On their mission to strike another blow against House Shi’quos, the Xaniqos drow leave the Black Chalice and head towards the Sarcoma Keep. The area is rather deserted. In the distance a sinister tower looms over the district of the dead. The drow’s green cloaks blend in with the bleak surroundings. The four stories high Keep is still imposing, though the building has crumbled during years of neglect. The main part seems to have collapsed. Huge doors, still half supported by their hinges, only partly conceal the gaping black maw of the mausoleum. About twenty zombies move slowly in- and outside the building, their mindless mumbling only enhancing the silence.

When the drow get closer, Jharrath casts mage armor to protect himself, but when his hands start moving again, his siblings strongly advise against the use of a fireball. Phaedra scouts ahead and enters the building. Several zombies move about, downstairs as well as upstairs. They don’t seem to mind her at all. She steps into what used to be the reception room. Parts of  decayed furniture is all that is left of the splendor that once filled the mansion. Every room is dilapidated, the walls crumbled. She moves into what once was the dining room. It’s filthy, everywhere are signs of decay and mold.

The scout signals for the others to follow her, and is on the verge of climbing through a hole in the wall when she hears commotion behind her. Zombies move through the dining room towards the entrance. It seems her sister has entered, shining like a beacon to the undead, inside as well as outside.

Flanking Lilith, Alvra assesses the situation. Are they closing in on them? The wizard stays close too. The siblings carefully move towards Phaedra, until they come upon a doorway. A big zombie and a smaller one are blocking the entrance. The fighter charges and runs down the small monster. Speaking a word of command, Jharrath disappears, only to reappear in the corridor. Seems like he has found a magical way of teleporting. This leaves the cleric as the sole entertainer for the creatures. With a suspicious glance at Jharrath’s new boots, most likely the source of the new magic, Lilith strides through too, after which the bigger zombie returns to the middle of the room. His pal follows.

Further down the hallway they come upon a big space. Old barrels and  crates make it obvious this used to be an old storeroom. In the middle a stairway leads down, its banister crumbling to the touch. The stairs are made of stone and still sturdy, so Phaedra sneaks down the stairs. A bit of debris is obstructing the steps. After spiraling down twice, she enters a room with huge stone doors. She takes a moment to don her house cloak and then listens intently at the doors to the buzz on the other side. The sound is deeper than the murmuring of the zombies. What dwells behind these doors?