The Keys of Telku / The Temple of the Apocalypse pt. 19 / Fos the 1st through the 2nd, 3593 CE / 8-2-20

After finishing their accord with Romag, the undead High Priest of the Stonefall Society, the party decides to rest in the secret passage they found earlier, despite the risk of the approaching Horned Legion. After recovering health and spells, they return to the upper level of the Temple of the Apocalypse in order to follow Romag's directions on how to bypass the sub-levels of the Howling Fury and the Crashing Wave. In the eerily silent temple proper, there is no sign that the Horned Legion or anyone else has entered the unholy sanctuary, as the Adventurers activate the properties of the throne that serves as the temple's main altar, turning it into a magical elevator. They find themselves assembled in an underground chamber deep within the earth that reeks of rot and decay, and is overgrown with unidentifiable mushrooms. Moss spots a dangerous violet fungi in a chamber to the east, and hears a faint but distinct sound that warns him away from that approach. To the south is another of the magically warded brass doors, this one repelling Adrienne with its magical antipathy. The party decides to head west down a wide staircase into a chamber with a strange arcane device and a weeping, robed figure huddled on a throne at the far end of the room. Before they can investigate further, the strange noise from the fungal chamber to the east reveals itself as a troop of drow, who battle their way through the violet fungi to confront the Advevnturers. With the help of Henry's translation skills, it is determined that these are drow of House Tesseril, who have come to retrieve their princess, Zuggathoa. The party suspects this may be the mysterious figure in the lower chamber, and Adrienne returns to retrieve her, only to discover to her horror that something is very wrong with the robed woman. As she reveals herself, Zuggathoa grows in size, appearing as a great fungal creature, and attacks all present for invading her desmesne, including her own pleading drow retainers. The arcane device in the center of the room also proves to be quite dangerous, gaining in power with Zuggathoa's emotional state, disintegrating one drow and electrocuting another. Roisyll discovers to her dismay that electricity only empowers the thing when a magical bolt of lightning backfires. The captain of the drow guard falls victim to Zuggathoa's fungal powers and transforming into one of her pet violet fungi. The Adventurers decide discretion is the better part of valor and begin retreating from the room, but not before Waldo badly damages the arcane device with several magical crossbow bolts. Meanwhile, Uli has discovered a hidden chamber intended as some sort of private pleasure chamber, with a golden throne as its centrepiece.