Twisted Rune woes Options

[Frazurblu]

I have completed all of SoA except Layenne and Co. My protagonist is a vagrant and as you know he keeps getting wasted by her double length TS. I have a choice btwn. three fights and all three are kicking my ass.
SPOILER!

[/spoiler] I can do the twisted rune or the ancient worm or the demi lich on level 4 of WK (all else is done in WK). The Demi lich keeps imprisoning all my party (he is considerate enough to leave me 'til last)and there is no way to kill him fast enough even with smites and CS's. Keldorn got imprisoned even though he drank a magic blocking potion and used Carsomyr (100% MR).
The problem with the ancient (besides himself) is the greater Nishru who wipes out my mages - I have dealt with salamanders and efreet before.[spoiler]

I can finish Watchers Keep in TOB but I would like to complete Twisted rune before leaving for the Tree. Any suggestions or tactics on this or The Ancient wyrm or the Demi lich is appreciated.
BTW great mod

[Raven]

SPOILER!

Keldorn got imprisoned even though he drank a magic blocking potion and used Carsomyr (100% MR).

That's correct, imprisonment has always ignored magic resistance.

SPOILER!

The problem with the ancient (besides himself) is the greater Nishru who wipes out my mages - I have dealt with salamanders and efreet before.

Small hints for this battle:

SPOILER!

Try having your mages use Absolute Immunity to protect themselves from the Greater Nishruu. PFMW is not enough. If you have any Icedust potions left (there are only 3 in the game - you get them from one of the slavers in the slaver stockade) this is probably the battle to use them in! Lower Fire Resistance is very dangerous - I'd recommend trying to kill the Efreet first as quickly as possible then focussing on the Nishruu. Overall the Salamander is no where near as dangerous.

Also about the Twisted Rune fight:

SPOILER!

It's possible for your protagonist to survive the TS sequence - look at what spells she is casting and equip items that grant permanent resistances to the type of damage caused (which can't be dispelled). The improved Vagrant armour is useful if you have it (or Poseidon's Wrath) since IIRC the sequence includes several ABHW spells. I'm not sure whether there's time to drink a Potion of Magic Shielding between being hit by the Dispel and the TS but, if there is, this would be a good idea because it grants +50% resistance to all elemental damage as well as acid and magic damage.