The party is standing over the dead body of Loki, discussing their next steps, when suddenly the halfling sits up. Miraculously, he has been returned to life, fully healed! He explains that he had a vision in which he was visited by Nocticula, the Demon Lord of shadows and assasination. The Lady in Shadow returned him to life, and gave hom some advice: though weakened by her attack, Baphomet is reagining his power. If the Lord of Minotaurs is killed again in the next year, he will be destroyed forever. Nocticula has infused Loki with some of her own power, so that the halfling can aid the heroes in their quest. The other adventurers are impressed by Loki's tale, but they do not have time to discuss. Malak points out that one of the demodand guards escaped, and will no doubt return soon with the prison's warden. Weakened by the encounter with Igramalash, the companions are in no shape to fight. They must flee into the maze to recover. They do so, spending a night in an abandoned cell far away from the deep isolation chamber. Then, fully rested, they continue their exploration of the prison. After a few hours of searching, they find another occupied cell. The nature of that occupant, though, gives the heroes pause, for within the cell is the mutilated corpse of an angel. Huge golden feathers lie scattered around the a pair of bloodied wings, torn from the body of a dark-skinned man. Consulting Plorig-Stagul's notes, Elryan determines that this is the body of an astral deva named Malaika. Malaika stormed the Abyss in a foolhardy attempt to rescue the herald of his goddess, acting without her leave, and for his troubles was captured, tortured, and mutilated to death. The injustices inflicted upon the deva are so grave that Nor finds he cannot return life to the angel's body without powerful magic. The party collects some of Malaika's feathers and continues. After a few more hours of exploration, the tunnel that the companions are following comes to a sudden end at a jagged ledge overlooking a vast cavern. Ahead, portions of the tunnel continue in the form of partially collapsed bridges supported by columns of fused bone, rising from a acrid lake of bubbling, phosphorescent blue fluid twenty feet below. The air is thick and foul, and long, thin strings of dangling stalactites—formed from ages of septic drippage—hang from the ceiling eighty feet above. As Malak flies down to investigate, a two-headed linnorm bursts from the surface of the acid lake. "Fools!" it bellows in draconic, "you dare disturb Uffrandir, the Hound of Baphomet?!" Before the party can respond, one of the heads belches forth a great gout of acid. Uffrandir is a powerful foe, and sets upon the heroes with tooth, claw, tail, and breath weapon. Soon, Waxberry and Elaryan have been slain, and Malak and Loki are both injured. Nor shapechanges into an air elemental, assumes whirlwind form, and retreats with his companions. Nor, Loki, and Malak take a few minutes to heal and cats various spells, then return to Uffrandir's lair. With the benefit of preparation, the battle goes much better. Surrounded by mythic enemies, the linnorm falls. Malak strikes the killing blow-- but as Uffrandir dies, his soul escapes in the form of a black cloud and enters the draconic disciple's body. This is a mythic curse of death, a powerful malediction that prevents healing of any kind. On the beach of powdered bones where the final confrontation took place, the heroes discover a vast hoard of treasure, including many of their own items that they had feared lost. They begin frantically digging coins and items out of the sand. Everyone who played gains 80,000 XP. The defeat of Uffrandir is a mythic trial.
