09.4 Dealing with a Lich

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Kalans Revenge Mercenary Company
Company members:-
Taran – Half Elf Fighter/Priest of Mannanan Mac Lir, cousin to Carinne and Galvish
Carinne Rhianne Talynnart – Half Elf Ranger/Mage, Cousin to Taran and Galvish
Krachtig – A Pounded Gnome
Galvish – Half Elf Fighter/Thief, Cousin to Taran and Carinne
Barrigan Stonebeak – Dwarf Fighter/Priest, Company Engineer.
Lanneus Tuard – Paladin of Manannan Mac Lir
In addition
Saeryn Ghent – Fighter – (Kalans Sister)
Derek Summers – Ex Squire to Taran

Wet and Dry

We learn that even after raising the underwater temple of Mannanan Mac Lir, it will still need emptying of water. Apparently there is an item that fits on the base of a trident that can assist in this, unfortunately it currently resides in the hands of a lich who resides in the base of a crater on the other side of the island.
After scrying the general area we decide to fold in about 20 miles away and ride in.  Several hours into the journey we are assailed by huge chunks of ice falling from the sky, looking around we eventually spy invisible demons whom we quickly engage.  They summon dozens more demons including a pit fiend.  In short order Taran lies bleeding on the ground and Barrigan suffers a fatal wound, Galvish starts attack Krachtig and we are deep in the mire.  When Lanneus is eviscerated the remainder of the group decide to split.  Krachtig has managed to stun Galvish and he grabs both Galvish and Barrigan and teleports back to the keep but suffers a final wound before he departs.  Corinne runs over to grab Taran but she suffers a fatal wound before she can make good her escape.

Meanwhile back at the keep the three figures appear.  The healer rushes over to check on the prone bodies and after finding a lifeless dwarf performs field surgery on Krachtig.  Saeryn approaches Galvish who just starts moving and asks him what happened and where are the others when he turns on her with his weapons.  She quickly defends herself and Derek moves in to cut him down, just as Saeryn delivers a stunning blow to Galvish he severs her head as they crash to the ground together.

Back at the battlefield Taran cautiously opens one eye, having regenerated some of the massive damage dealt him, from one corner of his eye he can see the demons still abound and are beginning to mutilate Corinnes corps.  He quickly decides to touch the Wind Walking bead on his Necklace of Prayer Beads and flee before they discover he is not a corpse.  Many Demons follow him but the spell allows him to pull away, the great speed he is moving at.  After several hours he stops and scrys the area he has just come from.  It is a gruesome site, both the Paladin and Corinne have been flayed and their corpses horrible abused.  The demons no longer seem to be in the area and he decides to return to recover the bodies.  Upon arrival he casts a Resurrection on Corinne and between them they scoop up the corpse of their comrade and just as they prepare to flee the demons come back, as before their speed allows them to leave the foul creatures far behind.

Once the group is together back at the keep they raise the Paladin and Sharin Cal has resurrected the dwarf.  We decide that Saeryn and Derek should accompany us in case the Demons are watching the area.  We gallop on through the fateful area and get closer to the crater, but not before rocks are hurled at us by giants hidden in a wooded area.  We rush in to engage them in melee, Corinne shouts out in glee that she can face one of her sworn enemies and unleashes a volley of arrows, unfortunately when the last arrow leaves her bowstring she goes to put the weapon away and becomes horribly entangles with the weapon effectively removing her from the combat.  Krachtig keeps back from the general melee and finds himself the target of some well aimed boulders knocking him out.  Our superior close combat skills quickly leaves but one giant standing who surrenders, this happens just as Corinne becomes untangles from her bow and Taran steps between her and the Giant to prevent the red mist descending and the death of a surrendered opponent.  Taran then gazes around the battlefield and spots the prone Gnomish figure, luckily he is just knocked out and is quickly restored to health.
We move closer to the crater and when we judge we are almost in view of it are accosted by specters rising up in our midst.  This is another chance for Corinne to engage one of her sworn enemies only for her to slip and stun herself in the early stages of the combat.  Our defensive magics save us from the worst of these creatures attacks, but Lanneus, Saeryn and Galvish all succumb to their cold touch.  We win through and decide to continue and eventually peer over the lip of the crater to gaze upon many, many undead down below.  A skeletal figure riding a nightmare approaches and wants to know our business, we wish to barter for an item we think the Lich may have and give a magic ring and helm as gifts.  We are granted an audience with the former wizard who now resides over an army of undead and sits on a throne of bones.  The lich would like a staff owned by a former Necromancer which he believes now resides in the Valley of Kings, for this he would trade the magic counterweight.
We depart form this fearsome place and are asked the next time we come back to not destroy the guards and enter under a flag of truce.  We regroup at the keep and heal the affected members of the party before deciding on the plan to find this staff in the undead valley we have journeyed into before.