Astral Engine

The group was yanked through the mouth and found themselves in a vast chamber.  Arcs of lightning illuminated the enormous eldritch engine that filled the chamber.  Tight wound mithral cables and platinum rods twisted along rune covered walls like a spider's web, with thousands of gems set among them in a blazing riot of color.

An enormous multifaceted gem floated in midair at the center of the giant engine, it pulsed with silver light.  A huge figure stood on an altar -- a skeletal form armored in crystal shards wrapped with strips of black flesh.  Its head was crystal skull with a human sized skull mounted in its left eye socket.  The eyes and teeth of this smaller skull were set with gleaming gems.  Lythandar lay unconscious on the floor.


Well Lythandar was just faking it, not really unconscious only embarrassed by his miserable failure.  No time to think about it as the huge skeletal crystal figure was angry, so the party readied for a battle.  This battle was intense as the God-Golem took much damage without becoming bloodied.   Though it was undead, radiant damage was not enhanced.  Pretis and Mara moved forward to engage the creature while Demin, Lythandar and Alhellara attempted to disrupt the Astral Engine.  They found themselves taking damage from being near the walls at both the start and end of their turns.  They were determined to destroy the engine and kept up their checks.

Meanwhile Gofin was shrouding the God-Golem and attacking from distance while Melisana flew away but used her area and ranged attacks to good fortune.  The God-Golem would attack with God-Golem's wrath and when both attacks hit, it would invoke Drain Soul.  As the monster became surrounded it used Soulfire Blast, stunning most of the party.  Critical hits were flowing like wine as both the party and the creature inflicted major damage, but still the monster was not bloodied.  

Lythandar, Demin and Alhellara were steadily working on the infernal machine and successfully destroyed the engine.  In the aftermath, the engine imploded destroying the great gem (Acererak's phylactery).  It shattered into silver dust.  The thousands of gems set within the cradle of the engine shattered as the eldritch runes scribed along the walls flared blood-red, then faded into black.

As a result the God-Golem became bloodied and then created a Dead God's Anguish burst which included all of the party but Melisana, they became slowed and weakened.  The healing was fast and furious at this point as the party had taken considerable damage.  Now everyone was free to attack the God-Golem.   Mara was subject to the Drain Soul and failed a save at which point everyone was caught in Soul Shriveling Pulse where those hit were immobilized and took a penalty to saving throws.  The Golem took another action point and attacked Pretis with God-Golem's Wrath and Drain Soul.

The party noticed that the Golem would also make a saving throw at the beginning of its turn, removing some effects before they hindered him further.  Gofin used shrouds to great advantage and as Melisana moved closer to the fray she found herself the victim of God-Golem's Wrath.  With many healing surges, potions of recovery and other items used, including most of Pretis' daily powers the party seemed to be drifting toward failure.  Suddenly several critical hits were landed and with a final might swing of Runeblade Pretis slew the God-Golem.  

The party sat down for a quick rest and healing and then wondered where to go next.  It began to dawn on Pretis that, for all their efforts, the task was not complete.  The group had destroyed the body Acererak inhabited, as well as his phylactery, but there was no trace of his true body, the infamous gem-toothed skull.  It that remnant of his original form yet survived, the demilich surely survived as well.  Now he was vulnerable.  With his phylactery destroyed, he could be killed permanently --- but only if they could find his body and slay him before he had the chance to construct a new one.  

Melisana recalled that it required ten days of constant effort for a lich to create a new phylactery.  She knew of no reason why this process should be any different for a demilich.  Lythandar said that given the amount of energy that had already been channeled through the various planar engines, Acererak might be able to absorb at least some of that power with making use of the tools they had destroyed.  He couldn't become a god, but he might become stronger than before.

As Pretis pondered the whereabouts of Acererak, Runeblade spoke to her.

"The broken skull lairs once more beneath the broken skull."

Now what did that mean?  Mara and Lythandar suggested that the crowned skull in the previous chamber may be the answer.  So Lythandar opened the glowing arch and everyone moved through back into the crowned skull chamber.  Checking the mouth it seemed to lead back to the entry hall with no other destination hidden underneath the magic.  The group jumped in and ended back in the entry hall.  Meanwhile Melisana and Alhellara kept pondering the riddle and recalled their adventures in Skull City where the original Tomb of Horrors was hidden beneath a "broken skull."   The group then determined to travel to the ruined chamber they had visited earlier from here in Pluton.  This was the chamber with broken pews and ruined statues which seemed to be in the Abandoned Tomb.  Finding the correct archway the group jumped through into that chamber.

Scorecard:  The party earned 6186 XP for the battle and now have 212324 XP and are 22nd level.