Session 60 - The Black Sepulcher

General Summary

Deep within the Black Sepulcher of Queen Halvara, the Ruinlords uncovered a vast ritual chamber pulsing with emerald light. At its center stood Demicardinal Lucius Blackthorn, clutching the Scepter of Infernal Dominion as six motionless ice devils hung suspended in webs of green energy. Before them loomed the undead spellweaver Mak’ar, his six arms interwoven as the Black Wyrmstone orbited him like a dark sun. The air thrummed with necromancy and enchantment—an infernal rite already in motion.   Battle erupted in an explosion of light and sound. Declan’s rallying magic hastened his allies, while Mak’ar unleashed torrents of lightning that arced violently between the heroes. Tike charged through the chaos, slamming the lich against the chamber wall, while Cal’s flight spells repositioned the front line. The spellweaver retaliated in kind, his many hands weaving layers of mirror images and shields of fire as Oathgar and Potato pressed the attack.   Mak’ar tore open a screaming dimensional rift and vanished, yet the ritual persisted. Lucius’s aura flared dangerously as the scepter floated free of his grasp. Declan and Alfie teleported to the upper dais, where dispelling one of the ice devils caused the entire matrix to destabilize. Furious, Mak’ar reappeared, his wrath culminating in a blast that nearly felled Oathgar.   The spell collapsed inward. Emerald tendrils seized Lucius, draining his essence, then lashed toward Mak’ar himself. Realizing too late that he was trapped within his own design, the lich’s composure broke. His telepathic cries faded as the ritual devoured him. The portal imploded, the wyrmstone vanishing through it, and the scepter clattering lifelessly to the floor. Silence reclaimed the chamber.   In the aftermath, the Ruinlords reunited. Tike escaped a conjured maze, and Cal’s telescopic lens revealed a sealed crypt below, warded by runes of royal passage. They chose caution over curiosity. Emerging from her refuge, Karnessa deactivated the city’s barriers as the last of the undead fell lifeless. The people of Sanctuary poured into the streets in celebration, proclaiming their deliverers "Declan Noble and the Ruinlords, Saviors of Sanctuary."   Festivities filled the night with songs, feasts, and statues already being planned. The next morning, Karnessa presented six treasure-laden chests as a reward and thanks. Yet as Alfie’s plane shift spell carried the party away, a horned stranger intercepted their passage. The Ruinlords found themselves in Magepoint, summoned by the archmage Edindol and his armored companion Sampson, who revealed a grim truth: the battle for Sanctuary was only the beginning, and the ancient evil of Kyuss had begun to stir once more.

Rewards Granted

From the six chests given by Karnessa:

• Dozens of gemstones worth a total value of 48,000 gp. This includes a single star sapphire the size of a fist, worth 12,000 gp.
• Miscellaneous items of jewelry (rings, earrings, necklaces, armbands, bracelets, anklets, and bejeweled clothing) worth a total of 52,000 gp.

Level 13!

Missions/Quests Completed

• Stopped Demicardinal Lucius Blackthorn from completing another of Kyuss' prophecies.
• Destroyed the lich spellweaver Mak'ar.
• Escaped Torvus.

Notes

• Site: Black Sepulcher of Queen Halvara
• Demicardinal Lucius Blackthorn controls the Scepter of Infernal Dominion
• Six ice devils suspended by energy tendrils (ritual anchors)
• Mak’ar, undead spellweaver lich, commands the ritual
• Black Wyrmstone orbiting Mak’ar
• Ritual continues independent of Mak’ar
• Lucius’s aura intensifies; the scepter floats freely
• Declan identifies six energy anchors—dispels one ice devil, and the ritual destabilizes
• Energy tendrils begin seeking new hosts
• One misses Oathgar, ensnares Lucius and drains him, killing him
• Mak’ar traps Tike with the Maze spell
• Ritual turns on Mak’ar, and the tendrils grab him; he’s consumed by his own magic
• Black Wyrmstone vanishes through a collapsing portal
• Scepter falls inert; energy dissipates
• Discover sealed crypt door (runed prayer, likely Queen Halvara’s tomb)
• Decide not to enter
• Karnessa lowers the city wards; undead collapse with Mak’ar’s death
• Sanctuary citizens celebrate; call the party "Declan Noble and the Ruinlords"
• Major public celebration & feast
• Karnessa gifts six treasure chests
• Alfie attempts Plane Shift home but is intercepted mid-transit
• Arrive instead in Magepoint, near Riddleport
• Meet Edindol (horned man) and Sampson (gold-armored warrior)
• They claim to be allies who summoned the Ruinlords to aid against Kyuss