Meza - Cursed Compass

General Summary

As the group collects themselves on the third floor the lich informs them of the powerful archangels in the center of the room that will be their final foes. According to the lich one of the angels has a bow that would spell certain death for those below a certain amount of vitality. The lich offers them a deal, as their interests are currently aligned he will bestow on the group a potion to reduce the damage of the lethal weapon, for each dragon scale they can procure the bow will be reduced by another factor.
The group converses and decides that they don't seem to have a lot of options. The group takes the weapons given to them by the lich, Trenchcoat taking the form of a young gold dragon, and begins to try to scout the room. The room they are in seems larger than the past ones but the same sight restrictions apply so Amelie suggests using her staff to scout ahead. Her staff is quickly taken out by a heard of triceratops as the lich quips that this is why he gave us a flare so we didn't have to guess. The group rebuts that if there's suddenly a column of light that might attract unwanted attention quickly pulling them into a situation they cannot handle.
Myra asks the lich if he couldn't just point out a direction if he was supposed to be helping them and the lich conveys that he finds it amusing to watch us stumble around in the dark. Myra reminds him that we are supposedly aligned and he sighs saying that he guesses we could start directly to our right.
The group, more subdued than normal, head right until they come across a dragon that looks almost identical to the Trenchcoat's young gold dragon form. Myra paled, the blood draining from her face at the implication, but Amelie saw it as an opportunity to perhaps prevent fights. Amelie convinced the young dragon that we were not supposed to be in the prison and that by granting us one of it's scales it could help us get out while ensuring that the lich stayed locked away. The young dragon acquiesced and in return Myra manifested a scale of gold and silver to give in return. After the dragon flew off the group breathed a sigh and headed north hoping that they may get so luck again.
As they walk something form the center of the cavern announces, "You're not supposed to be here."
To which Myra calls back, "That's what I keep saying." But there is no further exchange.
They repeat the process with second young dragon who was kind enough to give us two scales after prompting Hagren and Myra to speak. Hagren explains that they would like nothing more than to escape the dungeon and leave it's prisoner behind. Myra echoes Hagren and Amelie, more subdued with each young dragon they come across. After the dragon departs, leaving the group with three scales total, the group confers and decides to try for one more dragon before returning to the lich.
Heading west counter-clockwise around the room, the group stumbles upon not a dragon but a large ornate door. Even in the magical darkness the door seems to shimmer and radiate soft light, the front covered in large arcane locks and gears with gold writing in celestial ringing the edge. Amelie translates for the group:

Woe comes to thee
You who destroy
Woe comes to thee
He who slaughters
Death comes
To the lich

As this seems to be the door the group desires to get through Myra identifies it looking for any possible escape other than the one presented. The identify reveals the door to be very magical with two distinct effects on it. The first is the Alarm spell which Myra easily recognizes. The second is a very high level spell she has never encountered before that she identifies as Imprisonment. Myra doesn't know the specifics of the spell, just that it would be nigh impossible to break at their current level of magic. The only other time she's heard of a spell similar to imprisonment was when she was reading "Larry's guide to Liches, Lycanthropes, and Lichen" when Larry mentioned that a binding was used on the Lich's phylactery itself to be able to ingest souls. One recounting was of a wizard who's wife was taken into the phylactery and the wizard was able to track it down and dispel it using the highest circles of magic freeing the wife.
Myra recounts the level of magic to the group, frustrated with herself that she's unable to provide more insight into how the locks could be broken or how the spell could be released in such a way that the Lich is not freed. While the group talks the Lich cuts in saying that he doesn't understand why Liches get such a bad reputation. Myra responds that he killed an entire town to ascend to lichdom. The Lich counters that it's just like eating meat asking Myra if she consumes animals to which Myra replies that she doesn't and ends the conversation by continuing on their counter clockwise march.
The third dragon is more suspicions than the last two and when Amelie asks for a scale the dragon instead says that they should talk to Meza, the archangel in charge of the prison. Amelie asks where the angel is located and the dragon points to the middle. Myra cuts in thanking the dragon and saying that they will do as they suggest. The dragon nods and allows the group to retreat back to where they had gathered by the door. The group converse asking if they are really going through with helping the lich. Myra decides that she needs to at least attempt to talk to the angel before they smash it, an action encouraged by the lich who says then they will see that there are no other options.
Myra removes her weapons and is about to walk into the center when Amelie joins her saying that she will go as well. The two trace their way around the wall that seems to encircle the center of the room until they find an entrance to a smaller chamber where the two angels reside. As they approach the Solar who they assume to be Meza asks them who they are and what they are doing here. Amelie and Myra both pay deference to the angel and say that they have been drawn into the vessel by the lich. Meza comments that that shouldn't be possible and Myra explains that the lich has somehow combined the prison he was once in with the mind of their companion.
Meza comments that that would explain it as the mind can contain many things and a demi-plane should not be so impossible. The angel asks why he should care who we are. Myra explains that the reason they were in proximity enough to be affected was that they were trying to keep the lich from returning to where he had allies that could release him. Amelie confesses that she was involved in the liches original capture, explaining that she was "tasked to hide away to incapacitate the evil being so he could be locked away."
Meza asks who tasked her with this and Amelie confesses that it was the guardians of Mystra. Both Myra and Amelie try to convince the angel that there are those out of the compass who would be tracking it and take it in order to release the lich inside. The angel asks if we question their competence or ability to summon reinforcements. Amelie and Myra assure him that they do not but just mark concern that to a powerful celestial such as himself time may feel different and so wanted to express their concern and willingness to help.
Meza looks at them and asks if they know why the lich was locked away. Myra and Amelie suggest that it may be for the town he murdered as indicated by the door. Meza corrects them that it was not for those actions but to hamper the one he serves from helping them to achieve godhood. He asks if Amelie thinks it would be good if the one he serves achieved godhood.
Amelie pales slightly saying that people would be but, "pawns, vessels, and meals," shuddering. She comments that that should not be what faith has to offer and the angel nods approvingly. The angel says that they were placed here by the great god Torm to prevent that.
Myra asks if there is no other way to break the spell to allow just them without allowing the lich with them. Meza says that perhaps if they understood higher level magic, but pauses sizing up Myra and Amelie and finding them lacking, comments that they wouldn't have the skills or understanding to change such a spell. Meza comments that given that none of them have the ability to reclose the lock once open none of them can be allowed to leave. Myra ponders aloud if the only solution would be to kill Meza which he laughs off the thought of. Meza says to go back to their cells and the women nod and retreat back to the group.
The lich mocks them telling them he told them so as Myra defeatedly pulls out the three dragon scales they aquired and places them as he instructs on the ground. As she does so and sees them disappear she casts see invisibility seeing a quazit appear briefly to take the scales and walk off in the darkenss. A few minutes pass and the quazit returns holding a potion instructing the group to smash it on the ground as it will provide an affect on those in the radius of the fumes. Myra quickly casts identify ensuring that it is the promised potion but finding nothing wrong the group begins to prepare. Amelie summons a smoke like nightmare, secretly promising it some of her memories in exchange for its service, and a glowing angel of her own. After a moment of preperation the group proceeds forward towards the angels pedistal.
As they approah Meza asks what exactly we think we are doing before Sarya slams into him. Myra apologizes while dusting the crit coin as she drives her poison lined scimitar up into the ribs of the planatar. Hagren and Raijun join on to attacking Meza, Hagren and Trenchcoat double teaming while Raijun tries to tether the angel to the ground with his grappling hook. The angels take to the sky after a round of attacks against Sarya prompting her to change to the form of an air elemental to give chase. It's Trenchcoat's breath weapon combined with Hagren's attack that brings down Meza as Amelie's angel brings down the planatar. As Meza falls he calls out to his god and as he does so a ripping sound erupts from the floor as bulky figure steps through.

Report Date

06 Apr 2022