To help things out here how about I have the last word!!
When we have examined the staff can I strongly suggest we go back and talk to the Lich.
@Michael Metagaming here
I would like to get a few more hooks and concepts throw in before we spend all of 2024 exploring a dungeon. Really the DM put us in front of a highly intelligent being with history and knowledge of a world, that there is a potential to use and we can't be bothered to take a few steps back and negotiate with? You may actually be in range of his telepathy!
Talking to the Lich and bartering is not giving him the staff. But he may know this complex, may know other ways to return to the city etc.
" We are really torn about returning this to you, it may well be priceless and we are in need of this sort cash so please explain why we should return it to you. A soul in the hand...."
"Convince us that the better option is not returning to the humans"
" To go further in this complex we need to return regularly to the city to eat mortals ...how can we do this efficiently whilst keeping the complex hidden..something about the portal blocked mortals? Is this the alien magic that imprisoned you?
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