TITLE TBC

## Plundering the tomb:

* The items atop the tomb were acquired, including a book that looked like the diary set, an obsidian draconic helmet, a set of beautiful gold plate armour, and an ornate amulet in the shape of a Couatl
* Five alcoves mounted into the back wall were explored, each blocked off by a blue magical force field and with a riddle in celestial
	+ Black Obsidian Dagger: I am a room you cannot enter. (Mushroom)
	+ Gold glowing Shard: If you give me a smile, I’ll always smile back.  (Mirror)
	+ Silver Circlet: I have a head and a tail that never shall meet, to own a lot of me is always a treat. (Coin)
	+ Bone-white Hammer: I have two main bodies and I’m turned all about. When I’m standing still, time has run out. (Hourglass)
	+ Three intertwined white dragon claws, with a handle, looks like a wand: I am always in you, sometimes on you, if I surround you, I will likely kill you. (Water)
* The riddles were solved in short order by Tamsin
* The book contain the following entry:

*This is to be my last entry. As recorded in my previous writings, the final battle against Feestus and Niendra has left me weakened; physically, magically, mentally and emotionally. Since our victory, I have barely stopped working, so vast have been the tasks that required my attention. The artefacts of Feestus had to be contained, the tablet split across the continents, this place had to be sealed beneath enough rock to survive a millennium, and I had to be assured that, given the experimental nature of her imprisonment, Niendra was in no danger of returning.*

*But now these tasks are complete, and I have found time to rest, it has occurred to me just how old I am. Despite weeks spent in prayer and petition to Jazirian, my abilities have remained stunted, and the true fragility of my age grips at my bones. I can only assume that since our victory Jazirian considers my task complete. If Torgusdom had remained with me I would be overjoyed at the thought of peacefully living out my days with him. But, without him by my side, I prefer to claim my long-awaited inheritance on Solania. Indeed, for the past few weeks, I have desired nothing more than to surrender to the cold that has gripped my heart. It also seems like another war is around the corner, with the Kingdoms of Kerin and Savasia so determined to provoke the Eladrin! Yes, I think it is time I left this world far behind. I shall join my patron in paradise, safe in the knowledge that Ahriman's malevolent desires shall, for now at least, remain unfinished.*

*May the peace of Jazirian reside with all those who read this.*

*Sariel Heartsbane, Holy Champion of Jazirian*

* As everyone settled down to rest and the items were identified, there was a discussion about the wisdom of actually taking the tablets back to one place given how powerful and evil they were
* The rest and watch passed by uneventfully, with Tamsin and Kunai trying and failing to scry on Kunai’s sister

## An ‘Endless’ Exploration:

* Pushing on northwards, an inscription was evident upon the wall: Domiel the Mercy-Bringer, Ox of Mercuria (2nd layer)
* The group came upon a room full of statues: 5 knights and 1 peasant
* The peasant held out a bowl and had the following inscription:
	+ *1. A beggar’s lot seems solid like stone.*
	+ *2. But if hunger abates, they’ll no longer lie prone.*
	+ *3. Bring them a blade, to arm their hand.*
	+ *4. Heal their wounds and ennobled they’ll stand.*
	+ *5. As knights of the order, protectors of the land.*
	+ They fulfilled the requirements by filling the bowl with rations, an axe and a healing potion
	+ At that, the peasant figure transformed into another proud knight statue, took its place in their formation and revealed another passageway
* The next doorway along this revealed a long room simply containing many crates full of candles
	+ Leo and Azurial passed through the far door, emerging into another identical room but with no allies to be seen
	+ Returning back through the same way, they still couldn’t see anyone
	+ Lots of searching showed them that each door had a small number inscribed
	+ The remainder all tried lighting candles in various combinations
	+ Bayul took a lit candle and passed through the door alone, successfully emerging into a new corridor - he then tried to return through only to wind up in the same situation as Azurial and Leo. Taking a second candle, he found himself reunited with the others.
	+ They all passed through one by one, holding a single lit candle
	+ Azurial and Leo continued onwards at a piece of (misinterpreted) advice from Rillifane, passing through the rooms impotently for about 20 minutes, until deciding to just crack on until number 100
	+ They realised that the boxes held 50 candles each, so both grabbed two and set them ablaze before charging through the door
	+ Many unimpressed faces stared back at them as they barrelled through into the new corridor bearing their fiery payloads
* A continuation of the corridor held another celestial inscription: Zaphkiel the Watcher, Donkey of Chronias (7th layer)
* Azurial recalled that these figures were all ‘Tome Archons’, the direct equivalent of Archdevils of the hells in terms of their position in the hierarchy
* The final room on this pathway held a small chest with a transmutation aura, and an enormous metal door, sealed with abjuration magic
	+ The chest was situated on a patch of floor bordered by a minuscule seam spotted by Breena
	+ She suggested they haul it across to the far side of the area
* A mighty headbutt from the draconic helm on Bayul’s head was enough to crack open the lock, and with sufficient force that he avoided the polymorphing effect of the enchantment — inside was a key, which excited Kunai
	+ The floor beyond the seam shuddered slightly, suggesting moving the chest had been an excellent decision
* The massive bulkhead door had a small slot in the shape of a couatl inlaid, which matched perfectly the shape of the amulet
* As she pressed it in, the release of pressure indicated

## Dome of Doom

* Inside the domed chamber were two pedestals, a central one with a multicoloured glowing orb, and a second at the far side of the room, golden and covered in unusual sigils
* Around the walls were inscribed a great many runes preventing entry or communication with the outside by any magical means
* At first, the pulsing of the central orb was periodic but increased in tempo as the group entered
* Everyone simultaneously felt a voice in their heads: “So, after all these years, someone has finally found their way into my domain.”
* The voice preceded to ask everyone’s names, but only a few responded: Azurial boldly stating he was a follower of Bahamut, Belgaer and Lysandre much more casually, and Leo persuading the voice that his name was Chris
* The orb was successfully assumed to be Niendra, imprisoned as Sariel described in her letter
* Tamsin saw little of use in the other orb on the far side, and as the voice became more creepy and insistent, they decided to leave
* Bayul gave the door a monumental shove but as he did so the wall erupted in flame, scalding everyone clustered around it - except for the nimble Kunai
* The voice became extremely threatening, but Breena (who had sealed herself away from any unwanted communication) pushed past Kunai and Bayul to give the door another shove, failing against its sheer bulk
* The voice began to offer promises of power to Belgaer and Lysandre, seeing that they’d been the most open to talking, but Bel turned it down on the basis of her patron
* Bayul declared that they would all rather die than release her, which Tamsin and Breena agreed to but Bel and Lysandre exchanged glances
* At that, the voice demanded that they all sit against the back wall, a command laced in powerful magic
* Those that remained, Leo, Azurial and Kunai, were given an ultimatum:
	+ Grab the orb, pass through the bulkhead door and out through an arcane gate that would appear
	+ Do that, or they would die on 3…2…1…0
	+ When the three remained motionless, a beam of crackling green energy lanced out from the pedestal, taking Kunai
	+ The others watched on helplessly as his form staggered slightly, then erupted into fine ash
	+ The ultimatum resumed, and as the rest of the party were still rendered inactive but looking on with horror, Azurial and Leo decided to act according to the orb’s will to save all of their lives
* Azurial grabbed the orb and left the room, stepping through the newly emerged Gate and into a charred and blackened landscape, where he was commanded to leave the orb
* As he acquiesced, the orb remained true to its word and did not kill him
* He stepped back into the chamber as the gate disappeared, and immediately consulted Bahamut on this dire development
	+ The resonant voice of the platinum dragon intoned within him: ‘So, it is as we feared. We will deal with this.’
	+ As the two woke up the others, reactions were varied
	+ Most were in shock at the sudden death of Kunai, some angry about the release of Niendra. Tamsin was particularly furious and immediately strode from the chamber and towards the dungeon exit with the Kunai chain in her arms.
* A few moments later, all remaining were shocked to silence when a swirling of dust and wind cleared to reveal the superhero landed form of Kunai, now glowing golden from head to toe

## A glimpse beyond the veil

* Not remembering anything clearly, Kunai experienced a timeless period of blackness
* Slowly, his form became a thin silver thread among many floating in a pinkish purple surrounding over a plane of infinite grey
* He felt a flicker of fear as an enormous monstrosity glided far above him, but the feeling passed as it continued on
* His form coalesced near to a huge city with a crystal spire at its centre and a gargantuan green glowing wall surrounding it
* Many different avatars approached other silvery spectral figures like him, some teleported away together, those that did not became a part of the wall
* He was first approached by a large horned devil, Mitanzu, offering eternal life in Baator in order to avoid joining the ‘wall of the faithless'
* A half-elf black-feathered figure approached and claimed Kunai’s soul for the Raven Queen, causing the devil to storm away angrily
* He told Kunai that his soul had been requested by another, and that the Raven Queen had agreed at her own expense - seeing the choices before him, Kunai took the proffered hand with a mutter of ‘so let’s go'
* Kunai felt himself travelling at high speed through a black void, then was suddenly before a great golden mountain of incomprehensible height, a large gate before it
	+ Two figures, a scowling black-feathered woman and a blue-gold couatl, smiling warmly, stood before it awaiting him
	+ His memories returned, and he conversed with the two: the raven Queen herself, and Jazirian, now a minor deity
	+ Jazirian revealed that Kunai and his sister had both stood out to her through their lives and that she had felt Kunai’s light snuffed out and requested his soul from the Raven Queen
	+ Kunai was offered a second chance at life, with no obligation to do anything particular with it, but the fervent hope that he would do good
	+ Awestruck, Kunai stated that their power was now undeniable to him and that perhaps he could spread this word
	+ He also asked about the tablet: it was designed to summon something, they knew not what exactly, from Nessus, the ninth layer of Hell
	+ As his time in their presence faded, Jazirian told him that he had been granted a boon and that if he wished to learn more, he should seek out the Priestess Uttosa at the Ouroboric Temple