After the encounter with the hobgoblins, the PCs decided to play it safe and finish their recuperation and downtime activities before setting out, again. Counting the day the PCs raided the Warrior Maiden headquarters as "Day 1," the elf completed her scroll on "Day 10," and the cleric was completely healed and ready for action the morning of "Day 14."
Of course, the other factions have not been idle during this time. The Warrior Maidens were thrown into some confusion by the loss of their leader, Pandora. This was compounded by the fact that both of her two "lieutenants" (2nd level Fighters) were lost, as well: one was slain, and one was captured. I decided that it would take at least a week for the Warrior Maidens to react at all. So around Day 7, the Maidens have selected a new leader and are starting to respond. Since they don't know, for certain, that their leaders are dead, their first considered action is to try and gather intelligence. They enlist the aid of the mercenary Fey to spy, and send out cautious inquiries to the Magi.
The reason the Maidens don't know for certain about who died is because of Cynidicean vulture-masks. These groups gather the dead for burial or processing by the Temple of Zargon. ("Processing" means they're animated as undead for guard duty, or to be set loose in the upper tiers to confound and dismay the old-god factions.) However, by Day 11, the Warrior Maidens learn that two of their sisters are alive and imprisoned by the Brotherhood. They also learn that one of these two sisters is a lieutenant. From the Magi, they learn of the "outland assistance" the Brotherhood is enjoying. The Warrior Maidens form a new plan: they wish to capture several Brothers and "trade prisoners." This is difficult, since the Brothers in the city are well-aware of the conflict, and are being careful. The Maidens will need to wait for the right opportunity, which buys the PCs and the Brotherhood some additional time.
The Temple of Zargon has learned of the infighting between the old-guard factions, and has responded by animating undead and placing them in the Warrior Maidens' abandoned upper tier headquarters, with orders to slay any who enter. The priests thought this ploy to be a good joke.
I've drawn up some numbers on the factions. The Lost City has a population of about 1000 adults. I estimated that 10% of them are aligned with a faction (the rest are nominally part of the Zargon faction, but not actively so), and drew up the factions as follows (these are starting numbers):
Note, however, that the Zargon faction can also draw on hobgoblins, goblins, subhumans, and undead. They also have a monopoly on healing magic, except for the PC cleric.
The PCs assembled a group consisting of Jason (the Fighting Man), Jacob (the Cleric), the Elf, Fuad, Aziz, Draco, and three Brothers of Gorm. This force descended to Tier 3 and returned to the site of the battle with the hobgoblins. No humanoids were in evidence, so the party explored and mapped the NW section of the tier. They found another abandonded chapel, and surprised a giant lizard, there. They were unable to kill the creature before it escaped into an air shaft. (Draco informed the outlanders that this was his namesake: a draco lizard.)
No one was hurt in the encounter with the lizard, so the PCs sought out the chapel with the ramp that descends to the catacombs. [Remember that the catacombs are a "wild" area of the ziggurat; that is, it is considered a dangerous area where the Cynidiceans fear to tread.] After a cursory search of the (previously explored) jester's tomb, they opened the door to the north and entered the passage, beyond. While there was a great deal of dust on the floor, it was much disturbed, showing recent and not infrequent passage of multiple creatures. The party cautiously proceeded west, until they reached an intersection with a passage going north. Shining their lights down this tunnel, the PCs could make out another intersection and a door. After some whispered conversation, they chose to continue going west, leaving the northern tunnel unexplored. Jason instructed the Gorm brothers (who were bringing up the rear), to be watchful once they passed it. The group proceeded west, stopping to tap the walls, looking for hidden portals or chambers. They discovered that the south wall sounded like there might be a space beyond, but they couldn't locate any hidden portals. Continuing farther, they came upon another intersection; this time the intersection tunnel led south, and they could make out a door at its end, at the limit of their light.
As the Elf updated their map with this information, everyone braced at a hissed whisper of warning from the Gorm brothers: something was coming up the passage behind them. The group readied for action as two hunched, rag-draped humanoids loped into view, eyes burning with a hellish light. The creatures didn't even pause, but raced straight at the party, growling and snarling. "Eaters!" shouted one of the brothers, who now stood in formation, three-abreast, with shields and short swords ready. The Elf bent her bow, but didn't have a shot. The Fighting Man and Cleric, at the front, were also blocked from the action, and the undead moved with an unnatural, disturbing speed. In a flash they had closed the distance and were assaulting the shield wall, claws and fangs straining for flesh. [My OD&D ghouls get a single attack roll representing their claws and fangs; a hit does 1d6 damage and requires a saving throw to stave off paralysis.] The initial exchange went poorly for the Gorm brothers. Only Fuad, thrusting his spear from the second rank, managed to deal an effective blow, and one Gorm brother was overcome and paralyzed. A second brother fell soon after, blood running from a grevious neck wound. However, his fall cleared the way for a shot from the Elf, which took one of the undead in the eye and dropped it to the floor. The second Eater turned an evil glare on the Elf and leapt onto her, claws ripping. [Fortunately, the Elf is immune to ghoul paralysis.] By this time, Jason had pushed his way to the fighting, and pulled the Eater loose, holding its loathsome, thrashing form away from his friend. The Elf stood, drawing her short sword, and buried it in the undead creature's torso. Its struggles ceased and it slumped: dead weight in Jason's arms.
The Cleric tended to the fallen Gorm brother, healing him. No one else was seriously hurt, except for the paralyzed brother. Fortunately, the paralysis soon wore off, and the party proceeded down the southern passage to the door at its terminus, where they listened. They heard a noise from within, like sticks of wood cracking or being broken. The party readied a plan: Jason and Draco would force the door and step inside, on either side of the door. The Elf would stand in front of the doorway with an arrow ready, and Jacob would back her up. The plan was immediately put into action, and the PCs surprised three more ghouls who were apparently in the process of eating the corpse in this large tomb. The party didn't get much of an impression of the place (other than it was quite large and well-appointed) before the three undead leapt to attack. The Elf fired arrows with cool precision, dropping one of the creatures in its tracks, but the other two made it to the doorway, where they came under assault by Jason and Draco. In the brief flurry of melee, the Eaters paralyzed both Fighting Men, so the Elf and Jacob stepped forward to defend their vulnerable comrades. Jacob attempted to turn the creatures, but their lust for flesh was too potent, and they ignored his holy command. Fortunately, Jacob's mace proved more effective, as did the Elf's slender and deadly blade. Even though both undead assaulted her, they were unable to paralyze her, and this proved their undoing, especially as Fuad and Aziz reached the melee. Ringed with foes, stabbed and broken, both Eaters soon lay streched upon the stones.
This time no one was seriously hurt, other than the paralysis, so the group all entered the large tomb and shut the door. Exploration began while Jason and Draco recovered. The chamber proved to be about 50' x 40', with a raised dais in the center, upon which lay an open sarcophagus. The corpse within, richly robed, had been pulled half out of its coffin, and its fine clothing and burial artifacts ripped and cast heedlessly to the floor. Everyone gasped as the party's lights revealed sparkling jewelry: a gem-studded pectoral and two jeweled bracers. The jewelry bore symbols of the old gods. After some discussion, the party decided to secure these artifacts, rather than leave them in this violated tomb. They returned the corpse to the sarcophagus, and the cleric intoned a prayer over it while the rest of the group searched the room. Murals adorned the walls, showing religious scenes with a prominent high-priest in most of them. There were also burial goods and artifacts that might be expected in the tomb of a prominent priest. The Cynidiceans with the group suggested this must be the burial chamber of Corban, a high priest during the reign of King Alexander. Despite lengthy searching, the party found nothing else of consequence, and decided to press on.
[The Session ended here, without a return to Gorm territory...]