The group de-ropes and springs into action – finding their way through a set of well-concealed sliding panels and into a privy. Out of the privy and into a study. Two doors present themselves. Traps and magic are detected on one, the other opens to a staircase leading downward.
Irresistible door gets the dispel magic treatment, and once opened, the Vessel of Souls writes a brief note indicating that there is a ring within that allows her to bypass locks in this place. This would greatly speed the party progress. The group enters the bedroom and sees the usual furniture plus a shuttered window. The window allows a view of the portico, causeway and area in front of the gates. The ring is found and given to the Lady of Garun. She promptly swings aside the wardrobe to show a narrow shaft leading downward, then she jumps into it.
The group curses their gullibility and the inferior sleuthing skills of the church of Torm, then springs into action. The ranger leaps into the shaft to chase her down the rungs, but she stops him with a glance and leaves him as a human cork as she continues downwards. Initial attempts to magic missile her into oblivion are met with the realization that she is immune to most magic. Her escape seems assured and the group gnashes its collective teeth in fury. To make matters worse, it seems she is surrounded by an impenetrable bubble of force, as the first sets of arrows shatter in mid-air. She does release a cloud of wraiths to discourage pursuit and they drain three levels from the wizard before being slain by the combined effects of the staff of brightness and the elf’s helm.
The quick-thinking mage uses his staff to seal the shaft below her with a sheet of ice, eight inches thick. He then expends additional magic to bypass her and gets beneath her, spending several charges to seal the shaft below even more thoroughly. Whatever happens, she isn’t going that way.
When the elf tries arrows – a few hit and a swarm of wraiths fills the passage again, draining a level from the elf and then she erects the bubble again. The group drops a grappling hook on the bubble and waits for it to fall, then rapidly fires a few arrows before the bubble is erected again. More wraiths are vaporized by the cleric and paladin.
At last, pin cushioned with arrows, she seems on the verge of surrender, but the elf already has launched the last arrow – and it strikes her down even as she raises a hand in defeat.
Razzafrazzing-farglegarble. The whole plan has gone all weasel shaped. Now what? Well…first they loot the body. Then they retreat to repair the damage and plot. Press on? Retreat? What did they hope to accomplish, and does the death of the lady hinder that plan?
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