>>5401716You force as much mana into the process as you can safely marshall to the task. A magical item is often like a bottleneck for your power output—well, except for the moon-blade, which seems at times to have a power capacity in excess of anything you can produce. When using the Ring of Elemental Command, the problem is further exacerbated by the elemental spirits trapped in the remaining two gems: too much power at once risks breaking another gem and freeing the being within, with unpredictable results.
>16It works, though—the shoggoth-slime is frozen solid!
“Pick that up and bring it with usss,” you command the Throat-singer.
“We aren’t going to turn back and rejoin the others?” he asks, paling a little bit.
“Our work iss not yet done.”
The Throat-singer cautiously extracts the sample, wisely employing his prosthetic hand as much as possible to avoid touching it directly with his own flesh and blood. You, for your part, have depleted about two-thirds of your mystical energy, your muscles ache, your skin steams and stings, and your fire-lung feels roughly at half-capacity—enough for a single targeted blast of intense flame, or several smaller ones. You’re feeling more than up to the task before you, but with your <Dragonshape> nearly depleted, you know you cannot rely on brute force alone.
As you and your bard descend once more into the unknown, you…
>Draw your bow and notch an arrow, to maintain maximum distance>Ready your magic ring to serve as your primary weapon [Lightning? Ice?]>Take up your sword once more, and draw your dagger to dual-wield>Unwrap the moon-blade—to the Hells with keeping it secret, you need its power!>Write-in 