The party hunkered down and watched from a secure distance as the large sphere shaped creature scouted around the rubble filled cavern. After a while, Sevah grew impatient and went up to his knee, gazing out into the caverns. He noticed a few peculiarities about the situation, seeing as the creature was moving about lethargically and slabs of skin hung loosely off of it's bulbous, bloated body. It dawned on the elf that this creature wasn't alive any longer as something or someone had drained it's life essence. Still, an undead beholder was a fearsome sight, and the party was uncertain how tough the living corpse might be.
The elf let two arrows loose from his bow and they bore into the creature's lesion pocked skin, grabbing it's attention. The party charged in, slashing and piercing at the hovering menace. The undead menace didn't prove much of a fight and was vanquished with surprising ease. However, a new problem came to light.
Riardon posed the idea that something must of killed and/or raised a beholder which are fearsome creatures often ruling entire areas of the underdark further below. There might be something nearby even more terrible or ferocious than the eye tyrant itself.
After dispensing of the monstrosity, the party had a new problem of crossing the rubble filled cavern. There were a few natural steps across the howling wind filled chasm, but they were spread out and divided throughout the place.
Most of the party, even Quinn the paladin, made their way across safely. Only Brother Japeth had trouble, briefly losing his footing, yet was helped back atop with the aid of his companions.
On the other side, the ruined wall of a dark elf dwelling housing a secure, thick wooden door. They heard shuffling noises and a low, haunting moan coming from the other side. Quietly, the ranger opened the door and knocked an arrow, peering cautiously in. Slowly lurching up the stairs on the other side, a massive body of decayed muscle locked it's lifeless eyes on the party.
The hulking zombie took up the entire hallway, and pushed it's way out into the ruined cavern area. Soon it was filled with arrows and heavily bruised as it stumbled about tearing wildly at the intruders. While the battle raged on, another lurching figure appeared in the hallway, looking like some mishapped, possessed dark elf.
With a quick blink, the figure appeared right behind Brother Japeth and trying to prevent the cleric from healing the party. Ki-Amar immediately blinked himself over and locked swords with the possessed elf, tearing him off the Brother Japeth.
After some more coordination and teamwork, the two undead fiends lay defeated by the party.
They entered into the ruins, realizing it was another drow dwelling, but the current inhabitants were no longer of this mortal coil. Further shuffling sounds were heard from down the hall, and a study area presented itself off to the eastern side. Papers and books were littered about the tables and floor. Notes and entries indicated this was a jail block that was connected to the previous explored slaving area, but some terrible force had come through the area recently and condemned every living creature within the area. More paperwork revealed some codes and maps of the local area. Also near the bookcase, the eladrin mage discovered a secret passageway. The party gathered up and squeezed through the narrow tunnel that led into private chamber, complete with a algae covered tub and a stack of private books. Another chamber wound around further and exited into a jail assignment room. Inside the party was greeted by a pale human looking figure covered with bloodstains and another pair of hulking zombies. They weren't friendly.
After a long enduring fight, the zombies were slain and reduced to lifeless piles of meat, yet the jailer hissed at the party and dissipated into a flowing mist and disappeared underneath the large, bulky and locked double door that led further into the jail cells.
After figuring out the large, complex lock mechanism, the party carefully entered the cell. Four large containers were locked and lowered into the floors, with a catwalk high above circling the whole area. Sevah gracefully jumped up and guarded the catwalk door, while the party figured out how to raise the jail cells, certain the jailer had taken inside one somewhere. Slowly wheels and gears whirred and the first empty cell slowly made it's way to the surface. Next, the ranger listened to the door and heard some familiar shuffling and moaning noises as the second cell was raised. A hideous, agile being lunged out at the party from the cell, while a hulking zombie started smashing in the catwalk door.
The ghoul bounced around the room frantically tearing at the party, while the elf called for help at the large monstrosity creeping though the destroyed doorway. To add insult to injury, a mist was slowly escaping out of one of the cells and beginning to materialize in the room.
Sevah backed up to distance himself from the approaching undead horror, while the other members focused their efforts on the ghoul, that while surprisingly lithe, was easily dispatched from some very well aimed blows. Now the party divided their focus between the newly formed jailer and the zombie hulk on top. After many rounds of heavy flails pounding down and magic missiles flaring across the dilapidated prison room, the zombie hulk lay defeated, and the party could synchronize their actions on to the jailer, whom they were worried would materialize before destroyed him completely. Brother Japeth proved useful in hindering the undead lords means of escape, while Quinn dug in and kept the jailer from attacking his companions. The fight went on for what seemed like forever, until finally the vampire was destroyed and a peculiar key was found on the remnants.
The drow key had a small glowing blue orb that had the intricate carvings of a black widow spider surrounding it. The paladin placed the key for safekeeping into his pouch and pulled himself up to the catwalk to join the rest of the party as they made their way out of the jail area.
According to their map, there was a large exit chamber ahead, with a note saying the passage beyond led to the fallen city of Maelbrathyr, a once ancient, thriving city believed to be pulled down into the Underdark by Torog himself.
Approaching the exit hall, the party noticed a large spider statue with a hole in it's abdomen that interestingly enough was an exact match for the key and a large pair of metallic doors that brimmed with electrical energy.
After placing the key into the statue lock, the doors slowly hummed open, and the large hallway beyond showed a floor with many runic symbols that had lightning charges dancing across it in a serpentine like dance. The mage consulted his notes from the library, and figured out a pattern from some some of the notations and riddles written on the page. Ki-amar, being a genasi born from the storms, stepped up and volunteered to go first.
The swordmage cautiously stepped on the plates that were called out by Riardon, and after making his way slowly across, found a lever near a solid metal door at the other end of the electrical rune puzzle floor trap. Upon pulling the lever, the whole room powered down with a slow descending thrum. The rest of Ki-Amar's companions met up with him at the other end and opened the door that led into a rough, uneven earthly passage. The stench of death further on overwhelmed them.
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