Rise of the Runelords

You left the 'silver man' shackled and headed off a way to discuss what and where to next.  Some thought to simply leave him.  Others thought some interrogation might yield some valuable information. Then followed all the other ethical and moral questions: do we negotiate with an evil person, what kind of bargains can we make, how do we know if he's lying, etc. Long story short...  You spent some time talking to him and agreed that in exchange for some information about the Runeforge and his items which you now had as wells as an agreement on a non-aggression pact that you would remove his shackles and leave him behind.  He agreed. He told you about the properties of his magic items, saving you several pearls.  He also told you a number of things about the various 'wings' of the Runeforge.

Here's the short version of what you learn:

• The 'conjuration' wing, which he referred to as the Festering Maze is not worth exploring.  The wizards fell victim to their own apathy and all that remains is a slowly collapsing realm of acidic fog, vermin, slimes and oozes. 
• There is little left of the Abjurant (abjuration of course) Halls.  A war between the wizards a long time ago destroyed its denizens and most of the hall itself.
• The Ravenous Crypts (necromancy) are led by Kazaven, who was instrumental in destroying the Abjurant Halls.  When asked what kind of creatures would be found in the Ravenous Crypts, Ordikon (the 'silver man') replied, "Its a crypt - duh."
• High Lady Athroxis leads the Halls of Wrath (evocation).  Ordikon said you would encounter some of their 'spawn' there - "creatures the like of which you have never seen."  He described them and you remember fighting something very similar during your first foray into the catacombs beneath Ardrinn.  Ordikon seemed very surprised at that and asked about it.  You explained, but he could not understand the names of places you mentioned. He described Athroxis as a real bitch.
• Delvhine (enchantment) he described as a coward at heart.  She apparently had a thing for Vraxeris (illusion - long dead).  He was unaware that she could leave the Runeforge until one of you mentioned it, and quickly came to the conclusion that she could because she had not been here long enough.

When asked about his tenure in the Runeforge, he honestly didn't seem to know how long it had been.  Centuries, millennia or maybe longer. Time didn't seem to matter anymore.  He agreed - volunteered actually - to remain within the Halls of Greed for one year and to not aid the others against you.  Edwin 'cooked up' a feast fit for heroes and you left him alone behind.

The Runeforge Pool Hall was empty as you again entered it.  Edwin suggested the group explore the Festering Maze and maybe the Abjurant Halls just in case Ordikon was lying.  Malloric put his foot down. "Oozes. slimes and acidic fog - no way!"  That was the end of that discussion.  You headed to the Ravenous Halls.

Same routine as the other halls.  You waited until all were gathered before exploring too much farther.  The first room was circular with an exit directly across.  There was an odd smell in the air - stale sheets, urine, antiseptic, rotting vegetation, or in another word, death). Around the wall were about a dozen grinning skulls with what appeared to be bits of flesh in their teeth. In between them stood six armored figures with scarabs running over them and occasionally falling off. They 'poofed' into motes of dust when they hit the ground, only to be replaced by more crawling out from the seams in the armor.  You stepped in and the figures animated.  Malloric, Balros, Golian and Wolfgar were the first into the room. You all flet the air turn cold and a wave of dry, stale air overtook you.  You all resisted the effect thanks to Edwin's breakfast. The armored figures attacked with massively strong slams.  Each time they hit, some scarabs would fall off and land on their target and try to burrow into the skin.  Malloric was infected early. Pirozzi moved in and started lighting them up with flamed based spells which seemed to be more effective than normal.  They all turned their attacks to him.  Soon he was hit and infected by the scarabs. Edwin realized these were likely mummies of some sort and proceeded to destroy them, about two at a time.  Edwin looked at Pirozzi's and Malloric's wounds and said they were beyond a simple cure disease.  He tried a remove curse on Malloric with success.  Out of similar spells, Edwin examined Pirozzi's wound carefully and was able to successfully cure some of his damage. Pirozzi then used his own restoration to gain back some of his lost con and cha.  Edwin said the disease onset is quite quick, but there will be time to try another break enchantment or remove curse again before it advances.

You moved on to another circular room with several statues that depicted various professions - wine-making, bread-making, cheese-making, butcher, etc.  One statue however, depicted and was identified as 'cannibals.'  You went the direction of the wine-makers.  You moved through several similar rooms.  All were vacant and had one or more sarcophagi in them.  Each of which had been opened and was empty. 

In one room, you were met by what appeared to be a armored zombie with a dagger in hand and several more on a bandoleer.  Balros moved in cautiously before the creature went.  Its first action was to claw and scratch at the wall where it was standing.  Three wraiths emanated from the damage the creature did.  It then attacked.  It was very proficient with its dagger and did significant damage with each hit.  It was however, like a punching bag and you quickly overwhelmed it.  Edwin easily dispatched the wraiths.

You moved through a few other rooms that appeared to be dissection labs. In each were a half dozen of more undead of various types: ghouls, wights, zombies, etc.  Edwin and Wolfgar took care of them quickly.  All cheered after Wolfgar successfully dispatched a few ghouls.

The next room was filled with an awful stench.  You could not immediately see what the source was. Moving in a bit you found a pile of blue-robed corpses in the middle of the floor.  They each were missing something - an arm, foot, internal organs, large chunk of muscle or some other part.  You moved carefully around the room and into another. This one had a single sarcophagus with depictions partially butchered cattle marching around it.  Another half dozen of the armored mummies stood guard.  These creatures took an immediate interest in Pirozzi.  The group protected him well and were able to hack a few down while Edwin destroyed the rest.  After the fight, some of you noticed drag marks that led to and under a section of wall.  You found the secret door and followed it to a large lab full of writings, fluid filled jars with floating organs and bits of flesh and a partially dissected human on one of the three lab tables.  The drag marks continued through another wall.  You followed.

You entered another room with a few sarcophagi. In one corner stood an emaciated man in once regal, now rotting, clothing. His skin looked like it had been drawn too tight over his skull.  Perhaps another undead.  In the far left corner stood a large humanoid that was clearly not native to this plane. It was a semi-dessicated creature with an exposed ribcage, inside of which was a small ghostly figure that appeared to be under some tormenting effect.  Malloric took a couple shots at the wizard.  Balros went after the other creature. The wizard responded by displacing himself and then casting a spell that created a floating black blade that attacked Malloric, draining a level each time it hit.  The large creature hit Balros with an enfeebling ray.  All moved in splitting forces on the two targets.  Pirozzi started to fill the room with silences.  The wizard created a wall of wailing spirits.  You all were immune to the fear effect it had.  Passing through it was another matter.  You took damage and had to resist being level drained each time.The large creature did not do much damage, but with each hit, you felt cold and again had to resist the negative power in the room or loose levels.  It soon was destroyed. Some of you flew (potion / armor) or walked (airwalk) over that wall as it was only 10' high.  You tracked the wizard who was standing near the wailing wall and continued attacking.  He cast an invisibility spell and moved again. Edwin cast true seeing and noticed the wizard was near Pirozzi. Trying to get everyone's attention he frantically gestured in that direction.  The group found themselves cut off form assisting Pirozzi by a wall of force. Pirrozi cast more silences.  D'Argo was gathering people to dimension door past the wall when the wizard again moved (only Edwin could see).  Edwin airwalked to over the wizard and hit him with a crossbow/bright fire bolt.  People started to converge on the wizard when he cast again, now there were two of him.  They both moved to another part of the room.  Edwin could see which on was real and took another shot.  All keyed on that.  The wizard cast again, turning into a gaseous cloud and filtered through some previously unseen cracks in the floor.

end session