[Intro · Dm · tomb wind, one iron bell, low crystal tick] [DM, close, like weather] The road you found this morning is already gone. Snow filled it the way a palm hides a blade. You are north of the Vale, and the Vale is not coming with you. Roll Survival. [Crystalline pulse] White. Then a darker white. Then a door in the hill that was not a door an hour ago. [Strange electronic screech, dry] Somebody says, "What is that?" It is the answer arriving before the question. [Noise Channel: dry hiss, a growl-sweep every four bars] [DM, plain and loud] The tomb door is already open. Cold rolls out. Your lanterns lean toward it and sputter. Take another point of exhaustion. Roll perception. [Crystalline pulse] Bones on the floor. A throne of fused ribs. A crown. Eye-fires in a bare skull. A glass jar set in the wall behind the throne, black light knocking inside it. [Sharp electronic screech] [DM, up w Solo] The lich stands, Roll initiative! [Verse 1 · 140 BPM · Dm · boss kit hits on 2 and 4] [Noise Channel: snare crack on 2 and 4, low growl every four] [Triangle Wave: driving D2, eight notes, no holes] [Square Wave 1: bold lead, D4–F4–A4–C5] It points at the knight --- it speaks one word Power Word Kill!!! the knight goes down hard Cleric burns a slot calls his god, healing hits stone The lich laughs once with no lungs of its own Legendary action!! staff slams the floor Wall of Force cast the rogue from the door [DM] Lair action. A voice in you head: "FOOLS!" The graves in the side halls open. seven ghouls. [Pre-Chorus · kit drops to stomp-stomp-clap] -count the slots, count the dead- -count the turns in your head- -jar in the wall, jar in the wall- [Chorus · full gang, stomping 4/4, snare on every beat] (Hold the line, say the name, pay the price if you can) (The lich has your name in the palm of its hand) (Lich on the throne, lich on the throne) (Power Word Kill and the knight is gone) (Death save, death save, carry it on) (Break the glass, break the jar) (End the lich, end the lich, end the war!) (Break the glass, break the jar) (End the war!) [Verse 2] [Square Wave 2: sustained Dm then F, quarter-note chords under the lead] Finger of Death at the wizard's chest Counterspell fizzles, the weave won't catch Fighter gets in with a hammer and oath Legendary Resistance, shrug it off, both Disintegrate hums, the paladin's shield Goes to gray dust on the tomb floor, peeled [DM, flat] The paladin drops. Two allies down. The jar in the wall ticks louder now!!! [Solemn] Roll a death save. -fail, fail, one success- -don't you close those eyes yet- [Chorus] [Chorus · full gang, stomping 4/4, snare on every beat] (Hold the line, say the name, pay the price if you can) (The lich has your name in the palm of its hand) (Lich on the throne, lich on the throne) (Power Word Kill and the knight is gone) (Death save, death save, carry it on) (Break the phylactery, break the jar) (End the lich, end the lich, end the war!) (Break the glass, break the jar) (End the war!) [Bridge · half-time, kit almost out] [DM] Here is the fight. Not the crown. The jar. Glass, iron bands, a heart beating black in the masonry behind him. He steps in front of it. He has to. [Spoken, Solo 2] Do you run for the stairs, or do you go through him? [Dueling solos: Square 1 high and mean, Square 2 answering under, both in D minor] -through him, through him- -jar on the wall, hammer in hand- [Verse 3 · octave up, full kit] [Square Wave 1: A5–C6–D6–F6] Wizard teleports past the staff to the stone Hammer comes down on the glass and the bone Critical hit, and the jar splits wide Black light blows out where the heartbeat died The lich grabs its chest like a man grabs a debt Drops to one knee, and wheezes a broken set [DM, shouting] Critical hit! The phylactery shatters! [Noise Channel: one bright crack, then the screech cuts] [Final Chorus · bigger, crowd on the hook] (Hold the line, say the name, pay the price if you can) (The lich has your name in the palm of his hand) (Break the heart, broke the jar) (End the lich, end the lich, end the war) (End the war) -broken jar spinning- -cave collapsing- [Outro · 76 BPM · no fanfare, wind back in] [Square Wave 1: intro figure, D4–F4–A4–C5, slow, decaying] [Triangle Wave: one held D2] [Noise Channel: tomb wind, fading] [DM, after the crack, level] The lich does not make a speech. The bones settle. The ghouls drop where they stand. Your knight is at two successes and a prayer. Your wizard is out of slots. The jar is glass and ash on the flagstone. A single dead heart. Victory. Or is it? [Dm] As you lick your wounds fleeing into the snow. The heart begins to beat. [One bell. Wind. Silence.] ..... [continued] [Final Chorus · bigger, crowd on the hook] (Hold the line, say the name, pay the price if you can) (The lich has your name in the palm of his hand) (Break the heart, broke the jar) (End the lich, end the lich, end the war) (End the war) [Outro · 76 BPM · no fanfare, wind back in] [Square Wave 1: intro figure, D4–F4–A4–C5, slow, decaying] [Triangle Wave: one held D2] [Noise Channel: tomb wind, fading] [DM, after the crack, level] The lich does not make a speech. The bones settle. The ghouls drop where they stand. Your knight is at two successes and a prayer. Your wizard is out of slots. The jar is glass and ash on the flagstone. A single dead heart. Victory. Or is it? [Dm] As you lick your wounds fleeing into the snow. The heart begins to beat. [One bell. Wind. Silence.]
