The energy missiles summoned by Alistair and Koralyn streak toward the spectral naga, slamming into her glowing form in multi-hued explosions of light that seem to tear away some of her own substance.
She screeches again, the sound soon drowned out by the roar of anger that erupts from Dragomir's chest. Freed from the naga's control, the proud warrior charges at the ghostly fiend, leaping onto a broken column of rock before flinging himself into the air to hack at her with his black axe.
The doughty warrior manages to land a single blow, carving away more of the Mistress's spectral flesh, before landing heavily on the ground.
With a roar of her own, the naga swoops down toward him, her body crackling with electricity as she speeds up into a bolt of pure energy, smashing through the fighter like a lightning bolt - shocking him badly - before arcing toward Alistair ...
Karolyn shoots off another set of missiles, this time using a third level slot to do so. After casting her spell she uses her move to move behind the naga hoping to find a way to reach it in melee next round. Note that she does not get close to Dragomir as she does not want to present a tempting target that includes them both.
Wincing at the bolt of lightning coming his way, Alistair is surprised when suddenly Eldramin appears before him, taking the brunt of the blast.
With determination, Alistair fires more energy bolts at the naga spirit.
Magic Missile (lvl-2):
[dice=dex dc 16]1d20+2
Stirred by Eldramin's sacrifice to save Alistair, Kierdan immediately calls upon Pelor to bolster the warlock's strength.
Koralyn and Alistair continue to bombard the spectral naga with magic missiles even as it transforms into a bolt of lightning that blasts through Dragomir and arcs toward Alistair -- before Eldramin appears, shield drawn and stops the bolt.
Although singed by the electrical discharge, the warlock manages to lash out with his revenant blade, slashing away still more of the etheric energy that comprises the naga's spirit.
As Kierdan chants a spell of healing, the badly wounded Dragomir charges after the Mistress's spirit form, axe held high.
He attacks with a flurry of blows. The naga narrowly evades the first two strikes. Unwilling to give up, Dragomir surges forward and levels two more blows, which connect, leaving deep rents in the naga's spiritual form.
Seeming to sense a final death approaching, the Mistress roars in inarticulate rage. She who has know only temporary setbacks, never defeat, screams in denial, her fury manifesting in a wave of energy that explodes outward, striking each of you with the force of a charging bull.
Kierdan falls and is unresponsive.
The bladesinger avoids the worst of the blast of energy but is still knocked from her feat. Out of the corner of her eye she sees friends fall. Her false life life actually prevents any of the damage from hurting her but the blast rips away that protection from her completely. Deliberately she climbs to her feet and using her last 3rd level slot fires yet another volley of missiles at the naga.
The damage is subpar but she hopes it is enough.
Dex:
Str:
Moving out of the way of the worst of the blast, Alistair is bowled over by its force and lands on the ground. He swiftly gets back up and throws out more missiles in the hopes of dropping the spirit of the naga.
Magic Missile:
Rolen pops from behind cover, dodges a great deal of the damage, but falls prone. From that position he fires again at the Mistress.
He then cunningly hides behind one of the stalagmites again.
Eldramin barely survives the damage from the naga's assault, and he falls to the ground . Knowing he is in dire straits, he lashes out at the naga as best he can while prone.
The naga's energy wave echoes through the water-filled cavern like a bell as the shock wave knocks you all from your feet. Dragomir appeared poised to stand against the blast, but he is too battered and bruised, slumping unconscious as the spectral explosion roils outward.
Kierdan is thrown back against a broken stalagmite, knocking his helm askew and leaving him unconscious with a bleeding head wound.
The rest of you breathe still, although some through broken ribs.
"Now you know my power, and the pain I bring to bear. But worry not -- your suffering will not end quickly," the Mistress says, rising slowly to tower over you.
Her ascent is stopped abruptly. Groaning in pain, Eldramin lashes out with his revenant blade, the broken shards of steel forming a glowing chain linked by green energy. The whip-like blade wraps around the naga's spectral form, sawing at her form and holding her in place.
Already chanting, Koralyn and Alistair unleash a swarm of arcane missiles, each one striking in small explosions of light that strip away more and more of the naga's ghostly substance. After five, six of the strikes, little is left but a glowing, beating heart, held in place by Eldramin's blade -- then Rolen's black arrow impales it, and the last remnant of the naga's spirit dissipates like a blood spot on the water.
The Mistress is destroyed.
Alistair slumps down, closes his eyes for a moment, then slowly rises. He heads over to Dragomir, then Keirdan, stanching their wounds and giving them each a dollop of the healing ointment he kept in the small jar with his healer's kit.
Ointment for Dragomir:
Ointment for Keirdan:
Not much of a healer, Koralyn moves to take a defensive stance over the wounded, looking around wearily, somewhat unable to believe they are no longer in danger.
"Have you sealed her in the gem?"
Alistair looks up with a smile on his face.
"Better. You see the gem was damaged and could not hold a soul, but it could be used to separate the soul from the corporal body of a creature. It was her soul that we destroyed! She will not be coming back to life ever again."
Well done, all.
Kierdan opens his eyes with a groan.
What happened? Is everyone alright?
"Wonderful. We should do what we can to prepare ourselves to leave this place."
Eldramin picks himself off the ground with great difficulty, blood oozing from severe lightning burns.
"We still should examine the body of the naga, as well as her lair. Plus her command over the villagers should now be broken, so we should gather up any that survive and get them home as well."
I agree with Alistair. And there are other passages down here that we never explored. They could hold great wealth, rare magic, or trapped slaves. Do we leave them unexplored?
Koralyn begins to look about. After exploring the cave for things obvious she beings the ritual casting of Detect Magic.
No, we do not, Koralyn, let us have a look, shall we?
As Alistair tends to the wounded, Koralyn and Rolen explore the rest of the island in the middle of the lake.
It soon becomes apparent that the island, although not large, is only the tip of a larger, mostly submerged structure - and a man-made one, at that, although so decayed and moss-covered in places it appears almost natural. Calcified deposits cover the ruins that have not crumbled, making it impossible to make out the details of the carvings that once embellished the stones. The layout of ruined walls suggests a small fane or temple that once sat atop a larger pyramid, submerged in this cavern as water from the swamps above trickled through fractures in the stone above.
Near the center of the isle, at what might have been the shrine's sanctum sanctorum, the stones are smoother, as if repeatedly swept clean over the ages. Fell runes are carved into the cracked and polished floor tiles, the gold and silver inlay that once embellished them long lost to corrosion.
One stone stands apart, appearing more like a lid set in the ground. Unlike the others, its edges are lined with lead, as are the ancient Ur-Flan runes carved upon, promising death to any who disturb the contents below.
There is magic upon the lid, but the eldritch knots have frayed ... you sense they might be unraveled with a well-cast abjuration.
Koralyn, can you discern a magical means to open this lid, or potentially remove the magic, so that I can set to work with my tools? Alister! We could use your opinion down here.
Wearily Alistair gets up from bandaging Dragomir and walks over to Koralyn and Rolen.
"Well now, what have you found here? Did you assess it with magic? What did it tell you?"
Arcana:
Considering the vessel Karolyn reveals It seems vulnerable to abjuration magic.
"Hmmm..I have the ability to dispel enchantments, which relies on the abjuration school of magic, but at the moment I am completely drained and will have to rest to regain the power necessary to cast such a spell"
"Hmmm..I have the ability to dispel enchantments, which relies on the abjuration school of magic, but at the moment I am completely drained and will have to rest to regain the power necessary to cast such a spell"
"Let me take a short rest to gather what power I can and then I will try to dispel the enchantment on this hatch"
That sounds good to me. In fact we might want to take a longer rest after we secure this cavern, if such a thing is possible. In truth I am not happy about spending another night it this wet and dark place of evil but I'd not leave helpless slaves here to starve, or a worse fate. We must finish our search and it is near sure that we will have to fight again before we finish.
Dispel Magic:
Alistair's attempt to unwind the ancient dweomer fails -- rather spectacularly. There's a flash of green light and a smell like rotting offal as the wizard is thrown back to land in a heap several feet away. Sitting up, you all see a smoking hole burned into his robe ... and a rapidly blackening spot on his chest.
The discoloration spreads rapidly, eventually covering the wizard's chest and back and his right arm. The flesh smells putrid, but remains intact and flexible ... not unlike the flesh of certain well-preserved undead. Alistair feels a bit weak, struggling to catch his breath as whatever it is has burrowed into his lungs, but he can function more or less normally despite the infestation.
Congrats! Alistair is under the effects of a bestow curse cast using a 9th level spell slot. Until it's dispelled, he has disadvantage on Constitution-related checks and saving throws.
On the upside, the triggering the trap appears to have disabled it, leaving no trace on the lead-lined vault lid. Carefully, Dragomir chips away at the lead, then levers the lid open with his axe.
The lid slides away to reveal a shallow, lead-lined cavity. At the bottom, amid piles of dust, lies a rod of black iron, red gold and bone that resembles a skeletal human hand clutching a sphere made up of swirls of both metals. It is obviously highly enchanted.
The rod appears to function as both a rod of rulership and a crystal ball, allowing one to charm large numbers of people as well as serving as a scrying device.
You have an immediate, gut-level reaction to the rod, which you recognize as the tool of a hated foe ... although perhaps a tool that could be turned against that foe, in time.
The appearance of the rod seems to match that of the Rod of the Whispered One, a fell item that served as a badge of authority for the lieutenants of the Arch-Lich Vecna. Lost since the fall of the Rotted Tower, it was thought to have been destroyed, or perhaps buried with the remains of the Occluded Empire.
Concerned for her fellow arcane caster Koralyn shouts a warning but is too late. Its a curse! She moves to Alistair but can only confirm her initial findings. She announces Some high level curse. His constitution has been impacted. It was cast at a very high level of power too. she looks worried.
Later, after the rod is exposed.
It cannot be. That... that rod, it matches that of the Rod of the Whispered One, a fell item that served as a badge of authority for the lieutenants of the Arch-Lich Vecna. Its been lost since the fall of the Rotted Tower and was thought to have been destroyed, or perhaps buried with the remains of the Occluded Empire.
Sounds fairly important. It should fetch a pretty penny, no?
"We ...cannot sell...such a...powerful artifact. We must....safeguard it and...make sure it...does not fall...into...enemy...hands!"
The act of simply talking seems to tire the wizard and he looks to have aged greatly. The corpse-like look and wheezing of his breath is very unsettling, and he slowly reaches up and pulls his hood over his head to hide his wasted features.
As Koralyn speaks, the cowled head of the wizard nods in agreement with her assessment.
Kierdan overcomes his awe at the exposure of the ancient artifact and says,
Alistair is correct. This foul artifact cannot be sold. It must be hidden away and safeguarded against discovery by the forces of the Whispered One.
Kierdan then looks with concern at the wizard's condition.
His face a mask of fury, Eldramin says, "Leave the rod to my care. I sword an oath to oppose Vecna and her machinations, and I shall not die until i cram this rod deep into a freshly-opened cavity in her withered body."
A look of concern crosses Koralyn's face. I certainly agree that the rod needs to be safeguarded but also think that at least until we know more about it no one should be alone with it. Merely picking it up could alert the lich god, or worse, possess the one who does so. I advise, no I insist on the utmost caution in its handling until we know more.
"my concern is...that it...was in a warded and...lead-lined...container. It was hidden....and now we...have opened the container...for all to...see! We need to...get back to Ramne quickly...and get...his council."
Alistair slowly moves and begins to head back to the surface.
"Keep looking...for survivors...I will not...be much help...at the moment. I will return...to the...surface and try to...gather my strength for...the return to Orlane."
Its still in its container. We can keep it in there I think, at least for now. And you should stay with us Alistair where we can help protect you. I am now thinking we rest here and explore after that rest. Thoughts?
"Very well, close the container. But the time will come that its use will be needed."
With some difficulty, Dragomir is able to chip away at the surrounding stone to free the lead-lined coffer containing the rod. There is little else of any value on the island - the Mistress's mortal form collapsed into dust, and none of her servants, living or undead, carried anything enchanted or high-quality.
With the rod safely stowed, you withdraw from the water-filled cavern and back through the serpent-filled passage to the embalming chamber and former prison. There, the surviving captives greet your return with jubilation. After sharing out some of your dwindling supply of food, you fortify the chamber and fall into a well-deserved sleep.
Upon waking, you gather up anything of value and explore the last few corners and shadowed chambers in the underground complex, steering clear of the deeper tunnels where the reek of the troglodytes is strongest. You pick up a few trinkets, and loot the previously unexplored barracks and kitchen on the upper level for the supplies you will need to make it back to Orlane.
You encounter only a handful of surviving cultists, most of them near-catatonic after the Mistress's defeat. They agree to return to Orlane with you and are nothing but cooperative. Of the other cultists, there is no sign - they've either fled into the tunnels below or the swamps above. You do not see them again.
The journey to Orlane is relatively uneventful. You lose a few villagers to illness, age and misfortune, but their deaths are due to no failure of your own. You make brief stop at the dryads' grove, where Dragomir attempts to return the black axe, but the dryad's refuse, instead granting him a blessing that seems to lift some of the weight the big man has been carrying since succumbing to the naga's domination.
Several farmhands working the outer vineyards spot you as you approach Orlane, and half the village comes to meet you as the enter the village proper. A feast is called for in the reconsecrated temple of Merrika, and you soon receive a summons to meet with Ramne in his tower.
His son, the mayor, is there as well, and greets you warmly. Even Ramne at first seems at a loss for words, nearly overcome by emotion.
"I did not ... ahem, I did not dare to hope that my wife's death might be avenged while I still walked this plane," he says, clearing his throat repeatedly. "But you have done what I could not, and for that all who live in the shadow of the Rushmoors owes you a great debt."
He seems about to choke up again when his son, Zakarias, steps in.
"I am sure you are eager to return to Hochoch, but I hope you will accept our hospitality, at least for the night. You look as if you have stories yet to tell, or mysteries to share, if I am not mistake."
Koralyn's mood the next day is somewhat soured by the though of the rod and its burden. During the long rest she took the task of identifying the item as the more experienced wizard among them was still cursed and at least somewhat unfit for the risk.
She tells the group of the rod's powers with distaste. It is for dominance of others and for spying. I certainly could see how it might be used for good but fear that the vile thing would somehow warp the wishes of even the best intentioned and any use of it would result in evil.
Back in the town Koralyn accepts the praise that is due but takes little pleasure in it. She is happy to stay the night but when asked for stories she refers the asker to others in the group stating it was a dark place full of evil. I would prefer to not speak of it.
Alistair speaks to Ramne and explains what has happened to him. He also tells the wizard of the staff and what he thinks it might actually be.
"I must rid myself of this....foul curse as soon...as possible and I fear...of returning to Hochoch...with such an item. The fools there would...only see it...as a weapon to use for their own...selfish needs, while...broadcasting to who-knows-what that...it has been found. I fear...it might do more harm than...good to our cause. What is your council?"