Jojo claps his hands together. "Speaking of long-term goals, how about we discuss our short-term goals, such as 'free Halaster and accompany Nathyrra to the Underdark so we can help against the Valsharess'?"

"Right," Nathyrra says, shaking her head. "As I said before... all of that... Halaster is guarded by a cleric Handmaiden of the Valsharess, two powerful wizards, and eight crossbowers. I checked that none of their leaders has See Invisibility, so I can take one of them out before the fight properly begins, and take Jojo with me so he can disrupt their casting. After I've taken out a caster, I'll focus on the crossbows, and you can focus on the two remaining casters. Any questions?"

"Should anyone else also be invisible?"

“If anyone present has Greater Invisibility, that could be very helpful. Even the standard spell can be useful for positioning, but it pales before forcing the enemy to swing at shadows.”

"Deekin got Greater Invisibility," Deekin contributes. "Can cast when about to attack, before Haste."

"Excellent," Nathyrra says.

"I didn't get Greater Invisibility in my book before we started leveling me so ridiculously fast, more's the pity. I do have a cheap first level version though, lasts five rounds."

“I can show you my spellbook after we liberate Halaster - it’s, um, a bit heavy on necromancy and evocation, but I’ve got plenty of spells to share for a sister in faith.”

"Necro's a barred for me but I like evocations, sure."

She nods. "Something to look forward to. Onward, then."

It's not far to the chamber where Halaster is being held; the army camp was, after all, guarding that very spot.

Deekin casts Greater Invisibility on everyone, then Haste. "Go go go," he whispers.

The chamber has two ledges, one on either side of the room, where the crossbowdrow sit, looking bored. The Handmaiden is yelling at an unkempt human wizard surrounded by glowing runestones. She's flanked by two wizards of her own.

Then a wound opens on her back, and she freezes, paralyzed; then, as the wizards look around wildly, her throat opens, and she falls to the floor.

Belmarniss prepped Ice Spear and it doesn't reveal her location as much as something that emanates from her own position. She spears a couple wizards.

They get off pretty light on the spearing front, but one of them does slip and fall, losing the Cloudkill he was about to cast. The other one casts Fire Shield.

Deekin is humming his fight song, but it sounds like it's coming from a different place every few seconds.

From the bruises and burns appearing on the felled wizard's body, Jojo is merrily beating the living hells out of him.

And arrows appear in the fire-shielded wizard's flesh, unimpeded by the fire shield. 

The drow on the ledges with the crossbows are trying desperately to figure out what to shoot.

Suddenly, there's a flash of cold necromantic energy, and one of the ledges no longer contains living drow.

She's got more spears. People making their saves is annoying but most spells have saves and spell resistance.

The wizards are impaled, and with a couple more hits, they go down.

A cloud of angry red mist appears on the second ledge, and the drow there scream and die.

"There we go," says Nathyrra, reappearing. "Worry not, Halaster; we're here to free you."

Halaster sighs heavily. "Get on with it, drow; I'd like to go now."

"Your gratitude is touching," Belmarniss mutters. "Is this complicated in any way, trapped or whatever -"

"Just cast a dispel. It's sure to go well."

Nathyrra casts Dispel Magic, which doesn't work. Then she tries Greater Dispelling, which does. Halaster steps out of the stone circle, and with a wave of his hand, the runestones disintegrate. Then he looks around, fixing the still-invisible Belmarniss with a somewhat disturbing stare.

"You're not the ones I expected to see. But I'll let you live, since you set me free."

"...who were you expecting?"

Suddenly, a duplicate Halaster teleports in, holding a staff capped with a glowing orb. The first Halaster looks him over before angrily exclaiming, "Finally you're here! What took you so long? I was beginning to think maybe something was wrong."

The second Halaster sniffs indignantly. "Since we're both clones you should know why I'm late. To lure out the matron, I used you as bait!"

The recently freed Halaster guffaws. "A brilliant trick, a wonderful trap. She'd come here to gloat, I'd pop in and... ZAP!"

The staff-wielder turns to glare at Belmarniss. "But you meddlers ruined my plan by freeing my clone! Now the Valsharess won't dare come out from her home!"

Belmarniss facepalms.

The first Halaster turns to the second. "Wait just a moment, my identical friend. You seem somewhat confused, and I want it to end. You were nothing but a safety device. I created a clone, and I put it on ice. I knew that one day I might get into trouble. I'm the real Halaster, you're just my double."

The second Halaster shakes his head. "I think you're mistaken; you were only a ploy. I let the drow catch you. You're naught but a toy! I know how you feel, but you're not even real. You're just a double to save me from trouble! It's hard to accept, but I fear it is true: the original here is me, and not you."

The first Halaster throws his hands up in exasperation. "Which is the clone, which is the master? How will we know the real Halaster? I can't believe it, what a disaster!"

"You two, uh, have fun with that, I guess."