DIT 20: "The Death of Szass Tam"

Life, Achievement/ Win

You made a deal with a Beholder, but the glyph key you gave her doesn't work. Uh-oh!

Now you not only have to secure one more Black Gate, but you have an angry Beholder to deal with first.

Thaxalia, the Beholder with whom you made a deal and gave a glyph key is furious when the key does not seem to work. It takes a little persuasion, but she eventually accepts that you did not lie to her. Malice, using identify, is able to determine that she was cursed by the Thayans to not be able to use the Gates. As luck would have it, the Bag of Holding has a Scroll of Remove Curse and so you are able to free Thaxalia from her curse, and she takes her leave through the nearest White Gate.

Taking a moment to review the map of the Doomvault Syranna gave you, you realize that collectively you have access to enough Black Gates in cleared areas to make the move into the Phylactery Vault.

You head back to the Gatehouse for a much-needed long rest and prepare yourselves for what is ahead.

Entering the Phylactery Vault you see vast, four-sided pyramidal space has a floor of rough-hewn white marble set with low circular pedestals of the same material. At the three corners of the floor stand sepulchers of white marble, each a three-sided pyramid that mirrors the shape of the vault. Engraved into each sepulcher’s double doors is a four-armed gargoyle, poised to attack. A pool of dark liquid churns in the center of the floor.

Each other surface of the vault is nearly identical. Rubble of black rock scattered near the wall and the pool on each side stay in place. It seems apparent that each side has its own gravity.

As soon as Pubert forces open the doors of the first sepulcher, the gargoyles on that door come to life but of course are dealt with swiftly. Inside, the sepulcher walls hum with arcane power. On stone shelves are leather cases, amulets, daggers, scroll tubes, unholy symbols, and other ornate objects. These are obviously the phylacteries of Szass Tam’s lich servants.

Malice is able to determine that as long as the sepulchers remain powered, the phylacteries cannot be damaged but with Brehana’s help he is able to disrupt the eldritch energies of this first sepulcher. As soon as he completes this task however, fountains of shadowy energy burst from the dark pools to form an inky vortex in the open air at the vault’s center.

From out of the vortex flies a gaunt and skeletal humanoid with withered flesh stretched tight across its bones. Its eyes succumbed to decay long ago, but points of light burn in its empty sockets. It is garbed in the moldering remains of fine clothing and jewelry dulled by the passage of time. Szass Tam the lich ruler of Thay has entered the vault and immediately attacks, stating, "So, this is the famed Iron Company. Apparently, I'll just have to destroy you myself!”

Unfortunately for Szass, the Iron Company was expecting this and gains initiative in the battle. Before the lich king can bring his evil magics to bear, he is brought down, at least for now.

With Szass Tam’s current body now useless, you make short work of the remaining gargoyles and sepulchers. Soon the white pedestals crumble to rubble and the dark pools dissipate, leaving behind black ash. The vortex overhead collapses, spilling black ash and diamonds onto the floor. Your glyph keys pulse with blue light and subtle vibrations. The black gates begin to pulse in time with the keys.

As the Phylactery Vault begins to collapse you can hear a distant wail and sense the passing of Szass Tam and Tarul Var. You pass through the Black Gate back to the Gatehouse ad the Phylactery Vault crumbles to dust.

True to her word, Syranna agrees to teleport you to anywhere you wish, as well as any of the people you rescued. But before she does, she offers you the chance to remain in Thay and help her rule with promises of power and influence.

In the end, you choose to accept positions more advisory in nature and to act as ambassadors between Thay and the Sword Coast and she teleports you to Xonthal’s Tower where you look forward to a much-deserved retirement.