As the Ashen Company approach the bugs Null senses that maybe they're not supposed to be there, as she glances at them they sheepishly run back through the portal.
Sensing that maybe the bug creatures were supposed to be guarding the other side of the portal the Ashen Company realise there's an ambush on the other side of the portal. They prepare themselves for the ambush by walking in to it.
Through the portal they see a long bridge ahead of them with purple gems lining the edges and a similar purple glow in the form of runes along the pillars lining the walls. Berrick drops a fireball on them and a fight ensures.
They probably could have finished the fight quicker if they didn't do as much damage to each other as they did to the bugs. Flynn's eldritch blasts went haywire, stretching out to a wide beam in random directions. Berrick found himself possessed and attacking his friends (again), Lotty lost vision a couple of times but thankfully Null was able to dodge and stab around the battlefield - although she struggled to take the souls of any of her fallen foes; the soul turbine must be close.
Better late than neve Flynn works out that touching the gems allows magic to be cast normally, Berrick is unpossessed and the fight is won.
As they take a moment to recuperate after the fight; Flynn confides in Lotty that he hasn't been able to speak with Mordecai since a few portals back and that a crack has appeared in the urn. Lotty takes some time to have a look at the damage, mending has no effect and she discerns that it's the effect of the current environment. The longer they stay in this place the worse the damage may get until the urn is destroyed. Lotty does her best to sugar-coat the news and assures Flynn it will be ok once they're out of there. Lotty confides in return that she saw strings coming from Null when they were resting in the skull tower, she's sure it's not anything with Null to worry about but a sign of how evil this place is.
Once they have their shit together, the Ashen Company prepare to move on - expecting to find Azher very soon. Before they can continue Ezra appears, rushing he says they have discovered that the litches have the power to remove enchantments from items but they have managed to find a few unique items that can't be unempowered.
Each grabbing an item from the bag Lotty tells Ezra they encountered his mother, she's still fighting Azher, she loves him and she's proud of him just as Ezra is sucked back through the portal.
- Flynn takes a ring that grand him advantage on some saving throws with a chance to deflect the attack.
- Berrick has a staff that boosts his AC, attacks and saving throws as well as containing a number handy-dandy spells
- Lotty finds a stone that swirls around her raising her proficiency
- Null gets a kick-ass murder sword.
Time to re-check their equipment and start swapping things out.