When you're ready to confront your destiny, leave the pocket plane and confront Melissan. Reorganize your memorized spells so that you have the best spells prepared for the final confrontation, which will consist of seven successive battles. You probably should have some resurrection (mass raise dead or raise dead) spells ready as well, since you want to ensure that you can keep a full party when you go through each battle. Make sure you have several haste spells memorized, since it's a good spell to consistently cast as well as duplicates of your favorite defensive and offensive spells, such as stoneskin, call upon holy might, breach, pierce magic, and holy smite.

The first battle will be with Melissan herself (250 hit points, AC -8, five attacks per round, 90% magic resistance), and she'll summon in demons to assist her. You must fight Melissan several times, and every time you defeat her, all her summoned creatures will disappear, so generally ignore them and concentrate on inflicting damage on her. You must act quickly, or you'll gradually be overrun by her summoned servants. Keep using your spellcasters to bring down Melissan's spell defenses by casting pierce magic and breach spells or by using wands of spellstriking to achieve the same result.

When Melissan is defeated, you'll have an opportunity to recover, even though the sequence of events you just witnessed will suggest that you must hurry. Take your time, raise any dead characters, and make sure you fully heal before starting the next battle (although you can't rememorize your spells).

Your fight will be with an air elemental prince, Van-C-Bin (56,000 experience points) and a couple of greater air elemental minions and vampiric wraiths. The wraiths can be easily destroyed by a cleric turning undead, and neither the prince or his elemental lackeys is tough either. You might want to send in a low-level summoned monster first, since the prince will caste a whirlwind spell on the first set of opponents encountered. As soon as you defeat the group, recast healing and defensive spells as necessary, then turn the fountain off for Melissan, which will bring another confrontation.

The second fight with Melissan will be very similar to the first one, so ensure that you're equally protected before initiating it. She'll once again flee, giving you another chance to recover by casting healing and using potions, and you must fight another elemental prince, Cryonax, prince of ice (56,000 experience points), along with a couple of minions (frost salamanders, blizzard trolls). They're also relatively easy melee opponents, although you'll take some damage from the cold aura of the Prince's frost salamander guards. When you're ready to fight Melissan again, turn off the energy fountain and do so.

Melissan will flee a third time and leave you to confront a fallen solar (32,000 experience points) and some demon minions (alu-fiend, marilith, succubus). The solar is a pretty tough opponent and can withstand the combined attacks of your party members. In preparation for the final assault on Melissan, summon some creatures back toward the area where she appears, including a deva or plantar as well as a juggernaut golem. Melissan will summon hive mother beholders and other dangerous creatures that can be devastating if ignored, so move a summoned creature in to engage them, even if the creature can't reasonably harm the beholder. Keep Melissan's defenses down and use greater whirlwind and critical strike attacks whenever you can as well as any helpful potions. Have your cleric cast mass healing if necessary to keep your fighters engaged with Melissan. You don't want to leave her any space to recover or cast additional spells at you. When she finally goes down, you'll have the opportunity to seize control of your destiny.

What will you decide?

Desslock

Swarm the god. A few rounds of greater whirlwind attacks and Melissan will go down pretty easily. Summon planar beings to aid, and have your spell-casters cast breach and pierce spells to lower Melissan's defenses.

NPCs in this sector:

• Melissan