The Necromancers Lair.

The journey from the monastery winds through treacherous mountain passes, where the once thick blanket of snow softens into slush, revealing jagged rocks and treacherous ground beneath. Streams, once frozen solid, now carve paths through the landscape, rushing with the meltwater as the power of St Agnus washes over the land causing the thaw. The towering peaks, their icy grip loosening, send down occasional cascades of snow and rock, forcing the travelers to tread carefully. The air is sharp, filled with the scent of damp earth and the whisper of distant avalanches. As they descend, the skeletal remains of long-forgotten travelers, revealed by the melting snow, serve as a grim reminder of the dangers ahead. At last, beyond the crumbling foothills, the land darkens, and the shadow of the lich lord’s lair looms—a desecrated dwarven shrine, its once-proud halls now twisted by darkness. The entrance is lined with statues of ancient dwarven heroes, their faces worn and cracked by time, their eyes hollow as if mourning the fate of their sacred ground. What once stood as a testament to resilience and craftsmanship now serves as a gateway to the undead, its sanctity long since defiled by the lich’s sinister power.

From within the lair an army appears, at its head the lich himself. Behind him are 60 skeletal warriors, each group of 12 led by a captain of the dead.

The five companions, hoping they have not been spotted, take cover behind a rocky outcrop.
“The Abbess was right, the Lich must be with his army to control it”, Culdus grips his faewood staff, hoping he does not have need of it yet, “the lair will soon be open to us”.
“Lets hope we have not been seen” Karina whispers in reply.
“Not much of an army” says Hew, “I see just 60 or so, we could take them here”
“Hew is right” Rhian goes for her bow, “with our fae given weapons surely we can defeat them here”,
Strawberri puts her hand on the young woodswomans arm, “The only way to defeat the lich lord is to destroy his vail, lets not forget why we came here, we must get that and return it to the abbess”
Culdus turns to his friends, “Strawberri is right, there will be danger enough in the lords lair, now is not the time to risk our lives”

As the Lich Lord and his relentless army of undead march deeper into the far mountains, drawing ever closer to the beleaguered monastery, the five companions steel themselves for the perilous descent into his lair.

Karina raises a hand, halting the group. “Wait,” she whispers, her voice barely a breath against the cold wind. “Let me use my Cloak of Shadows to scout ahead—at least to see what awaits us at the entrance.”

The others exchange wary glances before nodding their agreement. Without another word, she pulls the fae cloak tightly around her, its enchanted fabric shimmering for the briefest moment before swallowing her in darkness. Silent as the falling snow, she glides forward, vanishing into the gloom of the ruined dwarven shrine, unseen and unheard.

The foreboding entrance is lined with ominous statues of long-dead warriors. The air is cold and still, with faint whispers echoing through the dark corridors. Karina move past them, shivering even though wrapped in her cloak, A strong door bars the entrance to the lairs first chamber, Cursing to herself she tries to open the door.

Question. Is the door locked? Yes, complication.

Karina’s meddling awakens something deeper in the lair. A cold wind surges from behind the door, carrying with it a faint, bone-chilling whisper—he knows she’s here. The walls of the ancient dwarven shrine hold lingering echoes of the lich’s presence. As Karina lingers, ghostly murmurs rise from the stone itself, warning the undead of her arrival.

Karina slips back to the group, her expression tense as she recounts the formidable door blocking their path. Hew cracks his knuckles, a smirk playing at his lips. “Locked doors have never stopped me before,” he boasts, eyeing the entrance as though his sheer strength alone could shatter it.

Culdus folds his arms, ever the voice of reason. “Before we resort to brute force, perhaps I should first sense if the door is enchanted,” he suggests, his gaze lingering on the ancient dwarven carvings. “If dark magic binds it, simply breaking it could have consequences we’re not prepared for.”

The five companions move as silently as possible towards the door.

Question. Does Culdus sence any magic at the door? No.
Hew attempts to force the door open. He must make a Strength test to succeed. Needing 17 or less on d20 he rolls 7, the door creaks open.

They have weapons drawn ready to face any threat behind the door. They enter the Guardians Chamber, Rhian is the only one with a lantern and flint and tinder box, she lights it and enters first. Culdus knows the cantrip mage light but decided not use it, Hew follows Rhian, followed by Strawberri the fae foundling, Culdus and Karina at the back of the party.

Question. Are the party surprised or ambushed, I get yes but something benefits the party.

Karina moves cautiously, her keen eyes scanning the dimly lit chamber beyond the threshold. The flickering glow of Rhian’s lantern casts eerie shadows against the ancient stone walls, distorting shapes into twisted figures. For a moment, all seems still, but then—just at the edge of her vision—a subtle shift. A skeletal hand twitches. A hollow-eyed warrior straightens ever so slightly, its sword scraping against bone as it tightens its grip.

Her breath catches. The undead aren’t dormant—they’re waiting. Watching.

With a sharp intake of breath, she hisses, “Move! They’re coming alive!”

Before the words even finish leaving her lips, the skeletal warriors lurch forward, their brittle bones rattling like dry branches in the wind. From the darkness beyond, the towering captain of the undead rises, his ancient, rusted armor groaning as he lifts a jagged blade. But thanks to Karina’s quick reflexes, the party is ready—blades drawn, spells prepared, the fight about to begin.

The undead, 5 Skeletons and 1 Captain of the Dead get to strike first, but the party can retaliate.

Rhian has both the Captain of the Dead and a Skeleton attacking her. The Captain strikes first, rolling 12 +3 on d20 its sword strikes Rhian causing 3 damage , the skeleton rolls 9 +1, needing 13 or more to get past Rhians armour it fails to hit.
Rhian strikes at the skeleton with her Sword of flames, she rolls 20, a hit for 3+1 damage, the skeleton drops into a pile of broken bones.

The skeleton attacking Hew rolls 7 +1, its sword just glances off Hews armour. Hew rolls 10 +3, needing 13 or more, he just lands a blow on his adversary for 4 +2 hp, another skeleton falls.

Strawberri struggles with her enemy. It rolls 13 +1 but her AC is 15 so it misses just. Strawberry has only a dagger she can use, she rolls only 6 +1, no way near the 13 she needs, a miss.

Culdus is hit, the skeleton rolling 13 +1, he takes 4 damage and now has only 2hp remaining. He lashes out with his staff, rolling 20. Inflicting 5 damage, his enemy is defeated but Culdus knows he must heal himself soon.

Karina too is hit by a skeleton, she take a big hit, 6 damage and is down to 3 hp. Rolling 11+2, she just hits the skeleton with her short sword, inflicting 4 damage, now only one skeleton and the captain of the Dead remain.

Combat round 2.
Strawberri has the highest initiative and attakes the skeleton, rolling 19 this time she does 3hp damage, Culdus steps back allowing the hurt but angry Karina to assist Strawberri. The Skeleton attacks first, rolling a 6 it misses its target, Karina strikes with her short sword, causing only 1 damage, but its enough, the skeleton is finished.

Rhian rolls 14 +1 to hit the Captain of the guard, a flame shooting from the tip of her magic sword cause additional damage, 8 +5 hp worth, the captain ahs only one hp remaining. It strikes at Rhian, rolling 6 +3, disorientated by the flame from the sword it misses. Hew rolls 19, a hit. Needing only to strike the captain of the guard to destroy it, his 4+1 damage is more than enough.

The companions have overcome their first challenge but not without cost.

Culdus applies a healing slave to himself, recovering all lost hit point, he offers to use his one remaining slave on Karina but she refuses, suggesting he waits until she desperately needs it.

With that, they move further on into the lair.

The party steps cautiously into the Hall of Shadows, their weapons drawn, their senses sharp. The chamber stretches before them, an eerie void of shifting darkness where the air feels unnaturally thick, as if it carries whispers from the long-forgotten dead.

Rhian raises her lantern high, its flame casting flickering gold against the jagged stone. The moment the light spills into the room, the shadows recoil—then surge forward, writhing like living entities. At first, it seems like a trick of the light, but then Karina’s keen eyes catch the movement—something is wrong.

Suddenly, tendrils of pure darkness lash out, snaking toward the party with unnatural speed. They reach for limbs, coil around weapons, seeking warmth like starving predators.

Each of the companions must make a DEX roll or the tendrils coil around them.

Strawberri has a Dex of 19, she rolls 4, an easy save, she dodges the dark tendrils.
Rhian has a Dex of 12, she rolls 5 and she too manages to dodge the tendrils coming for her.
Hew too manages to evade the danger, just. A roll of 9 against his Dex of 10.
Culdus only has a Dex of 8 and rolls 18, He uses a fortune point for a reroll, and this time rolls 3, he evades the dark tendril but is down to 2 fortune points.
Karina too fails her Dex roll, she has a Dex of 11 and rolls 13, already injured and with 5 fortune points available to her , she elects to use one, easily making the roll with a 4. She too is safe but down to 4 fortune points.

One tendril narrowly misses Culdus shoulder, retreating only to strike again, drawn toward the glow of Rhian’s lantern.

Karina makes a Int check, needing 9 or less, she rolls 7.

Karina’s instincts flare. “The light! It’s attracting them!” she shouts, twisting just in time to evade a grasping limb that nearly ensnares her.

Rhian hesitates, her grip tightening around the lantern’s handle. The others brace for impact, but the revelation is clear: the only way forward might require plunging into total darkness.

To be continued.