The corridors of the lich’s tomb seemed to inhale and exhale around them, the stone breathing an ancient chill that clung to the travelers’ skin. The air held a taut quiet, stretched thin after the trials already endured, as if the tomb itself were listening. When at last the sealed library door yielded to their keys, the group stepped through with a shared and wordless understanding: whatever lingered beyond this next threshold would not welcome them.

They entered the crypt.

Two steps lifted the platform at the chamber’s center, where a sarcophagus lay carved in cold stone. Thorn’s sharp gaze skimmed the walls first, tracing the neat, deliberate lines of inscriptions that bore none of the frenzied scrawl of a tormented soul. Instead, the words flowed with the unsettling precision of something ancient and alien, marked in the curling, angular script of Deep Speech. The language itself felt like a presence in the room, coiled and waiting. Elora could not read it, but she felt its purpose like a pressure against her temples. These were no mere memorial etchings. They were wards. Prayers. Anchors.

Maledurk, simple in desire and steadfast in courage, moved toward the sarcophagus before hesitation could claim him. The elvish script along its lid proclaimed the tomb of Knogbrüth the Lich—felled long ago by Svensson the Bold. Even so, Maledurk eyed it with suspicion. A lich’s death was rarely the end.

Stone grated. His powerful arms strained. The lid lurched, slipped, and crashed to the floor in a thunderous boom that rang like a war-gong through the crypt. The stone shattered; the silence shattered with it.

Within the sarcophagus lay the skeletal remains of the lich—a rotted crown upon its skull, a strange moss blooming pale across bare bone. The sight tugged at something instinctive and fearful in each of them, though none spoke it aloud.

Thorn reached with mageborn delicacy to lift the crown from the skull, meaning to clear the way for the moss they sought. The moment metal separated from bone, the tomb erupted with a scream.

It tore the air. It tore into them. Three of them staggered, stunned by the sound that felt carved from the abyss itself.

The corpse sat upright.

Eyesockets glowed with a hateful, residual spark of life. Its limbs cracked as it moved, sinew long dead and yet somehow compelled to motion. The scream died—but the malice behind it did not.

Tempest, ever unpredictable, struck first. Her fist cracked against ancient bone—not elegant, perhaps, but effective enough to break the scream’s hold upon her companions. The lich’s head snapped toward her in silent fury. Its dead fingers brushed her arm, sending icy numbness crawling along her veins. She resisted the creeping paralysis by sheer force of will.

That defiance earned its wrath.

It raised a single finger—a gesture almost gentle—and from it burst a beam of death. Malladurk felt the world tear around him, heat and cold and oblivion fused into one blinding instant. The spell sought to unmake him, to turn his body to dust. It failed by the narrowest margin only because the dragonborn refused to let his own existence be unstitched.

But he understood then: this was no weakened remnant. This was a thing that had once ruled death itself.

Elora moved before fear could root her. She drew the primal might of draconic transformation into her limbs, her skin shimmering with draconic power as she ascended into the air. With a roar all her own, she unleashed a torrent of flame that bathed the lich in burning light. Bone charred. Fleshless ribs glowed red.

Thorn summoned a blade of pure arcane force, sending it singing through the smoky air. Its edge carved into ancient bone with magical precision.

Then Malladurk, battered but unbroken, did the only thing his battered instincts could conjure: he leapt bodily upon the lich, tackling it to the ground in a collision that cracked stone and bone alike. With one massive hand, he reached for the moss on its skull, fighting to scrape free even a single handful.

Though he could not grasp it yet, his assault held the lich down long enough for Tempest’s next wave of chaos.

Wild magic churned within her like a storm begging to be released. She shaped it this time—not into a beam or burst, but into an inferno. Firestorm blossomed around the lich in twisting spirals of white-gold flame. The chamber roared. Vines ignited. The heat shook dust from the ceiling as the conflagration swallowed the undead creature whole.

When the flames died, nothing remained of the lich’s body but a scorched skull resting amid soot and ash—and the stubborn, unburned moss still clinging to it.

Tempest vanished in the spell’s wake—hurtled for a heartbeat into the silent astral void—before reappearing breathless among her companions. Only a moment had passed, but something in her eyes suggested she’d glimpsed the vast, indifferent tapestry of realms far beyond their own.

A faint rattling drew their attention. The crown—the one Thorn had removed—shook violently upon the stone floor, as though something within were clawing to be released. The group shared a look weighted with dread. A phylactery? A trap? A relic of power? Any answer seemed plausible—and all dangerous.

Elora gathered the moss with careful hands. The mission could not falter here.

They debated the crown’s fate, weighing caution against the promise of arcane knowledge. Ultimately, Thorn stepped forward. The pull of curiosity—and perhaps something deeper—drew him to the artifact. He lifted it, feeling the hum of ancient magic thrum through his palms.

He placed the crown upon his head.

It shrank, adjusting to him with an almost affectionate precision. Shadows crept along his features, dimming the light in his eyes. It was still Thorn who stood before them—yet something unseen now stood with him, coiled like a thought not his own.

The crypt seemed to exhale again.

And the others wondered, with an unease none dared voice, whether they had emerged from this tomb with what they came for—or whether the tomb had claimed something from them in turn.

Session Notes
  • DM recap / where the party started
    • The party was exploring what they believed to be the tomb of Knogbrüth the Lich.
    • Previously, the party encountered illusory traps and found keys hidden in stew/soup pots.
    • In the prior area, Elora triggered a trap by putting her finger into a wall and was struck by a poison dart.
    • After that, Maledurk triggered the same dart trap, and Thorn was also hit by the darts once the trap went off.
    • The party moved onward into a library-like room, found another door, and used the keys successfully.
    • The party reached what appeared to be a crypt: a room with a raised platform and a sarcophagus. The group stood in the doorway, seeing writing on the sarcophagus, but could not read it from across the room.

  • Entering the crypt and initial caution

    • The party discussed having two keys, plus they confirmed they still had the original key as well.
    • They considered that a lock might be present somewhere in the room or on/near the sarcophagus.
    • Maledurk moved in first to look around and approach the sarcophagus.
    • The party advised caution while walking, watching for floor hazards.
    • Perception check was made while entering and moving through the room; the room appeared “perfectly safe” based on that scan.

  • Closer inspection of the room (writing on walls)

    • A second Perception check was made near the sarcophagus (rolled 27).

    • The room was described as sparse, with not much besides the sarcophagus and platform.

    • The party noticed writing carved into the walls, described as:

      • Neat, aligned, and deliberately carved (not frantic scratching or graffiti).
      • Likely created intentionally for a purpose.

    • The character examining it noted they knew five languages, but none matched this wall script.

    • The floor was the same stone seen elsewhere, and the sarcophagus sat atop a platform accessed by two steps.

  • Investigation of the wall inscriptions and language identification

    • Another character attempted an Investigation check on the wall writing.

    • The party still could not read the inscriptions, but the investigator recognized the script as Deep Speech.

    • The DM described Deep Speech (in common terms) as a language associated with ancient, powerful, abyssal/alien-like entities: not demons or devils, but strange, godlike, and not good.

    • The party asked whether the inscriptions implied such a being might be in the sarcophagus.

    • Based on what the characters could infer, the DM suggested the more likely implication was that Knogbrüth:

      • Was working with such an entity, worshipping one, or possibly being influenced by one.
      • The inscriptions could function as spells, wards, protections, or empowerment tied to the lich.

  • Lich moss, lich death, and phylactery discussion (in-character knowledge-sharing)

    • The party reviewed what they believed they were here for: “lich moss” (or “lich moss” as the corrected term), said to grow on the skull of a dead lich.

    • They questioned how an undead creature could be “dead,” and the DM clarified:

      • A lich is an undead wizard, but can still be killed/defeated.
      • The party recalled that in past adventures, they had fought a lich (the DM referenced a prior lich encounter).

    • The DM explained liches often use a phylactery:

      • If the lich’s body is destroyed, the lich can reconstitute from the phylactery.
      • The phylactery contains an extracted portion of the lich’s soul essence.
      • The phylactery is typically hidden and protected.
      • If the phylactery remains intact, the lich may return, though it might take years to fully rebuild.

    • The party compared the phylactery to a Horcrux.

    • They asked whether phylacteries must be near the body; the DM clarified:

      • Phylacteries do not need proximity and could be anywhere, even on another plane of existence.

    • The DM noted that even if the lich reconstituted elsewhere, the old body could still remain in the sarcophagus.

    • The party asked what liches “pay” to become liches; the DM characterized liches as:

      • Wizards who do this intentionally, often twisted.
      • Generally more powerful and fearless of death.
      • The DM stated they had never heard of a benevolent/friendly lich.

    • The party asked whether the spellbook they had found could explain how to destroy liches:

      • The DM said a lich would not be likely to record how to undo their work.
      • Spellbooks are typically in a wizard’s personal coded notation, effectively illegible to others without time and study.
      • The party asked about the spell Identify; the DM said it could help understand magical items and accelerate understanding, but the party did not have it available.

  • Approaching and reading the sarcophagus inscription

    • The party advanced to the sarcophagus and found the writing on it was different from the wall inscriptions.
    • The sarcophagus inscription was in Elvish, and the party could read it.
    • The inscription stated: “Here lies Knogbrüth the Lich, felled by Svensson the Bold.”
    • The lid appeared to be a heavy stone slab with no hinges or obvious mechanism: it looked like it needed to be lifted or slid off.

  • Opening the sarcophagus (lid mishap)

    • Maledurk attempted to slide the lid off and out of the way.
    • The DM described the lid as very heavy (likely a couple hundred pounds) and awkward to maneuver.
    • Athletics check was requested; Maledurk rolled 14, and the DM stated it was 1 short of what was needed.
    • Maledurk began to lose control of the lid, and it slammed to the floor with a loud echo through the tomb.
    • The lid cracked in half, leaving it unusable for resealing the sarcophagus.

  • Discovery inside: lich corpse, crown, and lich moss

    • Inside the sarcophagus was the lich’s body (visually shown to the players).

    • The party saw a crown/circlet on the skull and noticed lich moss growing on the top/back of the skull, under/near where the crown rested.

    • The party’s immediate objective became collecting the lich moss.

    • They debated how to harvest it safely:

      • Using a knife (as one might harvest moss from a tree).
      • Using Mage Hand to avoid direct contact in case of magical contamination or danger.

    • Thorn proposed using Mage Hand to remove the crown first, setting it aside because it might be useful and/or dangerous.

    • The party discussed concern that the crown could be a phylactery and noted removing it might be the first thing any intruder would do.

  • Crown removal triggers a trap: scream, stun, and initiative

    • Thorn used Mage Hand to lift the crown off the skull.
    • The moment the crown was removed, there was an ear-piercing scream.
    • Everyone made Constitution saving throws.
    • Thorn, Elora, and Maledurk were affected: the scream left them stunned and unable to act immediately.
    • As the scream occurred, the lich’s body sat up in the sarcophagus.
    • Initiative was rolled.
    • Thorn’s control was disrupted by the scream, and the crown was dropped, clanking to the floor.

  • Combat: initial exchanges

    • Because several characters were stunned, Tempest acted first.

    • Tempest ran up and made an unarmed strike against the lich:

      • The attack hit.
      • Tempest dealt 4 damage.
      • The screaming stopped (the intense disabling effect ended).

    • The lich acted:

      • It reached out and touched Tempest.
      • The attack hit and dealt 16 damage.
      • Tempest made a Constitution saving throw to resist paralysis; she succeeded, resisting the numbing paralysis effect.
      • The lich hissed in Tempest’s face and then jumped out of the sarcophagus onto the floor.

  • Combat: Elora, Thorn, and Maledurk respond

    • Elora’s turn

      • Elora considered grabbing the crown and simultaneously healing Tempest with Cure Wounds, but was told she could not do both in one turn.
      • Elora noted Tempest was still healthy enough (Tempest reported being at 58 out of 74 HP after the 16 damage).
      • Elora considered larger spells but worried about hitting allies in the enclosed space.
      • Elora cast Entangle, causing grasping vines to seize at the lich’s legs.
      • The lich was hindered, but the DM stated it was not fully restrained (legs impeded; arms free).

    • Thorn’s turn

      • Thorn cast Magic Missile, directing all darts at the lich.
      • Magic Missile dealt 12 damage total.

    • Maledurk’s turn

      • Maledurk decided to rush in and try to grab the moss directly.
      • He made an Athletics check (rolled 25).
      • He tackled the lich hard, knocking it down (described like a dramatic wrestling leap), leaving the lich on the ground near him amid the entangling vines.
      • Maledurk then attempted to strip the moss off the skull with an unarmed strike, but missed, failing to get a grip on the moss that turn.

  • Combat: Tempest escalates with Sunbeam; Wild Magic Surge

    • Tempest considered using a shovel to knock the lich’s head off but was discouraged from focusing on decapitation as a solution.

    • Tempest cast Sunbeam:

      • The lich made a Constitution saving throw with disadvantage because it was undead.
      • The lich failed the save.
      • Sunbeam dealt 19 damage.
      • The lich became blinded.
      • The DM described Sunbeam as projecting a large beam of light from Tempest and noted it could be continued with concentration.

    • A Wild Magic Surge was rolled:

      • Gearbox the monodrone appeared out of nowhere, confused.

  • Combat: the lich casts a deadly beam; Maledurk survives

    • The lich’s movement remained limited by the vines; it managed to stand but did not fully reposition.
    • The lich pointed at Maledurk and fired a beam (identified by the party as consistent with Disintegrate).
    • Maledurk made a Dexterity saving throw with advantage, but still took 78 damage.
    • Maledurk’s HP dropped from 135 to 57.
    • The lich appeared surprised that Maledurk remained standing.

  • Combat: Elora commits to higher power (Draconic Transformation)

    • Elora briefly considered Ice Knife, then realized its burst could harm Maledurk.

    • The DM emphasized the danger of the fight and that low-level spells would not be sufficient against such a foe.

    • Elora cast Draconic Transformation:

      • The DM clarified it made Elora dragon-like rather than enlarging her into a huge dragon.
      • Elora repositioned to avoid harming Maledurk.
      • Elora used the transformation’s fire breath, striking the lich without hitting allies.
      • The DM stated the lich took substantial damage and was “clearly not fireproof,” but remained standing and raging.

  • Combat: Thorn brings out Mordenkainen’s Sword

    • Thorn cast Mordenkainen’s Sword, conjuring a floating magical sword.

    • Thorn directed it to strike the lich:

      • The attack hit.
      • The DM described the damage as significant.
      • The lich was still standing afterward.

    • The DM noted Thorn could continue commanding the sword on subsequent turns.

  • Combat: Maledurk attacks with the Sunsword; Gearbox assists

    • Maledurk attacked with the Sunsword, striking twice:

      • First hit: 18 damage.
      • Second hit: 13 damage.

    • Gearbox (still present from the surge) threw a javelin, hitting and lodging it in the lich (damage not stated).

  • Combat: Tempest ends it with Firestorm; additional Wild Magic effect

    • Tempest looked for her strongest options and discussed Firestorm placement rules (10-foot cubes that must connect; overlapping doesn’t stack damage).

    • Tempest cast Firestorm, shaping it to avoid harming Maledurk (and referencing her ability to protect allies).

    • Fire erupted through the area; the entangling vines burned away.

    • When the fire cleared:

      • The lich’s body was destroyed.
      • Only the skull remained on the floor.
      • The lich moss was still present on the skull and had not burned away.

    • Gearbox recognized the party and then disappeared (the effect ended).

    • Tempest experienced another magical effect:

      • She briefly vanished to the Astral Plane, perceiving darkness, stars, and planets, able to breathe for unknown reasons.
      • After a few seconds she returned to the room.

  • Aftermath: crown activity, harvesting moss, and a final risky decision

    • The party made Perception checks and heard rattling from the floor.

    • The crown was vibrating and spinning, banging against the stone floor.

    • The party moved quickly to harvest the lich moss:

      • They pulled moss from the skull and placed it into a small bag.

    • The party debated what the crown was and what to do with it:

      • They suspected it might be a phylactery.

      • They asked if it should be destroyed like a Horcrux, but the DM warned that smashing it could cause a catastrophic magical reaction.

      • An Arcana check (rolled 25) reinforced:

        • If it is a phylactery, the lich would not instantly reappear.
        • Safely destroying it would require time and careful magical work, like dismantling a bomb.

      • The DM noted Detect Magic confirmed the crown was a very powerful magic item, though they could not tell immediately whether it was a phylactery or something else.

      • The party discussed leaving it behind to avoid risk versus taking it for later investigation.

    • Thorn chose to pick up the crown and put it on:

      • It vibrated in his hands but was manageable.
      • As Thorn placed it on his head, the crown shrunk and tightened to fit perfectly (not painfully).
      • The party saw a shadow fall over Thorn’s facial features as it settled into place.

    • The session ended immediately after the crown’s fit-adjustment and the visible shadowing change on Thorn.