Game summary for July 8, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).
The team returned to the defiled shrine and opened the remaining doors to find a hallway of mosaic green tiles rippling with energy. A stylized green worm was inlaid in the floor and crossed to the far door. Taravin walked onto the worm and out into the room, only to find himself blasted by numerous orbs that bestowed negative levels. Saedd quickly moved to rescue him, and Ranulph borrowed Mael’s negative immunity ring to traverse the room. Soon, Saedd had the doors open, revealing a statuary room fill with pillars, tables, marble, and partially-carved figures. Beyond the room was a raised platform and another massive room filled with some kind of swirling black energy. Standing within the statuary room was no fewer than eight liches, which the group found as they dimension doored into the room!
Battle was joined immediately, with spells and invocations flying. Some of the liches rendered themselves invisible, and others cursed the party with various afflictions. The priestly lich Cardinals hit the bunched-up team with blistering flame strikes. The archmages favored weakening effects and magical holds. The warlocks were less elaborate, blasting away with eldritch spears.
The party wasted no time engaging but hit some rough patches early on. Lyrin greatly wounded most of the lichs with his sun magic early, and even blinded some. This singled him out as a “must kill” target instantly, and the group focused fire on him until he went down in a heap. The two party clerics were also targets as soon as their casting abilities were revealed; however, the liches never could get their fire concentrated enough to bring them down. Saedd and Taravin found themselves under effects such as ray of enfeeblement and waves of exhaustion. This mainly bought the liches time to try other tactics, but they ran into several immunities granted by Mael–acid and cold seemed a big mistake for the liches, rendering several volleys utterly ineffective. Their blistering flame strikes continued to inflict painful wounds, however.
Things began to turn around as Mael blasted out a blade barrier to divide the enemies, and Syvarius shook off his compulsed holding and could launch arrows. The two clerics nullified the worst of the damage dealt to the party, and Taravin, Ranulph, and Saedd kept pressure on several liches. Eolas found his scorching rays of particularly good use, burning several liches to cinders! Soon, the power of Kelemvor brought Lyrin back to life, and he made of up for lost time with the nasty attacks he launched.
Finally, the lich corpses lay in smoking ruins around the room. But what lurks on the other side of the platform? Is the energy the Unlife Vortex? The liches appeared to be workers; if that is the case, what could possibly be the vortex guardian?
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