Episode 61: The Anchor and the Rift

Back in the library, Xarlamin was able to determine that each volume was under an enchantment protecting the books and obscuring the text.  Borrowing Haybin’s Blade from Bamya, he pierced the illusion and was able to search the ancient shelves for clues. Once gaining an understanding of the organization of tomes, an index book chronicling all the books and scrolls along with the command word to reveal the text was uncovered. With new access to the ancient lore and a trove of magic, the studious elf was able to piece together more understanding of the strange temple.

First, attempting to understand Urulath’s comments about the portal in the temple and the interdimensional creatures that clawed their way through to this world, he learned that a fixed dimensional rift between realms are often anchored by material from the realm beyond. Drawing the conclusion that the Fangs of the Veil built this temple on top of such an anchor allowed them to draw power into this realm from their King in Yellow. But Uralath’s comments that the portal was now constricted and dampened by the magical demi-plane imprisoning brought down by The Raven Queen when Bannoch rose to power. Xarlamin’s previous studies on the Shadowfell seemed to connect this to rumors of the Domains of Dread formed when The Raven Queen enfolded the Shadowfell around beings of exquisite depravity sealing them into a prison of their own madness, preventing even the strongest magics to pass between planes.

Secondly, searching through the spell books and scrolls the party found a means to restore Uralath’s memory. But instead of risking returning the lich to a clear mind, they chose instead to use the magic to their own benefit. Removing the lingering drain upon their lifeforce from their fight with Exethanter, Bamya was restored by a powerful scroll and Xarlamin treated to the strange Oil of Molting Father Gus saved from the snake-people in Aellyn Rynass. Returned to nearly full strength, they confronted Uralath again in his chambers. The stunted parlay with the ancient wizard revealed little more than the demented mage’s pleading to have his memory restored. Using both deception and restraint, the team moved into position to pounce on Uralath and finish him before the wizard could tap into whatever latent power he still accessed.

Secreted into a nearby chamber, the party found a sacristy holding the phylacteries of both Uralath and Exethanter, along with a prodigious trove of treasure. Initial attempts to destroy the unholy repositories of the wizards’ power went unsuccessful. While Chyrra warned that as long as they phylacteries remained, the liches could return, Father Gus stashed the phylacteries to deal with once the party was more sure that the remaining areas of the temple did not contain further threat.

After searching through the rest of the deserted temple, Nestor decided to attempt to tackle the problem of the magical rift in the main chamber. Taking a war hammer from the nearby treasury, he braved the lashing energy pooling over the rune in the floor and went into a rage cracking through the floor to reveal a small chamber containing a large shard of Amber apparently serving as the anchor Xarlamin read about in the library. But the sulfurous stalagmite proved stronger than the beating Nestor could unleash upon it, and the team decided to return to the library to attempt to find a magical means of destroying the threat.