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Past the metallic door lies a vast quadruple valved chamber lined with nephelium. The crystal heart of a god hollowed out to contain vast energies is in the center of the spectacle. From that stream three beams of searing white light that spring from three crystal columns. There are shapes moving in the spherical gate of malevolence. Near the center of the chamber is a podium with a large black tome on top. Madreus, the Alienist himself, is there, incanting, when he stops to look at Alzar and his party. At a nearby table is another mage, Nigel himself, who looks up. There are allies charmed and dominated in here. Five Duergar enlarge and shield Nigel and Madreus from isle attacks. Two myconids, 3 brood gibberlings and 4 troll mutates are also here and move forward.
Battle begins.
Alzar wins init. He orders the hasted elementals and demon to smash into their Duergar. With double attacks, they slay three of them outright and badly wound the fourth. The Invisible Stalkers, hasted, move around to combat the flank of the duergar where the other monsters have arrived. They carve both myconids – living intelligent fungus creatures. The undead can’t get in attacks but the gargoyles fly over and get in the face of Nigel, but don’t hit. The fighter fire in an take out the wounded duergar, leaving just one. Alzar casts Evard’s Black Tentacles by the mages in the back. Several of the 13 that are summoned attack the podium and a nearby column and table, but three attack Nigel and one brings him down and four attack Madreus and two bring him down. The monsters move into the place left by the dead Duergar and carve deeply into a Water Elemental. The Duergar finishes it with a great hit for 22 damage. Nigel cuts himself free of the one tentacle on him, and Madreus uses his dagger to teleport to the other side of the room behind everyone else and away from the tentacles.
They win init. The monsters wound another water elemental. Nigel casts Acid Arrow on a gargoyle and brings it down. Madreus Dominates Estaish successfully and he is now an enemy. Estiash attacks nearby Maerie and hits for 13 damage. Alzar’s group moves and slays the Duergar and the trolls. The fighters slay a Brood Gibberling. The gargoyles peck at Nigel for 9 damage and Alzar casts Ray of Ondovir at Madreus and he fails his save.
They keep init. Madreus casts domination at Estiash but misses. Estaish his Maerie once out of two swings for 12 damage, and Nigel finishes another gargoyle with another acid arrow. The gibberlings damage the water elemental again but can’t bring it down. They fall and the monster flank is gone. Several close with Nigel. Alzar casts Charm Person on Nigel and it works and breaks the charm already on him, and he is back. Alzar orders his army to move away from Nigel and converge on Madreus.
Madreus loses init. He is attacked by a variety of forces. Nigel casts Acid Arrow on him as well, and he falls. Alzar steps forward and collects the Book of the Gate and begins a conversation with Nigel. Madreus was performing a ritual outlined in the Book that had to be performed for eight hours a day and all twenty eight hours of the Vast Gate’s opening. Had it been completed, Madreus would have received a greater patron from the Far Realm which would have had the power to keep the gate open permanently.
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