The Archive of Maleficence: Lich on the Loose

10th June 2023

## Adventurers Attending

* Sharian Naetris
* Skamos
* Bearhugger
* Tas

## Mission Notes

Summoned to the Library of Ürs by Io and her sister Littany, the party followed their wolf guides to the closest woodland area. As soon as they stepped into the trees they found themselves transported to a woodland glade, greeted by a small cottage with a single tower attached to the side. Stepping up to the door, and knocking politely, the group entered. Inside the space expanded, archways leading off from the main hall, each with a subject carved into them. Bookshelves lined the walls, display cases with various artefacts and historic relics stood proudly, each with a small handwritten note explaining what was on display.

Behind a desk stood an elven woman, her face similar to Io's. Littany explained that some alarms in the Archive under the library had been set off, indicating something had escaped. She would normally deal with it herself of course, but as a new mother she couldn't leave her child on their own. Io had already gone into the Archive and not returned.

Entering the Archive though a unassuming doorway, they descended to find a cavernous room full of books on more unseemly topics than those in the main Library. Three archways lead off in different directions, two of solid carved wood, one of stone engraved with bones and skulls. Entering the stone carved archway the party found Io, Tower and Asco outside of the Aerkerym family ossuary. Io filled them in that something was stirring up the necromantic energy designed to raise the skeletons should anyone attack the Archive. As they spoke one of them rose up and began shuffling toward the group, Io put it down and Tower reverently rehoused the bones.

She recommended that the team speak to Grandfather, a member of her family who had become a Lich and been bound to the Archive many centuries ago. Io stayed behind to stop the rest of her dead relatives getting up to trouble.

Entering the second archway the party found a study, with a gaunt and desiccated elf Lich blindly tracing his fingers over the pages of a book. He greeted them, in his rude, misogynist grandfatherly way. He explained that he did sense another Lich, and that one had climbed its way out of the lower levels. After being toughly rude, and homophobic, to the group Sharian decided that he just need a bit more umph in his life and decided to teach the Lich some yoga. After getting stuck in the first pose, Skamos successfully gave him come chiropractie, all in all leaving the Lich feeling better than he had in centuries.

Starting down into the lower levels the team came across a few different rooms, an Anatomy lab with specimens of deceased demon remains as well as living examples of a few creatures under study. An armory of cursed weapons and armor, in which Skamos decided to pick up an evil looking warhammer, finding he could not put it down again. The doors to these rooms were mimics that refused to open unless told a knock knock joke. Which took people a surprising amount of time to figure out.

In a final room the party found a pillar of crystal, from floor to celling. Inside was the shadow of a woman, held in the column. She explained she was an oracle, and had been put here for her own safety and the safety of others. The only things she could predict where an individuals death, and apocalypses. Skamos licked the crystal and gained another curse, this one being that his mouth would forever taste of salt and vinegar.

Leaving the oracle to her solitude the group finally arrived at the necromany hall. Books of various vile natures lined the walls, bound in flesh and bone. Finding a primer on Liches, they learned that to truly destroy it they needed to destroy it's phylactery. Exiting the room though the opposite door the team found the Lich attempting to break though the defensive spells around the necromancy room. Although taking damage, and Sharian being Power Word Stunned for most of the battle, Bearhuggers velociraptors and Skamos' fist eventually took the undead being down.

Making their way out they met up with Io, who revealed the phylactery repository, where there were a number of both destroyed and intact specimens. After identifying the escaped Lich she took it's specific talisman so on it's return it would be back in it's cell.

Exiting the Library, Littany gave each of them a token which would allow them passage to and from Ürs to visit at a later date. She also removed the curses that had been inflicted on Skamos, taking back the hammer.

## Loot

* Standard Gold and Experience
* Token of Ürs allowing entrance to the Library.