Paul DMing, Scott: Smudge (shadar-kai rogue 8 / barbarian 2) and Martin (duergar cleric 10); Dane: Tudo Fleck (dwarf cleric 10), Steven: Kristabelle (half-orc fighter 9).
(Steven returning for the first time since... April 2024!)
Last time, the party continued to explore the basement laboratory of the upside-down wizard's tower they'd discovered near the Bile Bowl arena. This time, they investigate the upper floors of the tower.
The third floor of the tower is a Spartan bedroom. A wizard — complete with long white beard, decorative robes, and pointy hat — stands in the middle of a salt circle.
"Oh, I'm so happy to see you! I had an accident and have been trapped here for a long time," says the wizard, who pleads with the adventurers to break the salt circle and release him.
They find The Star Crystal on a stand near the salt circle. Tudo detects magic and finds that the crystal radiates evocation magic. The salt circle radiates abjuration magic. The elevator radiates transmutation magic. They take the Star Crystal, much to the distress of Uravulon Calcidius, the wizard.
Smudge finds a book (Surviving the Interorbular Ether) on the desk and takes it, noting that the volume is bound in human skin. "That was just the fashion in bookbinding at the time," shrugs the wizard.
After questioning, Calcidius, confesses that Shaheduzzaman was his apprentice. Shaheduzzaman betrayed him and is dangerous and in league with malevolent extra-dimensional entities.
Calcidius offers them first 1,000 gp then 10,000 gp, but the party seems unimpressed.
The party decides to release the wizard, but Martin first casts circle of power.
They break the salt circle. Calcidius orders them to get out of his tower, then vanishes when they don't immediately obey. A moment later, the elevator car descends to the subbasement.
Rather than pursue the wizard, the party decides to explore the upper floors of the tower. Kristabelle climbs up the elevator shaft. She can't open the two doors to level four while free climbing, so she shimmies her way up to the open doorway of level five and lowers a rope for the others.
Floor five is dominated by a large pod with a larger telescope sticking out of it. Bins of coal and black powder stand near the west wall and a pool of liquid is inlaid in the southern part of the floor. Strange fish swim in the pool.
Smudge finds a scorched chamber under a hatch near the telescope pod and fills it with black powder.
Tudo flips switches on a control panel. Flip: domed metal roof opens like a blooming flower. Flip: an odd periscope viewer extends from the pod. Flip: a nearly blinding ray of red light shoots into space. The controls vibrate and the whole tower shakes for several seconds, until the red beam flickers out.
Having perhaps destroyed some distant world or signaled a greeting to a psyche-blasting cosmic horror, the party repels down to the forth floor.
They find a freezer full of dozens of blood vials, then an extensive library in the next room.
In a small room on the west side of the tower, a ghost materializes in one of the two chairs in the room and asks: "Who will gamble their soul in a game of chance and skill for the opportunity to pass through the door?" 👻
Enemies defeated: a wizard (Though maybe it's more accurate to say the wizard decided to ignore them for the moment.)
Treasure: The Star Crystal, two books (Surviving the Interorbular Ether and Flora and Fauna of Necropoli Centauri)
