BBEG convention - help w/ rescue

[Goat]

Nice try!

 

[Dirigible]

Two of the PCs (who were absent last session" are discovered dead.

Harsh. That'll learn 'em.

Our wizard will discount the entire interaction. He will say that it’s an old friend and that he poses no real threat.

Err. Will your PC's belive this? If it was me, I'd load for bear and go a lich-huntin'. PC's have plot-sense and foreshaodwing-detection skills like you wouldn't believe.

What does Lichy McLichypants want with Reformo the Master Wizard? Is he taking him to the Evil HQ for revillianification? Back to the lair for tea, crumpets and severed baby seal heads? Force him to take aprt in the torunament?

Card game could be cool - makes a nice change from all the Chess For The Fate Of The World
Give Lichy a few ranks of Sleight of Hand (and plenty of Prof : Gambler) and have him always fiddling with a deck of cards, shuffling and performing tricks ("so, you're an archmage?" "Yup. Pick a card, any card..."). Plus, he already has a reputation as a cheater.