HotDK 31: “Revolution, a Dead Red Wizard, and Teleportation”

After a nice long rest in Pharblex’s inner sanctum, you make your way toward that one chamber that seemed covered in mist. You take every precaution, with Brehana even ducking below the mist (as it’s thick enough to be up to her chin almost anyway) but find only an empty chamber – save for one very important feature; it has a Teleportation Sigil drawn on the floor on the far side of the room. Unfortunately, you don’t know the activation phrase for it.   You make your way back to the main floor of the castle, where Snapjaw presents Pharblex’s head on a pole to the first Lizardfolk guards you meet as a trophy and proof he is dead and the hated Bullywugs are now vulnerable. He convinces them the time is now to strike, and so off they go to begin their revolution against the Bullywugs.   Not wanting to involve yourselves directly in the Lizardfolk-Bulllywug War, you enter the nearby door to the castle’s center tower. Upon opening the door to an inner chamber of the tower’s first floor you discover the Red Wizard – Azbara Jos. You remember him travelling with the Cult of the Dragon’s group on the caravan from Baldur’s Gate to Waterdeep and that Jamna had warned to keep an eye on him, for why would a Red Wizard of Thay be traveling (poorly) disguised with the Cult of the Dragon?   He at first thinks you may be cultists come to ask him a question, but quickly recognizes you, shocked that you are here. Despite the reputation of the Red Wizards, he stands no chance as Pubert takes advantage of his surprised and nearly guts him in one swing and eventually cuts him asunder across the middle leaving his body in two bloody halves on the floor. Among his personal belongings, Azbara has a Silver Inlayed Redwood Box containing his Travel spellbook and a silver key that opens it. Opening it without the key, Brehana is able to determine, would have resulted in setting off a magical trap. You decide to keep both the box and the book.   Heading up the stairs of the tower, you encounter a one-eyed elf (presumably the one-eyed elf Snapjaw mentioned as being in charge of the castle when “the black dragon-lady” isn’t there and who promoted some of the Lizardfolk to elite guard positions inside the castle). A brief battle ensues, but Brehana asks about the circle in the caverns and offers the elf his life if he has information. He agrees and goes on to say how much he thinks Rezmir is a fool. They elf’s name is Dralmorrer Borngray – he’s not particularly interested in the Cult’s quest to summon Tiamat from The Nine Hells (he seems more interested in an elf-centric world, free of all other races). He doesn’t know the command word but suggests searching Rezmir’s chambers above the library. Once you inform him of the Lizardfolk rebellion you helped start, he rushes downstairs leaving you to your own devises, but he does make it a point to let you know “We’re not friends now. If I see you again, I’ll likely kill you”.   You remember where the library is but had not continued to the third floor as you were in mid-Pharblex hunt and chose not to take the time then. But you do now. With Dralmorrer and the other cultists dealing with the Lizardfolk-Bullywug war, you pretty much have all the time you need in Rezmir’s lavish chambers to search. But Rezmir is not completely foolish – she managed to leave a trap to try to protect her belongings. A trap that gets sprung Pubert opens the wardrobe door and everyone is splashed with a strong acid and is severely burned (Brehana even loses consciousness from the pain). But there is a payoff. Rezmir’s desk is covered with papers, one of which has a picture of the teleportation sigil and next to that is written “To The Lodge” and the word ‘Draezir’.   You take that information and immediately head back do the Teleportation Circle and speak the word ‘Draezir’ and then…   Dark pine woods are all around on the slopes of a mountain valley; the air is cold and fresh. Two ancient stones stand to either side of you, and no more than a bowshot ahead along a path is a large house, with stone on the ground floor, timbers above. Within sight are more standing stones.   Pine branches shift and sway in a gusting, fitful wind. A squirrel chitters and then falls silent.