"Myrkul was never really one for subtlety, was he. Well. Better odds that it'll have lots of expensive things to pry off of the walls and sell in the morning, I suppose. Time to go raid it."

She doesn't expect to get there without something trying to kill them all, but, hey. She hasn't gotten to stab anything today, this will be downright therapeutic. It also gives her and Safiya the chance to see if Gann is useful or just around to make sarcastic comments and preen his hair.

"Aponi," intones Gann placidly, when something inevitably shows up to try to kill them.

A great fire elemental swirls into existence and begins making the Plane of Shadow look more like the Elemental Plane of Fire.

The nightwalker who thought it was getting an easy meal is very unhappy with the sudden existence of the great fire elemental!

Safiya contributes a blast of concentrated sunlight, which helps as well. Soon enough the nightwalker melts into scraps of shadow, and the way to the Death God's Vault is clear.

Ciaveth barely got to stab anything, she's so upset. Well, in the immediate sense, in the non-immediate sense she's glad that party member number three is not just decorative. But how can she get therapy if things die before she can properly stab them? It's terrible! Stabbing things is basically her only vaguely healthy coping mechanism!

Well, into the Death God's Vault. She expects she'll get to stab things later.

The interior of the Vault is just as impossibly grand as the façade, in a very different direction. The ceilings are vaulted and high enough to fit a decently sized dragon; the flagstones are black marble; their footsteps echo loudly.

The entry hall's main feature is an enormous gate of black stone, carved with an intricate design that the eye can't quite focus on without getting very close. Someone else is that close: a young woman, clad in silvery armor and with white-feathered wings folded across her back. She turns as they enter, tearing her eyes from the door with a visible effort.

"There are few who would brave the halls of the Death God's Vault," she says. Her voice is soft, sounding like nothing so much as a constant, gentle sigh. "Many would come seeking treasure. Some would seek knowledge. What calls you three to this place?"

"You, actually," says Ciaveth, consciously removing the belt that holds her rapier and setting it gently on the floor. Peace offering! Look, this isn't the sort of thing she's going to threaten anyone over at all. See how she can state her intentions very clearly without saying a word? Amazing, that.

"Your siblings asked after you. They seemed worried enough to go stupidly fight a spirit army about it. Are you okay?"

She smiles wanly. "They are very kind. And very brave. I had not known they would follow me so far... but it would be unlike them to give up a hunt, especially one so close to their hearts. No doubt it was Efrem and Susah you met, for they are the hunters in our number, even though Efrem bears the name of the Stag. They are persistent indeed."

She grits her teeth for a split second, then clears the tension from her face, squaring her shoulders and stretching her wings. "I am Kaelyn, called the Dove. Formerly of the House of the Triad. My spirit now lies within the house of Ilmater."

"Hi, Kaelyn the Dove. I'm Ciaveth Farlong, this is Safiya, and this is Gannayev." The hagspawn clears his throat from behind her. Ciaveth rolls her eyes, then adds, "Of Dreams. Apparently. I have no stake in your faith whatsoever, and even less desire to infringe on your life or your choices! So I go back and tell them you're fine, but that you're, uh, deep in meditation and do not want to be disturbed by other people they might send? Doing very important work? Somewhere far away? I'm open to suggestions."

She shakes her head. "I cannot - hide from them. It would be unjust. I will not go with them, but they deserve to hear the truth from my lips. And..." She hesitates, then hangs her head. "I do not think I will succeed here, not alone. If I cannot find victory yet, I might as well find something productive to do until my position has improved, instead of staring at this hateful door."

Ciaveth nods, looking vaguely pleased at Kaelyn's answer. "Okay. Well, do you want to join us for ransacking this place for knowledge and treasure first? And, relatedly, would you like to stupidly fight a large spirit army led by a bear god that's out to kill me?"

Kaelyn looks shocked, for a moment, then smiles tentatively. "I would be happy to join you in both of those tasks. I have not ranged far outside this chamber - the rest of the Vault is filled with powerful undead, and I soon realized that, even with all the holy power at my disposal, I would not last long against them. But with companions at my side I might have better luck. Or we could take care of your spirit army and return to the Vault later - it has kept for this long."

"No, but thank you. Let's do it now and save the trip. The army will arrive tomorrow according to our resident expert," she motions to Gann, "it's likely our portal out will close just before dawn, and we could use the spending money. You're a...." She squints at Kaelyn, then pronounces, "a cleric, right?"

"Yes. I channel the power of Ilmater."

Ciaveth nods. "I'm an eldritch knight, Safiya is a wizard, and Gann is, uh. ... Gann, what are you, actually."

"Besides devilishly handsome, well spoken, knowledgeable, and powerful beyond compare?"

Ciaveth does not dignify that with an answer. "Nevermind. Gann is some kind of weird not-druid thing. Like the equivalent of a sorcerer to a wizard, but to a druid. Associated with spirits."

Gann seems to find this very amusing, but doesn't clarify his chosen adventuring profession.

Kaelyn bows. "Well met to you all. I will endeavor to ease any suffering that may befall you."

"I'm sure we all appreciate it," Safiya contributes.

"As the martial combatant most likely to be getting stabbed here, I appreciate it very much," says Ciaveth, dryly. She reaches down to retrieve her rapier and clip its belt back around her waist. "So, which side do we ransack first? Left or right?"

Gann lets out a loud theatrical yawn, but does not cast any sort of vote to speak of.

"The door to the right is locked," Kaelyn apologizes. "I have reason to believe the key is in the chambers to the left. Unless one of you has a particular talent at picking locks, we will likely have to explore the left side first."

"Left it is! Thank you Kaelyn. Do you need a spare healing potion or want to cast any buffs before we get started? I've got a spare Extended Protection From Arrows if you'd like it."

"Oh - yes, certainly, I would appreciate being protected from arrows. And I have a few spells that I can put on everyone -"

Kaelyn provides death ward and protection from energy for everyone. "I've mostly been focusing on, um, the ability to smite my enemies, since I haven't had allies to support. This is a pleasant change of pace."

"There's always a place for smiting one's enemies," Safiya nods.