As we were discussing which corridor to proceed down first, a large, eight-armed man appeared before us, floating in the air. He asked us, “Would you defeat the Runelord Karzoug?”. We said yes, and he told us that we could come to him if we needed anyone resurrected.

We traveled down the corridor associated with the sin of Pride. We walked for at least a mile, and Devin sensed that we had shifted into another dimension along the way. The walls had been made of stone, but we came to a part where the walls were mirrors. We arrived at a T-shaped intersection, in which the corridor we approached from was the middle leg. Ash was the first to peek around the corners, and saw that each arm of the T turned 90 degrees towards the direction we had been walking in. When she saw her reflection in the mirrors at those turning points, two copies of her emerged from the mirrors and attacked us. Gulnyr approach the intersection, and two copies of him stepped out as well, and shortly afterwards the same thing happened with Eliatris. She warned Devin to stay back, so he did not approach.

During the fight, Ash shot at the mirrors to try to break them. Eliatris got knocked out. Gulnyr managed to kill one of his own copies, and Devin used a Wall of Stone spell to block the other Gulnyr copy from getting to us. Gulnyr was killed, at which point his remaining copy disappeared; then the same thing happened to Eliatris. Devin used Breath of Life to revive Gulnyr, who then grabbed Eliatris’s body, and we all retreated. However, both of Ash’s copies were still alive, and Ash got knocked unconscious. As an act of desperation, Devin killed Ash, which dismissed her copies.

We returned all the way back to the entry room, and asked the floating figure to resurrect Ash. He also reincarnated Eliatris, who became a half-orc. We rested for the night.

We returned to the T-shaped intersection of mirrors. Eliatris attempted to shoot the mirror that was not blocked by the stone wall, and this caused a copy of her to emerge. We fought and killed it, and then Eliatris borrowed a hammer from Gulnyr to smash the mirror.

We proceeded down that corridor, and came to a large chamber. Its walls were mirrored, and chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A giant living peacock was in this room, as well as a well-dressed man. He told us that the master was in his study, not to be disturbed, and requested that we keep our screaming to a minimum. Then he attacked us. As we fought him, several copies of him appeared. Some of them seemed to be illusions, and one of him turned invisible to avoid us. During the fight, Ash was knocked out, and Devin was killed. Eliatris healed Ash, and the three party members besides Devin eventually killed all of the opponents.

Ash found a secret door. It led to a study containing a desk, a large book collection, and a gold peacock statue. Another duplicate of our enemy, presumably the original, was slumped over dead at the desk. He was dressed in a robe of peacock feathers, and had a journal in his lap, which we took. There was also a set of double doors leading out of this room.

The party returned to the entry room once more, and had Devin resurrected. The eight-armed man informed us that the dragon had just arrived in the Runeforge, but not the same way that we had entered.

Ash studied the journal, and translated a portion of it:

The runeforge pool awoke! I first took this as a sign that Runelord Xanderghul had risen. When I arrived at the pool to investigate, it seemed that the others had come to the same conclusion. The foolish Wardens of Envy thought to disrupt the recrudescence, and with the aid of Azaven, Ordikan, Athroxis, and that lovely creature Delvahine, we were able to defeat them utterly. Their Abjurant Halls lie in ruins. Our treaty was short-lived, though. Azaven absconded with the bodies and that treacherous wench Athroxis nearly burned me to death before I made it back here.

I was mistaken. Runelord Xanderghul still slumbers. It is that monster Karzoug who quickens and nears rebirth. Damnation! He must not be alowed to precede Xanderghul into the world, for he would rebuild Thassilon in his own inferior image, a testament to his own greed rather than one of pride in the work. He must be delayed or defeated!

I have managed to escape this place, to a certain extent. By astral projection I can explore what the world outside has become. It is a brutish place, yet it pleases me to see Thassilon’s mark endures in the shape of our monuments. Still, the wilderness of the world vexes me. Gone is the empire I knew. Karzoug’s city of Xin-Shalast is now hidden high in the mountains, and when I finally discovered it, I found the spires where his body is hidden to be inaccessible, warded against astral travelers by the occlusion field around the peak of Mhar-Massif. As long as his runewell is active, I fear even a physical approach would be impossibly deadly. I must determine a way to pierce these wardings, and to send an agent in my place. No need to risk my own life before my clone is ready.

I have taken steps toward an alliance with Delvahine. She may be able to escape this place, for she was not of the original blood. At the least, she can call upon agents from outside, and perhaps through them we can secure servants in the outer world. She seems uninterested in Sorshen’s return; all the better for Xanderghul, that.

The runeforge pool is the key. As I suspected, the occlusion field around Karzoug’s fortress in Xin-Shalast has a flaw. His lack of knowledge of the intricacies of Sorshen’s and my own lord Xanderghul’s powers have left an opening. My agents must use components infused with our lord’s virtues, extract the latent magic within these components, and then anoint their chosen weapons with this raw power. The runeforged pool seems to have enough reserves to enhance no more than half a dozen or so runeforged weapons, but those enhanced with enchantment and illusion magic will be most potent against Karzoug’s defenses. They may even be pivotal in his defeat. For my own part, fragments of any of the mirrors in the Peacock’s Hall should suffice for a component. Delvahine’s… equipment… should suffice for enchantment, although one might be wise to cleanse them before they are handled.

The search for an agent goes poorly. Delvahine seems more interested in her own lusts than aiding me. Worse, the lapses and fevers are increasing. I fear that I will be forced to see to Karzoug myself, in which event I will need to use the master circle I built into the Halls of Wrath to escape this place. Yet first, I must set aside my work on delaying Karzoug’s return and turn back to the final development of my 205th clone. I only hope I have time to finish before the dementia takes hold…

We returned to the study, and went through the double doors. This led us to a library, whose books had been destroyed by a fire. This room had three other doors leading out from it. The first door led to a room that contained a number of identical dead bodies stacked neatly. The second door led to another such room.