Mister_Whisker Presents: Chronicles of the Accursed

[[ OOC: Great! Dhamila advances as Rogue. ]]

Dhamila, given the ease with which one encounters creatures ready to kill you, despite her gratifying confidence in her abilities, decides to protect herself with magic (as well as tapping into their newly enhanced connection to the Outer Plane of Carceri) before continuing.

"Wait just a minute, Thorgath..." the Creepy Girl advises. "Did you see what this place did to the two ex-bandits? There must be some magical curse that the stranger conveniently failed to mention. And  I don't think the charred look would suit you. Let our magic experts take a look..."

Meanwhile, the Runaway Tiefling still looks around, alert for any signs of traps, both near the bricked-over doorways and the stone reliquary. She looks. But she doesn't touch, for now.

Dhamila's Investigation, if needed (if somethig else is needed, let's keep the roll and adjust with the right modifier): 11

Dhamila's Temporary HPs (thanks to False Life): 8

Dhamila doesn't notice anything that stands out as a likely trap.

Abishai walks into the next room while taking some time to ritually cast detect magic. He then scrutinizes the stone reliquary with suspicion. "Agreed, I don't wish to become the next charbroiled Dragonborn. Caution is warranted my friend."

Investigation: 23

With Detect Magic activated, Abishai can see faint outlines of magic. The reliquary appears to be inert, and peaking inside of it you see that... it actually has no bottom. The stone box opens into a cavern below, but you can feel sweltering heat pouring from the opening. Perhaps this is how the bandits were entering the caverns!

But not everything is so dead. Glancing around, you pick out a single brick next to the Eastern "wall" that has magical residue. The spell school seems difficult to make out precisely, but perhaps a residue of transmutation and illusion?

Whatever it is, you're fairly sure that if you activate the false brick it will reveal what is on the other side of the wall.

Brynja carefully enters the room and checks out her area of expertise, the bricked over doorways.

(unfortunately, 2024 dwarves don't get bonuses for examining stonework any more)

Quote from JSenecal >>

Brynja carefully enters the room and checks out her area of expertise, the bricked over doorways.

(unfortunately, 2024 dwarves don't get bonuses for examining stonework any more)

Two of the three walls seem solidly, if hastily, built of brick and mortar. You can even peer through a chipped hole in the mortar of the northern wall and see that there is a dark room on the other side. Likely a burial vault. The third, the eastern wall, however, feels off to the touch. The bricks are completely flawless, with no signs of weathering. Perfectly preserved in a way that should be impossible given the extreme humidity of the crypt.

Abishai carefully slides the lid to the side, showing the entrance to the caverns below, "I believe I've found the entrance to hell." Looking up at the eastern wall, the tinker says, "Peculiar..."

Moving to the brick, he points it out to the others but is hesitant to activate it. "It appears this brick might open a door on this wall... perhaps you should all evacuate the space in case it turns out to be trapped." He waits for the others to leave the room before activating the magical brick. 'Here goes nothing...' he thinks as he touches the brick.

The wall shimmers... then it is gone. In its place is a black iron door, which soundlessly slides open.

The room on the other side looks like organized chaos. Glass vials. Books scattered. Something on a large table. And, standing in the middle of it... a single figure...

Dry bone and mummified skin, all etched with arcane sigils. Tattered robes. Slowly the figure turns, revealing the skeletal face. Its eye sockets glow with a cold blue light, matched by the gemstone set into its forehead. It doesn't take expertise in arcana to realize what you're looking at... this is a lich.

Ah... he says. I wasn't aware that adventurers were using this crypt. Did you need something in here? I just started setting up.

Brynja stayed behind rather than leave the room, prepared to use herself to shield Abishai if necessary. 

Seeing the lich before her, Brynja was worried. She didn't know much about lichs, but she knew that they were far stronger than anything this team could handle. Fortunately, it did not seem hostile, and Brynja was wise enough not to start a fight she had no chance of winning. 

"Pardon the interruption sir. We are looking for a lamp containing the efreeti Gamra. Do you happen to know where it is? We will inform those who live upstairs not to disturb you down here."

The lich considers for a moment.

I would recommend avoiding the reliquary, the lich says. It is the fastest way down, and the shortest route to the lamp, but you would be lowering yourself right into the middle of a den of Ashen Wraiths. The Northern and Western walls each hide a stairways into the caverns that will provide slower but less perilous pathways.

He pauses.

And, as it often is of interest to adventuring types, there is a fair amount of treasure available by taking your time.

Dhamila is initially frightened by discovering the Lich... a creature she until now knew only by reputation-and dsrk reputation. 'The quality of our informants is continuously improving...' she thinks wryly. 'First, a stranger with mysterious agenda who clearly knows more than he's letting on. Then a lich-who does not seem hostile, yet  but... what if he's simply sending us into a trap to save his spells?'

Yet, the Runaway Tiefling sees little alternative. Such a powerful undead could perhaps be defeated with preparation and trickery... but certainly not like this, encountered by the party while they are unprepared. Better, then, to play along; she smiles gratefully and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, asks: "It's truly kind of you to give us directions. Now, while you are at it... do you happen to know what awaits us down the north or West stsirs? So we can make an informed decision..."

The skull turns slightly towards Dhamila, the glowing orbs of its eyes studying her.

The northern path will lead you through the caves, the lich explains. Etched into the rock by the efreeti's fury. There will be few undead, but it is a smoldering inferno. Tread carefully there, for the pathways are broken and unstable.

It pauses, then continues.

The western path will take you through the ancient crypts that were there for centuries before Gamra's imprisonment. The dead there are not quiet. You will find Flamebound Specters that burn with fury. But they are weak spirits, and the pathway is stable. If it is of importance to you, this pathway also has significantly more treasures than the northern path.

When Robin sees the lich, she immediately turns to leave.

“Oh—I just remembered. Today is my great-grandmother’s funeral! I have to go. Bye boss. See you in hell!”

“No. You must stay.”

Balthathar catches her by the hood, stopping her.

He feels… strangely calm. Perhaps when the danger is this overwhelming, fear loses its edge.

Or perhaps he trusts that their slippery ally wouldn’t let them die after so much preparation and plotting.

And his instinct proves right. The lich is unexpectedly helpful, offering them a wealth of information—enough to stir the elf warlock’s curiosity.

“Your guidance is much appreciated, Great One.”

He lowers himself into a deep bow.

“But may I ask who you are? Why offer such knowledge to… intruders in your domain? Are you, perhaps, connected to the sultan who bound the Efreeti within this crypt?”

I am Valnach, the lich replies. Chronicler of the Dawnwardens. I knew the would-be sultan and his ilk in those ancient times... including the secrets that they wished not to be known. The Wardens wished me dead and my work erased from history for that reason. They failed on the first count and succeeded on the second. I have been rebuilding my notes and chronicles since then. You have not discovered me in my own domain, or even Gamra's, but in the ruins of Emir's betrayal.

Abishai had been standing at the entrance to the secret passageway with toothy mouth agape. Unsure of what to do all he does is stare. Thankfully, his allies are able to converse with the lich, and obtain valuable information in the process. The Red Dragonborn knew little and less about Lich and this one make his scales itch, even with his helpful demeanor.

"I... Uhh... err... umm... hmm, the Dawnwardens you say. Interesting."

After the initial paralysis wears off, Abishai looks last the lich to the room beyond. Curiosity getting the better of him, seeing something interesting on the table, ancient books, glass vials. However, the tinker is smart enough to know better than to approach the lich uninvited. 

"Excuse me Valnach. Before we leave you to rebuilding your notes, would you mind sharing what you know about this poem?" He hands the lich the poem he'd found in the Baron's library.

“Five were bound to end the night, Five who bore the dragon’s spite. One was chained in borrowed flame, Beneath a lord who speaks her name. One in iron, standing still— A fortress frozen by its will. One where rests an iron hand, Now broken bones beneath the sand. One who saw through every lie, Now lost where mirrored truths deny. And one who reached beyond the veil… And found that power always fails. Find them not for what they were— But for what remains of her.”

Valnach considers the poem for a moment, then lays it down again on the table.

This riddle speaks clearly of the Dawnwardens and what they left behind, the lich says. They stood together to fight the Mad Dragon Queen Sserah Nightsbane... but all of them fell to their own folly shortly after. I personally believe that is because of Sserah's dark presence tainting them even after her death. And perhaps certain items they once carried.

He glances at Abishai's ring in a pointed way.

The Dawnwardens were heroes, certainly, but they were flawed, broken men and women who left behind ruins in their wake. You stand in one such ruin now.

Abishai follows the lich's eyes to his ring and instinctively hides the ring in the folds of his tunic. Not out of fear of the lich, not anymore. His curiosity has cured him of that. Now his mind was in learning mode, ready to absorb all he can from this ancient being. He'd hid his ring because... well he didn't quite know exactly. It had been his Master's ring before his and he knew he didn't know its history. Not well at least. The stranger had told him he could help him be rid of the curse... is that what he wanted? Abishai didn't know anymore. 

That Charred Brute had cast a spell at him and the tinker had successfully deflected it back onto his attacker. 'I'm not so sure anymore..."

"Thank you for your time ancient one. Perhaps we will be able to clean up the messes they left behind."

He backs out of the room and asks Thorgath to smash, "Think you can break down that wall there?" Pointing at the western wall.

The mention of "certain items" almost leads Dhamila to show Valnach her ring. Could it, with its incredible power and associated curse, be one of those objects? But she still has trouble trusting the lich she's just met. Okay, he didn't attack them. Okay, he provided information. But... does that mean he won't? Or that he wouldn't if tempted by a particularly powerful treasure?

No, the Runaway Tiefling, daughter of parents who escaped from the Plane of Carceri, isn't so trusting. She... is favorably impressed by Valnach, but a minute's small talk won't erase millennia of stories about the black heart of liches and their utter evil.

'I'll find out for myself if this ring is indeed connected to the Dawnwardens' the Creepy Girl thinks. 'And OK, I know I'm flawed too—who isn't, after all? But I certainly don't intend to leave ruins in my wake.' One step at a time; let's find Gamra and hear what she has to say, too.'