After stalling for days the party finally has to make a decision about the staves and the sphinx queen. Dither and done – a plan is hatched, laid and goes all cattywhompus in the first few seconds.
The staves are placed in the hands of the statue and the wand of illumination is used to activate an elaborate teleportation ritual involving the couches in the sarcophagi. One by one the group is teleported away to face their dopplegangers and a dracosphinx. Yeah – you read that right. As each party member is teleported from the sarcophagus, he is faced by his exact duplicate.
Barada goes first and has the presence of mind to try and attack the mirror that is producing the duplicates. Unfortunately, subsequent party members mistake Barada for the doppleganger and some mayhem ensues. But, by the time Demming shows up, the mirror is smashed and the party is being pelted with fireballs from a necklace of missiles thrown by a dracosphinx hidden in an illusion-covered lair. Mayhem ensues and she is eventually defeated and promptly preserved by Dalliance. Organs are harvested and the thought of ridiculous wealth makes the party a bit giddy.
Another day or two passes and the party is ready to face the queen. They open the door to her lair/tomb and survey the situation. Demming casts control winds to blow away the sand that covers the floor. This reveals multiple symbols, but the party steers clear of them and starts to navigate the cavern. They are attacked by shadow replicas of the queen, but Dalliance and Barada vanquish them. Thus, the battle is joined.
There is a frenetic exchange of spells and attacks. Nils is slain by a Phantasmal Killer but that is the only party casualty thanks to Barada’s quick thinking. He convinces Dalliance to cast a fly spell upon him and he engages the queen with his newly recharged wand of illumination, slaying her in a matter of seconds, mirror images and regeneration notwithstanding. Anti-climactic much?
The death of the queen triggers a collapse of the vast underground cavern, but the cube of force and a Demming-deployed earth elemental offer a route to freedom. The same elemental is deployed to plunder the wealth of the queen’s lair and the enriched party departs for other parts…
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