"Still have the voice in your head Badger?" Silas question after finishing up his prayer spell. 

Mal, Grenk, and Badger are all filled with a feeling of pure elation from their spiritual baggage. Whispers of "i never had a doubt", "congrats, exactly as I presumed it would happen!", and "lets jump through that portal now!" flicker through their various minds. 

The big black sphere floats menacingly in the pit that it's created.

Mal feels the heavy cold weight of the ring in her hand....a flash of an icy version of this room....covered in frost goes through her mind for a moment along with an alluring impulse to put the ring on. 

Keshma looks at Grenk, and then down at all the solid lava rock at their feet, and raises her hands.  The top layer of rock seems to flow forward until it forms a staircase that leads up to either side of the pit, and a stairway up to each of the two balcony's on either side. 

Badger stops for a moment and looks upwards, as if looking into his own skull, then replies to Silas: Yep, still there.

Replying to Mal, Badger says: I doubt the sphere would have any effect on the staff. It did nothing to the ring. 

Then to the group he says: Well, I could do with a rest after all that. I'd like to get out of this room though. Wouldn't want that lich returning while we were all off our guard. However, he doesn't seem to be in a big hurry, and squats down on the ground. While Mal is searching the jars, Badger begins a ritual casting to identify the staff. If there is time he will also see if he can figure out how to control the black sphere without touching it.

Sickle sits on the edge of the ledge quietly.  He looks very drawn out, and a bit haunted. He quietly watches the group as they do various things, mostly just staying quiet. 

Mal climbs the stairs to one of the balconies and walks over to a fluted silver urn. She touches it....the tingling magic of the thing running through her fingers. The thing is quite beautiful actually.  She opens the top of the urn. Suspended in the middle of it is a red glowing sphere, with a bit of mist circling around it. It surges with light in a regular tempo, reminding her of a beating heart.  She goes to the next one, an ivory casket about the size of a bread box. She attempts to pull off the lid.  As the lid is pulled aside she hears the screeching of people screaming and a wind seems to try and suck everything inside it....and then the lid clamps back down with a clack. 

As she walks around, all the containers seem very unique, each are magical, and all seem to contain troubling....insubstantial powers of some sort. 

Grenk looks up abruptly as she describes what she's finding. He knows what these things are immediately. They are the phylacteries of Lich's. Each one for a unique Lich, though it's possible a Lich can have multiple Phylacteries, they would never keep them in the same place. He also knows that they are all but impervious to damage. Each one takes a unique item, weapon, or special ritual to be able to destroy it. Even tossing them in the lava would not have likely destroyed most of them. 

Grenk's question to his clay no face results in a shrug. The hay doll answers for him, "We don't know, we never left the witch place. They would talk about leaving though, and always headed this way. We heard them say they needed those little grey beads you found to ...use...the...portal."

Badger finishes identifying the staff. The crooked staff is carved from bone and topped with the skull of a person. Etched into the skull’s forehead is a rune, which Badger recognizes as a well known symbol for death, as well as what he now recognizes is actually Acerack's personal ruin. His identify spell swirls about the artifact....information about this legendary item's abilities grace Badger's mind as he reads its magical potential. 

• Your proficiency bonus to Intelligence (Arcana) and Intelligence (History) checks is doubled.
• You can’t be blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, petrified, or stunned.
• Undead with a challenge rating of 2 or lower will neither threaten nor attack you unless you harm them.
• You can wield the staff as a +3 quarterstaff that deals an extra 10 (3d6) necrotic damage on a hit.

The staff has 7 charges and regains 1d4 + 3 expended charges daily at dawn. While holding the staff, you can use an action to expend 1 charge and target one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (using your spell save DC) or be cursed. While cursed in this way, the target can’t regain hit points and has vulnerability to necrotic damage. A greater restoration, remove curse, or similar spell ends the curse on the target.

Unfortunately he can't identify the black sphere....since you have to touch something to identify it....and it is literally nothing. However, as he nears it...he...'feels' it floating nearby.  With his powerful mind he reaches out...sensing the thing. It's not intelligent or thinking...more of a force of nature that is magical senses feel as a tangible thing.  He recognizes it as a sphere of annihilation.  Attempting to control it with his mind could cause it to move as he wishes, or it could cause it to abruptly move towards him. He dare not be too close as he attempts to manage the thing. 

"He stores phylachteries here?  Damn, those are what let liches restore their bodies if they are destroyed.  They are pretty sturdy too, lava might and I mean might work, or maybe that black orb thing but not a sure thing.  Either way, I want to try and if it fails, then I'll be taking them with and maybe with time, I can figure out how to destroy each one," Grenk says.

He turns to Keshma, "Can you open a small hold for lava?  I want to try dipping them in.  Also, if there is any adamantine spikes or chains left, we should take them.  Should fetch a good coin."

He will then go about testing the destruction of the phylacteriea.

Mal would offer to help Grenk with tossing the phylacteries into the black orb, hoping that will do it, but knowing this place, probably won't. She would be very interested in destroying these abominations.

As she says this she notices that her hand seems to always move back to the pocket where she placed the ring. This thing needs to be destroyed as well and as quickly as I can find a way to do it the better...Maybe once we get topside throwing it into the active volcano will do it...Though to be safe I might wait till we get back to town and do some research on just how to accomplish the task.

Keshma glances at Grenk, "Sorry, I've used all my stone shifting for the day. Besides....I'm not sure how deep this rock goes, but I'm not feeling any heat coming off this rock, so it's probably a ways."

They begin grabbing the various phylacteries. There are a total of 24 of them across the two balconies. You toss the first into the sphere. It emerges out the other side and clatters across into the bottom of the stone pit with no effect. You toss the next one. Same. You toss the 3rd one. There is a wave of energy and a horrid scream rushes through the room....and it does NOT emerge from the far side. You keep going.

Of the 24 phlyacteries, you are able to destroy 5 with the sphere of annihilation....the other 19 are unharmed and laying about the hard stone that was once lava. 

Chuckling Mal says, "Well I am sure those 5 Liches had a rude awakening. I guess now we deal with the 14 other and carry them out somehow and deal with them when we get back to town. Badger how is it coming along with that sphere, you taken control yet or are we ready to move on?"

Grenk scratches his head, "Uh your math is a little wrong I think.  There were 24, the sphere ate 5 so we have 19.  Still, nothing bad about ending 5 liches in a day, even better if they were under Acerack's command."

He works about collecting the others, if there isn't enough room in his pack or their gear to carry them, he will use spare clothing or whatever is available to make makeshift bags, straps or the like to take them with.

Then I guess a short rest?

"I believe from what you have explain, This may be a solution for the sphere but it is a gamble," Silas states as he holds up his bag of holding, gesturing to the sphere. 

Urgh, that's a very dangerous gamble, Silas, says Badger with a slight tremble in his voice.

Badger is still trying to gain control of the sphere, and Silas's interruption is a bit of a distraction.

Arcana: 28

The sphere moves suddenly. (At Badgers direction.)

(short rest achieved)

(you may all level up!)

Do we still harbor the gods and their temp HP?

The gods remain within you....as before....but their surge of power and rage brought on by Acerack's presence has subsided and they're back to their 'normal' selves.  (no more temporary HP's)

They also seem less prone to trying to 'influence' you.  (the personality trait is now gone)

3 Fighter HD used during short rest: 29 Gained another level in Fighter.

After her short rest Mal shakes her head and it seems a bit clearer now, she can still feel the presence of the supposed god in her brain but she seems a bit less snarky now. She reaches down to grab the walking pile of mud and places it back on her shoulder making sure it has a nice spot to hunker down in in the folds of her cloak.

"Alright shall we go see what is behind this glowing portal now? Silas do you need help gathering those Phylacteries?" Then she waits for the others to gather their things and then silently leads the way.

Short rest hp 13

Grenk rolls his shoulders a little.  "Sounds good, maybe there will be less horrors this deep," he says and then follows Mal into the mist.

"Place them in the bag of holding for the time being. I hope the temple can find ways to rid the world of them and the liches they are connected to," Silas states as he holds the bag open. 

Short Rest:" 16

Clutching the skull topped staff, Badger follows the others up the stone steps.  One by one, ahead of him, they vanish as they step through the mist. He glances at the silent, dark sphere...that seems to be listening...somewhat....to his commands...and wonders what will happen when he goes through the portal. Behind him, as he is now alone in this chamber, he sees only the civilian, crouched near the stairs, waiting for him to depart through the blue misty portal. 

What doth Badger do? 

Simply walking through the misty portal that an arch-lich just appeared from doesn't seem like a careful or wise choice to Badger. It could lead out of the tomb... and then how would he get back in? It could lead to another world for all he knew. He was no sheep to just blindly follow. Was it his duty to babysit them for eternity? And what of the civilian. Badger would need an attendant in this place, and useless as he was, the human was better than no help at all. Left alone though, it would be sure to get in trouble... What to do?

Badger ponders for a moment more, then casts Arcane Eye and sends it through the misty gate to see what's on the other side. If it seems harmless, and if the Eye can pass both ways through the portal, then Badger will enter. Before doing so, he will beckon for the civilian to join them. Come on, Civvy. This way!

Badger, sends his arcane eye through the portal, and peers past the backs of his allies as they enter a room. The civilian scampers towards Badger, understanding his wave.

-----------------------------------

Mal is the first to step through the ornate archway that looms over the balcony. Grinning skulls are molded into its frame, and glowing mist swirls within.  She is followed by Grenk, Keshma, Silas, and Sickle.  They step out of the mist into an underground chapel with black basalt pillars and a polished obsidian altar. Resting on the altar is a leather bag the size and shape of a human body, and which appears to have been sewn shut. Beyond the altar, a heavy black drape hangs from an archway. Eight emaciated, green-skinned creatures are shackled to the walls of the chapel, each one gazing toward you with a single baleful eye. The monsters begin to gibber and drool as they shake their manacles, eager to be set free. The seem to be jabbering at you, but it's in a language none of you understand.