The group scrutinize the control panel's many buttons and levers. Finally they settle on opening a large panel in the center of the console. They retreat in defense at the sight of a glowing demilich skull hovering within. But they relax when they realize that it is not attacking but instead trying to communicate. It is unable to speak but gestures to a series of buttons beside it on the console. After, hesitantly, pressing a couple of buttons, the skull is able to speak. It tells them that it is Kwalish.
Finding Kwalish
The skull isn't Kwalish. It has simply acquired a demilich skull and turned it to Kwalish's purpose of controlling the various parts of his laboratory. And now he uses it to communicate with them, since his unfortunate failed experiment into his own immortality. He tells them that ages ago he tried to prolong his life and transfer his consciousness into the suit of armor slumped in the corner. Unfortunately it didn't go as planned, the illithid he tortured to acquire obscure arcane knowledge, failed to tell him of a single necessary component. Now he finds himself trapped within the various and distributed equipment of his laboratory.Azula, after a bit of experimentation with the control panel's instruments, finds the ability to torture the illithid, trapped within the crystal cylinder. She does this repeatedly until it seems she killed it. Fun over she returns to the group.
A Big Ask
Kwalish tells them all he needs is the life force of one, such as Fritz, who has the natural ability to morph his physical appearance. It wont kill him. It will just take some of his life essence. In return he will grant them what they have sought him out for. The energy key that they require to access the hidden vault deep below Waterdeep.
Fritz is hesitant.
The group brainstorms and finally they settle on convincing Kwalish to use another creature with the ability to polymorph. Azula will summon a quasit. Kwalish can use it's entire life essence. The face of the demilich skull is unreadable but eventually, Kwalish agrees to this.
Brains!
Azula finds the controls to open the crystal cylinder, to replace the illithid's body with that of a summoned quasit. Opening the cylinder release the mindflayer, it's body slumping to the floor, the silver threads breaking off of it as it collapses. Azula approaches it and realizes, a little too late, that the mindflayer is not dead. It uses this chance to attack and is able grab on to Azula, it's tentacles wrapping around her head as the mindflayers mouth begins to break through the drow's skull.
The others react quickly and the illithid is quickly killed. Azula, near death, is able to be healed.
Azula, finally feeling her normal self, summons the quasit and binds it to her. She makes the tiny demon dance about and finally dance into the cylinder. The silver threads attach to the happy demon and immediately, the laboratory's equipment surges in activity. The quasit screams, shudders and then burns to a pile of dust. It's life force completely consumed. Energy surges through the console and the glass tubing throughout the laboratory. Finally energy can be seen moving through the thin silver threads connecting the console to the massive suit of armor.Kwalish's Rebirth
The armor shudders and jerks and then falls still. Then it's head slowly and deliberately moves as Kwalish tests his ability to control his new body. The suit of armor stands and speaks in Kwalish's voice, albeit with a more metallic and artificial predisposition. It thanks them. It reaches into a hidden panel below the control console and retrieves a large crystal of blue energy, Metal bands hold its edges into the shape of a elongated diamond. It tells them that this is the energy key they will need to enter the vault. The group tells him of the keys they already have and ask what is in the vault.
Kwalish has no knowledge of what the vault contains. He was commissioned to help construct the vault. He had been the one to build the locking mechanism and the one to memory wipe all the dwarves who were contracted to construct the vault, after its completion. But as to it's contents, he has no idea.
Need One More Key
He does tell them that they are missing the actual physical key. He last knew of Lord Neverember giving it to his wife Lady Brandarth to hold. He had seen it on her necklace when she set sail upon the Mordault. He doesn't know her destination but he was sure it was to secure the key in a secret location.
As the group prepares to leave the pocket dimension's laboratory, they ask if Kwalish has anything else that might be of use to him. After all, they have helped him complete his experiment and aided his transfer into the body of armor. He tells them sadly that no, the laboratory is only furnished with only what they see. Laboratory odds and ends.
After some mild threats and not so subtle hints at the fact that they know what bauble houses his laboratory and that glass baubles seem easy to break, Kwalish is able to find a treasure hoard of magical items and money that he offers to the group.
As they inspect their new booty, they find a large portal hidden beneath a tarp. Pulling off the tarp they see what appears to be a barren and desolate landscape, filled with bubbling pits of dark ooze and fiery mountains in the distance. Kwalish tells them that this is the Abyss. He has found the portal back upon the floating city. The demons there were trying to open the portal to the Abyss. So when he fled he made sure to take it.
Activity In The Abyss
He uses the portal to try and quietly capture small demons which he can easily overpower, and use their chaotic energy to power his laboratory. But through the portal he can see hints of activity happening in the Abyss. Demons by their vary nature are uncontrolled and have no direction. Only this has seemed to save the rest of the universe from their destruction. Their sheer insurmountable numbers, if used in a coordinated nature could easily overcome any of the planes defenses.
It would seem that a creature, a bronze dragon, named Quo'Queglic Sva Wer Marfedelom Di Lyriki, along with a tabaxi necromancer, has been rallying the demon forces to itself.
With that the group leaves the pocket dimension and returns to their apparatus. Before heading back to the apparatus' garage, they retrieve the bauble that they had entered, where they fought countless hooded figures. It seems useful, perhaps as a training ground. Returning the apparatus to its garage and retrieving both their belongings and Anaxie Zephries, they use the scroll of teleportation to return to the Mage's Guild within Waterdeep.
Before leaving, Anaxie begs the group to return to the floating city to see if they might be able to find his family and friends. If Kwalish survived, then perhaps they survived as well. The group tells him that he has no more money and that they have other priorities. He promises that he can get the money if only they would take the mission to rescue them, now that they know where they are.
But no amount of pleading or threatening can sway the group. Anaxie swears that he will find someone to aid him and leaves.
Back Home & Talking Of Demons
The group returns to the Trollskull Manor. They return to the normal bustling activity and delicious food smells of their familiar manor. Relaxing and catching up with their fellow members, the group is soon beset upon by a few members of the Trollskull gang, the collection of street urchins that have been sheltered by the Trollskull Champions Guild. They ask if the group has rescued Nat yet. Finding out their urchin leader is still in the hands of the Xanathar Guild, they ask when the group is going to rescue her.
The children are told that Nat is a priority, but one of many at the moment. Disappointed, the urchins storm off to plan.
As the members of the guild sit around the tables eating, drinking and sharing stories of their adventure, the possibility is brought up that the ooze filling the city and surrounding land, very well could be the influence of a demon lord, Juiblex.
Meanwhile, Messick feels pressed to return the amulet that was lent to him by the River King. He was told that he had 2 tenday to return it and it is almost time. He has taken the enchantment off of the amulet and transferred it to one of his own deity, but the River King was specific to returning only the amulet, not the enchanment. Hoping that he can lawyer the River King he returns to the elven crypt within the City Of The Dead.
Reentering the crypt and passing the hidden door, they move through the crypt to stand and the large pool of water. Its odd illumination coming from deep within. They speak to the River King and soon he emerges from within the pool to stand eye to eye as they stand upon the platform high above the pool.Returning To The River King
Messick returns the amulet but the River King immediately senses the enchantment is removed. He demands both the amulet and Messick's totem of Lady Sirius, which now holds the enchantment. Messick warns the River King that Lady Sirius will not take this lightly and Azula, being Azula tosses in extra threats as well.
The River King's patience has worn short and both Messick's and Azula's lungs begin to fill with river water. They cough and sputter but are able to expel the fluid from their lungs. The River King's pool of water then begins to overflow faster and faster. It soon begins to spill over the platform high above the pool's original height. The group beings a fast retreat out of the crypt, save for Eda who stands her ground, defiantly staring at the River King. She has done no wrong.
She stands her ground, the River King and her staring at each other. The crypt quickly filling with water. Eda decides to flee. She mounts her flying broom and is only barely able to make it out of the crypt alive, flying along the ceiling, feet slicing along the top of the water filling the crypt.
They leave the crypt, Messick unsure of how his patron god will take to this.
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