Gwen Kirsten Tyra Quinn MacGlowcken – blogpost 5

Farryn’s private sanctum disappeared overnight, and he awoke to the sound of screaming. It’s apparent that someone infiltrated our base during the night, so we thoroughly searched the area but found no trace of the intruder.

Now, we’re busy devising a plan to address the situation. I decide to summon four lynxes as part of our strategy, and soon we have a plan in place.

Descending the stairs, we once again encounter a glyph as we enter the level. The White Mage skillfully dispels the glyph to ensure our safety. In preparation, the White Mage conjures an earth elemental, which emerges dramatically from the ground, exclaiming, “THIS IS WAR!”

With our plan in motion, we cautiously approach the tower of the Lich Ezzat, feeling the tension in the air grow thicker with each step.

Patience once again takes the lead, summarizing our plan and delivering an inspiring speech. We agree to spread out to avoid becoming easy targets.

Xenji summons a celestial spirit and ascends with it, reaching for the closed door. The earth elemental, summoned by the White Mage, begins pounding on the door. Farryn, always resourceful, hurls his dwarven thrower at the door, which shatters open under the impact.

I, on the other hand, decide to cast Goodberry and distribute the enchanted berries to each member of our party. However, our triumph is short-lived, as the earth elemental is suddenly beaten down, and Ezzat’s eerie laughter fills the cave.

The White Mage’s manifest mind enters the scene, but our victory is fleeting. Ezzat manages to dispel the manifestation, thwarting our attempts at mental intrusion.

Attempting to proceed, Grond is halted abruptly at the entrance. Apparently, no construct can pass through. Simu Farryn intervenes, casting polymorph on Grond, transforming it into a direwolf. I rally my lynxes and take the lead, guiding them toward the next room.

With Xenji’s assistance, we break through an icy barrier in the adjacent room, evoking a wall of ice that eventually turns to water and rains down. I direct my lynxes to enter the next room, and Patience sneaks a delayed fireball under the door.

As the fireball erupts, consuming the room in flames and igniting the books, an acrid black smoke fills the air. We hear Ezzat’s furious voice cursing us as the room is engulfed in flames: “FOOLS! TOOLS of Hallaster! What have you done?!” Tragically, two of my lynxes succumb to the inferno.

Xenji, upon attempting to strike Ezzat, realizes the lich is invulnerable to his attacks. Determined, I fire three arrows, two of which find their mark. I send my lynxes to attack Ezzat, dashing and scaling the walls to reach him. He retaliates with a ray of frost, but my lynxes emerge unscathed.

Farryn joins the assault, using chill touch and a series of physical attacks against Ezzat, who rises defiantly and goads us to face him. In a final act, Ezzat dispels the manifest mind of the White Mage. Patience steps forward, casting a starred spawn, preparing for the confrontation with the lich.

The lich’s chilling laughter echoes as a dark ray extends towards the starred spawn, linking them in a sinister connection. Smoke from the earlier fire surges out of the room, causing me to cough.

“FARRYNN, IS GROND STILL RESPONSIVE?” Jaf’ar’s frantic voice pierces through the chaos. I fire a couple of arrows at Ezzat before hastily retreating around the corner to escape the smoky haze. There, I find Farryn near the door and Grond, who now appears paralyzed and bereft of life.

I command my lynxes to attack Ezzat, but their efforts seem futile against the lich’s invulnerability. Frustrated, I mutter a curse under my breath and decide to break my concentration with the lynxes, realizing their ineffectiveness.

Just then, Ezzat targets the celestial being with a ray of frost, making our situation even more dire. Farryn leaps into the fray, his actions unintentionally setting a couple of books ablaze. Ezzat’s chilling laughter resonates once more as he prepares for his next move.

With an ominous declaration, he hurls a fireball into our room, taunting us about fighting fire with fire. The stench of my burning hair fills the air.

He walks through the room, his eyes locking onto mine before he ascends the stairs. His gaze is filled with disdain as he utters a single word, “PITY.”

Despite the overwhelming presence of spirits, the lingering remnants of adventurers who perished here, all urging me to join them in death, I stand my ground with unwavering determination.

Xenji swiftly follows the lich, grasping his cloak and launching a ferocious attack with his sword. “Here, Farryn, Grond is back!” I hear Farryn’s voice, presumably SimuFarryn’s.

Moments later, the White Mage enters the room with a frantic question: “WHERE IS HE?” Both Farryn and I point towards the stairs. I move into the room, determined to join the fray.

As I navigate through the raging fire, the scorching flames singe my skin. I manage to fire off two arrows at Ezzat before he suddenly collapses, holding himself up with his arms. “You fools,” he bellows.

Above us, Farryn’s dwarven thrower hurtles toward Ezzat’s face. The hammer impacts his forehead, causing the lich’s skull to explode and release a noxious gas that infiltrates our lungs. Coughing and gasping for breath, we are subjected to Ezzat’s taunts. “I’m infinite!” he proclaims as the poisonous cloud dissipates.

Ezzat’s cloak and amulet lay abandoned on the stairs. Nonchalantly, Farryn says, “Guys, please get rid of the fire,” before calmly exiting the room. Xenji rushes upstairs, and I hear a resounding noise. “Don’t come near the gnome statues!” he shouts, in pain.

The White Mage reenters the room, attempting to extinguish the flames with the water from his stash. “NO THE BOOKS!” he cries out in distress. I retreat from the room, my lungs still burning, and cast Cure Wounds on myself.

Farryn, in possession of a stash of water that smells of the sea, uses it to douse the flames. Some of the books now float in the water. Xenji announces, “Okay, the statue has changed! You can go up if you want to.” With the fire under control, the lingering poison is our primary concern.

Farryn makes his way to the stairs, and the White Mage continues battling the remaining flames. I offer my assistance to him. “Can I help you?” I inquire.

The White Mage, tears in his eyes, replies, “Yes.” Together, we work on clearing books from the room. Farryn throws the amulet down to the White Mage, and I catch it before handing it over. The amber-colored amulet bears an engraved rune, and I pass it to the White Mage

We embark on a search for salvageable items amidst the aftermath of the fiery battle. Among the remnants, I come across several books, all of them bearing information about Undermountain. Some discuss levels both above and below us, but many are damaged by the water and fire. Details about Hallaster and the Seven pique my interest, but as I delve deeper, the pages become unreadable or missing.

Among the stack of books, I find a cover that reads, “Findings and making a distinction between fiction and reality’ by Ezzat.” Determined to salvage whatever knowledge remains, I carry my precious find over to the White Mage. I manage to transport the hefty pile by maneuvering around the fire and puddles, executing a small acrobatic feat to deliver them safely.

Curiosity leads me to Ezzat’s cloak next. As I lay my hands on it, the garment feels unnaturally cold, imbued with an eerie sense of death. I bring it to the White Mage and then decide to ascend the stairs while he inspects the cloak.

Passing the stone statue and through the partially open door, I craft a minor illusion in the room shared by Xenji and Faryn, imitating Ezzat’s presence. Xenji swiftly draws his sword and begins an assault. I can’t help but laugh as I enter the room. “HA, YOU SHOULD’VE seen your FACE!”

Farryn’s stern remark tempers my enthusiasm. I maintain a thoughtful silence as he points out our location in the alchemy lab, expressing his excitement. Here, we discover two potions—resistance of force and lightning resistance. Alongside them, we find two mithril rods and a variety of material components.

Leaving Farryn, Grond, and Xenji behind, I return downstairs where the White Mage is. I inquire about the nature of the cloak I found. “What is it for a cloak?”

“It’s a magical cloak, specific to you. It grants invisibility when worn in the dark.” Eager to test it out, I put it on, though it proves quite long for me. Despite the misfit, I feel an overwhelming sense of awe.

The White Mage and I ascend the stairs, and upon reaching the others, I proudly display my newfound cloak to Farryn. I demonstrate its power by becoming invisible, and though Farryn can’t see me, I take it off to share my excitement. Farryn approves of the trophy.

Meanwhile, the White Mage hands over the amulet to Farryn, explaining its usefulness against scrying. Farryn accepts the amulet with gratitude.

We step into a room adjacent to the mysterious circle. In the center, a statue stands with a holy symbol adorning its chest. Xenji and I ponder its significance; after a collective effort, we identify it as Ezzat. At the base of the statue rests a thick book, its cover embellished with gold.

The White Mage requests ten minutes to examine the book, but Farryn is visibly uncomfortable and eager to distance himself from the statue. None of us can fathom why he detests it. I accompany Farryn outside the room, musing, “weird how one grain in this circle can have such a significant effect.”

We wait for the White Mage to finish identifying the book’s nature. I station myself by the door of the statue’s chamber while Xenji remains inside.

A sudden, deafening BANG shatters the stillness. I am engulfed in flames and almost step into the magical circle. I quickly retract, teetering on my toes. My first concern is Xenji. “Are you okay?!”

I turn to see the statue shattered, its sphere destroyed, but the precious book remains unscathed. The White Mage guards it protectively, while Farryn reenters the room.

Our attention soon shifts to the ceiling, where a massive ten-foot stone looms. Farryn, I, and Xenji collectively exert ourselves, pushing and straining against the heavy stone. It’s a strenuous effort, but eventually, we manage to shift it to the side. I decide to fly up to investigate further.

However, my ascent is met with a sudden and brutal assault. Seven arms assail me, slashing and grappling my form. I glimpse a little box on a small altar within the room. As the blows continue to rain down, my vision darkens, and I’m tossed aside, losing consciousness as my head collides with the unforgiving rocks.

I wake up, jolted into consciousness by the White Mage. In a daze, I promptly shoot an arrow, attempting to put as much distance as possible between my foe and me. The rest of the party engages the bloodied beast, and I witness as they collectively defeat the creature.

Xenji becomes a radiant figure, filled with brilliant light, which brings me some relief. He takes up his sword and begins to hack at the marilith. With each strike, the marilith’s arms fall, and she meets her demise.

In the room, a tiny box of adamantine adorned with golden runes catches our attention. Xenji, his radiance dimming, walks over and places a reassuring hand on my head, saying, “Luckily, you’re all right, tiny one.” I stand and approach the spot where our enemy once stood, spitting out a mouthful of blood to mark the victory.

The White Mage insists that we descend, as he plans to destroy the phylactery – the tiny box. Farryn and I agree to accompany him. We inquire about any magic for recovering legends, and the idea of a spell scroll from the scarecrow comes up. We decide to bring the phylactery along, and Farryn expresses his desire to search the tower despite the urgency. We descend together, returning to the library, which still lies in ruins.

“What’s our plan here?” I inquire.

“We need to break contracts,” Patience explains. “Not just mine, but Farryn’s as well. He’s bound by a pact with the merchant. And his other companion is already claimed, his great love. Now, Farryn is on death row. Yaruk mentioned breaking contracts. Let’s find him.”

The White Mage expresses his concern. “That doesn’t sound good,” he remarks.

“Let’s just say it’s an option to consider, we could also wish for something..” I suggest.

“But HOLY SMOKES, why haven’t you written all of this merchant-thing down?” I ask Farryn.

“Because I’m not proud of it,” he admits.

“Ever so bashful,” I tease.

“Well, I know you’re a fan of Mister Flamel Gwen, but a deal with the merchant is kind of like a deal with the devil,” Xenji warns ominously.

We return to Urm with our intentions.

“And?” Urm inquires eagerly.

“We’ve got good and bad news. Let’s start with the bad. You’ll have to wait a bit, but today, we’ll succeed,” Farryn replies.

“That’s excellent news. What’s the bad news then?”

“You’ll have to wait,” 

“We want to trade with Yaruk, without letting the water djinni know,” I add.

Urm jokes about the only thing missing being mud, and Farryn chimes in, “Gwen is a fan of mud baths.”

In a playful gesture, Urm splatters me with mud, saying, “Heal.” The mud enters my wounds, and I wince. “Can someone clean me up? Because it stings.”

Xenji steps in to use his magic for the cleanup.

We return to our base, and I notice that a multitude of Flumphs gather around me. Xenji summons Scarecrow, who arrives in response to the call. We discuss the need to investigate the history of the phylactery, which Scarecrow had done previously.

“Are you aware of how expensive that service is?” Scarecrow inquires. Farryn, ever the meticulous one, reviews the payment history of our party. Xenji takes charge and pays for the service, even when Scarecrow initially directs the request to Farryn.

Scarecrow then proceeds to cast the spell ‘legend lore.’ It reveals that we require eight powerful spellcasters, all capable of ‘disintegrate,’ to combine their powers to destroy the phylactery. We ask Scarecrow for advice on locating these individuals.

Xenji contemplates Tassegryn or perhaps seeking help in Waterdeep. He suggests the paladin’s sister as a potential source of assistance or mentions the House of Wonder, a temple dedicated to Mystra, the goddess of mages.

I express my willingness to accompany Xenji, but he wisely advises against it, considering I have a sending stone. Xenji makes his way to the portal.

Farryn has other plans and intends to visit the Golden Cauldron for information and to file a report. I decide to go with him, so we make our way upstairs, and through Trollskull Manor, we go to the Golden Cauldron headquarters. Xenji decides to head into the city to gather mages.. Farryn turns himself invisible, while I head to a high cleric and explain that Farryn has an important report to deliver. Lila, who is present, catches my attention.

Apologizing for the interruption, I explain that I have a report to deliver on behalf of the Disruptors. Lila acknowledges this and instructs me to proceed to a cleric and transcribe the report. There’s a twist, however, as I mention having someone with me.

Farryn greets Lila with a simple “Hi, Lila,” and we are led to a private room where he shares the details of our encounter with the lich, its destruction, and the need for eight mages capable of casting ‘disintegrate.’ We emphasize that we require help, and we offer the good news that our cooperation could elevate the Golden Cauldron’s status. Lila processes the information and voices her concerns about the limited number of mages at their disposal.

Farryn adds, “We can’t exactly roam the streets of Waterdeep…”

“Indeed, it’s still quite delicate.”

There’s one mage available at the Golden Cauldron. Farryn raises the question of how we will locate additional capable mages.

“We’ll check the House of Wonder and the Blackstaff Academy.”

Our aim is to gather everyone at our base by the end of the afternoon. I notice Lila taking charge of various tasks, although she may not have fully comprehended all the details.

I head to my locker in the Golden Cauldron, where I find an assortment of items, including a disruptors’ poster seeking new members, dragon posters, and my diaries. I deposit an additional 2500 gold pieces in my locker.

I send a sending to Xenji, updating him that we’ve secured one mage and once he has contacted schools, make sure he urges their presence at our base by the afternoon.

In the afternoon, we reconvene. Xenji has made arrangements for several powerful mages to attend.