Thanks Helldritch! In my campaign, the whole sublevel with Thrommel was mostly abandoned. Shadow danger area is contained by magical lines & portals - if not, it seems to me the shadows would eat everything, not wait for someone to try to steal Serten’s shield. The Lab is too dangerous with the Roper, which can hibernate and wait. Ditto on the Museum with the Lurker Above. One stairway out is warded against passage by evil creature, the other locked with a permanent Ettin Trollmaster guarding it, who mostly has charge of other prisoners above the Prince sub level. So in general, the TOEE could be as unaware as the Good Guys are on what was hidden there, cloaked as it is by serious magic.
Let’s test Motive, Means, Opportunity.
Motive: Iuz for Emridy Fields & war aims; Lolth forces or SB for general chaos & power & getting the blame on Iuz if it fails.
Means: Possible for all 3
Opportunity: Iuz & Lolth both had pawns nearby.
But hey, what’s the deal with access to the warded secret chamber being behind the secret chapel of Pholtus. Why Pholtus? I don’t see an ability of Iuz, Lolth, or SB to control Pholtus forces, nor a real reason to specifically fake Pholtus. Of course, throwing people off the scent could be all it is.
From the video game, Countess Tillahi knew and told adventurers Thrommel is in the TOEE when she & Sir Juffer were rescued. It might make more sense if they had discovered what the drow/Lolth were up to being elves. Also makes if it was TOEE loose lipped turnkey, so the TOEE did know. No answers there.
Map evidence: The Prince is nearly directly accessible via Broken Tower bandits, Smigsmal & Falrinth area, and then troll/prison complex guarded by a single Ettin.
Makes sense to me that he was the prisoner of the Lolth faction — Lareth the Beautiful, Falrinth, Smigsmal, and their bandits - Moathouse & Broken Tower. Countess Tillahi knows Thrommel is somewhere either from secrets captured from the Vault of the Drow or Knights of Luna spying.
