Cats out of the Bag

 After taking out the Drow priests come to offer tribute to Ombra in the depths of the Tomb of the Twilight Mistress, Frank, Raiden, Binx, and others begin to assess their surroundings.  The room has golden murals all around it with different colored inlay for Ombra's eyes, ears, and mouth.  Frank quickly asks for the gems and climbs atop the statue to place them in according to matching colors to the mural counterparts.  The statue rises above revealing a staircase leading down into an open cavern.  "I'm coming!" Frank shouts as he goes running quickly inside.  The others follow more slowly behind.

 

Ombra greets Frank welcomingly and is please he's brought so many willing sacrifices to her, motioning towards many skeletal bodies below her.  Her avatar form floats above them with her bottom half dissolving to ethereal mist which ties back to an obelisk on the ground which glows with a dim violet light.  Darkness almost moves like a curtain in waves behind her with body like forms pushing part way through at times.  Chained to the obelisk, the keen eyes of Calvin notice a staff which is made of two twisted pieces of purpleheart wood and seems to have a crystal shard embedded at the top, with rings set near the top and bottom to keep the wood in its twisted shape.  Meanwhile, Frank has a conversation with his deity about not wanting to sacrifice his...Friends?  Yes, that's what their called, friends, and he won't do it.  Ombra lashes out in anger towards the others, depriving Frank of his Cleric abilities and jerking everyone towards her.  The battle begins (roll initiative!).

Frank while deprived of his powers, won't simply give in.  He and the group move to fight towards her, but a few shadows and skeletons move to block their path.  Calvin thinks quickly and misty steps behind them all to the obelisk where he tries to break the staff free.  The shadows persist in moving to block each party member while IG and Binx work almost in tandem at taking them down.  Raiden gets hounded by skeletons who unknowingly line up for his excellently placed lightning bolt!  Brock masterfully plows through several shadows.  He takes a large beating doing it, but he's still standing.  Frank, battling a shadow sees it quickly morph into a shadowy version of himself.  Soon, Binx also sees his shadow form up and things become more difficult.

 

Calvin finally finishes off the shadow in front of him and breaks the staff from it's mounting on the obelisk.  Quickly he moves to exit, seemingly disturbed by something.  Others follow and Binx, having had a taste of dealing with his own skills turned against him by his shadow is beaten down.  A force of energy flings most of the party towards Ombra and they all land prone.  Frank uses the last of his healing potions to wake Binx.  Binx knows it is time to leave.  He springs to his feet, rushes to Calvin and helps him up.  Seeing Raiden, he rushes to his aid.  Raiden gets up, circles around Ombra and thudersteps out of the room.   Most of the party moves to leave with the staff, but there's a couple that stay to fight.  Before Binx can get out, another shadow flies toward him and takes his life.  As his comrades race back to the fight there is nothing they can do to save him, and they attack Ombra.  As a final blow is dealt to Ombra's avatar, it dissipates and a pulse emanating from the obelisk knocks everyone unconscious.

I.G. is the first to awaken, but everyone else is still out cold.  Everyone is breathing, except one.  Binx is dead.  IG grabs the staff and hears it speaking to him.  Disturbed by the voice inside, he puts it away so he can't hear it and moves to the entrance where the doors are still shut.  As the others awake, they loot everything in sight, without any remorse.  Ombra doesn't deserve this they think, but Frank takes no part in it. he doesn't even want to take anything that was hers.  IG is missing but they reunite back with him waiting for the doors at the entrance to open again at the dawn/dusk hour (can't tell while inside).

 

The group carries Binx's body out for a proper burial by his faction and stop by Halstad's home on the way out of the canyon.  He asks if they have the staff and holds it gently.  He explains how it was made and why they locked it in with Ombra.  It is capable of storing the blight inside it, but when it's released it withers anything it's cast upon.  The voice they hear is that of Marla, who helped to create the staff.  He has no intention of taking it from them but knowing that they accidently trapped Marla's soul inside one of the two rings on the staff (Rings of Mind Shielding) he makes a desperate attempt to free her and uses the staff on himself.  He withers into almost a husk of the man he was and weakly answers a few questions about where the other shards might be before IG grants him a quick death.  Everyone stocks up from Halstad's supplies and Calvin takes up his Warhammer to honor him.  Everyone heads back into Roanor.