The pcs climbed down the 150' by using magic. At the bottom of the shaft, and after a short tunnel, they came upon a series of walled off chambers. After some searching the pcs decided to go left and there they encountered a powerful vampire druid that attacked in a blood frenzy. The druid shifted into a huge cave bear and attacked but the pcs soon gave it a mortal wound to the bear form and the vampire was forced to fight on with its own body.
The elven vampire inflicted deadly wounds on the pcs but was soon surrounded and slain by the combined might of the pcs. Then the pcs found a library area with 4 suits of demonic armor. Rigby found a prison cell and after some brief consideration the pcs decided to open it. When Rigby opened the door to the cell the four suits of demon armor animated and attacked. The pcs were able to defeat the armor with minimal wounds. Then Eric slid the stone lid off one of the sarcophagi which released the entombed skeleton knight. The skeleton knight spoke with Black Hands in ancient Varisian with Gregor doing his best to follow along.
Black Hands convinced the skeleton knight to awake his two companions and join the party against Tar-Baphon. The newly expanded group moved on to the nearby large hall. Therein a the pcs saw an angel standing guard over the wards ruined by the Carrion Crown. Then followed a long protracted negotiation with the angel.
The angel, called Sanviel, eventually agreed to let the pcs and undead proceed past the wards. Sanviel said that he would follow his orders and remain on guard there in case the pcs should fail to defeat Tar-Baphon. The pcs then descended on a spiral skeleton staircase to the next level. At that level they encounted a large group of ghosts.
The ghosts attacked and it appeared that the pcs were in trouble. However the ghosts were unable to possess anyone except Black Hands. Eric grappled the possessed Black Hands and refused to kill him. Glade use a turn to drive the ghost out him while the other pcs mopped up the rest of the ghosts. The pcs and allies traveled only a few yards and they saw a building carved out of natural rock. A ghoul stuck his head through a door that was open just a crack.
Linkles and Rigby used their mage hands spell to open the door. Linkles cast a fireball through the open door and the ghouls were devastated in the explosion. The ghouls counter-attacked but the pack was too badly injured to offer any sort of credible threat to the pcs. After the ghouls were driven away the pcs continued on. Fortunately Glade chose a path that avoided the graves of another mob of ghosts.
The pcs descended down another shaft to a maze of rooms that formerly were living and eating spaces. Furnishings and fixtures of wood were rotted and smashed into unrecognizable debris. The pcs started to open various doors facing the labyrinth of halls. In room after room they found hordes of skeletons, zombies, and more rarely, ghouls. After the first round of fighting the pcs decided to take a short rest in the first room they had cleared and searched. Gregor summoned his mount and found out that he was not able to dismiss it. When they opened they opened the door to exit they were blasted by a hellball launched from a waiting deathknight.
The pcs managed to avoid the worst of the explosion and charged after the deathknight. They pcs were able to bring down the deathknight with ranged attacks before it could escape and then the pcs were able to mop the huge horde of skeletons surrounding them. The demon Kazakin was slain by the skeleton horde but he took a great number with him in death. Next the pcs cleared the right side of the labyrinth and they found a corridor that could be used as a defensive position to wipe out the rest of Tar-Baphon's army. Andivion used one of his magic patches to create a barred door to block one path to the defensive area. Glade cast spikestones and the slaughter began. The mindless zombies and skeletons were drawn into the spikestones killzone and were quickly wiped out. The ghouls faired only slightly better. They retreated after being wounded and released zombie and skeleton allies. Eventually all the undead on level 6 wiped out.
Next the pcs descended another skeleton spiral staircase down to level 7. After following a short corridor the pcs came upon a stone golem in the guise of the human form of Tar Baphon.
The pcs quickly overwhelemed the stonegolem and destroyed. Then the pcs investigated a huge pile of humanoid bones. The pile started spontaneously forming skeletons. The pcs destroyed the first skeleton and then two more were created. The pcs quickly figured that the pile would generate more skeletons when the last batch were destroyed.
The pcs pinned one of the two skeletons and then manacled it thus breaking the cycle of skeleton generation. Then the pcs traveled a short distance and found a sleeping dracolich.
A brief but furious battle ensued and the dragon was destroyed but a some cost in magic and injuries. After the battle Gregor cast a find spell to locate the dragons's phylactery. Gregor was surprised when he sensed not one but two phylacteries. The pcs traveled only a few dozen feet and they were confronted by a skull with gem eyes. The pcs correctly guessed they were facing a dread demi-liche.
The elven vampire inflicted deadly wounds on the pcs but was soon surrounded and slain by the combined might of the pcs. Then the pcs found a library area with 4 suits of demonic armor. Rigby found a prison cell and after some brief consideration the pcs decided to open it. When Rigby opened the door to the cell the four suits of demon armor animated and attacked. The pcs were able to defeat the armor with minimal wounds. Then Eric slid the stone lid off one of the sarcophagi which released the entombed skeleton knight. The skeleton knight spoke with Black Hands in ancient Varisian with Gregor doing his best to follow along.
The ghosts attacked and it appeared that the pcs were in trouble. However the ghosts were unable to possess anyone except Black Hands. Eric grappled the possessed Black Hands and refused to kill him. Glade use a turn to drive the ghost out him while the other pcs mopped up the rest of the ghosts. The pcs and allies traveled only a few yards and they saw a building carved out of natural rock. A ghoul stuck his head through a door that was open just a crack.
Linkles and Rigby used their mage hands spell to open the door. Linkles cast a fireball through the open door and the ghouls were devastated in the explosion. The ghouls counter-attacked but the pack was too badly injured to offer any sort of credible threat to the pcs. After the ghouls were driven away the pcs continued on. Fortunately Glade chose a path that avoided the graves of another mob of ghosts.
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