Crimson Sands of Time

Kelson (the half-elf) speaks up: "excuse me, but the black gate is back that way... and who knows what.. wait, you hear that right? There are things on the other side of that door..." at thus point trisk.makes a copy of himself. Nelson inspects it 5.

"I don't think you'll be fooling all the lads in there with that bit of trickery, friend. Maybe if they're all a bit dim, I suppose. But, wouldn't it be worth a try maybe to see if we can get them to leave so's we can sneak on past?" Kelson asks.

"Do you have any ideas?" Trisk looks over his illusion and has his illusion look back over him and ask, "Or were you asking if we had any?"

<Ok, so this dungeon and the keys/ gates is very confusing, but I think the black gates go to Syranna, so we can get the NPC out. We can question the remaining red wizards on the gates, glyph keys and see if we can find out more. We can use bardic inspiration to attune some of the glyph keys to additional locations. We need to figure out how to access the Plypheries for the liches. I think it has to do with the Black gates. New NPC just gave us a clue about the black gate., My PC is not going to solve this, nor am I, thus we should use Syranna to help us, or the Red wizards>

(ooc: yes we should get the NPC out or at the very least talk to Syranna and see what's what.)

<Sure. But you actually just learned more from the library than Syranna knows, herself. It's like you're trying ro take down Walmart with the help of a greeter. Ok, maybe more like a customer service rep.>

Heading back to the most recent black gate.  4

Within the necromancy lab where you resurrected Kelson, besidethe two half-baked wights you left shifting under their own weight, who still stand nearly motionless, a imaged but unaware, you you find the two red wizards you tied up woke up after two hours, but are still hig-tied. There is also now, somehow, a mobile and alert wight.

It attacks whoever walks in first. Knowing this party, I'm guessing it's Trisk's hologram.

It fires its longbow at them. 22 for 6 piercing.

The pair of red wizards (Thuria and Phaia) squirm against their rope bandage, muffled curses pouring feom their gagged mouths.

The wight and two wizards become aware jf the illusory nature of the shadar-clone as the arrow sails through the illusion.

Edited, (angles.) 

What do you want to do, guys? It's a wight. You've fought them before. You know what's in its stats, if not it's lore. Anyone can go.

You could also run from it, I guess.

Piccolo moves toward the wight to 10 feet, draws a few thorny daggers, tosses them toward the wight, then moves away 30 ft. (Cunning action) She clearly does not like/ hates most of the denizens of this doomvault.

Dagger1: to hit: 26: Damage: 10 magic piercing

Dagger 2: to hit 32: Damage: 12 magic piercing

On her instrument she plays a few notes

(You see an image of a black gate, and her looking at you specifically, the the others in the party, YOU, with a thumbs up approval, you also see what appears to be a woman half-elf or elf walking through what looks like a forest area of the doomvault, then again you see her looking at you.)

The pair of daggers hot the wight, killing it with ease.

As you approach thr black gate, the bound red wizards make Kelson nervous, byt he follows all the same.

Laying a glyph key on the circle kf black stones causes the swirling mist above it to dissipate,  and a portal opens revealing the walls of the gatehouse in the far side.  Kelaon doesn't wait for an invitiation and rushes through, where he meets Syranna, just out of sight. Seeing the red wizard, he despair, "no, no. I - ugh…" and collapses to the floor. Syranna walk over to check on him, smiles at you through the portal, and says to you "he'll be alright.  Nice work. I'd counted him among the lost souls claimed by the Doomvault. There is at least one other, I believe is still alive if this one yet lives. " at this point she notices the eladrin girl among your ranks, "but perhaps you've already found her."

<Kelson faints. There is another prisoner. She think it might be Picollo, who didn't come through the gatehouse with the rest of you.>

“Right then so what now” Sam says with interest seeing how creative the they wizards are with their security 

Trisk will inform Syranna  that Piccolo was bound here as a punishment or torture for her will not breaking when challenged by a red wizard or lich, he's not entirely sure. But now they share a bond and after dealing with the lich they hope she will be free to leave.

He also shares the new info he learned in the library (you said it was more than Syranna knew) to help bring her up to speed.

To Syranna, and the group, "We were last heading South but detected some creatures behind a door and are currently contemplating whether to bypass or distract them somehow, or deal with them more permanently." 

Piccolo seeing Syranna, seems very shy. She hides behind Trisks leg, peeking out occasionally.

Then she plays a tune on her tiny instrument, still hiding behind him and not wanting to be seen.

(Syranna/ Trisk)

"Oh, my. That does sound like Szazz Tam.  We've no time to lose.  Once his apotheosis is complete, Tam will be unstoppable.  If this girl is indeed the chosen of Mielikki, we must take her as far feom here as possible.  Surely Tam must I tend to use the chosen in his dark ritual, ascending through their sacrifice.  Who knows how many he'll need?  This girl cannot be allowed to fall into his hands. She may be the final piece in his dark plot to become a god.  When it happens, it's all over.  If he succeeds, he will oppress us as never before and if he fails, we'll - sages speak softly of the fate of Netheril. Succeed kr fail, if Tam starts his ascension ritual, there will be a point of no return for Thay, Faerun, Toril, itself.  This child, let's say, though I suspect the term may be less than accurate, must not become a cog in the machinations of the Zukchir of necromancy. Child, chosen, come: leave the doomvaukt via this gatehouse." Syranna pleads.

"This sprite must be tbe one they're talking about.  The little ghost they say was running around.  She must have been here a century or more as old as those stories go back.  With all tbe things these portals bring through, few would be surprised the little scamp turned out to be real, but I suspect the rumors served to cover the embarrassing truth: that Tam had lost his grasp on a chosen."

"She can't leave due to the lich's curse but if we can find and destroy some of the phylacteries then I think the curse will be broken. That's what we came here to do anyway so we'd best be about it."

Trisk will also not let Syranna harm Piccolo if he can help it (interposing himself in the way of any spell he can't counterspell).

Once the gate is shut I guess we backtrack to where we were and continue?

Piccolo looks out again and takes a long hard look at Syranna, she seems tempted by the offer. Her perceptive huge eyes, looking at the woman. (Insight: 15)
Then she shakes her head "No." 

She grabs the back of Trisks pants tightly. 
She seems to instinctively be quite distrusting of Syranna, much as a child would distrust a new stranger or adult.

She plays a few quick notes

(Trisk and the party, but not Syranna)

"I see.  This is difficult, but the cistern. If Tam's plans are as near fruition as I am led to believe, it may be that this girl is the only thing he needs to cement his apotheosis.  Thst cannot happen." The wizard's eyes scan across the group, considering carefully her next move. At length, she reaches into her robe and says as he slowly removes it, "Teiskellion, I have something for you.  Please take it and go. Do not hesitate. Szazz Tam must be stopped." At this, she releases a small object from her hand which floats across the space between, as if moved telekinetically. Trisk easily catches it and instantly the portal closes.  The group remains within the hall of necromancy, Syranna presumably still in the gatehouse is now out of sight.

A small golden ball rests in Trisk's hand. Heavier than it looks, it's surface is not smooth, but intricately engraved with a chaotic swirl of, like a single fingerprint covering the entire surface. 

The black gate remains disrupted (no dark mist) unless you remove yoir glyph key.