Into Castle Perilous

"We're flying! Am I about to drop 80 feet to the ground? We've been launched off the rainbow!”

“What a wild ride! With an elemental sled tunneling straight through some ice rainbow, right up shooting them right into the entrance. What an awesome and subtle, sneaky entrance, I mean?"

Kailute again reflects on the stealthy nature of their infiltration.

The Heroes of Waymeet found themselves in the midst of confusion as they’re launched into the throne room of Castle Perilous. Despite their unintended frontal assault, they realized the urgency of their mission. The room they arrived in appeared to be the base of the castle, with a fiery pit and magical portal leading to the Elemental Plane of Fire. Sensing the danger and unknown forces surrounding them, the heroes quickly regrouped.
Quilro cast Fly, enabling him to catch his companions as they descended from the sky. DonBrap, enriched by concentrated balls of evil, landed safely in Quilro's arms, albeit with some minor injuries. They took shelter behind large pillars, hidden from the sight of the undead sentries and the menacing figures of the Death Knights and fire demons.

“Let go of the balls dwarf.”

“OK, I told you it was all going to be fine.”

"Wait, we're in the room. We skipped a whole bunch accidentally."

"Oh man, I hope everyone's ready. I definitely told you the tunnel would work but..."

"Ever there was a time to dimension door, Kailub, right next to Zengyhi, this was it."

"Yeah, see, we could have dimension doored right now. It would be great."

Determined to execute their plan, the heroes discussed their tactics. Silence was suggested as a means to prevent spellcasting by the enemy. They also contemplated the use of DonBrapp’s boots, allowing him to swiftly approach Zenghyi and engage him in battle. Meanwhile, Draxos unleashed a barrage of missiles, creating chaos and distracting the Knights and Balors.

Suddenly, a voice echoed, confirming the intrusion and instructing someone to eliminate the wielder of the spell blade first, saving the elf for last. The group debated whether any of them were fake elves, leading to a tense moment. However, their attention quickly shifted as battle was imminent.

"I am a real elf," Quilro affirmed, preparing for the next round of combat.
DonBrap revealed his intention to cast Silence on Kailute, making it harder for Zenghyi to cast spells. With the Lathander Blade in hand, Kylie prepared to confront the Lich and strike him down.  The heroes understood the importance of disabling Zenghyi's spellcasting abilities and eliminating his most potent weapon.

As the heroes prepared for combat, they noticed a humanoid figure with pale skin and silver hair floating silently towards them. The figure unleashed a barrage of magical darts while wielding a two-handed sword with one hand. Another individual appeared to create a shimmering force field nearby. Two Bailors flew overhead, armed and dangerous. Meanwhile, an enormous flaming entity emerged beyond the spherical wall, set by one of the Vampire Lords.
Amidst the chaos, DonBrapp recognized none of the foes as Klavicus. Quilro's disbelief in the illusions meant that only he could see through the illusory flames. Don Braff, equipped with a potion of speed, drank another dose to boost his abilities. He then readied a scroll of protection from magic.

"Is this lava interplanar, like elemental fire? Are we in the elemental plane of fire?" Dwight asked.

"No, we are on the prime material plane," Quilro clarified.

DonBrapp's accelerated state and magical protection set the stage for their next move. He cast Dispel Magic, targeting the force field with a range of 6 inches and a 3-foot cube effect. The barrier was negated, bringing it down. The heroes rallied behind this success, preparing for further action.

Quero, feeling energized and at full health, aimed his composite bow at an enemy behind the elemental creature. The exact identity of the summoner remained unknown, but Quero decided to attack regardless, eager to engage in battle.

The battle raged on as Zenghyi, the formidable foe, unleashed a powerful assault. He extended his finger towards Kailute, who had taken cover, indicating his intention to engage her. Zenghyi conjured a swarm of powerful snowballs that bombarded the area, but Kailute's cover managed to absorb most of the impact. She made a saving throw against the spell and succeeded, reducing the damage she took to only 9 points.

As the battle intensified, a massive fire elemental leaped forward and attacked. Kailute's magical armor protected the barbarian from the elemental.  The elemental paused, and the warrior landed two swift slicing wounds on the living fire.

The two demons that had been causing trouble suddenly disappeared, leaving everyone bewildered. It appeared that they had turned invisible or fled the battlefield. However, there was no time to dwell on their absence. The group had to remain focused on the two Vampire Lords that still posed a threat.

DonBrapp, realizing the importance of the situation, summoned an Earth Elemental using his celestial boon of Moradin. The elemental emerged from the ground and joined the fight against Zenghyi and the remaining enemies. Meanwhile, Draxos directed his continual light beam towards Zenghyi, hoping to weaken the undead creature. Although Zenghyi resisted the beam initially, it managed to inflict significant damage on him.

With the Earth Elemental engaged in battle, Draxos turned his attention to the Vampire Lords. He unleashed a series of arrows, aiming for their hearts. His first shot missed, but the second one struck its target. The Vampire Lord sustained a significant injury, but it remained alive and continued its advance.

Kailute, driven by a surge of inner strength, tapped into his deep-seated trauma and underwent a transformation. Growing in size, he unleashed a powerful flurry of attacks on the enemies. His strikes were swift and accurate, dealing a staggering amount of damage to the fire elemental.

Realizing that they might not need the Earth Elemental's assistance against the remaining enemies, the group deliberated on their next move. Quilro and DonBrapp favored summoning the Earth Elemental closer to their location, while Kailute believed it was still necessary to handle the invisible bailers, Vampire Lords, and the lich. After some discussion, they agreed to maintain their current strategy.

DonBrapp, seizing the opportunity, directed the Earth Elemental to attack the fire elemental, hoping to diminish its threat. The elemental landed several powerful blows, causing significant damage to the fire creature. Meanwhile, Kailute maintained her focus on Zenghyi, who remained visible for the time being.

Quilro decided to cast Feeble Mind on him, intending to weaken his mental faculties.

With a swift strike, the spellcasting hand of their opponent was severed. Although injured, the enemy still lunged forward to attack. The monsters they faced showcased remarkable skills, including Undead War Generals and vampires. However, they didn't possess the necessary sword skills. In the meantime, an Earth Elemental dealt a significant blow to one of the enemies.

All hear a voice that permeates the area. “Your arrival is unexpected, but still... What do you seek here, wanderer?'"

"Your final death."

"Indeed, sporty. The force of fire has burned several of your forefathers' villages."
"Welcome to the abyss."

"We seek rulership over Vasa and the Bloodstone Mines. Give us that, and we'll leave you alone."

"Vaasa and the Bloodstone Mines? You mean both?"

"Yes, that's what I meant. And the Bloodstone Mines."

"You exterminated a very important part of his mind."

"I would never negotiate with this guy."

"I'm going to restring my bow. How long does that take?"

"Not too long, but you're able to do it quickly. As soon as you set the bow into your knee and open the kit, it magically restring itself."

"The expectation is that he will be able to continue his research unmolested."
"Oh, he's going to get molested."

As the group fought, they noticed a group of descending demons, resembling humanoid figures with shriveled black bodies that oozed blood. Vampire Lords and a floating fairy dragon also joined the fray. The fairy dragon released a surge of wild magical energy, obliterating one of the wounded vampire Lords.

The battle continued, with the Earth Elemental ultimately vanquishing one of the enemies. The defeated vampire Lord disintegrated into ash, reminiscent of the Marvel Universe's post-snap effect. The group witnessed the fairy dragon's departure.

Gradually, the enemies weakened, but the group faced a powerful demon. Despite their attacks, it persisted in its assault, releasing an abyssal energy strike towards a member in armor. Another enemy attempted to attack from behind but faltered. The group remained undeterred.

Draxos gracefully repositioned to aim and fired a volley of arrows at the enemies. Their strikes disrupted the enemies' invisibility, causing damage. The enemies retaliated, but the armor held strong, with one attack missing and another feeble.

As the battle progressed, the Earth Elemental engaged an opponent, causing significant damage and questioning its allegiance. The enemies showed signs of defeat and doubt.