Yulya rests to restore her mp after filling the focus and gladly eats Cats snake stew. She stores the bandit brooches with the other loot in a barrel and gives the badger ring to Alice.
I think you are the only one immune to its side effects!



So now let us depart to a lower level! I do not even want to think about what awaits us there!

Yulya gives the badger ring to Alice.
I think you are the only one immune to its side effects!

Alice takes the ring and looks at it for a moment.
I take your word for it!

Alice tosses the ring into her mouth like a piece of canddy and stores it in the lolibank, handing Yulya 1gp in exchange.

[Time: Tuesday, Spring 26, 19:25, 9C Calm]

You settle in and within minutes of resting you get an unexpected visitor.
From the glowing non-corporeal vestments, this appears to be a former wizard, the bones animate and creek in a unsettling way. He carries a scepter with a brilliant crystal of the same color and shape as those clusters that were growing in the chamber with the Myconids.

Alice is cheerfully impressed by the strange being she characterizes as yet another curiosity on par with, no - topping even the Myconids
Oh cool! He's floating! I've never seen anything like that!
The same pretty glow as the shrooms! Are you their master?

Spotting the scepter, even the magic-blind alien can reach some conclusions.
Ah! You're the one who made these beam-holes and obliterated the bandits, right? Impressive! But please don't make holes in us! We are on your side ok? We hunt down the bandits who broke in here and defiled your vault! But I don't know about the Forge of Spells. Do you, Yulya?

Having nothing to add, Alice reaches in her mouth and shows the Jade Frog to the strange being like a child presenting her teddy bear.

You settle in and within minutes of resting you get an unexpected visitor.
From the glowing non-corporeal vestments, this appears to be a former wizard, the bones animate and creek in a unsettling way and the power emanating from this form is unmistakably that of a lich with the exception that there is no phylactery on his person, which is rather puzzling.

In contrast to the frightened Cat and curiously amused Alice, Yulya experiences an oddly calm reaction to this horrifying undead appearance. More akin to sorrow and pity.

He carries a scepter with a brilliant crystal of the same color and shape as those clusters that were growing in the chamber with the Myconids
Yulya's eyes fixate on this implement and recognition floods her mind, this is a legendary artifact of a bygone age, a royal scepter that was lost hundreds of years ago and though she has no idea what effects or powers it would wield, she knows that its power is devastating, if it still contains charges and is still functional it is well advised not to be the target of that ornate wand's magic.

Like Alice - Yulya immediately identifies this being and the wand as source for the beam holes. To her own surprise she still feels nothing. There is no point in running hiding let alone fighting this undead. Yulya speaks a silent prayer to Eldath and SheShe and hopes he can be reasoned with.

The jaw of this frightening skeletal being opens and your minds are filled with knowledge. He addresses you as Mormesk, a powerful mage of the Greycloaks of Neverwinter, wizard premier of the king, sent to protect the Forge of Spells. You understand this statement but also question it as he is communicating as if he is still a corporeal being, as if he doesn't fully remember he's now undead.

A sense of worry befalls Yulya as she realizes this powerful man - or what is left of him after centuries - probably has lost most of his rationality.

The impression you get is that this is the year 941, but you know this isn't right, it's 1296, and when your minds connect that to his, he pauses in confusion a moment then continues. Until he met his end in the spell battle at the climax of the orc invasion of Phandalin he was a well known and respected protector of the realm. However, you sense centuries of lost time and hatred, frustration and boredom. Ancient memories of lost comrades and friends as if it was yesterday and one final memory is rather recent, a confrontation with bandits that blew the door off the 'visiting wizard' chamber. In fact, further puzzling memories follow and he's apparently rather confused, he recognizes new excavations and none of this woodwork you now occupy with your tent. He wonders how that's possible in such a short time. But all that is immediately overshadowed by one question of grave concern, and this comes out in a shrill bone chilling voice.

"What is the disposition of the Forge of Spells, I no longer feel its presence."

Seeing Cat trying to hide and Alice trying to entertain a newfound curiosity akin to an exotic animal, Yulya finds herself stepping forward to address the sudden visitor as it is her role as party leader, presenting her adventurer's tag and Holy Symbol as she bows. Yulya uses Persuasion.
Sir Mormesk I am Yulya a Peace Cleric of Eldath and adventurer of the guild of Neverwinter - leader of this party. These are my comrades Alice Ashley and Cat. We are here on a quest to rid this mine of orcs and other foul beings. I humbly ask you to listen to our story as I believe we share the same goal. We will lend our aid to you to the best of our limited abilities and answer your questions as far as we can but I am afraid we lack crucial information about what is going on here. Please help us out so we can support you!

To keep it short we were tasked by Dwarves of the Rockseeker family of Phandalin to investigate this mine which is now rightfully theirs. A mine which was described to us as a simple ore mine called the Wave Echo cave. We are not aware of the Forge of Spells or the battles that took place here centuries ago! Nothing to be honest! Yet when we arrived here we found no sign of living orcs, but human bandits and bugbears, even fume drakes from the Underdark!
Sir Mormesk as far as our investigations have led us -  a criminal organization of bandits has infiltrated this mine- for reasons unknown to us. The very bandits you defeated recently. That organization called the cloaked wolves appears to consist mostly of ordinary humans but also a high level druid, elves and even half orcs! The leader appears to be a powerful drow elf wizard by the name of Nezzner who also calls himself the Black Spider. He is said to be here in this mine! We interrogated bandits and they told me they found a method to nullify magic probably by earthstone shackles. I do not know if this would affect your powers Sir Mormesk but be careful!

But that is not all! Unfortunately the world itself is facing difficult times right now! Monsters run rampant along the Sword Coast. Refugees are taking shelter in the city of Neverwinter. We were among them originally before we became adventurers to make a living. The town of Phandalin was destroyed by orcs and only recently rebuilt. But soon afterwards it was cut off from trade due to banditry and monster attacks. And on top of that - a magic spell of monstrous proportions is freezing over the entire land from the High Road over Phandalin to the mountains here! And a white dragon has made its lair on a nearby peak. All of this appears to be connected to this mine! This mine we know nothing about.

Yulya sighs and takes a deep breath closing her eyes.
Sir Mormesk forgive my insolence but I believe more than 350 years has passed since your - passing. If you doubt me please look at yourself in the reflection of the lake here! Centuries have passed since you battled the orcs here with your comrades! And it looks like this place has been abandoned until quite recently. No it was even sealed! There were inscriptions speaking about a powerful watcher at the entrance and that nobody should enter.
Yulya can't help but wonder if Mormesk was indeed the watcher in question...

Oh there was another inscription saying the greatest treasure was taken about 10 years after uh your passing so in 951 if I remember correctly. So maybe what you cannot sense anymore is long gone. But I neither know what it is nor where it could be...



Sensing it is not wise to hide anything from this man, Yulya also presents her wand.
And my apologies for taking this wand from your fallen wizard comrade whose remains rest in this lake - I spoke a prayer for his soul. We are not strong and we must fight evil by all means necessary. I hope this is also what he would have wished. That said Sir Mormesk please tell us what you remember! What happened here and above all what is the Forge of Spells?

Yulya - now for the first time nervous - glances over to Ashley with a pleading expression and whispers:
Please be courteous with this man or we are all dead! Well at least Cat and me! And make the Bigglesworths presentable! Maybe he liked cats when he was alive!

Cat ducks away behind Yulya but slightly relaxes as that being appears to be sparing them.
Nyaa let's get out of here before he changes his mind Yulya Nya!

And nothing will improve if you kill us here!

You get the thought that less looters is always a good thing and perhaps your bodies will make for faithful zombies to fight off future bandit incursions, and that might be adequate compensation for your crimes. The thought crosses his mind that it could be fun trying to turn you into ghouls.

Rothé... Summer

He gives you the sense he doesn't care about Neverwinter affairs at this point. It's just more fodder he's used to dealing with when he's stationed there.

as long as I can keep the ears... Alice again reaches into her mouth and tosses in the signet ring of the noble she ate as an additional offering

You get a negative response from that, you fell like you better keep the ears intact. Though he's somewhat amused by this 'magic trick' of producing treasure from your mouth, he simply accepts the items without a response because at this point either you'll have to receive payment which may include these items or you'll be dead and he'll delight in opening you like a Christmas present to see what else might be inside and rightfully his. They're gone.

Ah and Daran! He knew! You can't tell me he didn't know what was down here and about the Forge of Spells!

That hit a nerve, the wheels in his mind begin to turn.

"Daren..."

He senses the images in your mind but they look off, old, decrepit even and he responds with another.



"This couldn't be the same Daren Edermath, could it?" He brings his bony hand to his chin and searches the minds of all of you, sensing all the interactions and you get images of the hills covered in trees and Daren hiring locals to clear it for an eventual farm, "Has it really been hundreds of years?"

He's lost in thought for a moment his memories of Daren are of a young and haughty adventurer that fought orcs alongside him, collecting their tongues as he went. He chuckles then hardens seeing now how he's aged. "Enough! Tell me of your choice quickly, I have much to do."



At this point, he's either going to kill you outright and take on Nezzer himself or let you try first, perhaps at least softening him up so he can finish him off later. He won't fight along side you as he considers you to be criminals and untrustworthy.

He will close the rifts and the tunnel to the Underdark as well as then begin his investigation as to the disposition of the Forge of Spells and he's quickly running out of patience for pesky looters.

"Oh, and as for this watcher you are wondering about, I have also felt a presence below, in the bowels of the mountain, a presence that has taken over the lower reaches that has attempted to probe my doings from time to time, this may be the watcher you were informed of, whatever he is must be a powerful magic user as well. Dispatch him as you see fit, he's not affecting me currently."

As he's impatiently waiting for your decision. Ashley feels him probe her mind and she fights him, nearly to the point of casting a curse on him with the little MP she has left and you can guess what that's over. You get confirmation that this is indeed the heart of the mountain and this wizard is very confused as to how you've looted it.

Ashley sees Yulya's direct defiance of the defender of the mountain and as he charges his wand she jumps in,



"Now you decide to act tough? I'm supposed to be the impudent liability!" Ashley rolls her eyes. "Mr. Mormesk, yeah so you kinda hurt her feelings I think when you thought she was a criminal. Now, I'll take that responsibility of looting, Alice is the one who used the explosives, technically Cat and Yulya did fight the ghouls, but they attacked us first in all fairness. So maybe it was different 300 years ago, but adventurers accept quests not ultimatums. If you think we can kill Nezzer, and you obviously don't think you can just go snuff him out easily, then maybe don't poke the hornet's nest. Didn't you have any royal protocol back in the day? We are under contract with a royal mage just like you already and if you don't want the Leilon royal army in here looking for us, maybe don't kill us so flippantly.

[Intimidation/Persuasion vs DC20 1d20+11=23]

Ashley wipes her brow, "We'll bring you his head for pay, and if that clears our name, then fine, otherwise you'll have to give us a chance to prove we're telling the truth in some other way if we fail."

Ashley's words have soothed him, he had never heard of a kingdom of Leilon but after probing her memories he took that at least at face value. Without a word he lowered his wand and paused.

"Yeah, so if we do kill the guy, which may or may not happen, how much will you give us for it?"

He seems to indicate it'll be worth 4 mythril coins.

Ashley blinks, that's 40 platinum... "That's a start, and we'll take that wand back and the frog and get to keep the rings of course. Also this crystal is now owned by the current owners of this mountain, who we are also under contract with to retrieve, and that's not you."

He chuckles in a eerily frightening way, "You have a knack for negotiation that reminds me of my times with my own party."

[Luck 1d20=17]

"You will be granted this if you return with the head, and if not, you will return with this royal mage for further investigation and verification."

"Deal Yulya? I bet Summer would be up for it."

[He's keeping the offerings as collateral until you clear your name and is otherwise willing to seek other means to clear your names. The choice remains.]