15 Wealsun, 592 CY
Having spent the remainder of the previous day holed up in the small entry chamber to the second level, the party rested the night and woke up refreshed. Cyrus requested several hours of meditation so that he could empower his psionic weapons, and Ashton, eager to attempt scrying for his father again, was only too happy to comply. After four hours of trying, his efforts were finally rewarded with the face of Primus Maximus.
The man sat at a stone table in what appeared to be some sort of dining hall, but he was the only one visible. He wore shabby robes, and his dark hair and beard unkempt and streaked with a little more grey than Ashton remembered. The son watched as the father slowly turned his gaze to look straight at the scrying sensor, his expression passive. “You’ve come,” he said softly before turning his head and continuing to look at nothing in particular, his hands clasped loosely as he leaned on the table’s surface. He held this posture until the scry effect ended.
He returned to the rest chamber, where the others waited, and Ryla asked if he had had any luck. She was a little surprised to hear that he had managed to scry on his long missing father. Since Cyrus still needed a few more hours, Ryla asked the magus about his family, which turned into a conversation about the nature of necromancy. Sage chimed in uninvited to offer up his “expertise” on the subject at one point, but it was largely ignored. When Cyrus was finished with his meditations, the group prepared to continue exploring.
With only two clear paths available to them, they decided first to explore the southern door at the intersection that connected the demodand’s room and the Soul Pillars. Once spells were cast, Jarvyk opened the door to reveal a long hallway with frosty iron doors lining most of its length. Two more doors graced the east and west walls after a four way intersection at the southern end of the hallway. Everyone suspected additional lightning bolt attacks, and Jarvyk volunteered to scout, requesting the Phoenix Heart from Ashton. Strangely, the magus seemed hesitant and suspicious of the dwarf, but once he assured the man that he would return it at the end of the hallway, Ashton relented and handed the stone over.
The dwarf paladin made his way cautiously down the hallway, ignoring the score of doors flanking him for most of its length. When he came to the intersection, he saw that the hallway to the west had collapsed in icy rubble, and icy strands spanned middle section of the eastern hallway, which led to another door, much like the one that had led to the wizard’s scrying chamber. He waved the others forward and they joined him at the intersection, where the dwarf returned the Phoenix Heart to Ashton.
The southernmost west door was opened to reveal a small impromptu bedchamber. A simple bed sat against the northern wall opposite a desk and chair. Large stacks of paper were piled on the desk. Ashton sat down at the desk, and tried to decipher the chaotic collection of personal notes, but he was unable to sort out much of anything. Bransen, inspired, asked if he could try. Puzzled, considering that the “sorcerer” was illiterate, the magus stood and let Bransen sit instead. He cast a simple spell, which Ashton recognized immediately and which caused him to facepalm. Using comprehend language, Bransen was able to determine that these were the personal notes of Fetor Abradius, the former member or perhaps a mercenary in service to the Cagewrights.
The notes provided detailed information on the Soul Pillars. They were apparently spell weaver artifacts created as stores of knowledge from the souls of countless victims of the spell weavers depredations. The notes mentioned that the two pillars that the party had previously found only contained lesser knowledge, but that five more were in a chamber guarded by Vittriss Bale. The loremaster Abradius had apparently negotiated with the wyrm for the use of these greater pillars so that he might continue his inquiries into the nature of the soul cages and the ritual of planar junction that the Cagewrights were attempting. The notes also provided extensive details on activating and maintaining ones’ mind while using the Soul Pillars.
Greyjek used a similar power to unlock the secrets of the notes, and Ashton used a least wish to do the same. Upon reflection, he equated the power within the pillars as similar to the use of another spell known as contact other plane. They were all intrigued by the possibilities, but it was decided that they should deal with Vittriss Bale first. The door across the hallway revealed a small empty chamber containing an intricate pentagram carved into the stony floor and inlaid with some form of metal. Bransen viewed the room with detect magic and noticed that the pentagram formed a magic circle against evil faced inward, implying to him that this chamber was used to summon evil outsiders. The room was otherwise bare, and so the group exited it.
A cursory search of the doors lining the long hallway revealed twenty-two empty spell weaver coffins. A couple of them contained some mundane supplies, but nothing else of interest. They returned to the northern intersection and took the narrow tunnel to the east until it dead ended with a door on the north wall. Jarvyk saw that it was clearly locked, so Greyjek disintegrated the wall beside it. The dwarf then entered the room. Fifteen corpses stood frozen in place, equally spaced along the length of the rectangular room. From head to toe, the corpses were covered in faintly glowing blue runes. Ashton entered and examined the macabre “scrolls.” Though he was unable to determine the details, he recognized the structure of the writing as being consistent with what he’d read about spell weaver histories. Another comprehend language later, it was determined that the bodies did indeed contain a brief history regarding Karran-Kural. It seemed to outline the spell weaver belief that a fundamental connection existed between the magical essences of death and cold. The tomb had been built to explore that strange connection.
Only one path remained, the ice lined east hallway at the southernmost intersection. Ryla expanded her flaming cloak to slowly (and quietly) melt the icy strands a bit at a time. After considering what they knew about Vittriss Bale, a number of protective spells were cast based on that knowledge. Cyrus waited behind the corner in the southern hallway, while the others moved forward. Jarvyk opened the door to reveal a chamber opening into a massive dome. A wide broken walkway circled about a third of the room’s circumference, and a thick ice bridge extended away from the door into the center of the room. Five massive pillars, composed of gray necrotic flesh, stretched from the pit floor to the ceiling.
Jarvyk moved to the back, beckoning to Ashton to cast fly upon him. The wizard cast his spell just before they heard a booming, raspy voice say, “It’s rude to just stand in the hallway.” Then, a nightmare dropped down from above the door to stand on the ice bridge. The creature looked like a huge semi-skeletal dragon with tarnished green scales. Red points of light glowed in its otherwise empty eye sockets, and it exuded an aura of malevolence. And then it breathed on them, a tempestuous cloud of acid that knocked everyone in the hallway prone in addition to burning away at the protections possessed by the group.
Ryla and Jarvyk were the first back to their feet, and they both assumed defensive postures. They both ignored the waves of fear emanating from the dracolich, as well as its paralyzing gaze. Bransen stood and cast air walk upon himself, in preparation for aerial combat. Cyrus managed to overcome the undead dragon’s frightful presence enough to fire a couple of soul arrows past his allies, but they slammed into the creature without apparent effect. Greyjek stood then, nonplussed by the monster before exerting his will into a ray of disintegration. It obliterated several of the creature’s ribs in a most satisfactory manner, causing the creature to roar in anger and pain. The Woosah smiled slightly. Ashton stood and cast haste on the group before he got a good look at the dracolich. What he saw overwhelmed him, and his entire body locked up, paralyzed by fear and the certainty that he was outmatched by this testament to true necromantic might. Finally, the creature itself stretched out its long neck to bite Ryla. As it did, her flaming mantle flared up to scorch the beast, before it withdrew to its right, out of view of those in the hallway.
Ryla pursued, getting bit again as she closed with the beast, which burned it a little more. She was unable to overcome its defenses sufficiently to deal it any wound. Jarvyk flew out next and came around to the dracolich’s side, where he struck at it to similar effect. Bransen walked out to stand just behind Ryla in midair, targeting the beast with dispel magic in order to remove some of its defenses. Cyrus sprinted down the hallway to the end, but when he caught the monster’s gaze from so close, his mind rebelled and he stood paralyzed. Greyjek concentrated to regain his focus, then moved out into the chamber and to the right, away from the creature, which left the foes it was engaged with (suffering strikes from Ryla and Bransen that actually injured it) to land beside and bite the erudite.
Ryla and Jarvyk pursued once more, Ryla suffering a third bite as she closed and again wounded the creature with flame and sword. Jarvyk was having no better luck than with his previous strikes. Bransen moved forward and cast a spell, touching the huge undead creature with his outstretched hand. He was gratified when the greater curse seemed to take effect on the creature. Greyjek spun around to face the distracted monster and again narrowed his will into a destructive beam of green energy. Though the dracolich avoided the worst of the effect, the other wounds it has suffered proved sufficient for the ray to finish the beast. Looking over the edge of the pit, they saw a great deal of glittering metal below, and moved to examine the undead wyrm’s hoard.
The active threats of Karran-Kural neutralized, the group turned its attention to the Soul Pillars, and though some of them were a little hesitant to seek knowledge from the collected souls of tortured sentient beings, their need for information was too great. They gleaned a great deal of information from both the lesser and greater pillars.
Ashton
Q: “Where is Primus Maximus?”
A: “In the City of Doors.”
Q: “Where is Evane Delila-Chord’s soul?”
A: “In the City of Doors.”
Q: “Where in Sigil is Evane Delila-Chord’s soul?”
A: “The Hive.”
Q: “How did Primus Maximus imprison Evane Delila-Chord’s soul?”
A: “He used a ritual of his own creation.”
Q: “Why did Primus Maximus imprison Evane Delila-Chord’s soul?”
A: “He loves her.”
Q: “What plans does Primus Maximus have for Evane Delila-Chord’s soul?”
A: “He has no current plans for her soul.”
Q: “Has Primus Maximus augmented his form?”
A: “He remains human.”
Q: “Where is the nearest portal to Sigil?”
A: “The child of chaos knew.”
Q: “What is the key to entering the nearest portal to Sigil?”
A: “Implements of Darkness and of Light.”
Q: “Where is the source of necromantic power to the south?”
A: “In the glabrezu’s lair.”
Q: “Are there any other sources of necromantic power nearby?”
A: “You’re standing in one.”
Bransen
Q: “Is Migos Fehr right about the Presage of Forms prophecy?”
A: “The Power Universal cannot be achieved by the method he has planned.”
Q: “How can we free the souls of the elves and dwarves trapped above?” A: “Your ‘sorcerer’ can channel energy to free them.”
Greyjek
Q: “Are there any surviving spell weavers?”
A: “Not on this world.”
Jarvyk
Q: “Was Karamus stealing from the Silver Phoenix Adventuring Company?”
A: “Indubitably.”
Ryla
Q: “What is Ryla Soul Reaper?”
A: “She is many things. Azurin. Incarnate. Mother. Companion. Warrior. Hero.”
Cagewrights
Q: “Who are the leaders of the Cagewrights?”
A: “The Cagewright leaders number thirteen. They are Alurad Sorizan, Ardeth Webb, Dyr’ryd, Embril Aloustinai, Freija Doorgan, Gau Kleeoch, Kyan Winterstrike, Nulin Wiejeron, Shebeleth Regidin, Ssythar Nahazir, Thearynn Louvel, Viirdran Daraqor, and Xokek.”
Q: “Do they Cagewrights hold sway over Cauldron?”
A: “Yes.”
Q: “Through whom do they Cagewrights hold sway over Cauldron?”
A: “Primarily Orbius.”
Q: “Do any members of the Cagewrights bear the Smoking Eye?”
A: “No.”
Q: “Is there a connection between the Cagewrights and the Smoking Eye?”
A: “Only indirectly.”
Q: “Where are the Cagewrights?”
A: “Most are beneath Cauldron.”
Q: “Where is Zenith Splintershield?”
A: “Beneath Cauldron.”
Q: “Is Zenith Splintershield willingly aiding the Cagewrights?”
A: “He is incapable of making that decision.”
Q: “What is the goal of the Cagewrights’ ritual?”
A: “You already know that.”
Q: “What is needed for the Cagewrights’ ritual?”
A: “Primarily, the sacrifice of the prison-tainted souls.”
Q: “When is the Cagewrights’ ritual?”
A: “It is happening even now.”
Q: “Are the Chisel working for or against the Cagewrights?”
A: “Against, indirectly.”
Q: “Is Maavu Arlintal working for or against the Cagewrights?”
A: “Against, indirectly.”
Their questions (mostly) answered, the adventurers turned their attention to the freeing of the souls trapped above and their own escape from the icy dungeon.
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