Let Down

Last week's session started with the Big Boss Fight against the Lich Zallin. The previous session had ended just as the players entered the Lich's chambers. They were greeted by the Lich and we stopped there because it was late and I expected the battle would go long.

This gave me a week to prepare for the fight against the big bad. I took the time to plan out the Lich's moves based on my expectations of how it would go. I also decided on the motives of the Lich and whether it would be willing to negotiate. Often when having an encounter against powerful baddies with multiple attack options I miss something. So planning it out was a good idea.

To recap the Lich is working for a Demon Lord and has created a Sphere of Annihilation fueled by the Negative Material Plane that causes it to grow in size. This will be a weapon for his patron against other Demon armies. The Lich deploys the Black Sphere as it is called against a nearby town. This is just a test so I decided the Lich would be willing to move it to somewhere else if threatened. Reasoning that any players who confronted him in his own chambers would be considered a threat. This led to a scene where the leader of the players negotiated with the Lich and for a moment I thought there was not going to be a fight. An intriguing turn of events. But then they fought.

The problem began once the fight started. I had the Lich cast Anti-magic shield once he had the initiative figuring the players would open with their biggest attack spells (which they did). Once these spells were exhausted the Lich could drop the sphere and go on the attack with his Staff of Power. This all worked as expected. But then the Lich was confronted with melee attacks. For which he had very little defense. It was immediately apparent that he was going to drop in a matter of a few rounds. I always had a threshold in mind at which point he would teleport away and gather reinforcements to confront the players as they left. This happened but now he went down quickly to the first powerful attack spell.

The combat lasted an hour which is a good time for a Boss Fight. But it never felt dangerous enough for the players. For a boss fight, you want to see a few players on the edge of dying. That did not happen. I was nervous that the Lich was too powerful for the players to match against (being challenge 12) but he turned out to be a little on the weak side.

Session 85: Zallin

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Domago (human cleric), Aashdoshan (human necromancer NPC), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Lantosh (human fighter NPC).

Lakima, Eathwund, Alrix, and Domago slowly spread out at one end of the chamber they have entered. At the other end of the chamber, the lich himself is seated on an iron throne that seems to be connected to complex machines. Four Deep Gnomes scurry about checking the machines.

In a tired voice, Zallin asks what the intruders want. Lakima demands that the Lich remove the Sphere of Annihilation threatening Caster’s Ford. At the same time Alrix asks why Caster’s Ford was chosen – was it personal. Zallin responds that he could remove the sphere, Caster’s Ford he explains was only chosen to test the sphere. Any town would have worked. But he needed a location that he knew. Lakima tells Zallin that Caster’s Ford is under their protection.

“Fine, I will remove the threat from Caster’s Ford and chose another location”, the Lich says. He seems to cast a spell and the portal behind him vanishes revealing a blank iron ring. Zallin tells them that he has removed the sphere from Caster’s Ford. Alrix is incredulous and asks what the purpose is of the sphere. Zallin explains that it is a weapon that he has developed for his patron. He can test it just as well on another location.

“Not Edgerton either!” Lakima shouts.

Zallin nods and suggests he could test it on Dolmvay, the capital of Valnwall and a city with a large population of innocent people. Lakima shrugs, “They have their own wizard’s guild to protect them”. With that statement, he sees Domago move closer to the Lich a determined expression on his face. Alrix asks Zallin who the device will be used against and the Lich responds that it needs more testing before it can be used against his patron’s enemies. It is still too slow and too draining to use (as in the source published adventure I weakened the Lich giving him fewer hitpoints). When asked about the potential targets Zallin says it would be used against other demon strongholds in the abyss and on the material plane.

“I have done as you have asked, I wish you to leave now, as I grow weary of your presence”, the Lich tells them. Aashdoshan who is still outside in the throne room moves toward the entrance of the chamber but is waved back by Lakima. Lakima pauses to consider what the Lich has said and then yells, “Attack him now, Aashdoshan summon a demon!”

The negotiation actually lasted longer, I just do not recall all of the details. I really thought that Lakima's player was going to leave and let the Lich use the Sphere on Dolmvay. Then he suddenly told everyone to attack. I was planning to have the NPC Cleric Domago attack regardless. There is no way a Good aligned cleric would let the Lich continue threatening innocent lives.

Alrix begins to form a fireball and Domago and Eathwund charge toward the Lich. Lantosh also runs into the chamber. Before Alrix can cast the fireball he sees that the Lich has completed a spell. There is a huge blast of flame as the fireball detonates. Eathwund continues to run straight toward the blast (which does not reach him) while Domago ducks behind a table. As the fire and smoke clear, they see that the Lich is still seated on his iron chair seemingly unaffected by the spell. All around him the mechanical devices are blacked but still functioning. Four blackened corpses of Deep Gnomes lie smoldering on the floor and the bookcase nearest the Lich is engulfed in flames.

Domago casts Silence at the Lich from the safety provided by the still smoldering desk he is hiding behind. But he sees that it fails. Domago calls out that the Lich is somehow protected from magic. Alrix uses his Detect Magic ability and sees the shimmering outline of an Anti-magic shield around the Lich.

The Lich turns its eyes toward Eathwund who has reached the steps up to the platform. He casts Charm Person on Eathwund bringing him under his control. Meanwhile, Lantosh moves to stand between Lakima and the Lich. Aashdoshan casts Summon Monster and a Frog Demon appears, under his control. He instructs the demon to attack the Lich and it charges toward the Lich. The Lich hisses at Eathwund to protect him and Eathwund turns to block the approaching demon. At that moment Lakima successfully removes the Charm with Dispel Magic, and Eathwund steps aside. The Frog demon attacks the seated Lich striking it with powerful claws. The skeletal form of the Lich is buffeted from side to side and the Lich yells out in anger. The Lich then casts Lightning Bolt at the Demon and it strikes the demon, Eathwund, and Lantosh. It would also have struck Lakima and Alrix but Lakima is wielding the Rod of Absorption which absorbs the spell.

Eathwund now steps on the platform and strikes at the Lich but he plunges his sword through his cloak and into the iron chair. The Frog demon smashes the Lich with a claw and tears at an arm with its mouth. The Lich desperately tries to pull away. Alrix transforms into his true form of a feathered serpent and flies to the chair trying to bite the lich but he misses.

Seeing how well the summon monster is doing, Lakima casts Summon Monster from his Book of Monster Summoning and a Vrock bird demon appears. He orders it to attack the Lich. The demon teleports to stand behind the Lich. As it swings a claw to attack, the Lich vanishes.

Eathwund immediately checks the iron chair to see if the Lich is still there but finds nothing. Lakima casts Detect Invisible and does not see any invisible creatures in the chamber. Aashdoshan and his zombie guards enter the room. Lakima tells Aashdoshan to instruct the demon to destroy the machines. He does the same with the Vrock. Eathwund hastily retreats from the platform as the two demons begin smashing machines. A short time later both summoned demons vanish as the spell ends.

“I accomplished what we planned, let’s get out of here!” Lakima yells to everyone. He yells to Fenris who is in the throne room if there is any sign of the Lich and receives a negative response. As they are leaving, Eathwund notices that one, black leather book on the burning bookshelf is not on fire. He grabs it and hands it to Lakima. Lakima sees the title “The Book of Vile Death” and he hands it to Aashdoshan who eagerly takes it. As they head out of the chamber, Domago asks Lakima if he really considered accepting the Lich’s offer to target Dolmvay instead of Caster’s Ford. Lakima assures him that this was not the case. He just wanted to be sure that the Sphere had been removed from Caster’s Ford before he attacked.

“There was no way to avoid a fight, the Lich had to be destroyed,” Lakima says. Domago seems to accept that answer.

They enter the throne room and Lakima tells them that he wants to check behind the curtains behind the throne. He steps up onto the dais the throne sits upon and gas billows out of the mouths of the carved faces on the pillars around the dais. Lakima coughs and collapses to the group. Fenris grabs his heels and pulls Lakima out of the cloud of pinkish gas. He checks Lakima not expecting to find a pulse but is surprised to note that Lakima is only sleeping. But he finds he cannot wake him up. Domago uses a page from the Book of Poison protection to remove the sleep poison from Lakima and the mage wakes up. The gas still billows in the space so Aashdoshan sends a zombie minion to cross the dais and pull aside the curtain. Behind the curtain, they see an iron door, a 1-foot square embedded in the wall. Lakima orders Knock to use the helm to open the door which he does, as the iron door swings open a blast of flame bursts forth immolating the zombie standing before the door. Another zombie is sent to the open door to retrieve the contents. It returns holding a thick, red leather-bound book. Lakima snatches it from the zombie and puts it in the bag of holding.

The group now heads through the rooms leading to the exit portal. With Lantosh and Fenris racing ahead of them they enter the large chamber with the three demon statues and the exit platform. Fenris and Lantosh make it to the platform first and wait for the rest of the group to arrive. As everyone enters the chamber, a door opens and two large, green-skinned demons walk into the chamber led by a striking woman with small horns poking out of her forehead. She yells for them to stop.

Aashdoshan’s remaining three zombie minions are between the demons and the adventurers. They are immediately attacked by the demons and two of them are destroyed. Aashdoshan then casts Lightning bolt striking the three demons and passes out the door into the next chamber striking Zallin. Alrix, who is still in Coatl form and can look over everyone, sees the Lich collapse to the ground in a heap of bones.

The floor of the chamber shakes and slides like they are experiencing an earthquake. Cracks appear on the floor and walls. The three statues of demons in the chamber suddenly transform into 15-foot-tall demons. The demons roar in anger and eye the tiny adventurers.

“Quick, to the platform,” Lakima shouts and everyone runs for the platform. The command word is shouted and they experience the sudden shock of gating between planes. A few moments later they arrive in a disorganized pile back in Zallin’s Tower in the portal chamber.

There is a moment of quiet and relief. Then they again have to take the time to work out how to get past the trapped entrance to the chamber. Everyone entering the Tower in a Book and a zombie carrying it across the threshold. The Deep Gnome, Garlin appears having heard the commotion. He is surprised that they have returned and is told of the death of the Lich and his family in the Lich’s chamber. Garlin seems resigned to the loss of his family. Lakima asks Garlin what he will do now and the Deep gnome tells him that this is not his world. But he will find a deep, dark tunnel somewhere and look to see if he can find more of his kind. The adventurers say goodbye to Garlin and leave the tower behind.

The adventurers walk to Caster’s Ford. It is early morning on a clear, sunny, summer day. They do not encounter anyone until they get closer to the town. From the outside, all appears to be in order. Rather than head to the Mage’s Tower right away Lakima insists on checking in on the Hippogriff. They head across town to the stables and find the hippogriff is healthy and getting along well. Lakima asks the stable man about the Mage’s Tower but the man does not seem to know about it. Concerned they rush to Palderus’ tower but find it whole and apparently undamaged from the outside. They are greeted by Palderus’ familiar and soon the door is opened by Palderus the Mage of Caster’s Ford. He greets them and tells them he knew they had succeeded when the sphere vanished a few days ago. He points to the gaping, round hole in the floor of the room. The adventurers spend only a few minutes with Palderus. They question the days they have lost while in the Void and Lakima extracts a promise from Palderus that he will join the Mages’ Guild of Edgerton.

As it is still early in the day the adventurers decide to head for Edgerton immediately. Everyone except Lakima goes into the Tower in a Book. Lakima takes the book and flies back to Edgerton on the back of the Hippogriff. He arrives without incident just as the sun is setting. Greetings are made with the residents left behind in the Manor House of the Black Dragons. Most of the adventurers head to rooms to rest. Aashdoshan heads down into the cellars.

The next day Lakima finds his apprentice Brice and spends time going through the spells in Zallin’s spellbook. He also identifies the magic items they found on the adventure. Then he casts Dispel magic on Knock and allows the thief to leave with a stern warning about messing in the affairs of the Company. Eathwund and Lantosh head over to the Sign of the Purple Bugbear and find it packed with patrons. The manager Yana tells Eathwund that business has been great, especially with so many merchants stuck in Edgerton now that Icefang pass is closed. Eathwund gets some details and learns that the pass between Valnwall (near Larm) and Gundamark (the dwarven kingdom) has been blocked by a glacier and possibly Frost Giants. He notes to Lantosh that this might be an opportunity for a reward. Later that day he tells Lakima and Alrix. The next day Lakima, Alrix, and Eathwund do pay a visit to the Merchant Adventurer’s Guild and learn from the Guildmaster that the pass is blocked by Frost Giants and a glacier. The merchants already hired another group of adventurers a week ago to investigate. It is worrying that they have not heard from them. They tell them that they will look into it. While in the area, they check in on Rune Frost who is Chancellor of the Mages Guild that the Company is sponsoring. Rune Frost shows them the work that has been done on the guildhall and advises them of apprentices who have started studies.

A week passes. Lakima does spy on Aashdoshan a few times using his Crystal Ball with Clairaudience. He sees and hears Aashdoshan studying the Book of Vile Death and muttering and talking to himself. An ominous, large shape lies under a blood-stained sheet on a table behind him. Lakima does see Aashdoshan once during the week when the latter asks to borrow the Arrow of Direction. Aashdoshan uses it in Lakima’s presence and asks where the left femur bone of the Ghoul King resides. The Arrow points to the north and slightly downward.

Near the end of the week, later a message arrives from the Merchant Adventurer’s Guild. They inform the group that the Adventurers hired to clear the pass (the Trollkillers) have gone missing and have not been seen in two weeks. The guild asks the Company of the Black Dragon to open the pass through the mountains. Lakima calls together all of the members of the Company to talk over whether to take the job. Aashdoshan instead asks that they help him retrieve something from crypts beneath the town. Aashdoshan explains that as a worshipper of the Dark Lady he should be able to get access to the crypts beneath the closed Temple of the Dark Lady. The crypts for which the wizard Malyn is the guardian.

Several members of the company are vocally reluctant to go poking around in a crypt for necromancers. Aashdoshan argues that they should help him since he allows them to make use of the Tower in a Book. Eventually, they agree to at least speak with Malyn. The full company heads across town to speak with Malyn. They find the young mage in his shop still protected by dwarven mercenaries and accompanied by his apprentice. Lakima tells Malyn about the Sphere of Annihilation they found in Caster’s Ford, their trip to Zallin’s cube in the void, and their encounter with the Lich. Malyn is somewhat incredulous at first. Aashdoshan becomes impatient and demands entrance to the Crypt beneath the temple. Malyn refuses but relents when Aashdoshan shows him his holy symbol.

A new argument breaks out amongst the members of the company and Aashdoshan is unable to get any of the members to agree to accompany him. He does let slip that he expects to find what he is looking for in the sarcophagus of the Necromancer known as the Corpsemaker. This causes Malyn to again tell them that it would be madness to disturb Corpsemaker who has become some sort of intelligent undead and is held in a special sarcophagus. Aashdoshan leaves stating that if he is given a few days, he will locate what he needs on his own. Lakima, Alrix, Domago, and Eathwund remain to speak with Malyn. Lakima tells them that Aashdoshan is looking for another body part of the Ghoul King. Once he says that Malyn nods that it makes sense that Corpsemaker would have such an item. The body parts of the ghoul king are said to allow users to control the undead. Malyn reveals that he knew the Corpsemaker when he was “alive” and that the creature is far too powerful to be controlled. He also indicates that it was unwise to let anyone know that a body part of the Ghoul King was beneath the Temple. He nods at the bodyguards and his apprentice saying “I will take care of them”. The adventurers leave and head back to the Manor House.

Dealing with demons

The Swords & Wizardry Campaign continued with the players finding their way through Zallin's Cube and interacting with some of the demons found therein. The cliffhanger ending had the players confront the Lich Zallin.

Session 84: Dealing with demons

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aashdoshan (human necromancer), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Domago (human cleric NPC), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Lantosh (human fighter NPC).

After dealing with the monks of the demon Isclaadra, Fenris is sent to one of the many doors leading out of the temple chamber. He listens and hears nothing. The door is opened revealing a short hallway leading to another door. At this next door Fenris, puts up his hand for silence.

“I can hear voices in a language I do not understand, it sounds like a dining hall”.

Lakima asks Aashdoshan to move his two remaining zombies to the front of the group backed up by Lantosh and Eathwund. One of the zombies opens the door and the group rushes into what appears to be a large dining hall. A dining table 20 feet long sits in the center made of dark red wood. At the head of the table sits a demon who looks like a fat man with red skin and black horns protruding from his forehead. He is being waited on by three human servants. A large haunch of meat is in one of his hands. The demon looks up at the adventurers without concern and asks in a noble voice.

“Unexpected guests, but you are welcome, please join me at the table.” He then instructs the servants to bring more food. Lakima ignores the invitation and yells, “Attack them!” to everyone. Eathwund and Lantosh rush toward the demon but they are blocked by the human servants. Fenris, Alrix, and Domago rush around the other side of the table and are blocked by one human servant. Aashdoshan and Lakima hold back near the door, but Aashdoshan sends the two zombies to help Eathwund. Eathwund and a zombie both strike one of the human servants who immediately changes his guise to that of a lower demon (dretch) and fights back with teeth and claws. Alrix (still in his couatl form) strikes at the red demon and injects poison but the demon is unaffected. Alrix realizes he needs magic to strike the demons. Domago casts bless on Alrix (which I ruled was good enough to make Alrix's natural attacks be treated as magical).

The red demon continues to express mild annoyance at the attack as the fight continues, Lantosh is badly clawed in the fight and needs healing from Domago but two of the servant dretch demons are killed. As soon as the adventurers begin to concentrate their attacks on the head demon he vanishes in a cloud of brimstone. The remaining dretch causes a globe of darkness to appear about it, Eathwund, and one of the zombies. Lakima uses his summoned Glow minion to dispel the darkness but the dretch is gone.

After the battle, they survey the scene. Alrix is bleeding from a few wounds, Lantosh is badly injured and two dretch demons lie dead on the floor. Unlike demons they have encountered in the past, these do not turn to ash or vanish. Lakima theorizes that this structure might be in the abyss. They suddenly hear a distant bell toll five times. The door they entered through slams shut. Lakima worries that an alarm has been raised. 

Fenris checks some of the doors from the chamber and finds that they will not open despite not having locking mechanisms. Fenris worriedly asks if there is still a way back home.

“I have not made amends for my misdeeds; I do not want to be trapped here!”

Alrix assures Fenris that they are not souls sent to the abyss, they should have nothing to worry about. 

Lakima takes the Book of Monster Summoning out of the Bag of Holding and casts dispel magic on the page holding the thief they encountered in Caster’s Ford. The confused man suddenly appears in the chamber. He asks where he is and what is happening, seemingly convinced he is in the town dungeon. Lakima takes out the Cursed Helm of Free Action and demands that the man put it on. At first, he refuses but eventually he is coerced into doing so and becomes prone to suggestions. He is ordered to use the Helm to open one of the doors from the chamber. A door is opened into a seemingly empty chamber with another door on the far side.

One of the zombies is sent into the chamber but the floor is revealed to be a trapper. The beast wraps up around the zombie and crushes it. Eathwund, Domago, and Lantosh slash at the trapper until it is dead. It unrolls into a large flat mass of dead flesh revealing the destroyed zombie. The door from this chamber is also revealed to be held magically and another use of the Helm is needed to open it. The door leads to a chamber that has six crystal statues of women in plate mail armor with wings extending from their backs. Lakima examines one of the crystal statues closely but nothing happens. An open hallway from the room beckons them onward into what appears to be a comfortable sitting room. Several padded chairs sit in the chamber, small tables beside them. Sitting on one chair is a lazy, black cat that yawns and regards them. Lakima tries talking to the cat in infernal but it ignores him.

An open archway from the chamber leads into a room with a large, shallow, wading pool. Fenris is sent across the chamber to scout and he reports another open hallway to the south. As the adventurers are crossing the chamber, Aashdoshan who has been trailing to the rear of the group, sees the cat jump down from the chair as they leave. Curious, he turns to look as the cat transforms into a human-sized Faceless Demon. He shouts in alarm and brings the other adventurers running. Eathwund, Lantosh, and Alrix come to his aid and quickly put down the demon. Fenris aids with a crossbow shot from across the wading pool. With the group split up around the pool, a new danger is encountered. Three translucent, crystal oozes slide out of the pool and attack. One chasing Fenris, one attacking Eathwund, and one attacking Domago. Lakima aids Domago using his Staff of Striking, Aashdoshan hurls a magical dagger at one, Domago attacks with his mace. Domago is struck by a pseudopod from one of the oozes and he is burned by acid.

Lakima casts Summon Monsters, in his mind, he pictures gnolls arriving to aid them but instead a green-skinned demon appears (on the spur of the moment I decided that the Summon Monster spell in this plane would summon demons). Lakima is at first concerned that the demon will attack them but it obeys his commands and attacks the oozes destroying two of them. The remaining ooze is destroyed by Eathwund. Then the demon gates away as the summoning spell comes to an end. Domago suggests investigating the pool of water but everyone tells him that it is likely unholy water.

The adventurers leave the chamber and head into the other room Fenris has spotted. He tells them that there is a large pentagram design on the floor of the room. Lakima tells everyone to avoid entering the circle around the pentagram. Other than the pentagram the room is empty. Four doors leave from the chamber, three of which are painted with a four-foot-tall image of a Flaming, demonic, salamander holding a two-pronged pitchfork. Lakima tells the thief that his new name is knock and orders him to open the door that does not have a salamander painted on it. The thief does as he is instructed. The door is opened to reveal a small bed-chamber. Though the bed in the chamber is a stone divan. The only decoration in the chamber is eight, elaborately carved metal shields hanging on the walls. They close the door and decide what to do next. The zombie is instructed to open one of the other doors, once everyone gets a good distance away from it. The zombie grabs the metal handle of the door and a blast of fire jets out of the mouth on the painting, burning the zombie. The stench of burnt flesh fills the chamber but the zombie remains standing. Aashdoshan orders the zombie to try the door again, assuming the trap has been sprung, but the zombie is again blasted by fire and this time it is destroyed. Lakima tells everyone he has a powerful spell to get past the door. He casts passwall and a section of the wall is removed. They walk through the area and find themselves back in the chamber of crystal statues. They have walked in a circle.

Frustrated the group heads back through the wading pool chamber and tries a different door from that chamber. It also proves to be magically held. The last daily charge of the Helm is used to open this door and the adventurers find themselves back in the entrance chamber. The room with the marble platform and the three green, stone statues of frog demons. Fenris eagerly runs onto the platform hoping to be teleported away. Nothing happens as he stands there. At this point, most of the mages in the group have expended spells and Domago and Lantosh are laboring with bleeding wounds. Lakima suggests a radical idea. Heading back through the passwall they end up in the Temple chamber. He suggests placing the book holding the tower on the bookshelf in one of the monk’s chambers, then entering the Tower in a Book. This way they can recover in safety. Fenris objects worried that someone will find and destroy the book while they are inside. Lakima tells him he can wait outside and hope no one discovers them. Everyone, including Fenris eventually agrees to the plan. Aashdoshan touches one of his keys to the book which has been placed on the shelf between other books. The entire group is drawn into the pocket dimension of the Tower.

Aashdoshan heads up into the tower to his room. The rest of the group stays near the front door. Lakima suggests they set up watches in case a demon somehow finds a way into the book. Fenris heads off to the kitchen with the thief.

“What’s your name kid?”, Fenris asks. The young thief replies, “Knock.” Fenris laughs and tells the kid, “Your previous name then.” The young man tells him he used to be called Dirk.

Lantosh asks Domago for healing and then goes to a small side chamber to rest. Domago then says he will take the first watch. The rest is uneventful.

Once everyone is rested, memorized spells, sharpened weapons. Aashdoshan leads everyone up to the chamber holding the exit book. He has stationed four zombies guarding the book and tells them he will bring them along. The key is touched to the book and they all tumble out into a tiny chamber. A wall of force blocks their exit. The Book lies on the floor of a prison cell! (Yep, the Lich has been watching them through his crystal ball since the alarm bell rang, he directed a minion to put the book in a prison cell).

There is a lot of cursing as the group of seven heroes, one befuddled thief, and four mute zombies try to fit in the tight space. Beyond the force wall, they can see but not hear a Drow speaking to a human-sized insectoid demon. The demon leaves the chamber and the drow regards them impassively. Lakima tries speaking in elvish to the drow but their jailor either cannot hear them or does not care to acknowledge them.

“Knock, take down that wall!” Lakima tells the young thief. The thief steps up to the wall and the Helm works, the wall vanishes. The entire group surges forward toward the Drow jailor who yells out in alarm. Eathwund is on the drow quickly and slashes him with his sword, Lantosh hits him with his war hammer. The drow teleports away immediately. As they spread out into the prison chamber, they see more cells one of which contains a four-armed, two-headed troll. The abomination slams its fist against the wall of force containing it but is unable to break out. Domago yells a warning as the Insectoid demon enters from another smaller chamber and attacks. Aashdoshan sends his four zombies against it while Eathwund and Lantosh attack. It is soon killed.

Just before they are about to leave the chamber, Lakima spots movement in a cell at the far end of the room. The group head down to investigate and see a beautiful, seemingly human woman with dark hair pressed against the force wall of the cell. Lakima tries speaking to her but it is clear she cannot hear them. There is a brief debate about letting her out but eventually, they decide to chance it. The thief uses the Helm’s power to negate the Wall of Force. The woman quickly runs out of the cell and tries to get some distance between them. She holds up her hands in front of her and asks them to remove her manacles. They see that she has two iron manacles about her wrists. The manacles are not connected so they do not restrict her movement. But she insists she is powerless with them on. She tells them her name is Narikel. She claims to be a human mage of great power. She does not hide the fact that she was one of Zallin’s apprentices, but she says that was before he became a Lich. Once he transformed, she tried to leave. First, she tried to steal a few magic items and she was caught and placed in the cell. The manacles block her from using spells. She argues that she can help them if they remove the manacles but Domago and Lakima refuse. Narikel bargains that she knows the command word to teleport out of this place. Lakima tells her that they will free her if she takes them directly to Zallin. Narikel admits she knows where Zallin is right now, but tells them it would be foolish to face him. He will kill them all. She also warns that Zallin is frequently watching what transpires in the “cube”. After much arguing, she reluctantly agrees to show them the way to Zallin. Domago asks first to question her and he tells her a parable. He seems pleased with her answer and says that she “passed”.

Narikel thinks for a moment and then points to a side door. She says that this door is the quickest route to Zallin. However, there is a demon gargoyle guardian in the next chamber and she is not sure if it will still allow her to pass. She says that if Zallin told it to no longer obey her commands it will attack immediately. With this in mind, Narikel takes the lead and the zombies are placed behind her. She opens the door which leads down a short hallway to another door.

“Be prepared,” she states.

Narikel opens the door and steps inside, immediately she calls out “Let me pass” in infernal. The rest of the adventurers follow her and see a stone gargoyle standing on a pedestal. The gargoyle is ten-feet-tall and has four arms ending in sharp claws. Narikel pauses for a moment and then confidently strides across the chamber, passing a summoning circle inscribes on the floor. She reaches the far door and lets out a sigh of relief. The rest of the group follows her. She quietly tells them that beyond this door is Zallin’s private chamber and laboratory.

“He will be in the laboratory”.

Narikel steps to one side and lets one of the zombies open the door. The chamber beyond is a simple throne room. A skull-capped throne sits on a raised dais of red stone, surrounded by carved pillars. A tapestry extends down the entire length of the long wall of the chamber. It depicts demons fighting one another at war. Tortured remains are manacled to iron plates leaned against the walls. In the center of the room, standing on a rug depicting a grinning skull is the fat demon they fought earlier and the Drow jailor.

Narikel lets out a curse in infernal and turns and runs to a nearby door from the chamber. Domago yells, “Wait!”

Aashdoshan moves the zombies across the room toward the demon and the drow, Eathwund and Lantosh rush to attack. The demon does not stop to speak this time, instead, it transforms into its true form, a spiky, green-skinned demon ten feet tall. The drow backs away toward a far door. Alrix immediately attacks with magic missiles, and Lakima casts Monster Summoning. This time four metallic spider demons appear and follow his commands to rush to attack the huge demon. The spider demons rush up the legs of the demon and dig into his flesh with large pincers. The zombies surround the demon and begin pummeling it with their fists. Eathwund attacks with his sword.

Narikel escapes through a door into a chamber with a floating illusion depicting the town of Caster’s Ford. As she opens another door, Domago rushes into the chamber behind her yelling at her to come back. She ignores him and rushes through another door.

Alrix casts another barrage of magic missiles at the demon. The huge demon is blasted with magic, bitten repeatedly by the summoned minor demons, and slashed by Eathwund’s sword. They all see the Drow open a door on the other side of the room and dash through it.

Domago chases Narikel through chambers until they pass through the room with the wading pool. He dives at Narikel’s legs trying to trip her but he misses. Narikel reaches the door that Domago realizes leads to the portal entrance chamber. He follows close behind her. As they run into the chamber, they are confronted by the Drow who has somehow gotten here ahead of them. The Drow casts Lightning Bolt at them which strikes Narikel directly in the chest and partially hits Domago knocking him down.

Back with the demon fight things begin to go badly for the large demon. It manages to crush two of the spider demons, but the sheer weight of the attacks from Eathwund, Lantosh, and the zombies drags him to the floor where he is ripped apart. The spider demons gate away as the spell ends. Alrix runs from the room shouting that the demon has been killed, hoping Domago and Narikel will hear him.

Domago stands and prepares to fight the Drow, it is clear that Narikel is unconscious. The drow advances toward him but just then Alrix can be heard running in their direction shouting about the adventurer’s victory. The drow decides against attacking and instead jumps on the platform and shouts, “Isclaadra” and vanishes.

Alrix reaches Domago and Narikel. He tells Domago what happened. Domago checks Narikel and finds she still has a pulse but it is fading. He casts Cure Light wounds and brings her back from death's door. Narikel does not even pause to thank him, she runs to the platform and whispers “Isclaadra”. Domago just has a moment to yell, “Wait!” and she is gone.

Lakima pulls aside the tapestry and finds a door. But as the door is revealed everyone in the chamber is hit with a powerful suggestion spell telling them that there is no door. Most of the adventurers are able to fight off the suggestion and realize that there is a door right in front of them. But Fenris and the young thief refuse to believe in its existence until Aashdoshan and Lakima use Dispel magic on them. Just as that is happening Alrix and Domago return to the rest of the group in the throne room. Domago tells them about the command word for the exit portal and that the drow and Narikel escaped. Lakima vows to track Narikel down once he deals with the Lich.

Lakima tells everyone to prepare. If Narikel was telling the truth, the door leads to Zallin’s laboratory where they can expect to find him. Domago takes out a scroll of Cure Serious wounds and uses it on himself to heal much of the damage that the Lightning bolt did to him. The door is swung open and the group beholds the Lich Zallin resting on an iron chair in the midst of strange iron mechanisms powered by bolts of lightning.

“I did not wish to be disturbed!” the lich says. It appears to be a skeleton clad in mages robes. In one hand it holds a wooden staff topped with a black crystal. Its other hand rests on a crystal ball in which they can see an image of the throne room.

Lakima tells Zallin that if it did not wish to be disturbed, it should not have threatened Caster’s Ford with the Black sphere. The Lich appears to grin at them.