Team MeFight Forty-Forth Session

The Lich Returns

• A day passes while the party heads South. Again, in Second Watch, the lich appears.
• He is only too happy to give tons of exposition.
  • Studied long at University (we can probably guess which), particularly about the history of the Island
  • The outpost was cut off from the rest of the Sidhe
  • The Dwarves wanted the Elves (and possibly their kit)
  • Typical protocol is lots of Servitor shock troops (Goblin and Kobold)
  • Elves had no problem killing waves and waves of those
  • Dwarves enlisted Necromancers and just raised the Servitors, repeatedly.
  • The lighthouse and its bulb served to suppress the reanimation. It also suppressed him when he changed form. He spent most of the time reading.
    • Corollary: he has a library of books as old or older than he is.
    • Most likely, the shadows are the souls detached from the zombies as the corporeal forms dissolved under suppression.
  • The gnome himself is several hundred years old. He was not specific, and Kib flubbed a Linguistics check to date him by his accent.
  • He doesn't remember his name, and refers to lichification as a "lossy" process.
  • Figures the most likely place is the Outpost, since it is the only place that wouldn't be immediately overrun.
  • Offers to pen teleport scrolls for the party if they can foot the bill (565gp apiece, refers to himself as "illiquid" from lichification)
• Kib resolves to solve the Sahuagin problem and find the Table. Anise is not happy about potentially destroying more Sidhe heritage, and could pretty much care less about Kib's grand strategic vision, but goes along with it. Gilerl is not happy about the prospect of being swallowed by more Sir Bendynecks, but reconciles himself. Thed and Thoven, as always, have their own interests. Marrwyn hopes that they might make their way to the Tomb after, as she feels there might be something of personal significance there.
• The conversation ends. Kib ponders the implications of a lich's existence for the long term. Tana advises that there might be little they can do about it.

Shadows Attack!

• The party has finally worked out a way to cross bodies of water without incident--invisibility spells and water-walking keep them from being noticed by the creatures in the depths.
• On the first day, they are attacked by large shadows that seem to be aggregated from the smaller ones. The bulb is hurtful to them, but they brave it to get to the party.
• Magic weapons, lucky concealment rolls (and blind fight), and an amazing cure wounds spell from Marwynn make short work of the pair. The bulb itself has a role, saving Thoven's life by offering a Will save against the strength damage attacks, at which he barely succeeds when a Shadow critically hits him with a blow that would have ended his mortal life.
• The next day passes without incident.

At the Outpost

• The outpost itself lays largely in ruins. All that is left standing is a small keep 150 yards across the water.
• Another short crossing. No incident.
• Amazingly, no shadows at all inhabit the keep area.
• The portcullis is still intact (it is made entirely of mithral). Luckily, Gil has no trouble ascending the wall and setting up ropes.
• The portcullis wheel crumbles at a touch, but its chain, also mithral, is in fine shape. The party heaves to and opens it up. A rope secures it in place to allow a speedy escape if necessary.

Awards

• 500 XP for meeting the lich for real (250 to Thed, split with Kib)
• 1600 the great shadows (800 Thed, split with Kib)
• Encounter avoidance experience:
  • 160xp Tana (aka Kib), Invis
  • 120xp to Marwynn, Water Walk
  • 200xp Thoven
• 100xp Opening the Gate