But just as they're reaching the top of the stairs they run into Dona and Barthello, who seem out of breath from having just climbed them at top speed. "Oh—you—good. Sinspawn. Warn everyone and come help."

And without waiting for a reply she turns on her heels and runs back down, followed by her guardian.

"—shit—Wakka—"

"On it," he says, turning around and running back into the temple.

Edmund will follow behind Zei, or if Zei seems to be lollygagging he'll follow Dona directly.

Zei is absolutely not lollygagging! As soon as he's made sure Wakka's gone to tell someone he and Lulu and Kimahri are running.

Dona and Barthello are in the middle of one of the larger landings in between flights of stairs, a large circular balcony area probably meant for seeing sights or something.

Right now, though, there is a huge shelled creature next to one of the edges of the circle, by the stairs going down to it. It seems to have emerged from underground and to still be halfway buried or rooted, and further evidence of this comes in the form of two tentacles also emerging from the ground across the landing from it, both of them ending in smaller tendrils in a handlike way.

Dona has Valefor out, and the aeon is engaging one of the hand-tentacles while she and Barthello are dealing with the other.

Edmund will try hacking at the shell with an armor-piercing technique; if that doesn't seem to be producing results, he'll join Valefor.

It does seem to be pretty resistant to results, yes.

On the other hand, once he joins Valefor it starts shivering and releasing a waft of polen or some such. It definitely looks poisonous. Thankfully Zei can erect a barrier that filters it.

Lulu attempts a spell on the armored thing, but as soon as her magic goes off it fizzles mid-air and is absorbed by one of the tentacles.

Which pisses her off. If the tentacles wanted to be on a lot of fire they are getting their wish.