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| It is dark now, and my companions sleep. There is only the light of the dying fire, the soft rustle of leaves, and Loven's soprano snore. They have no idea what danger they are in, allowing me to watch over them like this. I can feel it build in me, this feeling like lava building up beneath a plugged volcano--the Rage. I can think of no other word to describe it. A madness, pure heedless bloodlust, an animal craving to kill, consume, and destroy. Sage says that it is the Prismatic Orb, and that if we can find it then we can somehow turn it off. He speaks so reasonably, so calmly, without a hint of understanding how difficult it is for me not to tear this throat out with my claws. It gets worse. Now, it takes every ounce of self-control I have simply to supress this blind, overbearing, all-consuming Rage. I fear every day for my friends--for those who have fought by my side and brought me back from the brink. I fear that someday I will lose myself, and they will die in a haze of blood. Time grows short. The dragons gather on every horizon--not a day goes by now that I do not hear them calling to each other. Shadows cloud the skies of Faerun. Our enemies seem to close in, and every victory is won by a slimmer margin. Are we, as Anacard calls us, Soldiers of Destiny? Sometimes I wonder if fate is on our side. Let this be a record, should the Hand of Valor fall before this quest is done. Let them read where we have trod, and perhaps finish what we could not. And if, by some chance, we are able to prevail.... if I am able to cool this blood that boils in my veins.... then let this stand as a monument to our victory. --Journal of Anthynian the Scion Eleint, the Year of Rogue Dragons (1373 DR) |
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| 5 Eleint
We act as special envoys to a special Dales Council called by Lord Ulath on Atreides� account. We become apprised of several alarming situations, and are voted to be diplomatic representatives of the Dales Council with only one abstention. The Red Sword of Archendale leaves early, casting the entire council into a dark shadow. In a stunning show of faith, High Councillor Haresk Malorn of Ashabenford offers the lordship of Mistledale to any member of the Hand of Valor. To a man, we respectfully decline,the offer but pledge to find a new ruler that will make all the Dales stronger. Elros makes a stunning announcement of his own--he is in fact Valar Amlaruil, cousin to the queen and elite operative acting on her behalf. Explaining that the Queen seeks greater contact with goodly realms of old elven homelands, he immediately proposes installing an representative of Evermeet as the new High Councillor of Mistledale. 6-9 Eleint Elros meets with the Coronal of Semberholme in an attempt to foster a more permanent connection between Cormanthor and Evermeet. Coronal Irithyl agrees to cooperate with a Return of elves from Evermeet, and eventually to build and guard a portal to the island realm. She explains that, while she supports human-elven unity, there are other problems to contend with, such as the rising radicalism in Tangled Trees. Investigating, we attempt to speak with Amathor Talltree of Tangled Trees, but are stalled at every turn by the dour seneschal Norionil. Following up on a mysterious message, we meet Luvon Greencloak at the Standing Stone and learn that the Eldreth Veluuthra have a strong presence in Tangled Trees�led by none other than Norionil. 10-11 Eleint The Hand of Valor return to Tangled Trees, increasingly frustrated by Norionil�s stonewalling tactics. Deliberately antagonizing him, we soon find ourselves the target of assassins and nearly fall to a poisoned meal. Led by Elros, we plan to decapitate the Eldreth at a stroke, removing Norionil and persuading Talltree to abdicate his power. Elros takes his first victim since embarking on the path of an assassin, quickly incapacitating Amathor Talltree and dispatching Norionil's Veluuthra guards. Though Tangled Trees remains divided, it now has the benefit of a new leader: Amathor Agarost Frostfell. 12 Eleint Returning to Highmoon, we find that Praxis has returned, and now preaches opposition to the Shades. We retire to Atreides� cottage in the coastal hamlet of Dawngleam, only to watch a meteor strike that night, obliterating the nearby village of Wormtower. Investigating, we find ourselves faced with hostile mercenaries whose motives are a complete mystery. 13 Eleint Meeting Loven�s old bounty hunting partner, Tobias Frost, we have our first run-ins with the Black Covenant. We quickly make our way into the iron belly of the Fane of Scales, battling arcane guardians and the elite Black Covenent at every step. Suspecting treachery, we capture Tobias in a forcecage. Disarion, half-dracolich as well as my old captor and teacher, meets at the Black Egg, seeking to turn me against my comrades and to embrace my draconic heritage as �the Scion.� Disarion leaves in disgust when I refuse, Ravus and Synder are quickly dispatched, but I foolishly touch the Black Egg and fall under its evil sway. 13-17 Eleint I use Tobias� Blood Claw to feed draconic souls into the Black Egg, birthing fiendish dragons to do mybidding. The Hand of Valor makes a quick retreat, fuming with rage at the betrayal and trying to decide how to handle the situation. They call in numerous favors, enlisting the aid of Uruk Sishomeru and Chosen of Mystra Symrustar Auglamyr, as well as that of my Mulhorandi companions, the Sword of the Lion�s Mane. Relying on the element of surprise and superior tactics, my companions and their allies teleport into the heart of the Fane of Scales, banishing my demonic dragons and destroying the Black Egg. The entire group featherfalls to the ground as the Fane of Scales shudders, its source of power gone, and crashes into tthe crater below. 17-21 Eleint We meet with a distraught Argentus, who explains that he will be able to help us no longer, and that if weneed to contact him we should seek Faelyn. Meeting with the Steel Regent of Cormyr at Stag Steads, we discover that on the night that the Black Egg crashed to Faerun, a flight of dragons decimated western Cormyr. We are asked to seek out draconic lore and possible portals to the Anauroch, both of which are believed to reside in the lost Wyvernstone Circle of Eldath. Myrmeen Lhal, the Lady Lord of Arabel, whispers to Elros that "the N'Vaelahr live." Powerful druidic magic allows us to find the Wyvernstone Circle swiftly, but we are unsure how to uncover its secrets. Requesting a specific scroll from Caladnei, we are beset by lycanthropic harriers and retreat to a hollowed tree to await Caladnei's delivery. We are assaulted by waves of lycanthropes, forcing us to abandon the needed scrolls in order to recover our strength. 21-23 Eleint We seek insight into the nature of the Wyvernstone Circle by speaking to the Harpers of the Dancing Place, discovering that they belong to a vicious group of Malarite lycanthropes known as the People of the Black Blood. On our return we are ambushed by a shapeshifting beast who slays Sage before being brought down. We travel to far-off Halruaa, where the Lady of Mysteries raises Sage with the most powerful magic available to mortals. 24-25 Eleint Ambushing the People of the Black Blood, we find the Wyvernstone Circle deserted. Using Sage's illusions to set their trap, they soon find Talgaerth Volspaan entering alone and calling out Anacard to a Blood Challenge. Though he fights valiantly, Anacard is overwhelmed by the powerful werebear, and the rest of the Hand attacks. Much of the Bloodmoon Circle is destroyed in the battle as Grolshar Twintusk betrays his comrades for leadership of the Circle. We discover that one of the lycanthropes is in fact Djalia Amaratharr--the last scion of a dead house, and the key to unlocking the secret of the Wyvernstone Circle. Sage recovers Caladnei's analyze dweomer scrolls and uses them to locate the lost Amar- athar Elfhold. We spend much time in the Elfhold, conversing with the ghost of Hullack and compiling all the lore we have collected on the Rage. Sage interviews his prospective cohorts, choosing Beraun Spellstar after an assassination attempt by a crazed mage. 25-30 Eleint Finding Djalia, we convince her to bond with the kiira stone in exchange for Volspaan�s life. She descends with us to the Elfhold, where she places the kiira on her forehead. We learn the terrible truth behind the Rage and its locus in the form of the Prismatic Orb. Deciding to return Uruk's favor, we meet him and his Stormriders on the steppes of the Ride. Learning that a gold mine in the Galena Mountains is funding the Zhent's rapid military expansion, we decide to scout out Zhent-occupied Glister. Anacard joins the Zhentilar under the name "Praxis" but fails to learn any important information, while Elros discovers that the frontier outpost is infested with Zhentarim spies. Loven, Sage, Atreides, and I meet with the Archmage Thusk Tharmuil at a well somewhere in the Vast. After long and frequently antagonistic negotiations, we are still unsure where he stands. We decide to abandon the attack on Glister, although before leaving we destroy an entire patrol of the legendary Obsidian Knights. Highharvestide Fleeing at the sight of approaching dragons on the steppelands of the Ride, we return to Ashabenford to wittness the Return of elvenkind to Cormanthor. The First Cormanthor Company of the Rising Phoenix arrives in full regalia, shocking the folk of Mistledale into silent awe, led by a shining warrior named Velethuil Durriven�the new High Councillor of Mistledale and apparently an old flame of Elros'. During the ensuing festival, Sage learns of a corruption affecting the Weave around Mistledale from Noristuor the Mage, Ashabenford's acerbic tiefling wizard. Tipped off by Mairos Dek, an agent of the Repositorium Arcana, we make contact with the Harran Resistance. We arrive in the Shadowtop Glade�a hidden temple to Eilistraee, the goddess of good-aligned drow�and learn from Ellarian Dawnhorn and Naolos the Harper the full extent of the Zhentilar occupation and the role of Erethun Rivenstave. 5 Marpenoth We invade Rivenstave's tower and slay him, battling many other strange constructs throughout his wrecked home-- including a swarm of enraged silverware and a talking golem carved out of diamonds. Rivenstave's shield guardian, however, remains quiescent in the empty tower. We find Bagol-Orzab, a captive slaad, and agree to free him if the slaad answers many of our most pressing questions. He explains that a triad of gods�Torm, Oghma, and Moradin�are responsible for sending squads of dragonnes to murder smiths throughout the region, but for reasons unknown to him. A teleporting barbazu conveys a message from "Lhaennyl Stormfist, faithful of Bane" requesting that we attend a meeting to discuss a mutually-advantageous proposal. Finally, the Harper Naolos Zalthiir informs us that Markosian�the Devil Behind Thrones�is coming to Harrowdale, planning to unleash Asmodeus himself upon the Realms. 5-6 Marpenoth We meet with Lhaennyl Stormfist, priestess of Bane, as well as her grim bodyguard and an armored beholder, on Wraithhaunt Hill in Cold Field to the southwest of Harrowdale Town. Though both sides are wary of treachery, we manage to negotiate the liberation of Harrowdale in exchange for the our silence on the cause of Rivenstave's death and the Zhents' reason for leaving. Stormfist parts with a promised tidbit of valuable information: the Council of Burghers are still alive. Rushing furiously in the face of a gathering storm, we investigate the famous Leaning Lighthouse, finding that the supposed pirates have been slain by infernal agents. Confronting swarms of hellish wasps, dark druids, a wickedly barbed devil, and a harpy sharp-shooter, we are barely able to escape as the crazed druid Nander turned the lighthouse's foundation into mud, causing the ancient tower to topple into the stormy waves. Locating the Rabid Dawn through divinations, we sail bravely out to intercept it in a tiny skiff that Atreides' nautical skill can barely keep afloat. Penetrating the unnatural black fog surrounding the Dawn, we board the moored vessel in the midst of a furious storm, battling sahuagin raiders, troll-manned ballistae, chuuls, ogre mages, bugbear captains, and giant dragonnes. The crew is quickly dispatched, but Captain Mange manages to escape on his pet dragonne�Atreides telling Sage to save his killing spells for the battle below. Plunging through the ship�s decks with desperate haste, we interrupt Markosian�s ceremony and Sage slaughters his entire circle with a single spell. Markosian unleashes Nyxtheseht, but we are able to defeat both the infernal lord and his Zhentarim servant�with a lot of acrobatic sneak attacks and a little bit of divine aid. 7-8 Marpenoth We ransack the Rabid Dawn, confiscating its ill-gotten swag. Using Atreides' powerful magic, we locate the missing Harran Council on the remote Pirate Isle of Kelthann. The Burghers, displaying an unusual lethargy for civic leaders, agree to return to Harrowdale once the Zhentilar have left. Sage teleports us to Archenbridge, where Mornmistress Stellaga Brightstar is awestruck by our victory over Nyxtheseht. She graciously offers us our choice of the treasures recovered from the Rabid Dawn, and guarantees us a place of sanctuary among the wary Arkhenfolk. Loven suggests that we visit the Abbey of the Sword in Battledale to sell our huge hoard of arms and armor taken from fallen enemies. 8-9 Warpenoth The Rage strikes Archenbridge. We travel to the Abbey of the Sword, in Battledale, finding it to be a massive fortress. Priest-General Gorym Brightshield tells of the death of the Abbey�s founder, Eldan Ambrose, at the hands of the fiend Lydzin, explaining that he cannot be raised until the fiend is killed. First Sword Jarith Burlisk asks us to accompany him to Aencar�s Manor, where a Cult of the Dragon cell holds ancient weapons of power that would help fight the coming war. 10-11 Marpenoth In a night rich with portents and danger, Anacard receives troubling visions, Elros is given a divine mandate to become the first Vermilion Slayer by the Red Knight herself, and I am attacked by a Zhent assassin. I am able to dimension door her high into the stormy sky so that she fell to her death. We fight our way through the Cult of the Dragon�s lair, dispatching a half- dragon manticore and its draconic minotaur keeper. We find and free several captives, includ- ing the gold dragon Kurudava, who seems at once like a lost puppy and an honor-bound knight. We make our way into Antharikkan's sanctum, bandying words as we prepare to do battle. Even four cultists cannot prevent us from destroying the undead monstrosity, blasting it with fire and walls of whirling blades. Finding the dragon�s secret horde, we uncover three ancient weapons�including Acrola, the Watchful Tooth of Ashardalon, who refuses to be wielded by anyone other than Anacard. 12-13 Marpenoth Emerging from the cellar of Aencar�s Manor, we are ambushed by the Purple Skulls, a hit squad from Darkhold that has been studying our tactics for some time. After a coldball causes walls to collapse on Atreides and myself, the rest of the party seems to be outmatched until the arrival of a nameless bladesinger. Three of the four assassins flee, and we catch up with the bladesinger�Faelyn�who confesses that he is keeping an eye on us at Argentus� request. He leaves, hoping to protect us better from the shadows, and Kurudava flies south towards Highmoon. While walking back to the Abbey of the Sword, we are stopped by two great bronze dragons. Calling themselves Talons of Justice, they haughtily interrogate us, calling Ilyuandiralan a �rogue� and claiming that Faelyn is a dragon in disguise. We return the Sword of the Dales to its rightful inheritor, Jarith Burlisk, who shares his dream of a united Dalelands. A communique from Queen Amlaruil takes us to the Tiru Tel-Quessir, where we meet with some of Elros� comrades and talk to Jezz the Lame about a truce with the Jaelre drow in Cormanthor. 14-16 Marpenoth After receiving a communique from Queen Amlaruil explaining that any council of elves will take some months to organize, we decide to pursue other objectives in this time of great uncertainty. Discussing the matter over an elven breakfast, we decide to investigate the mines of Sessrendale. Naturally, the Arkhen Riders and the miners themselves are not helpful, exhibiting the kind of stubborn arrogance we have come to expect from Arkhenfolk. We manage to catch a brown-robed figure spying on us, however, and discover that he is Bembaer of the Circle of Growth. He takes us to his leader, Elmariel Emarask, who explains that they are attempting to make the blasted ruins of Sessrendale fertile once again. She asks for Anacard�s presence in a Convocation of Druids which will involve the entire Circle of Nine, but explains that the dark presence in the Sessren mines must be destroyed before the restless dead of the dale can be put to rest. We use this knowledge to negotiate with Dheren Ogrebane, Ridemaster of Swordpoint, for an end to Archendale�s monopoly over the mines, and then head back there to investigate and do battle. A pack of wraiths ambushes us over a deep chasm, and though they are easily destroyed their number weakens us. Sage�s troublesome cone of cold causes the rockface to collapse, burying Anacard and Loven, but we are able to dig them out and restabilize the mineshaft using summoned earth elementals. Drawing close to the dark presence, we feel heavy and the light goes dim, and finally we face a vasuthant�an unholy creature with strange powers over time and gravity. It swallows Elros, Loven, and Atreides, but salvos of magic missiles and an opportune heal spell finally bring it down just moments before it crushes Atreides� and Elros� life force. 17-20 Marpenoth Scouring the Sessren mines, we return to Elmariel, who has felt the dark force lifting from the Dead Dale. At midnight a Convocation of the druids is called, and each of the seven remaining of the Circle of Nine begins a ritual, inviting Anacard to join them. Mighty magic and divine power suffuse the ceremony, culminating in a gentle green rain, blazing with magic, that falls for three days. Upon hearing that Beraun and Father Danali have tracked down a copy of the Endless Chants of Alaundo, we hurry to Candlekeep, paying the stiff price of a magical tome (Sage finally got rid of that wretched shadow book! After more than a year!). The beautiful monk Belabra shows us through the Emerald Door and a maze of tower passages, leading us finally through an illusionary wall and a warded door, beyond where Keeper of the Tomes Ulraunt waits. He reads to us from the prophecies, his voice growing more hoarse and agitated, until he slams the door behind us and attacks in the sudden darkness! In the momentary confusion, Elros nearly kills Ulraunt with a jab to the kidneys and we are assaulted in turn by slaying spells. Candlekeep's wards defeat my rays, but finally I had to choke a bitch. At last the fiend possessing Ulraunt gave itself away, and Elros was able to banish it back to its hellish home. Though we tried to explain ourselves to the hysterical Belabra, First Reader Tethtoril arrived and sternly mind-reamed us until he realized that we told the truth, telling us that it would be better if we did not come to Candlekeep again. Arriving back in Highmoon, we find that someone has surreptitiously delivered a book containing further analysis of the prophecy we just received. At last our path is clear: the riddle of the murdered blacksmiths can only be solved by a journey to the Barrens of Doom and Despair. 21-23 Marpenoth We awaken to Beraun's telepathic screams, teleporting in our underwear to the Glaemril Ford anly to find Sage's cohort beset by a great steel cat. Before we can approach close enough to render aid, the cat is killed by a laconic horizon walker named Liruwnan, who claims to be from a place called Union. The plane-walker explains that he is hunting the "steel predators" because Moradin is offering sizable bounties on them, and confirms that they are native to the Barrens of Doom and Despair. Elros completes his bonding with the Slutty Slicer, awakening the power of True Ressurection. While selling his booty, Elros is met by a blue-skinned horned creature speaking with a strange accent, the planar merchant _______, who offers an excellent price on magical treasures and sells us the forked rod we need to travel to the Barrens. We travel to the city of Rigus, a stronghold of an organization known as the Mercykillers, and navigate the bewildering variety of "cutters" in this metropolis in order to pick up the trail of murdered blacksmiths. Finally a humanoid feline named Malachi points us to his merchant friend Varachus, an haughty efreet ore merchant. Between insults, we learn that a series of missing ore shipments are being shipped to a place known as "Kolyarol." Though a trip to the Planar Cartographic Society fails to land us a map of the legendary place--supposedly a massive valley surrounded by impassable peaks that the gods themselves raised around the defeated fiend lord Zandikar--we manage to scry and then teleport into the region. We immediately encounter Belarbreeza Jaelre, who is surprised by our arrival but responds cordially to our entreaties. She explains that Imperagon, the Lord of Iron, is massing an army to invade the material plane, and has been gathering the souls of smiths to forge a great artifact. As we make our way to the far-off fortress of Imperagon, we run into a battle between a party of formians and three humans--who suddenly attack us before transforming into hideous frog-like creatures. The leader's spell banishes Elros and Anacard to a foreign city by the sea before we manage to defeat them. The surviving formian thanks us and offers to take us to his queen for a proper reward. 24-26 Marpenoth Stopping to collect Elros and Anacard from Zazzespur, we make our way to the Hive of the formians. Their queen, though alien and difficult to understand, seemed grateful for our assistance. Though there was no reward to be found, she promised an alliance if we agreed to strike at the den of steel predators that have been attacking her people. As we approached the den, a talking dire tiger warned us that we were poaching on the territory of his master, Mundroot, and that we should leave at once. Impatient, Sage told him that we would not be dissuaded from our quest, and as the tiger stalked away we entered the volcanic cavern. A fierce battle ensued; we were ambushed from above by predators on hidden ledges, and though we defeated one three remained--along with their pack leader, Tavarus, a truly massive beast. Our planning was perfect, though, and despite the grievous wounds suffered by Loven and Atreides, we finally slew the allies of the Iron Lord. 26-29 Marpenoth As we rest in the den of ruin, surrounded by the corpses of our fallen enemies, Mundroot attacks. Gigantic black tigers pounce on Loven, and as we organize our resistance a hail of arrows assaults us from the mouth of the den. Sage's magic seals of the the cave, though, and the archer flees as we dispatch the pair of tigers. Returning to Rigus, we forge an alliance with the alien Queen that allows us safe haven among her people. After a bit of aerial reconnaisance, we mount an assault on the Iron Fortress, curcumventing the Blade Golem and steel predators. Anacard is quickly cut down by the predators' roars, but Athreides raises him with a scroll. Sage blasts through the iron doors and Anacard fills the entrance with impenetrable brambles. 30 Marpenoth Crawling through the blistering heat and resounding hammers of the fortress, we encounter a strange cone-shaped four-armed creature and his mutated beholder guardians. Though the beholders' anti-magic cones and the creature's strange sorcery poses an obstactle, we try to make our way to the the Iron Lord himself. Mounting a magnificent set of stairs we enter a room of supernatural shadow inhabited by Wyrruth, Ambassador to Shade, and his mastiff companion. Smoking idly in his chair, Wyrruth proceeds to explain that Shade is working to secure the peace and stability of the entire region, and that our unwitting efforts have driven the Dales inexorably towards war. Sevoth was an unsanctioned rogue, he says, and the rulers of Archendale are manipulated by powerful undead. Making no claims to noble intentions, Wyrruth nevertheless claims that we are misguided in our opposition to Shadovar aims, casting doubt on many of our exploits in the last year. He then teleports away, leaving us to discover that his unnerving calm was facilitated by the impenetrable wall of force that separated us during our strange conversation. Returning to the central corridor, we encounter the guardian golem--who traps Loven against the wall and cleaves his head in twain. Resisting all our magic and weaponry, we manage to combine efforts to drag the golem into a portable hole. Marpenoth 30-Uktar 1 The noise of our battle leads the strange inhabitants of a nearby room to open the double doors to investigate. Black skinned and bug-eyed, he hisses in a strange language as his spike-tongued bull- dog mounts an assault. Seemingly impervious to our magic and so blindingly fast that our weapons barely connect, "el diablo negro" finally escapes after Atreides uses his most potent spell to drain his very life force. Returning to Rigus, we spend vast amounts of cash to buy adamantine weap- ons from the only surviving smith, a gelugon named Ghorash. Deciding to rely on speed to contin- ue our assault, we teleport back into the Iron Fortress, and find ourselves in the den of a trio of steel predators. As we are bombarded by their bone-shattering roars, Atreides opens the doorway to the next room--revealing two blade golems guarding a glyph-inscribed lead doors. Uktar 2 Armed with adamantine weapons, we cut through the mighty golems' armor like hot butter; and the might of our Art destroys the predators easily. Atreides reminds us how important strategy is to victory--this battle we prevailed against two golems and three steel beasts, and all because of a little preparation. Counteracting the powerful magic of the glyphs, we pass the lead doors into the bow- els of the earth--down several miles at least, Loven tells us, getting hotter all the while. We are coated with sweat as we emerge into a massive foundry pit, columns of molten iron pouring from the ceiling like half-melted candles into a bubbling pit below. Ambushed by azer dervishes and a bladeling slavemaster, we do battle on the precarious stairway above molten oblivion. Emerging victorious, we find our way into the Pit of Toil clear--and a dull-grey sword on the bladeling's body. Uktar 2 The massive pit, filled with thousands of toiling smiths, has a massive foundry in the center. There Anacard turns the molten iron into live wood, Sage and I blast the magma elementals with withering cold, and Atreides and Elros show the azer priest of Bane the power of the Red Knight. Speaking with the captive smiths, we find among them Durgeddin the Black, brother of our ally Geode. He can tell us little of our enemy or his plans--just that he and his men have no choice but to reforge the huge scimitar that Imperagon recovered from shards shattered across the planes. The foundry shattered, we take the nearly finished Blade of Fiery Might and leave to regain our strength. Resting in the formian hive in Rigus, we wake up to find Anthynian gone--and with him, the blade that will allow Imperagon to invade Faerun. Uktar 3 Returning to the Pit of Toil, we find the defenses of the fortress roused against us, and destroy a patrol of yugoloths. A gate leads back to the Iron Fortress, but the way is barred by an iron golem twice as large as those we previously faced. The weakness of a golem is its lack of intelligence, however, and we easily destroy the construct as it stands guarding the gate. We begin the long ascent up winding stairs, hundreds of flights up--only to be confronted by Anthynian, a devil with armor of writhing chains, and an invisible assassin. Loven shouts that Anthynian is under magical control, but Sage is overwhelmed by bloody fure once Anthynian incinerates Elros. Killing Imperagon's minions, he follows Anthynian up the stairs to do spell battle--and disintegrates our comrade in a storm of slaying spells. Uktar 4 Seeking refuge and a means of restoring our slain companions to life, we return to Rigus. The city, however, is besieged by the hellish forces of the Iron Legion, and burns even as we race to confront the Iron Lord for the final battle. With Elros restored to us, however, and Anthynian hungry for vengeance, we emerge from the long staircase into Imperagon's Great Hall. Surrounding him is his consort (restored to duergar form), a fallen angel, and a horned devil wielding a massive spiked chain. The battle is fierce, steel against steel, spell against spell, but even the ancient efreet artifact cannot save Imperagon from death at our hands. His chest pierced with arrows, he collapsed with the words, "But I am the scion... it's not supposed to end like this." Uktar 4-5 His zeal to destroy the Iron Lord overwhelming what little sense he has, Anthynian reaches for the Blade of Fiery Might in order to destroy it, only to be drawn into a battle of wills against the ancient weapon. For once he resists the whispers of power and destruction, and releases the Blade from his grasp, though he finds the evil blade impossible to destroy. Soon after, the yugoloth we call "el diablo negro" returns, teleporting among us with an honor guard of a dozen green-skinned gargoyles. Rather than offering battle, he seeks a bargain: oppose him nevermore, and he will end the siege of Rigus. It is a devil's bargain, but none of us wants the deaths of those who offered us aid and shelter on our conscience, so we agree. Shortly after we return to our home plane, finding that Higmoon was ravaged by a Cult dragon in our absence. Some in Highmoon blame us for bringing the destruction upon them, or for failing to defend the city, though Lord Ulath--grim as ever--makes it clear that he still trusts us. Couriers inform us of the devastation that has befallen Faerun during our battle against Imperagon: the Platinum Knight's crusade against dragonkind, Shade's offer to grant asylum to anyone making the journey, and the disappearance of Vangerdahast after destroying the dragon that attacked Suzail. Using powerful magic, we find him instantly beneath the Dragonmere, and convince him to return to the surface. He parts by asking us to keep his survival a secret, and offering to us a service when we ask it. Uktar 6-10 The Blade of Fiery Might begins its insidious twisting of Anthynian's mind, twisting him to its own ends. But our comrade resists admirably, denying the Blade its prize. One thing is clear: we must destroy it. We research, we commune with the Red Knight, we use every item in our investigatory arsenal to find a way to break again the Blade that was Broken. After several sleepless days, we find our answer: feed it to an elder spellgaunt. Several more days follow before we locate one in the depths of the High Moor, self-proclaimed deity of a tribe of lizardfolk. Using Attreides' talent for diplomacy, we find the lizardfolk and offer their god a gift. Standing before the spellgaunt, a massive spider, the Blade finally overwhelms Anthynian. We are prepared, though, and disable Anthynian so the spellgaunt can devour the Blade. Hightailing it out of there, we head back to Highmoon only to find that the Rage has struck again: a pair of fang dragons land in the ruins of the High Market. Unleashing the full fury of the Hand of Valor, we bring down the first in seconds, and slay the second before it can bring down the Tower of the Rising Moon |
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