes still.

Julen climbs up on his feet. "Ow. Fuck. That hurt."

Wand out! "Come, I have Healings for you. I had not realized how necessary the blinding was to evading real consequence. Perhaps I should have attempted a Burst and hoped they could not evade it."

Tap. In a minute, she'll see how he's doing and probably use another charge. And maybe another after that, those claws looked bad.

"Thank you." The first charge heals perhaps a third of his injuries.

"Hmm." Second tap. "Do we wish to retreat now and recuperate for the day, or press onwards, whether to the hydra or some other potential combat? I can expend a further charge, but it only seems worthwhile if we plan to use it. I would advise against attempting to enter the tower with our resources expended as they are."

"If nothing else, I want investigate that pillar. Most of the small solifugids died to the fireball. I'm fine with calling it a day after that."

"I will leave the rest to heal naturally, then, perhaps aided by another touch from Yanor tomorrow or similar methods."

What does a Detect Magic see on the pillar?

The seven-sided pillar pulses with a strong aura of enchantment.

That's a little terrifying! Strong auras are not usual things to see! She takes a moment before speaking.

"There is an incredibly strong spell on that pillar. Seventh-circle if not higher, or a similarly mighty magic item. Enchantment. If this is the personal work of a Runelord, I am now both certain wea re in the right place and impressed by its incredibly extended survival. ...if there is an incorporated abjuration to mitigate the effects of weathering I would not see it under that enchantment, but even then I know not how this cave would still exist after so long. Perhaps some later caster who uncovered and made use of the truly ancient infrastructure?"

She nods to Tomas. "I will defer to your experience on any possible value it has. It does not appear designed as treasure, though, and I am uncomfortable removing anything with such mighty potential defenses which was constructed to remain in place."

Yanor casts detect magic and stares intently. "I have no idea what this is."

"It's not a magic item. I can tell that much."

"No, I see what you mean. I can't say what it is, though. Only that it is an impressively mighty spell, and quite a long-lasting one. Unless someone is regularly teleporting in to re-empower it, I suppose."

"It's enormous. There's simply no way we can move it. Not that I would volunteer to risk touching it."

"Quite. And I suspect nobody would wish to purchase it even if we could. Leave it?"

"That seems wise. We can return here and push deeper tomorrow." He turns to move back the way they came.

Julen nods.