Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 84 [RPG]

[Starday, 8 Arodus 4708 A.R. continued]

The shrine to Zon-Kuthon emanates an almost palpable gloom as the Harrowed Heroes decide to investigate the treasures on the altar.  Fortunately, Lorien stirs and seems to be in his right mind as he wonders why he’s been manacled and is floating on a translucent magical disk.  Once freed, he asks few questions and is quickly ready to help in the exploration.  The consensus seems to be that something dreadful will happen if the enchanted objects on the altar (a string of prayer beads and a spiked chain) are disturbed, so Lorien takes the clever precaution of summoning a bralani from a realm far beyond his own to perform the task.  But once the extraplanar visitor lifts the two treasures, the gem-encrusted skull on the altar suddenly rises into the air!  The ashes and bone fragments on the altar begin to swirl in an unearthly vortex as the skull’s jaws move up and down in a ghastly simulacrum of speech: “Who dares disturb the eternal resting place of Bishop Zev Ravenka?”

Anorak instantly realises that the skull is a demilich: the final eldritch remains of a destroyed lich!  “If we run, it won’t pursue!” shouts Anorak, but The Reckoner shouts back that it could be one of the four spirit anchors.  Eldritch flees immediately, as does Yraelzin when he realises something disturbing: none of his spells work against the demilich!  The others rush closer to attack, but Anorak finds his dwarven waraxe and spells completely ineffective, Lorien can’t reach the levitating foe, the bralani’s arrows crumple into dust upon impact, and The Reckoner finds his very lifeforce sucked out of him again and again!  The situation looks so dire that Anorak turns invisible and shouts to retreat, leading The Reckoner to call him a coward!  With Plate allowing him to fly, The Reckoner continues the fight, but the supernatural darkness and his ever-increasing weakness cannot be surmounted!  With a final morbid chuckle, the demilich seizes full control of The Reckoner’s soul and readies to rip it out of his body—but the final blessing of The Harrower turns away instant death.  Instead, The Reckoner falls and hits the ground hard, losing his weapon in the process.  Anorak swoops down to grab The Reckoner’s hammer while Lorien picks up the defeated leader and rushes him to safety.

 

In the corridor outside the shrine, the dismayed heroes at least have the consolation that Anorak’s knowledge proved accurate: the demilich has not followed, and it was surely badly damaged during the fighting.  But the group’s prospects seem dismal, with The Reckoner permanently weakened and Lorien unable to perform the necessary ritual to heal him without weeks of preparation and thousands of gold pieces worth of diamond dust.  But persistence is a virtue the Harrowed Heroes have in spades, and they decide on the spur of the moment to try again!  Flinging the doors to the shrine open, Lorien calls forth the holy power contained in the prayer beads to smite the demilich.  The abomination survives the attack, but is unable to retaliate before The Reckoner flies in and deals it an awesome blow that shatters the skull completely!  With the demilich’s destruction, an echoing cry of agony can be heard throughout the castle and a severe tremor shakes the building, raining dust and fist-sized chunks of stone down from the ceiling.

 

To the victors go the spoils, and the Harrowed Heroes reap a valuable array of rubies, silverware, and spell scrolls from the shrine and adjacent chapels.  Confident they’ve cleared the ground floor of the donjon, Anorak suggests breaking a hole in the outer wall so the group could rest outside.  The Reckoner, however, reminds the dwarf that there was something in the water there—not to mention, the possibility of more gargoyle attacks.  The group talk about the ancient song they learned from the Sun Shaman in the Cinderlands, and decide to see if the castle’s War Tower is the one with the “infernal soul” at the top.  Anorak expresses concern that the reference to a “stone cage crumbling” could mean the entire castle will fall down around their ears when they break the curse!

 

A second spirit anchor has been destroyed in a remarkable testament to courage and perseverance.  But at what cost?  With The Reckoner permanently weakened and the last vestige of The Harrower’s blessing extinguished from his soul, will he be able to survive the rest of what Castle Scarwall has to offer?  And, if Anorak is right about the castle collapsing on them, could ultimate victory mean instant death?

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GM Commentary

The demilich was the toughest foe the PCs encountered in all of Scarwall.  With virtual immunity to magic, incredibly high DR, flight, and life-draining attacks, it was certainly a force to be reckoned with.  Speaking of, The Reckoner only managed to survive because upon entering Scarwall for the first time, each PC got a gift from The Harrower (either one automatic success on a save vs a death effect or a ghost touch weapon).  Still, the negative levels would be a drag for a long time.

I'm not sure exactly why they decided to rush right back in for a second go, but the incredibly risky gamble actually paid off.  Sometimes, once in a great while, bravery overcomes probability.