Gav, meanwhile, is figuring out if the Boss Zombie is weak to steel, or at least if it can be pushed around.

Boss Zombie is weak to, uh, literally nothing. Like we're talking actually game-mechanically invincible, here, he's not immune to knockback but he can absolutely not be damaged in any way.

"I need to weaken the link between this artefact and the draugr," Tolfdir explains, before launching into a much more technical and in-depth explanation of how, exactly, he wishes to accomplish this.

Being game-mechanically invincible is... an issue. It's an issue. If the best they can do is buy time then buy time they will: the mages have Telekinesis and Wards as ways to prevent the draugr from going places too much, and that... helps.

But the problem is that the draugr knows it's invincible, and is either too dumb to realise that Tolfdir is working on it or has full confidence that it won't work, which would be terrifying. And what this means in practice is that he just keeps picking himself up and resuming his advance. Which would be bad enough in itself, but actually it turns out this draugr is also a mage, in addition to whatever... shouty... thing... it did, and can summon elemental Atronachs and cast destructive spells.

Ugh. Magical fights look great and epic, but this is a pain. Can Gav pick a loose rock, sneak behind the draugr and shove it in his mouth?

Herod tries to listen carefully to the explanation, though the theory is unfamiliar. That said, he can at least make educated guesses as to where he should aim his dispels to speed up the process. He will also use his anti-magic defensively.

Gavriel cannot, actually, do that. The draugr isn't particularly distracted, what with how he's literally immune to all of the attacks so he doesn't even have to pay attention to them, so if Gavriel tries he'll learn that actually the draugr is, possibly, as strong as he is.

"This is bullshit," Ruby grunts after being thrown at a wall again.

"Please tell me that the old wizard dude is almost done?"

He is, in fact, done. There's a big flash, and the connection between him and the sphere is suddenly severed, which means that he can finally be hit again...

...but also means he's a lot less content to just patiently grind them to paste. He goes on the offensive, summoning three elementals (fire, frost, and storm) and starting to actually try to kill them.

Yay! The reward for competence: harder work!

At least Herod can join the fray.

Even without the connection to the mysterious magical artefact the draugr is still unreasonably powerful. He has a magic barrier that makes him immune to elemental damage, and which element it is at any given time changes quickly.

He's still just one person, though, and with the combined assault of four mages, one priest, and two angels, he eventually goes down.

"Yay!" Gav says breathlessly. "We did it!"

"How is everyone? And relatedly, any serious injuries?"

"We have rather a lot of healing," says Ruby.

And amongst the rather a lot of healing that they have is also the healing Erandur can throw in the direction of the angels, to cover any damage they took.

...also, uh, they might notice a separate effect. In fact it seems to have started as soon as they killed the draugr, and has been getting more noticeable over these past few seconds.

"Interesting," says Tolfdir. "Is this also your Prince?"

"Sanguine is not my Prince," Ruby sighs. "—but yes, probably."

It seems like everyone is getting these effects, actually. Even the Dremora.

"I was wondering if that was a bizarre side effect of healing. Just when I was getting used to the lack of support."

He does require a lot of support, especially now. It can't be comfortable flying naked with that much dangling.

"I like the not your Prince. He knows how people should celebrate their victories."

He glances around, checking everyone out.

Onmund shuffles uncomfortably.

Turns out he's a grower.

Neither Ruby nor Erandur look particularly surprised, though, compared to everyone else. Seems like they were both kind of half-expecting it. But between the two of them it's only Ruby who looks like he appreciates it.

"What a fascinating effect. I can barely see the magic! It's ingenious."

"He is a god."

"I feel a little bit put upon."