The brass that framed the doors, as well as the sides of the tunnel, are mashed, pitted, and overall look like they have been exploded. We see a shaft of light inside the room highlighting a metal pedestal with runes on it, and a glass container with a pendant inside on top of the pedestal. There are a bunch of machine arms, limbs, and heads in a macabre "art" exhibit surrounding the pedestal. Off to the side there are machine bodies and paraphernalia hanging. Some of the arms have tools in their hands, but we can't figure out what they are or how they are used.

As we enter the chamber, we see several of the skull-like heads on the rubble, and some on the bodies off to the side, have gems for eyes, and they open their mouths to show grinding gears. There is a terrible grinding sound, and crystal shards fall from the mouths. Then, the floor starts to move.

We quickly decide that the best option is to have Milo drink the shrink potion and ride a crossbow bolt (shot by Solstice) while tied with light rope for quick retrieval.
The mass of limbs and things is approaching us, and Solstice (with the help of Phaidros) takes aim and shoots the bolt into the pendant's glass cover. It shatters, but in a very safe manner.

Milo snags the pendant (its in-loop power is once a day erasing the last 10 minutes from the memory of the target. Its normal power is to give the wearer one level of compartmentalized mind), and Phaidros heaves on the rope to bring him back. This brings Milo to the front of the pack of mechanical limbs and stuff. Milo drops and dodges as a flamethrower billows out from the mass of limbs.

Milo narrowly escapes the pile of limbs, and we run away from the slow-moving pile. We come to the main chamber, and realize that our ladder has been destroyed, and the chute to get back where we came from is 6 meters above us. We scrounge together a grappling hook, and toss it at the chute until it sticks. We then make the rest of our way out.

We camp out for night in the tower, and then hike out the next day. Over bubble tea we discuss next steps with Drak. We gate to the exterior of the door to the cube control room as Drak wants to check it out.

We learn that the back door beside the chamber that holds the plant that is under study is a door to the sewers. There is another magical door and a killing zone, but this seems to be a likely entry point for the end of the month invasion from the sewers.

Drak says the cube in the chamber is not magical. He did sense that Milo's soul was completely gone when he entered the cube. Milo tries to snag Drak's soul and drag it into the cube with him. Drak's soul comes in with Milo, and the controller says it is unethical to bring copies into the cube, and shunts Drak's soul out. Milo exits, and Drak has no memory of this, though Milo explains it to him.

These gathered artifacts were last all in the Imperial family's possesion an estimated three thousand years ago.
Drak takes a quick detour into the nexus and powers up. We then head out to have a visit with Xataqar.
Drak planned to wait a few years until the mind flayer ship shows up, and then steal their time machine.

We plan to speak to Xataqar in the morning, after a nice sleep inside the orb-palace. Drak joins us.
In the morning, Milo tries to create a gate from within the orb-palace. He casts it in one second, but time warps, and suddenly it is evening outside.