Szith Morcane - From Gas to Gas
The gaseous form of the drow vampire priestess who had hidden in the column swept back along the top of the chamber away from them. It reached the rear wall and then gradually started disappearing. The Mothers approached the wall and were able to discover a large circular door hidden in the stonework. Gaspode then searched around for lock or a catch to open it and found a piece of stonework that he could depress to the right of the door. This did not allow it to open though, so subsequent searching was required for the other three catches. When the last was released, the stone dropped down a few inches and rolled off to the right, into the wall.
Beyond lay a bare room with a large copper covered coffin, bound with two copper bands. Of the vampire, there was no sign. The top of the coffin was engraved with the image of a drow female and the copper was completely untarnished. Gaspode examined it to see if it would release any traps and he found a glyph on each band of copper. Fonesca attempted to dispel the glyphs but to no effect, so Gaspode had to attempt to circumvent them himself. Unfortunately, they proved too difficult and their magic caused a blade barrier to spring into force around the coffin edging Gaspode backwards, but causing him no harm.
Attempts to remove the barrier were fruitless, so the Mothers waited nearly two hours for it to disappear. Jito used a Knock spell to open the band that Gaspode had not reached and it seemed to have no other effect. Kurtalla then stepped forward to open the coffin. As soon as he moved the lid, the vampire within attacked him draining life energy from him. The Mothers leapt to attack. The creature proved immune to their magic missiles but still quite susceptible to weaponry, as Jito, Kurtalla and Gaspode all laid blows. The vampire-drow cast some spells that her attackers managed to shrug off without too much effort, though Siosiann's summoned celestial hippogryphs did not last long in her circle of death.
Eventually the vampire was forced back into her gaseous form and settled back into the coffin, where she solidified again into her drow form, unmoving and statuesque.