"Well, it was worth a shot."

The communication cuts off, as if the drow's spell resistance suddenly engaged.

"Doesn't wanna talk," she murmurs. "Buffs and then I'll try to faerie fire them for you, wizard in blue, guards in purple if they're close enough by then. Fox's Cunning," for Garrus, "Haste," for everybody, "Faerie Fire."

The wizard lights up for a second, then flickers out. The guards light up and stay lit up.

Garrus shoots two of them; they drop, jittering with electrical energy.

Jojo speeds towards the pool. The guards try to shoot him, but he's juking in such a way that they can't get a proper bead on him.

He reaches the pool of darkness and somehow causes his body to start glowing, lighting up his surroundings like a torch. He starts beating up the wizard, who doesn't seem to have prepared for someone to be up in his business six seconds after having been a hundred feet away.

Belmarniss casts herself a mage armor from the staff and gets as close as she must to hit the wizard with an admonishing ray.

The wizard drops like a rock.

Deekin shoots one of the guards with a bolt from his crossbow, humming his fight song.

And Garrus drops the remaining guards.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," he comments. "And if that wizard's still alive, we might be able to get some information out of him."

"One of the nice things about nonlethals, yeah, who's got that rope?"

Garrus! Garrus has the rope. He ties up the wizard, then has Deekin cast a Cure Light Wounds to get him back to consciousness.

The wizard licks his lips nervously when he observes his circumstances. "How embarrassing," he says.

"I tried to talk to you, dude."

"Yes, well, I was not about to parlay with the enemy without significant extenuating circumstances. What do you wish to know, o Houseless one?"

"I'm from another planet, you know fuckall about my family situation. Folks, what do we want to know?"

"Where be Halaster? And why drow be attacking Waterdeep? And who be Valsharess?"

"I have no idea where Halaster is besides 'deeper in Undermountain,' I was assigned to guard a door. The Valsharess intends to conquer your pathetic city, and from there the entire surface world. She was Matron Mother of House Kilath, and she is now Empress of all drow."

"Wow, Empress of all drow, what a blowhard. And how do you feel about this assignment in light of the current situation?"

"While I recognize that it is pointless to complain of not having been defeated legitimately," the man sniffs, "a party without your particular advantages would likely have been stymied by my arcane powers. Your mouse engaged me in melee combat before I could cast even a single spell, and as I'm sure you know a single spell can be the difference between life and death."

"Be that as it may."

"Ah, you're asking me if I repudiate the Valsharess. Well, let me see. Given her particular resources, I must say- Detonate."

Apparently this asshole has Still Spell.

"Dispel Magic."

The spell fizzles. The caster has some very inventive things to say about this in Undercommon.

"Deekin think that be very impolite way of saying no," Deekin comments.

"Sure looks like it. Let's stab him."

Garrus looks to Jojo.

Jojo sighs. "My vows do still allow me to execute a prisoner who has demonstrated that we are unable to effectively contain him, Garrus."

That said, he reaches down and snaps the wizard's neck.

And Deekin goes through his stuff. "Hmm, ring... Commander's Ring, good if locked chests in future. Headband... ooh, Vast Intelligence, Belmarniss want? And..."

He extracts three lengths of chain from the wizard's pocket. One is green, one is yellow, one is blue. "Collected puzzle pieces for door! Very polite."

"Belmarniss do want." Put.

Deekin goes around attaching chains to appropriately colored pedestals, then stops. "Four pedestals, three chains... dang it. Wizard not have all puzzle pieces."