Long term buffs (here) are enough to deal with Simyaz and co, wondrous recall allowing the divine duo to protect Kronk against chaotic commands too, allowing him to save his rages for when it really matters. There is little else to do in the underdark and Nalia suggests moving on - she must be getting hungry after declining to eat any of the soup prepared by Viconia (Kronk is happily using Lilacor to kill some of the tougher things swimming in it but then he’s always enjoyed playing with his food).
Viconia and Kronk are talking about alignment, any way for Kronk to become neutral or evil so he can use the soul Reaver sword (oversight on my part as it would suit him perfectly - maybe an option in the Hell trials).
A drow war party “ambush” Kronk on a narrow bridge but Mazzy stands on the bridge wall to help. The drow are cut down with minimal injuries taken and Kronk considers looking around some more (how to get Boz out of the way). Boz & gang finally turn up after visiting Ust Natha and agreeing to help Solaufein rescue Phaere. The rescue is quickly completed as the party are hasted and have summoned a djinn, flesh golem and berserk warrior in too.
Lasaonar wants to challenge us to a duel. Mazzy steps forward but Kronk pulls her back and suggests he will fight. Lasaonar discovers that Kronk can hit four times as often, and twice as hard. Chalinthra wants to pit her chances against Kronk, so he agrees. She quickly realises shield of the archons is no good and sanctuaries to heal, then summons a skeleton warrior. Kronk has retreated to avoid her blade barrier and lures a skeleton warrior over instead. Next he draws a winter wolf in and then inspects his wounds. Perhaps fighting fatigued with only one rage left wasn’t a bright idea. A second winter wolf is killed then Chalinthra is reliant on melee - and dead.
Imoen carefully buffs after resting then Kronk speaks to Sondal. Sondal will only allow Nalia to fight (not sure why Imoen isn't treated as a mage option). She casts MMM’s, badly wounds the mage and summons two skeletons before continuing her meteor lesson. With the mage dead Sondal allows another fight, Nalia returning again.
The second mage miscasts as a meteor hits him in the face, and the two skeletons move in. She casts ghost armour and blur before a skeleton drops the mage. Sondal is prepared to send a third mage in, and Nalia sighs.
Another spell disrupted by a meteor, Nalia adds mirror images and waits. The mage starts to cast again so Nalia disrupts with another meteor and casts her second MMM of the day. Two of these missiles finish the mage and Sondal has nobody else willing to play. Szordrin is rapidly cleaned out of livestock although Mazzy insists on helping Kronk against the beholder.
With the fun over it is time to return to Phaere and kill a beholder for her. After that we speak to Aboleth and agree to retrieve the brain of Qilue. It’s a messy job but our buffs are enough to complete the task without major injury. After that Phaere wants a swirf patrol eliminated but Kronk settles for returning a helmet instead. The next task is to kill Solaufein but again Kronk just grabs a cloak. Phaere wants to retire for the night and Kronk has to oblige, to the amusement of Viconia.
Phaere is made to look a fool as the beholder eye is nothing like the eye stalk of an elder orb (although one look at it makes Nalia retch as she remembers a previous meal). Kronk is tasked with finding one of three items but with all of them already backpacked he has other plans. A few more buffs are required then Deirex is in play.
Two true sights and five breaches later we start to make headway. Kronk is using the Dragons Breath halberd, Mazzy the war hammer +1/+4, Imoen a clerics staff +3 (oops, thought it was the +4 staff of Rhyn), Nalia the Firetooth crossbow, Viconia the mace of disruption and Jaheira the crimson dart (should have tried the bone club but at +3 against undead may have been no good either) . The unidentified boneblade +4 could have been a good option for either Imoen or Jaheira.
Viconia decides to use sanctuary while switching some dragon eggs around. The Matron Mother and Phaere are killed by their demonic summon and Kronk is free to leave the drow city without anyone else realising what has happened. Or not, as the city descends on them (nice, I’d clicked and walked away - came back 45 seconds later to see Mazzy under attack and about 40% wounded so lucky not to have deaths or end of run).
Once the drow are quelled Adalon takes her eggs back and the party prepare to exit the underdark.
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