The Cursed: Free the Genie

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Meanwhile in Thay...

Dulf's Drow "equal", Gezzthemin, has no senility issues but is a much lousier companion to the arena team in round nine against a halfling mage and his elementals as the Drow basically acts like a shielded tank for most of it. It ultimately takes time stop and comets to bring the halfling down. Fortunately Gezzthemin is still of some use, as he can make something from the planetar's wing the team stole previously in the Hunter's Lounge: a scroll to weaken her. Due to an odd bug, he starts mass producing these - making enough for everyone!

I keep mentioning Planetars - this is what they look like.

Round ten has demons versus devils and the team in between. Luckily they mostly kill each other after eating the murderer Feldrak who was left behind as bait. The remaining enemies are planetared down. After this fight the shops have a better stock of equipment which the team eagerly purchases. Using it, they free Najim the genie and defeat the Efreeti hunter. Najim then locks up this foe into the jar that once contained him and shapeshifts to take his place to ensure that no one will notice he is missing.

Insight: Mass invisibility is very handy in the arena matches and is often one of my opening moves.

The Cursed: Backroom Bargains

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Meanwhile in Thay...

With the first four matches under their belt, the arena squad continues battling and recruiting allies for their escape - but also deciding who not to include. Feldrak is a murderous halfling scum who is happy to gloat upon all his past crimes and shows he has the skill to back it up by chopping up a Drow party in round five. That's not someone that should be let loose.

With some reputation and money now, Party Girl makes some deals in between matches - getting the key to the Planar Hunter's lounge by bribing fellow prisoner "Brother" Elraish, who is humorously trying hard to pretend he is a monk. She also gets disguises to access the inner areas, and acquires a variety of poisons - one to use on the megalomaniac cook who is promptly replaced by his two sous-chefs, both eager to support any escape.

Brother Elraish is kinda funny, but not as funny as Brother Silence.

There are no exits at the Hunter's lounge, but since they are all out Alias breaks some locks to try gauge what they are up against. Most importantly they find a bottle containing Najim in the room of the Efreeti hunter, but unwilling to tip their hand just yet leave him there for the time being.

Insight: No thief? You can force attack locked containers and doors to try break them open. This works  best with high strength characters.