Not According to Plan

With the breaking of the orb, the wraiths had vanished. Fred did not know why they had gone, but he was relieved that they had done so. Unknown to him, before Splitgrave had taken it over the place had once been a mausoleum. The wraiths had only arisen after he had created the wards, and therefore he had been unaware of them. The wards had interfered with the wraiths' eternal rest, and they had been trying to destroy the orb to break them down. The "statues" which Fred had seen in the hallway were the wraiths' sarcophagi. In breaking the orb and destroying the wards, Fred had enabled the wraiths to be at rest once more. .

Leaving well alone the locked rooms that Splitgrave had warned him about, Fred began to search the vaults for items that might help him against the dragon.

Meanwhile, Astra and Splitgrave waited anxiously. After about thirty minutes had passed, they began to get worried, for it should have taken Fred no more than a few minutes to find and destroy the orb.

Splitgrave cast a spell to check whether his wards were still in place, more for something to do than in any real expectation of their being gone. He turned a startled face to Astra - or as startled as a near skull could manage. "My wards are gone!" he exclaimed. "They were tied to the orb, and could only disappear if the orb was destroyed. But in that case, why am I still undead? We must go and find out what has happened. Pick up your lamp and then hold onto my hand - gently, though, as I don't want it falling off. Now the wards have gone, I am able to transport myself into the vaults. Hopefully you'll come with me if you're holding on to me, but as you're a magical creature it may not work. In that case, you'll have to make your own way there on foot."

Rather gingerly, Astra held onto Splitgrave's skeletal hand. The necromancer said a short incantantion.

1. Splitgrave and Astra arrive in the vaults.
2. Astra is left behind. She gives a wistful look at the potion, then starts walking towards the vaults (or more accurately floating a foot or so off the ground).
3. Astra is left behind. She stares at the potion for a moment, then...

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