DM’s log 8th-9th of Raven Queen – Encounter with Illiamarra.

After tracking the drow into the temple, the party found a well maintained temple structure much like the one they experienced with Travis. A river of undead creatures endlessly swims outside the temple in the odd fey-like twilight of the backlight chamber dominated by the bright light of the mythal floating above the temple. The party found large murals and carvings inside the temple depicting the grand societies and several key historical events seemingly connected to the Selu’taar and their ancient magics.

Making their way from level to level, the party encountered a large party of drow gaurding a magically locked doorway to the upper reaches of the temple. Easily dispatching the drow, the party unlocked the door by invoking a series of spells – one for each school of magic – into the arcane locking mechanisms. With the door disable, the party made their way to the apex and confronted a powerful mage named Illimarra. Wielding the Claw of Kiaransalee and partly spent from whatever magics she was preparing in the chamber, Illimarra proved to be an extremely dangerous foe. Locking away some members of the party with arcane cages and firing disintegration orbs at others, she turned Travis into a pile of dust and a cold, lifeless, diapson crystal that once marked his heart.

The party rose to the occasion, defeated the other drow in the chamber, and forced Illiamarra to hastily retreat. Teleporting out at the last second, she left the party alone in the apex of the ancient Selu’taar temple. The party found Illiamarra’s bag of holding – that contained what appear to be 1000 small shards of onyx, diapson crystal, and diamonds with swirling motes of energy in them. They also found Illiamarra’s spell book with a tongue stuck on the front. The book contains immense and impressive knowledge – even some unique spells created by Illiamarra herself. The party also found a large clockwork-bound book hidden in a cache behind some stones in the chamber and a shadow-emitting sword wielded formerly by Isildra.

Briefly short resting, the party decided it unwise to tarry in the temple – so they attempted a teleportation circle. Apparently, the magics of the mythallar interfered with the teleportation – instead placing them in the circle at the bottom of the temple. The party decided to exit the temple and get sufficient distance from the mythallar before trying again. On their way out, they encountered a force of awaiting drow. Sneaking up on them, the party fought through exhaustion and slew them before teleporting back to the Tower of Contemplation of the Arcana Pansophical, where Alura resides.