Crimson Sands of Time

@shimshon:

Even as the visions from Picollo's song flash before his eyes, the freezing Thayan warriors who survived the evocation spell challenge the wizard. "Traitor. By my last breath, you will meet your end!" "Aaaghhr!" the two surviving warriors scream in unison as they charge the Red Wizard.

Lahnis, in turn, runs straight toward the warriors, but after ten feet, he vanishes into a fine mist, reappearing 30ft nearer to the party, right in the center of the white gate, where he kicks his glyph key towards Randy and Ethan, activating the gate and heavily obscuring the wizard as a swirl of white mist erupts from the circle of stones. A moment later, he is shunted from the circle with violent force.

Lahnis rises slowly, dusts himself off and regains his composure. "I guess that's the end for me, unless the rebellion succeeds in ousting Szazz Tam. I will give you all I can."

Lahnis shares with you the following information (some redundant, but let's recap. Plus, he doesn't know what you already know, anyway).

The Temples of Despair are used for the torture and execution of those who oppose Szass Tam. They are just north of the room with the silver pillars.

The Temples of Extraction aren’t temples at all but research facilities where Szass Tam’s followers conduct profane magical experiments. Few know the specifics of what happens there. <this is where they tried to put Picollo when she was first captured>

<you already have keys to get here, but theu beat the names of areas within the temples of extraction, they dont just say '"Temples of Extraction". (Like if you know what Camp David is, you know - they dont need to call it what it is.)>

Only black gates allow access to the Temples of Extraction. Only Szass Tam’s most trusted servants have the glyph keys attuned to that sector.

Szass Tam’s latest plan to become a god is his most ambitious. He intends to feed the souls of the Chosen into his phylactery through the Temples of Extraction.

Szass Tam is making sure that his plan will work by channeling the souls of the Chosen into the phylacteries of his underlings, which are stored in the Phylactery Vault beneath the Doomvault.

Beneath the Doomvault, the demilich Kazit Gul slumbers in his Phylactery Vault.

Szass Tam repurposed the Phylactery Vault for his own magical experiments.

The phylacteries of the highest-ranking liches in Szass Tam’s service rest in the Phylactery Vault, protected by powerful magic. Szass Tam holds the phylacteries there to keep his lackeys in check.

If enough black gates across the Doomvault are disrupted, the black gates in the Temples of Extraction can be forced to connect to the Phylactery Vault.

Lahnis is willing to give you his glyph key, attuned to this zone, the Hall of Necromancy, and the Temples of Despair. He also carries a key that safely opens all the doors in the Temples of Despair, which you can have.

he also provides some information that has the mechanical effect of decreasing the Doomvault’s alert level by 1 (which reduces your risk of more difficult random encounters). 

If you're interested, the training grounds have some weapons m, shoukd you need any. Nothing too impressive, of course, it's just for training, but there are some magical <+1> weapons and armor <of vulnerability>

"Take what you need and be on your way, I will make my way to the gatehouse to convene with the rebels and offer my services to them as they deem appropriate." With a resolute gravitas, he proclaims, "The regent’s plots will be the undoing of Thay." 

Piccolo hugs him and smiles.  
she plays a few notes on her instrument in thanks.   

Trisk remembers reading somewhere about a way of positioning the hands to signal different things. There was one in particular that stood out to him as it was a way to signal to other practitioners of the arcane that you were a master of the arcane arts.

Standing straight with his right hand extended, palm flat and open to the skies above. His left hand held in a fist to conceal the secrets within and signal that he was an arch mage, or near enough.

"I am a mage of some talent and power, a master of the unseen flame!"

Now convinced that the source of this voice isn't an enemy, Ethan nods in understanding especially when he takes ahold of the Temple of Gates key whilst Piccolo moves in to hug him. "Thanks for the help. And sorry, for accusing you. With your help, we won't fail." He gestures the others to drop their spells and weapons, seeing that he's now an ally to them for now.

"Either we should get going or we need another short rest, maybe get some upgrades too. Whatever black gates connect to the phylactery we need to encounter plus their key holders, the path is just uphill from there." He muses.

"Any black gate can be used to open a portal to a destination to which you possess an attuned glyph key, except the Phylactery Vault." Lahnis explains.

"Disrupting a number of black gates is essential to reaching the Phylactery Vault, where you can upset Szass Tam’s plans and loosen his grip on power in Thay. Szass Tam’s channeling of Chosen life force has created instability in the black gates’ magic. To reach the Phylactery Vault, six black gates must be disrupted. Once those gates are disrupted, any black gate can be forced to connect the Temples of Extraction to the Phylactery Vault, which is otherwise accessible only to Szass Tam."

Quote from Wile_E_Coyote >>

"Any black gate can be used to open a portal to a destination to which you possess an attuned glyph key, except the Phylactery Vault." Lahnis explains.

"Disrupting a number of black gates is essential to reaching the Phylactery Vault, where you can upset Szass Tam’s plans and loosen his grip on power in Thay. Szass Tam’s channeling of Chosen life force has created instability in the black gates’ magic. To reach the Phylactery Vault, six black gates must be disrupted. Once those gates are disrupted, any black gate can be forced to connect the Temples of Extraction to the Phylactery Vault, which is otherwise accessible only to Szass Tam."

 

 “Lahins” Sam says at the back looking at the group 

“two things 1 do you know we’re a safe place to rest in here and secondly theirs a item I have come to seek call leviathans gaze do you know of it” 

The Red Wizard lioks surprised for a split aecond, then something seems to click and he replies to Sam, "As a matter if fact, yes: I have heard of it.  I'm not sure where it is at the moment, but I do know it was fo7nd in the possession of yuan-ti malison named Oussa. He was remanded to the Temples of Extraction. It may yet be there alongside him." 

As to your other question, I fear no place in Thay is safer from Szazz Tam's reach than the Doomvault itself, that is why the lich Tarul Var dares not leave. And yet, this place is not a cage; it's a trap. And it is Szazz Tam who will be ensnared once his weake Ed form is forced from his cloistered throne to deal with the destruction of his phylactery. Now, don't delay. I coukd be more help to you if the dread warrior in my charge was not destroyed, for any red wizard can directly command these creatures; they have no will of their own. As it is, I think it best to let Syranna decide what the best course for me should be."

<ooc: you can grab a short rest here if you want>

<ooc: you now know exactly what you need to do ro get to the phylacteries. 1. Deactivate black gates. 2. Access the Temples of Extraction. 3. Enter the phylactery vault. 

You've already found 3 Black gates, you just need to deactivate them, and a few more.>

So, what's the plan? You know where 3 of the gates are, so you could go disrupt those or you can look for the rest. Or whatever else.

<odd point: disrupting isn't deactivating- they still work even when disrupted, though if someone touches their active fields, they do less damage>

Piccolo plays and sits cross-legged on one of the raised areas. 
(She plays a melodic almost trance-like tune.....You see the party deactivating the black gates, one by one. Then the image shifts to what looks like tombs/ graves. You then see an image of Piccolo, jumping on top of one, opening it, and stabbing her daggers into the denizen within, repeatedly and viciously).

<IF you have need healing and have not yet had Piccolo administer first aid, she can heal you once/ short rest for a significant amount.>

Then she stops and walks over to Ethan and looks him over, healing him instantly using her healing kit/ fast hands for 22HP

Trisk

"So since we already know where three of these black gates are we should disrupt those before continuing on. We don't want to get too far ahead and have to backtrack any more than we have to right now."

Trisk moves over nearer to where Piccolo is sitting and glances up at the little fey before addressing everyone again.

"It's not only necessary to get to the room with the phylacteries but Piccolo won't be free from the curse holding her down here until we slay the lich that imprisoned her."

Showing pointy teeth, Piccolo shakes her head in agreement, a murderous look on her face.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

"So since we already know where three of these black gates are we should disrupt those before continuing on. We don't want to get too far ahead and have to backtrack any more than we have to right now."

 

"That was my thinking. Those three rooms we were in felt off, as if the aura itself radiates . Besides, if what that guy said is true, the mishandling of this poor girl here... and whatever others that have been unfortunate to end up like her... it disgusts me to no end. Makes me appreciate what I did in my life the more I think about it." Whilst Randy doesn't bear the same sharp teeth that Piccolo wears on her face, he does sport the same murderous glare as he produce a slight orange aura around his armour.

But seeing that everyone looks pretty injured for the moment, it wouldn't hurt to at least take a breather before they destroy the three gates. "You all seem a little exhausted though. And we haven't seen the training room yet have we? I'd say it wouldn't hurt to relax a little and regain our bearings. Besides, I need a few upgrades myself before we do the real deal here."

Ethan chuckles softly as Piccolo moves in to heal him. The way she does so, it reminds him of his former teammates looking after him when he was near the brink of death. "Thanks. We'll set you free, once we've rested well enough. Then you can go home." He shifts himself as he turns to his teammates, his nervousness fading a little now they have a set goal in mind; Something he can get his mind around. "Alright here's the plan: Once our break time is over, the first black gate we instantly backtrack to will be disrupted on the spot. As with every battle scenario, casters at the back, the girl hangs with Randy in the middle since you two rely on mobility and range respectively. Since you're all aware that the best way to defeat a strong, overpowered boss is to weaken his outermost defenses first..."

He then trails off suddenly, as if something interrupted him mid-speech. Speaking of which, it's been so long since he used his grappling appendages. But... seeing how everyone is still thinking of each other as mutual comrades rather than actual allies, he's gonna play it safe so he doesn't get misunderstood by everyone except his brother.

The three you found were in the silver column room next door, the one in the necromancy lab, and the one you used to enter the Doomvault.

I could point out that you don't really need to backtrack. Even disrupted, they are still able to act as portals. You just need a glyph key with the right attunement and you can get ti it from any other black gate. You should have all of these attunements, already.

So, where to?

(so short rest or long rest?)

Piccolo plays a note of approval and smiles, absently playing with another of her apparently endless supply of thorn daggers. After a moment, it disappears.