📜 Part I: The Briefing & Infiltration
The Intel: At HQ, Finnegan reveals that Count Zarnis returned to her keep briefly before leaving the country on an urgent mission. He believes she either failed to get her prize—a powerful piece of infernal glass from Gehenna—or has hidden it within her castle.
The Teleportation: The Archivist attempts to scry on Zarnis, but is blocked by powerful wards. He instead teleports the party directly outside her massive castle, which is patrolled by spined devils.
Sneaking In: After cloaking themselves in Invisibility, the party navigates a chasm, slips through a sewer opening, and stealthily maneuvers past devil patrols to enter the keep.
🔍 Part II: Looting the Castle
The Altar & Cornucopia: In a quiet altar room, the party locates a decorative cornucopia. They delicately break its spiral tail to retrieve a Pendant of Wound Closure.
The Kitchen & Vault: Guided by Raven's magical senses, they descend toward the kitchen level. Sneaking past the kitchen staff, they search the cabinets and find two gems (worth 100 gp each). Ris also pockets 100 gold pieces and a few cooking vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, and onions).
⚰️ Part III: The Crypt of the Morning Veil
Picking the Lock: Below the kitchen, the party comes across a locked door. Using makeshift bone tools, they successfully pick the lock with absolute silence.
The Sarcophagus: Inside the tomb, guarded by hulking devil-beasts, Era slides open a heavy stone coffin containing a deceased female. Inside, they grab a funeral veil encrusted with red gems and a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
The Alarm & Escape: Raven trips over a loose floor tile, sending her armor clanging. As the devil guards close in, Merriam casts a clutch double-layered Sleep spell to disable them, allowing the party to teleport back to headquarters just in time.
The Translation: Back at HQ, Raven translates an Infernal inscription found on the tomb: "When I awoke six years ago, I promised I would never go back down, my heart will go on."
⚔️ Part IV: The Ambush & Boss Battle
The Confrontation: After a long rest, the party decides to return to the castle to explore the remaining subterranean chambers. However, as they investigate, Count Zarnis suddenly teleports from the shadows, running a flaming blade straight through Raven to start a brutal, chaotic fight.
The Clash: Zarnis unleashes devastating legendary actions, bringing down fire and necrotic energy. The party retaliates:
Ris blasts Zarnis with a blinding magical beam that severely wounds her.
Raven fights through a dark restraint, summoning a celestial ally.
Era uses barbarian rage and storm strikes to tear into the Count.
The Ash Storm: Cornered and bleeding, Zarnis attempts to escape. Era intercept her, delivering a massive, storm-infused strike. Holding her tight, Era declares: "Everyone in Pandemonium will know who we are." Zarnis spits blood, whispers a chilling, "Why are you celebrating..." in Era's ear, and violently explodes into a blinding storm of hot ash.
🚨 The Final Twist
As the party clears the searing soot and ash from their eyes to see what remains, the ash begins to violently swirl and reform.
Out of the embers, Count Zarnis materializes perfectly back to life. Brushing the soot off her clothes, she smiles coldly at the battered party and says:
"Now, where were we?"