Session 88: The Liches of Kortar Report

General Summary

Session 88 – Wednesday July 17, 2024: The Liches of Kortar

4-hour Exploration/Battle session 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM.

The Stone Bearers. Party of 6:

It is the 3rd day of the month of Alturiak (The Claw of winter) in the 51st year of the Age of Enialis (Early Feb.)

• Ajani– High Elf, L14 Wizard – Nathan Gioconda
• Cassidy – Human, L14Blood hunter – Ryan Armstrong (Remote)
• Gazlowe – Goblin, L15 Artificer – Josh Pozsonyi
• Isabella – Forest Gnome, L14 Barbarian – Jackie Armstrong
• Juan Peyote – Gnome L14 Paladin – Will Johnson
• Seften Mitcaver – Human, L14 Cleric – Jacob Munson (Remote)

A female lich

Cassidy sneezed and Gazlowe showed up. The Misty form of the lich continued congeal into a shapely female form with a type of phantom of the opera mask over ½ of her face. Juan yelled “Dibbs!” But was still trying to shake off the psychic pain. The lich started to dance causing the ground to shake dealing thunder damage to Ajani and her corrupted presence also dealt necrotic damage. The room shook and half the party fell prone.   Seften cast Animate Objects causing several items to start attacking. Ajani tried to imprison her in a mental prison. She used her legendary resistance against these attacks, which caused her mask to fall off and increased her vulnerability. Gisella charged in striking the lich with her scimitar. Cassidy pulled out her whip and struck and branded the lich. The lich saw Gazlowe on the ground and cast Irresistible Dance making him spastically dance on the floor. Juan shook off the headache and charged to the lich with his sword, killing her.

What’s behind Door Number 2?

Gazlowe spotted the enchantment table and was able to dispel the lich attached to it. The party then turned their attention to the banging on the door. Seften had his Animated Objects stand by the door in case something burst through. Seften tried to open the door. The door burst open and Seften jumped out of the way as an undead Frost Giant squeezed into the room. The aura of the giant froze the animated objects in their place. The Giant then obliterated one of them. Ajani shot a chromatic orb at the Giant. Gisella let out a war cry and charged it with her scimitar landing 2 critical blows!   Cassidy hit it twice with her whips. Gazlowe ran up to it and punched it. Jaun went in with her sword. The Giant focused on Gazlowe and struck him twice with his great axe. Seften used his animated objects to attack the Giant making it bloodied. Ajani hit it again with a chromatic orb. Cassidy landed one whip attack. Gazlowe got caught up in the giant’s cold aura and couldn’t land a blow. Isabella ran in and struck the creature with her great maul. Seeing the damage wasn’t great, she switched to her sword, but missed. The Giant tried to move forward but the entire party was in front of him. Seften hurt the creature. Ajani finished it off with an electrical chromatic orb.

Resting in the lab

The party was in desperate need for a long rest. Juan tried some of the goop from the pot and enjoyed it. Seften spent some time reinforcing the door to the room, which dramatically enhanced its strength. He also changed the lock. Isabella collected some potions and Ajani found some spell scrolls (See Treasure below.) After collecting items, the party rested in the prison cell and Cassidy stood watch.   A few hours into the rest, Cassidy heard someone trying to open the door to the room. She kept guard and close watch, but nothing came through the door. After 4 hours, Ajani finished up his rest and then joined Cassidy. Cassidy told him something is in the hall. Ajani didn’t hear anything and then examined the rest of the items in the lab. 4 hours later the others woke up.

Guards in the hall

The party ate some breakfast and Isabella continued to fret about Snuffelsnort being a Heffalump. Gazlowe adjusted his armor and prepared his inventions for the day. Ajani went back to the door and successfully cast Clairvoyance. When he did this, he saw 2 Boneclaws in the hallway patiently waiting. One was by the door with a large ring of keys, trying to find the right one, but none seemed to work. Ajani told the others what he saw.   Isabella wondered if they smash them by blowing up the door. Gazlowe examined all the various items in the room and realized he could make an improvised bomb. Gazlowe and Cassidy spent a couple hours working together. Gazlowe insisted the “Self-destruct button is mandatory.” They placed the bomb in front of the door. Gazlowe yelled out an insult to draw the Boneclaws closer and then Juan produced enough flatulence to ignite the bomb.   The bomb exploded and slammed the door into the Boneclaws leaving them bloodied. The party then ran in to finish them off. Cassidy was hurt badly by the creatures. Isabella killed the first one who was grappling Cassidy. Gazlowe walked up to the 2nd and Curb Stomped it, crushing its skull with his foot. Gazlowe picked up the ring of keys and they looked at the next 3 doors. Isabella gave Cassidy a potion of supreme healing.

The Dissection room.

Gazlowe went to the last door on the left. It took him a minute to find the right key and then opened the door. The room was well lit and cold, with several metal tables stained with blood. There was a strong smell of stench with dried blood on the floor that had drained into a grate in the center of the room. Gazlowe saw an array of medical supplies, and healing potions and reagents on tables and shelves. He spotted a 1,000gp diamond among the supplies and headed directly for it. As he passed over the grate, a large bloody blob reached out and smacked him.   The others saw the conglomeration of a blood and bone and sinew emerging from the grate getting larger and larger until it filled a 30’ area of the room. When Gazlowe was hit, the ooze broke one of Gazlowe’s regular potions of healing. The creature absorbed the potion and grew stronger. Cassidy started striking the ooze. The ooze was grappling Gazlowe and started sucking the life out of him. Isabella ran in with her blazing sword slashing the ooze. Seften stood in the hallway casting Toll the Dead and saw it had no effect on the ooze.   Bird and Juan started pecking and slashing the ooze. Gazlowe escaped the grapple. Cassidy hit it but then the creature, sensing Isabella’s potions landed a blow on her and grappled her. It started to absorb Isabella and healed itself with her flesh. Isabella struck the creature with her axe. Seften went in with his axe and went wild on it, killing the creature.   Gazlowe and Cassidy examined the room. They determined that the sorcerers of Kortar were torturing creatures and then healing them to be tortured some more. Isabella picked up 4 healing potions (See Treasure Below.) Gisella consumed a bit of the ooze and felt better. Cassidy collected a couple vials of the ooze and took a dissecting kit.

Main Lab.

Gazlowe couldn’t readily find the key to the room across the hall. He tried to pick the lock and failed and became very frustrated. After a few more minutes he found the right key. The room was huge. A familiar odor of ozone hit them. The room was well lit and littered with tables filled with alchemist supplies and reagents. Ajani spotted a pile of Niptu Spell reagents. There were 3 large pillars conducting 2 arcs of lightning between them. There were 2 green glowing cauldrons and one glowing enchantment table. In the center of the room was a floating skull. The party recognized the Demilich Donnie.   Gazlowe asked, “What’s up with the door?” The lich responded, “It’s meant to keep out intruders, but it didn’t work, so I will!” Gazlowe ran forward. The Lich looked at Gazlowe and said, “No Magic for you” engulfing him in an anti-magic field. Gazlowe stepped out of his armor and swung to hit him with his gauntlets but missed. Cassidy tried to hit but missed. Ajani tried to hit the lich with a psychic lance, but the Demilich used up 2 of his legendary actions to avoid the lance. Isabella jumped up on the table and hit Donnie twice with her flame tongue sword. Juan landed 2 blows and bloodied the creature. The Demilich used his lair action to stop all healing in the room.   The Demilich let out a blood curling scream. Ajani fell unconscious and Seften became frightened. Gazlowe threw a splash healing potion onto Ajani and then realized the Demilich had stopped all healing from working. Cassidy finally hit the Demilich with her whip and branded it. Gisella hit the Demilich. The Demilich cursed Isabella causing her to miss her attacks. The lich turned into a swirl of dust and blinded Bird, Gisella, Isabella and Cassidy. Bird was still able to peck the Lich. Juan yelled, “Shut up” and killed the Lich with his sword.

The final magical whisps.

Gazlowe went to the towers and dispelled both with his thieves’ tools. He then went to the enchanting table and with is flash of genius he disabled it. He and Ajani then together dispelled the cauldrons. Ajani foresaw that he would succeed. Gazlowe had no issues with the other. The ground shook and they knew they had stopped the process.   They then focused on the phylacteries. Isabella dumped the phylacteries onto a table. Ajani and Gazlowe both tried to dispel the magic on the adamantine urn but failed. Isabella saw Ajani’s dramatic fail and lent him some luck. With Isabella’s luck and Gazlowe’s flash of genius, Ajani finally succeeded.   Juan tried to smash the diamond but failed. Gazlowe joined in the smashing and together they eventually pulverized the gem. Gazlowe cast Shatter on the remaining objects and destroyed everything.   Cassidy identified the crown and learned that the crown has a summoning spell on it that will conjure a large fire elemental. The party then spent a few hours exploring the rest of the room and collected a ton of loot (See treasure below.)

Rewards Granted

Treasure

Enchantment Lab

• 1 Undead giant thumb nail.
• Spell Scroll Otto's Irresistible Dance
• Spell Scroll Dominate Monster
• Spell Scroll Feeble Mind
• Spell Scroll Power word Stun
• Spell Scroll Power word Kill
• Potion of Frost Giant Strength
• Potion of Speed
• Potion of Sufficient Restoration
• Potion of Heroism
• 1 Splash potion of Superior Healing
• 1 potion of Supreme Healing.

Dissection room

• A Potion of Superior healing
• A Regular healing potion
• A Potion of Bestest Superiroror healing
• A Better Healing Potion.
• 2 vials of Blood ooze.
• 1 dissecting kit.

Final Lab

• 1 flask of lich paste soup
• Alchemist's supplies
• Poisoner's kit
• A legendary potion of Giant Size (lasts 1 hour.)
• A Potion of psionic fortitude
• A potion of Cold immunity
• A potion of Poison resistance
• A potion of Sufficient restoration
• A potion of Invulnerability
• Consumable Staff of Healing
• Necklace of Prayer Beads with 1 Bless, 2 curing, 2 Favor and 1 Windwalk
• Semi-Automatic Hand Crossbow. Holds 6 Bolts. Reloading requires an action.
• Oathbow
• Arcane Cannon
• A stash of Niptu's spell components. Niptu's Spell Components:
• 6 Bloodantomoniumunimen
• 1 Healium
• 1 Duplicitousium
• 1 Thickandgewium
• 1 Hittemallium
• 1 Rangeium
• 1 Clamupium
• 1 Nomoveium
• 1 Saveafriendium
• 2 Maxiboomium