Ooh, got it

After several tries, essentially the same formula that I was trying (Cernd cast magic resistance, stinky cheese but I was getting impatient, lower resist + Greater Malison + Insect Swarm simultaneously, then proceed to beatdown), actually worked, and worked well enough that I didn't lose anybody. About the only thing that I did change was that I took care to stagger out the summons so that Firkraag always had something dispensable to beat on, and my Barbarian (dual-wielding the Flail of Ages with Dragonslayer on the left hand for this occasion) got in at least one good crit, and I used Jaheira's simulacrum (from Vhalior's helm) to use the Sling of Everard instead of rush the dragon. I was able to beat him on more than one occasion with a simple lower resist -> disintegrate but that was such an unsatisfying way of doing it and I didn't get any of his loot besides the gold that way. Eventually my halfling fighter/thief is going to get some high-level abilities and his first thief one is going to be Use Any Item. It will look kind of funny seeing a halfling wielding Carsomyr, but they'll stop laughing at him once he starts using it! I wonder if you can backstab with that thing.

I then stopped by Watcher's Keep on the way back to the city, not to really do anything in there but just to see what can be bought. Walked out of there with a potion case (a godsend, Cernd and Jaheira now have about half of their inventories open again just from that), and the sword of Mask +4. Don't know what I'll do with it, but it's a short sword +4, I'm sure I'll find something. I pile some more potent magical artifacts that I have no use for on the table in the Planar Sphere and begin to go about my business again. Now if I can only remember what it is I have left to do...

-CC