Gozran 3, 4712
On his way out of Fort Inevitable to conduct business, Thorne receives a message from the gate guard. The note, from Roscoe, tells him that the Coopers and Omok headed out to the Emerald Spire yesterday to gain access to the 13th level. Forgetting his business, Thorne rouses Rowen out of bed and the two of them head to the Spire.
Reaching the 12th level, Thorne and Rowen spot Gerald by the control panel of the automaton factory. Gerald appears to be carefully documenting the function of each button. Rowen makes a noise and Gerald attempts to in the shadows. Thorne and Rowen decide to mock Gerald, and Thorne grabs the large parchment Gerald was working on. On it, in a childish hand, Gerald has noted the function on more than half of the symbols. To mess with Gerald, Thorne changes some of the symbols on the parchment. Rowen then grabs the paper and throws it behind him. In an award-winning theatrical performance, Thorne lays it thick by claiming to Rowen that Gerald has always been the best brother and that he would always be there for him. Gerald doesn't buy it and remains hidden. Rowen tires of this little game and pulls Gerald out of his hiding space.
Gerald tells his brother and Rowen that he's trying to figure out how the old Atlanz magic was engineered. He asks Thorne to push four buttons at random. Thorne does so, and then runs away. When nothing happens, Gerald gets closer to the console, only to be zapped. Having wasted enough time, Thorne and Rowen leave Gerald behind and ride the elevator down to the 13th level.
Coming to the room with the two statues, Thorne considers pulling the spikes that hold the double doors open, but decides against it. Inside the large cavern, Thorne goes to the theater and is met by the imp who leads the orchestra. In no time music from demons begin to play, and Thorne suddenly loses the will to live the music is so bad. In fact it is the worst he's ever heard. After twenty minutes Thorne manages to pull himself out of his chair and he drags his carcasse out of the theater, but not after being hit by a bolt of lightning.
Rowen, meanwhile, does not like the look of the alien plant life that fills the underground cave. He casts fly and travels through the cavern. He spots several tracks, and he decide to head to the bathhouse. Landing on the bridge, he knocks on the door. Omok grabs him and brings him in. Rowen has rejoined the party, and Roscoe fills him in on what happened.
Thorne also makes his way to the bathhouse, and knocks on the door. Another lively discussion takes place among the siblings as to whether they should open the door, and they eventually decide to let Rowen open the door. Puzzled by the three bathtubs and not knowing what the third tub does, Rowen dips his toes in the muddy tub. Nothing happens. However, he finds a figurine of wondrous power at the bottom of the tub.
The Coopers explore the rest of the cave on the south side of the river, and find nothing else of interest. They debate how to get across the river. Roscoe decide he will jump the river. The current is very strong and pulls him away quickly, but the Hellknight reaches the other bank and climbs out of the river. He is soon joined by Omok, who transported through the stone wall of the bathhouse. The two of them head down a pathway. They find the body of two dead drow fighters wearing mithril armor and equiped with rapiers. As Roscoe examines the bodies to make sure they are truly dead, Omok disturbs a hellwasp swarm and soon both are engaged in combat. The remaining Coopers on the other side take a few pot shots at the swarm, but when Roscoe notices the drow reanimating he decides he's had enough of both the swarm and the dead drow, so he grabs the first drow and throws it in the river.
Daryle fishes it out when it passes by her, because she wants to get that armor. Unfortunately, she did not notice it had reanimated, so she is taken by surprise when it attacks her. The Coopers fight courageously and take numerous wounds before they are able to destroy both the swarm and the drow. Roscoe heals everyone, and Omok provides more healing to Rowen.
With everyone now across the river the Coopers enter the hallway and arrive in a museum. There are five pedestals, with objects placed on four of them. The first one features a sleeping yet purring cat. The second is a large dire shark tooth. The third is an oversize brain. The fourth pedestal is empty. The last pedestal features a helmet made of the shrunken head of a cyclop. Roscoe grabs the tooth and considers stabbing the brain, but the sight of the helmet attracts him. The paladin takes the helmet and notices its magical capabilities. He detects evil in the room, and only the brain registers as evil. Daryle and Darelle pet the cat, but it doesn't wake up. Omok dispels the magic that keeps the cat in suspended animation, and it immediately turns into an angry skeleton. Omok throws the cat at Thorne. The undead cat claws Thorne's left eye. Thorne throws the cat back at Omok, and this angry and violent exchange goes for a few minutes, much to the delight of the other Cooper siblings, before Roscoe puts an end to it. exchange the dead cat back and forth.
Darelle examines each pedestal, and discover that there is a small plaque written in Azlant under each. With much difficulty, the cat's is translated as "My very first familiar." The tooth is translated as "Never saw a sea creature so big." The third states "The brain of my enemy." The fourth and empty pedestal's plaque reads "The weapon of my youth." The final pedestal says "This helmet never saw me coming."
While the party is searching the artifact room, Rowen opens the door to the north and walks in the large cavern. At the end of the room he sees both a large undead sitting on a throne and armed with a big sword, as well as a beautiful woman who asks the wizard to come closer. He feels compelled to do so, and closes the door behind him. In no time the undead removes Rowen's soul and eats it. Rowen now feels listless and disconnected from life. Plus, he is under the thrall of the beautiful woman.
Roscoe decides to explore the rest of the cave full of plants. Walking by a large thicket of vines, he is attacked by what looks like a giant alien flytrap that manages to swallow him whole. Luckily, Darelle and Daryle hear the struggle and intervene. The combat with a moving plant is harrowing, but eventually they manage to rescue Roscoe and defeat the flytrap.
Meanwhile, Omok still considers what to do with the brain. He turns around for a moment, and when his gaze returns the brain is gone. Suddenly he is attacked from above and the brain manages to possess him. When the Coopers return, he fires a lightning bolt at the other members of the party. Combat ensures between Omok and the Coopers, and a well targeted hit by Roscoe forces the brain out. As Roscoe, Omok and Daryle fight the brain, Darelle opens the door where Rowen previously ventured and suffers the same fate.
With the brain defeated, the Coopers regroup and notice that there are only four of them left: Omok, Thorne, Roscoe and Daryle. It's clear to them that both Darelle and Rowen must have entered the room. Roscoe rushes in, and is confronted by a Devourer. In the battle that ensues, the party comes close to defeat but successfully manage to slay the guardian. The succubus, meanwhile, once agains teleports away, leaving Rowen and Darelle behind. The Devourer's chest glows with swirling patterns, and Omok identifies them as souls. Thorne carves the souls out, and all but two fly away in the nether. The two remaining souls begin floating above Rowen and Darelle, respectively, and their condition does not seem to improve. They also spot a hovering platform that can take them down to the next level down.
Omok realizes that their bodies will need to be reunited with their souls, but only a powerful ritual in a temple will be able to manage such a feat. The Coopers decide to head back to Fort Inevitable.
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