Hazeal Nightgranite

Character art by Kiyoshuki

Battleaxe, Handaxe, Throwing Hammer, Warhammer, Daggers, Darts, Slings, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows

Light Armour, Medium Armour

Mason's Tools

## Biographical Information

### Eye Color

Golden yellow (current), stone-grey (previous)

## Character Biography

### Early Life

Hazeal grew up in the dwarven nation of Thorbardin.  At some point, she was engaged to Fibouk Chainbraids.  However, having spent her life underground, she wanted to see the sky at least once before marrying Fibouk, settling down and starting a family.  That desire led her to one pivotal night where, after much effort, she sneaked through the tunnels of Thorbardin and emerged onto the surface.  As the clouds parted and the moons shone down upon her, she was imbued with lunar magic.  Knowing her peoples’ views on magic and the history of dwarven spellcasters, Hazeal felt she would be ostracized as a renegade.  As such, she ventured forth onto the surface and entered a self-imposed exile, never returning to Fibouk, her family or her people.

She began studying with the Mages of High Sorcery, spending some time at Wayreth as an apprentice.  Having felt a particular connection towards Lunitari, she gravitated towards the Red Robes as her studies progressed.

### Prelude to War

Hazeal studied as an apprentice in Wayreth, hoping to be accepted into one of the robed orders of  the Mages of High Sorcery.  After much time as an apprentice, her teacher sent her away from Wayreth for two reasons: to pay respects to her friend, Ispin Greenshield, and to seek out the Barb, a centuries-old spire built before the Cataclysm.

Every year and a half, the moons of Krynn—Solinari the White, Lunitari the Red and Nuitari the Black—aligned in an event known as the Night of the Eye.  On that night, the Barb was filled with magic, unlocking extradimensional spaces that tested aspiring mages.  Hazeal traveled north with her friends, Aurontiros and Rizira, hoping to reach the Barb by the Night of the Eye.  There she would take a test—with an ally of her choosing—and get one step closer to joining the Mages of High Sorcery.  Aurontiros and Rizira had also received a letter indicating that Ispin Greenshield had died. The letter requested their attendance at his memorial, which would be held on the eve of the annual Kingfisher Festival, and explained that accommodations had been reserved at the Brass Crab, a local inn.  After many days and several dangers, though, she woke up to find that Rizira had wandered off.

Hazeal and Aurontiros continued on and found the Barb in the lands of Solamnia, nestled amongst the trees near Lemish.  As they looked overhead, they saw all three moons appear and move into alignment.  They knew that this eclipse was the only time they could see Nuitari (unless you were a follower of the Black Moon).

Aurontiros asked if this test was necessary, given the dangers they’d heard.  Hazeal insisted she had to take the test if she ever wanted to join the Mages of High Sorcery, and she would be branded a renegade if she did not.  Aurontiros thought the latter would not be too bad as she could travel with unscrupulous characters like themselves, but Hazeal pointed out she did so anyway.  Aurontiros conceded that one of them had to be reputable and renewed their promise to help her to the best of their abilities—even if they would get nothing in return but a story.  Aurontiros was briefly alarmed at the sight of Nuitari and had second thoughts about helping Hazeal, but eventually followed after Hazeal grabbed their arm and dragged them through an arch and into the ruins.

Hazeal and Aurontiros found themselves in a large atrium lit with flaming sconces and moonlight shining through overhead windows.  At the centre, surrounded by tapestries of Krynn’s moons, stood a woman in red robes.  She introduced herself as Rovina, the Barb’s caretaker.  Rovina identified Hazeal and Aurontiros as the aspirant and her companion, respectively, and welcomed them to the atrium.  She used her magic to create a glass of water and gave it to Hazeal, who nervously drank its contents.  Rovina asked Aurontiros what kind of elf they were, but they declined to answer.  Still she sensed they possessed some magic, though not as much as Hazeal.  Rovina told Hazeal that her master had given a positive impression of her.  She hoped Hazeal would survive the upcoming test.

While pondering that ominous statement, Hazeal and Aurontiros saw several doors leading outside, though no other entrances had been visible from the exterior. Aurontiros told Hazeal they had heard someone screaming and something burning.

Rovina explained another aspirant was undergoing the Trial by Fire beyond that door, and that they would be taking another trial.  She was noncommittal to Aurontiros’s hope that it would be easier.  Instead, she bid Hazeal to walk around the atrium, holding her hands out as she passed the doors.  Hazeal complied.  As she passed, one door creaked and stiffened, another locked itself and a third became covered in ice.  The fourth, however, began glowing with a red light.  Rovina confirmed that Hazeal’s trial would be through that door, as Lunitari had chosen her.  The caretaker observed that that was a fitting choice, given what she had heard of the dwarf.   Rovina went on to explain that passing the test required the completion of whatever trial lay within the room, which was only accessible that night.  If Hazeal failed the test, she would—probably—be expelled and have to wait until the next Night of the Eye to try again.  Rovina added that this test was not usually dangerous, but required some magical aptitude to pass and would serve as a foundational learning step for the actual Test of High Sorcery.

Aurontiros asked if Hazeal needed another year and a half to gain more experience.  Hazeal claimed they would be fine, though she looked unconvinced.  The two had some second thoughts on the matter, particularly after Aurontiros suggested the possibility of one of them losing a hand.  After going so far as to consider an act of cowardice like Rizira, Hazeal mustered the courage to pass through the door, disappearing in a flash of light.  Aurontiros hesitated, but followed their friend as they found Rovina more frightening.

They found themselves alone in a wide rotunda.  A door displaying a golden lock was set into the wall opposite them, while a pedestal holding a similarly golden key stood in the centre of the room.  Hazeal and Aurontiros thought the test seemed too simple and obvious.  Nevertheless, Hazeal tried the simple approach and headed for the key, but only managed two steps before walking into an invisible stone wall.  Hazeal was confused as she saw nothing, but Aurontiros saw a smudge of forehead grease briefly float in the air before fading away.  Aurontiros took out a piece of charcoal and began tracing it along the wall as they walked.  As he did, though, Hazeal noticed the charcoal line fading behind them.  Seeing her companion reach a corner, Hazeal wondered if this was some sort of maze.  Meanwhile, Aurontiros tried tracing charcoal lines on the floor and saw those marks did not fade away.  Hazeal and Aurontiros guessed they had to feel their way along by crawling on the floor and marking the way with charcoal.

After about forty-five minutes, Aurontiros had deduced that the maze was circular in shape.  They tried jumping over the walls of the maze, only to find it stretched all the way up.  Having had enough, Hazeal decided to take her warhammer (which had her arcane focus fused to it), swing it against the wall and cast Earth Tremor.  An invisible wall collapsed, though one of the stones fell on Aurontiros’ foot.  Seeing they had started to clear a path to the key, Hazeal found the closest wall and cast Earth Tremor with her warhammer again.  The wall obligingly fell apart and Hazeal found herself directly in front of the key.  When she touched it, the walls of the maze evaporated.

Hazeal complimented Aurontiros on almost passing a wizard test without wizardry before using the key to unlock the door.  Stepping through, she found herself back in the atrium and saw Rovina sipping tea.  Rovina observed that Hazeal had employed some unusual methods, but had successfully passed her apprenticeship and was one step closer to joining the Mages of High Sorcery.

Reaching into thin air, Rovina pulled out a scroll and some spellbooks.  Handing the scroll to Hazeal, Rovina told her that, in order to complete her tutelage and continue her ascension, she had to find a black robe mage named Wyhan.  She warned the dwarf against opening the scroll, as its contents were for him alone.  She said Wyhan was in the city of Kalaman, near the town of Vogler, and recalled she was heading in that direction anyway for Ispin Greenshield’s funeral.  Rovina then handed out the spellbooks to Hazeal and Aurontiros.  Hazeal was encouraged to use the book to record her magic, discoveries, enlightenment and pursuit of knowledge.  Aurontiros was told their book was intended as a souvenir, a way to record their songs and stories.  However, Rovina also invited them to seek out the Barb in a year and a half if they decided to pursue the arcane arts.  Aurontiros admitted he found the prospect tempting.

Rovina congratulated Hazeal again and expressed her hopes that Hazeal would one day join her order.  Recognizing her words as a dismissal, Hazeal thanked her.  Hazeal and Aurontiros left through a door that magically opened before them.  Aurontiros immediately realized they were in a forest, but not the same one they entered.  Hazeal rejoiced at passing her test before realizing the same.  Before they could do anything, the door closed behind them.

They began traveling when a farm boy ran up and begged for their aid.  They followed to find an overturned wagon, several bodies, two soldiers in armour, a young blonde girl sitting by the side of the road… and Rizira dragging a longsword behind her. Rizira wondered how her friends had arrived so quickly.  Hazeal explained they came from a magic tower and confirmed she had passed her test.  Rizira was delighted to hear the good news, then offered the longsword she was carrying.

The soldiers seemed shocked to see Aurontiros’s elven features, with one going so far as asking them if they were actually an elf.  Aurontiros gave a noncommittal response.  The soldier then asked the girl if he could heal her companion and learned she had little magic left.  As the other soldier assured her he was fine, Rizira whispered to her friends that the girl had healing powers.  The male soldier tried to dismiss Rizira’s claims, but the kender quickly reassured him that Hazeal and Aurontiros were her friends.  The soldiers eventually accepted her assurances after learning Hazeal and Aurontiros had known Rizira for more than an hour.

The female soldier asked if Hazeal was a mage and wanted to see something.  She led the dwarf past three bodies covered in canvas to another part of the battlefield, where three piles of stone and dust stood next to a hunched, reptilian statue wrapped in a cloak and brandishing weapons.  As they approached, the statue crumbled to dust.

The female soldier was disappointed that the evidence had disintegrated.  She disagreed with the male soldier’s assertion that they would accept her word as the hinterlands were not fond of the Solamnic knights.  Aurontiros wanted to know what happened.  Rizira brought them up to speed, explaining that she and the female soldier had been briefly encased in stone.  The female soldier pointed the male soldier towards his longsword, though it had been severely bent.  The male soldier confirmed that the cloaked figures had turned to stone, explaining that his sword had been trapped inside its body.  Hearing that he had helped the kender, Aurontiros repaired his sword with Mending.

The group took the opportunity to exchange their names.  Hazeal examined the creatures with her Stonecunning and was baffled, but concluded they had turned into some kind of magical stone like basalt before turning to dust.  Based on their wings, which she confirmed from Godfrey and Rizna, she concluded they were some kind of draconic humanoid.

Levna ordered the others to right the wagon and put the bodies on top.  She initially slipped, but managed to help Godfrey and Hazeal right the wagon.  Meanwhile, Aurontiros Mended Rizira’s rapier.  Kelara retrieved some loose canvas and rope and wrapped it around her staff.  She asked the others if they could keep her magical healing a secret for now.  They agreed with her request. Levna asked if Kelara’s town had a tavern.  Kelara replied that her family lived outside the town, which had two taverns.  Levna asked for directions to the best one as she wanted to buy them all drinks.  Kelara offered to direct them to the one she worked at.  Rizira offered to pay with the steel coins she ‘found’. With that decided, Levna, Godfrey and Hazeal loaded the dead Solamnic knights into the wagon and began dragging it back to town.  Kelara chose to walk alongside Godfrey.  Rizira hitched a ride in the front of the wagon (episode 1).

### When Home Burns

The group slowly traveled down the road.  At some point, Godfrey noticed that Rizira had acquired his pommel and demanded to know how it came into her possession. Godfrey abruptly stopped pulling the cart, eliciting a complaint from Hazeal.  Rizira claimed she had found it and guessed he had dropped it earlier.  Godfrey asked for the pommel’s return, explaining it was a gift from Ispin and he kept it for good luck.  Godfrey thanked her for returning the item, apologized for the sudden stop and resumed pulling the cart.

Before long, the fishing village of Vogler soon came into view.  The party saw its modest wooden buildings, clustered around a quaint central circle and along the riverbank, and the ivy-covered remnants of a crumbling stone keep, which some of them recognized as Thornwall Keep, where the retired Solamnic Knight Becklin Uth Viharin served as castellan.  They also saw wooded cliffs that overlooked the village and an incomplete stone bridge of incredible artisanship that dated to before the Cataclysm.  Dozens of small boats drifted along the murky waters of the Vingaard River.

Kelara began to split off until Rizira noticed her departure.  She explained to the kender that she had to return to work, where she would have been had she not been summoned to provide her healing services at the mercenary camp.  After learning she still made fish pies, Godfrey decided to stop by for a visit.  Hazeal and Rizira agreed, drawn by the prospect of food.

As the others talked, Aurontrios noticed a shirtless, broad-chested, blond human man chopping wood.  The man wiped his brow, saw the group and called out Kelara’s name.

He was surprised that she was not at work.  Kelara explained that she had gone to the mercenary camp as someone had eaten one of the orange mushrooms.  After scoffing at who would try eating one of the notoriously poisonous mushrooms, the man wiped his brow and walked over, picking up his tunic along the way.  He observed that Kelara was traveling with a motley crew.  Kelara explained they had come to pay respects at Ispin's funeral.  Kern/the man was then shocked to realize that Aurontiros was an elf, though Aurontiros teasingly suggested that they were a handsome devil instead.  After apologizing for staring, he revealed that Aurontiros was the second elf he’d seen that day, and wondered if it was a sign of good luck.  The man added that the other elf was a woman, had blue skin, rode into the village on a white stallion, had a majestic air and spoke with a certain accent.  Aurontiros had fun at the man’s expense, which amused Kelara to no end.  Seeing Rizira mime kissing the back of her hand, and feeling confused and overwhelmed, the man kissed Aurontiros’s hand.  Hazeal walked behind Aurontiros and hip-checked the elf into the man.  Aurontiros flirted with the man, causing even more amusement amongst the rest of the group.

At that point, a young voice piped up with the observation that there were dead people.  Turning around, they saw a young boy at the cart, lifting the tarp and gawking at the bodies underneath.  Kelara walked over, slapped his hand, grabbed his ear and began to scold him.  The boy insisted he was old enough to look at dead bodies before noticing the others—Aurontiros, in particular—and asked whether the elf had killed them.  Still holding his ear, Kelara dragged him away from the cart.  Godfrey wondered aloud if the boy was Landon, prompting the boy to ask who ‘the man with greasy hair’ was.

Kelara scolded the boy for sneaking up on them.  The boy retorted that he was practising his sneaking skills to help him catch rabbits, explaining he was trying to find and catch female rabbits for someone named Leon, who apparently sought to breed them with something called Monkey.

While Kelara was scolding the boy, Rizira picked his pockets.  She found half a carrot, amongst other things, which she began to eat.  This drew the boy’s attention away from Kelara.  He recognized that Rizira was a kender, revealing that another kender named Froswin sold fish-bone puppets at the village market.  Kelara suggested that the boy improve his stealth by trying to sneak up on a kender.  Rizira agreed before returning a vial full of syrup and a headless toy soldier.  When the boy revealed that rabbits liked maple syrup, Rizira asked him to drizzle some on her carrot.

The other man introduced himself as Kern and tentatively recognized Godfrey.  Godfrey and Kern subsequently stumbled through their greetings, as the latter was still reeling from his encounter with not one, but two actual elves.  Kern asked why they were dragging a cart filled with bodies.  After Godfrey gave a vague explanation, Kern offered to find them a donkey.  Levna agreed with Godfrey’s polite refusal, though she sarcastically commented that the beast would have been useful earlier.  She asked whether the ‘lover boy’ was ready to go, prompting some confusion from Godfrey and Aurontiros as each thought she was referring to the other.  At Hazeal’s suggestion, Kern agreed to help them push the cart.

Together, they continued on their journey.  Rizira climbed back on top of the cart and excitedly went back and forth to see the ‘sights’ of Vogler (though she took care to step over the dead bodies).  During the short trek, she managed to find two pears, a crab apple with a worm and a stick that somehow made its way into her hair.  As they made their way past the River Gate, they saw the two leaping fish carved into the wood and noted how the coin-sized scales were etched with prayers for bountiful fishing and initials of love markings.

They briefly entered Vogler, briefly exchanging greetings with villagers, before making their way to Thornwall Keep.  As they set down the cart, Aurontiros moved to knock on the door, only to be beaten by a determined Hazeal.  A young dark-haired man opened the door with a smile. They gave a friendly welcome before starting again with a more formal greeting.  Kelara returned the greetings and introduced them as Darrett to the others.  The group explained they had brought some dead Solamnic knights from the road, with Kelara adding that they needed to see Becklin.  Darrett asked them to wait outside and closed the door.

A moment later, a striking grey-haired woman wearing the plate armour of a Knight of the Crown stepped out to join them.  Hazeal bluntly explained they had a cart of corpses, prompting Rizira to pull back the tarp.  Kelara chastised them for their lack of tact, gently explaining the knights had been attacked on the road before her group came upon them.  Rizira added that the attackers were strange lizard creatures, though she admitted it was hard to believe.  Levna confirmed it and bowed, nudging Godfrey to follow suit.  Becklin realized they were the individuals to whom she had sent letters regarding Ispin’s passing and promptly identified each member.  She then inspected the bodies, recognizing them as knight-errants.  Kern voiced his shock at what he had helped carry until Kelara gave him a gentle nudge.

Becklin asked if they had killed the creatures who had slain the knights.  Rizira answered in the affirmative, admitted that they had turned to stone before crumbling to dust, but insisted she was telling the truth despite the lack of evidence.  Godfrey and Levna backed up Rizira’s accounts.  The three added that the creatures bore claws and wings, with Rizira pulling up her clothes to reveal her wounds.  Kelara quietly agreed with their report.  After Becklin noted that Rizira was fortunate to escape with relatively minor injuries, she told the group that Thornwall Keep would be the site of a mock battle and asked them to help transport the bodies to the cellar until there was time to properly bury them.  Godfrey admitted it did not feel right to leave the bodies behind.  Becklin commended Godfrey for his honour and asked for Levna’s assessment.  After smirking at the use of the honourific ‘Sir’, Levna replied that Godfrey had fought bravely—albeit a little too bravely, at times—and skillfully, admitting she was the one who had almost died.

Learning that they only had a few hours until the funeral, Rizira asked about the Brass Crab.  Becklin confirmed that rooms had been set aside for guests claiming to be friends of Ispin.  Kelara offered to provide directions before returning to her job at the Fish Bowl.  Becklin was angered at the thought that the proprietor, known by most as Uncle, would have her work during the funeral and insisted she attend to honour Ispin’s memory.  Kelara balked at the idea of telling Uncle that attending the funeral took precedence, deciding to tell him after the fact.  With that settled, Becklin had the group help transport the bodies to the cellar, offering prayers along the way.  Seeing that one of the bodies had to be laid on the ground, Godfrey put his cloak down first.

Once they had finished moving the bodies, Becklin told them she would find Cudgel and meet them at the Brass Crab in an hour.  She hoped they had stories to tell at the wake.  Godfrey offered to pay for a night’s stay as thanks for their aid in bringing the bodies back for burial.  Becklin thanked Godfrey for his generosity and suggested they wash their hands carefully in case the creatures left any dangerous residue behind.  She assured Rizira that the Brass Crab was set by the river if she wanted a full bath, given her tale of being covered in a stone coating.  Becklin then asked Aurontiros about their trip from Qualinesti and expressed interest in their people, hoping to have a conversation later on.  Aurontiros agreed to talk with her, provided he had enough to drink.  Becklin assured them that there would be a selection of beverages made available, invited them to enjoy the Kingfisher Festival the next day, but asked that they meet her after the wake ended.

Before they parted ways, Aurontiros inquired about the blue elf they had heard about.  Becklin admitted there was a Silvanesti elf named Leedara and asked Darrett for further details.  Darrett confirmed Leedara’s presence and observed that her efforts at staying mysterious were hampered by her unusual appearance.  After some gentle admonishment from Becklin, Darrett rephrased their words in a way that Rizira could not understand.  Aurontiros made some comments, only to abruptly leave when realizing they had made the situation more awkward.  Hazeal wryly commented that at least the elf had recognized it this time.

The party made their way back into town.  Despite the upcoming funeral, they saw Vogler was a warm, homely place and observed the ongoing preparations for the Kingfisher Festival.  As they passed by a horseshoe-shaped structure, which they later learned was known as Westide House, they overheard someone loudly chastise another for bringing the wrong shoes and promising to inform their father.  Moments later, a blond child in fine clothes stormed out.

Godfrey quietly sidled up to Kelara and asked for details.  Kelara carefully weighed her words before tentatively replying that an exiled family from Solamnia had recently moved into the house.  Aurontiros called out to the boy, prompting Kelara to hide behind Godfrey.  The boy mistook the mocking flattery offered by Aurontiros and Hazeal as recognition of his station.  He asked if they were there for Ispin’s funeral, dismissing the knight as a pauper who had worked for his father once or twice. Aurontiros asked the boy for his name, slipping an insult into the question.  The boy introduced himself as Bakaris Uth Estide. Hazeal looked at Rizira and tilted her head towards Bakaris.  Taking the hint, Rizira slipped away.

Bakaris the Younger insulted Aurontiros’ hearing before promising to see them again at the funeral, as there was nothing better to do. Aurontiros asked why they lived in the village if they despised it so much.  Taking advantage of the distraction, Rizira slipped a brightly-coloured frog found down Bakaris’s shirt.

Bakaris burst out in shock, prompting Aurontiros to make a jest.  Pulling out the frog, he moved to throw the creature against a nearby wall before Rizira bumped him and Aurontiros caught his hand.  Godfrey firmly suggested that they all go their separate ways.  Bakaris rudely told them they were on his property and told them off before storming back into his home and calling out for his boots.

Aurontiros reassured Kelara that the frog was all right and returned it to Rizira at her request.  Godfrey suggested the kender keep a closer eye on her frog in the future—though Aurontiros noted that such a wild creature did not belong to anyone—and they should keep their distance from Bakaris in the future.  Kelara hurried them along, pointing out that they had the luxury of passing through, while she had to live with him and could suffer the consequences should she be noticed.  In response to Aurontiros’s questions, Kelara confirmed Bakaris’s nature, revealed that his father—Lord Bakaris Uth Estide—owned the house and that Bakaris the Younger deferred to his elder.  Hazeal commented the name was fancy enough to make her sick.  Levna advised her to aim her vomit at the house, but asked her to avoid the nearby peonies as they did not deserve such treatment.  She confirmed Godfrey’s recollections that they had left Solamnia due to raiders, but he had also been involved in an accident that occurred during a duel.

To the others, Levna explained that the duel involved Bakaris the Younger and Halperin, the son of a local leader and nobleman.  She added that most duels would have several witnesses and involve the use of blunted sabres.  However, few people were present to offer eyewitness testimony.  Godfrey and Levna agreed that Halperin was a fine man.

Moments later, they arrived at the Brass Crab, a modest single-story inn on the village wharf that vaguely resembled a crab.  Walking in, they were greeted by a woman who then asked Kelara if she had brought the pies.  Kelara replied that she had come from the mercenary camp and was directing travelers.  Godfrey repeated his offer of paying for their rooms.  Rizira offered to pay with the coin she found after their earlier battle, but relented when Godfrey insisted.  The woman noted Godfrey’s generosity and offered additional service for a fee.  Hazeal quickly told Aurontiros off before they could take advantage.  Godfrey paid for Aurontiros, Hazeal, Rizira, Levna and himself.  Guessing Kelara would sleep at her home rather than the inn, he offered to buy her drinks instead.  Kelara agreed to his request.

The woman asked them to sign into the inn’s registry and encouraged Rizira to accept a standard bed—which was larger than a kender—so she could stretch out and enjoy herself.  She also asked Rizira to show her all the items in her pack before leaving, under the guise of wanting to hear kender stories about everything she had found on her travels.

Kelara asked Levna to accompany her, both to retrieve the pies and relay Becklin’s request that she attend the funeral.  Levna saw her reluctance to challenge her ‘Uncle’ and charged Godfrey to find her a comfortable room that faced the south. Aurontiros, Godfrey, Hazeal and Rizira were all assigned rooms on the first floor and quickly settled in.

Aurontiros, Godfrey and Hazeal spent the next few hours unpacking their belongings.  At dusk, they were summoned to attend Ispin’s funeral.  Aurontiros played an elven melody, promising to tell the story behind it during the wake. Becklin stepped forward and gave a short speech before villagers lifted the boat and carried it to the dock’s edge.  With Cudgel’s/a dwarf’s help, Becklin lowered the boat into the water and pushed it out onto the Vingaard River before offering a few more words.  After a moment of silence, she invited everyone to return to the Brass Crab to drink and share stories.  They followed her back inside, though many were talking about the beautiful melody Aurontiros had played.  Several people approached the bard to extend their compliments.

The adventurers enjoyed the lavish spread of food, *filmjölk* and the plentiful supply of alcohol with several other people, including Levna, an attractive female mountain dwarf (who caught Hazeal’s eye), a fancy-looking forest gnome, a girl conducting card readings and a shirtless man (who Kelara recognized as Leon).  After some time, Becklin called for everyone’s attention and requested that they share stories about Ispin, as per his request.  She began with an account of how Ispin had been tasked with recovering a weasel that had been launched from Mount Nevermind—or, at least, recording their trajectory.  Becklin also gave an account of how he saved a village by using his famous shield to blind a marauding ankheg, who burrowed underground and off a cliff, leaving behind an underground cave system that was well-suited to storing cheeses—one that was named after him in his honour.

Aurontiros offered to tell the next story, which took place several years ago.  They revealed that they were taken prisoner by hobgoblins, who kept him alive as long as they provided entertainment.  As time passed, the hobgoblins grew bored and Aurontiros grew tired.  They decided to play a song of mourning as their last melody, as no one else would mourn their untimely demise.  As they played, a hero came out of the woods, riding a unicorn and wielding a flaming pumpkin like one of the tales they had recently made up.  While the hobgoblins scattered in panic, Aurontiros quickly realized the ‘unicorn’ was a mere horse with a carrot tied to its head.  The rider, as it turned out, was Ispin Greenshield, and the song Aurontiros played at Ispin’s funeral was the same one they had played before their rescue.

Hazeal was next, explaining her elven mentor knew Ispin and gave her a story to tell at his wake.  She explained that minotaur pirates had once chased Ispin’s ship across the Blood Sea of Istar for three days.  He eventually lured the pirates into the Maelstrom and saw his ship to safety, only to fall into the water from sleep deprivation before she had docked.  Her mentor rescued him with a Levitate spell and left him sleeping on the docks.  After his crew revived him, he found her mentor and thanked her properly.

As she told the story, she thought back to her mentor and how she had grown close to her despite being regarded as an amusement and an oddity.  She laughed to herself as she belatedly realized Ispin and her mentor had a romantic tryst.

Kelara volunteered to tell a tale she had never told, as Ispin had bribed her to keep quiet.  She revealed that a nanny goat had become attracted to Ispin, following him everywhere and frequently knocking him over—once into a horse trough.  She mischievously concluded that Ispin could not be irritated at her now.

Rizira then jumped up on the bar to tell her own tale.  Looking through her bag for inspiration, she pulled out a wig and explained how she and Ispin once sneaked onto an island of minotaurs.  They disguised themselves by having Rizira sitting on Ispin’s soldiers and donning a cloak and wig.  After several near-misses, their luck ran out as the wig came flying off.  The good-natured laughter died off as Bakaris the Younger insulted her story—and his ale—from the back.  As Rizira talked back, Hazeal walked over and told him to watch how much he drank.  Having come close enough to reduce the number of witnesses, she cast Ray of Sickness.  He took a sip of ale, stopped, wondered aloud what Hazeal had done, then vomited over his clothes.  Rizira piped up that this reminded her of another story, one where Ispin did a better job of holding his drink.  As the crowd cheered, Bakaris the Younger threatened to tell his father before running out.  Hazeal was unimpressed.

While Hazeal and some others cleaned up Bakaris’s mess, Aurontiros passed the time with a less melancholic version of the song they’d just played, this time with accompanying lyrics that they had recently composed.

After several more stories were told, Godfrey stepped up.  Several people recognized the squire—some going so far to admire his assets.  Rather than tell a tale, though he conceded there were many, Godfrey simply talked about how Ispin trained many people, encouraged them to say what was on their mind and urged them to follow their dreams.  He observed how many stories ended in a tryst, then concluded with a thoughtful poem in his memory.

As the friends gathered by a table, they were joined by a dwarf.  She introduced herself as Ridomir ‘Cudgel’ Ironsmile. Recognizing Hazeal as a mountain dwarf, she asked if she had snuck out from her home of Thorbardin.  Hazeal confirmed it, admitting she had to see the skies and vaguely admitting that they subsequently claimed her.  Cudgel regretted that Hazeal’s mentor had not come herself due to their breakup, revealing that Ispin truly cared about her.  Looking back, Hazeal knew her mentor had business to attend to, but sensed she—and her fellow mages—were being rather cagey.

Hazeal simply said that her mentor was fond of Ispin too.  Cudgel recognized Rizira as a kender and wryly noted how many things she’d ‘borrowed’ from him.  Rizira protested her innocence.  Cudgel also gave her greetings to Aurontiros, recognizing they hailed from Qualinesti, before encouraging them to attend the Battle of High Hill.  She told them it was a mock re-enactment that was held during the Kingfisher Festival in memory of the time the Istarians attacked Thornwall Keep.  Usually it was a casual affair, but this year, the role of the Istarians would be played by her mercenary company.  Godfrey was interested in joining the re-enactment, as he never had the opportunity as a child, and persuaded some of his friends to join.  Cudgel asked them to talk to Becklin tomorrow if they were still interested, as she was organizing the affair. In Dwarvish, Cudgel encouraged Hazeal to try a liquor that was native to Hinterlund.  If she found herself homesick, it was reminiscent of the fungal spirits she used to enjoy in Thorbardin.

Once Cudgel said her goodbyes and departed, Aurontiros got Kelara’s attention.  Rizira whispered in Kelara’s ear that they wanted to pull a prank on Bakaris the Younger that night and asked if she was interested.  The kender suggested filling the man’s boots with manure, but Kelara felt he might respond by whipping his innocent servants.  Godfrey loudly drank his ale, announcing that he could not stop anything he could not hear.  Hearing Levna ask if he wanted another drink, Godfrey then agreed to get more drinks for his friends to establish plausible deniability.  Kelara suggested postponing the prank to the following day and holding it in public, so Bakaris the Younger could not blame anyone.  She offered to show them where to find manure and provide paper to wrap them in.

Godfrey left to get drinks just as Becklin joined them.  She asked Kelara to fetch the squire. While waiting for Godfrey and Kelara, Hazeal asked Aurontiros what they were plotting.  The bard explained they were planning to pull a prank on Bakaris the Younger during the Kingfisher Festival tomorrow.  They hoped to make manure bombs, but wanted it to look like an accident. Rizira noticed an unusual amount of eyebrow wiggling from Aurontiros and guessed they were informing Hazeal of their plans.  Hazeal confirmed her suspicions with a wink.

Becklin called out to Godfrey and Kelara, asking them to come back for a moment before resuming their carousing. When everyone had gathered together, Becklin thanked them for paying their respects and offering their aid with the Solamnic knights.  She added that Ispin had left something for the group and asked that they come by the keep first thing in the morning.  Becklin then said her goodbyes, as she knew they wanted to enjoy the rest of the wake.

The group returned to their carousing, with the more perceptive members noting that the fortune teller was possibly flirting with Levna.  Aurontiros suggested they visit the fortune teller another time and asked if anyone wanted to talk to the blue elf instead.  Rizira offered to approach Leedara and quickly scampered off.  The others wondered if Rizira needed backup, but decided she would be fine.

Rizira, and later, Aurontiros talked to Leedara.  Any thoughts or conversations were soon interrupted as Leedara suddenly began to sing an Elven song.  It was so captivating that it brought all conversation to a halt.  Godrey, Kelara, Rizira and several other people were brought to tears by the song’s beauty.  Leedara then returned to her room.  The wake came to an end shortly and everyone retired for the night.

Aurontiros, Godfrey, Hazeal and Rizira woke up without a significant hangover. A festive air greeted them as the villagers made preparations for the Kingfisher Festival.  As they met outside the Brass Crab, they were joined by Darrett.  He offered to escort them back to Thornwall Keep and provide them with breakfast.  Kelara accepted Darrett’s offer and took his arm, much to Godfrey’s dismay, recognizing the breakfast consisted of the freshly baked fish pies she had just made.  Rizira tried to take a fish pie but was caught by Godfrey and Kelara.  Darrett eventually offered her an apple or Levna’s pie after Godfrey explained she had an ‘important meeting’ and would not be joining them.  Rizira gratefully accepted the apple.

As Darrett led them off, they asked how the newcomers found Vogler.  Aurontiros replied that, having seen the outside world, they would choose to stay in Vogler if they had to make that choice.  Darrett peppered the group with questions and comments; expressing their desire of visiting Qualinesti to Aurontiros, admiring Hazeal’s hammer and asking if it had a name, and asking Godfrey if he had named his sword.  Godfrey admitted he had not chosen a name.  Darrett expressed disappointment, revealing that he had named his sword Bright Cutter, though he admitted he had yet to cut anything with it.

Hazeal claimed she had not named her hammer.  Darrett found that surprising given her origins and offered the name ‘Skullcrusher’.  Looking tentatively at the sword Aurontiros Mended, Godfrey admitted he had difficulty naming things and asked the others for help.  Darrett recognized that Hazeal was an adept and Initiate of High Sorcery, admitting they did not sleep much and spent much of their time in the keep’s library.  They expressed their hopes to hold more conversations with them, before finally recognizing Godfrey.  After receiving compliments on his hair, Godfrey replied that he was following Ispin’s suggestion of providing a distraction.  Darrett told him his handsome features were distracting enough, much to Kelara’s mirth.

By that point, they had made their way to Thornwall Keep.  Becklin greeted them, this time in simple shirt and breeches, wryly guessing their journey took longer than usual due to Darrett’s many questions.  She led them on a quick tour as they went to the library, encouraging them to enjoy the fish pies along the way and admitted she’d taken up an interest in history since being stationed in Vogler.  Becklin left them in the library while she retrieved their gift.  While they waited, Hazeal hoped that the gift was not a token of affection from Ispin to her mentor, as she found the prospect awkward.

Becklin returned with a shallow box, warning it came with the condition that they participate for him in the Kingfisher Festival.  Specifically, he asked that they take his place during the re-enactment of the Battle of High Hill.  After conveying his fondness for each of them, Becklin opened the box and revealed Ispin’s green shield.  The group remembered one of Ispin’s many tales: how he had fled from raiders and quenched his thirst in a nearby brook, only to be greeted by a majestic unicorn who bequeathed him the shield that he carried for the rest of his day… the same shield that he had passed on to them (episode 2).

The group stared at Ispin’s shield, painted green with a carving of a scarred broadleaf tree.  They wondered again if Ispin’s tale of how he received the shield was true or another tall tale.  However, they quickly started to wonder how five individuals could realistically share a single shield.  Becklin made no stipulations or offered any suggestions on how they would carry it, only going so far as to officially release the shield after they promised to attend the re-enactment.  Godfrey quickly agreed to the request and was pleased to hear that Darrett would also be there as leader of the defending Solamnic forces.

Becklin found it fitting that Godfrey, an aspiring Solmanic knight, would attend the battle.  She reassured Aurontiros and Hazeal that she saw no problem with an elf and dwarf, respectively, roleplaying human warriors during the mock battle.  When Rizira made a stipulation of riding a mule due to her height, Becklin laughingly reassured the kender that the defenders likely had some sort of cavalry.  Kelara agreed to attend, though she warned that Landon might also make an appearance.  Becklin then asked Godfrey to invite Levna, having been surprised at her absence.  Godfrey assured her that Levna was attending a personal matter.  Hazeal asked if there were any rules on how they fought.  Guessing what Hazeal was getting at, Becklin requested that she restrict herself to parlour tricks, as everyone would be fighting with padded weapons and blunted blades and no one was expected to get seriously hurt.  When Rizira wondered if manure was an acceptable weapon, Becklin expressed her hopes that such a tool would not be seen.

Seeing that further explanation might be useful, Becklin explained that the mock battle re-enacted how the Knights of Solamnia triumphed over enemy forces from the eastern nation of Istar.  This year, Mayor Raven Uth Vogler had arranged for Cudgel and her Ironclad Regiment to play the part of the Istarians.  The idea would be for the enemy to charge up the hill, the defenders would charge down the hill and after a few moments, the enemy would retreat and everyone would congregate for celebratory drinks.  Aurontiros recognized it as a form of Live Action Story Telling, as elves were known for LASTing.  Hazeal wondered if hallucinatory mushrooms would accomplish the same effect, but Aurontiros suggested she save their acquisition for another day.  Becklin assured her that she saw no problem with her using minor magics, so long as they did not incur the wrath of the Mages of High Sorcery.  She recommended that Rizira acquire a donkey from Ricken, a merchant in the village circle.  Rizira thanked her for her suggestion and buying the breakfast.  She also extended her compliments to Kelara, which were quickly echoed by Godfrey.

Godfrey then turned the conversation to who would carry the shield into the mock battle.  Rizira and Hazeal quickly pointed out that Godfrey was the aspiring knight.  Aurontiros felt that the honour should fall to Godfrey or Kelara, as they grew up in Vogler and knew Ispin more personally.  Kelara insisted Godfrey bear the shield as she had no idea how to use one and Ispin would want him to carry it.  As Hazeal conceded she was somewhat familiar with its use as a dwarf, Kelara picked it up and demonstrated how it was too big for her.  Finally persuaded, Godfrey reverently picked up the shield.  Rizira cleaned it up with some spit.  Aurontiros, Godfrey and Rizira spent a minute talking about Godfrey’s hair before Becklin politely motioned them to the door.  On the way out, Hazeal cast Mage Armor on herself.  Rizira fished out a half-eaten cookie wrapped in a napkin bearing a sketch of a happy pug.  Darrett recognized it as his, but declined to take it back as he’d lost it two days ago.  Rizira happily finished it off, no matter how stale it was, and complimented his artistry.  Darrett explained that it was a drawing of his pug.

The group parted ways with Darrett and walked back into town, where the festival was already underway.  In the village circle, they saw colourful banners, paper decorations shaped like kingfishers, temporary stalls selling food and crafts and an ancient tree providing shelter for picnickers.  Mayor Raven Uth Vogler took the stage to greet the partygoers with a speech, officially starting the Kingfisher Festival.

As they walked through the circle, they saw a pair of men canoodling, a family attempting to give their child something other than juice, a loud and drunken lout… and Landon stealing an apple.  Landon tried to sneak away, only to bump into the group.  A disapproving Kelara told him he had not been particularly sneaky, while Godfrey gave him a copper piece and insisted he pay for the apple.  Hazeal was simply confused.  Rizira slipped a hand into Landon’s pocket before he paid for the apple and found a metal canister.  Hearing something skitter inside, she opened it and released a wolf spider, who climbed onto her hand, looked at the kender, then crawled back inside.  Godfrey offered the apple to Aurontiros before quietly asking Kelara if Landon often partook in such activities.  Kelara reluctantly confirmed it with a sigh, saying she felt her brother did not understand the consequences or perceptions of his actions.  Aurontiros assured her that he would learn his lesson once he had been caught enough times.  Kelara expressed concern that someone would punish him too severely, as opposed to simply putting him to work.  Hazeal wondered if Landon needed to be scared straight.

After considering their options, they found themselves interested in the fish catch.  Kelara warned Godfrey that the event tended to attract more dedicated and obsessive fishers, suggesting the children’s fishing event as an alternative.  while telling Aurontiros that it was generally a single-person event rather than a team endeavour.  Rizira expressed interest in catching fish with her hands rather than a rod-and-line—or her mouth, after Hazeal put the idea in her head.

Rizira began walking towards the wharf without looking to see if anyone was following.  Godfrey and Kelara went to the children’s fishing event, but not before Hazeal offered her services should Landon need a memorable, but non-lethal, lesson.

Aurontiros and Hazeal then followed Rizira to the wharf, but stopped along the way to have some drinks and filmjölk.  When they arrived, they were greeted by Darrett, who was also there for the fishing.  An old man offered to rent out some rods and gave them a basic fishing lesson.  Aurontiros, feeling unsettled over the thought of using live worms as bait, decided to check out the archery contest instead.  Rizira declined the use of a rod as she was planning to use her hands.  The man had doubts over her success, but accidentally misspoke to say Rizira might fish off a dwarf instead of a wharf.  Rizira was excited over the idea, while Hazeal was amused.  Hearing the exchange with his elven hearing and growing excited at the idea of tossing Riz into the water, Aurontiros raced back to the fishing contest.  Hazeal pulled a rope out of her bag, which she and Aurontiros tied around a delighted Rizira.  Kelara declined to participate but encouraged the others to join.  Godfrey had still intended to try the children’s fishing contest, but was persuaded by Kelara and the old man to sign up for the other fishing contest instead.

The conversation devolved into a series of increasingly bawdy and suggestive remarks over men handling their rods.  Aurontiros cast Mending to magically enhance Godfrey’s banged-up (fishing) rod, making it firm, stiff and new.  Kelara pulled her handkerchief and tied it to Godfrey’s arm—not the rod—as a favour for his success.

Raven called the competitors to the wharf’s edge and the contest began.  Seeing Hazeal prepare to toss Rizira into the water, Godfrey decided to find a station as far away as possible.  After five minutes, Godfrey reeled in a three-foot mature cuirassed carp, earning him Kelara’s praise.  Rizira grabbed a 1.5 foot-long mature river eel with her topknot and pulled it in with Hazeal’s help.  On the second round, Godfrey caught a foot-long river eel while Hazeal and Rizira caught another mature river eel.  On the final round, Aurontiros gave Godfrey Bardic Inspiration.  Godfrey caught another mature cuirassed carp while Rizira grabbed a tiny cuirassed carp.  As Godfrey was pulling his catch out, though, an enormous eight-foot long cuirassed carp burst out of the water and bit into his carp.

Godfrey braced himself and with a mighty effort—aided by Aurontiros’s still-functioning Mending on the fishing line—pulled the giant carp out onto the wharf.  Rizira guessed that Godfrey had won.  For his part, Godfrey pulled off Kelara’s favour and held it high.  Kelara cheered wildly, as the crowd went wild.

Rizira and Hazeal earned a tankard of mead each in appreciation for their unorthodox fishing technique.  Godfrey, however, drew the majority of the crowd.  As they pulled him aside in celebration, Godfrey saw Lord Bakaris drinking heavily and complaining.  He soon put the nobleman out of mind as Raven approached and congratulated him on his accomplishment.  When Raven lamented the impending death of the legend, Godfrey suggested letting it go so someone else could catch it in the future and the legend could continue.  Hearing that, Aurontiros sneaked up and freed the fish.  Despite losing the legend, Raven declared Godfrey the winner and awarded him with an exceptionally crafted fishing pole carved with kingfishers.  Godfrey graciously accepted the various offers of drinks, though he took exception to one person who suggested Kelara might be one of his catches.

Aurontiros followed through with their original idea of joining the archery contest and paired off against Landon.  After exchanging jibes, they fired three arrows at their targets.  Aurontiros ultimately won, as their first arrow landed near the bulls-eye, the second landed in the bulls-eye and the third split the second arrow in two.  As the crowd went wild, the fortune teller sidled up to them.  Aurontiros accepted the crown of flowers she bestowed upon them but dodged her attempt at a kiss.  They were pleasantly surprised to accept a bronze arrow as a reward from Craig, the head of the archery contest, who apologized for the fortune-teller’s behaviour.  Aurontiros was confused at the age and lifespan of the humans around them and quickly departed.

Hazeal found ways to pass the time until a bugle called to summon people for the mock battle.

The group made their way to High Hill, joining a parade of militia members and re-enactment spectators.  Along the way, they met Darrett, who gave each of them a straw-filled, blunted spear.  Seeing Rizira on a donkey, he amiably gave a ‘jousting lance’ to the ‘knight’.  He gave a ‘lance’—also a spear—to Aurontiros and complimented them on the song they played as Godfrey caught the legendary fish.  Godfrey requested and received a wooden sword as well, then asked what he should do with his real sword.  Darrett assured him he could keep it but refrain from drawing it during the re-enactment.  The would-be squire then expressed hopes of hearing stories from the mercenaries.  An amused Hazeal corrected their mistaken impression that dwarves and elves were enemies due to their differing heights.

They eventually made their way to High Hill, a grassy slope spotted with trees and crumbled stone fencing.  The group noted a marked difference between the mercenaries of the Ironclad Regiment and Vogler’s rag-tag militia, whose mismatched armour and crooked helmets were matched only by their enthusiasm.  Levna joined them, giving Godfrey a friendly jibe.

At the top of the hill, they saw Raven and Cudgel making final preparations.  The spectators soon settled down to watch the mock battle.  Raven approached the militia and explained how the mock battle would proceed.  She reminded them that this was just a fun game and asked they refrain from hurting each other, then told them the battle would commence in five minutes.  While waiting, Hazeal cast Longstrider on Rizira’s donkey and Minor Illusion to make Rizira’s padded weapon look more like an actual lance.  Godfrey made sure that Kelara’s handkerchief was tied on his arm.  Kelara cast Bless on Aurontiros, Godfrey and Rizira.

The mayor, Cudgel and other spectators went to a nearby vantage point to watch while the militia assumed their position on High Hill.  A tingle of excitement filled the air before a trumpet call signalled the start of the battle.  The two forces began to charge each other.  The mercenary leader—a half-ogre surrounded by several mounted soldiers—led the charge.

As they rode, Aurontiros and Rizira noticed sunlight glinting off the mercenaries’ spear tips and the half-ogre was gesturing with a steel axe.  Realizing the mercenaries were armed with actual weapons, Rizira shouted out a warning, but it came too late.  The two forces collided, with the sound of metal on armour silencing the laughter and revelry.  A spray of blood was followed by shocked screams as a true battle began.

Hazeal responded first, casting Firebolt at one of the three mounted mercenaries charging towards the party. Kelara shrieked and doubled back to help Darrett and Levna, who were facing some more mercenaries. Aurontiros killed the mercenary Hazeal had hit with an arrow to the heart, then moved behind a nearby cart. Rizira hid behind a stone wall until the mercenaries rounded the corner, at which point she jumped on one of the horses and Sneak Attacked the rider with her dagger. Another mercenary hit her with their spear, which merely grazed her due to Aurontiros and their Silvery Barbs. Godfrey saw Kelara fall back in dismay before dropping his fake weapon. Drawing his real weapon, he killed the mercenary and pulled him off his saddle.  He called for the others to gather together and fall back before climbing on the horse alongside Rizira.  He then attacked the other mounted mercenary and took his head off. Forgetting his knightly manners, Darrett tackled the closest mercenary and began punching him. Seeing that Godfrey had a horse, Levna ordered him to watch the southern flank before intervening to make sure Darrett didn’t beat his opponent to death. Two spooked horses burst out from the fray.  Aurontiros, Hazeal, Kelara and Levna dove out of the way to avoid being trampled. On the western side, the half-ogre emerged from the fray with a group of mercenaries.  He cut through the remnants of Vogler’s militia with his battleaxe… and Kern.  The half-ogre pointed to Godfrey, sneered at the squire for ‘playing games’ and ordered his mercenaries to kill him.

Upset at what happened to her brother, Kelara knocked out the mercenary that Darrett had tackled with the butt of her spear before moving towards Godfrey and the others. The half-ogre led the mercenaries forward, throwing a javelin at Godfrey.  However, Godfrey instinctively raised Ispin’s shield and deflected the javelin into Rizira’s hands. Having waited for that opportunity, Hazeal then cast Earth Tremor. The half-ogre and two of his mercenaries were hurt and knocked prone. Rizira hopped off the horse and attacked the half-ogre. Aurontiros rose to their feet and cast Bane on the half-ogre and two prone mercenaries, managing to enchant the latter. They then climbed on top of the wagon. Godfrey killed the half-ogre, thanks in part to another Silvery Barbs. Levna ran down to join them, but failed to hit anyone, while Darrett chipped a mercenary's teeth with a well-thrown rock. Godfrey and Hazeal deflected attacks with a shield block and Shield spell, respectively, while Levna suffered a critical hit.

Raising her hammer, Hazeal moved towards the mercenary who had thrown a spear at her and crushed his skull. Kelara whistled the spare horse over and mounted it.  She rode towards Kern, dodging blades along the way and cast Healing Word on him.  Her brother—and the surrounding mercenaries—were shocked at this display of magic.  She cursed them for hurting her brother and attacking her people after all she had done for them. Aurontiros stood up and aimed their bow, only to fall to the ground as the side of the wagon snapped under their weight.  They ran over to join Hazeal and Rizira. Rizira taunted the latest mercenary to enter the battle before killing a nearby mercenary with her rapier. Godfrey urged Darrett to help Kelara before attacking another mercenary.  He then told Levna to hit someone with her next attack. Levna gave a retort as she swung her blade and almost cleaved a mercenary in two, much to Godfrey's approval, before another mercenary attacked her and grazed her cheek. Meanwhile, Darrett picked up a spear from one of the downed mercenaries and ran towards Kelara, the last mercenary hit Rizira with a hurled spear and a bleeding member of Vogler's militia begged Aurontiros for help.

Angry that Rizira had been wounded, Hazeal cast Ray of Sickness on the offending mercenary, who began vomiting until he died.  The ongoing Earth Tremor began swallowing his extremities. Darrett joined Kelara and asked if she was okay. Kelara pulled Kern up and he pulled himself onto the horse behind her.  After he marveled at her newfound power, Kelara rode back towards the others. Aurontiros cast Vicious Mockery on the last mercenary in the vicinity, claiming he was doomed to be unmarriageable and alone.  The mercenary panicked as he felt the magic in his mind. While he was distracted, Rizira stabbed him through the heart. The remaining mercenaries began to flee as Raven, Cudgel, Becklin and a few survivors from the militia arrived.  Most of the militia, though, lay injured or dead on the bloodstained grass of High Hill (episode 3).

The adventurers accompanied the people of Vogler, along with the wounded, back to their home.  Noting the myriad whispers directed at Kelara, it became clear that they had witnessed her use of divine magic amidst the chaotic fray of battle.  As they entered through the front gate, they were asked to join Mayor Raven, Cudgel and Becklin at the Brass Crab.  Kelara, however, joined Darrett and some other villagers in tending to the wounded.

Raven told the adventurers that she had sent trusted villagers to tend to the wounded and retrieve the dead from High Hill.  She told Cudgel that they needed to understand why the Ironclad Regiment attacked.  Cudgel confirmed Godfrey’s clarification that the Regiment was her mercenary group and declared she was furious.  Raven and Cudgel did admit there was one piece of good news: they had managed to capture one mercenary alive and were bringing him back for interrogation.  However, Cudgel was intent on returning to her mercenary company after the interrogation.  She insisted on confronting them alone, not wanting anyone else to be hurt.  Rizira asked how many people had died and why anyone would want to attack Vogler.  Becklin replied that they would have to wait for word from the medical tents but guessed at least a dozen people died.  She added that Vogler had no major strategic significance, other than being a potential source of food, but there had been vague rumours of threats.  They wondered if the attack had anything to do with Ispin’s death or the hostile encounter with the hooded figures on the road.  The determination to find the answer inspired Rizira to grab the first thing she found in her pouch, but she guessed a juggling contest medal would not help.

Godfrey asked Cudgel if she would participate in the interrogation.  Cudgel grimly agreed, just before Levna knocked on the door.  Walking over, Godfrey opened the door to reveal Levna, some injured members of the village guard and a bound mercenary with a bag over his head.  Levna dragged the prisoner inside, tied him to the chair and pulled off the bag.  Cudgel lunged forward, only to be held back by Godrey, Hazeal and Rizira.  The mercenary captain recognized the prisoner as a low-ranking mercenary.  Sensing Cudgel was too emotional, Rizira tried to persuade her to bring back a fish pie.  While Cudgel refused, she did agree to sit back and let the adventurers conduct the interrogation.  Mayor Raven allowed the adventurers free reign, short of actual torture.  Becklin left to visit the medical tents.  Levna accompanied the knight for her protection and wished Godfrey good luck before they departed.

The prisoner spat his defiance at the adventurers, apparently taking great pleasure in the bloodshed at High Hill.  Rizira began questioning him before Aurontiros, with Hazeal’s help, tried to gain a psychological advantage.  Hazeal also cast Detect Magic, but sensed no enchantment about him—though she did see Godfrey’s shield glow.  Rizira jabbed him with her dagger, despite Raven’s and Godfrey’s disapproval, and warned she might have to resort to more drastic measures.

Aurontiros ‘reluctantly’ offered to employ some elven techniques to extract the information they sought.  Godfrey began to protest, but relented after admitting he was not a Solamnic knight yet.  Aurontiros warned that these techniques would only attack the prisoner’s mind, though Hazeal offered to help attack his body.  The prisoner’s defiance broke down in the face of this ‘elven magic’ and he began to confess: Gragonis—the half-ogre who the adventurers had killed—had headed into the woods west of the mercenary camp.  He eventually returned with a great deal of steel coins and hired his most loyal mercenaries to attack the militia during the re-enactment and ransack Vogler.  When Rizira asked, he admitted that he did not know where Gragonis went.  He also believed that the mercenaries who remained at the camp and did not participate in the attack were loyal to Cudgel.  Even after Aurontiros threatened to use his techniques, much to Godfrey’s alarm, the prisoner insisted he knew nothing more.  Godfrey suggested to Cudgel that they accompany her to the mercenary camp before continuing west to track down Gragonis’s benefactor.  Rizira searched the prisoner and found a pouch of steel coins, one of which seemed to come from Neraka.

When Aurontiros pressed for more information, the prisoner revealed that Gragonis was able to carry out his treachery as Cudgel had been absent on several occasions.  He admitted that his initial behaviour was nothing more than empty bravado.  Aurontiros began to carry out his threats, before revealing that his ‘techniques’ were nothing more than acting.  Rizira burst out laughing while a thoroughly fooled Godfrey managed to recover in time to stop the bound prisoner from trying to attack the bard.  Cudgel then gagged the prisoner with some rope before punching him in the face.  Hazeal cast Blindness/Deafness on the prisoner, who panicked briefly before fainting.  Raven offered some feeble protests.

The adventurers insisted they had to investigate to the west of the mercenary camp as it was the only lead they had.  Becklin gave them her blessing, as she would have sent some hunters out for the same task, and offered to send Darrett a guide.  Cudgel was reluctant as she wanted them to stay and guard the town, but eventually conceded so long as they did not go near or enter the mercenary camp itself, as she did not want anyone else to get hurt or killed by herself.  Aurontiros and Rizira tried to ask why Cudgel was so insistent on the matter before Hazeal explained it was a matter of dwarven honour.  Godfrey chose to respect Cudgel’s decision, but hinted they might swing by to check on the camp on their way back to Vogler.  With that decided, Raven left to retrieve Darrett.

Cudgel ordered a drink of dwarven stout as it might be the last thing she drank.  Godfrey tried to get through to the mercenary captain, suggesting she would help Vogler more if she escaped from the mercenary camp and returned with news of any treachery.  Cudgel told them she planned to confront her soldiers that night, hoping to either return with allies or die fighting.

Raven then returned with Darrett, who offered his assistance.  The adventurers discussed their options before deciding to leave that night, to minimize any surprises and pick up the trail before the rain washed away any tracks.  After a Short Rest, they left with Darrett and Cudgel, though the latter parted ways with them halfway through.  The rest of them eventually reached a small wooded grove about an hour west from Vogler. Godfrey was the first to see some tracks, consisting of a mix of boot prints and clawed reptilian feet that no one could identify.  Hazeal and Rizira saw the strange tracks too.  All three realized they were winding north through the woods.

Looking closer, Godfrey and Rizira realized the boots probably belonged to humans, but the clawed tracks matched the strange reptilian figures they fought the other day.  Remembering that the others had not fought them before, Godfrey and Rizira gave them some warnings of what to expect—including their ability to turn to stone when they died and the risk of turning unwitting adversaries to stone as well.  After some discussion, they decided to follow the tracks.  It took them over an hour, but the group eventually made their way to a ledge overlooking a shallow valley.  In the distance, they saw dozens of low fires, hundreds of red tents… and over a thousand soldiers.  Godfrey immediately put out his lantern and advised his companions to fall back.  Furthermore, he told the others that—should the worst happen—he would make sure they could get back to Vogler and warn the villagers.  Darrett suggested that they all retreat instead.

The group managed to make their way back through the woods, though the squires had trouble being stealthy.  In the distance, Aurontiros saw a small patrol meandering through the woods to the south.  He pointed them out to the others and suggested they wait until the clouds covered the moons again.  The patrol came close enough that the group could see them, but eventually wandered away to the north.  Rizira was envious that one of the enemy soldiers had found a penny, but confirmed that the reptilian creatures in the patrol were similar to the ones she and Godfrey had fought earlier.  Aurontiros felt it was even more urgent that they return to Vogler.  Godfrey remembered Cudgel and wanted to warn her as she and any mercenary loyal to her would be slaughtered by the army they had seen.  Darrett reminded them that Cudgel said she would return in the morning if she survived and their first duty was to Vogler, but Aurontiros and Hazeal did not believe the mercenaries had that long.  Hazeal suggested that anyone who could not see in dim light return to Vogler and begin the evacuation, as the exodus would take time.  Meanwhile, she and Aurontiros could talk to Cudgel, using magic to communicate over a distance if needed.  The group continued debating as they walked, especially since Darrett insisted that they all stay together.  Eventually, Hazeal began making her way to the mercenary camp on her own.  Godfrey proposed they all go to check on Cudgel and see if they had any spare horses that could expedite their return to Vogler.  They caught up with Hazeal and continued to the mercenary camp together.

When they arrived at the mercenary camp, Hazeal crept as close as she could and cast Message as a Subtle Spell, identifying herself to Cudgel and asking if she was all right as there was a large army nearby.  Cudgel replied that she understood, things were as well as could be expected and she would be back at dawn.  Hazeal cast another Message imploring Cudgel to stay safe and was told that the mercenary captain would do her best.  She then returned to the others and told them Cudgel was aware of the situation and would be back by dawn.

The adventurers made their way back to Vogler.  As soon as they returned, one of the town guards told them Mayor Raven was waiting for them at the Brass Crab.  They made their way to the inn, where they found Raven, Becklin and Levna.  Raven asked for a report and was shocked to hear Godfrey’s grim report of a nearby army.  He and Rizira advised the mayor to evacuate Vogler immediately, while Hazeal added that Cudgel was fine and would return by dawn.  Raven insisted that she needed more information.  Rizira tried to convince her to evacuate her village, pressing the point until Becklin gave her a look.  Godfrey suggested they could begin making other preparations in the meantime, while Hazeal diplomatically explained they had returned as quickly as possible to give Raven more time to plan.

No one realized Lord Bakaris had entered the Brass Crab until he declared in no uncertain terms that he would not leave his mansion or Vogler, which he described as ‘his’ town.  He also stated that Rizira was lying.  While the others pointed out that they had also seen the army and were not exaggerating their numbers, a furious Rizira stormed out.

Lord Bakaris felt an envoy should be sent to verify the army’s existence and discuss terms if needed.  When Hazeal confronted him about calling her friends liars and invited him to lead the envoy, he backtracked to suggest someone else could be sent in his stead at a later date.  He also proposed sending a message to his cousins in Solamnia seeking aid, though Aurontiros questioned whether such assistance would come in time.  Godfrey pointed out that the attack against the Solamnic knights on the road, and their patronage for the mercenaries who betrayed Vogler, indicated the army’s intentions were not peaceful.  Aurontiros and Godfrey continued to refute Lord Bakaris’s insults against Solamnic knights—present company excepted, of course—and themselves.  Eventually, Lord Bakaris retreated to the bar, where he would spend the rest of his time drinking and offering vague ideas to Raven that offered little beyond burnishing his image.

Hazeal felt Aurontiros was wasting their time.  Aurontiros pointed out that Lord Bakaris carried a certain influence and getting through to people like him, regardless of their disposition, was sometimes necessary.  Hazeal still preferred a good Fire Bolt.

Becklin leaned forward and asked them all to get a good night’s sleep so they could better help Vogler in the morning.  She promised to talk to Raven and assured them that the extra hours they had bought Vogler would be used to plan and prepare, especially as any evacuation would take time.  At Becklin’s request, Hazeal went out to find Rizira.

She found Rizira in the stables, feeding one of the horses they’d acquired during the battle of High Hill, complaining that no one listened to kender. Hazeal confessed that she was tempted to light Lord Bakaris on fire, but decided against it due to the ample numbers of witnesses and alcohol.  She told Rizira that Becklin was taking their warnings seriously, but slowly.  Hazeal expressed her disappointment over how the humans preferred to talk rather than make preparations.  Rizira felt that it was better to keep moving.  She also revealed she had named one of the horses Ispin, much to Hazeal’s amusement.  On a more serious note, Rizira was frustrated that her available options were to sleep or wait, as she preferred to do something.  Hazeal sympathized, feeling that dwarves either hated waiting or did nothing else—and they both recognized she was one of the former.  They were reluctant to head back to their rooms but eventually retired anyway, seeing Lord Bakaris had left and Becklin was holding discussions  with some of the fisher and councillors.

The adventurers woke to the sounds of conversation, hearing Cudgel apologizing for the betrayal of her mercenaries and promising to make amends by pledging the support of those that remained.  She proposed a peaceful approach, albeit one backed up by military force.  Raven did not want any violence as her overriding concern was keeping everyone safe, hoping they could negotiate some kind of peaceful resolution.

It was then that Rizira interrupted the conversation.  She, along with Aurontiros and Hazeal, pointed out that the army’s actions thus far displayed a willingness to engage in bloody violence and their ability to buy off Cudgel’s men suggested money was not an issue.

Raven eventually proposed a two-pronged approach: Vogler would make preparations for an evacuation, though they would need more boats than were presently available, while simultaneously planning a diplomatic solution should events develop before they could flee.  She asked Cudgel to deploy her mercenaries around town and asked if she could vouch for their loyalty.

Cudgel believed her remaining men were loyal.  She explained that they were marching to Vogler while she returned in advance with her remaining lieutenant, a human male named Jeyev Veldrews.  Jeyev confirmed the presence of the army, as he had been scouting that night.  When Rizira asked about clawed tracks, he admitted seeing them but did not know how to make sense of them.  Godfrey, Aurontiros and Rizira warned him who the tracks belonged to and what the creatures could do.

They were interrupted by a town guard who reported there was a rider at the River Gate.  Godfrey immediately went outside, followed by Raven and the others.  They made their way to the gate, where they saw a human in black-and-red scale mail astride an armoured warhorse.  She held out a rolled parchment and asked for the village speaker or representative.  Raven stepped forward, flanked by Aurontiros and Godfrey.  Rizira tried to hide, but slipped and fell into the mud, revealing her presence.  Giving Rizira a smirk, the messenger handed Raven a parchment.  It ordered the villagers of Vogler to house the Red Dragon Army that night or die.  The adventurers read the parchment as well. Aurontiros and Hazeal saw a multi-coloured spiral symbol on the messenger’s armour and recognized it as Takhisis, the Dragon Queen.

The messenger declared that they would await Vogler’s reply.  Raven thanked her.  Aurontiros and Rizira observed four Red Dragon Army soldiers with javelins who were partially hidden on the northern cliff face, and recognized they were standing by in case their messenger was attacked.  As Aurontiros, Godfrey and Raven returned to the others, Aurontiros passed on his observations.

Aurontiros offered to stay outside and make sure none of the town guards took matters into their own hands.  Hazeal joined him, feeling she had little to contribute to the talk.  Rizira decided to stay as well, feeing that no one would take kender seriously anyway.  Godfrey was about to stay behind to keep the peace, but joined Raven at her request.

Aurontiros made sure their bow was accessible.  Hazeal leaned on her warhammer and made ready to cast her magic.  Rizira carefully arranged hundreds of ball bearings in front of the gate.  The messenger made a sarcastic observation about Rizira’s ‘art project,’ prompting Rizira to explain that she was bored.  The messenger assured Rizira that she was also bored.  Rizira began talking about Vogler’s fish pies and offered to buy one for the messenger—though it was partly an excuse to satisfy her own hunger.  Rizira followed up and bought two fish pies.  While the messenger remained suspicious, choosing the fish pie Rizira did not offer, she did appreciate Rizira’s sensibilities.  The messenger warned them that none of the villagers should leave before the mayor had come to a decision.  She decided to leave for now, promising to return later for their response.  Before she left, she told Aurontiros that she saw no reason to harm the villagers should they cooperate, as living subjects were more useful, though she conceded she could not speak for her commanders.  She also gave her name, Mira, to Rizira.

Godfrey returned to the gate with Levna and met Aurontiros, Hazeal and Rizira.  He told them there was a plan of sorts but was reluctant to reveal more, instead insisting that they meet a gnome named Than at Thornwall Keep.  After Aurontrios warned the remaining militia against taking any hostile action or leaving, the group made their way to the top of Thornwall Keep.  Godfrey then revealed their orders, if the others were willing to join him: to use the gnomeflinger to reach the lookouts and take them out so they could bring the mercenaries into Vogler and start evacuations.  Hazeal immediately started panicking at the thought of flying to their destination—and flying in general.  Rizira was excited.  Aurontiros was worried about how they would land.

Hearing them talk, an androgynous gnome with red hair in pigtails came into view.  Than enthusiastically invited the group to join them on the roof.  Aurontiros, after much coaxing, convinced Hazeal that they were just going to look at the gnomeflinger.

Than opened a hatch to the roof, revealing what looked very much like a catapult.  Rizira immediately climbed onboard.  The group explained where they wanted to go—Than being aware of the lookouts but unaware of the approaching Dragon Army—and how they very much wanted to land.  Than explained they had ‘narycrashes’ that could be deployed to let them float to the ground.

Rizira grabbed a narycrash and tried to reach for the launching lever.  Godfrey took a narycrash and reluctantly got onto the gnomeflinger, looking at Ispin’s shields and wondering if this was how his stories began.  Aurontrios patiently persuaded Hazeal to put on a narycrash.  Levna made a show of sarcastically humouring Hazeal, which was belied when she took Hazeal’s hand and revealed how she was  shaking with fear.  With trepidation, Aurontiros, Levna and Hazeal got onboard the gnomeflinger.  They had just enough time to learn Than had not yet tested the device on living subjects before the gnome launched them into the air (episode 4).

Aurontiros, Godfrey, Hazeal, Rizira and Levna flew through the air.  As they reached the apex of their flight, they remembered Than’s instructions on when to pull the lever on their narycrash.  The exception was Hazeal, who was too busy panicking and biting her hand to keep from screaming, and needed Levna to pull her lever for her.  All the parachutes deployed and they drifted to the ground, landing amidst the four lookouts.

One of the soldiers taunted Kelara as she ran towards them and asked if she wanted to meet a ‘real man’.  Kelara, determined not to give her friends away, pretended to be timid and scared. Rizira stabbed the loudmouth with her rapier and shortsword before retreating.  Hazeal targeted two other soldiers while biting her hand and screaming, cast Green Flame Blade on her hammer and hit them.  It was their turn to scream as the green flames jumped amongst them. Aurontiros drifted down amongst them and cast Shatter.  The soldier Rizira stabbed was knocked off the cliff and landed at Kelara’s feet with his neck broken.  He then gave Kelara Bardic Inspiration. Kelara saw the soldier standing next to the lout was having trouble breathing due to his warped armour.  She distracted him by throwing a rock his way.  She then pulled out her light crossbow and fired at another soldier. Godfrey landed next to the lookout Kelara distracted with the rock and stabbed him in the groin.  He grimly told him he would never assault anyone again before pulling his sword out and letting him die.  He then moved over to Hazeal and switched spots with her. Levna descended from the heavens, swung her sword and missed. Rizira ran beside Godfrey, stabbed one of the lookouts in the Achilles tendon, slipped underneath Godfrey and kicked the lookout off the cliff. Hazeal cast Firebolt at the last soldier. Aurontiros tried to fire his shortbow over Hazeal, but accidentally shot Godfrey in the ass. Kelara tried to distract the lookout with another rock to give Godfrey advantage. Godfrey gave Aurontiros a side-eyed glance and tersely ordered Levna to take the soldier alive. Levna retorted that he wasn’t the senior knight on the scene before knocking him out with the pommel of her sword.

Rizira pulled the arrow out of Godfrey’s ass and claimed she found it.  Godfrey told her to return it to Aurontiros.  Aurontiros claimed it wasn’t his until Rizira pointed out it was monogrammed.  Relieved that she had survived, Hazeal dropped to the ground and almost kissed it.  Kelara asked if they were okay, then started scolding them as the gnomeflinger had never been tested.  Levna wryly observed that they had just tested it.  Rizira said she wanted to try the gnomeflinger again before she and Aurontiros made some remarks about Godfrey’s ass and how it needed healing.

Kelara searched the first soldier who had fallen.  Hazeal began filling her pockets with rocks to weigh herself down, though Aurontiros told her that was unnecessary.  Rizira began rummaging through her bag to see if she had anything that could help Hazeal.  Meanwhile, various passersby had gathered at the bottom of the cliff and were examining the bodies.  Realizing they were actual soldiers and the rumours of a nearby army were true, they started to panic until Kelara calmed them down and persuaded them to channel their energies towards an evacuation.

Becklin strode up to join them.  After hearing they had taken one of the lookouts alive, she ordered them to be bound and kept with the other captive.  She then asked for a word with the friends, which was briefly delayed by Rizira’s discovery of mice in her bag.  Becklin led them back into the Brass Crab, where they found an overwhelmed Raven and some equally overwhelmed villagers.

Pulling them aside, Becklin told them it was time to begin the evacuation of Vogler.  She confided in them of rumours she had received of a vast army in the east, and her fears that this Red Dragon Army was only part of a much larger force.  In her opinion, Vogler would need weeks of training and at least a hundred more professional soldiers to stand a chance of fending off the army.  Their best option was to evacuate by water and flee to the nearby city of Kalaman.  She asked for their help in formulating an evacuation plan, as travel by water was outside her experience, and promised to back their proposal to the mayor.

Hazeal recognized Kalaman as the capital city of the Solamnic province of Nightlund, situated about thirty miles downriver of Vogler.  They knew it was a thriving trade city boasting strong walls, a castle and a harbour beacon, all of which predated the Cataclysm.  Kalaman was led by a governor, a council of guild leaders and a military marshal.  It boasted a strong army, which was used to repel raiders and monsters.  Judging from what they saw, Hazeal had seen no naval component to the army and recognized that the river was the safest form of escape.

Kelara immediately proposed making use of the large fishing boats and spreading the wounded amongst them.  She felt the evacuees would have to travel light, taking nothing but money and food.

Aurontiros, Godfrey, Kelara and Rizira looked over at the maps spread out on a nearby table, overheard Raven’s despair and realized the fishing boats would not be able to carry enough evacuees.  However, they remembered there were several rowboats and personal craft that could alleviate the burden.  Kelara felt the fittest and sneakiest villagers, such as the hunters and trappers, could also walk along the river banks.  Aurontiros and Rizira also felt the boats could be expanded into makeshift rafts to carry more villagers.  In addition, Aurontiros recalled the incomplete stone bridge and the rafts used to cross the river.  They believed the rafts could be dismantled and repurposed to carry around a hundred villagers.  Kelara agreed, suggesting the able-bodied men could work on the rafts while the more infirm could tend to the wounded and prepare them for transport.

Raven asked them to go throughout Vogler, gather up the villagers and have them meet in the town square so she could address them.  She also asked Rizira to ring the town bell until even she was sick of the sound.  On the way out, Cudgel stopped and thanked them for dealing with the traitors in her company.  She hoped to have the rest of her mercenaries arrive before the army.  Godfrey insisted they try to evacuate the mercenaries as well.

Aurontiros, Godfrey, Hazeal and Kelara went door to door, though Kelara stopped by the medical camp to enlist Landon’s aid.  They eventually arrived at Westide House, where Bakaris the Younger greeted them, and bluntly told him everyone was to assemble in the town square and prepare for an evacuation.  Hazeal was sufficiently intimidating that Bakaris the Younger was cowed into obeying.

The decorations of the Kingfisher Festival were belied by the sober, worried mood of the villagers as they assembled in the town square.  Raven got to the point, informing them of the approaching army and the need to evacuate.  A stunned silence was soon filled by a rush of questions, anger and fear.  Kelara stomped up onto the stage, let a magical light flash from her staff and told the villagers to shut up and start working on the evacuation.  The display of magic, coupled with the departure from her usually sweet demeanour, persuaded the crowd to cooperate.  The next two hours or so flew by as the villagers repaired their fishing boats and dismantled the rafts from the bridge.

Becklin gathered the friends, except for Rizira who was keeping a lookout, and ushered them to Thornwall Keep.  Convening inside the library, Becklin told them they would be ready to evacuate in an hour.  Cudgel sat down beside them and reported her mercenaries were stationed north of the village.  She proposed mounting a defence in the ravine where they could limit the army’s numbers and establish a rear command tent by the River Gate to facilitate communication between the mercenaries and the village.  Cudgel invited Becklin out for one last ride, hoping her presence would give the army pause.  Becklin agreed that that would be the best option, though it would leave the town undefended.

Becklin felt the evacuation was their best course of action, as their only other option would be a siege and Vogler was poorly situated to withstand it.  They only had to hold out for a short time.  Becklin asked the friends to join the militia and protect the boats as they were being loaded with villagers.  Cudgel promised again to keep the army at bay with her mercenaries.

Godfrey wanted to know what would happen to Cudgel’s men once they got the villagers away.  Cudgel allowed that leaving a few spare boats behind might be helpful.  Godfrey also asked whether they should consider razing Vogler on the way out to slow the army down.  Cudgel and Becklin disagreed, citing the damage to the villagers’ morale.  Having agreed on a plan, Cudgel wished everyone luck. Hazeal went ouside, surveyed the surrounding area around Vogler with her Stonecunning and used that knowledge to cast Earth Tremor on certain strategic areas, thus creating rough terrain to slow the enemy down.

The friends noticed a mercenary of the Ironclad Regiment riding towards the River Gate, shouting that the Dragon Army was coming and Vogler had to evacuate now.  Her warnings were cut short as a hooded figure came out of the woods, launched off the cliff, knocked her off the horse and onto the ground.  The creature snarled that the army was already there.  Rizira dropped down, ran outside the gate and hit the creature with one of her daggers.  Kelara pointed her staff at the creature and killed it with a Guiding Bolt.  Aurontiros pulled the mercenary to her feet, who warned them that the Dragon Army had split into two groups: one was engaging the mercenaries, but the other was heading for the village.  Kelara realized that they had to evacuate now.

They rushed towards the docks, where they saw the villagers embark on the boats.  Panic began to spread as cloaked figures launched themselves off the cliff, deployed wings and glided towards the village.  Hazeal suddenly saw a blur overhead but was ambushed by a creature before she could get out of the way.  She took two hits and felt poison enter her veins, but her dwarven resilience fought it off.

Rizira steadied herself and threw a dagger at the creature, paralyzing its wing.  Its hood fell back, revealing a red face that was draconic, yet humanoid. Kelara screamed at the creature, which they would later identify as a draconian, before firing her crossbow and hit. The draconian struck at Hazeal.  The first blow missed due to her Shield.  The second blow hit despite her Shield and Aurontiros’ Silvery Barbs, plunging into the side of her throat.  It threw a dagger at Kelara, but she ducked out of the way. As Hazeal floated between life and death, she remembered the conversation she had with Rizira in the stables and felt a sense of camaraderie that she never found in Thorbardin. Godfrey dropped the chest and attacked the draconian, cutting its arm off.  Black blood began pouring out and sizzled as it reached the ground. Aurontiros killed the draconian with an arrow through its neck.  The creature dissolved into a viscous black acid.  Godfrey pushed Hazeal out of the way but got coated by the acid. Rizira held her action to fling a dagger. Kelara used Channel Divinity to Preserve Life and bring Hazeal back.

A flash of light drew Hazeal’s and Rizira’s attention to the top of the cliff, north of town.  There, three motionless figures in plate armour sat on their horses.  Hazeal and Rizira recognized that they wore the antiquated armour of Knights of Solamnia.  However, the armour was rusted and decrepit.  Furthermore, the knights seemed gaunt and skeletal.  The knights vanished into thin air before they could alert their friends.

Aurontiros helped Hazeal to her feet, marveling at Kelara’s divine power. Godfrey scraped the acid off, but not before it dealt some damage. A smoky grey cat darted out of the shadows, crawling up Rizira’s body and setting its claws into her shoulder.  She promptly called it Charcoal. The friends heard something loud, clanking and metal, coming from the north.  As they turned, though, they saw a family of four commoners get separated from the other evacuees just as four Dragon Army soldiers, who had previously been grabbing torches and burning buildings, stepped in their way.  One of the soldiers ordered their colleagues to seize the commoners.

Rizira Taunted the soldiers.  Their commander ordered them to kill the kender next.  Rizira attacked, but backed up after missing. Kelara threw debris at one of the soldiers, who deflected it with their shield.  Their commander gave new orders to kill them all.  Hearing that, Kelara ducked behind Hazeal.  Hazeal cast Moonbeam on all four soldiers, burning them all, before launching a Fire Bolt as a Quickened Spell. Deciding he would never get used to all this magic, Godfrey moved down the alley and killed the soldier that Hazeal set on fire.  Aurontiros entered the alley and cast Shatter on the soldiers.  One deflected it with his shield.  Another exploded.  Another was killed as his shield exploded in his face.  As the last soldier was killed by Hazeal’s Moonbeam, another soldier charged from the fray and attacked Godfrey and Aurontiros, but missed them both.  Levna then stabbed the soldier from behind and told Godfrey to stop playing around. Rizira threw two daggers at the soldier Levna skewered, only to see them deflected off his shield. Kelara fired her crossbow at the soldier and scored a hit. Hazeal moved her Moonbeam to cover the soldier. Godfrey gave a retort to Levna and stabbed the soldier. Aurontiros picked up one of Rizira’s daggers and used it to stab the soldier who then stumbled back into the Moonbeam and disintegrated.

Godfrey picked up the box before Kelara reminded him to do so.  The party gathered the family and rushed to the docks, where they found Darrett leading the evacuation.  He asked what was in Godfrey’s box, prompting Rizira to ask the same question.  Godfrey replied that they could find out later and urged Darrett to continue the evacuation.  Their conversation was interrupted by a round of screams, which included the warning about a dragon.  Before long, the threat loomed into view, flanked by reptilian invaders—a black beast with scales clanking like steel plates and flames crackling from its maw.  Darrett asked the adventurers to deal with the latest threat while he continued directing the evacuation.

Hazeal moved her Moonbeam in front of the dragon.  As it got closer, everyone realized it was not a dragon, per se, but some kind of mechanical device on wheels.  Three of the draconians loaded something into the device, which fired a volley of fire and shrapnel into the wharfinger’s office. Rizira climbed onto Ispin, galloped around the Moonbeam and attacked one of the draconians.  The draconian slashed Ispin as Rizira retreated.  Another draconian fed something into the dragon engine. Aurontiros moved to the northern pier, blocking the army’s path to the evacuees, and fired an arrow at the draconian Rizira attacked.  They then directed Godfrey to attack the draconians, as the ‘dragon’ was merely a machine. Another draconian aimed the dragon engine at the southern pier, where Godfey, Hazeal, Kelara, Darrett and several evacuees were located. Kelara released a Guiding Bolt at the dragon engine, then moved next to Aurontiros. The last draconian fired the dragon engine.  Darrett and Godfrey took some damage.  Hazeal took some damage and went down again, causing her Moonbeam to fade away.  Levna dropped her sword and moved to protect the evacuees from the blast.  Her badly burned body collapsed onto the pier. Thinking Levna was dead, Godfrey charged the closest draconian and hacked at the creature. A blinded draconian wandered out of the fray and stumbled towards the docks.

As she lay on the ground, Hazeal remembered her banter with Aurontiros as she was about to take her test at the Barb, and how happy she felt. Rizira charged on Ispin, jumped onto the dragon engine (with Charcoal still firmly attached) and dealt some damage with her blades. A draconian turned around and swung out, hitting Rizira with one of its attacks. Another draconian attacked Godfrey, hitting him once despite Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs. Aurontiros ran to the southern pier, picked up Hazeal, and began returning to Kelara. A third draconian hit Godfrey. Kelara moved up and cast Spare the Dying on Levna.  She then brought Hazeal back with a Healing Word. A draconian dealt more damage to Rizira. Godfrey killed the draconian he’d been fighting and encouraged Rizira to attack again.  Seeing that the machine needed three people to load, aim and fire it, Rizira decided to strike at the draconian who had just hit her and took its head off.  She managed to retrieve her blade before the draconian turned to stone.  Neither Godfrey nor Rizira were affected by the petrifying gas that spewed from their corpses. Seeing the battle, two fishers rushed from the river’s edge.  One of the fishers killed another draconian, but was subsequently turned to stone.

Hazeal cast Sacred Flame on the last draconian.  Rizira rushed up and stabbed the last draconian, but missed. Aurontiros Commanded the draconian to flee.  Rizira landed an opportunity attack as it ran into one of the nearby buildings. Kelara killed the blinded draconian with her crossbow.

Just as the friends thought things might be coming under control, the exterior wall of the Brass Crab shattered.  An ogre in black-scaled armour emerged with a barrel of fish, which she was eating from.  She ordered the draconians accompanying her to attack them. Kelara ordered Darrett to get Levna onboard.  Darrett wanted to help fight, but then thought they could use the dragon engine against the army.  After he made the suggestion out loud, Kelara began calling the others.

Godfrey started moving the machine.  He urged the other fisher to light the cannon. A draconian tried to attack Aurontiros, but missed after they cast Silvery Barbs.  Aurontiros was able to strike back.  The other draconian shattered the petrified fisher, then got his blade stuck in Godfrey’s armour. Hazeal killed the draconian facing Aurontiros with her Moonbeam.  She then Quickened a Fire Bolt to hit the other draconian.  Rizira pulled the lever on the dragon engine, disintegrating the draconian and wounding the ogre. Aurontiros used Vicious Mockery on the ogre. Kelara fired her crossbow at the ogre, scoring a critical hit.  Dropping her barrel of fish, the ogre tried to attack Godfrey, but missed.  Godfrey scored a hit in response.  Outraged, the ogre tried to hit Godfrey again... only to hit part of the dragon engine.  Godfrey was alarmed to see the machine start to smoke and overheat. Godfrey killed the ogre with a stab through her armpit.

Darrett urged the friends that it was time for them to go.  Kelara helped pick up Becklin’s box and helped to drag it to the boat.  The adventurers got away from the dragon engine just in time, as it exploded in flames behind them.  As they clambered onboard, they saw villagers still trying to evacuate as quickly as they could, while flying draconians dropped flasks of burning substances on the buildings.

Just as the boats were pulling away, they heard a cry to hold the boat.  Jeyev ran through the smoky haze, carrying Becklin’s helmet in his hand.  The adventurers held the boat for a second, which was long enough for Jeyev to reach the boat.  As Godfrey helped pull him onboard, the mercenary reported that the battle went poorly.  While a few of the Ironclad mercenaries had escaped, Becklin had ordered him to return to the village, help the evacuation and make sure no one waited for her or the other mercenaries.  The adventurers reluctantly agreed to leave and looked down at Becklin’s helmet.  Darrett joined them, stunned into silence.

As the boats pulled away, the evacuees watched as the last few members of their militia were cut down and their home burned to the ground.  The bloodied and battered survivors, nearly four hundred souls, drifted down the river (episode 5).

### Shadow of War

Looking around, the adventurers saw Darrett, Jeyev, the fishers who had come to their aid and many others.  Levna lay on one of the beds, her face horribly burned and her armour severely damaged. Hazeal spent the time entertaining some of the children with a story, enhancing it with Minor Illusion cantrips.  Unfortunately, she made the mistake of telling the tale of a dwarven hero who protected Thorbardin from a dragon’s army, thoroughly traumatizing them in the process.  After the parents hurriedly took the children away, Hazeal helped Kelara by using a Control Flames cantrip to heat some water so Kelara could clean Levna’s wounds. Eventually, they all fell asleep and had a well-deserved long rest.

When dawn broke, the friends could see the city of Kalaman grew larger, but could only think of the fate that befell Vogler.  Some of the survivors from Vogler could be seen pulling their boats ashore and making camp about two miles from Kalaman.  Mayor Raven waved to them and directed them where to dock their boat.  Darrett woke up and gave them a tense smile.

After docking the boat, Raven greeted them and expressed both her relief that they escaped and her gratitude for their help.  The adventurers regretfully informed her that Becklin and Cudgel fell in battle, which Jeyev quietly confirmed.  Raven told them 392 people—which included the adventurers and most of the village—had escaped, thanks to their efforts.  Rizira thought this could be a new adventure for the refugees.  Raven conceded that was one way of looking at the situation, but was more concerned with their immediate needs.  She asked them to help reunite families, start fires, prepare meals and perform similar tasks.  They immediately agreed, seeing through Raven’s demeanour and realizing the precariousness of their situation.

Hazeal and Rizira heard some children call out, pleading for help in docking their boat.  Without thinking, Rizira put Charcoal down, jumped into the water, swam over and climbed into the boat.  Discovering the youths had lost the oars, she grabbed a rope, tied a quick loop and tossed it to Hazeal, who fastened it to the dock. Hazeal then saw a pair of youths trying to rob a disheveled man and persuaded them to leave him alone by hefting her warhammer.  The man drunkenly insisted he didn’t need help before offering her his flask.  She declined and helped him recover his coins.

Aurontiros, Hazeal and Rizira later met up and wandered down the river bank.  As they walked, Aurontiros asked their companions whether they had seen Lord Bakaris or his son.  Hazeal and Rizira admitted they had not seen the nobles, guessing they were probably amongst the first to evacuate.  Aurontiros wondered why they had tried to save them at all.  Hazeal guessed it had something to do with being good people.  Aurontiros then realized Kelara was trying to get their attention and suggested they see what she wanted.

Kelara quickly told the others that the box Godfrey was carrying was for Darrett and Becklin had given them a letter that she’d held for safekeeping.  Furthermore, Raven asked them to act as spokespeople to solicit aid from the leaders of Kalaman, especially as Lord Bakaris and his son had already gone off on their own.  Darrett suggested the contents of the box could wait if they had more pressing matters, but Kelara and Godfrey insisted he should look, particularly after Rizira and Aurontiros expressed interest in the box.  As Kelara shoved them away, Darrett opened the box, revealing a suit of plate mail filigreed with Solamnic knotwork.  Kelara and Godfrey confirmed to a shocked and humbled Darrett that it was for him.  Godfrey agreed to help him put it on. Meanwhile, Kelara handed the letter to Hazeal, which she read before passing to Aurontiros and Rizira.  In it, Becklin thanked them for their help, agreed that Ispin was right in calling them friends and expressed gratitude that she had the opportunity to do the same.

Darrett finally emerged, striking quite a heroic figure in his custom-fitted armour.  He suggested they hurry before the Uth Estides did something the rest of them would regret.  Darrett asked permission to ride with Rizira on Ispin, though the conversation led to some lewd misunderstandings.  Godfrey quickly offered to ride with Kelara on Cookie.  Aurontiros and Hazeal agreed to pair up and ride the last horse, though they had some trepidation as neither was familiar with warhorses.

The group eventually set off and headed to Kalaman.  They were greeted by statues of ancient knights that lined its walls, along with a disorganized sprawl of tents and structures along the road.  A pair of guards in blue-and-yellow uniforms halted them at the gate and asked for their business.  Kelara explained they were sent by Mayor Raven of Vogler to speak to Kalaman’s leaders.  Godfrey added that the villagers needed help as they had been attacked.  One of the guards directed them to Castle Kalaman.  Rizira wondered who the leaders were.  However, Godfrey and Kelara knew numerous details about Kalaman, including the fact that it was led by a governor, a council of guild leaders and a military marshal.  Kelara guessed that they would do well to speak to the governor and marshal, and said as much.  One of the guards named the governor as Calof Miat.  Kelara, with Godfrey’s support, urged them to hurry past the guards and into the city.

As the group walked through Kalaman, they noted the city’s architecture and cleanliness. Aurontiros and Hazeal paid special notice to the latter, as the stories they’d heard of human settlements had painted a much different picture. Aurontiros wondered aloud why humans liked to live all packed together in cities.  Darrett replied that it saved time, provided a means of defence and encouraged humans to work together.  Godfrey conceded that  humans also had a habit of fighting each other.  When asked, Aurontiros explained that the forests elves lived in provided everything they needed and allowed them to spread out.  Rizira felt that kender homes had more in common with the elves than humans.  Darrett then proposed that humans had a tendency to venture into more inhospitable terrain and thrived on adversity.  Aurontiros admitted that might be the case as humans seemed to live everywhere.  Godfrey hoped that would be true for the people of Vogler.

Aurontiros asked whether they were supposed to seek sanctuary for the refugees.  Rizira also wanted to know what Raven had asked of them.  Kelara explained that they were sent to get help for the people of Vogler.  Godfrey agreed, though he felt they should also warn Kalaman of the dangers posed by the Dragon Army.  Hazeal pessimistically predicted that Lord Bakaris and Bakaris the Younger might cause some problems.  Kelara proposed that they stood a better chance of accomplishing their goals if they appeared reasonable, particularly as the leaders of Kalaman might be inclined to believe a nobleman from the beginning.  Godfrey retrieved Becklin’s letter from Rizira and confirmed it had her signature, as he felt it might provide proof of their character.  Godfrey hesitantly revealed his family currently had a higher standing than the Uth Estides, though he did not want to make use of that unless it was necessary.  Hazeal wondered how friendly Kalaman was to outsiders—specifically, nonhumans.  Aurontiros heard dwarven blacksmiths in the distance and, after tracing the sounds to a set of shops named Hammerstrike Forges, assured Hazeal that Kalaman might be relatively cosmopolitan.  There were some concerns expressed over whether they were lying before Godfrey got them back on track.  Kelara reminded them that Raven had asked all of them to speak for Vogler, but Hazeal felt that the humans—Godfrey and Kelara—should do most of the talking… while Rizira talk as little as possible.

They eventually made their way to Castle Kalaman, where they were approached by the castle guards.  Kelara explained they were sent by Mayor Raven of Vogler to request aid.  The guards thought they were with Lord Bakaris until Kelara explained he was not in charge of Vogler and simply lived there.  Aurontiros clarified, in Solamnic, that Lord Bakaris was more of a baron and landowner.  The guard expressed his opinion of Lord Bakaris’s manners and explained that, based on his attitude, he’d assumed he owned all of Vogler.  After Kelara provided further explanation, the guard directed them towards the council chamber, where Lord Bakaris was speaking with the city council.  He encouraged them to go there before he caused any problems for Kalaman.  Furthermore, he offered a donation to assist Vogler’s refugees, introduced himself as Thorbin and offered to provide assistance if they needed it.

After hitching their horses to a nearby post, they hurried across the courtyard, only to be intercepted by Bakaris the Younger.  He claimed his father had things under control and would summon the people of Vogler once they’d decided what was best for him.  Kelara disagreed that Lord Bakaris was speaking for Vogler when they were Raven’s appointed representatives and stepped around him.  Godfrey ignored him.  Aurontiros made fun of him.  Bakaris the Younger uttered a slight against Kelara, which she commented was rather rude.  Hearing the insult, Godfrey turned back and warned him that if he made any further insults, he would challenge Bakaris the Younger to a duel to the death, using the same terms he’d given to Halperin.  At Hazeal’s prompting, Rizira tied his shoelaces together.  Stumbling away from Godfrey, Bakaris the Younger tripped and fell on his ass, tearing his pants open in the process.  Aurontiros used Prestidigitation to add sound and smell effects.  The entire scene earned Bakaris the Younger much ridicule from the nearby guards.

The group made their way to the council chamber and were introduced by another guard.  They entered a spacious hall, where eight people sat around a broad table.  A tall blond man wearing a velvet vest of blue and gold rose to greet them, introducing himself as Governor Calof Miat and informing them that their ‘leader’ had briefed them on the situation.  Kelara and Godfrey interrupted him, explaining that Lord Bakaris was not Vogler’s leader and their true leader, Mayor Raven, had sent them as her official representatives.  Lord Bakaris tried to dismiss their claims, despite Kelara’s persistence, until Hazeal cast Silence (with Subtle Spell) on him.  As Lord Bakaris began to panic, Rizira wondered if he had trouble speaking while Kelara suggested Bakaris the Younger needed his help outside in the hallway.  Godfrey added that Bakaris the Younger seemed upset when they mentioned Halperin.  Lord Bakaris gathered his belongings and left the room, his outrage muted by Hazeal’s spell.  Kelara pretended to be knocked aside as he departed, earning Darrett’s outrage.  Darrett and Godfrey apologized for Lord Bakaris’s poor manners.

Governor Miat resumed the meeting and asked the group if they were preparing for battle.  Kelara explained the battle was already lost, Vogler had fallen and they were amongst the 392 refugees who had fled by river to land outside Kalaman.  When someone asked whether they were still going to fight, the party repeated that Vogler had fallen to an army and Sir Becklin was amongst the casualties.  Recognizing the name, Miat bid them to sit and partake of the available refreshments.  He recognized they had had a harrowing night from the soot he saw and smelled.

The party confirmed that there were no plans to retake Vogler as the city had been razed, it had no standing army to begin with, all available fighters and mercenaries were likely dead and most of the survivors were injured.  The refugees needed medical aid, food, water and shelter.  Kelara suggested that Vogler’s refugees could integrate into Kalaman’s population, promising they were hard workers.  Rizira and Godfrey warned that the army that sacked Vogler was still out there and included dragon-like, reptilian creatures amongst their ranks.

Miat offered his sympathies, but hesitated to welcome the refugees inside Kalaman’s walls.  He ceded the floor to the marshal, an armoured woman named Vendri.  The marshal explained that several other villages and farms to the south and east of Kalaman had been burned in recent weeks.  Vogler had the distinction of being the largest community attacked and the only one with many survivors.  She added that patrols of experienced Kalaman soldiers had been cut down, some with mysterious clawlike gashes in their armour.  The party confirmed the draconians had claws strong enough to carve through plate mail.

Vendri invited them to provide any firsthand experience, as their best intelligence thus far came from Lord Bakaris’s accounts.  Kelara hinted that Lord Bakaris was too cowardly to have any reliable information.  Hazeal displayed her injuries to the marshal, who inspected them and declared they appeared to be the right size.  Aurontiros added that the draconians could wield weapons as well, and that some of them could also fly.  Godfrey and Rizira warned that some draconians could turn themselves (and others) to stone.  Darrett and the others also described the boilerdrak and how much damage it could cause.  Godfrey encouraged the council to tell them what they could do to work, to help the refugees of Vogler and to defend Kalaman.  Miat thanked them for their information and offer, and asked them to step outside while the council discussed the matter.  He also requested that they not be disturbed.  After Rizira chimed in, the governor conceded that he was referring to Lord Bakaris specifically, but was trying to be polite.

The party waited in the hallway, hearing animated voices through the closed doors, countered by the governor’s calm words and the marshal’s sharp tongue.  After fifteen minutes or so, Lord Bakaris and his son walked by.  Seeing the group standing guard outside the council chambers, the nobles continued on as if they had not seen anyone.  A shriek pierced the air, as if someone had wandered into the women’s washroom, followed by the Uth Estides quickly walking back the other way.  Darrett wondered what they saw and wondered if the woman they heard was all right.  Kelara offered to investigate.

While Kelara was gone, Darrett spent the time pacing.  When Kelara noted all the noise he was making, Darrett conceded that he was still getting used to moving in plate armour.  He misunderstood Kelara’s following words to mean he had to learn how to dance in armour, prompting Godfrey to remind him that Ispin had told many tall tales.  Aurontiros claimed that everyone could dance, revealing they used to be a teacher.  Kelara offered to teach Darrett.  Godfrey was open to everyone learning to dance as a bonding exercise, though Rizira guessed he was mostly interested in dancing with Kelara himself.  When Rizira asked, Kelara told the others that she’d met the girl, Kiara, and determined that she was only startled.  She added that Kalaman only had a governor and marshal, not a lord, and speculated whether Lord Bakaris was trying to maneuver himself into a position of power.  In addition, Kiara had told her that one of the Uth Estides had had stomach issues, leading to rumours of dysentery.   Darrett was pleased that Kelara set the story straight, even if there would probably be repercussions.

Changing the conversation, Darrett expressed his surprise that Godfrey was a lord and wondered if anyone else was a secret noble.  While most people denied having such a status, Rizira pretended to be queen of the kender.  Darrett and Godfrey were fooled and kneeled down before Rizira, just as the doors opened.  The council members filed out, though some stopped to stare at the unexpected sight before them.  Nonplussed, Rizira knighted Godfrey and Darrett with her rapier.  Hazeal and Kelara saw Vendri motioning them to come inside and entered the council chambers.  Aurontiros saw Vendri too, but insisted on waiting until Rizira knighted them as well.  The elf then told Godfrey and Darrett in mock seriousness that they could now enter the kender lands as they had been knighted by their queen.   They went inside the council chambers, though Godfrey had to help Darrett stand up first.

Once they sat down, Governor Miat declared that Kalaman was prepared to offer the refugees shelter in the neighbourhoods outside the city walls, the protection of their soldiers, and as much food as they could spare.  However, there was a condition: Kalaman’s leaders were concerned about the threat posed by the army, particularly as they had little information and their scouts they had sent had all disappeared.  Given that they had faced this threat and saved Vogler’s people, Miat and the council wanted the group to report to Vendri as special operatives in the Kalaman military.

Vendri explained that she would be satisfied if at least one of them swore an oath to join Kalaman’s military and assured them that they would only have to serve until the threat had passed.  Anyone who agreed would become esquires of Kalaman, receive a weekly stipend of five steel coins, gain free lodging at Castle Kalaman and receive a special insignia that would afford them special privileges.  Godfrey and Darrett immediately agreed, with Kelara following suit.  Vendri added that magic-users like Hazeal and Aurontiros—or even someone with Aurontiros’s keen elven senses—would also be welcome.  Pleased that some of the group had agreed, Miat promised to help the refugees relocate to lodgings outside the Trade Gate—where the group had entered Kalaman—as it would be more comfortable and make it easier to seek refuge inside the walls should the army attack.  Rizira then revealed that she had borrowed the broach of Vendri’s cloak as a demonstration of her skills.  Miat then concluded the meeting.  Vendri invited the group to come find her in her office when they were ready to learn about their new roles and their first assignment.  Until then, they were invited to return to the refugees, ensure their safety and familiarize themselves with Kalaman.

Once the council had departed, Kelara decided they should return to the refugees.  Aurontiros expressed concerns about swearing allegiance to Kalaman when other communities needed warning.  Godfrey pointed out Kalaman was the capital of Nightlund and would be the ultimate target of the army.  Kelara and Godfrey believed that helping Kalaman would also help Vogler and any other community.  Aurontiros was persuaded by their words and agreed to lend what help they could, as they were unused to the malice and ill intent posed by the Dragon Army.

Darrett decided to return to the refugee camp and help with the relocation efforts.  Kelara wanted to report back to Raven, check in on her brothers and give more aid to Levna before returning to the castle to rest and determine what Vendri wanted.  Hazeal revealed she had some business in the city that she wanted to take care of first.  Rizira offered to join Hazeal, as she did not have much in common with the taller refugees and wanted to explore Kalaman.  Godfrey accompanied Hazeal and Rizira, hoping to acquire art supplies that he could use to supplement the intelligence they had provided to Kalaman’s council.  Aurontiros eventually decided to return to the encampment.

Godfrey and Rizira followed Hazeal to an establishment named Wyhan’s Apothecary.  Stepping inside, they were greeted by the faint smell of licorice and pepper, and saw some tables displaying charms, animal bones and vials advertising numerous remedies.  They saw a dark-haired woman at the back standing behind a counter heaped with open books, who gave them a brief look of disinterest.

Hazeal told Rizira she was here to deliver an item, but admitted her desire to peruse the shop as well.  Rizira was definitely interested in browsing, but made sure her hands were clearly visible after the woman at the back warned her against stealing anything.  The woman asked how she could help them.  When Hazeal revealed she was looking for Wyhan, the woman indirectly revealed she was the mage Hazeal sought and guessed the dwarf had a scroll for her.  After determining that Hazeal had not opened the scroll, Wyhan proceeded to question Hazeal about why she was worthy of wielding magic, her relationship with magic and how she would change the world with her magic.

Godfrey interrupted after Wyhan insinuated that Hazeal was lazy and vouched for her character.  Rizira also came to Hazeal’s defence, and spoke again when Wyhan asked another question.  Hazeal eventually answered Wyhan’s theoretical question about what she would do without her magic, saying she would not return to Thorbardin as she had chosen the path of magic and her homeland would not welcome her.  Instead, she would choose to stay and fight in the war that threatened to overtake her current home and her loyal friends.

Satisfied, Wyhan incinerated the scroll with her magic.  She recommended Hazeal petition the Mages of High Sorcery to join the White Robes, as her answers suggested Hazeal had an interest in protecting others and following rules.  Wyhan also admitted that she had disobeyed her orders as an apprentice and opened her scroll, suggesting that Hazeal might also find membership amongst the Black Robes appealing.  However, she ultimately accepted Hazeal’s decision to continue pursuing membership with the Red Robes and agreed to be her mentor.  As such, she would send a petition on her behalf, contact her when they replied and help her travel to Wayreth for her Test.  When Hazeal asked why she would help, Wyhan admitted she found Hazeal an interesting prospect with interesting answers—when her overzealous friends did not interrupt the interview.  Hazeal admitted that none of them had realized that delivering the scroll would result in any sort of interview.

With the assignment complete, Hazeal accepted Wyhan’s offer of bat guano and other magical supplies.  Wyhan accepted Rizira’s apology for coming to Hazeal’s defence and interrupting the interview, as she felt kender were naturally spunky.  She admitted some surprise that Godfrey would be just as spunky.  Hazeal assured Godfrey that she was not in any trouble.  Godfrey was still concerned, and became more so when Wyhan greeted him by name and revealed the shop had a paint kit in its inventory.  Rizira wondered if Wyhan had any weapons.  Wyhan replied that she sold tools and supplies and asked if Rizira was interested in becoming a mage.  Rizira became extremely excited at the prospect.  Wyhan suggested that Hazeal might teach Rizira someday.  Alternatively, Wyhan found the idea of giving Rizira magical abilities through experimentation intriguing and the possibilities endless, inviting the kender to return if she was interested.  A disturbed Godfrey suggested they conclude their business and leave.

After Hazeal bought her desired magical supplies and Godfrey acquired the paint kit, the three of them left the shop.  Rizira was still thinking about becoming a mage.  Hazeal suggested she talk to Aurontiros to get their perspective on magic.  They were interrupted by Wyhan, who told them she was missing a Scroll of Haste.  Rizira found the scroll in her possession, along with a wig sized for a gnome.  Wyhan took the scroll, asked them to return anything else of hers if they found it and slammed the door.

The three retrieved their horses and left to find the others.  They eventually found them relocated to a group of buildings near Kalaman’s Trade Gate. Darrett reported that the relocation efforts were successful.  Hazeal declared that she had found what she needed.  Godfrey confessed they had gone to a confusing and shady place that he found disturbing.  Rizira declared that Hazeal had a job interview and she was going to be a mage now.  Godfrey continued on to explain how offended he was that anyone would call Hazeal lazy, despite the dwarf’s gentle protests.  Aurontiros and Kelara were pleased to hear that Hazeal passed her interview.  Kelara than revealed that Levna had—briefly—woken up and was well enough to ask for a drink.  Aurontiros told Godfrey that Levna asked them not to hurt him, but confessed they did not understand what she meant.  Godfrey was confused as well, while Kelara evaded the question.  Darrett suggested that they should report for duty.  Aurontiros revealed they had discovered hugging (episode 6).

As they made their way out of their assigned lodgings, they were stopped by Landon, who was calling out for Kelara.  Kelara claimed she was going to work and asked him to pick a space for her bedroll.  Landon complained that he would struggle to set up their new home without help, but Kelara told him it would be good for him.  She assured Godfrey that Landon was just being a teenager and she would rather have him irritated than worry about what she was really doing and try to follow.

Along the way, Rizira remembered she wanted to acquire a new rapier.  They followed the sound of hammers striking anvils until they saw a pair of dwarves, who were clearly related, working at a set of shops named Hammerstrike Forges.  The male dwarf was working on rivets for some armour.  The female dwarf asked them to wait while she plunged a greatsword into water to cool, then welcomed them to Hammerstrike Forges and asked how they could serve them.  Rizira began to speak, only to be warned by the male dwarf to keep her hands off the counter.  The dwarves were surprised to hear she wanted a rapier instead of a hoopak.

The dwarves offered to sell her a hoopak, as another kender had left one behind after ‘borrowing’ several daggers.  The male dwarf, who later revealed his name was Kadmos Hammerstrike, was willing to retrieve it, but needed someone to watch the forge.  The female dwarf, who later revealed her name was Tiria Hammerstrike, insisted she could not watch the forge while watching Rizira.  The dwarves asked Hazeal to mind the forge instead, which she reluctantly accepted. At some point, they realized she was a mountain dwarf.  Switching to Dwarven, they confirmed she was from Thorbardin and expressed surprise that she was a mage.  Kadmos told Hazeal not to enchant his bellows.  Tiria scolded him for being rude.

Aurontiros tried to join the conversation, only to reveal their limited grasp of Dwarven.  Hazeal observed that they had not learned the language despite all the time they spent traveling together.  Kadmos admitted he’d heard worse attempts at Dwarven.  Rizira offered to trade her shortsword for the hoopak and rapier and handed it over so Tiria could appraise it.  Hazeal worked the bellows and was initially successful.  She lost control at some point, but did not realize it until Kadmos returned and was shocked to see the bellows had ignited and was sending flames two feet up into the air.  Hazeal managed to jump aside and pat out any sparks on her clothes, then cast Control Flames through her warhammer to get the fire under control.  Kadmos was outraged at Hazeal’s use of magic, but reluctantly conceded that Hazeal had technically used magic on the fire, not the bellows.  After slapping the hoopak on the counter, he told Hazeal that the world was more welcoming than Thorbardin. Kadmos then switched to Dwarven and advised her to visit Meulara’s Oddities if she wanted something more specialized to drink.  He also warned her to watch her purse.  Hazeal thanked him for the recommendation.

Kadmos asked his cousin to take over.  Tiria complied, humouring Rizira’s claims of being a queen, offering the hoopak and rapier for the shortsword and thirty-five steel coins (knocking one steel coin off the price for irritating Kadmos).  Finding the price rather steep, Rizira attempted to barter.  Tiria offered to throw in a quiver of arrows for Aurontiros if they paid thirty-two steel coins.  After Rizira agreed, Tiria added a whetstone and some blade oil for free.

When asked, Kelara admitted she was just browsing.  Recognizing Kelara was from Vogler, Tiria recommended the city market and Meulara’s Oddities, adding that the latter was run by a kender and hinting that Kelara should watch her possessions.  She then noticed the soot stains on their clothes, recognized the hardships they must have recently endured and returned two steel coins, against Kadmos’s protests. Kadmos and Tiria switched back to Dwarven, with the former protesting her generosity and the latter pointing out they had come from Vogler, were clearly desperate and were more likely to become repeat customers if they had a positive first impression.

While Kelara examined a chainmail shirt, Aurontiros asked for studded leather armour.  Kadmos took their measurements, warning that they would never be able to settle for anything less than dwarven-made quality items, which could mean never returning to Silvanesti.  Aurontiros humoured the dwarf, rather than reveal they were actually from Qualinesti, going on to make outlandish claims about the relationship between kender and elves.  Kadmos eventually outfitted Aurontiros with a set of studded leather armour, though he warned that they might have to take it in at the hips as they had no ass.  Hearing that, Kelara examined their ass.  The conversation then detoured to the benefit of squats, which confused Aurontiros and frustrated Hazeal—as the latter had explained this to the former on multiple occasions to no avail.  Rizira helped Hazeal explain what squats were, guessed that Godfrey had done many squats in armour and surmised that Kelara could provide confirmation.  Hazeal pointed out that she and Hazeal would naturally have a better appreciation of Godfrey’s ass due to their height, while Godfrey and Kelara feigned innocence.  A confused Kadmos focused on business and asked forty-five steel coins for the armour.  As Aurontiros realized they did not have enough money, Darrett joined them.  At Hazeal’s urging, he and Rizira gave an impromptu lesson in squats.  Darrett then informed them that the castle armoury could likely outfit them with whatever they needed.  Aurontiros decided that would be better than emptying the party funds.

As the Hammerstrike cousins returned to work, the party decided to visit the marshal.  Aurontiros was momentarily confused about who they were talking about and admitted as much, explaining that they normally pretended to know everything but was now trying to be honest as they regarded them all as friends.  The party appreciated this new side of Aurontiros.  Rizira admired their confidence and confessed she had put on a similar act when pretending to be a queen, surprising the people she had previously knighted.

They made their way across town, onto the castle ground, up to the second floor and over to the marshal’s office.  Vendri thanked them for coming and explained they would form a specialized squad to handle challenges that the military could not deal with and gather more information about the dangers approaching Kalaman.  In return, they would receive a week’s salary of five steel pieces, lodging and could acquire mundane weapons, light armour or medium armour from the castle armoury.  She also revealed that a couple dozen people from Vogler had enthusiastically offered their services and she was currently trying to assess their skill levels.  Vendri told them that she was still working out the details of their first assignment.  After assessing their condition, she told them to take the rest of the day off, rest and familiarize themselves with Kalaman before reporting back to her in the morning.  Vendri assigned Godfrey and Darrett to a special task and ordered them to report to her clerk for the details.  Darrett immediately obeyed.  Godfrey lingered a moment longer to say farewell to the group, and Kelara in particular.

She then led the rest of the group on an impromptu tour of the castle.  They learned the city council and governor held events and meetings on the first floor, which also housed various government offices, a small library and the armoury.  Military command and officers had offices and lodgings on the second floor.  Vendri revealed that Godfrey and Darrett would be residing with the castle guards, whose lodgings were on the third floor.  The fourth floor was generally vacant and in disrepair.  She guided the group to a large ballroom that was obviously unused and dusty, but still serviceable, and proposed they could use it for lodging and a staging area for their missions.  Rizira asked what happened to horses and learned they were probably stabled.  Vendri gave them the first week’s stipend in advance and recommended The Steady Beacon or the City Market as places to get drinks.

After Vendri left, Kelara began looking for wood and curtains to establish some means of privacy.  She also looked for cleaning supplies and began devising strategies to persuade everyone to do their fair share.  Aurontiros looked for supplies to set up a conspiracy board.  Rizira persuaded Aurontiros and Hazeal to explore Kalaman.  The three easily convinced Kelara to join them.

The four of them decided to visit Meulara’s Oddities first, based on the Hammerstrike cousins’ recommendations, which was situated near the harbour.  Pushing through the door, they saw a topknot greet them from behind the counter.  Rizira replied in kenderspeak, prompting a silver-haired kender to hurl themselves on top of the counter.  The kender recognized Rizira’s family as a group of merchants, saw she had her father’s eyes and remembered he used to talk about her all the time.  She then introduced herself as Meulara and invited them to peruse her wares, though she couldn’t stop herself from asking or answering questions, such as the group’s favourite colour or her (current) favourite item.  Meulara also invited them to trade stories, prompting Rizira to tell one such tale.  While Meulara and Rizira chattered away, the other friends began to explore.

Hazeal found a brass canary in a bell jar, a set of bone pan pipes and a silver broach pin of a raven.  She briefly heard the sound of a jar breaking, followed by Meulara’s explanation that it held a goblin head.  Meulara later suggested that Aurontiros hold up a quartz to the candle light.  When they did so, it projected a translucent image of a girl in a white dress who appeared to be asking for something.  Hazeal asked what Meulara wanted for the three things she found and inquired about any drinks that were stronger than what was served in town.  After learning she was a mountain dwarf, Meulara offered two bottles of Thorbardin Mushroom Stout.  Kender kept offering trade ideas that Hazeal turned down.  After much bartering, she paid four steel coins for all the items.

Meulara thanked them for shopping and invited them to come back.  When she mentioned that she regarded her shop as more of a kender guild hall, Aurontiros wondered how one might join.  When the conversation moved to hoopaks, Rizira offered hers to Aurontiros.  Unfortunately, they lost control of the weapon and knocked over the bell jar Hazeal bought, releasing a brass canary that began strafing the room.  It eventually flew back, hit Meulara right between the eyes and knocked her behind the counter.  Kelara darted over to check on her and dabbed her head with a wet rag until Meulara woke up.  Hazeal observed that Aurontiros of all people was knocking things over, which they attributed to the fact that Aurontiros was the tallest person in the room.  Aurontiros found that fact unsettling.

Eventually, Meulara recovered, but decided to close up shop early and buy some willowbark for her headache.  Aurontiros offered to play the song that they promised, having just made it up.  Meulara agreed after some convincing.  Aurontiros revealed it was based on an encounter they had with Ispin Greenshield, who Meulara had heard of, about Garthan the bird man.  Hazeal then revealed she was fluent in Elvish, much to Aurontiros’ shock.  Kelara asked for Elvish lessons before the friends started comparing what languages they knew.  Meulara thanked them again, kicked them out so she could close the shop and advised them to only point the brass canary at their enemies.

They wandered through town and bought more supplies before returning to their ballroom.  It was still musty, but now sported a series of laundry cords and sheets that Kelara had hung up for privacy. Hazeal had trouble falling asleep, due to the fact that she was in a new city and the surrounding noise of the nightlife.  She would subsequently be very cranky in the morning.

In the morning, they were woken up by Darrett knocking on the door.  He came in wearing plate mail and bearing a symbol of the Kalaman guard.  Darrett explained that Vendri was pleased with the intelligence they provided and the skills Godfrey and Darrett demonstrated.  As a result, she had tasked Godfrey and Darrett with training the soldiers.  In addition, Vendri assigned Darrett to act as a liaison between the group and Vendri and Kalaman’s leaders.  As such, he had come with Vendri’s first assignment.

After thanking them for their support, he explained that Kalaman’s leaders were concerned about the dragon engine that was deployed in Vogler and wanted to learn more.  The adventurers were ordered to travel twelve miles south, following Esker Brook, and find a gnome inventor named Tatina Rookledust and see if she knew anything about the device or anything similar.  They were also asked to bring Tatina back to Kalaman, as its leaders hoped to hire her as an advisor.  Hazeal was dismayed to hear they had to find another gnome and declared, after Rizira expressed excitement, that she would not ride another gnomeflinger.

The group looked at a map Darrett lay out, focusing on the Solamnic province of Nightlund, which encompassed Kalaman and the Dargaard Mountains to the south.  Aurontiros had heard stories of Nightlund being shrouded in perpetual darkness due to the ash clouds that still blotted the sky after the Cataclysm.  Hazeal, Kelara and Rizira had also heard such tales, but knew it was simply a gloomy area that saw frequent drizzle.

After Aurontiros and Rizira discussed the stories surrounding Nightlund, Darrett suggested they get outfitted with supplies and cloaks and brought them down to the armoury.  Rizira got herself a set of studded leather armour.  Aurontiros acquired studded leather armour, a longbow and a rapier.  Kelara considered a chain shirt, but decided to let Hazeal cast Mage Armour on both of them instead.

The group gathered their horses from the stables.  Rizira offered to ride her horse, Ispin, with Hazeal.   Kelara rode the horse that she’d named Cookie.  Aurontiros took the third horse and wondered what they should call it, then decided to cast Speak with Animals to learn the horse’s name as they rode out. Aurontiros talked to the horses for some time, unaware that they sounded like they were neighing the whole time.  When Aurontiros finished, they revealed Cookie used to be known as Biscuit, but was happy with their new name.  Aurontiros also told Rizira that Ispin was a creature of great intellect who liked his new name but, according to Cookie, was originally named Nesquik.  And Ispin likes Ispin, but the other one said Ispin was actually Nesquick.  Their horse was named Sparkle Sparks.

At that point, they pushed through the foliage and found themselves on top of a hill.  Below, they saw a small, burnt-out farmhouse that was still smouldering.  Peering down, they saw what appeared to be a child near the base of the building.  Rizira hopped off of Ispin and scouted ahead, telling them she’d wave her scarf or scream if there was trouble.  Aurontiros offered to accompany her, disappearing into the mist. Hazeal and Kelara waited until Aurontiros signalled them to come down, though Hazeal had some difficulty due to her lack of familiarity with horses.  They met another kender, whose name was Trapspringer.

The group found out Trapspringer had come to the farmhouse due to its condition. Rizira began talking to her friends, only to stop Trapspringer from ‘borrowing’ a rolled piece of paper with a broken wax seal bearing the symbol of Eastwatch.  Opening the paper, she saw it was a deed for ten acres of land in the region of Welmet, outside Castle Eastwatch in Southern Ergoth.  After confirming that no one in the party had seen dragons, he declared that they were not useful and asked another group if they had started the fire.

Turning around, the friends saw seven bandits—six humans and a dwarf—in mismatched armour approach.  Hazeal was pleased as she was in a terrible mood and made sparks fly from her hand.  The bandits were alarmed.  Hazeal asked if they burned the farmhouse, as it looked like the work of bandits.  They denied any knowledge of the fire.  One of them, a man named Billy, also claimed they were not bandits, only to have his lies revealed by his companion, Joel.  The dwarf Warwick confirmed they had no idea what was going on and were just passing through.  He insulted Hazeal, who was still on her guard, then tried to flirt unsuccessfully with her.  Billy assured them they would not attack as they were obviously adventurers and thus were unlikely to have many coins.  He revealed they heard rumours that someone on the other side of Kalaman was looking to hire soldiers.  Just being careful.  Rizira declined his invitation to join them, as they had other duties.  Hazeal and Kelara guessed the recruiters were the Dragon Army that had just sacked Vogler.  Billy claimed not to care as he only wanted a solid set of meals, and scoffed when Kelara suggested militia work as an alternative.  Aurontiros came out of hiding and teased Warwick with news that there was a dwarf woman in Kalaman who might be more susceptible to his charms.  They added that the marshal of Kalaman offered various incentives to join the army, including advance payment and free meals.  Billy remained skeptical despite Aurontiros’s and Kelara’s words, though the party soon realized his suspicions might stem in part from his heritage as a half-elf.  Nevertheless, the friends continued talking until Warwick suggested visiting Kalaman for food, drink and a possible fight.

As the bandits left, the friends thought they might have gotten through to them.  Trapspringer decided to keep investigating and asked them to send any dragons his way.  Mounting their horses, they continued riding.  After a few miles, they came across a strange building that looked like a cottage and a metal fortress, albeit one bristling with steaming pipes and whirring devices.  Goblins tried to break in, only to be thwarted by a variety of gadgets that spun, snapped and thrashed about.  Their leader, a hobgoblin, urged them to continue the assault (episode 7).

Rizira saw the hobgoblin standing by the side and commanding the attacking goblins.  She rode forward on Ispin, Taunted the hobgoblin, and then Sneak Attacked with her hoopak.  He fell to the ground, choking on the sling bolt.  A goblin saw Rizira ride up and attack her commander, warned her comrades and fired an arrow into Rizira’s leg. Another goblin tried to attack Hazeal, but missed due to her Mage Armour and hastily raised Shield.  He warned his comrades that the party had a mage. Aurontiros cast Mirror Image on themselves and Sparkle Sparks before charging towards the goblins and giving Rizira Bardic Inspiration. A goblin tried to attack Aurontiros, only to hit a Mirror Image instead.  Another goblin followed suit, only to miss entirely. Kelara felt Aurontiros had gotten in over their head and cast Spiritual Weapon, which killed one of the goblins targeting Aurontiros.  As he flew back, he was impaled by a mechanical porcupine.  Kelara was somewhat distressed at the goblin’s unexpected death. Despite Aurontiros and their Silvery Barbs, a goblin hit Rizira with his longsword, chanting the glory of the Red Dragon.  At that point, Rizira realized the goblins were all wearing armour adorned with the symbol of Takhisis. Hazeal Quickened a Blindness spell on the goblin who just attacked Rizira, followed by a Fire Bolt on one of the other goblins. Another goblin fired his longbow, but missed. The goblin that Hazeal lit on fire ran away. Two goblins attacked Kelara.  She managed to block one strike with her shield, but the other managed to nick her jaw line. Two more goblins tried to attack Aurontiros, but only succeeded in popping another illusory duplicate.

Rizira used her hoopak to decapitate the hobgoblin, then hoisted his head up to intimidate the other goblins.  The gnome shouted defiantly at the goblins before a pair of giant mechanical teeth sailed out of the tower and began chomping across the ground.  One of whom bit Kelara, causing her to shriek out and try to kick it off.  Meanwhile, a mechanical chicken started firing tin eggs.  Everyone but Aurontiros—thanks to their last Mirror Image—was hit by the eggs, which covered them with stinky, sulfurous fluids. A goblin tried to hit Hazeal, only to lose his sword when it bounced off her Mage Armour (and the egg’s fluids).  He picked up a nearby longsword. Another goblin hit Aurontiros.  Aurontiros stabbed the goblin with their rapier before giving Bardic Inspiration to Kelara and admitted his surprise at the goblins’ reach. A goblin fired an arrow at Kelara, but missed.  Kelara retaliated with her Spiritual Weapon and Sacred Flame, before shaking the mechanical teeth off her foot and moved her horse forward. Hazeal moved the horse forward and cast Colour Spray, blinding three of the goblins. One of the goblins tried to hit Kelara’s Spiritual Weapon in his panic, only to fall on his ass. Another goblin blindly lunged at a horse and missed.  Another goblin ran blindly past Aurontiros and was skewered by their rapier. Yet another goblin backed away, only to be killed by Hazeal’s warhammer. Two more goblins hit Hazeal and Kelara with their arrows. A device hit Rizira with a dart that exploded into green, pistachio-flavoured goo.

Rizira killed the blinded goblin with her rapier.  She then hopped off Ispin, slid underneath and tried to hit the other goblin.  Failing to connect, she climbed back onto the horse. The goblin tried to swing with his longsword, but missed.  Rizira struck back and stabbed the goblin.  Hazeal swung her warhammer and knocked his head off his shoulders like a polo shot.  The goblin head flew across the battlefield and killed the goblin attacking Kelara.  Hazeal raised her warhammer and triumphantly shouted out “Teamwork!” Aurontiros killed another goblin with their rapier.  They moved Sparkle Sparks to cut off the surviving goblins and herd them back towards the gnome’s house. Kelara killed a goblin with her Spiritual Weapon.  She tried to hit another one with Sacred Flame, but missed. Hazeal launched a Fire Bolt at the last goblin, but missed.  He began screaming something in Goblin. The last goblin began running for his life, only to be restrained by a device thrown by the gnome. Rizira rode down the last goblin and slew him with her rapier.

As calm fell on the battlefield, the clockwork machines continued milling about until the gnome whistled them back.  She leaned out the window and asked if the enemies were gone before peppering the party with questions.  Rizira asked for bandages, then haltingly explained they had come from Kalama.  The gnome seemed suspicious about Rizira’s claims that they were not from the Red Dragon Army until she brought up the subject of cannons.   The gnome went downstairs, stepped out the door, claimed ignorance of any cannons and remarked on the mess that the Red Dragon Army soldiers made.  After some thought, she realized her weed-clearer could be used as a cannon.  She started clearing up the mess before asking for help.  Aurontiros obliged while Rizira pleaded for medical aid or a chance to rest.  Hazeal pressed down on her wounds until Kelara rode over and cast Cure Wounds on the kender.  The gnome was fascinated by Kelara’s staff and began bombarding her with questions.

The gnome suddenly decided to offer them a drink and summoned ‘Bessie’—a six-legged mechanical cow who emerged from a side door in the cottage.  As Kelara pulled the arrow shaft out of her shoulder and began administering first aid to the party, the gnome began asking Aurontiros questions about their tattoos.  Aurontiros eventually exchanged names with the gnome, whose name was Tatina Rookledust.  After assessing Aurontiros, Rookledust made them a chocolate milkshake.  Aurontiros was fascinated by how cold it was—and marveled at their first taste of chocolate.  Hazeal thought the device sounded like it was in pain and felt uncomfortable.  Rookledust told Rizira her goal was to have Bessie make thirty-two flavours as that was the optimum number.  Rizira wanted to suck on the cow’s mechanical teats, regardless of how sanitary it might be or how Kelara was trying to bandage her wounds.  Rookledust relented and Rizira received a sample of wheatgrass-flavoured ice cream.  Rizira learned Rookledust had customized that flavour for minotaurs.  Rizira wasn’t thrilled and sucked on the chocolate teat, somehow avoiding brain freeze.  Seeing Hazeal’s hesitation Rookledust squirted out some vanilla ice cream and mixed it with bourbon.  Hazeal accepted the dessert after she was assured Rizira’s mouth was nowhere near the dispenser, and also avoided brain freeze.  Kelara accepted an ice cream swirl from Rookledust and, drawing on her culinary experience, had the idea to create an ice cream cake.

Rookledust asked why they were here, now that they had finished sucking on her cow.  Before they could answer, she invited them inside.  They sat down as Rookledust noisily cleaned up the mess in her front yard.  When she returned, Aurontiros commented on her various inventions.  Rookledust admitted that she chose to live a secluded life so her inventions didn’t disturb anyone.  Aurontiros compared her cottage—and the inventions she’d built—to a farm, which led to a conversation about the cleanliness of farm animals and the number of flavours of milk that a cow could produce.

After Kelara and Rizira corrected her mistaken impression that brown cows produced chocolate milk, Rookledust remembered that they asked about her weed-clearer.  Rizira admitted that they wanted to talk about her inventions and see if she would be willing to return to Kalaman and help them with their defences.  Aurontiros went a step further and asked whether her inventions were intended for combat.  Rookledust immediately replied they were not built for warfare.  However, she admitted that, several weeks ago, a stranger in red and black armour bought her weed-clearer and paid an extra fee for cosmetic enhancements to make it resemble a dragon.   The stranger had also hired her to build another invention.  A suspicious Aurontiros confirmed the weed-clearer could shoot fire—just like the dragon engine that had razed Vogler.

The party told Rookledust the Red Dragon army had used the so-called weed-clearer to cause much harm and suffering.  The gnome grimly acknowledged that she knew what they had done and explained she had subsequently Rookledust admitted she had realized what it had been used for.  As a result of that discovery—and the fact that she was distracted by another project—she refused to finish the weapon.  Rookledust thanked the party for helping drive off the goblins who had come to pick up her invention.  They warned her that the surviving goblin might return with allies from the Red Dragon army and suggested she seek refuge in Kalaman—and help shore up their defences.  Rookledust was willing to accompany them back to Kalaman, but not before they helped her test another invention.

After digging through a cabinet, she pulled out a device and slammed it on the table.  It resembled a backpack, but had brass horns, diodes, brass filigree, tube (description) that she called a ‘fargab’.  She donned another fargab, almost tipping over before Aurontiros caught her.  Rookledust led the party outside, handed Aurontiros a handle, prompted them to press a lever and speak.  Aurontiros complied.  The party was surprised to hear their voice echo from inside the cottage.  Kelara tried for herself and had similar results.  Rookledust explained that the fargab could send messages of twenty-five words across great distances (farther than the Message cantrip), from one device to the other.  She subsequently corrected Aurontiros and Hazeal, explaining it was not magic, but technology, which led to a debate about which was superior.

The conversation then drifted to Aurontiros’s choice of tactics and their request that Hazeal use Minor Illusion to give Sparkle Sparks a wicker hat.  When Rizira learned that Rookledust had flavoured the goop dart (that inadvertently hit Rizira) with pistachios in the hopes that the goblins were allergic to nuts, she asked to take one for herself.  Rookledust agreed, distracted herself with some commentary about colour theory that confused Hazeal, then thanked the party again.  When asked, Rookledust decided she did not need to take anything with her besides the fargab, but conceded she should clean out Bessie before the milk curdled.  This led to Rookledust revealing her ice chest, which led to discussion about the (gnome) magic of technology, how elves could misuse technology if they ever adopted it, the evils of capitalism, fruit and the undead.

Eventually, Rookledust locked up her cottage while the party gathered their belongings.  They made their way back to Kalaman, facing nothing more serious than rain, and presented Rookledust to the city council.  Marshal Vendri took them aside, congratulated them on completing their mission and asked for a situation report.  The party provided a summary, explaining they had fought goblinoid forces outside Rookledust’s cottage, that one survivor got away, how they wore Dragon Army armour, and that they had unsuccessfully attempted to acquire another weapon from Rookledust.  Vendri was concerned to learn the Red Dragon army was hiring goblins.  She gave them the rest of the day off while she sought more missions for them.  Rizira remembered meeting Trapspringer and asked if Kalaman had any reports of dragon sightings.  Vendri replied that they hadn’t seen any dragons in a long time.  Hazeal remembered the bandits they met and how they suggested that they find legitimate work with Kalaman’s militia.  Vendri asked if they had seen anything useful at Rookledust’s cottage.  The marshal was skeptical of the mechanical cow and its ice cream, but conceded the fargab might have potential applications.  She eventually said her goodbyes and returned to the council chamber to make sure Rookledust wasn’t doing anything too ‘gnomish’.

After some discussion, the party decided to go to the market and buy supplies for dinner.  Kelara led the way, buying enough ingredients to make chicken pies and cinnamon buns.  She easily corralled Rizira’s efforts to help, drawing on her lifelong experience dealing with her brothers.

After enjoying the delicious dinner Kelara made, the party visited the refugee camp.  They discovered that Kern had mostly recovered from his injuries and was fixing the roofs of the buildings assigned to the refugees.  To Kelara’s surprise, Landon was obeying the orders of a recovering, but now mobile, Sir Levna.  Kelara thanked Levna with a cinnamon bun.  They had some discussion on how best to discipline children.  Levna brought up the training she had received when she was Landon’s age, which led to some questions from Aurontiros.

Hazeal visited the Hammerstrike cousins and offered some of the liquor she bought.  Hazeal enjoyed sharing drinks and stories with them, almost drinking the hill dwarves under the table.  She then returned to her quarters and enjoyed a long rest.

The next morning, Aurontiros was the first to hear Darrett knock on the door.  Kelara sleepily opened the door and welcomed him in.  Darrett told them he had come with more mission proposals from the council, but was distracted by the smell of Kelara’s chicken pies.

After eating a leftover cinnamon bun, Darrett presented the available assignments:

* There was a farmstead eighteen miles east of Vogler.  Fleeing residents had reported it was overrun by soldiers.
* There had been delays with merchant deliveries from the east of Kalaman, near the Estwilde border.  The council suspected that this was due to enemy activity and feared its impact on their supply chains.
* Jeyev had expressed concerns about a pair of scouts who were keeping tabs on Dragon Army movements north of the Vingaard River, as they had not reported in.  He feared they had been captured or were in hiding.

The party debated which mission was closer and which was more important.  They considered the needs of the many over the needs of the few or one, which they attributed to an ancient elven philosopher.  Eventually, they decided to head east, as two of the missions lay in that direction.  Darrett regretfully informed them that he could not accompany them due to his duties at Castle Kalaman, but assured them that someone else would go in his stead.  He opened the door… (episode 8).

They were delighted to see Godfrey standing there, though they noted he was obviously tired.  Kelara and Hazeal greeted him.  Godfrey nodded to everyone, though his gaze stopped at Kelara, and told them that he had been very busy training the soldiers.  As Kelara tugged Godfrey into the room, Rizira brought him up to speed.

Godfrey was pleased to see they were doing well but admitted he had expected more from their living quarters, given that it was once a ballroom.  Darrett teased him about wanting a dance before laying out the possible missions: a farmstead eighteen miles east of Kalaman that may have been overrun by soldiers, investigating reports of soldiers attacking travelers along the Estwilde border (twenty miles east of Kalaman), and searching for missing scouts twenty miles northwest of Kalaman (and six miles east of Vogler).  Godfrey was inclined to head east to investigate the farmstead and protect the travelers before learning the rest of the party had come to the same conclusion.  He suggested they head out as soon as they were ready, and recommended bringing Levna along.  When Rizira asked how she was doing, Godfrey told them she was looking after the Vogler refugees and making sure they could look after themselves, but would undoubtedly welcome a break.

Hazeal assured Godfrey that Wyhan had not given her any trouble.  She spent the next hour wandering around to stave off her boredom before stopping at a bar in the merchant quarters assigned to the Vogler refugees.  She wondered about the quality of the beer before Levna stepped out. Levna greeted Hazeal, declared they were going to set things on fire and stab people, and confirmed Hazeal was joining them.  She assured the mage that the bar’s beer was flat.

The party gathered together.  Levna greeted Aurontiros and Rizira with her usual sarcastic demeanour.  Godfrey apologized on Levna’s behalf and assured them that she would feel better once she hit something.  They left Kalaman and rode east across the countryside. Aurontiros, Hazeal, Kelara and Rizira noted that they were following part of the route they took when recruiting Tatina Rookledust. After passing a burnt-out farmhouse that most of them recognized, they turned south.  Eventually, they reached the top of a hill.  Looking down, they could see a wide farmstead that had clearly been ransacked.  A Dragon Army soldier was barking commands at six hobgoblin mercenaries when he heard the hoofbeats of their horses.  Turning around, he saw the party and ordered the hobgoblins to kill them as their final test to join the Red Dragon Army.

Rizira rode forward and leapt off of Ispin.  Unfortunately, her rapier glanced off his shield. Levna wondered what Rizira was doing, charged forward and chopped the hobgoblin in half. Startled at what Levna had done, though she guessed it was to draw attention from Rizira, Kelara cast Shield of Faith on Levna.  She then cast Sacred Flame at another hobgoblin. Godfrey rode down until he was in front of Rizira and killed a hobgoblin.  A hobgoblin tried to attack Levna, but missed. Two hobgoblins advanced on Godfrey.  He braced himself, lashed out and bisected one. Aurontiros cast Shatter, killing two hobgoblins and seriously hurting the Red Dragon Army officer. Hazeal cast Sacred Flame on the Red Dragon Army officer.  He dropped his belongings and started running.  Seeing that, she Quickened a Moonbeam that turned him into a charred husk. As the last hobgoblin threatened Levna, Rizira snuck up and severed his arteries with her rapiers.

As the side of the house went up in flames, Aurontiros suggested they search the bodies for orders, given that the enemies were too dead to question.  Godfrey had trouble hearing Aurontiros, but suggested the same thing.  Meanwhile, Hazeal had trouble controlling Ispin and asked Rizira to come to her aid.  Rizira started heading to a nearby well and draw water for the fire, but changed direction when Hazeal realized she could accomplish the same thing with her Control Flames cantrip.

Aurontiros, Godfrey, Hazeal and Rizira saw Kelara return with Jeyev behind her.  They then heard her scream as Jeyev fired two arrows, one of which would have hit were it not for Aurontiros and their Silvery Barbs. Aurontiros cast Hunter’s Mark, grabbed his arrow and fired it back. Rizira ran at Jeyev and stabbed him with her rapier, then used him as a step stool to mount his horse. Jeyev cried out in pain and forced his horse into a gallop.  As he rode, he struck back at Rizira, managing to hit her with his dagger. Kelara turned around, shrieked out Rizira’s name and cast Guiding Bolt that knocked him out. Rizira managed to gain control of the horse and steer it back to the others with an unconscious Jeyev. Hazeal cast Longstrider on Ispin and rode until she joined Rizira.

Jeyev began sliding off; only to be wedged between the horses Hazeal and Rizira were riding.  From the edge of the wood, the party saw a contingent of approximately three dozen soldiers.  They were about a mile away and heading north.  Aurontiros and Rizira realized they weren’t wearing Kalaman or Red Dragon Army colours.  Furthermore, they saw a group at the back held a banner belonging to the Ironclad Regiment.  They told the others what they saw, adding their suspicions that the mercenaries had joined the Red Dragon Army.  The conversation was briefly interrupted when Jeyev started to sag, but Hazeal and Rizira grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him up before he fell down.

Hazeal then took a closer look and saw a pair of singed supply wagons bearing the symbol of the Red Dragon Army.  She got the sense that they were spoils of war.  In addition, she spotted someone near the front walking with the familiar gait of a dwarf.  Hazeal passed her observations to the others and theorized that some of the mercenaries had made it out of Vogler alive.

Rizira smacked Jeyev awake and demanded to know why he fired on Kelara.  Jeyev admitted there was a bounty of five hundred steel coins on her head.  He was visibly shocked to learn that the Ironclad Regiment was nearby.  Kelara was delighted to realize he might have been operating independently.  Hazeal cast Silence on Jeyev  as he weakly tried—and failed—to escape.  Rizira smelled fear on him and realized he’d betrayed his fellow mercenaries.  Kelara guessed Cudgel would not be very forgiving.

The party decided to ride towards the mercenaries.  Hearing their approach, Cudgel ordered her mercenaries to halt and greeted them.  Determining that the mercenaries seemed friendly and had recently seen combat, Kelara gave Cudgel a hug.  She then told the mercenary captain that they had found Jeyev, only to fend off his attempted betrayal.  Cudgel grimly agreed that she wanted to deal with him herself.

Aurontiros voiced his amazement that they were still alive.   Cudgel admitted that most of her mercenaries had died in Vogler and they were the only survivors.  Kelara asked if Becklin had survived as well.  Cudgel led them to one of the wagons, which held sixty days of food and an injured—but living—Dame Becklin.  Cudgel explained that Jeyev had stabbed her in the back, took her helmet and left her for dead.  Her men had managed to rescue Becklin but not before infection set in.  Godfrey urged Kelara to help.  Kelara agreed to offer aid, and told Cudgel that the survivors of Vogler had made it to Kalaman and were granted shelter outside the walls.  She guessed that Kalaman would welcome any military assistance the surviving mercenaries could offer.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Cudgel agreed to help Kalaman.  She added that they had come across some draconians who had set up a blockade around the farmlands near the Estwilde border.  The Ironclad Regiment had defeated them, losing only five men in the process.  She explained that they had retrieved two months worth of rations along with a small sphere.  Seeing it glow, Rizira tried to touch it, but was waved off by Cudgel.  Hazeal recognized Cudgel was holding a drift globe and knew it could emit light, levitate and follow someone with the right command word.  Looking closer, she deduced the command word and said it out loud.  The drift globe began glowing and floating out of a startled Cudgel’s hand.  A fascinated Hazeal agreed to buy the item off of Cudgel.

Cudgel later gathered the most injured mercenaries and brought them to Kelara, per her request.  Kelara had them sit down while she chanted for ten minutes and healed them all with her Prayer of Healing.  Becklin woke up with a cough, faintly asking if she had heard a dwarf screaming.  Godfrey confirmed it and told her Darrett would be happy to see her.  As a pale Becklin slowly sat up, the party told her the refugees of Vogler had made it safely to Kalaman and they had captured Jeyev.  Becklin suggested they travel to Kalaman, expressed her opinion that Vendri would be pleased to accept whatever martial support the mercenaries could offer and weakly decided to lie down for a nap.  Hearing that, Aurontiros suggested that everyone take a break while he serenaded them with a Song of Rest.   Everyone agreed and enjoyed a rejuvenating short rest before returning to Kalaman (episode 9).

As they travelled along, Cudgel explained that her mercenaries had smashed through a draconian blockade that had seized a variety of goods including the drift globe now in Hazeal’s possession.  She was delighted to see the party again, dubbing them her ‘royal escort’—which Rizira agreed, revealing her self-proclaimed title of ‘Queen of the Kender’.  They told Cudgel about their exploits since fleeing Vogler, though Rizira was caught mixing up Kalaman’s name and embellishing the number of foes she faced.

Hazeal passed the time playing with her new drift globe.  Aurontiros teased her that she had made a new friend, but conceded—with Rizira’s help—that they might have felt a touch of jealousy.  They asked her about the origin of the tattoo displayed under her left eye.  After much speculation, Hazeal told them it was not the word of some language for soup, but a reminder to herself that she applied after leaving Thorbardin.  Not satisfied, Aurontiros and Rizira pressed for more information. Hazeal looked at the party and reminded herself that she now had friends who she could trust.

Before Hazeal could say anything, Levna rode up, voiced approval of her tattoo and said that facial markings were sexy.  It did not escape anyone’s notice that the knight was sporting her own, recently acquired, scar.  Rizira told her that girls found scars attractive, then declared she would get her first tattoo when she slayed a dragon.  She was excited when Godfrey suggested that mechanical dragons qualified.

The rest of their journey was uneventful and they returned to Kalaman.  As they entered through the East Gate, the mercenaries visibly relaxed.  One went so far as to suggest they would shave some coins and blame it on the kender until Kelara intervened with an aggressively cheery demeanour.

They made their way to Castle Kalaman and returned their horses to the stables.  Marshal Vendri greeted them at the door and expressed pleasure at the added reinforcements.  After Rizira explained they had broken through a draconian blockade, Vendri recognized them as the Ironclad Regiment.  She was pleasantly surprised to learn that Cudgel and Becklin were still alive.  After recovering from her shock, she began to welcome the mercenaries when Rizira interrupted to ask if the castle had any dungeons.  After explaining they had captured a traitor, Vendri confirmed they had such facilities and the means to make Jeyev talk.  She then reiterated how pleased she was with their accomplishments and asked them to refresh themselves before meeting Darrett and Raven in their quarters for an urgent assignment.

As Levna rode forward with Jeyev, the traitor hoarsely begged to reveal what he knew in exchange for his freedom.  He directed his pleas to Godfrey, who pointed out that Becklin had—literally—been stabbed in the back by his hands.  Becklin said aloud that, while she generally disapproved of interrogation, she would allow the party to question Jeyev in whatever matter they saw fit.  Vendri was amenable to let either the party or her own men run the interrogation.  Aurontiros agreed to offer their services.

Jeyev was dragged up to the ballroom where the party now lived and was tied to a chair.  Aurontiros tipped the chair backwards and threatened to scramble the traitor’s mind.  When Jeyev proclaimed such actions would not be very knightly, Rizira brightly said that she wasn’t a knight.  Godfrey admitted he was not technically a knight and reminded Jeyev that he had stabbed Becklin and tried to attack Kelara.  He then threatened to leave the cell and go for a walk.

Seeing torture was still a possibility, Jeyev began to talk.  He revealed that the Red Dragon Army had been actively recruiting bandits and mercenaries with the promise of better pay and confirmed the presence of the draconians they’d fought.  Furthermore, he gave a name to their leader:  Dragon Highmaster Kansaldi Fire-Eyes.  According to Jeyev, her soldiers feared her and believed she could see through their lies.  Godfrey asked for more information about the bounty on Kelara’s head.  Jeyev explained that a general bounty of five hundred steel coins was offered for any priest or priestess who served a deity other than Takhisis.  Hazeal noted the Dragon Queen might not want the competition.  When Godfrey and Kelara asked, Jeyev admitted he had not personally seen any clerics of Takhisis, but had heard stories of their existence.

Rizira took over the interrogation.  Hazeal assisted the kender by casting Sacred Flame on her drift globe and tossing it from hand to hand.  Jeyev offered more information about the draconians, revealing they were fanatical and fearless.  In addition, some of them could cast spells, while others could control minds, assume the appearance of enemies they killed or even explode upon death.  He added that the Dragon Army used wyverns and creatures called dragonnels as flying steeds. Hazeal recognized dragonnels as dragonkin that grew to roughly twenty feet in length, had pointed snouts and ridges up their backs.  Unlike wyverns, they had a set of front legs.  They were also resistant to fire.  Seeing the confusion of her friends, she offered an explanation.

The party exchanged information about wyverns before deciding they had extracted all the information Jeyev possessed.  Levna declared that she would escort him to the dungeons.  Aurontiros and Rizira offered suggestions on what accommodations would be suitable to the traitor.  Levna dragged Jeyev—still bound to the chair—out of the room, narrowly avoiding Darrett.  He greeted the party and began a polite request to Levna before she agreed to whatever assignment he had in mind.  Kelara bounded over and excitedly asked if Darrett had heard the good news about Becklin.  Darrett said yes, explaining he had enjoyed a reunion with Becklin and had subsequently been delayed.  Unable to resist, he embraced Kelara until she complained about how cold his plate mail was.  Kelara and Godfrey waved aside his attempts to apologize.

Darrett then stepped aside and allowed Raven to enter.  The former mayor greeted them and told them they should get down to business.  Taking a map from Raven, Darrett spread it out on the war table.  He told the party that the Dragon Army had seized Wheelwatch Outpost, a fort that stood near the border with Estwilde, twenty-four miles southeast of the city.  Raven explained that she had been given command of a force to retake the outpost, but admitted they had more zeal than numbers or experience.  Darrett asked the party to accompany Raven’s force and help retake the fort.  He gestured to the map, which displayed a full-scale layout of Wheelwatch Outpost, but asked Raven to take over once more.  Raven explained the fort’s northwest tower was a watchtower that boasted an excellent view of the area and all four corner fortifications had horns that sentries could use to sound the alarm.  She admitted that she did not know how many soldiers occupied the fort.  Raven then told the party that her force would need eight hours to travel from Kalaman to a staging ground: a secluded grove a mile from the fort.  She suggested the party use their smaller numbers and veteran skills to slip into the fort and open one of its two gates—located at the north and south.  Raven warned the gates had employed some kind of mechanism that would take a minute to fully raise.

Rizira suggested blasting the doors down, but immediately recognized that would be counterproductive to the goal of retaking the fort.  Aurontiros asked again about the size of the occupying force.  Raven gave a rough estimate of two dozen to forty soldiers, though she could not speak to their skills or equipment.  Rizira was confident they would be up to the task, boasting about her supposed feats.  Aurontiros then asked Raven if her force could handle the Dragon Army soldiers once the gate was open.  Raven felt they could only handle a dozen enemies due to their inexperience.  She warned that the Dragon Army had only recently seized the fort and would therefore be on high alert.

Hazeal felt she would be better suited to provide a distraction.  Aurontiros suggested splitting the party into two groups—one to distract and one to infiltrate the fort.  Rizira reminded the party that they had seized several suits of armour from the hobgoblins they’d recently fought.  Godfrey added that the Ironclad Regiment had also acquired a Dragon Army banner.  Hazeal chimed in, adding she could magically alter her appearance.  Aurontiros, at Rizira’s urging, demonstrated a facility to mimic voices.  The party refined their plan to infiltrate the fort, posing as soldiers and new recruits, then split up to open the gate and provide a distraction.  Godfrey realized how difficult it would be to defend the gate and suggested jamming the mechanism once it was open.  Rizira felt she could not pose as a recruit due to her size and suggested she act as a prisoner.  Kelara suggested opening both gates and lock as many doors as possible to minimize the number of soldiers they had to fight.

While the party studied the map, Darrett asked whether they had obtained any information from Jeyev.  Godfrey provided a summary of what they had learned.  When Darrett learned the leader of the Red Dragon Army was referred to as ‘she’, he pointed out that that detail was probably not widely known outside the Red Dragon Army and could be used to prove the veracity of any tales they might tell.  Rizira felt the party should volunteer as little information as possible.  Kelara suggested ways to block the fort’s inner doors while Hazeal offered to Silence the gates as they were opened.  Aurontiros wondered if Rizira should be presented as a captive or sneak in, then expanded the line of thought to questioning how the party should infiltrate the fort as a whole.  When Kelara brought up the possibility that new recruits might be promptly sent out on assignment, Darrett suggested that they act as reinforcements.  Godfrey saw the value in that approach, given that the Red Dragon Army had just taken Wheelwatch Outpost.

As the party refined their plans, Godfrey suggested Aurontiros act as the ‘captain,’ citing their talking skills.  When Aurontiros expressed concern about the Red Dragon Army receiving an elven captain, Rizira reminded them of the army’s recruitment efforts and suggested they did not discriminate.  The party decided to time their movements to arrive shortly before dusk to take advantage of the night’s darkness.  Rizira pressed for a decision as to her role.  The party decided the kender should infiltrate the fort on her own under the cover of darkness while Aurontiros, Godfrey, Hazeal and Kelara pose as Red Dragon Army soldiers and recruits.  Levna, it was decided, would stay behind to assist Raven and her force.  Darrett’s final request was to take the fargab to inform Kalaman of their success once they were within range.  Given the bulkiness of the gnomish invention, Raven offered to take possession of it until they had retaken the fort.

The party made their preparations and left Kalaman with Raven and her force.  Kelara took a handful of mud along the way and used it to darken her hair.  The journey passed without incident and they soon arrived at the grove.  From their position, they saw a squat stone fortress with wooden gates, crenellated battlements and solid watchtowers.  They glimpsed armoured figures making their way along the walls.  Hazeal suggested they perform some reconnaissance before continuing to the fort.  She revealed the drift globe’s ability to cast daylight and suggested it could temporarily blind their enemies if necessary.  Godfrey pointed out the party needed a warning to avoid being blinded themselves and asked Hazeal to shout out the command word when activating the drift globe.  Rizira suggested that the rest of the party enter one of the fort’s gates while she snuck in from the other side.

They decided to perform some reconnaissance, with Aurontiros and Rizira creeping forward for a closer look. Hazeal and Rizira observed the movements of the patrols and estimated there were at least forty guards inside the fort. In her attempt to get a better vantage point, Hazeal almost disturbed a wasp nest but retracted her hand just in time. Godfrey wondered if they should follow their plan and head to the northern gate.  Kelara was unsure.  Hazeal said she saw Aurontiros sneak off, but had lost sight of them.

Aurontiros made their presence known, thoroughly startling Godfrey, Hazeal and Kelara.  The bard told their companions that the Dragon Army guards were on alert and Rizira had likely made her way to the southern gate to await their next move.  Aurontiros revealed they had used their magic on the plants to make one of the walls easier to climb and suggested using them to infiltrate the fort.  Hazeal and Kelara expressed doubts about their stealth skills, prompting Aurontiros to propose that they replace their armour with ‘dwarven magic’.  They also propose splitting the party again so Aurontiros could climb the walls while Godfrey, Hazeal and Kelara go to the gate.  Godfrey felt Levna should accompany them, much to her surprise.  Levna began scolding them for failing to agree to and stick with a plan while Kelara protested she was not a soldier.  Hazeal intervened and told them to keep their voices down, just before a Dragon Army guard paused their patrol.  After the guard resumed their movements, Hazeal opined that changing the plan again was unwise given the number of soldiers inside the fort.  Levna told Kelara to give her the armour, then tried to remove it when she was asked for help.  The knight encountered some unexpected difficulty, prompting Godfrey to lend his assistance and Hazeal to ponder the need to cast Silence. As they finally succeeded, Aurontiros tripped Godfrey so he fell against Kelara.

Godfrey apologized to Kelara for his forwardness until Levna reminded him he was pretending to be a bandit.  She added she would help Godfrey’s disguise by giving him a black eye if he did not settle down.  After giving Levna a look of approval, Hazeal cast Mage Armour on Kelara and Twinned Minor Illusion to make it look like they wore chainmail.  Godfrey, Hazeal, Kelara and Levna lit a torch and began marching to the north gate.  Meanwhile, Aurontiros finally decided their ability to cast spells outweighed the benefits of wearing armour.  They removed their chain mail and snuck back to the western wall.

When the four of them arrived at the north gate, a guard ordered them to state their business.  Levna nudged Godfrey and insisted that he respond.  Godfrey claimed they were new recruits sent by Dragon Highmaster Kansaldi Fire-Eyes as the people of Kalaman were moving around and hiring mercenaries.  Slipping into his guise as a bandit, Godfrey added that Kalaman did not pay them enough.  The guard agreed and gave orders to raise the gate far enough to let them in.  Once the four were inside, the guard introduced himself and his comrades, informed them the commander was in the stables and ordered them to relieve the guards on the southeast wall as they had been pulling a double shift.  To maintain the ruse, Hazeal exchanged insults with another guard (and Subtly re-cast Minor Illusion to renew the disguise) while Kelara made the rudest gesture she’d learned from her brothers.

One of the guards escorted Godfrey, Hazeal, Kelara and Levna to the southeast tower and ordered the patrol that was stationed there to get some rest.  Godfrey, still acting like a belligerent bandit, asked if they would be expected to patrol multiple shifts.  He was assured that that would no longer be necessary.  Kelara gave a mocking gesture to one of the departing guards, who decided she was not worth the trouble.  The remaining guard gave them instructions and tried to depart, only to be paralyzed by Kelara’s Hold Person spell and knocked out by Levna.

Once Levna tied up the guard, they discussed their next move.  Hazeal warned that she could not spare any more magic to maintain the ruse.  Godfrey and Levna decided to head over to the dormitories while Hazeal and Kelara would stand ready to provide any distraction or support that was required.  Before they parted ways, Godfrey and Kelara wished each other good luck. Their luck ran out at that point, as a horn sounded from the northwest tower and raised the alarm. Hazeal ran out of the southeast tower, saw a large red reptilian creature, realized it must be a dragonnel and hit it with a Ray of Sickness.  She followed up by taunting the dragonnel.

Seeing the dragonnel and its rider retreated to the stables, Rizira tried to attack the nearby guard but missed.  She Taunted the dragonnel before running into the stables to hide.  The guards on the northwest tower fired their arrows, one of which hit Levna.  Kelara cast Shield of Faith on Aurontiros, as they seemed to be the party member in the greatest danger.  She tried to attack the dragonnel with Sacred Flame, but missed, so she went back inside the southeast tower.  Aurontiros told the Dragon Army officer he would regret his actions and cast Heat Metal on the officer’s armour.  He began to scream as it began searing into his flesh.  They looked back and gave Hazeal Bardic Inspiration, while urging her to kill the officer and spare the dragonnel.

Meanwhile, the officer tried to stab Aurontiros but missed due to the overheated armour.  Having seen Rizira pass by, the dragonnel shrieked in frustration and lashed out at the roof.  Some of the beams fell down and exploded, narrowly missing the kender.  Now seeing Rizira, the dragonnel raked her with its claws.  The soldier in the courtyard ran to the lever and used it to lower the south gate.  He then hurled two javelins, which were deflected by Hazeal’s Shield. Hazeal jumped down into the courtyard, suffering nothing more than a bruised ass, and Blinded the dragonnel (though she was unable to Blind the officer).

Rizira stabbed the Blinded dragonnel before running out of the stables. The soldiers on the northwest tower fired their bows, missing Aurontiros but hitting Hazeal. Kelara darted back outside.  She saw how hurt Godfrey looked, but recognized there was not much she could do at that distance.  Instead, she hit the Dragon Army officer with a Guiding Bolt and ran back into the tower.  Aurontiros’ Heat Metal continued to burn the officer and indirectly hurt the dragonnel.  They trained their bow on the soldier in the courtyard and ordered them to yield.

The officer told Aurontiros he was bolstered by his faith.  He then lunged for his lance, only to be killed as Aurontiros fired their bow.  The soldier in the courtyard ran forward and attacked Hazeal, hitting her with one of his attacks.  Hazeal retaliated by casting Dragon’s Breath on herself and breathing cold air on him.  She then pulled the lever and began raising the gate again.

Irritated with the gate being raised and lowered, Rizira stabbed the courtyard soldier in the gut and killed him.  She then entered the stables again and stabbed the dragonnel. Kelara emerged from the southeast tower again, hitting one of the soldiers in the northwest with her crossbow. Aurontiros was reluctant to attack what they felt was a magnificent beast.  Casting Speak with Animals, they urged the dragonnel to surrender in exchange for its life.  The dragonnel responded with defiance before taking to the air.  Rizira struck out but, after hearing Aurontiros’s pleas, turned her weapon to hit it with the flat of her blade.  The dragonnel was knocked out and fell back into the stable hay.

Turning to the northwest, Hazeal Twinned a Fire Bolt and let loose.  She incinerated one soldier and burned the other. Hearing the gate rise once more, Rizira ran out of the stables, dashed across the courtyard to the northwest and killed the last soldier with her hoopak.  Kelara ran partway along the battlements and gave Godfrey a Healing Word. Aurontiros hopped down to the courtyard and grabbed a ring of keys from the dead soldier.  Between their legs and Misty Step, they reached the north gate and unlocked the lever. Hazeal prepared to attack any enemy that emerged.

Rizira ran over to open the north gate, then ran back into one of the rooms near the northwest corner. Kelara stepped inside the northeast tower and joined Godfrey and Levna. The party members heard a commotion as Raven’s force entered Wheelwatch Outpost and began to secure the keep (episode 10).

Raven’s forces bolstered by Kalaman’s forces subdued any remaining Dragon Army soldiers and began searching the nooks and crannies for any remaining adversaries. Raven could not believe that the adventurers had successfully taken back Wheelwatch Outpost and hugged Hazeal in a failed attempt to lift her off the ground.  After some prompting, she hugged Aurontiros too, noting the bard smelled like spearmint.  Raven ordered her soldiers to start stripping the bodies for armour and weapons.  One of them tried to comply by picking up a sword, but immediately dropped it with a curse.  Everyone could see a cylindrical, blistering burn running along the length of his palm.  The adventurers realized that the Red Dragon Army officer was not the only one with a burning weapon.  Just then, Godfrey, Kelara and Levna emerged, escorting a Dragon Army soldier who had apparently surrendered. The prisoner insisted Wheelwatch Outpost would fall to the Dragon Army again.  Godfrey was not concerned, pointing out a small party had defeated them.  The prisoner remained defiant, insisting the Red Dragon Army would be victorious and Takhisis would defeat Mishakal and all other deities until Levna knocked him out. Hazeal took a closer look at the unconscious creature that Raven’s soldiers were trying to bind, becoming unsure as to whether it was a dragonnel or a very small dragon.

As Raven ordered her soldiers to bind the prisoners and take them to the cells, Aurontiros and Hazeal climbed up the remnants of the stables and examined the lance that was wielded by the Red Dragon Army officer.  They found a sigil burned into the weapon that matched the armour they stole: the symbol of the Dragon Queen.  Aurontiros wondered how the Dragon Army could wield such magical—and cursed—weapons.  Hazeal speculated that they might have been wearing gloves as protection.

Wanting to test that theory, Aurontiros called Godfrey and asked him to join them.  A tired Godfrey came over, followed by Kelara, who was trying to dig out her medical supplies.  When Godfrey joined them, Aurontiros asked if any of the weapons wielded by the Dragon Army soldiers burned him.  Godfrey admitted that they had.  Noting Godfrey was seriously injuried, Hazeal suggested that he should let Kelara tend to his wounds.  Aurontiros wondered if anyone sporting the symbol of the Dragon Queen would be protected from the weapons, or if something greater—like a vow or pledge—was required.  To test their theory, they asked Godfrey to see if they could feel any warmth coming from the lance.  Godfrey went a step further and tried to pick up the lance, which immediately ignited and sizzled his flesh.

Crying out in pain, he dropped the lance.  Kelara (using a stare perfected after a lifetime dealing with her brothers) and Hazeal (with her warhammer) urged Godfrey to sit down.  Once he complied, Kelara examined the burn and saw how serious it was.  Aurontiros realized that they would not be able to seize the Dragon Army weapons for their own use after all. Hazeal remembered the stories she had read as a dwarf, a child and a mage.  She realized that the breath of a red dragon had somehow been magically infused into the steel and normal troops should not wield them.  However, she thought that it could be repurposed in the right hands and decided to bring it to Wyhan. Taking a closer look, Aurontiros and Hazeal saw the lance was lying on some moss.  While it had obviously burned Godfrey’s hand, the moss remained unsigned.  They speculated that it might be safe to handle if precautions were made.

In the meantime, Hazeal decided to search for supplies.  She entered the kitchen, turning her nose up at the watery soup and the excess of pepper used, but took a set of stone salt and pepper shakers that were carved to resemble black and white dragons.  She also found a leather cooking apron and some oven mitts, which she thought could be used to carry the lance or deal with fire in general.  As she took a closer look at the stone shakers, she determined they were only fifty or sixty years old—practically new from a dwarf’s perspective—and of decent quality considering they were clearly made by humans.  Then she heard the door open behind and swore she heard footsteps.  She spotted a hand reach around before a voice asked what she was looking at.  Hazeal turned to see a kender eating a carrot.  The kender introduced herself as Elgo Duckditcher.  Hazeal shook her hands reluctantly.  Elgo admitted she was looking for molasses and asked if Hazeal had found any.  The conversation quickly went from looting the outpost to whether she was wearing red because she was part of the Red Dragon Army.  Elgo initially believed Hazeal’s assurance that she was not part of the Red Dragon Army but, after a quick test of words, declared that she was lying.

Aurontiros began looking around for Hazeal, only to hear someone cry out about a liar, followed by the sounds of pots falling down.  They rushed into a kitchen, rapier drawn, to see a kender—wearing a pot as a helmet and waving a spatula around—accusing Hazeal of being part of the Red Dragon Army.  Seeing Aurontiros, Hazeal calmly informed them that the kender had ideas about her.  Aurontiros reminded her that they had had discussions on what to say when asked if they were ‘the bad guys,’ then convinced the kender that neither they nor the dwarf were her enemies. Hazeal let Aurontiros talk, as it was not the first time they had talked her out of trouble where a kender was concerned.

Aurontiros told Hazeal they had put the kender’s mind at ease, then learned the kender was named Elgo Duckditcher.  Elgo asked how they knew Rizira.  After asking if Aurontiros and Rizira were kissing cousins, she came to the erroneous conclusion that they were betrothed.  At that point, the three were joined by Rizira. Elgo congratulated Rizira on her bethrothal.  Rizira asked if Aurontiros had failed to mention something.  Aurontiros explained that Elgo had said they were kissing cousins and admitted that clarifying things with the kender had been challenging.  While the conversation began meandering around potential relationship statuses and Rizira finding Elgo’s tools, Hazeal sneaked out of the kitchen.

Hazeal made her way out of the building and bumped into Kelara, who ignored any signals she might have sent and went inside.  She took advantage of the opportunity to safely retrieve the lance, with the help of the oven mitts she had put on.  Some time later, she saw Kelara emerge from the building, guiding Aurontiros and Rizira.  She silently motioned for Hazeal to join Godfrey.

Rizira saw the lance Hazeal was carrying and ran up to touch it, but heard Aurontiros’s and Hazeal’s warnings and stopped just in the nick of time.  Aurontiros and Hazeal debated the best way to dissuade her from taking such actions in the future.  Rizira admitted that she had mistaken Hazeal’s precautions as a fashion statement and said it made her look slimmer.  Aurontiros gently chastised Rizira for the latter statement while Hazeal patiently accepted the offhand compliment.  Kelara continued corralling her friends, growing slightly frustrated at how a simple task had taken at least twenty minutes, and asked Levna to join them.  In an effort to keep them all in one place, she asked Rizira to tell Godfrey and Levna how she and Aurontiros had become engaged.

As Aurontiros and Rizira noticed how Godfrey was still bristling with javelins, Kelara planted her staff into the ground and began chanting.  Levna asked whether congratulations were finally in order for Godfrey, but Rizira explained that she and Aurontiros had somehow become engaged.  Aurontiros wondered if it was safe to extract the javelins from Godfrey.  Godfrey offered his congratulations before Aurontiros and Rizira began yanking the javelins out.  As Godfrey admitted he felt better, Kelara’s spell concluded and she healed her friends.  Rizira declared she needed to find a tattoo artist, having decided that she slayed a dragon.  Godfrey thanked Kelara once again.  Kelara leaned heavily on her staff, exhausted by the spells she cast—and the effort involved in corralling her friends together.

Raven approached the party, explaining that she had not wanted to come earlier and interrupt the healing.  She told them their horses had been brought in and asked if they wanted to stay overnight or return to Kalaman now.  She also asked Levna to stay behind and train her troops so they could better defend the keep.  Rizira remembered the letters placed on the prison desk and, with Kelara’s help, brought them to Raven’s attention.  Rizira offered to ask Kalaman to send reinforcements.   Raven accepted the offer, regretting it would take so long to send word.  The party remembered the fargab that they had brought and decided to use it en route.  Eventually, Godfrey suggested they enjoy a long rest overnight before heading back.

In the morning, they discovered Elgo had already departed, said their farewells to Raven and began the journey back.  The party tried to hail Kalaman several times to no avail.  Finally, as Godfrey carried the fargab and Aurontiros tried various buttons, they managed to contact Rookledust.  After the gnome thanked them for conducting the fargab’s first field test, she asked if they had taken Steel Springs.  Aurontiros mistakenly said yes, only to be corrected by Godfrey.  Most of the party recognized Steel Springs was a little crossing along the Inkwater, about thirty miles west of Kalaman.  Godfrey and Rizira told Rookledust that they had just come from Wheelwatch Outpost and were not with Darrett.  The gnome told them that Kalaman had received intelligence that a contingent of the Red Dragon Army had broken off from the main force.  The party was alarmed to hear that Vendri, several leaders and the Kalaman Army had sallied forth to ambush the invaders—and dismayed to learn that Lord Bakaris was in command.  As Rizira sought confirmation of where Steel Springs was located, Rookledust apparently caught sight of an aide and called them over.  The party greeted the aide, who was momentarily surprised, but asked Rookledust to relay a message that Darrett had written for Godfrey’s eyes only.  In the note, Darrett explained that Bakaris was leading a mission to Steel Springs that would likely lead to disaster.  While he could not disobey his orders, Darrett would try to salvage the situation.  However, he urgently needed the party’s aid.  The party realized the gravity of the situation and agreed to head for Steel Springs.  Rizira told Rookledust that they had retaken Wheelwatch Outpost, but the Red Dragon Army would likely return.  Kelara felt Levna should be told that there would not be any reinforcements from Kalaman and gave her an update through a Sending spell.  Levna replied with a string of Solamnic curses, concluded with a cursory confirmation, much to Kelara’s shock.  A stunned Kelara relayed Levna’s response to the party before they altered course.

The party kept their horses as a steady gallop as they rode to Steel Springs rough.  Before long, they saw smoke rising in the distance, wounded Kalaman soldiers fleeing and Red Dragon Army soldiers in pursuit. Rizira rode her horse up north, passing between the fleeing Kalaman soldiers.  Vaulting off Ispin, she approached the closest enemy on foot and killed him with her rapiers.  The warhorse reared up in response and kicked her in the head. Hazeal Twinned Mage Armour on herself and Kelara. Aurontiros cast a moderately effective Shatter on the three closest enemies (and their warhorses), then gave Godfrey Bardic Inspiration. One of the Red Dragon Army soldiers tried to ride down Godfrey.  Godfrey struck first with a strike that drew blood but failed to knock him off the horse.  The soldier responded with a blow of his own, flames licking out of his blade.  Another Dragon Army soldier moved into position and threw two javelins at Rizira, but missed.  The last Dragon Army soldier galloped forward and attacked Rizira, but only managed to ignite the stick in Rizira’s hair. Kelara cast Shield of Faith on Godfrey, then tried—and failed—to hit a Dragon Army soldier with Sacred Flame.  The soldier recognized Kelara as the priestess of Mishakal and ordered his comrades to kill Kelara. As the fleeing Kalaman soldiers waded into the stream, Kelara heard something above her.  Looking up, she saw a red dragonnel fly overhead and drop a screaming Kalaman soldier, who would land on some rocks next to her and die instantly.

Rizira attacked one of the Dragon Army soldiers, managing to hit once, then waded through the water to get away. Aurontiros pulled out his longbow, cast Hunter’s Mark on the soldier engaging Godfrey, and killed him with one shot to the heart. From the east, a Dragon Army soldier galloped towards Hazeal.  Seeing that, Hazeal Quickened a Moonbeam in front of her.  As he rode into the Moonbeam and was grievously wounded, Hazeal cast Sacred Flame to incinerate the soldier and his horse.  The soldier swung back and missed, thanks in part to Aurontiros’ Silvery Barbs. Godfrey killed the soldier trying to harm Rizira.  He then moved up to the last Dragon Army soldier and killed him too. Kelara steered her horse out of the Kalaman soldiers’ way and stayed alert, recognizing there was a price on her head.

A dozen mounted soldiers rode towards the treeline.  Despite the blood, they recognized they bore the colours of Kalaman.  They also saw that Darrett was in the lead, with Lord Bakaris perched behind him.   Darrett warned them that the Red Dragon Army had overrun the Kalaman forces and urged them to follow them to a fallback point in the east before it was too late.

Rizira confronted Lord Bakaris, asking if he cared about the lives he had wasted.  Darrett urged them to discuss things once they were safe. The party fled with Darrett and the surviving Kalaman forces. Kelara made an unorthodox use of Channel Divinity to give everyone the vigour to ride harder.  The only one who wasn’t affected was Lord Bakaris, who remained in shock.

After six miles, the horses started frothing, forcing everyone to dismount.  Darrett told everyone to rest before returning to Kalaman, then pulled the party aside.  He revealed that Lord Bakaris ordered an assault on the Dragon Army forces, not realizing the enemy had reinforcements nearby, causing the tide of battle to turn against them.  Darrett and the commanders had managed to order a swift withdrawal, saving many lives.  He asked the party to show Lord Bakaris some mercy as he had almost died during the fight.  While Darrett had come to his rescue, he felt the lord was in shock and believed Bakaris the Younger was lost.  Darrett added that Vendri had been pulled away from Kalaman to deal with other Dragon Army forces and was thus unable to stop Lord Bakaris from convincing the council to sally forth.  He told them that he was honour-bound to follow his orders, but suggested that other people might rightfully speak up against the fools who had allowed such an ill-advised course of action. Kelara side-eyed Hazeal and Rizira at that remark.

Darrett recognized that he was effectively in command of the survivors and advised everyone to rest before returning at first light.  He admitted to Rizira that they had suffered casualties and asked Aurontiros to entertain the survivors and keep their spirits up.  Recognizing that the Kalaman soldiers would be forced to travel slowly, he asked the party to ride ahead and tell Governor Miat what happened.

Aurontiros recognized that Hazeal was angry at what Lord Bakaris had done and suggested she deal with her feelings. Hazeal went to find Lord Bakaris.  When she found him, she realized that she might succumb to the urge to crush Lord Bakaris’s head with her warhammer.  Instead, she cast Message and told him he might think twice before sending more good men to their death.  She watched from a distance as Godfrey approached Lord Bakaris and spoke to him, satisfied that she had dealt with him through magic rather than force of arms.

In the morning, the troops prepared to head out.  Darrett thanked them again.  To their surprise, Lord Bakaris had recovered from his shock… and was helping the wounded back on horses and performing acts of physical labour. The party parted ways with Darrett, Lord Bakaris and the soldiers, riding hard for Kalaman.  They eventually arrived at the city, where they saw a crowd milling excitedly at the gates.  Behind the portcullis, one of the guards insisted there was nothing to see and urged them to move along.  Rizira immediately hopped off her horse and went closer to investigate.  Hazeal Twinned Mage Armour on herself and Kelara.  As the minutes passed, the party heard the crowd gossip about knights.  Godfrey approached the gate on horseback and identified himself as a messenger from Darrett.  The guard recognized him and told his comrades to raise the gates. Godfrey asked him what was going on and learned that reinforcements from Solamnia had arrived in Kalaman.  He confirmed that the other members were with him and arranged for them to pass through the gates as well.

Kelara caught another guard’s eye and asked if the rumours were true.  The guard confirmed that six or twelve knights had arrived from Solamnia.  After gossiping about Levna’s proclivities, the guard spoke favourably of Godfrey’s appearance, as well as the lead knight, whose name was Caradoc.  Overhearing that, Aurontiros pressed for more details.  The guard bluntly admitted that she would happily join Caradoc in a tryst, observing that they had seen some action from the state of their armour. A third guard stepped out and admitted to some confusion, as the only Solamnic knights he had met previously were Becklin, Levna, Darrett and Godfrey.  He opined that they had taken more pride in their appearance than the reinforcements that had just appeared.

Kelara asked if the knights had gone to speak with the council.  When the guard gave confirmation, Godfrey said they should head to the castle immediately.  They learned that there were likely a minimum number of guards at the castle. The party made their way through the city and up to the castle.  While the gates were closed, the guards recognized the party and admitted them inside.  The party entered the courtyard, where they found two heavily armoured Knights of Solamnia on horseback near the covered cloisters. Hazeal saw that they were directly in front of the council chambers.

Godfrey moved forward to challenge the knights.  Having entertained suspicions since returning to Kalaman, though, Hazeal Subtly cast Dispel Magic.  The air warped around the knights, revealing one of them was actually a desiccated corpse wearing tarnished armour and riding a skeletal steed.  Seeing that their cover was blown, the soldiers drew their blades (episode 11).

Rizira dismounted, dashed forward and attacked the obviously undead soldier as she passed by.  However, she realized the blow had dealt less damage than she expected.  Hazeal cast Moonbeam directly on the skeletal knight. Aurontiros cast Heat Metal on the skeletal knight, then gave Rizira Bardic Inspiration. After receiving damage from the Moonbeam, the skeletal knight attacked Godfrey.  It managed to grab his throat and drain some of his life force. The other knight dismounted and gave chase after Rizira.  It slashed Rizira with its sword before grabbing her ankle and siphoning a significant amount of life from her body. A startled Kelara jolted forward, cast Shield of Faith on Godfrey and tried to Turn Undead with her staff.  The knight gripping Godfrey was unfazed, despite Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs, but the knight attacking Rizira released its grip.  Godfrey landed two blows on the knight whose hand gripped his throat, but found it had unnatural resilience.

An injured Rizira struck out at the knight who attacked her, but missed both of her attacks.  She tumbled down the stairs and tried to hide underneath the skeletal horse.  Hazeal moved her Moonbeam to follow the skeletal knight. Aurontiros cast Shatter, killing the knight attacking Godfrey, before granting Godfrey some Bardic Inspiration. The remaining knight fled up the stairs and inside the castle proper. Kelara moved up to Godfrey, who was kicking the bones of his assailant.  Seeing he was faring well, she refrained from using any magic. Godfrey chased after the other knight, urging Rizira to attack the horse as he ran.  Rizira complied, killing the skeletal steed.  As its bones fell around her, Rizira grabbed the largest bone she could find.

Rizira ran up the stairs, caught up with the other knight and stabbed it.  As its illusory disguise melted away, she scampered around so the knight was between Godfrey and herself.  Hazeal released her Moonbeam, cast Longstrider on herself, dismounted and ran halfway up the stairs. Aurontiros used their Animal Handling to gingerly ride their horse up the stairs and flank the remaining knight.  A somewhat surprised Kelara followed. Snarling, the knight struck out at Godfrey but missed.  Kelara finished ascending the stairs, ran forward and hit the knight with her Sacred Flame. Godfrey switched places with Aurontiros and stabbed the knight.  It struck back as Godfrey tried to withdraw his sword, though its damage was reduced by Aurontiros’s Cutting Words.  Grunting, Godfrey called out to Rizira, who stabbed it again. Rizira followed up with two more strikes. Hazeal ascended the rest of the stairs and got close enough to touch Rizira and give her Dragon’s Breath.  The spell proved to be moot as she fired Sacred Flame from her warhammer and destroyed the knight.

The more perceptive members of the party smelled blood and alerted the others.  Together, they ran towards the council chamber, noting the halls were empty, the chamber’s door stood ajar, the guard was absent and the room was silent.  Bursting inside, they beheld a scene of carnage: Kalaman soldiers lay amidst skeletal remains in tarnished Solamnic armour.  The bloody bodies of the council lay slumped in their chairs and across the table.  Governor Miat’s body was pinned to his chair by the longsword that pierced his chest.

A man in Solamnic armour rocked in a chair next to Miat’s body, balancing a scroll on his finger.  Noticing the party, he mockingly greeted them and wryly suggested that they do better than the recently deceased council members and guards.  Before anyone else could say anything, Rizira leapt on the table and breathed fire, setting corpses, the table and Caradoc on fire.

Rizira dove forward, stabbing Caradoc once in the throat with her rapier, before hastily retreated.  Caradoc held a mock conversation with the dead governor about whether they were having fun.  Rizira accused him of desecrating bodies.  Far from denying it, Caradoc openly admitted he was. Caradoc kicked the table to the side and charged Godfrey, but failed to do more than elbow him back.  Hazeal cast Blindness as a Heightened spell against Caradoc, successfully blinding their adversary.  He hid his dismay by insulting their appearance. Godfrey attacked Caradoc, knocked him down like Ispin taught him, and struck him again.  He gurgled and lay still.  Godfrey asked aloud whether the fight was over.  Caradoc opened his eyes and began laughing, albeit in a different, more high-pitched voice.  A translucent, incorporeal man rose out of Caradoc’s body and thanked them for freeing him from what he called a weak body. Aurontiros was surprised to find themselves at a loss for words, but managed to fire their longbow at the ghost.  Their arrow dealt a minor amount of damage. Kelara hit the ghost with a Guiding Bolt, who noted it actually hurt.

Seeing the scroll Caradoc had held was now on the ground, Rizira darted forward, picked it up and read its contents.  She murmured something to herself about ‘Soth’ and a card before tucking it away and finding somewhere to hide. Caradoc moved into Godfrey, who seemed to repel the ghost.  After accusing the squire of not being any fun, he whispered to Aurontiros that their friends hated them and believed they were a traitorous elf.  Influenced by his words, Aurontiros turned around and slashed Kelara through the stomach with their longsword.  Caradoc then melted through the floor. Hazeal tried to remember everything she could about ghosts.  She recalled that they could possess the living but were usually bound to a specific location—which made Caradoc’s presence here surprising—and they could drain life force.  Unsure as to whether Aurontiros had come to their senses, Hazeal cast Dispel Magic on them.  Aurontiros voiced shock at their actions. Godfrey stepped between Kelara and Aurontiros, demanding to know what was going on.  Aurontiros wondered if Caradoc was gone and asked if the party should pursue it.  Looking around, they noticed a blood trail leading to a small, shattered door in the rear of the room.  They also noticed a growing pool of blood spilling from the body that Godfrey stabbed and Caradoc had possessed.  Investigating the door, they discovered a hallway that led to a descending staircase.  Aurontiros relayed their findings to the others.  Guessing that the bleeding knight’s actions were not wholly his own, Kelara cast Spare the Dying.

Rizira pulled out her hoopak and poked her head above the table, looking for Caradoc.  She did not have to wait long as the ghost emerged.  Whirling her hoopak, she scored a direct hit. Impressed, Caradoc decided to ‘keep’ Rizira, but was unable to possess her body.  He tried to influence Godfrey by claiming Kelara did not love him  Godfrey told him to shut up.  Disappointed, Caradoc declared they were no fun and invited them to hit him. Hazeal touched Godfrey’s sword and turned it into a magic weapon with her sorcery. Godfrey told Caradoc to shut up and hit him twice with his (new) magic sword.  He urged Rizira to strike as well.  Unfortunately, Caradoc chose that moment to backflip into the kender, possess her body and make her attack Godfrey instead. Aurontiros Commanded Caradoc to leave, but was unsuccessful in repelling the ghost.  The bard slowly backed away from Caradoc/Rizira, who continued to mock them as they gave Bardic Inspiration to Godfrey. Kelara tried casting Hold Person, but soon learned it was unsuccessful.  Hazeal released her Dragon’s Breath spell before it could be used against the party.

Caradoc/Rizira stabbed Godfrey, but only landed one hit due to Aurontiros’ Silvery Barbs.  In response, Godfrey struck back with a Riposte.  Caradoc/Rizira made a suggestive remark regarding Godfrey’s desire for Kelara, which stunned him long enough for the possessed kender to try another attack.  After the rapier bounced off Godfrey’s belt buckle, Caradoc/Rizira claimed they were trying to help Kelara get easier access and offered to perform circumcision.  Hazeal cast Silence on Caradoc/Rizira (and anyone within its sphere of influence), hoping to prevent his ability to influence others with his whispers. Godfrey attacked Rizira, only hitting once, then got his Second Wind. Aurontiros went around the table and backed towards Kelara and Hazeal, leaving the range of the Silence spell.  They asked the spellcasters what they should do.  Hazeal admitted the only thing she could think of was taking Rizira down as quickly as possible, while doing their best to spare her life, as that seemed to cause Caradoc to leave the other body.  Kelara hit Caradoc/Rizira with a Guiding Bolt, sending her tumbling to the floor.

Caradoc rose from Rizira’s body and tried to make some remarks.  Realizing he was in the Silenced area, he made a rude gesture at Hazeal before slapping Godfrey across the face.  He tried to manipulate Hazeal and hit Godfrey, neither of which were successful.  In response, Godfrey slashed through the ghost’s stomach. Hazeal cast Sacred Flame and hit the ghost, with help from Aurontiros and their Silvery Barbs. Godfrey missed his next two attacks, but dodged Caradoc’s return attack. Aurontiros asked Hazeal to stop her Silence spell.  Once she complied, Aurontiros killed Caradoc with a Shatter spell (enhanced with another Silvery Barbs).

Seeing that the fight was over, Kelara cast a Mass Healing Word that brought Rizira back to life.  As Aurontiros came over to check on her, she waved off Godfrey’s apologies, explaining she could see what Caradoc was doing with her body but was helpless to stop it.  Behind them, they heard the other knight wake up and look around in shock at the carnage strewn throughout the room.  Feeling her adrenaline wear off and the recent events sink in, Kelara found a quiet corner to throw up.  Seeing that, Aurontiros held back Kelara’s hair while she vomited.

The knight recognized the make of Godfrey’s sword and asked if he was a Solamnic squire.  When Godfrey confirmed it, the knight identified himself as Durstan Rial, and verified that he was in Kalaman.  Durstan explained that he was ambushed while traveling near the Dargaard Mountains but did not remember anything since.  Scrambling around for the scroll she’d found, Rizira asked if he knew anything about a ‘Lord Soth.’

Rizira pulled out her deck of cards, rifled through them until she found the knight card whose name and face had been scribbled out, showed it to the others and said Lord Soth was the individual on the card.  Durstan felt he must return to Maelgoth immediately, but Rizira suggested that he rest.  Kelara wondered what they should do, now that the entire council and leadership of Kalaman was dead. As if hearing her words, the blue-skinned elven musician Leedara stepped forward from a previously empty corner.  She urged them to hurry through the shattered door that Aurontiros had investigated, as there was a secret beneath the castle that Lord Soth could not be allowed to possess.  Rizira asked if they could wait a short time to tend to their wounds, while Hazeal insisted on an explanation.  However, Leedara repeated her pleas.  Durstan asked what was going on and the party turned to explain they were trying to discern the same thing.  When they turned back, though, Leedara had vanished.

The party asked Durstan to join them, appealing to his sense of honour and whatever responsibility he bore for inadvertently killing so many innocent men and women.  Aurontiros was ultimately successful in persuading the knight in joining them.  Hearing that Rizira was still injured, Kelara gave her more healing, but warned her powers were nearly spent.  The group agreed to continue. They went through the shattered door and down a narrow corridor.  While there were several plain doors leading to other parts of the castle, their attention was attracted by a faint violet light at the far end of the passage.  The group noted that the doorframe was once sealed, but had recently been broken through, revealing a steep flight of stairs descending below ground.  They could also see violet light and hear the sounds of crackling flames.  Seeing no other choice, the party went down the stairs (episode 12).

They found themselves in a stone chamber engulfed in violent flames.  Four dignified statues of Knights of Solamnia stood in the fire.  On the other end of the room lay an antechamber, which held a set of stone double doors and a bison-headed warrior.  Godfrey took a moment to make a gesture of respect.  The violet flames transformed into illusory figures that played out a scene.  The group saw a Knight of Solamnia save a group of elf travelers from ogre raiders.  One of the elf women fell into the knight’s arms while another woman, human, turned away with slumped shoulders.  Rizira asked if Godfrey knew what they were seeing.  Godfrey admitted that he recognized the statues but was at a loss to explain the visions from the flames.  He doubted the Knights of Solamnia were responsible for them, though, as they distrusted such strange magics.  Durstan looked at the flames nervously before asking for Hazeal’s opinion.  He looked at Godfrey and asked if he recognized the knight. Godfrey realized the knight was the former lord of Knightlund, Lord Soth.  When he uttered his name aloud, Rizira recognized the name from the scratched-out card in her deck. Hazeal recalled the stories she’d read as a child and how the Cataclysm came about as a mountain wreathed in violet flame descended upon Krynn.  She felt a sense of dread as she thought about Lord Soth.

Rizira offered to scout ahead.  Durstan begrudgingly agreed but asked that everyone be respectful, as the catacombs were the final resting place of the knight Zanas Sarlamir.  The group began wandering around the room, though Hazeal took a moment to cast See Invisibility. Kelara pointed out a trail of blood that led to the double doors. As Rizira followed the trail, the others had no doubt that she would wander beyond earshot, given her uncanny hearing.  The kender went to the doors and listened carefully, but heard nothing but crumbling stone on the other side, so she pushed them open. Looking at the craftsmanship, Hazeal knew that the catacombs were built by human hands before the Cataclysm.

Rizira entered a long chamber lit with violet flame.  Alcoves lined the walls, holding bodies wrapped in yellowed cloth.  There was a brazier at the end of the hall, a crude tunnel created from a smashed section of wall to the southwest and a closed stone door to the southeast.  She reported her findings to the others, who joined her inside the chamber.  As the group looked around and wondered what could have caused the damage, Rizira approached the brazier.  The violet flames erupted, taking the shape of people once more.  As the group watched, the knight from the previous vision was cast out from a group of other knights.  The scene faded into a wedding between the knight and the elf woman from the previous vision before the illusion vanished.

Confused, Rizira asked if Lord Soth was cast out because Knights of Solamnia were not allowed to get married, but Godfrey said that was not the case.  While he did not know how accurate the story was, he recalled that Lord Soth was married to a human woman.  Days after his wife died, he remarried an elven woman.  Godfrey guessed that the visions depicted how Soth first met his second wife.  Aurontiros wondered if Leedara was the elven woman in question.  Durstan did not think so, but asked who Leedara was.  The party could not provide any answers, other than her habit of appearing and disappearing. Hazeal noted that the bodies had been buried in their plate armour and had simply left there to wither over time.  With her See Invisibility spell, she could tell that something from the Ethereal Plane was residing inside the body Rizira was examining and another body near Durstan.

Hazeal urgently told Rizira to step back as something from the Ethereal Plane was inside the body she was examining and the one near Durstan.  Rizira’s disappointment quickly subsided as she heard Hazeal’s explanation. Hazeal was unable to provide any more information, other than it was some kind of spectral creature. Durstan repeated his plea for Rizira not to touch anything.  Rizira turned around, coming perilously close to hitting the body with her scabbard.  Aurontiros wondered if they should light the brazier out of respect, but Durstan suggested lighting it on the way out.  Kelara saw that whoever created the tunnel had punched through one of the bodies in the process, and noted out loud that they were both quite disrespectful to the dead and very strong.  They decided to investigate, taking care not to further disturb the body.

Rizira took the lead again and disappeared through the tunnel.  After a few minutes, the party decided to follow, guessing that Rizira had not cried out due to any danger and had been too distracted to report back.  They entered a hall whose walls were covered in mosaics of knights riding armoured stallions, just in time to see the end of another vision where a knight was riding off.  Looking around, they saw a shattered stone door to the east, a tunnel leading back to the catacomb entrance in the north and a statue of a rearing horse and two stone doors leading south.

As Durstan took a step forward, the hall turned into another vision.  They watched the knight meet the attendants of the elf woman from the first vision.  After they taunted him and pointed back the way he came, the knight flew into a rage, slew them and turned back home. Hazeal thought one of the attendants looked familiar, but could not determine why.

A flare of violet light flashed throughout the hall, followed by a whinny.  A pair of spectral stallions erupted from the far west wall. One of the spectral horses charged Kelara, passing harmlessly through Durstan.  Its hooves were deflected off her shield. Kelara uttered a Word of Radiance, but failed to hit the horse.  Casting Shield of Faith on Hazeal, she returned to the tunnel but was hit by the horse as she retreated.  Rizira awkwardly emerged into the hall, holding a longsword, and wearing a shiny breastplate and a cloak that appeared to be made of autumnal leaves.  She missed with her dagger but scored a hit with the longsword.  Disappointed with the longsword, she let go of it and hopped back behind the door. The second horse charged Aurontiros, waving its hooves ineffectively near their face. Putting aside the fact that Rizira had dropped a longsword and was wearing a mithril breastplate, Hazeal cast Green Flame Blade on her warhammer and attacked.  The blow destroyed the first spectral horse and burned the second one. Durstan pivoted in front of Hazeal, raised his shield and readied an attack. Aurontiros tried to use their Animal Handling on the spectral warhorse by speaking to it in Elvish.  The warhorse stopped, bowed and vanished after passing right through them.

Godfrey was shocked at how Aurontiros had dealt with the spectral horse.  Rizira asked for help removing the breastplate.  Aurontiros asked if Kelara needed to, or was capable of, healing herself.  They then saw Rizira struggling to get out of the breastplate and was surprised at how she had donned her new apparel.  Rizira explained it was due to her kender ways.  As Godfrey took pity on Rizira and provided assistance, Aurontiros took note of a beautiful longsword and a cloak of forest leaves.

Aurontiros told the others they had spent some time with the Kagonesti.  Aside from teaching them how to apply their makeup, they were the finest hunters and scouts they had ever met.  They were perplexed at how one of their cloaks had made its way down here.  Nonplussed, Rizira grabbed it and put it on.  Godfrey consulted Durstan on whether it would be disrespectful to take them.  The knight was uncertain, given where they were found and the conflicting guidelines offered by the Oath and the Measure.  Meanwhile, Aurontiros marveled at how the longsword was perfectly balanced and suggested they were meant to take them.  However, they asked Godfrey to make the final decision as they were in a Solamnic tomb.  Godfrey was uncertain, but felt it would be all right as they needed all the help they could get.

They returned to the treasure room and sifted through the wreckage.  Most of the weapons had indeed rotted away and became rusted.  They noted that a section of the wall to the south had been plowed away, like the tunnel they had just come through. Hazeal also recognized that the tunnel had been made very recently, was quite narrow and was dangerously unstable.  While Rizira could likely pass through and she might be able to as well, the others would likely trigger a collapse.  She warned the others of what she had discovered. The party decided to stick together and discussed where they should go.  Aurontiros suggested heading to the west.  Kelara agreed, having scouted ahead on her own.

Kelara returned to the others and asked if anyone heard anything. She told them she heard something from the south tomb that sounded like a forge, but there was nothing in there but a pendant.  Nervous, but curious, she pushed open the bars.  After a moment, she entered the tomb and picked up the pendant, reporting that it was shaped like a smith’s hammer.  Hazeal and Kelara identified it as a holy symbol of Reorx, god of craft.

Aurontiros tried to call Hazeal over but had trouble forming his words.  While Kelara asked if Hazeal wanted the pendant, Hazeal asked Aurontiros if they were having a stroke.  Aurontiros urged Hazeal to come over. Kelara told Hazeal the pendant was warm.  Hazeal looked torn, not knowing where to go, but pushed into the north tomb and picked up the axe. Hazeal found it was hot to the touch and felt a sense of justice and righteousness.

Godfrey suggested that Kelara wear the mithril breastplate for her own protection.  He eagerly helped Kelara put it on.  Durstan asked if they were done pillaging tombs.  After debating how much respect they had shown, they decided to move west.  They reached a pair of double doors that led south and went through, entering a chamber that blazed with violet flame.  In the centre of the room, steps led up to a marble monument covered in text.  The party noted doors leading to the north and west before the flames coalesced into another vision.  They watched as the knight slew his wife while the world crumbled and burned around him.  The knight burned as well, armour and flesh fusing together while his eyes lit up with flame.

Aurontiros asked who the knight was, while Hazeal cast judgement on his character.  Godfrey and Durstan identified him as Lord Soth.  Aurontiros recognized the name.  Rizira knew the name as well from the deck of cards she had bought and showed the party the card that had Soth’s name and face scratched out.

As Godfrey walked past the marble monument, one of the names caught his eye: Knight Vogler, the knight who founded the village of Vogler and for whom it was named after.  He pointed it out to Kelara, then started reading some of the other names such as Knight Jandin.

Godfrey suggested that Kelara wear the mithril breastplate for her own protection.  He eagerly helped Kelara put it on.  Durstan asked if they were done pillaging tombs.  After debating how much respect they had shown, they decided to move west.  They reached a pair of double doors that led south and went through, entering a chamber that blazed with violet flame.  In the centre of the room, steps led up to a marble monument covered in text.  The party noted doors leading to the north and west before the flames coalesced into another vision.  They watched as the knight slew his wife while the world crumbled and burned around him.  The knight burned as well, armour and flesh fusing together while his eyes lit up with flame.

Aurontiros asked who the knight was, while Hazeal cast judgement on his character.  Godfrey and Durstan identified him as Lord Soth.  Aurontiros recognized the name.  Rizira knew the name as well from the deck of cards she had bought and showed the party the card that had Soth’s name and face scratched out.

As Godfrey walked past the marble monument, one of the names caught his eye: Knight Vogler, the knight who founded the village of Vogler and for whom it was named after.  He pointed it out to Kelara, then started reading some of the other names such as Knight Jandin.

A bored Rizira pushed through into the next room.  She saw a statue of a saluting Knight of Solamnia and two tall marble slabs etched with text, all crackling with violet flames.  Her attention was drawn to the spirit of a Knight of Solamnia kneeling before one of the slabs.  As Rizira approached, the spirit rose up, turned and greeted her, identifying herself as Knight Jandin.

Rizira apologized for disturbing the knight and asked if she knew what was going on.  Jandin explained that a dark knight had come for her lord, Knight Sarlamir.  While various party members had heard some parts of the tale, Jandin proceeded to explain what happened: years before the Cataclysm, Sarlamir received a quest from the god Paladine: the Kingpriest of Istar created a flying city, which enraged the metallic dragons.  Paladine tasked Sarlamir with convincing the kingpriest to land the flying city and put the dragons at ease.  Knowing how difficult the task was, Sarlamir decided to bring his family’s greatest treasure—a dragonlance.  Unfortunately, the kingpriest refused to land the flying city and the dragons refused to leave.  The conflict escalated until Sarlamir slew the dragons’ leader, Karavarix, with the dragonlance, which rusted away when it touched Karavarix’s blood.  The dragons retaliated, slaying Sarlamir and bringing the city to the ground.  The few survivors escaped with Sarlamir’s body and the dragonlance.

Those who had heard the tale were surprised, as they had heard a very different story.

Jandin went on to explain that she had lied upon her return to Kalaman, claiming he’d died defending people from rampaging evil dragons.  Sarlamir was subsequently entombed as a hero.  Jandin grew to regret her decision, feeling Sarlamir’s actions contributed to the gods’ growing disfavour and ultimately led to the Cataclsym.   Furthermore, she felt that her lies made her complicit in Sarlamir’s disgrace.  She asked the group to take the dragonlance, which was entombed with Sarlamir, in the hopes that it would find redemption and the gods’ favour in their hands.  Jandin added that the violet flames running through the tombs came from the Cataclysm, but had previously been confined to Sarlair’s tomb.  She was at a loss to explain why they now ran rampant throughout the tombs.  After wishing them luck, she vanished.

The group did not know what to make of Jandin’s tale or the prospect of seeing an actual dragonlance, but pushed on into the next room.  They found themselves in a spacious crypt lit by violet flames, with an empty stone brazier in the centre, a ruined sarcophagus to the north at the mouth of a crumbling tunnel and a similarly broken wall to the southeast.  At the far end, a flaming dais held a sarcophagus carved with the image of a knight.  A life-sized sculpture of a dead dragon impaled with a spear lay curled around it.  Something within the sarcophagus slammed against the lid.  The flames blazed again, revealing one more vision: the knight stepped through the wall and approached the brazier, which held a flaming orb.  The knight held a sceptre sculpted with screaming faces to the ball, causing the sceptre to ignite and the orb to vanish.  The knight admired the sceptre before pointing it at the tomb and statue, both of which burst into flames.  As the fire spread throughout the crypt, the figure moved to the south wall and vanished.

Rizira asked if Hazeal could detect anything with her See Invisibility spell, but the mage could not.  While Godfrey inspected the brazier, and confirmed it was empty, Hazeal walked up to the tomb.  She was soon joined by Godfrey and Rizira.  Everyone realized that the dragonlance was likely inside.  As Hazeal read the inscription on the tomb, which confirmed it belonged to Sarlamir, a fist burst through the lid.  An undead knight wearing ancient Solamnic armour emerged, eyes and blade alight in violet flame.

In a flurry of leaves, Rizira teleported on top of the dragon and stabbed down at the knight before running away. Aurontiros attempted to distract the knight with a Vicious Mockery.  Failing that, they moved to a better position and gave Hazeal Bardic Inspiration. Godfrey overcame his misgivings about attacking someone in Solamnic armour and swung his new longsword, only to have his blows parried.  Sarlamir intoned that he had been called forth by Lord Soth and apologized before launching an attack, downing him after two hits.  The knight apologized again, explaining that Soth had ordered him to kill anyone who might oppose him.

Hazeal swung her new battleaxe and landed a hit. Seeing Godfrey fall, Kelara shrieked and struck Sarlamir with a devastating Guiding Bolt. Durstan rushed forward and landed a critical hit on Sarlamir.  As he raised his sword to strike again, Sarlamir swung his blade and decapitated the knight. Rizira stepped between the prone Godfrey and Sarlamir, told the undead knight to stay away from her friends and landed two hits. Uncertain as to whether a Heat Metal spell would be effective, Aurontiros fired an arrow into Sarlamir’s head.  The undead knight stumbled, but recovered. Sarlamir intoned that Soth beckoned him to go north to the place of his dishonour, a city in the Northern Wastes that Soth called the City of Lost Names.  He then attacked Hazeal, hitting her three times despite Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs.   As blood streamed down, she began to laugh, scream and froth at the mouth.

A suddenly berserk Hazeal attacked Sarlamir.  Despite landing a devastating blow, the undead knight found the fortitude to carry on. Kelara came forward, gave Hazeal a wary look, cast Spare the Dying on Godfrey and dragged him away. Rizira stabbed Sarlamir straight down through the head and into the heart.  He dropped to his knees and teetered.  The violet flames in his eyes—and the room—began to fade away.  Before he collapsed, he looked at Godfrey and asked the party to redeem him.  He asked them to take his lance and armour to stop Soth. Aurontiros asked if everyone was all right, just before Hazeal attacked Rizira. Kelara stomped forward, uttered a curse, downed Hazeal with a Sacred Flame, then cast Spare the Dying. Aurontiros cast Mending on Durstan, but only succeeding in repairing some of the armour.

Godfrey and Hazeal awoke to the sounds of Kelara chanting and Aurontiros exchanging ribald puns with Rizira. Seeing that she was awake, Rizira bounded over to Hazeal and asked why she attacked her.  Hazeal only remembered getting stabbed and everything grew hazy before she came to.  Rizira explained that after she killed the knight, Hazeal turned on her.  She added that Hazeal was frothing at the mouth like a rabid dog.  Aurontiros asked if she had been bitten in another chamber, but Hazeal did not think so. Alarmed, Aurontiros urged Rizira to step back, as they were convinced Hazeal had dwarf rabies.  Rizira did not seem convinced.

Aurontiros tried to take the axe from Hazeal, but she refused to let go.  Godfrey asked for further explanation at what had transpired, learning from Aurontiros that Durstan had been killed.  Rizira remembered that Sarlamir had requested that they take his lance and armour with the aim of redeeming him.  With Aurontiros’s help, she added that Sarlamir had been compelled to serve Lord Soth, who had gone north to a place called the City of Lost Names. Kelara told Aurontiros there was no such thing as dwarf rabies, but remembered tales from Cudgel about men in far-off lands who could enter a berserker rage.  The description was very similar to Hazeal’s behaviour, leading Kelara to speculate that the axe was cursed.

Hazeal did not feel that the axe was cursed.  Unconvinced, Kelara suggested consulting with the mage Hazeal had met.  Aurontiros convinced Hazeal to lay the axe on the ground, but was quickly rebuffed when they asked to pick it up. Godfrey reminded the party of the numerous tasks they had to do: take the lance tip and armour—along with Durstan’s body—explain why the leadership of Kalaman and determine what was wrong with Hazeal.  Hazael objected to the last part, insisting that nothing was wrong, forcing the others to humour her claims and say there was no harm in seeking a second opinion.

Aurontiros saw some light and heard some wind come through the crude passage to the south.  Looking through, they realized it emerged some eighty feet up a sheer cliff.  They could see the paved streets and the rooftops of the buildings of Kalaman below (episode 13).

While the party took a moment to catch their breath, Rizira took a look at the inside of Sarlamir’s tomb to see if there was anything else that was interesting.  She then took out the rusty spearhead that was all that remained of the dragonlance and revealed it to the others, noting that some work would be required to restore it to an actual lance.  Godfrey suggested Aurontiros might be able to help with their strange elven magic.

Hazeal cast Detect Magic on the spearhead and sensed an aura of evocation magic.  She asked Rizira to hand over the spearhead.  Rizira was wary, given Hazeal’s earlier behaviour.  After asking Hazeal if she would attack her, Rizira requested that she put the axe down.  Hazeal placed it on the floor between her feet.  Godfrey and Rizira asked why Hazeal attacked them, but Hazeal did not remember or know what they were talking about.  Moving on, Godfrey guessed that the party had dealt with Sarlamir after he had gone down.  Rizira confirmed that she had struck the killing blow before being attacked by Hazeal, who repeated that she did not remember such an action.  Having returned to the others, Aurontiros solemnly insisted this was a sign of dwarven rabies despite reassurances from their friends.  Hazeal allowed Rizira to hold on and attune to the spearhead, so long as she let her take a closer look.  She determined that the spearhead was magical, but some kind of divine power had rendered its magic inert.

Godfrey then realized that Durstan had been killed, rearranged his body as best as he could, expressed his relief that his friends were okay and noted that the violet flames were gone.  Rizira thought they should leave, as Sarlamir had charged them with pursuing Lord Soth to the City of Lost Names.  Godfrey’s skepticism was assuaged when Rizira explained he had been compelled to attack them by Soth.  Aurontiros wondered how they could defeat someone so powerful, gesturing to the tunnels he had made.  Hazeal told them that the spearhead had some magic, but it was currently being suppressed by something divine.

Kelara speculated that the gods had taken back the power from the dragonlance but thought it might be possible to restore that magic.  Rizira wondered if Kelara could beseech the gods directly, but Kelara told her she did not have that kind of relationship.  As Kelara, Rizira and Hazeal discussed the gods’ involvement with mortal affairs and how they had not been active on Krynn since the Cataclysm, Aurontiros tried to use their elven magic on the spearhead before spying some movement out of the corner of their eyes.  They saw Darrett and the soldiers that were rescued from Steel Springs riding back to town and informed the others.  The group agreed they should tell them what had happened to the council.  Godfrey began putting Sarlamir and his armour back into the tomb before Rizira and the others told him that Sarlamir had asked them to take the armour.  Kelara reflected that the last few weeks had been quite strange.  Aurontiros shook the bones out of Sarlamir’s armour and offered it to a speechless Godfrey while Hazeal picked up her axe. She thought the axe felt perfect in her hands and wondered how she had ever gone without it.

Godfrey picked up Durstan’s body while Rizira carried the armour.  Hazeal and Kelara provided the necessary illumination for the party to safely leave the catacombs.  They returned to the castle proper in time to see the doors opening and Darrett and Levna enter.  A stunned Darrett asked what had transpired.  The party explained that Lord Soth—who Darrett vaguely knew as a boogeyman and Levna recognized as a myth—reanimated the bodies of ancient Solamnic knights.  He—along with the reanimated knights and his second-in-command, who had possessed Durstan—entered Kalaman under false pretences and slaughtered the council.  Levna put a hand on Durstan’s cheek and revealed that they had trained together as squires.  Godfrey then explained that they had defeated Caradoc and his followers.  As Levna remarked that it all sounded crazy, Rizira handed over the note Lord Soth had left.  She amended her comments after Godfrey reminded her about the draconians, stating that the whole month seemed ridiculous.  Darrett brought their attention back to the matter at hand.  Given what they had gone through, and the fact that Marshal Vendri and the soldiers had not returned to Kalaman yet, he told the party to get some rest while he and Levna took care of Durstan.  Rizira asked if he could send word when Durstan was laid to rest so the party could pay their respects.  Darrett agreed and thanked them again for their aid at Steel Springs.

The party added that Soth had punched his way into, and out of, the catacombs beneath Castle Kalaman.  After voicing their concerns and revealing that an animated Sarlamir had mentioned the City of Lost Names, the party agreed to Darrett’s suggestions and returned to their rooms.  They enjoyed some food that Darrett had sent up before retiring for a well-deserved long rest. Hazeal went to bed, placing her axe under the pillow and her arm over it.

Godfrey got up early in the morning.  Aurontiros noticed his movements and made some observations that Godfrey found mildly disturbing.  After suggesting they work on how they phrased their words, Godfrey explained he was going to find a blacksmith and see about repairing the armour.  Aurontiros decided to accompany him as he also had business with one of Kalaman’s blacksmiths.  They asked Godfrey to help them with their social interactions.  Godfrey suggested that starting with ‘Good morning’ would be less creepy than talking about watching and waiting for others.  Kelara sleepily agreed that Aurontiros’s words were somewhat creepy.

In the morning, Hazeal decided to polish her new axe.  She was oblivious to the departure of Aurontiros, Godfrey and Kelara.  As she worked on her axe, Hazeal filled the silence by telling Rizira various facts about stones and masonry, assuming that the kender was still asleep. She continued talking until Rizira apparently woke up. The two exchanged greetings before Darrett entered the room to request their presence.  As they went downstairs, they noticed that Vendri had returned.

The party reconvened inside with Darrett, who asked if they could plan their next course of action.  They went to one of the smaller council rooms, where Vendri and Levna were waiting.  Vendri acknowledged the harrowing ordeal the party had endured and their plans to go north.  She turned the table over to Darrett, who relayed that the Red Dragon Army had split its forces and sent a contingent into the Northern Wastes.  Darrett said they seemed to be looking for something—possibly a weapon—and speculated it was connected to the City of Lost Names, though he did not know what it was.

As Vendri began to speak, Lord Bakaris arrived.  He haltingly gave his greetings and asked that they get down to business.  Vendri asked the party to explain what had happened.  The group obliged and explained everything that transpired since their return to Kalaman.  After they finished, Vendri assured the party that she trusted them.  However, she warned them that rumours had gotten out that the council had been murdered after the party returned to Castle Kalaman, rumours that were clearly painting them as scapegoats.  She told them that she was trying to counter the rumours with the truth, but it would take time.  In the meantime, she felt there were better uses for the party than to have them sit idly by in Kalaman.

Vendri was confused as to why Soth was interested in the Northern Wastes, as it was nothing than a desolate wasteland, nor did she understand why he did not take the dragonlance—unless there was a weapon hidden in the north and the dragonlance was useless.  Hazeal and Rizira pointed out that the dragonlance may have been overlooked as its power had been suppressed.  Darrett supported the party and was concerned that any weapon hidden in the Northern Wastes could pose a threat if it fell into the wrong hands.  Vendri felt that Soth going north and the Red Dragon Army splitting their forces was a good thing as it would allow Kalaman’s military to rally and fight any Red Dragon Army contingents in the area while the people restored Kalaman’s government.

Darrett insisted that Soth was a verified threat and looked to the party for aid.  Godfrey and Rizira reminded Vendri that Soth had raised a fighting force from the dead, slaughtered Kalaman’s council and created his own entrance to and exit from the catacombs through sheer physical force.  They also remembered the violet flames that raged throughout the catacombs.  Ultimately, Godfrey feared what might come if Soth and his fell designs went unchallenged.  Rizira expressed her concerns that Soth and the Red Dragon Army might join forces.  She and Aurontiros proposed that they could move faster and seize the initiative as a small group, rather than squander their talents fending off rumours.

Vendri relented and asked for their recommendations.  Darrett asked the marshal to let him take the party and a contingent of troops into the Northern Wastes to investigate what the Red Dragon Army was after and whether it had any connection to Soth.  Vendri expressed doubts about the strategic wisdom of such an action, but conceded it would be good to get the party out of Kalaman for the time being.  Vendri asked Bakaris and the party to visit the castle’s library or otherwise pursue other matters while she made plans with Darrett.  Bakaris tried to stay, but was unable to offer any contributions and awkwardly left.  The party agreed to follow Vendri’s request.

On the way out, Rizira asked Darrett if he could help them acquire any supplies as they were currently out of funds.  Darrett assured her that he would make sure they were well-equipped for their next mission.  Godfrey gave Rizira twenty steel coins, explaining he had sold the fishing rod in Vogler.

Making their way to the library, the party began searching through the books. Working together, they learned that grand ruins predating the Cataclysm littered the Northern Wastes.

Aurontiros randomly picked a book titled ‘History of Elven Religions’ and found a reference to the Blue Phoenix Shrine, an ancient temple to the god Habbakuk, located midway along a peninsula.  Godfrey flipped through some books and found a reference to a rock formation called Dragonnel Spire, which was apparently shaped like a dragon.  Hazeal found a reference to the Silvanesti funerary obelisk of Wakenreth, which some of the party recognized as ‘House of Silence’ in Elvish.  Rizira found a book titled ‘The Northern Wastes: Dangers and Geography,’ and learned that the canyons and plateaus made it difficult to traverse over land.  Furthermore, tides driven by Krynn’s three moons caused unpredictable flood tides from the Turbidus Ocean to sweep through the area, a phenomenon known as the Wash.

After an hour, Darrett and Levna joined them.  Darrett explained that Vendri had agreed to send them to the Northern Wastes, with Darrett in command of a few hundred soldiers.  He asked the party to act as a scouting force as they could cover ground more quickly than an army.  Furthermore, Vendri would ferry Darrett’s troops across Kalaman Bay at night to avoid drawing any attention from the Red Dragon Army.  Rizira recommended taking the fargab to facilitate communication, an idea that earned her praise from Godfrey and Darrett.  The party also learned that Darrett’s troops would disembark at Wrecker’s Edge, a secluded cove at the southeastern shore of the wastes.  Their plan was to discover what the Dragon Army was up to, thwart their plans and return to the ships.  Darrett wanted to leave that night, but agreed to delay their departure until the following evening after hearing Godfrey and Kelara were expecting delivery of their improved armour.  Levna agreed to join the party unless Darrett’s troops required her assistance.

Once the meeting was concluded, with a rallying cry to their victory, Levna departed with the aim of finding drink and company for the evening.  Kelara handed Hazeal a note from Wyhan.  Hazeal was mildly disappointed to learn that Wyhan had summoned her to the apothecary for some kind of unspecified mage training, as it meant she would be unable to enjoy a drink.  Aurontiros offered to keep Hazeal company as they had questions.  Their first question—what was a mage—led to a brief discussion on the definition of a mage and different forms of wielding magic before the group parted ways.

Aurontiros and Hazeal went to Wyhan’s Apothecary.  Wyhan greeted Hazeal—and Aurontiros in Elvish, when she saw them—and invited them inside.  She told Hazeal that her request to travel to the Tower of High Sorcery and take the Test of High Sorcery had been denied, as the Dragon Army posed too great a threat and the orders did not want to be perceived as taking sides.  However, Wyhan had spoken to the head of the conclave, Par-Salian, who had granted her an exception.  She handed Hazeal a wooden brooch studded with black, red and white stones and told her that Par-Salian had allowed Hazeal to practice magic as a provisional member of the Mages of High Sorcery.  Her test would be deferred until after the Dragon Army’s threat had passed.

Hazeal expressed her gratitude for the honour.  Wyhan accepted her thanks before idly asking why Hazeal was wielding an axe, as it was beneath her station as a mage.  Hazeal disagreed as she had previously used a warhammer, though she conceded that it acted as her arcane focus.  Wyhan ordered her to bring it closer so she could examine the rune work.  As Hazeal complied, Wyhan asked her to hold the axe firmly so she did not drop it and claimed she had something else for her.  She then blew dust in Hazeal’s face and cast Remove Curse.

As Hazeal came to her senses, Wyhan calmly told her to put the axe on the counter.  Hazeal quickly complied and backed away.  Wyhan calmly told her that Rizira had stolen a wand earlier that day, but she would allow Hazeal to keep it—should she claim the item from the kender—in exchange for the axe.  She then implied that their business was concluded, unless they wanted to buy something.

Aurontiros offered to sell her their nightmare egg.  Wyhan examined the item, scoffed at Aurontiros’s price and gave a substantially lower counteroffer, explaining that it had been enchanted with a limited number of nightmares by a rather annoying mage.  She told Aurontiros it could be reprogrammed by a mage and repeated her suggestion of Aurontiros pursuing ‘real magic’ as a mage.  Furthermore, Wyhan offered to put their name forward as a prospect or have Hazeal accept Aurontiros as a provisional apprentice mage.  Recalling reports that they were present at Hazeal’s initial test, she asked Aurontiros to demonstrate their magic—so long as it did not damage anything in her shop.  Seeing some mandrake root, they agreed and cast Plant Growth.  Intrigued, Wyhan repeated her offer and called Aurontiros by name.  When they cautiously mentioned that they had not introduced themselves before, Wyhan simply smiled and told them that their family was well known.

After some thought, Aurontiros decided they would like to learn from Hazeal, who immediately replied that she would like to teach them.  Wyhan warned them that any action that either one of them took would reflect directly on the other.  In addition, if she failed her Test, they would fail as well.  Aurontiros received clarification that Hazeal had not taken her real Test yet, but had simply been granted a field promotion due to the current conflict.  Wyhan observed that their long life spans meant they had plenty of time to take the Test once the Red Dragon Army had been dealt with.  In the meantime, Wyhan offered to trade the nightmare egg for another wand… and a future favour.  Aurontiros accepted the offer and picked up the wand.  At Wyhan’s urging, they pointed it at Hazeal—who had been browsing the shop for supplies—and uttered the command word.  Hazeal suddenly found herself smiling—which was explained when Wyhan explained it was a Wand of Smiles.  Aurontiros found the item rather pleasing, Wyhan warned against overusing it and Hazeal soon felt her face hurting from the forced smiles.

Knowing that they were heading forth to the Northern Wastes, Wyhan considered the wares she had on sale.  After noting that the wand Rizira stole would be useful, Wyhan offered Beads of Nourishment and Beads of Refreshment.  Hazeal bought ten of each for the party’s journey.  Wyhan warned her not to mix up the beads.  She added that she could restock any spell components and offered some Robes of Mending for fifty steel.  Aurontiros began to haggle, demonstrating how easily they could Mend Hazeal’s robes.  After Wyhan admitted the robes would be short on anyone else, they began to negotiate and eventually settled on the price of thirty-five steel.  Hazeal assured Aurontiros that they had not been replaced, as they could always mend Godfrey’s clothes.  Aurontiros expressed some hesitation on doing so without his consent, leading Wyhan to observe the two of them would be a blight on Krynn before ushering them out of her shop.  Once outside, Aurontiros asked Hazeal for Wyhan’s name.  The two would eventually return to the castle and go to bed.

The party spent the next day making preparations and met Darrett on the docks the following evening.  As they approached, they realized that he was waiting with Cudgel, Rookledust and Becklin.  Cudgel explained she had volunteered to join them and provide extra muscle, while Rookledust was eager to field-test her fargabs and try out her newly dyed, violet hair.  Kelara took the opportunity to change into her newly acquired, camouflaged mithril breastplate.  As she did so, Levna joined them, carrying the newly restored armour that had been bequeathed from Sarlamir to Godfrey.

Becklin explained that she was not accompanying them, as she planned to offer her assistance to Vendri, but simply wanted to see them off.  She then asked Levna who should do the honours.  Levna promptly asked Godfrey to choose his favourite knight.  Godfrey did not respond at first, as he thought she was talking to Rizira.  Amused, Aurontiros pointed to Darrett while Hazeal pointed to Godfrey.  Eventually, Godfrey chose Levna—though he offered his apologies to Becklin.  Levna commanded him to kneel, drew her greatsword and presented him with his quest of knighthood: to find the City of Lost Names and report back.  She warned that the quest might cost him his life, but swore to ‘knight his ass’ should he succeed.  Godfrey solemnly accepted the quest.  Levna subsequently granted him permission to wear the armour of a Solamnic Knight and ordered him to don Sarlamir’s former armour before she changed her mind.  Becklin diplomatically claimed she could not have given a better speech herself, said her farewells and promised to do her best to keep Kalaman safe (episode 14).

### The Northern Wastes

Cudgel, Darrett and Rookledust boarded one of the three boats. Hazeal looked for a moment to catch Rizira on her own, as she did not want to ask her outright and be bombarded with questions.  She noticed the troops dodging around Rizira as they tried to quietly load supplies, and compared it to how they naturally moved around her.  After a few minutes, she decided to casually maneuver the kender to a more private location. Hazeal approached Rizira and pointed her to an area of interest, which turned out to be a quiet corridor.  She then admitted that she had talked to Wyhan, who said she would take the axe—which Hazeal no longer had—in exchange for whatever Rizira took.  Rizira reluctantly pulled out the wand, which she had threaded through her hair, and explained that Wyhan had been mean and rude and thus no longer deserved it.  She offered to give it back, or hand it to Hazeal, as she did not want the dwarf to get in trouble for her impulsiveness. Hazeal looked at the wand Rizira held and identified it as a Wand of the War Mage, capable of enhancing one’s offensive spells.

Reaching out to touch the wand, Hazeal said she did not care what Rizira took, agreed that Wyhan was mean and rude, and admitted there were reasons why she did not want to join the Black Robes.  The two had a brief discussion on the goody-two shoes reputation of White Robes, the meaner nature of Black Robes and the balance offered by Red Robes—while acknowledging there were exceptions.  Hazeal added that she was originally planning to let Rizira keep the wand but, after examining it, felt a spellcaster would be able to make more use out of the item.  Rizira recounted how she had fled Wyhan’s shop after a magical alarm went off, spent a—slightly uncomfortable—night hiding from the mage in the stables and handed over the wand.  Hazeal tucked the wand up her sleeve and eventually attuned to it.

As the two walked along, Rizira felt her rapier being repeatedly bumped.   She realized one of the boxes was pushing into her and pushed back. Godfrey called out and warned that he was going to push some boxes out of his way.  Rizira climbed up on top of the boxes and stared down at Godfrey, marveling at the predicament he had found himself in.  After explaining the situation to Hazeal, they agreed to work together and free a path.

Godfrey thanked Rizira for her assistance.  Hazeal helped Godfrey extricate himself from the boxes he had been surrounded by.  Kelara linked arms with Aurontiros and guided them along the docks to see what Godfrey had gotten himself into. She heard Godfrey mutter something but did not catch his words.

Kelara told Godfrey and Hazeal that they would be traveling on the Diligent.  As Godfrey approved of the ship’s name, Kelara explained that Darrett had been trying to find him but he had disappeared.  Godfrey admitted he was trying to be helpful and had somehow been trapped.  Kelara added the Diligent had a good strong name, like Ispin used to recommend.  Aurontiros observed that Godfrey’s face had suggested that something was troubling him. Rizira called out and wondered why Godfrey looked like he had stepped in some feces.  As Kelara looked confused, Godfrey apologized and admitted he was embarrassed after somehow trapping himself.

Aurontiros required an explanation on what embarrassment was, as they had never experienced the feeling before.  Godfrey and Kelara were surprised—and slightly envious.  Aurontiros recommended that Godfrey ‘fake it ‘till he made it,’ and reminded him that Ispin used to do the same thing.  Hazeal remembered learning a different lesson from her family about getting things right the first time.  Aurontiros recalled learning a similar lesson and needed a reminder on where she was brought up.  Godfrey marveled at the idea of living underground and asked Hazeal what it was like to see the sun for the first time.  Hazeal felt her first time at seeing the moon was more impactful, as that was when she acquired her magic.  She added that the first time she saw the sky was disconcerting, as it seemed to go on forever, and ultimately revealed that one of the reasons she had left was because she had spent her life living underground and did not want to get married and continue her life without having ever seen the sky.

Hearing that, Rizira asked if Hazeal wasn’t part kender.  Aurontiros was startled, then realized that that was what others felt like when Aurontiros snuck up on them.  Hazeal quietly added that the other reason she had left was because she had gained her magic and Thorbardin would not have been a supportive environment for her new gifts.  Aurontiros asked if there were other dwarves that wielded magic.  Hazeal slowly admitted there were some, but they were generally ostracized by dwarven society and usually were renegades who taught themselves magic rather than learning it through the Mages of High Sorcery.

Aurontiros was in the midst of admiring these dwarven renegade mages when a sailor called out for everyone to come aboard. Kelara urged them to go to the Diligent, though Aurontiros thought they should go to the Wasp.  However, they soon agreed that they would travel together on the Diligent instead.  Kelara looped her arm around Aurontiros’s again and dragged them towards their intended ship.  Godfrey commented that Aurontiros was a lucky elf as he watched them depart.  At Rizira’s request, Godfrey picked her up and carried her over to the Diligent.  Hazeal silently followed.

The party met Levna, who was smoking a pipe and waiting for them.  Levna offered to give Hazeal a hand, but the mage assured her that the gesture was not necessary.  Kelara offered to lend Levna her other arm as Aurontiros observed that she was very strong.  Rizira asked Godfrey if he was jealous.  Levna winked to Aurontiros, purposely saying the word ‘wink’, and told them that Solamnic women were generally strong.  The conversation turned to the necessity of how Levna’s winking abilities had been impaired by the scar and how the knight was sensitive.  Levna suggested to Kelara that she could show her how sensitive she was before pointedly telling Godfrey that was how to show romantic interest in someone.  She nudged past her squire and walked up the plank, leaving a speechless Godfrey behind.  Aurontiros did not know what was going on.

Hearing the call once more, the party began to walk up the plank.  Rizira told Godfrey that kender invited their romantic interests onto first dates by means of notes and scavenger hunts.  Godfrey pondered the idea while Aurontiros remained confused.  The boats left the docks and began the journey across Kalaman Bay.

The boats quickly traversed Kalaman Bay and made their way north.  The canyons of the Wastes came into view as dawn broke.  The Bastion pulled alongside the Diligent and allowed Darrett to come aboard.  He greeted the party and hoped that the ‘Vogler strike force’ could perform some reconnaissance, before stopping to ask if they had come up with a name for themselves.  Kelara admitted they had not and was shocked to realize that they might be an adventuring party.  Darrett asked them to take a rowboat and find a safe place for the boats to land.  Godfrey agreed, suggesting they could use the time to think of a name.  He proposed something involving Ispin, as he had brought them all together.  They debated ideas involving green shields, unicorns and carrot donkeys before Levna urged them into the rowboat.  Godfrey made a point of helping Kelara—and Aurontiros, after they cleared their throat and extended a hand—aboard.  Rizira jumped into the rowboat, only to slip off and fall into the water below.  Having climbed onboard, Hazeal moved to cast Feather Fall, but changed her mind at the last moment.  Aurontiros used Prestidigitation to give an illusory rating of her dive.  Hazeal explained that her expression cost her some points.  At Rizira’s urging, they lowered the rowboat and picked up the kender.  Godfrey and Levna rowed the group to shore and they began looking for a place to land.

They rowed along the shoreline for an hour until they saw a narrow cove.  Looking inside the cove, they spotted a small ship anchored near a clear beach.  Godfrey wanted to investigate the ship, which Aurontiros recognized was of Silvanesti make.  Godfrey felt the cove would be an ideal location to unload the Kalaman troops.  Aurontiros advised searching the area first, adding how odd it was to see a Silvanesti vessel so far north.  For her part, Rizira was curious to examine the ship as well.  After some discussion, they decided to land the rowboat on the beach and approach the ship on foot.  Rizira quickly split off from the party to sneak forward on her own.

Aurontiros played their lute to dispel any concerns from their Silvanesti ‘cousins’ that they were marauders, choosing a song about Godfrey that the squire found flattering.  Hazeal kept an eye out to watch their rear. As she got closer, Hazeal realized the anchor was buried in so much sand that it had probably been moored for several days, if not a week or two.  She passed on her observations to Levna, who had positioned herself so she or Godfrey were close to Kelara. Kelara wondered why the Silvanesti dropped anchor here, stumbling in the soft sand.  Hazeal cast Detect Magic and sensed a faint aura of abjuration magic on the ship.  Godfrey asked Aurontiros if it was true that elves did not leave footprints.  They replied that elves could leave them if they chose to.  Godfrey suggested looking around for tracks.  Aurontiros said they could try, but warned the tides and flash floods might have removed any footprints.  Hazeal told Godfrey that there was some kind of protective magic on the ship, but was unable to provide more specifics.  She offered to dispel the magic, but Godfrey felt they should leave the boat alone and focus on securing a landing site for their troops.  Hazeal added that, judging by the sand covering the anchor, the boat had been there for some time.

There was a commotion as Rizira emerged from cover, launched herself forward and rolled to her feet.  A dark-haired elf shimmered into view, wearing a royal indigo cape over dark clothes.  The elf extended a hand and pulled Rizira to her feet. Hazeal cast Message to Rizira and asked if she was okay.  Rizira confirmed that all was well and the ship belonged to the elf.

As Godfrey rushed over to Rizira, Hazeal assured the party that everything was fine.  Aurontiros greeted the elf, who returned the salutation.  The party learned they were wise to not board the boat, as it was guarded by a pair of air elementals who would attack anyone who was not an elf.  Kelara admitted she was more concerned that someone needed medical attention.  The elf appreciated the thought, introduced himself as Dalamar Argent, and hoped that they could help each other.

Dalamar asked if they were refugees or adventurers.  Aurontiros replied that they were a bit of both.  Dalamar explained that his leader, Zhelsuel, had tasked him with searching the coast for ancient ruins, even though Dalamar knew there were none there.  He asked the party why they were here.  Aurontiros eventually replied that they were looking for a location for their ships to drop anchor.  Dalamar joked that they were coming to invade the Northern Wastes, which led to a talk about royal terminology.  Aurontiros then realized that the party had not exchanged names, an error that was quickly rectified.  Dalamar recognized Levna as a Solamnic Knight, by her title, and Aurontiros as Aurontiros Caladon, by their name.  Aurontiros found the idea that their name had spread far enough that an elvin stranger would recognize it concerning.  Dalamar assured them that it was the news of their birth.  Aurontiros lamented that that was the only thing of importance as far as their parents were concerned.

Looking around, Dalamar noted the multiracial makeup of the party and asked again why they—and the troops that needed docking—were in the Northern Wastes.  Rizira said they were sent on an exploratory mission.  Aurontiros asked if Dalamar had heard news of the events transpiring in the south.  Dalamar said he had. Hazeal felt Dalamar was sincere in his words.

After a pause, Dalamar revealed that he and his companions were exiles themselves, as they had been unable to protect Silvanesti.  Seeing the confusion on Aurontiros’s face, Dalamar explained that the Silvanesti elves had been driven from their homeland at the hands of the Dragon Army, who burned it to the ground.  While the majority of the elves had made it to southern Ergoth and were trying to establish a new home, some—blamed for their failure to repel the Dragon Army—were sent on an expedition.  Dalamar dropped his composure and vented his frustrations for being sent on a fool’s errand because of a legend of ancient Silvanesti magic lost in the Northern Wastes.  Aurontiros could not believe the Dragon Army forces had spread across Krynn and asked if Dalamar knew of the fate of his people.  Dalamar had not heard anything about the Qualinesti elves, which he felt was good news.  Aurontiros was shocked and struggled to find the words to express himself.  Dalamar regretted that the Blue Dragon Army was quite thorough.  Kelara was surprised to hear that and wondered how many Dragon Armies there could be.  Dalamar reminded her that Takhisis had five heads.  A stunned Kelara let slip that they knew about the Red Dragon Army.  Dalamar replied that he was only aware of the Red Dragon Army and the Blue Dragon Army—the former having sent a contingent to the north as well—but he assumed there were others.  But rather than fight the enemy that drove them from their homeland, his leader—Zhelsuel of House Mystic—was seemingly content to spend the rest of their days scouring the Northern Wastes.  His derision at his leader’s name and the sarcasm with which he asked Kelara to look under the rock she was standing on for the Silvanesti magic betrayed his frustration once more.  Kelara reminded him that the Silvanesti expedition had only been here for a week or two and the Northern Wastes were quite large.  Dalaman conceded the point and guessed that the party had come for the same purpose as the Red Dragon Army.  He told them that he saw a platoon of their troops two nights ago and believed they were also searching for something.  Dalamar found it interesting that the party, the Silvanesti and the Red Dragon Army were all in the same area and again asked why they were here, offering the option that they were here to stop the Red Dragon Army.  Godfrey admitted they did want to stop their adversaries, prompting Levna to ask how long they were going to beat around the bush.

At that, Godfrey admitted that they might share a common goal.  Aurontiros suggested that they should meet with Zhelsuel.  Dalamar invited them to return with him to his group, who had established an encampment north of the cove, after the party saw their ships come ashore.  He gestured behind them to the three ships, which were now clearly visible.  Dalamar added that if they were truly here to fight the Dragon Army—regardless of colour—then they could regard him as an ally.  He revealed that he was a scholar of pre-Cataclysm ruins and structures—which was why he was certain that there were no elven ruins here.

Looking at Hazeal’s robes and token, Dalamar added that they were in a similar predicament and asked if her Test was deferred as well.  After receiving a confirmation, Dalamar said that, as they were both fellow apprentices, they should look out for each other.  He then told the party that he would wait on his boat while they saw to their own.

Grabbing the fargab, they tried to contact the rest of their expedition.  They managed to reach Rookledust but had trouble establishing a communications protocol.  Rizira struggled to explain that they had found a suitable landing spot.  Hazeal used Minor Illusion to send up a magical red signal flare, which Aurontiros enhanced with Prestidigitation.  Rookledust asked if the light came from the party, only to have her fargab wrestled away by an exasperated Cudgel.  Getting straight to the point, Cudgel confirmed that the light came from the party and signified a landing site, then told them that the ships were on their way.

As the ships came closer, the party talked about Dalamar.  Godfrey was the strongest proponent for helping him and the Silvanesti as they were refugees like the citizens of Vogler.  He suggested they tell Dalamar about the shrine and ask him for any information about the City of Lost Names or the general whereabouts of the Red Dragon Army platoon.  Aurontiros felt Dalamar and the Silvanesti would be potential allies as they shared a common enemy.  Furthermore, they would be the ideal people to access the Silvanesti ruins.  Rizira agreed that the Silvanesti should be informed about the shrine, but was preoccupied with the fact that the Red Dragon Army platoon had a head start.  As such, she proposed that they should not waste time with politics and let Cudgel, Darrett and Rookledust deal with the Silvanesti.

Hazeal was the only one who did not contribute to the conversation.  The more perceptive members of the party noticed that Hazeal had a stone ring on the ring finger of her right hand, one she had not worn before.  She absently rubbed her finger over the ring as the others talked.  Kelara sidled up to Hazeal and asked if she was all right.  Hazeal admitted she was thinking about her home.  Kelara offered her understanding while Aurontiros tried to reassure her that the Dragon Army would not attack Thorbardin as dragons could not fly underground.  Godfrey and Rizira, however, felt that no one was safe from the Dragon Army—which emphasized the importance of their mission.  Hazeal admitted she felt worried and helpless, but assured the others that she would be fine.  The party agreed that they should at least inform Dalamar about the Silvanesti shrine.

By that point, the ships had dropped anchor.  Having come ashore, the Kalaman troops began to erect a temporary encampment.  As Hazeal began helping them to keep herself busy, and Aurontiros worked on a song, Darrett approached the party.  He thanked them for scouting ahead and asked if they found anything.  Darrett was pleased to hear the party had met a Silvanesti elf, but was shocked to hear Silvanesti had fallen to the Blue Dragon Army.  Rizira told him that a platoon from the Red Dragon Army was already in the Northern Wastes.  Godfrey told him that they had not shared any information yet, but recommended doing so in the interests of working together against their common enemy.  Darrett asked if they could be trusted.  Aurontiros replied that if the Silvanesti were refugees, they would not benefit from making an enemy of the Kalaman expedition.  When asked, Godfrey explained that the Silvanesti elf they met took shelter in his boat and had offered to arrange an audience with the leader of his expedition.  Darrett asked them to meet the Silvanesti leader and determine whether they could be trusted while he and the Kalaman expedition set up camp.  Godfrey agreed and told him to stay near the fargab so they could communicate.

The party then approached the Silvanesti ship and asked Dalamar to take them to his leader.  He readily agreed, but warned they had a ways to go as the Silvanesti encampment was twelve miles inland.  As they walked, they found the terrain was extremely craggy and difficult to navigate.  Noticing that Hazeal could not move as fast as the others, Godfrey occasionally stopped and waited for her to catch up. At one point, he explained that he needed to catch his breath.  Hazeal guessed it was due to his new armour, which Godfrey seemed to confirm.

Despite the precariousness of their surroundings, the party emerged with little more than blisters, cuts and bruises.  Before long, they made their way to the elven encampment, set near some ruins on a plateau overlooking the wastes.  They saw a dozen tents and just as many elves milling about the central area. As they approached, an elf called out in Elvish and asked who Dalamar was escorting.  In the same language, he replied that he brought friends. Realizing that some of the party might not speak Elvish, he apologized and switched to Common, explaining that he was escorting friends from Solamnia.  Kelara waved, while Aurontiros reassured Godfrey that Dalamar had said the same thing in Elvish and Common.

An older elf in immaculate robes met the party at the edge of the camp and began speaking in Elvish, telling Dalamar that they did not need outsiders in their midst as they would only slow their progress. Dalamar greeted the elf as Zhelsuel. Aurontiros offered their own greetings in Elvish.  Zhelsuel continued speaking in Elvish, telling Aurontiros that the Silvanesti were unable to provide whatever Dalamar had promised and requested they leave immediately.  Aurontiros offered their assistance.  Zhelsuel was skeptical, explaining they were exiles seeking remnants of their former power.  Aurontiros explained that they had studied tall tales, myths and guides with the help of their party, distilling the information into a map that indicated the location of elven ruins and offered to exchange information.  Zhelsuel told the bard that they had lowered themselves by traveling with their party and would not allow his encampment to be similarly debased.  Aurontiros asked if Zhelsuel was truly in a position to look down on non-elves and refuse their help, given that Silvanesti had apparently fallen.

Rizira leaned over to Hazeal and voiced her suspicions that the Silvanesti would not help them.  When Levna said the Silvanesti seemed to like them, Rizira asked if she had seen the look on Zhelsuel’s face. Hazeal told Rizira that she could understand Elvish, but spoke loud enough that everyone could hear her. Aurontiros proposed talking to the Silvanesti alone if need be, but made it clear that they would help them regardless of their wishes.  Zhelsuel declared that the Silvanesti did not require the aid of outsiders and commanded that they leave immediately.  Ignoring his command, and his subsequent remark about dwarves, Hazeal repeated that they were willing to share the information they possessed and potentially narrow their search, but made it clear they were not obligated to do so if they continued to receive such ill treatment.  Zhelsuel insisted that their help was not required, ordered his expedition to continue their work and commanded Dalamar to escort the party out before resuming his duties.

Kelara leaned over to ask Hazeal what was being said.  Godfrey thought things were looking promising, though Rizira clearly disagreed.  Hazeal revealed that the Silvanesti viewed them as outsiders, rudely refused their offer of help and seemed content to waste the next several hundred years turning over rocks in a fruitless attempt to find what they sought.  Seeing that Zhelsuel’s mind was made, Aurontiros pleaded for any knowledge he had on the fate of his people.  The Silvanesti leader took some time to consider his answer, almost succeeding in hiding his conflicted emotions, then turned away.  Before walking away, he told Aurontiros that the Red Dragon Army had not chosen to attack the ‘lesser’ elves and the Qualinesti were safe.  Dalamar awkwardly offered to escort the party out.  Godfrey was still oblivious as to what happened.  Dalamar diplomatically replied that they were receiving ‘Silvanesti hospitality.’  Aurontiros obliquely replied by admitting that Dalamar was extraordinarily friendly while Hazeal bluntly stated that Zhelsuel was an elven snob, though she apologized for resorting to such obvious stereotypes.  Dalamar agreed with Hazeal, but asked that they continue their conversation once they had crossed a nearby rise.  Aurnotiros asked if there was a way for either of them to appeal to Zhelsuel and change his mind, but Dalamar—who had not stopped walking—could not see one.

Once they were out of sight of the encampment, Dalamar got to the point: he felt his leader was a fool who was content to take his time and search every rock and grain of sand.  By contrast, the party included three humans—who made up for their shorter lifespan with a sense of purpose and ambition that Dalamar envied.  Godfrey admitted that they would be grateful for whatever help the Silvanesti could offer.  However, he refused to let them suffer due to Zhelsuel’s arrogance and handed Dalamar the map they had made, making it clear that he would not demand anything in return.

Dalamar asked what they were searching for and was not surprised when Aurontiros and Godfrey admitted they were seeking the City of Lost Names.  He admitted that if he had his way, he would search for the city himself, use it to end the threat of the Dragon Armies, take the Test of High Sorcery and become a mage so he could pursue his studies of magic.  He added that he learned of the city from the Silvanesti writings that led him and the expedition to the Northern Wastes, and would like to find it as it was apparently a magical marvel that might hold valuable secrets.  Taking out a quill, he noted that they had found the Blue Phoenix Shrine and Wakenreth and added a third location: Sunward Fortress.  He then proposed an arrangement that would let him advance his research without technically disobeying his leader: the three locations were of a similar age to the City of Lost Names.  He asked them to explore the sites and share any information on whatever magic remained.  In return, he would use that knowledge to deduce the location of the city.  Aurontiros, with the party’s blessing, agreed to the deal.  When Rizira tried to arrange a more convenient means of delivering the information, Dalamar provided a solution: he believed he could convince Zhelsuel to let him meet them at Wakenreth.  He apologized for his leader’s ‘traditional hospitality’.  Godfrey waved it off, admitting they had had similar experiences with other arrogant personalities whose actions cost many of their lives.  Aurontiros suggested that Zhelsuel might have nothing left but his pride.  Dalamar assured them that they could rest here overnight and wished them well before departing.

Rizira wondered if they should push on for a few more hours before setting up camp.  Godfrey agreed, but suggested they use the fargab to report back first.  Aurontiros talked to Rookledust, explained that they had been rebuffed by the Silvanesti and would get some rest before setting out to explore the ruins.  Darrett took over from Rookledust and urged them to stay safe before asking for a report of the area.  Aurontiros admitted the terrain would make a difficult trek.  Darrett acknowledged the report and told them his troops would begin moving inland, but admitted they would be slower.  They arranged to communicate at regular intervals, lamented that they could not forge a better working relationship with the Silvanesti and wished each other a good night.

Kelara observed that Rookledust seemed rather odd, sparking another conversation about the behaviour of inventors and other creative minds, before proposing that they search for ingredients to make a meal.  Godfrey found sea kelp, mushrooms and fruit, while Kelara successfully skewered some large eels.  Hazeal tried to help, but only succeeded in slipping on some shale.  As she caught herself though, she saw the tracks of armoured soldiers and draconians.  The party then returned to each other, set up camp for the night and enjoyed their meal.  Aurontiros made a point of playing the lute to entertain their friends—and annoy Zhelsuel, who would be within earshot (episode 15).

As night fell, the air was filled with the sounds of their crackling campfire and the chatter from the nearby Silvanesti encampment.  The party decided to sleep in shifts.  Godfrey and Kelara went to sleep and Aurontiros Tranced, while Hazeal and Rizira took the first watch. Hazeal was still worried about how many Dragon Armies there might be, the extent to which they had spread across Krynn and the fate of her home.  As a result, she was quieter than normal. Rizira eventually asked Hazeal if she was okay, observing that she had seemed distracted lately.  Hazeal assured her she was fine, but Rizira saw through her claims.  Sidling over to Hazeal, Rizira nudged her shoulder and assured her things would be all right.  Hazeal agreed while absently fiddling with the stone ring that she was wearing, even though it was slightly too big for her.  Rizira got distracted by something flying overhead and resumed a one-sided conversation.

As Rizira prattled on, Hazeal stared into the fire and saw a familiar dwarf occupying Rizira’s former seat.  Fibouk Chainbraids sat across from her, sporting black hair tied back in a single braid, a long and braided beard and startling blue eyes.  He asked her whether it was worth it, to which she answered in the affirmative.  Fibouk promised that he would have followed Hazeal if she asked, but she remained skeptical.  Hazeal insisted she could not return after what happened and apologized for not letting him know she was alive.  However, she was not sorry she had left.  Fibouk told her he never would have traded the sky for her.  Hazeal acknowledged that was why she loved him.

At some point, Rizira noticed that Hazeal was still lost in thought.  Trailing off, she repeated her question about whether Hazeal was okay.  Hazeal admitted she was lost in a memory and apologized for not being more upbeat.  Rizira told her that everyone had high points and low points, each of which made the other more significant, and asked if her memory involved a good connection.  Hazeal hesitantly admitted her family didn’t know she was alive.  Rizira realized she hadn’t written to her father in a while, but guessed her situation was different.  Hazeal revealed she was supposed to get married, which made Rizira realize the significance of the stone ring she was wearing.  Hazeal explained all she wanted to do was see the sky before her marriage.  However, she got more than she expected as the clouds parted, moonlight struck her and she gained her magic.  Knowing how her people felt about magic and recognizing that they would see her as a renegade on several levels, Hazeal decided to keep going and never returned home.  Her journeys on the surface eventually led her to her quest to join the Mages of High Sorcery and meeting the rest of the party.  While she did not regret the opportunities to study magic and the friends she made, she wished she did not have to choose them over her loved ones and her people.

As Rizira sympathized, Hazeal explained that her departure made things even more complicated, as she did not know how her people were faring.  While they agreed it would be challenging for the Dragon Armies to invade an underground civilization, they understood that their ignorance of the situation made things more stressful.  Rizira admitted that she did not know whether her people were in danger and acknowledged that the kender were ill-equipped to fend off the Dragon Armies.  However, she was confident that they would defeat their adversaries and Hazeal would save her people, which would allow her to return home and get married in a lavish ceremony.  Rizira then proposed that she would be the wedding officiant.  Amused, Hazeal observed that Aurontiros might want that privilege.  Rizira believed they could share the responsibility.  Rizira believed that they would prevail, but offered to lend a sympathetic ear if Hazeal needed support.  She acknowledged she was rather goofy, but she could also be serious when the situation called for it—though she attributed that quality to Aurontiros and their impromptu acting lessons.  Hazeal commented that she needed some goofy levity at the moment.

Rizira promptly began rummaging through her bag and found a strangely curved stick.  After wondering where she found it, she threw the stick away and continued talking… only to have it fly back and hit her in the head.  Rizira threw it in the other direction and saw it vanish into the distance… only to have it return and hit her again.  Both incidents caused some slightly forced laughter on Hazeal’s part.  The two noted that there was a certain balance in having the kender get hit on both sides.  That prompted Rizira’s suggestion that Hazeal teach her magic.  Hazeal felt that would be dangerous, but admitted she had been made a provisional mage.  She went on to explain she was training Aurontiros and could technically train Rizira as well.  However, Hazeal warned that if she failed her Test, they would fail by proxy.  Rizira dismissed that concern as she would not want to be a mage without Hazeal, going so far as to start bowing before her.  Hazeal’s laughter became more natural and genuine as she enjoyed Rizira’s antics.

Realizing it was almost time for shift change, Rizira waved the flower she had found under Godfrey’s nose. Godfrey caught Rizira by the wrist and asked what was wrong.  Rizira explained she was trying to make him sneeze and wake up; partly because it was time for him to get up, partly because she was tired and hurt.  A sleepy Levna asked how Rizira got hurt while Godfrey admitted she successfully woke him up.  Hazeal and Rizira explained that the kender had thrown a curved stick, only to have it come back and hit her—twice.  Rizira handed the stick to Godfrey and encouraged him to throw it for himself.  He obliged… only to have it come back and knock him onto his ass.  Hazeal burst out laughing at the sight.

Kelara woke up to the sound of Hazeal laughing and asked what was happening.  Godfrey insisted that Rizira keep the stick away from him.  When Kelara repeated her question, Godfrey told her that he had woken up but might have sustained a concussion, leading Kelara to ask if there had been an attack.  She became increasingly confused as to why Rizira attacked Godfrey with her magic stick and why they kept throwing it when they knew it would return.  Aurontiros smiled and mouthed some words, but otherwise remained silent.  Levna commented that they were praying for their souls and cuddled her helmet.  Godfrey got up, but kept his distance from Rizira, who apologized for her role in his self-inflicted injuries.  Hazeal and Rizira then went to sleep.

Hazeal was suddenly woken up by Aurontiros whistling sharply. A group of giant spiders the size of horses climbed over the edge of the cliff and approached the party. Aurontiros stepped across the fire, cast Speak With Animals and ordered them to leave as the party were not their enemies.  They Intimidated the two southernmost spiders, already surprised to face so many prey, to turn around and crawl back the way they came. Grabbing her staff, Kelara saw Levna had not slept in her armour and cast Shield of Faith.  She then hit one of the spiders with Sacred Flame. The angry spider retaliated with its webbing; only to have it hit the fire instead, raising smoke that obscured everyone’s vision.  Godfrey switched positions with Kelara, then moved through the smoke to the spider illuminated by Kelara’s radiance and landed a critical hit.  It lashed out, only to be blocked by Ispin’s shield.  Godfrey smacked the spider with his backswing and knocked the spider off the cliff.  He heard it splat on the rocks below.  As Hazeal sleepily rose to her feet, the other spiders attacked.  Godfrey blocked one of them with his shield while deftly dodging another.  Unfortunately, the third spider ensnared Aurontiros in its webbing, pulled them off their feet and began dragging them towards the edge.  One of the spiders charged through the smoke and bit Hazeal, pumping venom into her leg.  Levna grabbed her sword and jumped to her feet. After Hazeal reassured her she was fine, Rizira weaved her way through the crowd and leapt onto the spider that ensnared Aurontiros.  Thrusting forward, her rapier stabbed through the spider’s head and sliced through the webbing.  Rizira jumped off the spider before it stumbled off the cliff in its death throes.

Aurontiros cut themselves free, leapt to their feet and dove through the smoke.  Using the broken Dwarvish that they had picked up from Hazeal, they gave her Bardic Inspiration before slashing one of the spiders. Kelara kicked a piece of burning firewood to distract one of the spiders attacking Godfrey, then hit the spider biting Hazeal with her staff. Godfrey switched positions with Rizira and stabbed the spider that Kelara distracted.  He then invited Rizira to join in, which she did by running up Godfrey and dropping onto the spider.  It survived her attack and retaliated.  Despite Aurontiros’s Cutting Words, the spider knocked her over the edge of the cliff.  Hazeal hastily cast Feather Fall on Rizira before she dropped out of sight.  She gave the kender a few seconds before dropping her spell, touching the spider that bit her and killing it with a Vampiric Touch. A spider bit Godfrey in the stomach.  It tried to skitter away, only to be killed by Godfrey.

As Levna processed what had happened, Godfrey and Kelara rushed to the edge and looked down.  They were relieved to see Rizira dangling from some scrub brush.  While she was in good spirits, she asked for some help.  Godfrey retrieved some rope from his pack and tossed it down so Rizira could climb up.  Kelara started checking on her companions, given the spider bites she had seen.  Godfrey insisted that he could wait until she examined the others first, but was quickly rebuffed by his friends who pointed out he was the only one still suffering from spider venom (and concussions).  Bowing to the inevitable, Godfrey sat down and accepted a Cure Wounds spell from Kelara.  Levna brewed herself a cup of tea and offered to stand watch so the other party members could get some more rest.  The group gratefully agreed, though Hazeal Twin cast Mage Armour on herself and Rizira before falling asleep.

After several hours, the rest of the party woke up again, gathered their belongings and resumed their trek into the wastes.  Several days passed as they traversed the barren landscapes, went over numerous cliffs and trudged through the rough terrain.  After fifteen miles, they made their way through a canyon known as the Deepdraught.  Like several other canyons, it was dusty, with bones sticking out and a trickle of water running along the ground.  Aurontiros, Kelara and Rizira were the first to hear the sound of water.  Turning towards the noise, they saw forty feet of water rushing through the canyon they were navigating.

Rizira Misty Stepped thirty feet up the cliff and climbed until she was above the water line.  She then tossed a rope down to Hazeal. Kelara cast Water Walk on everyone except Rizira, who was now out of range.  Her enchantment pulled her to the top of the water, but not before she was buffeted by debris.  Aurontiros used Kelara’s Water Walk to traverse the waves until they reached the top of the water, at which point they began surfing the flash flood. Godfrey climbed up the canyon walls until the waters hit him—and clipped him with some debris.  He then popped to the top of the water and was able to hang onto the side near Rizira. Hazeal resisted the Water Walk, cast Alter Self on herself and began swimming through the water with her aquatic adaptations.   Levna made it to the top of the water, thanks to Kelara’s Water Walk and Hazeal’s aid.

Rizira took some hits from the flash flood’s debris before climbing onto Godfrey.  Kelara grabbed the end of the rope and tugged it, hoping to persuade Godfrey to let Rizira go.  The flash floods popped her to the top of the water and swept her a hundred feet down the canyon.  Aurontiros continued surfing the flash flood.  They allowed themselves to be swept away from the rest of the party, but not before granting Godfrey Bardic Inspiration. Feeling Kelara tug the rope, Godfrey let go.  Rizira rode Godfrey like a sled as they surfed along the flash flood on Ispin’s shield.  As they rounded the corner, they saw the canyon enter a switchback.  Hazeal managed to grab Levna before she slammed into the walls.  Rizira almost slipped off, but Godfrey grabbed her hoopak in time and pulled her back in.  Most of the party took some minor damage as they were buffeted about.  Unfortunately, the rushing water knocked loose a slab of eroded rock that landed directly in front of Aurontiros.  They smashed into it and slipped under water before Kelara’s Water Walk forced them to the surface.  The party saw the canyon ascend a slight incline and swam as hard as they could.  They managed to bail out of the water, land hard on the ground and roll to a stop.

Seeing Aurontiros had their head face first into the mud, Kelara sloshed over and pulled them free.  Rizira found the experience so exhilarating that she wanted to do that again.  A bloodied Levna immediately and firmly said no before retrieving her now-dented helmet.  Hazeal dropped her spell (and the gills that had formed).  Rizira observed how the rest of the party had an easier time handling the flash floods than she did, prompting Kelara to reveal the spell she cast.  Seeing Aurontiros use Prestidigitation to clean themselves, Levna ordered the bard to fix her helmet with magic.  Aurontiros tried to make her say please, but eventually complied.

Godfrey declared they needed to arrange a better way to handle future flash floods.  Kelara suggested avoiding the canyon floors while Rizira thought they should pay more attention.  Levna accepted her helmet back from Aurontiros, idly commenting that something felt strange about it.  Dismissing her concerns, Levna wondered how Godfrey had taken all the weird displays of magic around him in stride.  Hazeal idly mentioned that the weird magic had saved her life, which made Levna confirm that the dwarf had grown gills and webbed fingers.  Rizira found Hazeal’s latest feat of magic so fascinating that she asked whether she could be turned into a fish as well.  Godfrey eventually told Levna that he tried to focus on the ramifications of failure rather than the strangeness of magic.  He then hastened to reassure Kelara that he did not find her magic strange as it was a gift from the gods, but sometimes found Aurontiros’s and Hazeal’s magic unusual.  Hazeal had to confirm to Godfrey as well that she had gills.  Meanwhile, Kelara became concerned that Levna found her weird, forcing the knight to explain that it was the magic that had her riled up.  Regardless of their opinions, they agreed that magic had saved their lives and, for that, they were grateful.  Aurontiros expressed their gratitude that Godfrey had provided transportation for Rizira, thus keeping the party together.  After the party noted how the flash flood helped them travel a greater distance than they would have made on foot, Aurontiros compared elven intuition to human oaths.  Levna wondered if Aurontiros was proposing to her.  The party was surprised when Aurontiros said yes, especially when Kelara and Rizira reminded them that they were ‘engaged’ to Rizira.  Aurontiros was forced to explain that they were trying to give a Motivational Speech.  The party let Aurontiros finish without incident and felt stronger, more motivated but still slightly confused.

As Levna felt that their experience with the flood in the canyon was probably a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, Aurontiros cast Pass Without Trace on the party. Aurontiros, Kelara and Rizira alerted Godfrey, Hazeal and Levna that someone with blue skin was looking down at them.  Godfrey and Hazeal looked up, but did not see anything. The party decided to climb out of the canyon. Hazeal was distracted by some of the stone she was grabbing and realized she was touching bone.  She eventually pulled her attention away when Aurontiros, Godfrey and Kelara told her they had found tracks.

The party pursued the tracks through the rough terrain, eventually arriving at a precipice.  Glancing down the crag, they saw six blue-skinned elves standing next to a cleft in the rock.  The most keen-eyed members of the party realized it was an algae-covered double door made of white granite.  Looking closely, they saw the elves were fit, wearing some kind of kelp leather and conch shell pauldrons and had braided white hair held together with bone pins.  The party began discussing if they should talk to the elves, whether Aurontiros should take the lead in opening communications and whether the bard should approach on their own.

Aurontiros recognized that the blue-skinned elves were Dimernesti elves who hailed from the seas and were usually more friendly than the Silvanesti.  They recommended approaching the Dimernesti openly rather than sneak up on them.  At Rizira’s suggestion, Levna and Godfrey agreed to keep their swords in their scabbards.  Aurontiros dropped Pass Without Trace and greeted the sea elves in Elvish, assuring them that they meant no harm.

While the Dimernesti were clearly startled, one of them responded by recognizing the party had been trapped in the canyon and asked if they were aligned with the Dragon Army.  Aurontiros stated they were enemies.  Hazeal began translating for the rest of the party before the elf noticed and switched to Common.  The elf allowed them to approach, introduced himself as Ishvern Stargazer and asked why they were in the Northern Wastes.  As they got closer, they confirmed it was a white granite door etched with the eroded image of a majestic bird with outstretched wings.

Rizira admitted they were trying to find the City of Lost Names.  Ishvern explained they had travelled to this shrine, dedicated to a deity whose name they had long since forgotten and subsequently referred to as the Sea Lord.  They confirmed that they were also enemies of the Red Dragon Army, who had captured four of their expedition.  Ishvern expressed concerns that their brethren had been killed.  At Rizira’s prompting, Ishvern added that they encountered the Red Dragon Army a couple days ago near the sea.  The party realized the timing matched the tracks they had seen when they first landed ashore.  Aurontiros mentioned the Silvanesti were also in the Northern Wastes, as their homeland had fallen to the Blue Dragon Army.  Ishvern admitted there may have been more casualties, as they had originally planned to meet another contingent from a neighbouring tribe.  He went on to explain that the four captured sea elves included their priest, Yearkal, and was concerned that he would not be able to complete the pilgrimage without her guidance.

Ishvern paused to look closely at Kelara’s staff, recognizing it as a holy symbol.  Aurontiros introduced Kelara, explained her village had been destroyed by the Red Dragon Army, and openly identified her as a Chosen of Mishakal.  Ishvern recognized Mishakal’s name and wondered if they had been destined to come to the shrine and help the sea elves make an offering.  Reaching into a belt pouch, he poured out several blue deep-sea pearls.  Ishvern asked them to accompany him into the temple so he could complete his pilgrimage, while his companions stood watch against the Red Dragon Army.  The party quickly agreed, which Ishvern saw as a sign from the Sea Lord.  Ishvern then admitted the first obstacle: Yearkal would normally open the door by speaking a magic word, one he did not know.  Rizira tried knocking on the door but nothing happened.  Kelara wondered if there was anything nearby that could provide a clue.  As Ishvern repeated that he did not know his god’s name, Rizira asked if it was Habbakuk.  As soon as she said the name, the doors began to open.  Godfrey and Kelara congratulated Rizira, who was convinced it was a demonstration of kender magic.  Aurontiros thought it was another sign of their shared destiny.  Ishvern invited them to follow him inside the shrine and help complete his pilgrimage to the Sea Lord, who he now knew as Habbakuk (episode 16).

They looked into a long room, noting a faint blue light emanating from within and the floor that was flooded with two feet of water.  Godfrey cautiously entered before turning to ask Ishvern if he had visited the shrine before.  Ishvern confessed this was his first time and knew little more than stories.  As Godfrey expressed concern and Rizira pressed for details, Ishvern added that Habbakuk was a god of such things as animal life, hunting and the sea.  He believed the party would be fine so long as they showed respect.  Godfrey warned Hazeal against touching any axes, to which she agreed.  Aurontiros began listing other weapons until Hazeal decided to avoid touching anything besides her own personal belongings.

Kelara looked warily in and said she was not sure whether she should enter another god’s temple and risk offending Mishakal.  Hazeal and Rizira suggested that Kelara could stay behind with the other five sea elves.  Aurontiros assured Ishvern that Kelara could hold her own in combat.  Levna expressed reservation about extending so much trust in the sea elves that they could leave Kelara behind on her own.  She volunteered to stay behind with Kelara.  Godfrey agreed with Levna’s idea, adding that they could always retreat into the temple and bar the doors if the Red Dragon Army arrived with overwhelming numbers.  They wondered how easy it would be to close the doors, Rizira going so far as to repeat Habbakuk’s name again, but Hazeal confirmed that the doors were free-standing enough that they could swing shut on their own.  Levna decided to stay outside with Kelara on the pretence of keeping her armour dry. Kelara was delighted at the added company, as she had not talked much with the knight and she welcomed the presence of someone who did not have gills.  She asked if there was a campfire nearby where she could make treats.  One of the other elves pointed it out, noting that their cook had also been captured, leading Kelara to conclude that this providence was the work of Mishakal.  She bid farewell to the others, teasing Hazeal about touching cursed axes and mocking Godfrey for stating what she thought was common sense.  Kelara then wandered off towards the campfire, rummaging for baking ingredients as she walked.

Entering the room, they realized the walls were carved with motifs of rolling waves beneath a ceiling that glowed with faint blue light.  At the rear of the chamber stood an altar carved with coral-like designs.  Behind the altar stood a granite bird, similar to the one on the outer door, with outstretched and flaming wings.  An archway stood to the west, while a stone door could be seen in the east.  Ishvern immediately directed them to the western archway and urged them to cleanse themselves with the water found within a brass basin.  Unfortunately, Rizira was already halfway towards the bird statue.  Water surged out of the floors and walls before she could turn back, forming into three creatures.

One of the water elementals attacked Rizira, restraining her before pulling her underwater. Rizira slipped out of the water elemental’s grasp, swam to the surface and waded to the altar.  Another water elemental rose out of the water, sporting a serpentine appearance and tried to hit Rizira.  It missed due to Aurontiros’s Cutting Words. Aurontiros cast Shatter and hit all three water elementals before dodging their way into the western chamber.  They stopped by the basin and gave Rizira the Bardic Inspiration to ask the others for help. Godfrey switched places with Ishvern, advanced and slashed twice through one of the water elementals.  At his command, Rizira lunged forward and stabbed the elemental with her rapier. Ishvern tried to tell the party something, but was grappled and engulfed by one of the elementals.  Hazeal realized the ‘elementals’ were actually territorial spirits known as water weirds.  She then cast Dragon’s Breath on herself and moved so she could exhale a torrent of ice on all three of them.  The water weird immediately in front of Hazeal hit her and dragged her underwater.

Rizira killed the water weird that she and Godfrey had been attacking, then disengaged and climbed atop of the altar. Another water weird dove underwater only to emerge behind Godfrey, hit him and bound him with watery tendrils. Aurontiros realized that the brass basin beside them was what Ishvern was referring to.  They cast Bane on one of the water weirds and gave Godfrey Bardic Inspiration. Godfrey used Ispin’s shield to break free and told Rizira to attack.  The kender complied by hurling a stone from her hoopak.  The water weird retaliated, but failed to hit Rizira. The water weird holding Hazeal down hit her again. Hazeal released her Dragon’s Breath and cast Alter Self as a Quickened Spell to give herself aquatic adaptations again.  Through the water, she heard Ishvern begged the party to apologize to the water weirds.  She immediately passed the Message to Rizira. A water weird grappled Rizira.  As it pulled her forward, Rizira began apologizing for her actions.  The weird hissed at the kender before dropping her into the water.

Rizira asked Ishvern to repeat what he said before the water weirds attacked.  As Godfrey looked around warily, Ishvern slowly and pointedly told the party to wash themselves before desecrating the temple with their presence.  Hazeal used Alter Self to drop the gills and form magical claws.  She then pulled herself out of the water.  Ishvern repeated his words, walked into the chamber and began washing his hands.  One by one, the rest of the party followed suit and found themselves magically invigorated.  Rizira apologized for her impulsiveness.  Ishvern grudgingly accepted her apology, admitting she reminded him of his cousin.  Godfrey wondered whether they should get a leash, which Hazeal found intriguing and Rizira found offensive.   The party decided to have a short rest to recover.

Ishvern led them back to the main room and over to the door on the eastern wall.  After assuring Godfrey that washing his hands was all the respect that was required, he pushed open the door.  The room had an inscription in Elvish that read “Honour those who came before and walk on.”  Aurontiros spoke the words aloud for those who did not know the language.  Ishvern worried that they would not be able to say the correct rites.  Godfrey and Rizira tried to help by asking about the rituals or rites of his culture.  Ishvern gave some examples before leading them into some sort of crypt, which held carved sarcophagi in alcoves at either end.

Examining the sacrophagi, Aurontiros revealed the western one bore a layout of the shrine.  They mentioned it showed a second exit leading to the southwest, even though the crypt seemed to have only one way in. Rizira looked at the layout and tried to walk down to the southwest corner.

Aurontiros recalled that the only prayer in stone was the inscription in the previous chamber and asked Ishvern for a suitable offering.  When Ishvern handed them one of his sea pearls, he placed it by the western sarcophagus, only to see it dissolve.  Rizira noticed a section of the wall glow before swinging open.  Rizira proclaimed that she had opened the door before admitting she had not done anything.  Godfrey begged her not to explore without them.  Rizira assured him she would wait and peered through the door.  She reported seeing steps leading upwards.  Ishvern guessed it led to the ceremonial chamber.  Rizira asked how the door opened and Aurontiros explained that Ishvern gave them an offering from the sea, which they gave to one of the sarcophagi.

After determining that one offering was sufficient, they went up the stairs.  Rizira took the lead, doing her best to look for traps.  They emerged from the stairs into a room covered in thick, black algae and heard distant wave and the cries of sea birds, which they traced to a well in the centre of the room.  The party examined the well.  Rizira wondered if they had to make an offering or jump in the well as a test of faith.  Hearing the latter, Godfrey urged caution.  Ishvern told them he believed they were exactly where they were supposed to be and asked to join hands around the well. Ishvern spoke a soft prayer in Elvish to Habbakuk, explaining he had traveled a great distance to the shrine, thanking him for the bounty he had provided on land and at sea, beseeching the god to continue his patronage and humbly requesting that he accept his offering.  He then emptied several dozen blue pearls from his pouch into the well.

The group heard the sound of sea birds grow louder and smelled the briny air of the sea.  Then they felt a chill run up their spines and the sting of salt air on their cheeks.  For a moment, they felt pressure on their ears and a sense of buoyancy and warmth, followed by a feeling of velocity. They realized they had received a blessing from Habbakuk.

Ishvern thanked the adventurers for accompanying him on his pilgrimage, acknowledging it was a strange request to make of outsiders.  Godfrey thanked him in return, feeling the encounter was rather fortuitous.  Rizira marvelled at being blessed by a god, remembering that Ispin had supposedly received similar blessings on several occasions.  Ishvern told her she was lucky as Habbakuk was very forgiving, prompting Rizira to look up at the ceiling, peer down into the well and apologize for her actions.  She then thanked Ishvern for allowing them to join him on his pilgrimage.  Ishvern lamented that he had to make the offering instead of his priest, Yearkal, and prayed that she was alive.  Aurontiros remarked that the gods might be looking upon Krynn once again and that not all was lost to the Dragon Armies.  Ishvern pointed out that all the gods might have returned—including Takhisis.  Given what befell the Silvanesti, he speculated that there was a White and Green Dragon Army as well.  Neither he nor Aurontiros could recall the colour of any remaining Dragon Armies as they had reached the limits of their religious knowledge.  Aurontiros sought Hazeal’s knowledge, thinking her use of the Dragon’s Breath spell was correlated to colour.  They discussed drinks with Ishvern before deciding they should leave.

The group left the shrine and returned to the camp, which was set near a crevasse, some straggly trees and inlets of fresh water.  They heard a crackling fire, some idle chatter and some loud laughter from Levna.  Rizira tried to sneak up behind Levna, only to knock her plate of food into her face.  Levna turned to her with slow menace and greeted the kender.  Rizira apologized for her clumsiness. Kelara greeted the returning party members and offered them the seafood she had cooked, adding it had been enhanced with some fermented soy bean sauce.  Aurontiros swiped some food off Levna’s face, tasted it and offered their approval.  Godfrey accepted Kelara’s offer, cheekily observed Levna was a messy eater and offered to get her a second bowl.  The party settled down to eat Kelara’s meal.

As they ate, Hazeal asked Aurontiros what they meant about colour.  She eventually cast Colour Spray in Aurontiros’s face. A shocked Aurontiros whispered that they could see auras now.  Godfrey laughed while Hazeal declared it was dwarven magic.  A concerned Kelara asked if Aurontiros was okay before admonishing them for looking directly into a wizard’s—or a sorcerer’s—spell.  Hazeal explained it was her first lesson to Aurontiros.  After complimenting Kelara’s aura, which she attributed to her cooking dinner, they confused Levna for Rizira.  Rizira played along, claiming she’d bulked out, until Levna dryly set them straight.  Levna then pretended to talk like Rizira, while Rizira pretended she (as ‘Rizira’) and Aurontiros were engaged.  Levna examined Aurontiros, declared they were almost hairless enough for her, and pushed them towards Rizira.  An indignant Aurontiros responded, providing so much information that Rizira was disgusted, Hazeal regretted her actions and Godfrey loudly asked Kelara for more fish.  Kelara complied and evaded Rizira’s question on how much body hair she liked, claiming she preferred the Dimernesti dish known as sushi.  As Aurontiros began exploring Godfrey’s aura, the sky erupted into a sudden thunderstorm.  Lightning flashed through the sky as rain poured down.  Godfrey persuaded Aurontiros to sit down, have some sushi and describe Hazeal’s aura.  While Aurontiros did so, the sea elves quickly erected a makeshift canopy.  One of the elves found the rain strange and cold, compared to being submerged in the comparatively warmer ocean.  They also found the sky unsettling, as it seemed to go on forever, and asked Hazeal for her opinion.  Hazeal did not respond, as she was staring at the sky and absently fidgeting.

As the discussion concluded, they heard a single pair of footsteps run towards them. Turning around, they saw another sea elf rush up to Ishvern.  He reported that he had followed ‘them’ back and knew where ‘they’ were. Seeing the party, the elf switched in Common and explained he had tracked their abducted companions—including their priest—and had found their location.  Godfrey asked how they could help.  When Ishvern asked for details, the scout revealed they were in a Dragon Army camp in the middle of a murky lake near a location called the Sky’s Tears.  At Levna’s prompt, Godfrey took out his map and had the scout identify the location.  The party noticed it was a week’s journey to the north.  Godfrey reminded the party they had to search around the Northern Wastes, the captured sea elves might have information and they could find ways to keep Dalamar and their expedition informed.  He offered the party’s services to Ishvern, who gratefully accepted and promised his remaining pearls in return.  Aurontiros solemnly swore they were all serving the side of Good.  Ishvern explained their culture believed in rewarding those who went out of their way to help others and noted the pearls held great monetary value that could help the party.  Rizira eagerly accepted Ishvern’s reward after hearing their material worth.  Godfrey cautioned her not to get ahead of herself.  Aurontiros asked for more detail and learned the scout had not actually seen the captives, but merely overheard Dragon Army soldiers say they were going to a location called Camp Carrionclay and that many would meet up there before looking for a city.  Aurontiros admitted that they were looking for a lost city, which Godfrey explained was the one the Dragon Army was searching for.  Rizira thought this might be due to Habbakuk’s blessing.  Levna, focused on more practical concerns, learned the scout had seen the enemy soldiers several days ago and concluded that the rank-and-file were still searching for the City of Lost Names.

Godfrey noticed Hazeal had pulled her robes over her head and was staring at the sky.  When he tried to get her attention, Hazeal asked why the sky was angry.  Godfrey assured Hazeal that they would rest underneath the shelter of the canopy.  Kelara placed some food in Hazeal’s hands, assured her the sky wasn’t angry but was simply where the water went and encouraged her to eat.  Aurontiros told Hazeal she could drink the water that fell from the sky.  Hazeal was worried the sky would be angry, noting how it tended to flood the caves.  The party settled down to enjoy some more dinner—including a vegetarian option that Kelara cooked for Aurontiros—and a Song of Rest from the bard (episode 17).

The party slept under the shelter and got up in morning.  Godfrey recommended leaving as soon as possible, as they had no idea how long the Red Dragon Army would keep their captives alive.  Aurontiros agreed, while Kelara checked to see whether anyone was still hurt.  As they made preparations to head out, they heard Darrett’s voice from the fargab.  He revealed that he had been trying to contact them, but suspected the party had travelled beyond the fargab’s range.  Aurontiros told him they were near the end of Deepdrought.  Darrett revealed the expedition was halfway between Wrecker’s Edge and Deepdrought and was about eighteen miles away—the limit of the fargab’s range.  Aurontiros told Darrett that they’d found a shrine and met some Dimernesti elves who had encountered the Red Dragon Army.  They added that some of the sea elves had been captured, including their priest.  Darrett guessed that they could reach the Deepdrought in three days if they pushed themselves.  Godfrey warned Darrett to be careful when traveling through the canyons as they were extremely dangerous when the flash floods came in.  Rizira reminded everyone that the dangers could be mitigated somewhat if they could walk on water.  Darrett greeted the kender, sharing an encounter they had with a giant shark that came in with the Wash.  Kelara felt that must have been a terrifying encounter.  Hearing her voice, Darrett admitted that he missed her cooking as the expedition’s cooks had struggled to make the shark meat palatable, though he admitted it had reduced their need for rations.  Over the fargab, Cudgel added that they had also encountered plesiosaurs and warned that they were also a significant threat.  Cudgel and Darrett did their best to describe plesiosaurs, with Hazeal drawing on her childhood experiences to add that they were aquatic creatures.

Darrett asked if the area was safe for his troops.  Rizira told him it looked safe and the party was heading out to find the captured sea elves.  Looking around, Godfrey warned Darrett that it might not be suitable for a couple hundred troops and recommended a drier area north of the Deepdrought.  Darrett acknowledged Godfrey’s advice, told them they would begin searching and asked where the party planned to travel.

Godfrey remembered that they planned to meet Dalamar at Stormstep, northwest of their location, that Dalamar had asked them to inspect the Spires of Dawn, northeast of their location, and Camp Carrionclaw was supposedly at the Sky’s Tears, which lay within the Eastern Maze, northwest of Stormstep and their location.  Furthermore, Dalamar had hoped that they would visit the Spires of Dawn before meeting him at Stormstep.

Godfrey suggested investigating the Spires with their newfound speed, come back before the army arrived, then continue with their allies close behind.  Aurontiros proposed visiting the Spires then going to Stormstep.  Rizira favoured heading straight to the Sky’s Tears as the sea elves were at risk.  Her argument swayed Aurontiros into changing their mind, as they noted that they were not  working for the Silvanesti.  Godfrey was concerned that they might need the army depending on the size of the camp.  Aurontiros said they could always retreat and contact their expedition if they were outnumbered.  Rizira thought they could arrange for the expedition to go to Stormstep while the party went to the Sky’s Tears, before doubling back to either Stormstep or the Spires of Dawn.

The party was so involved discussing their options that they forgot about Darrett until he called out to them again, asking if they had been eaten by a plesiosaur.  Godfrey explained that they might have located a camp by the Sky’s Tears where the captive sea elves were taken and wanted to scout ahead before returning.  Darrett warned them to be careful, as the camp might have sizable numbers and would likely have patrols roaming the area, but expressed faith in their skills.

Aurontiros wondered if the army could follow them to Stormstep and the Sky’s Tears, or whether they should arrange to meet at a predetermined location.  Godfrey pointed out that the party would outpace the expedition quickly.  Aurontiros voiced that the Sky’s Tears was their priority, to which Hazeal agreed.  Godfrey pointed out that they could stop at Stormstep and meet Dalamar along the way.  Rizira felt that made sense and Dalamar could go to the Spires himself if he disagreed with their priorities.  Aurontiros decided they had come to a decision and should inform Darrett.

With that decided, Godfrey asked Kelara how one would cook shark.  Kelara confessed she did not know, but guessed it would involve some sort of stew.  Hazeal wanted to know what a shark was.  Aurontiros guessed it was some kind of fish that tricked others out of their money.  As Hazeal considered that response, another sea elf silently confirmed to Kelara that sharks were often cooked as part of a stew.

The party told Darrett they would travel to Stormstep to meet with the Silvanesti before carefully progressing towards the Sky’s Tears.  Darrett acknowledged their plans and advised caution, as his scouts had noted a storm front coming in.  Hearing that, Godfrey realized the party lacked appropriate shelter or gear to handle such weather.  While Levna advised them to stop talking and start packing, Aurontiros considered asking the Dimernesti for supplies.  After looking at the map, though, Aurontiros and Godfrey realized it might be wiser to head back to the camp, resupply and acquire the equipment they needed, travel to Stormstep, then head up the coast to the Sky’s Tears.  Godfrey then asked if anyone needed help packing—looking at Kelara.  Rizira admitted she had already packed—as had Hazeal—and expressed impatience at the thought of ‘wasting’ a day heading back to the camp.  Aurontiros pointed out how ill-equipped they were, but acknowledged Rizira and Levna wanted to go ahead.  Levna asked the party members how many days’ rations they had, which Godfrey felt emphasized the need to go back to the expedition.

Having finally come to a decision, the adventurers finished packing.  Ishvern approached the party, thanked them for their help and tried to shake Rizira’s hand.  Rizira hugged Ishvern instead, which he found mildly uncomfortable due to the difference in height.  After she explained that kender offered greetings and farewells through hugs, Ishvern knelt down to give her a proper hug.  Aurontiros asked what the Dimernesti planned to do.  When Ishvern explained they would go nowhere until their captured brethren returned, Aurontiros guessed they would stay by the shrine.  Ishvern said he overheard them talking to the fargab.  Aurontiros told him it was a communication device that kept them in contact with their own army, who was following their trail.  Given that the party had offered to rescue the captured Dimernesti, Ishvern offered the services of his group to guide the expeditionary army and avoid the dangers of the Wash.  He proposed to lead them to Stormstep and meet the party there, as it was well suited to hold a large group of people.  Aurontiros warned that they might meet some Silvanesti.  Ishvern admitted that he’d overheard their comments, hoped the Silvanesti would not be too offended by the presence of sea elves and humans and told them they would wait for the expedition to arrive.

The party travelled back to the army, aided by the blessing of Habbakuk.  Kelara and Levna were amazed by how quickly they traversed the formerly-challenging terrain.  Before long, they reached the expedition and were greeted by Darrett.  They saw the army had suffered few casualties from the Wash and other hazards.  Kelara provided some healing for the wounded while the rest of the party set out to acquire supplies. Godfrey was slightly concerned at the sight of billowing smoke rising from Rookledust’s tent but put it aside as Cudgel approached them.  Taking the lead, Godfrey told the dwarf they needed more rations and tents.  Cudgel saw to it that their packs were resupplied with everything they needed. The party enjoyed a few more hours of rest and told Darrett about their adventures.  He was happy to accept the aid of the Dimernesti.

Eventually, the party left the expeditionary camp and resumed their journeys.  After twelve miles, they entered a craggy canyon where the Drowning Road cut through between the Spires of Dawn and Stormstep.  Everyone but Godfrey noticed some tracks that looked like draconians.  While Kelara motioned for Godfrey to stop moving and the others to be quiet, Aurontiros told the party that there were draconians and Dragon Army soldiers nearby who were searching for their sea elf friends.  They decided to use the element of surprise to sneak up on their enemies.  After Aurontiros gave a Motivational Speech, the party split up.  As the Dragon Army patrol came closer, Godfrey, Hazeal, Kelara and Levna moved around to keep the ridge between them—with Hazeal Subtly casting Haste on Godfrey.  Meanwhile, Aurontiros and Rizira climbed up to the top of the ridge.  The patrol came closer and could be heard exchanging banter about one of their superiors until one of the draconians warned the patrol that it had heard a noise.  In response, another draconian decided to climb up the ridge.  As the enemy proceeded, Rizira accidentally knocked loose some shale that landed on the Dragon Army officer’s head.  Looking up, the officer saw Rizira and alerted his comrades.

Rizira Misty Stepped to the draconian climbing the cliff and stabbed it.  She then climbed down to the ground.  Kelara leaned around the corner and blasted the Dragon Army officer with a Guiding Bolt.  He promised he would get Kelara before staggering back.  She then fell back around the ridge. The Dragon Army officer pulled out his heavy crossbow, stepped forward and fired.  Levna took a bolt in her side.  Hazeal Imbued Levna’s sword with magic.  Levna admired the red flames that now wreathed her blade and approved of this use of magic. Before she could do anything, another Dragon Army officer dashed forward and hit Levna twice. Aurontiros cast Shatter, hitting two draconians and a Dragon Army officer with the help of some Cutting Words.  They gave Rizira Bardic Inspiration. In response, one of the officers ran forward until she got a line of sight on Aurontiros and hit them twice with her crossbow. A draconian snarled at Rizira and pursued her, striking her twice with a poisoned dagger. As another draconian climbed up to join its comrade, Rizira succumbed to the poison and became paralyzed.  Seeing that, the draconian landed a critical hit.  A third draconian tried to slash Aurontiros, but missed their throat.  Godfrey swapped places with Levna, hurriedly telling his mentor to learn how to dodge, and sliced the Dragon Army officer to ribbons.   He then moved up to the next enemy. One of the draconians tried to hit Godfrey, only to miss due to Hazeal’s Haste.  Godfrey launched a retaliatory strike and killed the draconian.  Acid sprayed out from its body, but missed everyone in the area. Levna ran up the cliff and landed two hits on the draconian near Aurontiros.

Shaking off her paralysis, Rizira grabbed the draconian that paralyzed her and killed it with its own dagger.  Dodging its explosion of acid, she tried to attack the other draconian.  It whipped around and knocked her off her feet.  She tumbled down the ridge, cracking her head on the side as she fell, and landed in a heap next to Godfrey. Kelara went around the corner again and cast Shield of Faith on Godfrey, but failed to hit the Dragon Army officer near him with a Sacred Flame. Hazeal climbed halfway up the cliff and Quickened a Blindness spell on the draconian threatening Aurontiros and Levna.  She then killed the Dragon Army officer with a Fire Bolt. Aurontiros switched to their longsword and killed the blinded draconian.  Seeing its body about to burst, Aurontiros kicked it over the other edge, where it safely exploded.  They turned to Godfrey and gave him Bardic Inspiration. The remaining Dragon Army officer told Godfrey that the party would never reach Sunward Fortress or stop them, called out to Takhisis and charged.  Kelara’s Shield of Faith flared up to block one strike.  The officer tripped during her second attack, allowing Godfrey to land a retaliatory hit. He followed up with a series of attacks before knocking the officer out.

As soon as the battle was over, Kelara ran over to stabilize Rizira.  Hazeal dropped her Haste and allowed Godfrey to recover.  Levna asked what was the place the patrol had mentioned and why they should not go there immediately.  Aurontiros surmised that it was some kind of base.  Godfrey remembered that one of the locations Dalamar had asked them to search was Sunward Fortress, which was located near the Spires of Dawn.  However, he had trouble voicing his thoughts out loud.  Levna made a sarcastic remark which earned her Aurontiros’s approval.  Kelara Channeled the Divinity of Mishakal and brought Rizira back to life.  Levna complimented her for her battle skills.  Rizira was miffed at the thought that she was the only one who had been hurt, despite protests from her friends, but was mollified when Kelara gave Rizira a cookie.  Godfrey reminded them that he knocked an officer out and maybe they could interrogate her.  He also remembered another name being mentioned, but no one else caught it.  Aurontiros decided they would have to use their elven magic.  Godfrey was disturbed by the prospect, while Hazeal offered them her support.

Godfrey stepped about thirty feet away and stood watch while Aurontiros roused the unconscious Dragon Army officer. She insisted she wouldn’t talk.  Aurontiros told her she could rest now, complimented her fighting and zealotry, then began exploring the strength of her beliefs.  The officer remained defiant and steadfast in her faith.  Aurontiros declared they would use an ancient elven mind meld, cast Command, and ordered the officer to ‘Confess’.  Kelara yelped and flinched back to enhance Aurontiros’s threat.  The officer warned that the Red Dragon Army would ‘destroy everyone’ with the Shard of Chaos once Lohezet was done, then wondered why she had said that out loud.  Aurontiros asked if the officer wanted to tell them more, only to try and bite them in return.  Aurontiros asked if they would tell them more about the Shard of Chaos, but received nothing but defiance.  Switching tactics, Aurontiros Commanded her to tell them the location of the base.  She revealed her base was in the north by the Spires, within an old monument to some dead god.  Aurontiros tried to ask about the Shard again, only for the officer to bend over, bit off the tip of her tongue and spit it out.  The fanatical officer laughed until she passed out.

Aurontiros and Rizira talked about the Shard of Chaos and the Red Dragon Army base before consulting their map and determining that, based on the information extracted from the officer, the base was five or six hours away.  They began talking about how the interrogation took such a dramatic turn when they realized the officer was bleeding out.  While they debated whether to save the fanatic or let her die, Kelara cast Spare the Dying.  The party then began to discuss what to do with the prisoner.  Kelara suggested tying her up and stashing her somewhere safe, but Rizira pointed out that she would simply starve to death.  When Kelara replied that leaving her untied would allow her to pursue them, Rizira suggested killing her right there.  Aurontiros wondered if Rizira could really kill the prisoner in cold blood.  Rizira told them she could.  Kelara looked at the others uncertainly.  Levna flatly declared they did not kill captives.  When Rizira said it would be cruel to leave her tied up, Levna proposed to leave her with a knife so she could free herself and go on her way.  Aurontiros proposed taking her back to the expedition and handing her over to their custody, but Levna pointed out that would take too much time.  The adventurers recognized that the prisoner was seriously injured and was in no shape to catch up to them, much less warn her comrades.  Aurontiros admitted they were showing her more mercy than she would show them.  Bowing to the inevitable, Rizira handed over one of her daggers for the prisoner’s use. Levna got Godfrey’s attention and demanded to have a word in private. Their conversation was quick and to the point.

Looking over at the prisoner, Godfrey asked what had happened, paying particular attention to her tongue.  Rizira, with occasional input from the others, explained that Aurontiros had used their magic to make her talk… until she bit off her own tongue.  Levna laid out the available options: bring her back to the expedition as a prisoner of war and head north again in the morning or leave her alive with a dagger and continue on their way.  Godfrey suggested another option of taking the officer with them.  Levna and Kelara had concerns about the challenges of taking a prisoner with them.  Godfrey regretted putting them in this position.  Levna allowed that mercy was usually an admirable quality, but decided that he should make the final decision as the prisoner was his responsibility.  Godfrey decided to leave her with water and a dagger, but insisted they wait until she was conscious before they left.

Having settled that dilemma, Godfrey remembered that the patrol was looking for someone and asked Aurontiros to call out in Elvish in case one of the sea elves was nearby.  Aurontiros obliged, adding that they were sent by Ishvern.  After a moment of silence, a voice called back in the same language.  A young, lanky sea elf covered in nicks and bruises carefully revealed herself from around the corner. Aurontiros approached the sea elf and spoke to her in Elvish.

Switching to Common, she asked the party if they were friends of Ishvern.  The party confirmed their friendship, with Rizira adding that they had accompanied him to the temple.  The relieved elf introduced herself as Dilya.  Godfrey offered her a day’s rations, which she began to gobble down until Hazeal cautioned her to eat slowly.  She explained that she had been on the run for two days but had been pursued by her captors, who were taking the sea elves north.  Dilya was distraught that she could not take their priestess, Yearkal, with them.  She overheard that they were planning an experiment, but did not know what the word meant.  The party recognized that they had to hurry.  Dilya refused to go in, but offered to guide them to the base.  Aurontiros wondered if it was better to send her back to safety or have her lead the party.  Godfrey asked her how they escaped.  Dilya explained that she waited until the guards had to relieve themselves and took advantage of the reduced numbers to slip free of her shackles, run to the Wash and escape.  She added that her cuts and bruises had been acquired while attempting to navigate the intense flash floods.  Rizira marveled at her bravery, but Dilya disagreed as she had not freed Yearkal as well.  Aurontiros asked if she could lead them to the base’s entrance, assuring her that their magic would allow them to Pass Without Trace.  Noting Dilya’s wounds, Kelara offered her a cookie and asked if she could heal her. Aurontiros spoke to Dilya in Elvish, explaining that Kelara was a priestess of Mishakal.

Dilya allowed Kelara to Cure her Wounds and was shocked to see her injuries heal.  Rizira spoke to Dilya, listing the many ways she was brave.  She assured the sea elf that she was in good hands, promoting the various skills of the party.  Godfrey jokingly added Rizira was also the queen of the kender. In Elvish, Dilya expressed her surprise that the kender had a monarchy.  Aurontiros gave a vague reply that she took as confirmation.  She hurriedly grovelled before Rizira and Kelara. Kelara misunderstand her gesture and looked for any further injuries.  Dilya asked if Ishvern entered the shrine.  Aurontiros assured her that they accompanied him inside the shrine and that he made his offerings.  Relieved that their trials had been worth it, Dilya agreed to lead them.

They made their way north, winding up the coast.  Soon, they arrived at what was once an ancient temple, set amidst the natural stone formations of the Northern Wastes.  They saw a broken, hundred-foot spire that was half-buried and would be easy to miss, were it not for the surrounding excavation sites and abandoned tents.  Dilya pointed at the spire and repeated the word ‘experiment’ (episode 18).

Levna asked whether they would storm the fortress or rest first.  Kelara repeatedly asked to rest, particularly as Rizira noted that the spellcasters needed time to replenish their spent magic.  Levna touted the advantages of swords in that regard, pointedly telling Hazeal—who had silently taken out her warhammer—that she was not talking to her.  Aurontiros told Kelara that she was the problem before revealing they were joking, not realizing that their deadpan tone suggested otherwise.  Rizira explained the problems with their delivery while Kelara acted upset.  As Hazeal consoled Kelara, in an effort to sell the performance, Rizira scolded Aurontiros for their thoughtlessness.  Levna apologized before realizing Rizira was not talking to her.  Aurontiros vowed never to tell jokes again while Hazeal offered to add that to their training.  Rizira suggested that she scout ahead but Levna and Hazeal disagreed, feeling her curiosity would get the better of her.  Godfrey spoke up and voted to rest, volunteering to watch the prisoner.  Realizing they never got the prisoner’s name before she bit her tongue off, Rizira decided to call her Chatty Cathy.  Aurontiros realized she was telling a joke.

On Levna’s recommendation, they moved back to find a safer area to rest.  They eventually settled on a pair of rock outcroppings half a mile away.  Rizira and Hazeal set up some canvas and covered it with dust and shale to create a camouflaged shelter.  Hazeal, Rizira and Kelara felt the makeshift disguise would blend into the barren wasteland better than their comparatively bright attire.  Godfrey guessed they had twelve hours before it would be safe to infiltrate the fortress and organized shifts for the adventurers to stand watch.  Aurontiros, Godfrey and Rizira stood watch first while Hazeal and Kelara slept.

During shift change, Hazeal asked if they had seen or heard anything.  Rizira warned that there was some kind of predator roaming around and they should keep their eyes opened.  Hazeal Twin cast Mage Armour on Rizira and herself before Aurontiros, Godfrey and Rizira went to sleep (or Tranced). Hazeal passed a few hours of the shift telling Kelara about dwarven cooking and how Kelara’s cooking was so much better.  Kelara attributed the difference in quality to timing and spice.  After noting how salt could enhance any meal, Hazeal admitted that she missed some of the mushrooms she ate as a child.  Kelara shared her love of mushrooms but added a caveat about the dangers of eating poisonous mushrooms, citing her experiences as a healer.

As the night ended, Aurontiros, Godfrey, Rizira and Levna woke up.  Looking at the prisoner, who was glaring at the party, Godfrey recognized that she might be a problem.  He volunteered to stay behind and watch the prisoner, feeling she was his responsibility.  Aurontiros gave him the fargab so he could try and contact Darrett.  Levna agreed to accompany the rest of the party.  Seeing the look Godfrey gave Kelara, Aurontiros assured him that they would take care of her.  Kelara retorted that she had been taking care of them.  They agreed that Aurontiros had to work on their jokes as their delivery was too deadpan.  At Rizira’s prompting, Aurontiros cast Pass Without Trace to enhance their stealth and gave them all a Motivational Speech.  The party tried to organize some plans, eventually settled on wishes for each others’ safety and parted ways.

Leaving Godfrey, Dilya and the prisoner behind, the others snuck towards the ruins.  Levna proved to be the loudest in her armour, but did not draw any attention due to Aurontiros’s spell.  Reaching the top of the ruins, they saw several abandoned tents from the Red Dragon Army.  They also saw scattered crates and an earthen ramp leading to an opening in the spire’s foundation. Aurontiros, Hazeal and Kelara recognized the spire was once a holy site whose upper levels were constructed to burn like a massive beacon. Kelara mused aloud that the spire might be a hermitage or lighthouse, built to honour some god of flame.

The group determined the tents still held dried meat, enough to provide two days worth of rations per person.  Aurontiros, Hazeal and Levna also found twelve dirty shovels.  In addition, Aurontiros found a cracked but functional bulls-eye lantern. Getting the attention of her companions, Rizira held up a suit of leather armour bearing the symbol of Takhisis.  suggested it might provide a useful disguise—and protection for Aurontiros or Kelara. Kelara spoke up and pointed to the clawed footprints around them, noting that some were twice the size of any draconians they had encountered.

Levna admitted she had not found anything else besides rations and shovels.  When Hazeal wondered what they were digging, Levna pointed to the ramp and a wheelbarrow—prompting Rizira to immediately jump into the wheelbarrow.  An exasperated Levna guessed that the Red Dragon Army was excavating the site.  After some discussion, Aurontiros decided to don the Red Dragon Army armour.  Levna urged them towards the closest ramp, which descended through a gap in the ancient stone wall into a dusty chamber.  Aurontiros noted the dim illumination and gestured to the lantern they had found.  Kelara picked up a rock and cast Light on it, picking one that was small enough to conceal.  Hazeal reminded the others of her driftglobe, but decided to keep it in reserve.  With Kelara’s Light, the group saw an altar carved with candle sconces, a shallow basin and stylized flames standing atop a dais to the north.  Stepping inside the chamber, they also saw a spiral stairwell wind downward to the south while an archway to the east led to another chamber. Hazeal examined the stonework and realized the spire was built before the Cataclysm, mostly from the natural stone in the area.  While it had held up well given the centuries that had passed, she guessed it was probably built by human stonemasons.  She also saw trails of dirt and determined the excavation had occurred inside. Aurontiros told them that the symbols on the altar belonged to Sirrion, god of fire, neutrality, passionate impulse and transformation. Levna wondered what the basin was for.  Rizira immediately ran over and dropped the pearl inside.  Kelara felt the pearl might be suitable for a water temple, not a dragon temple, which confused Rizira.  Hazeal offered to light it on fire, surprising Aurontiros with her restraint.  The group decided to try lighting the altar on the way out, just in case, and went down the stairway into a space surrounded by halls and cramped rooms.

As a thick rotten smell reached their noses, they saw digging equipment and crates crammed into every corner and alcove and determined it had been abandoned for some time.  The group spread out and began searching the area. Hazeal wandered into a hallway to the east and saw four creatures skulking through the darkness.  She guessed they were once draconians before something transformed them into bloated creatures with bright-red skin and wide frog-like mouths.  Hazeal kept a hand back as if to silently warn her companions to stay away.  After noting the creatures moving sluggishly, dragging their bulk against the walls, she retreated back into the main chamber.

Hazeal wandered into a hallway to the east and saw four creatures skulking through the darkness.  She guessed they were once draconians before something transformed them into bloated creatures with bright-red skin and wide frog-like mouths.  Hazeal kept a hand back as if to silently warn her companions to stay away.  After noting the creatures moving sluggishly, dragging their bulk against the walls, she retreated back into the main chamber. Hazeal sent a Message to Kelara informing her that there were creatures down the eastern hallway and imploring her to keep the others quiet.

Aurontiros quietly suggested they go into the western hallway to avoid the creatures.  Hazeal reported that there were several of the creatures and that they looked wrong.  Just then, one of the creatures emerged from the eastern hallway.  Kelara hastily covered the stone she cast Light on and froze.  The party froze and watched the bloated red draconian look around… before turning and moving away from them.  Aurontiros began moving north again, only to quickly hide when they glimpsed another mutated draconian.  Hazeal moved towards the others as they did not have darkvision.  Levna quietly asked if Kelara was all right while slowly drawing her sword.

Hazeal sent Aurontiros a Message, telling them she could probably target most of the creatures with a spell.  Aurontiros did not reply as they had quickly pressed themselves against the wall before another mutated draconian slunk down the northern hallway, its claws almost dragging against the floor.  Aurontiros asked if there was a way out through the western rooms.  Hazeal sent another Message, replying that she did not think so.  Aurontiros asked if their only way out was to go east, only to receive a shrug from Hazeal.  Aurontiros began escorting Kelara, Rizira and Levna—who still could not see—to the west.  Hazeal sent a Message to Levna, advising her not to panic as she and Aurontiros would guide them to a safe spot. As they got closer, Aurontiros pulled Rizira back, warning her to keep close to the walls and look for a way out.  Rizira couldn’t help but giggle from the soft, ticklish touch. Aurontiros and Hazeal saw a mutated draconian step out of the western corridor, sniff the air and turn to leave.  However, another mutated draconian emerged behind Hazeal and let out a cacophonous roar.  Kelara shrieked in response.

Rizira stepped forward and lashed out with her rapier, stabbing one of the creatures despite her blindness.  Feeling the blood spray sizzle as it hit her, she ran to the stairwell to hide.  Aurontiros backed away and dropped their Pass Without Trace.  They cast Hunter’s Mark on the mutated draconian that Rizira stabbed before hitting it with their longbow.  Hazeal cast Dragon’s Breath on herself, turned around and breathed lightning on the mutated draconian behind her.  A human voice called out for help from the eastern wing. The mutated draconian that Aurontiros and Rizira attacked lunged forward and raked Kelara twice with its claws.  Meanwhile, the other mutated draconian slashed Hazeal twice with its claws. Kelara opened her hands so the Light from her stone could illuminate the chamber.  After summoning a Spiritual Weapon to strike the mutated draconian that hit her, she killed it with a Word of Radiance.  The creature exploded in a burst of sizzling acid that hit Kelara. A third mutated draconian charged from the north and attacked Aurontiros from behind.  The bard deflected one of the attacks with their Silvery Barbs.  They felt a burning pain lance through them as the creature’s claws raked up their side and saw something writhe beneath its skin.  Levna moved to attack the closest mutated draconian, voiced her approval when she saw it was dead, then rushed north to engage the creature that attacked Aurontiros.  Her two strikes chopped off its arm, which began crawling forward.  She urged Aurontiros to run. A fourth mutated draconian emerged from the eastern hallway.  Hazeal managed to dodge all of its attacks.

Seeing Hazeal was beset by two mutated draconians, Rizira ran down and landed two attacks against the one that had just entered the chamber before returning to the stairwell.  Aurontiros moved their Hunter’s Mark to the mutated draconian that struck it and considered running away before killing it with an arrow through the mouth.  The creature exploded in a burst of sizzling acid.  Aurontiros dodged out of the way, but Levna was not so lucky.  Remembering the cry for help, Aurontiros ran into the northern hallway to investigate. Hazeal rolled her driftglobe into the eastern passageway and spoke the command word to summon Daylight, hoping to blind any hostiles.  She then breathed lightning on the mutated draconians, one of whom slashed back at her.  Kelara realized she could not move her Spiritual Weapon far enough, so she threw her Light-enchanted stone to aid Rizira.  Then she pulled out her crossbow, stepped forward and fired her crossbow at one of the mutated draconians.  She couldn’t help but notice something bubble beneath its pustule-ridden skin.  The creature moved forward to swipe at Kelara, but missed. Levna ran around the stairs, screaming like a madwoman and cleaved the mutated draconian that Kelara hit in two.  The creature exploded, hitting Hazeal with acid. The last mutated draconian attacked Hazeal, hitting her despite a hastily erected Shield. From the stairwell, Rizira leapt over Kelara, scored an X on its hide and killed the last mutated draconian with a stab through the X.  She then rushed in the direction of the cries.

Hazeal, Kelara and Levna began scraping the acidic residue off their bodies before it caused any more damage. Then they heard Rizira call out for Levna.  Levna departed into the eastern hallway, returning with an unconscious human man, Aurontiros, Rizira and a female Dimernesti elven priestess who they guessed was Yearkal.

Aurontiros told Yearkal that her expedition had sent them to rescue her.  While Kelara confirmed who was hurt, Yearkal asked if the party was here to stop the monsters.  Aurontiros hesitantly asked if there were more of them.  Seeing Kelara’s staff, Yearkal realized she was a priestess of Mishakal and considered their presence as an act of providence.  Yearkal explained that she had been captured by the Red Dragon Army and was pressed into service unearthing the ruins, as the commander had orders to recover any relics or magic buried inside.  They eventually dug up a large, glowing stone.  Shortly after its discovery, violent, toad-like terrors emerged.  Yearkal and the human, who she identified as Rone, tried to escape.  Unfortunately, they were recaptured by a magic-using draconian named Virruza who sought to use the stone to transform people into more draconians.  Unfortunately, his efforts only led to the appearance of more creatures.  Yearkal and Rone escaped and found a safe hiding place.  However, Rone had become increasingly delirious and ill over the last few days, to the point where he had been barely conscious.  Rizira assured Yearkal that her people had made it to the Blue Phoenix Shrine and gave her the blue pearl she found.  Yearkal begged Kelara to help Rone. Hazeal was too distracted by her pain to notice anything amiss.  Having assessed everyone’s injuries, Kelara began casting a Prayer of Healing.  Shortly after she began, Rizira pulled out a dagger and sliced open Rone’s stomach.

As Rone began convulsing, a long, pale pink worm burst out and bit Rizira’s fingers before retreating back inside his stomach.  Yearkal looked on in confusion as Rizira thrust her dagger back inside the stomach and stabbed the worm.  It let out a shriek before Rone began seizing.  Aurontiros knelt down and asked what Rizira was doing, just as she tore out the now-dead worm.  A close examination suggested it was a small version of the mutated draconians they had just fought.  Seconds later, Rone stopped convulsing and lay perfectly still.

Rizira shakily announced that she had discovered how the creatures reproduced and apologized for killing Rone.  Her companions assured her that the man would have probably died anyway.  Kelara finished her Prayer of Healing.  Yearkal told them that Rone hailed from Heart’s Hollow.  She suggested that the party travel there to bring word of his passing, but advised they avoid the truth of how exactly he died.  Yearkal beseeched the party to go into the depths of the spire, defeat Virruza and destroy the stone to prevent any more creatures from being created.  After the adventurers agreed, Yearkal said a brief prayer over Rone’s body before leading them north towards the lower levels (episode 19).

They had not gone far before they started hearing heavy metal-clad footsteps descending the stairwell.  Kelara picked up the rock she enchanted with Light, jumped behind Levna and hid.  Rizira hid behind the stairwell and prepared to ambush the newcomer with her rapier.  Hazeal took out her warhammer and prepared for a fight.  Aurontiros readied an arrow.  As the figure entered the chamber, they realized it was Godfrey, covered in blood and smelling like the mutated draconians they just fought.  Rizira could not resist the urge to jump out at him.  A startled Godfrey flinched as Kelara shrieked.

Rizira observed that he’d encountered another creature like the four they had fought.  Godfrey was surprised to hear that before explaining the weather outside was taking a turn for the worse.  When Rizira asked, Godfrey added that Dilya was right behind him.  As Dilya joined them, she and Yearkal greeted each other. Godfrey was shocked to hear that they had fought four of them, as he noticed an incoming storm just before one of the mutated draconians attacked him.  After he defeated it, he decided to seek shelter and join them, guessing that the element of surprise was gone.  Aurontiros cast some doubt on that, as they seemed to wander aimlessly around the hallways.  Rizira then cheerfully warned that the mutated draconians could infect people, much to Godfrey’s alarm.  Kelara and Hazeal amended that statement to say that something had infected the draconians, who in turn could infect others with some kind of worm. They pointed to Rone’s body, which Rizira pointedly ignored.  Godfrey asked how they could tell if someone was infected, but no one knew for sure.  Ignoring Aurontiros, who persuaded Hazeal to stick out her tongue, he took a look at Rone.

Godfrey asked what had happened.  Hazeal explained he was infected.  Godfrey was shocked to consider that the infection caused that much damage.  Levna added that Rizira had helped by performing ‘surgery’, but otherwise agreed that there was a worm inside him and he died when Rizira removed it.  Hazeal pointed out that his fate was probably better than living long enough to transform into another one of those creatures.  Levna concluded the summary by saying they had agreed to go down into the spire depths to stop the source of these transformations.  Godfrey agreed to join them, but asked if he could have a Short Rest first.  As they sat, Aurontiros regaled them with a Song of Rest, one that began speculating if there were spores in the air that could infect them.  Godfrey felt both rejuvenated and increasingly anxious as a result. While they rested, Rizira spent the time staring at Rone’s body and thinking about what she’d done.  Seeing her distress, Hazeal put a hand on Rizira’s shoulder and told her he was doomed from the start and assured her that her efforts saved him from a more hideous fate.  While Aurontiros continued to sing, Godfrey and Hazeal looked at their wounds.  Godfrey then asked if there was any way to detect infections.  Rizira said that if he was infected, he would see something moving under his skin, after which she would dig it out and he would die.  As Aurontiros continued to sing, Yearkal explained that Rone was very sick and assured Godfrey that he was probably healthy enough to find a solution before any infection progressed too far.

Feeling she would not be helpful in a fight, Yearkal volunteered to stay behind with Dilya and the captive, but assured Godfrey that they would stay within calling distance of the party.  The group roused themselves, went to the northwest corner and descended a flight of stairs.  Hazeal had the driftglobe float with them and provide illumination.  As they reached the bottom, they saw that the area had not been fully excavated.  The level was split by a thirty-foot-wide chasm that was spanned by makeshift wooden footbridges.  On the far side of the chasm, they saw various digging implements around an eight-foot-tall crystal that was glowing with a noxious orange light.  On their side of the chasm, though, a hulking red form covered in squirming shapes could be seen rummaging through broken crates.  Hearing their approach, it turned and snarled at them.

As they took a closer look, Aurontiros, Hazeal, Kelara and Rizira realized the creature was covered in tadpoles that were three times the size of the worm-like tadpole Rizira pulled out of Rone. Hazeal recognized the red creature was a red slaad, one of the many kinds of slaadi.  Slaadi were chaotic denizens of Limbo that could infect others with slaadi.  She also knew they were very tough, resistant to magic and several forms of energy and could regenerate.

Hazeal told the party that the creatures were pretty tough and were resistant to many things.  After offering words of encouragement, she Twin Spelled Haste on Godfrey and Levna. The creature, which Hazeal recognized as a slaad, charged forward.  Godfrey reacted by slashing into the slaad as it came within range.  In response, the slaad tried to retaliate but missed.  Something moved at the far edge of the driftglobe’s light.  A hulking green monstrosity came into view next to the crystal.  He chastised them for their foolishness before launching a Fireball against Hazeal.  As the fire rolled over the party, Hazeal collapsed from the fiery damage and her Haste spell dropped. As she lay there, all Hazeal could think of was her lingering focus on keeping her friends safe, her concern for their wellbeing and a tinge of disappointment for falling so quickly.  She dimly felt a pair of cold hands on face and heard someone praying to the Sea Lord to bring her back.

Bending down and cradling Hazeal’s face in her hands, Yearkal prayed to the Sea Lord and healed her.  Hazeal woke up and asked what was happening.  Yearkal told her she was alive, albeit a little burnt.  Hazeal noticed that her magical robes were perfectly pristine. The green slaad told the party to leave before hitting Rizira with two bolts of magical fire. Aurontiros (and their Mirror Images) ran down the stairs, cast Shatter on the green slaad, then gave Rizira Bardic Inspiration. Godfrey killed the last slaad tadpole.  He then rushed past the rest of the party and got onto the bridge. Rizira hurled another projectile from her hoopak and hit the green slaad between the balls.  Her attempt to Taunt the aberration failed. Kelara hit the green slaad with another Guiding Bolt. Levna ran onto the bridge and was met with another burst of fire from the green slaad.  To make matters worse, the fire splashed onto the bridge and ignited it as well.  Undeterred, Levna made it across the bridge and stopped next to the green slaad.

Hazeal made it to the bottom of the stairs and cast Silence on the green slaad as a Quickened Spell.  She followed up with a Sacred Flame, which failed to hit. The green slaad healed slightly and tried to cast something, but was thwarted by Hazeal’s Silence.  He tried to shove Levna, but missed thanks to Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs.  Failing that, he tried to smack Levna with his staff and bite her.  Levna blocked both attacks with her shield.  Aurontiros moved onto the bridge that was not on fire, Misty Stepped across the chasm and fired their longbow at the green slaad.  At Godfrey’s encouragement, Rizira struck the green slaad in the foot with another shot from her hoopak. Godfrey tried to run across the burning bridge.  Unfortunately, the fire burned him before the bridge snapped.  Seeing that, Hazeal cast Feather Fall before he fell out of sight.  As he floated down, he pulled out his crossbow and fired.  His first shot missed, but his second shot sent a bolt into the green slaad’s knee. Rizira moved and Misty Stepped to the other side of the chasm and decapitated the green slaad with her rapier.  The aberration writhed in its death throes before exploding in a pool of acid, but Rizira and Levna were unharmed.

As the rest of their party caught their breath, they heard the sound of armour against stone as Godfrey safely landed on the bottom.  Hazeal released her Silence spell and leaned against the wall.  Kelara rushed to the edge of the chasm, dropped prone and looked down, while Aurontiros did the same from the other side.  Hazeal commanded her driftglobe to float above the chasm, illuminating an uneven stone floor laced with dozens of skeletons.  Kelara tossed down the stone she enchanted with Light.  Godfrey regretted seeing his surroundings, even before the driftglobe reached the bottom and illuminated all the bones.  Godfrey assured them he was fine but asked for some rope.  Rizira handed rope over to Levna who assured the kender she would take care of it while warning Rizira not to touch the crystal. Rizira was fascinated by the pulsing glow of the crystal and wanted to touch it, but Aurontiros lifted her hand away and suggested getting Hazeal’s opinion first .  Rizira immediately asked Hazeal if it was okay to touch the gem, then realized the mage did not look well.  Hazeal wheezed that she was all right. Kelara then went over to Hazeal and cast more healing magic on the dwarf, who offered her thanks.  After they commiserated on how burnt they both were, Hazeal asked where the rest of the party was.  Kelara told her they were on the other side of the chasm.

Godfrey asked what they knew about the experiments conducted in the spire and whether it had anything to do with the giant gem. At that point, Hazeal called out to Rizira from the other side of the chasm, warning her not to touch the gem.  Rizira called back that she was reading some papers that she had found, adding that she had already been told not to touch the gem.  Godfrey suggested they destroy the gem.  Levna asked how they would accomplish such a feat.  Aurontiros thought that Hazeal might find a way. Reading aloud, Rizira absent-mindedly noted that Virruza was following orders from a Dragon Army commander named Belephaion to investigate a monster-creating stone unearthed at the dig site.  She shouted the latter discovery to the rest of the party. Hazeal determined that the gem could corrupt creatures and turn them into slaadi, possibly by touch alone.  She was not sure if they could destroy the gem without making matters worse but, given how structurally unsound the chamber was, felt it might be safer to collapse it around the gem instead.

Rizira continued to say that Virruza believed he could use the stone’s magic to create a disease to turn people into draconians, but noticed that his exposure was changing him.  She guessed that it had transformed him into the green slaad they had just defeated.  Hazeal suggested that Aurontiros cast more Shatter spells to collapse the passageways, admitting that she did not know whether destroying the gem into smaller fragments would make the matter worse.  Godfrey felt they should destroy it as burying it intact meant someone could unearth it again later.  Hazeal worried that destroying the gem would cause an explosion that would kill them all, while Levna brought up the possibility that the gem’s destruction could inadvertently infect them all instead.  Hazeal and Rizira conceded that Levna’s theory was a worrying possibility.  Aurontiros suggested that they cast Shatter on the way out.  Kelara was concerned that the destruction would collapse the floors above them and bury them alive and proposed they cast any magic from the top floor instead.  Rizira wondered if there was any way for the spellcasters to delay their magic.  Hazeal explained her magic did not work that way, but offered to use her dwarven experience to identify the cavern’s weak points.

Godfrey expressed a desire to leave, while Rizira was more interested in the small orange gems she had found.  Hazeal frowned at the gems, but told the party that they were not like the larger gem and were safe to handle.  Aurontiros was relieved, as Rizira had been handling them.  Rizira assured the party that she had taken the gems for safekeeping and dug into her pouch.  Peering in, Aurontiros was mildly surprised to find a pair of his socks.  Rizira apologized and continued to rummage around, finding a poison ring with a single piece of berry-scented cereal inside.   Getting back on track, Godfrey asked Hazeal how much time she needed to determine how best to collapse the cavern.  Learning it wouldn’t take long, he urged the party to leave.  Rizira wanted to take a breather but Godfrey, while sympathizing, suggested they rest later.  Rizira admitted she also wanted some time to attune to the wand she had just found.  Wondering how many wands she found, Aurontiros took out their Wand of Smiles and cast it on Levna.  Hazeal took the opportunity to cast Feather Fall as well.  The knight failed to resist its effects and began smiling—and floating off the ground— despite her best efforts.  Rizira and Godfrey marveled at the novelty, with the latter noting that he’d never seen her smile at anyone like that.  Levna made some remarks before heading up the stairs, ignoring the jokes thrown about by the rest of the party.  Hazeal examined the cavern and directed efforts to bury the shard and collapse the entrance to Sunward Fortress.  Aurontiros cast Plant Growth to further cover the entrance with flora.

They made their way back into the camp.  Godfrey considered looking for a more defensible location that offered more shelter, but soon realized the abandoned tents were the best available option.  Yearkal thanked them for their aid in stopping the slaadi and Kelara cooked a hearty meal for the party.  They drifted off to sleep, with the sounds of rain falling around them, and enjoyed a Long Rest.

The next day, they made their way across the Northern Wastes.  Their journey was quick and uneventful, despite taking turns carrying the prisoner, due to Habbakuk’s blessing.  After half a day, they arrived at Wakenreth.  They saw a pale stone tower rise from the rust-coloured landscape, carved with the likenesses of a thousand elven warriors.  While the lower levels seemed relatively intact, the upper levels showed signs of deterioration.  However, the crumbling stone of those levels hung in the air rather than falling.  A rusty iron double door at the tower’s base hung ajar.  However, they saw no sign of Dalamar.  Aurontiros voiced their confusion, as the Silvanesti should have arrived days ago.

The adventurers discussed their next move, wondering if Dalamar had entered Wakenreth and needed their help.  Godfrey cautiously approached the entrance. and was unnerved when the doors seemed to swing open.  Looking overhead, Godfrey noted that the sky was dark, with mere slivers of blue sky cracking through the black clouds.  When he peered through the doors, though, he saw a round chamber illuminated by white flames flickering in magical wall sconces.  He saw a gleaming obsidian statue of a solemn elf warrior standing in the centre, with hundreds of silver coins scattered around its pedestal.  Beyond the statue, an staircase ascended upwards, curving along the tower’s north wall.  Rizira quietly joked that the situation was not disturbing at all, as the broken pieces of tower continued to shift in space and float in the air above them (episode 20).

The party pushed through the iron door and saw that light was flooding through the structure, which seemed to have four levels.  Seeing the statue and the coins, Godfrey was reminded of the Dimernesti temple.  He asked Aurontiros if they should leave a coin, but the bard wondered whether it would be regarded as an insult.  Hazeal Twin cast Mage Armour on herself and Rizira. Between the stonework and her research into other cultures, Hazeal recognized the statue was a guardian common to Silvanesti burial sites, that the silver coins represented souls shining as stars in the night sky and that Silvanesti tradition required visitors to leave a silver coin on the statue’s pedestal.

Hazeal recommended to her companions that they should leave a silver coin of their own.  Aurontiros, Godfrey and Levna put down a silver coin.  Rizira put down an electrum coin and loaned one to Aurontiros to put down.  Hazeal put down a silver raven broach.  Kelara hesitantly put down a steel coin and voiced aloud her hopes that it was okay.  At Godfrey’s and Hazeal’s prompting, Rizira searched her bags and was surprised to find a silver coin that she had somehow picked up.  She apologized out loud and put it back down.  The party fretted over whether their offerings would be deemed suitable, but eventually decided they had done the best they could and headed for the staircase.  Aurontiros cast Longstrider on Rizira, just in case.

Reaching the second level, they saw the floor was covered with rubble that had fallen from the partially collapsed ceilings.  They saw two stone crypts, walls sculpted with empty burial niches, a door to the southeast and wall sconces that shed a faint green light.  Rizira, who was in the lead, wondered if the different lights signified anything.  As she fully entered the room, the sconces blazed brightly and the crypts rattled.  Before she could react, an incorporeal creature rose from each crypt.

Rizira insisted they had left coins at the pedestal and apologized for any offence they might have made.  Sliding over a large stone slab, she whipped out her newly acquired Wand of Magic Missiles and prepared to fire. Aurontiros, who was in the rear, saw Rizira take off.  They passed their comrades and entered the second floor, where they saw two incorporeal spirits had risen from the crypts.  After offering their apologies, Aurontiros readied their bow.  They granted Bardic Inspiration to Kelara, in the guise of warning her that her divine assistance might be required. Pushing past Levna, Kelara entered the room and Turned one of the undead.  Godfrey pushed into the room, stopped in alarm at the sight of the wraiths, then moved as close as he could to protect his companions. The wraith that was Turned by Kelara retreated by floating through the floor.  However, the other wraith rushed towards Godfrey, prompting Rizira and Aurontiros to fire their wand and bow, respectively.  Godfrey braced himself as magic missiles and an arrow pelted the wraith, then lashed out with a strike of his own.  The wraith retaliated by reaching through Godfrey’s shield, gripping his throat, lifting him off the ground and beginning to siphon his very life force. Hearing the commotion, Hazeal ran to Levna, Quickened a Haste spell on the knight and imbued her weapon. Levna admired her newly imbued weapon, briefly conceded the Oath and the Measure might not approve, then rationalized that it did not cover undead.  Having assuaged her concerns, she joined Godfrey and attacked the wraith.  Her strike forced the wraith to release Godfrey, who recovered enough to banter with his mentor.

Rizira sheathed her wand back in her hair, as per tradition, and leapt over Godfrey.  Descending upon the hapless wraith, she dug her rapiers in and killed the spectral creature.  The wraith briefly turned into an incorporeal elven spirit before vanishing.  Aurontiros and Levna offered their approval, though the former wondered if they had helped the wraith pass on.  The party complimented each other for their shared teamwork.

Now that hostilities had ceased, the party realized that the falling rubble had shifted the cover of the crypt Rizira was standing on while the other crypt had never been sealed.  Peering within, they saw the dessicated bodies of two elves—one wearing a blue cloak while the other bore the white robes of a Mage of High Sorcery.  Rizira admired the clothing, while Levna wondered how they were in such good condition after hundreds of years.  Rizira guessed it was due to elven magic, prompting Hazeal to investigate.  While waiting, Godfrey complimented Kelara on her tactic of dividing the wraiths.  Kelara replied that she did not want Rizira to get possessed again and put her in a position where she had to (temporarily) kill the kender.  Godfrey and Rizira heartily agreed.

Examining the robes of the White Mage, Hazeal found they possessed no magic of note.  The blue robe, however, could have only weathered the passage of time due to the presence of powerful magic.  Musing aloud that it did not belong here, she touched the blue robe and found it soft and plush. Rizira reminded her that they had previously agreed not to touch strange objects.  Aurontiros felt some objects were allowable, while Kelara felt the circumstances were different, as those precautions were for the Solamnic dead.  After some thought, Aurontiros tried to remove the blue robe from the body.  Godfrey warned them of ‘elf rabies,’ to which Aurontiros assured him that they had spent some summers as a waiter under a great elven chef.  Unfortunately, Aurontiros found their confidence was misplaced and flung the skeleton out of the crypt and across the room.  Rizira ducked out of the way while a startled Kelara blasted it to pieces with a Guiding Bolt before it could hit Godfrey’s hastily raised shield.  Kelara demanded to know what happened while Godfrey felt Aurontiros’s act might have been slightly disrespectful.  The party debated how respectful they were until Kelara’s Channel Divinity and Hazeal’s Haste wore off, at which point they began discussing whether taking objects from the dead was grave robbing or archaeology.

They began wondering where they should go next and whether the other wraith would return.  As Godfrey looked around, a shape burst through the ceiling, grabbed his throat and began siphoning his life force. Rizira aimed carefully and hit the wraith with a shot from her hoopak.  Aurontiros tried to fire their bow, but missed as Godfrey was in the way.  They apologized for everything they did today and gave Kelara Bardic Inspiration. The wraith snarled at Kelara, remembering how she drove it off earlier.  It plunged a hand into her body and began drawing out her life force.  Hazeal and Kelara each hit the wraith with a Sacred Flame. Levna ran up from behind and hit the wraith twice. A tired Godfrey noted what happened to Kelara and switched places with her, doing so in a manner suggestive of a dance, then attacked the wraith twice.

Once again, Rizira Steadied herself before whipping her hoopak forward.  The rock went through the wraith’s mouth and out the back of its head.  As it collapsed, the figure of an incorporeal elven woman with light grey hair and pale eyes appeared, rose up and floated through the ceiling.  Rizira noted that that did not happen with the first wraith. Godfrey declared that he was sick of ghosts, a statement that Rizira agreed with wholeheartedly.  Searching around, she found a door leading to another stairwell along the south wall.  She listened carefully but heard nothing.  Rizira opened the door before Godfrey pleaded for a rest, revealing ten feet of stairs that ended in rubble.  Realizing it was impassable, Rizira looked for another way, found a sizable hole in the western part of the ceiling and encouraged her party members to continue despite their injuries.  Aurontiros took a rope from Kelara and Misty Stepped through the hole into the next floor.

They could hear Aurontiros talking with someone in Elvish.  Hazeal could make out some of the words.  After a while, Aurontiros appeared and tossed down the rope.  Rizira climbed up to join Aurontiros and asked who they were talking to.  Aurontiros replied they had talked to the ghost of the second wraith they had vanquished.  They added that the ghost carried a great deal of baggage and was filled with rage, a feeling that seemed to emanate from the top of the tower.  Motioning to the longsword in their hands, Aurontiros wondered if one of the other spellcasters could learn more about the weapon and any importance it might have.  All that Aurontiros and Rizira could surmise was that it was a well-made weapon with a jewel-encrusted pommel and a keen edge.  Aurontiros admired the Silvanesti craftsmanship and thought it might be a suitable weapon for themselves.

From the floor below, Godfrey and Levna repeated their request for a Short Rest before proceeding any further.  Kelara admitted she might need some help climbing the rope.  The split party rested on the two floors.  While Kelara made some treats and Aurontiros gave a Song of Rest, Rizira attuned to the blue cloak and discovered it was a Cloak of Protection.  Aurontiros also attuned to the weapon and learned it was a Dancing Longsword.  After some discussion, they decided to give the Cloak of Protection to Kelara.

Godfrey and Levna agreed to help Kelara up to the third floor before climbing the rope themselves while Hazeal declined Levna’s offer of aid and climbed up on her own. Looking around, they saw the walls were shattered but frozen in time, a mere second away from falling apart.  Aside from the hole in the floor, they saw rubble blocking a downward staircase to the south and an ascending staircase to the north.  Dismal grey-green light shone from flickering wall sconces, highlighting the bones that had fallen from burial niches and lay scattered across the floor.

After some discussion, Godfrey and Levna decided that Godfrey would take the lead.  They commented on how the Oath and the Measure probably forbade them from asking for magical assistance but did not discourage them from receiving it.  Kelara eventually got the hint and cast Shield of Faith on Godfrey, while Hazeal Twin Spelled a Death Ward on Godfrey and Levna.  Aurontiros touched Godfrey and Levna and cast Longstrider on both of them.

The party slowly climbed the stairs, carefully navigating past broken sections that would have fallen were they not suspended in mid-air, while Aurontiros gave a Motivational Speech.  Godfrey burst through the door at the top of the stairs, leading the party into a room that hovered in a starless night sky.  They found themselves on a stable floor, but saw shattered wall fragments floating in the air, bearing sconces that emitted a faint, sickly green light. There was nothing beyond the broken walls but blackness.  On the other side of the platform stood a stone archway sculpted with runes and the heads of five dragons.  Dense grey mist swirled within the arch.

Aurontiros, Hazeal and Kelara recognized that the sculpted dragon heads were all green dragons, suggesting they were not a representation of Takhisis.  They also noticed that the runes were associated with the natural magic of the Feywild and were capable of rotation, which they surmised was a means of controlling the portal. The group wondered whether they should go through the archway.  Rizira asked Aurontiros if the elven spirit gave any information.  Aurontiros admitted they had not asked too many questions in an effort to show respect but recalled the spectre saying a source of great rage lay above the third floor.   They guessed the archway was that source.  Rizira suggested closing the gate.  Levna immediately looked to Hazeal, expecting she would know what to do.  Aurontiros was mildly surprised that Rizira did not want to go through the archway.  Rizira explained that she was trying to curb her curiosity, given the more pressing concern of stopping the war, and mildly scolded the bard for egging her on.

Hazeal recalled that the Feywild was a magical, mystical place of joy, chaos and excitement.  When she examined the emanations coming off the archway, though, she detected wisps of necrotic energy amidst the aura of conjuration.  She realized the archway was connected to the Feywild’s opposite—the Shadowfell. Godfrey cautioned the others and told them that he should go first if they planned to cross through the archway.  Rizira protested, as she wanted to take the lead.  Aurontiros and Kelara expressed some hesitation in visiting a place called the Shadowfell, particularly after Hazeal added that it was the Feywild’s counterpart.  Levna also voiced her trepidation, though she couched it in sarcasm.

The party wondered if Dalamar and the Silvanesti had passed through the archway and whether they might need assistance.  With that in mind, Hazeal asked her friends if they wanted to go kender fishing again.  When Rizira pulled out a rope, Hazeal handed her her driftglobe.  Aurontiros asked Kelara how Mishakal would feel about the Shadowfell.  Kelara guessed that the goddess would not approve.  Godfrey asked someone to hold onto his belt as he did not want Rizira to cross through the archway alone.  Seeing no other option, Godfrey and Rizira leapt through the archway.  Hazeal spoke the command word to cause the driftglobe to light up before they disappeared.

Aurontiros called out after Godfrey and Rizira, asking if they were alive.  Godfrey and Rizira assured them that they were okay and were in a black tower that resembled a dark reflection of the other side.  A short time later, they heard another voice greet Godfrey and Rizira.  The voice introduced himself as Veriel, the caretaker of Wakenreth.  Unable to resist, Hazeal crossed through the archway. She found herself atop a broken tower of black stone in a barren, unfamiliar landscape.  Jagged peaks of colourless rock stretched out for miles while the wind howled mournfully.  The only light came from an identical version of the archway they passed through and her driftglobe.  She saw her companions and a slender elven spirit in Silvanesti robes, who she guessed was Veriel.

Godfrey asked if Dalamar was here.  Rizira explained that they were looking for their friends.  Veriel replied that the three of them were the first people he had seen in some time and asked why they were there.  Rizira replied that they had come due in part to their curiosity.  Veriel guessed they had come to witness the Doomed Mausoleum and see the symbol between Istar and Silvanesti.  Rizira called through the archway again, inviting the rest of the party to join them.  Levna insisted she would stay behind to hold the rope.

Veriel recognized Kelara as a priestess of Mishakal and greeted her.  Kelara slowly returned the courtesy and introduced herself.  The spirit explained that Wakenreth was both a symbol of peace and a crypt for the elves who lived in a city called Onyari, though it saw little use before the city’s destruction.  When Onyari began to fall, Wakenreth broke from its foundations and began to fall as well.  Veriel tried to invoke the tower’s magic in the hopes of transporting the structure to the Feywild.  Unfortunately, the magic went awry and transported them to the Shadowfell instead.  While the magical transit saved Wakenreth, the portal within the tower had corrupted the spirits of the elves who rested within and trapped the site in a state of perpetual dissolution.  When Rizira asked how to help the spirits, Veriel asked the party to cross back through the portal and sever the link between Wakenreth and the Shadowfell.  He revealed that he could not pass through the portal himself and would remain trapped in the Shadowfell, but he viewed that as an acceptable sacrifice.  Godfrey sought confirmation from Hazeal, but she was unable to provide further information.

Rizira suddenly warned her comrades that something was coming towards them and suggested they return through the archway.  Before Godfrey, Hazeal or Kelara could respond, a huge creature resembling a rotting bear climbed over the tower’s edge, hatred blazing from its glowing red eyes. Rizira flung a piece of nearby rubble from her hoopak, striking the creature between the eyes. The creature roared before charging forward, hitting Kelara with two swipes of its claws.  She was knocked back with the second hit, but stopped herself before she reached the tower’s edge.  It then attacked Godfrey and tried to draw him towards its rib cage, which began opening up before his horrified eyes.  Godfrey managed to resist being entrapped. Hazeal was too surprised to respond.  Kelara, however, managed to attack the creature with her Spiritual Weapon and her Sacred Flame. Hearing the sounds of screaming and battle, Aurontiros stepped through the portal and found themselves atop a black tower.  Their comrades were scattered around them with Kelara picking herself off the floor, Rizira holding her hoopak and Godfrey fighting a monster’s efforts to pull him into its open rib cage.  They begged their companions to leave, cast Mirror Image on themselves and activated their new Dancing Longsword.  After the enchanted weapon struck the creature, Aurontiros rushed forward to provide a distraction. Cursing, Levna dove through the archway and began ordering a retreat before stopping in shock at the sight of the creature battling her comrades.  Quickly recovering, she joined the fray and struck the creature.

Rizira pulled out an oil flask, lit it with her tinderbox and threw it.  As the creature became engulfed in flames, Rizira Taunted it with some choice words. Hazeal cast a Heightened Blindness spell on the creature. Disgusted at how the creature tried to draw him into its rib cage, Godfrey attacked with a flurry of blows before urging Rizira to attack again.  The kender gamely complied with another shot from her hoopak. Kelara dealt the killing blow with her Spiritual Weapon, splattering the creature to the floor.  She burned the corpse to ashes with her Sacred Flame.

Once the creature was no more, Veriel rematerialized into view. Veriel recommended the party retreat through the archway before more creatures arrived and showed them how to restore the runes to their proper order in order to close the portal. Hazeal, Kelara, Rizira realized Veriel was not trying to deceive them and had given them the information they needed. Veriel retreated that he could not cross over with them, adding that the energies of the Shadowfell had seeped into him and bound him to the realm.  He told them he was content with his destiny and urged them to leave.  Hazeal, Rizira and Levna went back through the archway.  Seeing that Godfrey had not returned, Levna yanked on the improvised rope Godfrey had fashioned and pulled him through the archway.

Hazeal began adjusting the runes.  As the portal stuttered and flickered, misty tendrils of shadow reached out at the mage.  However, she succeeded in closing the portal and severing its connection with the Shadowfell before any harm was done.  The party saw their surroundings change immediately: the supernatural darkness faded away, the torch sconces shed bright light, and the walls were restored.  Furthermore, they could see daylight seep through the cracks in the walls.  The more perceptive members saw a contingent of people at the base of the tower and wondered if Dalamar was simply late.

After expressing some exasperation that they had done all the hard work, they debated whether they could do anything to stop anyone from activating the portal again.  In the end, they decided to simply leave.  Making their way down through the tower, they emerged to find Dalamar, who greeted them with a smile (episode 21).

Dalamar apologized for his tardiness.  Rizira confirmed that they had explored Wakenreth, adding they had found an open gate—which they subsequently closed.  Fascinated that Wakenreth had an active portal, he asked for details on what kind of magics they had found inside.  Dalamar allowed them to go through lay descriptions, only interrupting when they began talking about ghosts.  Hazeal told him the gate connected to the Shadowfell, while Rizira elaborated that its influence corrupted the spirits who had died within the tower.  Dalamar asked them whether the spirits were at rest, then specifically asked Hazeal if Wakenreth was free of dangers.  When Hazeal thought it was safe, he asked her to show him the portal and share her insights as he had a theory. Hazeal felt a shiver run up her spine as she felt he looked upon her with an oily gaze of lust, which only fuelled her suspicions.

After a moment, Dalamar invited Hazeal’s companions to accompany them, but admitted he preferred the company of individuals knowledgeable in the arcane arts.  He added that his camp was a quarter mile away, but his brethren would not disturb them should they choose to set up their own camp.  Furthermore, he admitted seeing Dimernesti elves hiding nearby and sensed there was a story behind their presence.  Aurontiros and Rizira wryly observed they did not hide well if Dalamar had spotted them, to which the Silvanesti mage guessed they were not used to hiding on land. Dalamar entered the tower, accompanied by Hazeal and Aurontiros (in their role as her apprentice).

Hazeal’s Stonecunning told her the stones had reset and was structurally sound for now, but the stability of the tower was still precarious.  While it could support the passage of three people, greater numbers would likely be dangerous. They made their way up to the top level.  Dalamar began examining the portal using a variety of magical techniques and minor spells, copying the runes and recording his findings into a tome.  He confirmed that the runes could turn, determined that they allowed the portal to connect to the realms beyond and guessed that it bore innate magical energies even when dormant.  He eventually admitted he had an idea but needed more time.  When Hazeal pressed for information, Dalamar explained the portal drew on the innate energies of Krynn and was originally linked to a particular ley line point.  If he could pinpoint where it was built before it fell to its present location, he believed he could use the portal’s magic to locate its point of origin: the City of Lost Names.  As Hazeal processed that, Dalamar confirmed that they had also visited the Blue Phoenix Shrine and Sunward Fortress and noted they were sites of powerful magic.  He then requested some more time to finish his studies.

Hazeal was paying very close attention to Dalamar; partly out of suspicion, partly out of interest.  She noted he was making a near-flawless sketch of the gate and its runes in his book. As he worked, Dalamar asked Hazeal if she received any training from her people, as dwarves typically disliked magic.  After confirming she received little tutelage, and noting her magical prowess, he declared she was a prodigy.  He dismissed Hazeal’s comments that her people would not call her that, saying that fools rarely appreciate what’s in front of them.  They agreed that magic chose Hazeal.  Dalamar complimented her skill in closing the gate before asking what the spirit caretaker said.  Hazeal could not recall as a monster had attacked during their conversation.  Dalamar decided to return to his work.

Rizira’s voice suddenly came out of nowhere, cheerfully greeting Aurontiros. The bard spun around to face her, lost their balance, but managed to fall gracefully into a sitting position as it was not the first time Rizira startled them.  Aurontiros recognized Rizira’s handiwork, while Dalamar told them to be quiet.  Aurontiros was amazed that Rizira had the time to tie double knots.  Rizira was proud that they had not noticed her while Aurontiros rationalized that the noise of the wind masked her movements.  Finally, Hazeal cast Silence on them.  Undeterred, Aurontiros and Rizira switched to a series of mimes and hand signals.

Having concluded his investigation, Dalamar thanked Hazeal for her spellcasting and suggested they could walk back down.  Hazeal idly commented that she never thought she’d cast Silence on her own party so often.  Dalamar pointed out that her party had a kender but admired Aurontiros’s skill in mime.  Eventually, Hazeal dropped the Silence spell.  Dalamar announced his research was complete and they could head back down.  Hazeal told Rizira that meant they were less boring now.  Dalamar said that magic took patience.  Hearing that, Rizira decided she did not want to become a mage.  Hazeal asked why she couldn’t cause trouble with Godfrey and Kelara.  Rizira claimed they were busy being romantic and taking each other’s clothes off, which she did not find interesting as they had not gone on a proper kender first date yet.

In an effort to change the conversation, Dalamar invited the others to tell him everything they could about the Blue Phoenix Shrine.  Aurontiros told them they would catch up, having discovered that Rizira had resewn their boots with orange laces.  Rizira said that was because Aurontiros was not paying attention.  Aurontiros claimed they were distracted by the sight of Levna having her armour removed.  The four of them agreed that humans were weird.

Dalamar repeated his request for the adventurers to tell him everything they could about the Blue Phoenix Shrine and Sunward Fortress.  Rizira complied, though her account focused on what she found interesting rather than important details and contained many exaggerations.  Dalamar was able to glean that the shrine was dedicated to the god Habbukuk and the fortress had an altar holy to Sirrion.  Hazeal claimed there was nothing else of interest in the latter, which Dalamar found confusing as he had sensed power running through the site.  Oblivious, Aurontiros asked Rizira if she still had any of the crystals they had retrieved, emphasizing that they meant the bag of small crystals and not the large glowing one.  Dalamar’s attention was caught by the last statement, which Rizira insisted meant nothing.  Finding a small orange crystal, Aurontiros handed it to Dalamar, who thought it might be a citrine crystal and observed something different about it.  Aurontiros admitted they were inert and did not know why, but was interrupted by Hazeal and Rizira pointedly coughing.

Hazeal insisted there was nothing else of note from Sunward Fortress.  Rizira added that the glowing crystal was an artefact of the torches they were carrying, which Hazeal attributed to Aurontiros embellishing the story like a true bard.  Aurontiros might have taken offence, had they not spent the entire time giving their own exaggerated version of events.  Rizira asked him how the Silvanesti search was going.  Dalamar sarcastically claimed he was enjoying himself, earning himself an invitation to join the party and seek more interesting adventures.

Bringing matters back to the point of hand, Dalamar promised to use the information they had provided, his study of ley lines and the energies of Wakenreth, the Blue Phoenix Shrine and Sunward Fortress to determine where Wakenreth came from.  When Rizira reminded them that she had not been present for that conversation, Dalamar explained that it was his belief that Wakenreth broke off from the City of Lost Names.  Aurontiros was curious why Dalamar was helping them find the city.  Dalamar replied that they were helping him investigate the sites around the Northern Wastes that potentially held ancient magic and arcane secrets.  As promised, he would help them find the City of Lost Names in exchange for the information they offered.

Aurontiros asked if Dalamar knew whether the Silvanesti ever inhabited the Northern Wastes before the Cataclysm.  Dalamar believed his people had outposts, but the City of Lost Names was not one of them as it was primarily inhabited by humans.  He did confirm a logical extrapolation; if Wakenreth had fallen from the sky, then the City of Lost Names was capable of flight. Hazeal and Rizira recalled pre-Cataclysm stories of flying cities. Rizira told the others that she remembered Ispin telling stories about flying cities, so she could believe the City of Lost Names was capable of such a feat.

They eventually returned to the camp that Godfrey, Kelara and Levna set up. Dalamar told the party that he would return to the Silvanesti camp.  If they gave him about two days, he believed he could determine the location of the City of Lost Names.  Godfrey felt that would be perfect, as they wanted to escort their Dimernesti friends back to their people and bring their prisoner into custody.  Godfrey reminded Rizira about the scroll she found, prompting the kender to dig it out and ask if anyone recognized the language.  While Hazeal did not, Dalamar recognized it as Draconic and asked to take a closer look.  As she handed it over, Rizira admitted she found it in her bag.  After some study, which included the discovery of who wrote it, he determined it was a spell and offered to cast it on one of the adventurers.  When Aurontiros volunteered, Dalamar recited the spell and, as the scroll burned to ash, gave them the Mage Hand cantrip.  Aurontiros began talking about how purple tasted before suddenly summoning the Mage Hand.  They moved it into Levna’s tent and, after a few seconds, heard Levna cry out loud.  The knight burst out of her tent wearing a long shirt, waving her sword and demanded to know who was responsible.  Aurontiros and Rizira pointed fingers at each other and continued blaming each other after Levna revealed the Mage Hand gave her a wedgie.  Levna told Aurontiros and Rizira that neither of them were her type.  Aurontiros asked if she was sure before coming to their senses and running away, but not before Levna hit them with a rock.  As Dalamar watched the scene before him, he quietly wondered who Raistlin Majere was…

Later that night, the party sat idly by in the camp while Levna returned to sleep.  Rizira pulled out a new map and began filling it out with their journey, using different colours for each member of the party and taking more care and time with it than was typical for her.  Dilya and Yearkal sat across the fire from Rizira.  Yearkal kept looking at Kelara and her staff and asked if she had been visited by the gods.  When Kelara confirmed it, Yearkal asked what Mishakal was like.  Kelara admitted the goddess did not talk to her, but felt that she seemed nice.  Yearkal admitted she had been a priest of the Sea Lord since before Kelara was born, but it was a path made from cultural tradition rather than religious belief.  During their pilgrimage to the Blue Phoenix Shrine, they were attacked by the Red Dragon Army.  She, Dilya and her brother were captured and taken to Camp Carrionclay, where they were beaten and interrogated.  When her brother was severely injured, Yearkal began to pray.  She saw a blue bird wreathed in flames stretch out and cried to her, after which she successfully saved him.  However, their jailors saw the act of magic as well and sent them to Sunward Fortress.  Deep underground, Yearkal was unable to pray or rest.  She had thought that Habbakuk had forsaken her until he granted her the power to save Hazeal, which suggested that he was on their side.

Yearkal asked Kelara how she got her powers.  Kelara remembered having a dream where there were many wounded soldiers.  The staff of Mishakal caught her eye.  When she touched it, she woke up to find her tent open and her medical supplies scattered about.  As she gathered them, she came across a clearing with an overgrown stone building in disrepair.  When she walked inside, everything shifted into a church or holy place with statues of several gods—including one of Mishakal, which called to her.

Yearkal revealed a seashell with the symbol of Habbakuk emblazoned upon it, revealing she received it in a dream.  Kelara silently reached down and touched her staff.  Yearkal then asked if the rest of the adventurers were clerics.  Rizira denied being a cleric, but repeated her claims of being queen of the kender and a dragon slayer.  Godfrey admitted he had not been chosen by any gods, but felt Mishakal made a good choice in choosing Kelara as he felt she had a kind soul. It gave him hope that some things were destined and faith that they would survive as there were forces on their side that they might not be able to understand.

Rizira suggested that Hazeal once worshipped a cursed item.  Hazeal corrected that statement as obsession was something different.  Yearkal asked if the kender have a god.  When Rizira confessed she was not sure, Yearkal teased that the kender ‘found’ their gods.  On a more serious note, Rizira said she followed the beliefs and virtues she held dear more than any god.  Hazeal admitted that most dwarves still believed in Reorx.  Yearkal felt that made sense as there were probably some dwarves—and elves—who lived through the Cataclysm.  She then asked if they would still go to Camp Carrionclay to rescue the other Dimernesti elves, given all the other pressing concerns they had.  Rizira assured her that they had already decided to go there.  With that settled, Yearkal and Dilya decided to rest.  Hazeal felt they should do the same.  Aurontiros offered to take first watch and lulled them to sleep on their lute.

Godfrey roused himself and tried to help Kelara.  Unfortunately, their baking skills were not up to the task.  Kelara was not happy to see eggshells in her burnt cookies but gave them to her companions and made a point of mentioning Godfrey’s role in their preparation.  She handed one to Dilya, but apologized for their substandard quality as Godfrey had helped make them.  Dilya tried a bite before spitting it out and commenting in broken Common that it was hot. In Elvish, Dilya expressed her horror at how spicy the cookie was and her bewilderment at how land dwellers could consume such food.  Aurontiros explained that Kelara had made the mistake of letting Godfrey help her.

Seeing Dilya’s distress, Godfrey offered his apologies and accepted her reproach.  Rizira expressed her feelings with the limited Elvish she had learned thus far, which mostly consisted of swear words.  Feeling guilty, Godfrey gave Dilya some of their rations.  Rizira made some wry and suggestive comments on why Godfrey did such a poor job while Aurontiros told him they discovered one of his hairs in their cookie.  Aurontiros pointed out that he would never improve without further practice.  Godfrey observed that there would not be a next time while Kelara silently glared at the bard.  Levna summarized their plans while Aurontiros further highlighted Godfrey’s ineptitude—including the odd choice of kneading dough while wearing his gauntlets.  Hazeal Twin cast Mage Armour on herself and Rizira before they ventured forth.

The journey proved uneventful, though the trek was difficult and hard on their feet.  The Dimernesti were particularly worn out, casting wistful looks at the nearby Wash.  They were still some distance from the Blue Phoenix Shrine when Aurontiros and Rizira saw some human scouts in the area keeping watch from the high ground, leading them to conclude the army was nearby.  They were relieved to transfer custody of their prisoner and reunite Yearkal and Dilya with their people, though Rizira remembered they had considered taking some of the expeditionary army to help them attack Camp Carrionclay.  Yearkal became interested in this discussion, revealing the camp had only a dozen to two dozen soldiers.  Godfrey, Levna and Rizira recognized the numbers were similar to Wheelwatch Outpost, leading Levna to conclude the enemy camp was guarded by merely a contingent rather than the main force, but they would need more intelligence.  Levna asked if Godfrey wanted to check in with Darrett, who she called his ‘boyfriend’ before musing whether he was dating Kelara.  Godfrey was confused at first, then became flustered.  Rizira explained that Godfrey had not properly asked Kelara out yet.  Aurontiros wryly pointed out that Kelara was standing within earshot.  Godfrey insisted he was waiting to take Kelara on a kender first date when the situation improved.  Impatient, Levna declared she was going to check in on the army and refill her wineskin.  She ordered Godfrey to accompany her and invited the others, in an exaggerated and formal manner, to accompany her.  Aurontiros and Kelara were briefly confused before it was explained that the formality was Levna’s attempt at humour.

It took another fifteen minutes before they saw the army marching along at a safe distance from the Wash.  They heard the sounds of a skirmish as the expedition repelled an attack of giant spiders.  They saw the glint of a bright shining sword before hearing Darrett checking on the army’s welfare and warning them to stay clear of the Wash.  They cheerfully greeted each other.  Darrett apologized for his appearance, as he was covered in the contents of a giant spider’s abdominal cavity, and admitted they were making slow progress due to the Wash and the limitations of his scouts.  He was surprised to hear that the party had returned after investigating Sunward Fortress and Wakenreth.  Aurontiros told him they had made a ‘friend,’ pointing to the captive, who Darrett offered to take off their hands.  Darrett said they had also made friends—as they had taken the party’s advice to detour to the Blue Phoenix Shrine and find the Dimernesti elves, who had offered their hospitality and services as guides—and observed that the party had found them as well.  Ishvern pushed through the throngs and embraced Yearkal and Dilya, followed by the other Dimernesti elves.

Rizira reminded Darrett that they had received a divine blessing that allowed them and a small group to cover great distances quickly and proposed to take some of the army to Camp Carrionclay.  They determined that they could take up to eighteen other people, not including Kelara or Levna, which Darrett believed would not have a significant impact on the army.  He asked the party to accompany them for now, proposing that he ask for volunteers when they made camp.

Darrett was interrupted by a returning scout, who reported an old structure five miles to the west that resembled a big door.  Rizira assessed the situation and judged they had four hours before the Wash returned.  The party decided to investigate the finding while Darrett led the expedition to Wakenreth.  Godfrey told them a camp of Silvanesti was stationed there.  Aurontiros mentioned one of them might help them find the City of Lost Names.  Godfrey warned Darrett that the majority of the Silvanesti might not be hospitable.  Darrett admitted he could not control their behaviour, only his own, and vowed to use all the charm and manners at his disposal.  He wished them good luck before taking his leave.

Aurontiros gave everyone a Motivational Speech before they set off to the west.  After two hours of traversing the Wastes, they saw an ancient stone archway lined with sigils in the distance, one significantly larger than the portal at Wakenreth.  As they came within one hundred feet of the archway, they saw some of the stones float up.  An alarmed Godfrey called out to Hazeal as the sigils began to flicker with purple light.  Rizira jumped on one of the stones and was excited when she began floating higher and higher.  Hazeal helped Rizira come to her senses, after which she hopped off and landed safely on the ground. When Hazeal cast Detect Magic and recognized the signs of conjuration magic.  She also realized something was wrong and the magical pathways within the archway were not properly connected.  Looking closer, she concluded the gate was malfunctioning but felt she could stabilize it. The rocks around them shifted and vibrated before coming together to form a stone creature resembling a proud-looking human with fine robes and an aura of sunbeams around its head.  It looked at them and, ignoring Kelara’s friendly greeting, let out a horrible battle scream.

Rizira Misty Stepped ten feet behind the creature and stabbed it with her rapier.  Seeing the wound reform and her rapier now blunted, she warned the others that nonmagical weapons were ineffective. Kelara moved forward to Bless the party before moving away. Hazeal guessed the creature was a golem created to guard the gate and remembered they were very hard to affect with magic.  She tried to cast Confusion on it to no avail. Godfrey rushed up to the golem and slashed it twice with his sword. The golem responded by punching him twice in the jaw.  It tried to follow up with a kick, but missed due to Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs.  Godfrey struck back with a critical hit before taking another hit from the golem. Levna looked at her sword and requested Hazeal’s assistance.  Not wanting to wait, she ran towards the golem and began trying to distract it. Aurontiros decided to move closer to the portal.  Once he had a clear line of sight on the golem, he cast Shatter on the creature before granting Godfrey Bardic Inspiration.

Assessing the situation, Rizira Taunted the golem before moving behind the archway and hiding amidst the rubble. Kelara moved up, called out to distract the golem from Godfrey and Levna, then fired her crossbow.  Unfortunately, the bolt bounced off its face.  Hazeal cast Melf’s Minute Meteors on herself and sent one arcing around to hit the golem from behind.  She snapped back at Levna that she could make her sword magic if she retreated. Godfrey switched places with Levna and took a step back.  The golem swung after him but missed.  He assured Levna he would hold the golem at bay and urged her to retreat.  Godfrey then moved back in and slashed twice at the golem before getting his Second Wind. The golem roared out in rage and swung at Godfrey, who dodged out of the way and struck back. Levna Disengaged and ran back to Hazeal, demanding she enchant her weapon. Aurontiros accosted the golem with some Cutting Words before casting a Shatter spell that knocked its arm off.  They sent out their dancing sword and destroyed the creature, which collapsed to the ground in a heap of stones.

Rizira confirmed the golem could not be hurt by nonmagical weapons and regretted that she did not use her Wand of Magic Missiles instead.  Kelara and Hazeal decided to maintain their spells as long as it lasted.  Godfrey decided to rest while the others investigated.  Rizira’s curiosity led her to step onto the dais before Hazeal and the others convinced her to back away.  Godfrey and Hazeal asked Rizira to take them with her if she wanted to do anything.  Aurontiros received praise from Godfrey and Hazeal for their action during the combat.  Godfrey suggested that Aurontiros give their sword a name.

Hazeal saw the runes were still glowing.  She walked closer, studied the runes and believed she could stabilize it with a sufficient expenditure of magic.  She warned her comrades before channeling her magic and successfully stabilizing the portal.  As it flared to life, Hazeal looked through the gate and saw an immense plateau stretching out from a sister gate somewhere in the Northern Wastes.  Godfrey immediately worried where Rizira was and was relieved to see the kender standing by the gate.  Rizira was clearly eager to cross through but was waiting for the others to give her a sign.

Aurontiros stuck their head through the portal.  They seemed unaffected by the experience. Taking a firm grasp of Aurontiros, Hazeal took a step through. Looking up, she saw Lunitari directly overhead.  Through her connection to the red moon, she immediately knew they were north of their last position.  Turning her head, she saw the Eastern Maze to the east and became certain that she teleported to High Hunt: the plateau on the other side of the maze.

After a moment, Hazeal told the others that the gate had transported her to High Hunt.  Rizira immediately went through; grumbling that everyone else got to go through while she needed permission.  Aurontiros pointed out that Godfrey was just worried about her, while Hazeal mentioned that she and Aurontiros exercised more caution.  Consulting their maps, the party realized they had travelled about fifty miles north.   Godfrey asked how long the portal would last and learned that Hazeal had stabilized the gate.  After confirming that the gate took them close to where they wanted to go and would allow the army to pass, Kelara wondered if they should contact them with the fargab as the Wash was coming back.  Once the others agreed, Aurontiros and Kelara called Darrett via the fargab on Godfrey’s back.  Rookledust responded, but quickly waved Darrett over.  Kelara reported the structure was a magical gate and urged him to bring the expedition over as soon as possible. As she looked at the gate, her robes brushed some dirt off some sigils.  Looking down, she saw they formed a sequence.  She realized she could teleport to the gates from any location with a teleportation circle spell. The party decided to wait for the army, though they soon realized that might be a challenge as Rizira was growing bored (episode 22).

Night began to fall before the party saw the army in the distance.  As the expeditionary force came within sight of the portal, the party could hear their astonishment—and fear—of the blatantly magical device.  Darrett approached them and offered his greetings, but could not mask his awe of the portal.  Hearing their trepidation, Rizira began darting amongst the Kalaman soldiers and offering words of reassurance.  Before long, she succeeded in setting their minds at ease.

Godfrey and Hazeal reported that the portal could transport them instantaneously to a location near a Red Dragon Army encampment, which would save the expedition days, if not weeks, of travel.  Darrett was shocked when Hazeal added that they would emerge at High Hunt, as he realized that was fifty miles away.  Godfrey pointed out that it could give them a tactical advantage, especially if it caught their enemy off guard.  Hazeal demonstrated the safety of the portal by walking through it before encouraging Darrett to follow suit.  He did so after some gentle encouragement from Hazeal and was amazed to confirm he was in High Hunt.  After Darrett called out to his troops, Hazeal assured Godfrey that the portal would stay open until she closed it.

Dalamar chose that moment to materialize into view.  While fascinated by the sight of the portal, he told the party that he had expected to meet them again at Wakenreth.  The party confirmed that they had been sidetracked by the portal.  Rizira asked if the Silvanesti would be willing to join them in fighting the Red Dragon Army.  Dalamar admitted his brethren would likely not be interested, adding that he himself would prefer to avoid any direct conflicts if at all possible, before coming to the purpose of his arrival: he had pulled the leylines together faster than he expected, but had found something else.  He asked the party to help him investigate a powerful source of magic he discovered just beyond Camp Carrionclay.  In return, he would provide his services when they assaulted the enemy camp.

Hazeal repeatedly insisted that she could not agree on behalf of the party, even after Godfrey deferred his decision to the mage.  Aurontiros and Kelara accepted his offer.  Rizira agreed to the deal after confirming they would go to Camp Carrionclay first.  At Dalamar’s prompting, Rizira unfurled a map—which Godfrey had ‘dropped’ at some point.  After some study, he directed the party to the Giant’s Spine, a mesa at the northern edge of the wastes, where he believed the City of Lost Names was located.  Dalamar briefly elaborated on the definition and nature of mesas—and salt crystals—before formally joining their group.  Kelara found the whole experience to be reminiscent of Ispin’s stories.  Godfrey agreed, adding that perhaps not all of his tales were exaggerations and lies.  Thinking Ispin’s spirit was watching from above, Rizira invited him to smite Godfrey for his impudence.  Hazeal resisted the urge to respond with her magic.  Aurontiros was amused at Rizira’s implication that Ispin ascended to godhood, though Hazeal pointed out if anyone could do so, it would be him.  Godfrey was amused at the idea that Ispin would tell a story of the time he became a god and the queen of the kender became one of his worshippers.  Aurontiros chimed in with an imitation of Ispin’s voice telling the tale.

Darrett commanded the army to advance through the portal, but was immediately met with a lone soldier who refused to pass through the magical portal.  Aurontiros and Rizira loudly told Darrett to leave any protesters behind to fend for themselves, as they were obviously too cowardly to face the rigours of war.  Kelara stared over the army disapprovingly in case any dissenters hailed from Vogler.  Godfrey suggested the passage would be easier with eyes closed.  Levna chimed in with her disapproval of any cowards.  The protests were quickly quelled and the army followed the party through the portal.

It took ten minutes for the expedition to finish passing through.  Once the last stragglers passed through, Hazeal closed the portal while Dalamar watched with interest.  He commented how fortunate they were to find such a useful relic, be blessed by companions who were touched by the gods and live in such interesting times.  As he walked away, Darrett approached the party.  Given how exciting the magical passage was, the fact that night had fallen and the height of the plateau they were on, he felt it best if his troops set up camp.  In the meantime, though, he suggested the party scout around.  After the adventurers agreed, he ordered his troops to set up lights, warned them against sneaking out of camp… and ordered the soldiers who spoke out to start digging latrines as punishment.

Dalamar agreed to accompany the party.  Levna was reluctant to join them, citing her inability to see in the dark and the need to oversee the quality of the beverages at the ale tent, but eventually agreed after Rizira pulled out her hooded lantern.  Godfrey also expressed mock reluctance when Rizira asked him to give her a ride, but quickly acquiesced.  Aurontiros gave Godfrey some acting tips to better sell his hesitation before they set out to the south. As they walked, Hazeal saw a shape that seemed to waver in front of Lunitari.  The shape vanished when she tried to focus on it, but she had the feeling that all three moons were shining down on her.

A bug flew into Dalamar’s ear after half an hour, causing him to swear and Hazeal to tease him.  However, the other party members heard a reptilian shriek and the sound of flapping wings three hundred metres to the north.  Aurontiros and Hazeal could barely make out some shapes in the gloom.  Then a pair of torches was lit.  Seeing that, Rizira immediately covered her lantern. Aurontiros and Hazeal saw a pair of Red Dragon Army officers on dragonnels, touching down periodically while constantly communicating to each other.  They quickly realized the enemy was searching for something and told the others what they saw.  The party decided to ambush the officers.  As Aurontiros cast Pass Without Trace, they noticed the officers were approaching their position.  Aurontiros and Hazeal saw a humanoid figure rush between the rocks and overgrowth of the mesa.  As they got within sixty metres, the others saw them too.  The party quickly surmised that the figure was the one the Red Dragon Army officers were looking for.  Kelara cast Hold Person on one of the riders, but failed to paralyze them.

The figure scrambled towards the party, revealing himself as a young boy and sought confirmation that they were not with the Red Dragon Army.  After the party assured him they were not, he introduced himself as a scout named Clystran.  He explained he had seen members of the Red Dragon Army capturing wild dragonnels and followed them back to their camp to the north.  Hazeal admitted they were also there for the camp.  Rizira, however, wanted to know who he was scouting for.  Deciding that he could trust them after they saved his life, Clystran revealed he came from a local community named Heart’s Hollow.  He asked them to escort him to his home in exchange for a hot meal and a drink, as it was only a half hour away.  Clystran expressed some confusion over why Aurontiros was wearing the armour of a Red Dragon Army officer before asking for their names.   Once introductions were made, he invited them to follow him and promised he could convince their leader, Ness, to give them passage.

Their journey to Heart’s Hollow was uneventful.  Clystran spent the time explaining he scavenged for useful items that the Wash brought in.  He admitted the Red Dragon Army camp frightened him, but did not know anything more.  When he learned the party came with a small army of their own, he was relieved that they did not come along for fear that his community would be alarmed.  He warned that the community might be skittish at first as they were rather insular, but assured them that his people would open up in time.  Clystran revealed that Heart’s Hollow included a variety of people from different backgrounds.  Aurontiros and Rizira were surprised to hear the community had some kender, and even more surprised to hear the kender settled down because their wanderlust wore off.  When Clystran went on to explain that Heart’s Hollow had humans, mountain dwarves and hill dwarves (along with a lone gully dwarf who recently passed away), Aurontiros expressed surprise that there were more than one kind of dwarf.  Hazeal patiently explained the main difference between mountain and hill dwarves—where they lived—prompting the rest of the party to suggest additional dwarven groups.  While Hazeal firmly insisted there were no sky dwarves, Godfrey wondered why there was only one kind of human.  The non-human members explained that that was because humans infested everything.

Before long, the group found themselves atop an immense crater near the southern edge of the plateau.  Looking down, they could see several homes carved into the wall, each decorated with patchwork fabrics and lit with window lanterns.  As they began their descent, they saw Heart’s Hollow consisted of two loops of buildings before stretching into a tunnel system that descended into the crater’s depths.  Clystran explained they would make their rounds through the community before finishing at the Salt Lick.  Godfrey was dismayed to see the Salt Lick was a tavern suspended over open air by a web of sturdy cords.  Rizira immediately began running towards the tavern, but was persuaded to come back.

Clystran pointed to a sloped pathway lined with colourful stones.  He explained it was called the Mosaic and every visitor was invited to add a stone to the path to symbolize the mark they left on the community.  Hazeal and Rizira added rocks from their belongings, while the others took a stone from a nearby pile to place on the path.

A pair of kids shrieked when they saw the party and ran into a nearby house, prompting a grey-haired, balding dwarf to investigate.  Clystran gave introductions, revealing the dwarf was Grandit ‘End’ Pike, proprietor of a (slightly) used goods and equipment shop called End’s Odds.  Rizira explained they had saved him from an attack, forcing the scout to give an explanation.  Grandit asked if Clystran was still sneaking out to visit dragonnels.  Clystran replied that he was trying to enjoy nature and swore he would be rewarded with another dragon sighting.  When Rizira asked for details, Clystran told her that he had seen an actual dragon in his youth.  Grandt insisted Clystran was mistaken as there were no more dragons on Krynn.  Given that Clystran had vouched for the party, Grandt invited them to visit his shop but implored them not to tell anyone about Heart’s Hollow as the community’s greatest defence was secrecy.  He went on to tell Rizira he had no enchanted weapons and declared that dwarves neither approved of nor practiced magic.  The latter caused Godfrey some confusion and Hazeal some discomfort.  Aurontiros was oblivious to Hazeal’s uneasiness regarding Grandt’s prejudices and only fell silent when Kelara stepped on his foot.  Hazeal reluctantly confirmed Rizira’s guesses that Grandt’s views towards magic were typical of his people.  Godfrey began to apologize but ultimately remained silent.  Dalamar observed that her hammer doubled as a useful way to disguise her magical prowess and offered approval of the path she had chosen.

Clystran continued guiding the party, loudly proclaiming their friendliness and virtues.  Some men had ill remarks on Solamnic knights, regarding them as brigands and thieves, but admired Godfrey’s appearance.  Clystran pointed out the Fort, a communal warehouse and armoury that supplied arms should the community be in danger.  In a quieter voice, he admitted that he saw Hazeal cast magic and caught on to Grandt’s prejudices.  He promised not to say anything and advised her to seek out Lavender Jalls if she needed arcane supplies, as he was a wizard known for his spells and his alchemical tinctures.

The group eventually were led across a cable bridge to the Salt Lick, which was clearly popular from the number of voices they heard.  After a brief encounter with a drunk human and a slightly less inebriated dwarf who were clearly looking for a tryst, the group entered the tavern.  The music and conversations from the three dozen customers abruptly halted upon their arrival until a middle-aged, copper-haired human woman behind the bar scolded them to return to their drinks.  She asked Clystran who he had brought in.  Clystran explained to the bartender, Ness, that the group saved him from some dragonnel riders.  Ness scolded him for his obsession before badgering the kender musician to continue.  Aurontiros took out their fiddle, pulled over a stool and joined the musician.  After some discussion about how kender might grow into other races before splitting into new kender, and other tall tales, the two musicians began to play.

Clystran went to the bar, followed by the rest of the group.  The customers sitting by the bar moved to give them space, voicing their distrust of outsiders.  Ness asked the party what brought them to Heart’s Hollow, aside from saving Clystran.  She quickly focused on the latter, scolding the scout for chasing fantasies and getting into trouble.  Clystran insisted he wanted to see a dragon again, though Ness stated there were no dragons in the Northern Wastes.  When Godfrey asked for details, Ness told the party that Clystran claimed to have seen a dragon as a child.  Clystran insisted his sighting was more recent: he had seen a dragonnel at Camp Carrionclay struggling with a package that became unwrapped.  From what he saw and overheard, Clystran believed it was a dragon egg.  Unfortunately, he drew their attention and was forced to flee.  While Ness scolded Clystran again, Rizira voiced her fascination at the idea of a dragon egg.

Most of the party saw Ness react at Clystran’s revelation before quickly recovering her façade.  She scolded Clystran again for his foolhardiness, but asked how large the package was.  Godfrey wondered whether the size was consistent with tales of dragon eggs.  Changing the topic, Ness guessed that the newcomers were adventurers and offered them food and drink as thanks for saving Clystran’s life.  She also implied that she would use her influence as mayor to ensure they were welcomed by the community.  Ness then pressed Clystran for details about the camp’s location, which corresponded with what the Dimernesti had told the party.

Rizira wondered if Ness was planning to visit the camp, warning that the Dragon Armies were wreaking havoc across Krynn.  After explaining that Godfrey and Kelara had seen her village and former residence, respectively, fall to the Red Dragon Army, Rizira revealed that they had come with a small expedition.  She warned Ness that any attempts to investigate the camp could lead them back to Heart’s Hollow.  Godfrey guessed that the community had lived in the Wastes for quite some time and asked for any local knowledge that could help them attack the camp.  Clystran offered to guide them to the camp and anywhere else in the Northern Wastes in gratitude for saving his life, though he warned them that he had no intention of fighting.  When prompted, Levna revealed that the expedition was fairly large… before proceeding to flirt with Ness.  Blushing from the attention, Ness revealed that she was one of the first to come to the crater and establish a de-facto refugee camp.

As Rizira left the bar, Ness guessed the adventurers were going to waylay the camp, accurately sizing them up as a group of Solamnic knights, spellcasters, a minstrel and the priestess of Mishakal.  The mayor asked if the gods had returned to Krynn.  Hazeal commented on her knowledge, to which Ness pointed out that the group had not made much effort to hide their identities.  Ness then singled Kelara out again, asking for confirmation that she was a priestess.

Seeing her hesitation, Ness assured Kelara that she had nothing to fear from Heart’s Hollow aside from some attempts at flirting, and that it was a safe, tight-knit community ideal for keeping secrets.  She then asked the party to bring any dragon egg they found in the Red Dragon Army camp to Heart’s Hollow, as she knew somewhere that she could keep it safe.  Ness insisted that her fellow townsfolk could vouch for how long she’d lived in the community and how it could keep things secret and safe.  Clystran found Ness’s words strange, pointing out that she and everyone else had dismissed his childhood claims.  The mayor shrugged him off, admitting she could be wrong, before begging the party to bring the dragon egg back and promising a reward if they agreed to her request.  Godfrey and Hazeal sensed her desperation. Curious, Godfrey asked why she was so interested in the dragon egg, if it existed.  Hazeal refused to make any promises, citing they did not know the local dangers, they did not know Ness and they did not know if there really was a dragon egg.

Godfrey asked if Ness was a nickname for anything.  The mayor confirmed that Ness was short for Nezrah, but said that her friends called her Ness and she hoped the party would do the same.  Levna happily complied, intent on her drink and flirtations.  Godfrey, however, pressed Ness on whether she was sure there were no dragons in Krynn.  Ness gave an evasive, though affirmative, answer.  Godfrey said that any dragons would be welcome allies against the Dragon Armies.  Ness replied that dragons—particularly the good-aligned, metallic dragons—probably had other responsibilities.  She added that such dragons formed strong attachments to the smaller races.  The mayor repeated her pleas for the party to deliver any dragon eggs to Heart’s Hollow, offering to show them the hiding place she had in mind after the bar closed.  An increasingly intoxicated Levna agreed to inspect the site and offered to brave the dangers of the camp in return for a kiss.  Ness agreed and kissed the knight before repeating her proposal to reveal her hiding place after the bar closed.  Godfrey agreed to the mayor’s offer before asking Kelara to dance with him.

For the remainder of the night, Godfrey and Kelara danced, Aurontiros played the lute, Rizira wandered around the bar and Hazeal made sure Levna did not pass out. Taking Ness’s observations to heart, Hazeal took off her mage robes and made sure any arcane symbols and equipment were hidden.  Dalamar idly asked her if she would stay with Lunitari and the Red Robes after completing her Test.  When she said yes, Dalamar admitted he was torn between the Red and Black Robes.

When the bar closed and the last stragglers stumbled home, the party met Ness as planned.  The mayor revealed that she had sent Clystran home, offered beds in the tavern if they needed them and led the group to her intended hiding place.  Levna passed the time offering drunken compliments to the mayor.  She brought them down to one of the lower tunnels that was six wagons wide and told them there was a smaller tunnel farther ahead that led to a hidey-hole with a false wall, where she intended to hide the dragon egg.  Aurontiros did not know what Ness was talking about, prompting the mayor to explain that Clystran was chased away from Camp Carrionclay, but not before seeing a possible dragon egg.  She repeated her request for the party to bring any dragon egg to her for safekeeping.

Godfrey agreed, but felt his companions might need more convincing.  Hazeal felt Ness was very interested in something that could cause a great deal of trouble.  Rizira felt the mayor was being rather cryptic, a statement that an increasingly suspicious and irritated Hazeal agreed with wholeheartedly.  Aurontiros asked Ness directly why she wanted the dragon egg.  Ness replied the egg should be kept with its own kind… before transforming into an adult bronze dragon. Hazeal became frightened at the sight of Ness’s true draconic form and began backing up.

Ness told them she had come to the Northern Wastes a century ago in search of dragon eggs.  She promised to keep any dragon egg they found safe.  Rizira asked if she could sit on her back in exchange for returning the egg.  A visibly amused Ness agreed that they could work something out.  Levna stumbled back and fell down; stunned at the thought that she kissed a dragon.  Returning to her human form, Ness told Aurontiros that Nezrah was her true name and clarified to Rizira that she had not laid any dragon eggs in the Wastes, but would raise any draconic offspring as if they were her own.  Fascinated at the idea that dragons were real and were born, rather than legends spawned from the ether, Aurontiros agreed to help Nezrah so long as she did not turn them into a weapon.  Hazeal continued to point out that they could not make any guarantees as they had to find an egg first.  Aurontiros recognized that Nezrah wanted to keep Heart’s Hollow safe.  Nezrah confirmed that the community’s best defence was its secrecy, but vowed to protect it.  She expressed a willingness to reveal her true form if necessary, but only as a last resort—revealing that she had accidentally revealed herself to Clystran as a child and inadvertently caused his obsession.  In response to Godfrey’s question, Nezrah said that any dragons on Krynn were either sleeping or hiding—the latter due to the proliferation of dragon slayers.  She asked the group one last time if they would return any dragon egg to her.  One by one, they agreed to her request (episode 23).

The party returned to the Salt Lick and enjoyed a Long Rest.  They were roused from their sleep—or meditation—by Ness, who explained she had to start preparations for the day.  When she asked for volunteers to help with the cooking, Godfrey immediately declined.  As Kelara offered her services, Godfrey suggested he could wash dishes instead.  Ness handed him a broom to sweep the floor, then told Rizira that she would not ask her to take out the silverware for fear it would be too distracting.  Rizira thought she might have already ‘borrowed’ some, but only managed to find some yarn.  Ness gave her some steel coins and directed her to buy some wood from a corner establishment for the firewood.  She then asked Kelara where she came from and what she could cook.  After comparing notes, they decided to see what they could make with the ingredients they had at hand.

Levna leaned over to Aurontiros and Hazeal and wondered what kind of foods Ness ate.  Hazeal felt Ness probably ate similar foods to the people of Heart’s Hollow in order to keep a low profile.  Aurontiros recommended Levna bring a goat as a gesture, which the knight misinterpreted to mean a romantic gift to Kelara.  When asked, Godfrey suggested that Levna should be content with wooing a dragon.  Levna made a ribald comment, then grew silent as the ramifications hit home. Rizira returned to the tavern with a pile of firewood… and wearing a black skullcap with exaggerated round, rodent-like ears.  She was accompanied by Clystran, who greeted them and offered to guide them through the Wastes when they were available.  Clystran asked how the party spent the evening after he left.  Hazeal claimed she slept while a straight-faced Aurontiros said they told tall tales.  Godfrey sidled up to Clystran, quietly told him Ness and Levna may have made a romantic connection and suggested they would probably appreciate some privacy.  Clystran thought that explained some things about the bartender and mayor.

The party ate a hearty breakfast of Kelara’s pie, made of root vegetables and local meats, before setting out.  Ness thanked them for agreeing to her request.  In return, Rizira thanked her for her hospitality.  Ness wished them good luck and asked them to flip the sign to ‘Open’ on their way out. As they walked, Clystran asked whether they wanted to visit the magic shop, remembering how Hazeal’s eyes sparkled when it was mentioned.  Hazeal replied that she did not have high hopes, but allowed it might be worth a look.  Clystran felt it was worth a visit as the shop was on the way, adding the proprietor was a good man despite his oddities.  He led them to Lavender’s Shop, a building in the centre of Heart’s Hollow, and opened the door for them.  They were greeted by the smells of chemical compounds and herbs, the sounds of brewing concoctions and an enchanted door knocker that announced the presence of customers.  Fascinated, Rizira stared at the door knocker until it told her to close the door.

A voice with a distinct accent called out, saying he would be with them in a moment.  True to his word, a man with frizzy copper-wool hair, prominent ears, bent nose, spectacles and a purple robe with gold buttons came out of a back door.  Seeing they were strangers, he introduced himself as the owner—Lavender Jalls—and invited them to peruse his wares.  Aurontiros nudged Godfrey and noted that Darrett might enjoy meeting Lavender due to their similar mannerisms.  Lavender identified himself as one of the rare members of the Purple Robes, prompting Kelara and Rizira to look sharply at a bemused Hazeal.  It was immediately clear that there was no such thing as an Order of Purple Robes and Lavender, despite his claims, had not taken the Test of High Sorcery. Looking at the pouches at his waist and accoutrements around the shop, Hazeal recognized they were legitimate spell components.  However, his visible ignorance regarding other aspects of spellcasting suggested he was a Renegade.  Hazeal recognized that this explained how he ended up in a place like Heart’s Hollow—and was reminded why she left Thorbardin after acquiring her magic.

Lavender asked if they were new to town and were living in a newly emptied residence.  The party explained they were just passing through.  At his invitation, Aurontiros, Hazeal, Kelara and Rizira began to browse.  Godfrey, however, had less confidence in the quality of Lavender’s wares and chose to step back.  The party noted that Lavender had many spell scrolls and spell components, along with a variety of precious gemstones—all illuminated by alchemical lights.  At Aurontiros’s request, Lavender pulled out a set of five potions that could provide minor healing.  Hazeal came over and, after claiming to dabble in magic, confirmed the legitimacy of the potions through a Subtle casting of Detect Magic. She decided Lavender was as proficient as anyone who dabbled in magic, and was benign and well-intentioned enough to do some good in the Northern Wastes.  In a flash of Insight, she sensed he was a burnout who might have partaken in the psychedelic mushrooms littered around the shop.

Seeing some mushrooms, Aurontiros asked to buy them.  Lavender told them they were not mature enough, but sold them a dose for twenty steel coins and advised various means of ingesting it (from brewing in tea to straight consumption to rectal administration).  Rizira did not understand the latter method until Kelara explained it provided a hallucinatory experience, at which point she wanted to try it out immediately.  Godfrey felt that was unwise considering their intended plans. Hazeal knew someone who had experienced the hallucinatory properties of mushrooms firsthand.

Godfrey begged the party to refrain from trying the mushrooms until after they went to Camp Carrionclay.  Lavender went on to explain how long the mushrooms would last for various races.  After Hazeal confirmed the healing potions worked as advertised, Lavender repeated that he had five of them before starting to list off his other wares.  Rizira was interested in the Oil of Slipperiness, though she erroneously called it a Potion of Slipperiness.  Lavender warned that ingesting the oil would cause bowel movements, though Hazeal pointed out it would flush out any ingested mushrooms.  After discussing the various uses for and ways to apply the Oil of Slipperiness, Lavender offered a Potion of Climbing, various poisons, and Potions of Resistance.  Rizira revealed that Hazeal was a spellcaster, prompting Lavender to ask whether she would take her Purple Robe test.  Aurontiros put a hand over Rizira’s mouth and pulled her away before she could say anything else incriminating.  Returning to business, Lavender asked eighty steel coins per potion—or oil.  Hazeal thought the prices were rather expensive, but could not say for certain as she had not done a lot of shopping.

Aurontiros and Rizira tried to negotiate a bulk discount or some kind of deal, respectively.  After some haggling, Lavender agreed to sell them the five healing potions and the oil of slipperiness for 350 steel.  Seeing that the gemstones included diamonds, Kelara asked for a closer look.  After assuring Lavender she did not plan on setting them into rings or piercings, she entered negotiations.  Rizira offered some of the orange gems they acquired while Godfrey looked nervously at the diamonds and their implications.  The conversation was derailed over confusion as to whether the diamonds and orange gems were ethically or ethnically sourced—though Lavender assured them he had acquired his stones from dwarves—and whether kender brains could process fear.  As Lavender was about to offer three diamonds for the orange gems, Rizira requested an additional diamond for an ear piercing.  Aurontiros offered him the prism they got from the Curiosity Shop, attempting to enhance the deal with a misused Prestidigitation cantrip.  Fascinated by the sight of a dancing woman inside the prism, he agreed to trade a tiny diamond for the item and a mixture of steel coins and orange gems for the larger diamonds.  Rizira decided to pierce her ear with her new diamond.  Aurontiros offered to help.  Lavender revealed he also had diamond dust if the party wanted to buy some.  Godfrey was initially curious to know what diamond dust could be used for, but soon became so disturbed that he left the store. Lavender also offered kender drugs, which they agreed was ‘longbottom leaf.’  Seeing that the more lawful members of the party—Godfrey and Levna—were not present, Lavender agreed to sell them for ten steel coins and threw in a wizard’s pipe for free.

The party reconvened outside the shop.  Clystran wondered what took them so long.  Hazeal could not respond as tears of mirth were running down her face.  Kelara accepted the diamonds from Rizira, noting they would be handy if anyone died again.  As she explained the value of the diamonds as components for the Revivify spell, Aurontiros considered casting Plant Growth before changing their mind.  Clystran then escorted them out of Heart’s Hollow, where they met with Dalamar, and led them back to the expedition.

When the party returned, they found their comrades were busy setting up their tents.  Darrett approached them, admitted he was worried and saw they made a new friend.  Godfrey gave an evasive answer about saving Clystran and apologized for any concern they caused.  Aurontiros admitted they should have thought about updating him with the fargab.  Entering his tent, Darrett reported that a preliminary search had not provided much information, though he felt his scouts could have made more of an effort.  He asked the party what they found, only to be met with an awkward silence.  After some prompting, Clystran introduced himself.  Godfrey and Rizira explained Clystran was a local and could act as another scout.  Darrett became quite interested when Clystran revealed he could lead them to Camp Carrionclay and asked for details.  Clystran revealed the camp was guarded by a dozen to a couple dozen soldiers, including several draconians.  They quickly determined that the party should hit the camp as a mobile strike force, ideally using their smaller size and stealth to rescue the prisoners and acquire whatever else they needed.  If necessary, the expedition could follow and engage the Red Dragon Army soldiers in combat.

Darrett then asked if they had located the City of Lost Names.  Rizira replied that they had and pulled out her map.  Leaning over, Dalamar pointed to the Giant’s Spine.  Darrett told the party that if they dealt with the camp, he could lead the expedition to the Giant’s Spine.  However, he was also willing to lead the expedition to Camp Carrionclay if they thought they needed backup.  After some thought, Aurontiros thought the original idea of sending the party as a strike force was the best choice.  Godfrey pointed out that there was a high likelihood that the Red Dragon Army had seen the expedition and seeing them move towards the Giant’s Spine might provide a useful distraction.  Darrett accepted their decision.  Clystran gave directions on how the army could get off the plateau.  When asked, Godfrey thought they should stock up on rations, particularly as any prisoners they freed might be hungry.  The conversation shifted to the use of gendered language and how the party had met someone who Darrett might be interested in meeting.  Eventually, Dalamar introduced himself to Darrett.  After some more errant talk, Darrett excused himself and suggested the party resupply at the mess tent.

The party restocked their rations and basic supplies before heading back out.  Between Clystan’s directions and Habbakuk’s blessing, they quickly made it to Camp Carrionclay by the mid-afternoon.  As the scent of rotting fish and burned flesh met them, Clystran guided them to a vantage point, from which they could see the camp.  The fortified encampment sat atop cliffs that jutted from the centre of a muddy lake, ringed by immense bone spurs and makeshift wooden walls.  A wooden palisade surrounded tents, huts and a crooked watchtower.  Dozens of Dragon Army soldiers kept watch around the camp.

Aurontiros prepared to cast Pass Without Trace on the party at a suitable moment.  Godfrey hoped they could formulate a plan and stick to it.  Clystran apologized for underestimating the camp’s forces, insisting there were not so many when he visited the camp at night.  Rizira assured him that he did not have to join them.  Godfrey chimed in, suggesting he could lead any prisoners to safety should the party not make it out.  Clystran reminded them that he had no intention of infiltrating the camp.  Dalamar said that, while he was willing to help them in exchange for their own services, engaging two dozen hostiles in combat was more than he bargained for.   Rizira asked him for any magic that could help them in other ways.  Dalamar allowed that he might have some suitable magic, depending on when they planned to infiltrate the camp.  After some discussion, they decided to wait until night fell to take advantage of the darkness.

Once the sun set, the party began to plan.  Rizira’s idea of tying the tent flaps to stall any pursuit was quickly deemed impractical.  Recalling Kelara’s Water Walk spell, the party thought it might provide the best way of entering and exiting the camp.  Rizira proposed some kind of magical distraction, but Dalamar felt it was best saved for an emergency.  Citing the need for accurate intelligence on the camp, he asked who was the stealthiest member of the party.  When Rizira raised her hand, Dalamar muttered how he would undoubtedly regret his actions, told her he was about to become her best friend and warned that she had ten minutes to gather as much intelligence as possible.  He then cast Fly on the kender, whose surprise immediately turned into excitement.  Thus enchanted, Rizira flew towards the camp.

Rizira returned to her party, returning just as the Fly spell wore off, and immediately drew a map of the camp.  She explained there was a jail area with cages that held prisoners.  Pointing to one cage in particular, she asked whether anyone knew what a bulette was.  Dalamar and Hazeal indicated that they were familiar with the creatures, but Aurontiros professed their ignorance.  Rizira explained it was a burrowing creature and its spirit wasn’t broken yet, making her think that they could release it in the hopes that it would attack its captors.  When Godfrey expressed concern about the other prisoners, Rizira amended her idea to freeing the prisoners before the bulette.  Dalamar complimented Rizira on her successful reconnaissance, which Rizira returned by thanking him for his spell.  Aurontiros wondered whether they could talk to the bulette and convince it to spare them.  Rizira warned there were also three draconians and a larger, more muscular being who acted as jailors.  Godfrey felt releasing the bulette would draw attention and suggested doing so after they freed the prisoners to cover their escape.  The party tentatively decided to make use of Kelara’s Water Walk spell to traverse the lake, sneak into the prison area, dispatch the jailors, free the captives and enchant them with Water Walk, then retreat the same way.  When the conversation turned to the egg that Clystran had glimpsed, Rizira recalled that one of the tents was larger than the others.  She guessed that it belonged to the camp’s leader, was the most likely place to hide the egg and offered to sneak in to retrieve it.  Having determined that they had a plan, Aurontiros cast Pass Without Trace while Kelara cast Water Walk.  Aurontiros also spent some time to ritually cast Longstrider on Godfrey.

The party walked across the lake, avoiding the quippers that swam hungrily below the surface, and made their way onto the shoreline, where they could see various firepits scattered throughout the camp.  Some of the more perceptive adventurers heard someone praying in Elvish.  Rizira chose that moment to sneak away. As Levna whispered to the others to ask what the plan was, they heard one of the soldiers demand a bottle.  Aurontiros wanted to release the bulette, while Godfrey and Levna were content with attacking the jailors with steel.  Levna warned the group against using anything that might make light unless their cover was blown.  Hazeal debated whether she should Twin cast Haste on Godfrey and Rizira but decided to cast Silence instead, planning to aim her spell so it would not interfere with Aurontiros’s efforts to talk to the bulette.  She also used her Imbuing Touch to enchant Levna’s weapon, prompting the knight to muse about becoming Hazeal’s next apprentice.  Hazeal Subtly cast Silence and motioned for her companions to spring into action.  The draconians could be heard arguing amongst themselves before Hazeal’s spell cut off their words.  As the party hoisted themselves over the walls, they could see three draconians and a hobgoblin guarding the varied prisoners.

Levna leapt down, stepped behind one of the draconians and killed it with two blows.  Unfortunately, its body turned to stone before she could withdraw her blade.  Godfrey jumped down, dashed to the exit to block anyone from entering or leaving and killed the closest draconian.  Unlike Levna, he managed to remove his blade in time.  Aurontiros, after some consideration, fired an arrow from their longbow into the hobgoblin.  They followed up with their dancing longsword.  However, the hobgoblin dodged out of the way and the longsword embedded itself into the petrified draconian… causing the corpse to explode and freeing Levna’s sword.  Hazeal maintained Concentration on her Silence spell. Kelara fired her light crossbow at the hobgoblin before ducking out of sight. Snarling (silently), the hobgoblin charged at Godfrey.  The two fighters swung at each other, but neither managed to hit.  The remaining draconian rushed up and attacked Godfrey, who dodged out of the way.

Having freed her sword, Levna hacked the closest cage but was unable to open it.  She silently called for help. Godfrey landed a Menacing Attack on the hobgoblin, then turned and struck the draconian.  Aurontiros hopped down and retrieved their sword.  After killing the hobgoblin, with a shot from their longbow, they ran towards the draconian. Hazeal continued maintaining her Silence spell. Kelara killed the draconian with her light crossbow at the remaining draconian.  However, it staggered forward and coughed smoke into Godfrey’s face, causing him to stiffen and petrify into stone.

Picking up the keys from the dead hobgoblin, Aurontiros went to the bulette cage.  They asked the bulette to spare their companions, cast Charm Monster, opened the cage and tossed the keys to Levna.  Kelara vaulted over the walls, ran to Godfrey and chipped off enough stone to open up his airway.  Levna freed the northern cages before tossing the keys back to Aurontiros.  The bard went to the southern cage, which housed an exhausted kender.  Before anyone could take any further action, the freed bulette leapt out of the prison area and into the bonfires placed in the centre of the camp.  Fire scattered everywhere, setting some of the nearby tents ablaze.  As the Red Dragon Army was thrown into chaos, the bulette burrowed underground, collapsing part of the largest tent.

Aurontiros and Levna gathered the freed prisoners together.  Kelara continued working on Godfrey and managed to shatter the stone casing.  Gasping for air, Godfrey half-collapsed against Kelara and coughed repeatedly.  Levna waved at Godfrey and indicated that they had to leave.  Hazeal dropped the Silence spell, allowing the party to hear screaming and crashing noises as the bulette rampaged through the camp.  Godfrey looked for Rizira, but Dalamar insisted they needed to go.  Turning to Kelara, Godfrey asked her to cast Water Walk on the prisoners before scanning the rest of the camp for Rizira. A worried Hazeal repeatedly cast Message cantrips, asking Rizira if she was okay.  Rizira gave a running commentary of a fight she was engaged in, revealed that the bulette ate her adversary, mentioned she found the dragon egg and some coins, and told her she would meet them on the other side.  Hazeal told her companions that Rizira was okay. The party and the newly freed prisoners left the camp and ran across the surface of the water.

A flapping noise filled the air, followed by a roar.  Looking up, everyone saw a hulking figure with black scales descend out of the sky and land atop the watchtower.  Perching on the structure, the black dragon let out another roar (episode 24). The bulette continued its rampage, tearing several draconians apart, before the black dragon launched itself from the watchtower and pinned the bulette to the ground.  As the bulette struggled, the black dragon breathed out a burst of acid and casually dissolved the creature. Hazeal stared at the black dragon and became frightened at the mere presence of the creature. One of the Dimernesti prisoners and the kender prisoner managed to keep their calm as well.  Dalamar, Levna and the other prisoners were overwhelmed with fear.

Realizing they were outmatched, the party tried to sneak away.  However, they were unable to escape the black dragon’s attention.  In Common, she growled her contempt and vowed to melt them to the bone.  Rising into the air, she breathed out another stream of acid that melted the retaining wall and splashed over most of the party and the escaped prisoners.  Hazeal managed to completely avoid the acid spray.  Aurontiros, Godfrey, Kelara, Dalamar and one of the Dimernesti elves were hurt.  Levna and the other Dimernesti were grievously hurt, with one of the elves melting and dying from the corrosive attack.  The black dragon roared at the remaining Red Dragon Army soldiers and commanded them to pursue the party.

Hazeal touched Kelara, Twin cast Death Ward and helped her to her feet.  The two of them started to run.  Aurnotiros urged everyone to stay near them—to benefit from their Pass Without Trace—and Kelara, before following suit.   Godfrey had the presence of mind to try and keep himself between the dragon and his friends.  One of the Dimernesti tried to help their comrade, even as their leg fell off.  Dalamar, pale and shaken, vanished in a flurry of magic.  Levna urged all of them to run.  The party fled across the lake as the Red Dragon Army followed in hot pursuit.  They could hear some of the flying draconians swoop overhead and snarl to each other, but managed to escape their notice and continued to run.

They eventually stopped several hundred feet away, hiding behind some stone outcroppings.  Dalamar reappeared next to the party and revealed that the Red Dragon Army had broken off their pursuit.  He suggested that they could either return to the camp or continue northward, but warned he would be of little use without further healing.  Hazeal insisted they had to find Rizira or return to the camp.  Aurontiros felt the latter was the wiser course of action.  Dalamar felt the odds of Rizira escaping from the camp were good, though Godfrey was worried that the kender would get distracted.  A tight-lipped Levna asked Kelara for some healing.

As she began her preparations, Kelara was interrupted by one of the Dimernesti elves, who asked whether she could do anything for her dead friend.  Seeing that the dead elf was the one who lost their leg to the dragon’s acid attack, Kelara warned that she could bring them back but could not restore the leg.  When the elf insisted, Kelara asked the party if she should use the diamonds they just bought.  Godfrey felt she should do everything in her power, regardless of the cost.  Having come to a decision, Kelara asked the others to spread the cloaks to conceal any light emitted by her magic.  She then sacrificed three hundred steel coins worth of diamonds to cast Revivify and bring the elf back to life.  The revived elf was confused but was soon made aware of what transpired. Levna and Dalamar were shocked and fascinated, respectively.  Kelara cast as much healing magic as she could, but had to leave the Dimernesti elves and the kender to fend for themselves. Hazeal did not sense any change to the Mage Armour she Twin cast on herself and Rizira.  She hoped that meant Rizira was still alive.

The kender’s curiosity overcame her injuries, prompting her to bombard Kelara with questions about her divine magic.  Kelara insisted that the kender should not plan on dying unless she had three hundred steel worth of diamonds, as that was a necessary spell component.  The kender mused that she could probably borrow that much coin from someone and introduced herself as Kennah.  Kelara also pointed out that she had to die close enough to her that she could Revive him within a minute.  Seeing that Kennah would not stop talking, she handed over some bandages and told her to bind her own wounds.  Kennah complied, but asked if the party had room for a kender.  The party explained they already had a kender queen, prompting Kennah to wonder if she could become a duchess.  Godfrey invited Kennah to return to the expeditionary camp with them.  When Kennah revealed she hailed from Heart’s Hollow, the party revealed they had been there and proved it by citing Ness and Lavender by name.  Kennah was disappointed to hear they had bought their diamonds from Lavender, who might not have any left for the kender.  Kelara guided everyone together and Channelled the Divinity of Mishakal to provide further healing.  She then cast Death Ward on Levna, noting that the knight kept coming perilously close to dying.

The party began moving towards the camp, keeping an eye out for Rizira.  They had only made a quarter mile before hearing footsteps. Aurontiros and Hazeal recognized the shape of their friend, Clystran, followed by Rizira.  Hazeal gave thanks to Reorx. Moments later, Clystran came forward and joined the party.  He was accompanied by Rizira, who showed them the dragon egg she had retrieved and told them she had decided to name it Drazira.  She added that she had been in a dire situation with a hostile hobgoblin, only to be rescued by the bulette.  Rizira correctly recognized that Aurontiros had something to do with it, but was saddened to hear the black dragon had killed it.  She suggested they return the egg to Heart’s Hollow before anything else happened.  Clystran agreed to lead the way once the rest of the party agreed.

Within three hours, Clystran brought them to the hidden refuge.  While most of the community was asleep, some of the militia quickly came to their aid.  The dwarf End greeted them, realized they were accompanied by sea elves and asked what had happened.  Rizira suggested they needed a drink and asked to be escorted to Ness.  End agreed and offered the use of his wagon.  Levna accepted, having carried the handicapped Dimernesti elf for three hours.  Kelara suggested they use the fargab to warn the expedition about the black dragon.

When they reached the Salt Lick, Ness opened the door and asked if they were all right.  Godfrey revealed that they had encountered a dragon.  Kelara added that it was a big dragon.  Rizira chimed in to say they had also found a small dragon, showing her the dragon egg.  A shocked Ness held out a trembling hand to the egg.  Rizira admitted part of her wanted to keep the egg, but she knew it would fare better in Ness’s care.  Ness assured Rizira she was welcome to pay the baby a visit before offering the party a drink.  Kennah introduced herself to Rizira and offered her home for the night, mentioning everything inside was sized for kender.  Rizira was visibly torn between her friends, the egg and Kennah’s offer.  Meanwhile, End set the Dimernesti elves on some of the benches and told the party he would return with medical supplies.  Rizira warned him to be careful as the Red Dragon Army was only hours away.  End assured her he had no intention of leaving his shop, much less Heart’s Hollow, before taking his leave.

Ness barely noticed his departure, as she was busy cradling the dragon egg.  Aurontiros tentatively got her attention and told her how powerful the dragon was.  They were not sure what was the scarier possibility: the fact that it could have killed them or the fact that it chose not to.  After confirming they had faced a black dragon, and making sure Clystran was out of earshot, Ness revealed that the black dragons of her day were arrogant and prideful.  She guessed the dragon they had encountered did not feel the party was worth pursuing once they had left the camp.  Ness told them they were wise not to fight the dragon, as they probably would not have survived.  She also vowed to defend Heart’s Hollow should the black dragon dare to attack.

With that matter settled, Ness offered the tavern floors for the party to sleep upon… along with her bedroom at the back, which was large enough to hold two people (or three dwarves).  Kennah repeated her offer to Rizira, admitting that she had only had room after breaking up with her girlfriend.  Godfrey joked that Rizira was already engaged to Aurontiros and revealed Rizira was the kender queen.  Delighted, Kennah requested a title.  Rizira obliged and made her a lady and a countess.  Ness assured the party that she would look after the egg and encouraged them to have a drink and relax. Hazeal decided to take Ness up on her offer. After a few minutes, Godfrey got the party’s attention and had them gather around the fargab, where he had contacted Darrett.

Darrett offered some good news: they had intercepted a Red Dragon Army platoon and taken some prisoners.  To save their lives, the prisoners agreed to talk.  Godfrey was amazed, as the soldiers they had encountered were more fanatical.  At his request, Godfrey gathered the others so Darrett could share the news. Hazeal was somewhat reluctant, as she was tired and wanted nothing more than to enjoy her drink.  She eventually complied, but only if she could bring her drink with her.  Levna told her she would do the same, going so far as to top up their drinks.  Ness made some sarcastic remarks, but gave a wink to show that she was not truly put out.

Once the party was assembled, Darrett told them he had good news and bad news.  His scouts had found a canyon tamaghat led to the area Dalamar had identified, one surrounded by thick mountain ranges.  He believed it was the only way in or out.  Unfortunately, the Red Dragon Army was also there and their forces—which included dragonnel reinforcements—outnumbered that of the Kalaman expedition.  Furthermore, they were led by a mage named Lohezet and a priest named Belephaion, who were seeking an ancient weapon along with Lord Soth.  The canyon to the city was blocked by an old stone keep, whose walls were riddled passages.  One of them led to Wind’s End, a landing point for the dragonnels.  Despite the numbers, Darrett offered to attack the Red Dragon Army and draw them away long enough for the party to enter the city and find whatever weapons or secrets lay within.

Darrett admitted that his plan would cost many lives, if not the entire expedition, but he believed it was the only way to get the party into the canyon and prevent another settlement from meeting Vogler’s fate.  Godfrey and Rizira agreed on behalf of the party.  Darrett promised to have the army march at first light and meet them at the canyon.

As Levna made a comment about Darrett’s bravery, Godfrey remembered about Clystran.  They saw him sitting at the bar, alternating efforts between listening to their conversation and staring at the dragon egg.  Hazeal allowed that he’d had an eventful day and suggested he get some sleep.  As Godfrey chimed in that they all needed sleep, Rizira gently asked Ness for her assistance.  Ness declined, but vowed to be ready if the Dragon Army reached Heart’s Hollow.  Godfrey asked if Ness knew anyone else who could help.  Ness replied that there were few people she would send to help them, but did offer a gift.  While the party considered her words, Ness directed Clystran to get some sleep and put up the Dimernesti elves at his home.  Clystran reluctantly agreed and escorted the Dimernesti out with Kennah’s help—after the kender repeated her offer to Rizira.  Kelara admitted it was hard to choose one of them without knowing more about the nature of the gift.  Ness began to say she had been collecting some scales, then decided it would be easier to show them.

Ness brought the dragon egg into one of the back rooms.  Rizira called out to ‘Drazira’ and hoped they slept well.  The party could hear Ness tell the unborn dragon that that was not its name.  Moments later, Ness returned with a suit of scale mail… made out of bronze dragon scales.  After admiring its beauty, the party discussed who should wear the armour.  They considered Levna—both because she kept coming close to death and the suitability of her wearing armour made from her recent love interest.  Godfrey put forth Kelara’s name, citing the importance of keeping someone capable of divine healing and miracles alive, but admitted his words were not completely without bias.  Aurontiros recalled how, when they first met Kelara, she had hidden her staff under a potato sack to keep a low profile.  While they believed it fitting that she was no longer hiding her status as a cleric of Mishakal, they also recognized that she was a target and needed the protection.  Ness told them the armour would magically adjust itself to its wearer, but admitted she had a female form in mind when she made it.  She said her goodbyes, but not before reminding them about the back room.  They could hear her tell End to leave his medical supplies outside and swear him to secrecy regarding the egg in her hands.

Dalamar confirmed the party would hold up their end of their bargain before finding a booth to trance.  The adventurers agreed that Kelara would wear the bronze dragon scale mail and give her mithril armour to Hazeal.  Having made that decision, Levna ordered Kelara to accompany her to the back room.

After she was done with Kelara, Levna called Hazeal in to don the mithril while Kelara stepped out.  Godfrey was stunned by Kelara’s new appearance. After some effort, Levna managed to help Hazeal put on the new mithril.  Hazeal assured her that it would not interfere with her spellcasting.  Levna noted that Hazeal could still wear her red robes over the armour.

Levna presented Hazeal’s new look, though the change proved somewhat subtle.  With that, Levna declared that she would take advantage of the bed in the back room and invited one of the party to join her.  Kelara promptly went in to claim the bed, feeling she had earned a comfortable night’s sleep.  Noting that, Levna implied that she would join Kelara—unless Godfrey wanted to draw straws.  Godfrey demurred until Levna gave him a pointed look.  Levna held out some pieces of straw for Godfrey to choose—after clearly indicating which was the long one.  Taking the hint, Godfrey thanked Levna before picking the long straw.  Levna clapped Godfrey on the shoulder before asking Aurontiros to help her with her armour. Hazeal then retired for the night.

Ness prepared a nice hearty breakfast for the party.  As they emerged from their slumber, she asked each of them how they slept.  Rizira revealed she slept on a rock outside.  Levna stammered through her response, still unnerved at Ness’s draconic nature.  Hazeal admitted that she slept well enough.  Aurontiros was sitting by an open window where ivy had grown through, looking more tired than usual.  Ness wandered to the window and admired the plants growing around them. She then complimented Aurontiros in Common for their green thumb.  The conversation then moved to Levna’s relationship with Ness and developments in the relationship between Godfrey and Kelara.  Efforts to tease both groups were for naught.

Clystan entered the tavern, complimented the smells of the breakfast and announced he was ready to guide the party when they were ready.  The party told him they were almost ready.  When Hazeal wondered where Dalamar was, the elf appeared and told her he was enjoying one last drink.  Rizira hinted that she would be interested in the opportunity to turn any dragon teeth into weaponry.  Ness promised she would keep it in mind, but warned she was not old enough to be losing any teeth.  The conversation soon turned to the topic of baby teeth, where it was established that humans, kender and Silvanesti elves grew and shed their baby teeth before growing adult replacements.  Qualinesti elves, according to Aurontiros, only grew one set throughout their lives.  Hazeal said that dwarves also shed baby teeth before growing adult replacements, adding the claim that baby teeth subsequently transformed into rocks.

The party eventually finished and followed Clystran out of Heart’s Hollow and north across the Wastes, giving Camp Carrionclay a wide berth.  They eventually arrived at a cove that was lightly obscured by fog.  Dalamar reminded the party that he had been drawn to this location during his studies of the local ley lines and directed them to a cave, which proved to be the source of the fog.  As they approached, they were greeted by a howl.  A creature, similar to the one they fought in the Shadowfell, burst out of the cave and advanced upon them.

Rizira fired a rock at the creature with her hoopak.  After successfully hitting it in the head, she ran into the ribcage of an unknown creature and tried to Taunt it, but was unsuccessful in her attempt.  Aurontiros Misty Stepped on top of a nearby cliff face and fired their longbow, scoring a direct hit.  Godfrey rushed towards the creature, landed a blow and knocked it prone.  He struck it again while it was still down. Kelara cast Shield of Faith on Levna, then hit the creature with a Sacred Flame.  Levna charged forward and landed a critical hit.  Snarling, the creature rose to its feet and attacked Godfrey.  He deftly dodged the first attack, thanks in part to Levna lashing out with her greatsword, and retaliated.  He successfully dealt another wound and knocked the creature prone again.  It stood up and missed with its second attack on Godfrey.  The creature tried to pull Godfrey into its ribcage, but failed due to Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs. Hazeal hit the creature with her own Sacred Flame. Dalamar cast a Fireball, aiming his spell so the fiery explosion only killed the hostile creature—though Godfrey and Levna were knocked over.

After Dalamar and Hazeal cast Detect Magic, the group began to explore the cave.  Despite the fog, Rizira found a rounded piece of broken glass the size of her palm.  When she picked it up, the fog dissipated instantly.  Dalamar and Hazeal wondered aloud what had happened, while Aurontiros and Godfrey asked Rizira what she touched.  The kender proudly announced that she used magic.  Dalamar went to Rizira, followed by Hazeal, and persuaded her to give him the shard. Hazeal recognized the glass as the remnant of a destroyed Orb of Dragonkind.  She knew that the orbs, each of which were ten inches in diameter, had been forged long ago and were used at the five Towers of High Sorcery to defeat evil dragons in an ancient war.  If it was still intact and functioning, she knew it could have been used to cast a variety of spells.  Despite its broken status, it still emitted an aura of enchantment magic.

Dalamar felt it was the only item of interest in the cave and, when Hazeal asked, confirmed it was what he was looking for.  He asked to take the shard back with him for further study. Despite his attempts to convey a casual air of disinterest, Hazeal recognized that Dalamar strongly—even desperately—desired the shard. When Aurontiros asked, Dalamar told them it was a piece of glass—albeit a magical one. Seeking to gauge his reaction, Hazeal asked to examine the shard for herself.  She sensed some tension from Dalamar as she held the glass.  Subtly casting Message, she told Dalamar that she knew the shard was part of an Orb of Dragonkind and she recognized how much he wanted it.  She asked what he would do for them before returning the shard.  Using the magic of the cantrip, he replied that his previous assistance should have been payment enough. Levna loudly asked whether Hazeal and Dalamar were flirting. Hazeal disagreed with his assessment.  Through another Subtle casting of Message, she told Dalamar that his aid had not provided adequate compensation  given the value of the shard and requested a future boon  to balance the scales.  He quickly agreed to her demand.

Dalamar thanked the party for their assistance and felt it was time they went their separate ways.  He wished them the best of luck in finding the Lost City and hoped his guidance had helped to expedite their quest.  Aurontiros tried to persuade Dalamar to accompany them, but the Silvanesti demurred.  Dalamar turned to leave and promptly face-planted into the ground as his boot laces had been tied together.  Rizira claimed ignorance, but no one was fooled.  After Godfrey helped him up, Dalamar offered to share a magical secret with Rizira.

Once Dalamar had untied his laces, he took his leave.  Clystran led the party back to their camp, where they quickly met with Darrett.  He told them they had located the Red Dragon Army two miles north and were ready to march forth and provide a distraction.  The party considered timing the distraction to occur at or shortly before dawn, both to catch the enemy while most of them were sleeping and because Aurontiros had not enjoyed the benefits of a Long Rest, before deciding to make their move in the early morning. Hazeal dismissed and recast Mage Armour on Rizira.

At midnight, Darrett gathered the party together at a foldable table where a map was laid out.  He pointed out the location of Wind’s End and repeated their plan of having the expedition launch a diversionary attack while the party sneaked or fought through any hostiles at the landing point.  After everyone wished each other good luck, Hazeal Twin cast Death Ward on Darrett and Levna.  When a confused Darrett asked what happened, Hazeal simply told him to stay safe.  Aurontiros offered their own good wishes—and cast Longstrider on him.  They said their goodbyes once more before parting ways.

The party watched as the army made their final preparations, noting how the people of different races and cities were banding together against their common foe.  Before long, they set off—the Kalaman forces to march upon the Dragon Army camp while the party made their way to Wind’s End.  Before long, they saw the outpost, a ramshackle enclosure pressed against the cliff.  They saw how a strip of land had been cleared of rocks.  The party did not have to wait long before shouts rang out to the southwest, followed by smoke and alarm bells.  In the distance, they could see their comrades cut a swath through the unprepared Dragon Army camp.  As the chaos spread, most of the Dragon Army soldiers rushed to their dragonnel mounts and took off, leaving Wind’s End relatively undefended.

Moving up to Godfrey and Levna, Hazeal Twin cast Haste on them. Rizira attacked the closest Dragon Army officer and managed to land a Sneak Attack. Kelara tried to hit the Dragon Army officer that Rizira attacked with a Guiding Bolt.  Unfortunately, he dodged out of the way at the last second while avoiding one of Rizira’s attacks.  The spell destroyed one of the stable doors instead, allowing the dragonnel to emerge. Aurontiros decided to copy Dalamar and cast his own Fireball.  Before he finished his spellcasting, though, he gave Rizira Bardic Inspiration through his warning to duck.  The fiery explosion hit the dragonnel and two of the Dragon Army soldiers. The dragonnel flew at Aurontiros, who dodged both of its attacks.  Godfrey leapt at the dragonnel and unleashed a barrage of attacks that knocked the dragonnel prone.  He killed the creature with a slash to the throat before rushing to join Rizira and gave her a knowing nod.  Rizira dealt the officer a devastating blow that pinned him to the wall.  Seeing that, Godfrey surged forward and killed the officer.  He then switched places with Rizira before charging another Dragon Army officer and stabbing him. Levna joined Godfrey and decapitated the Dragon Army officer after three strikes. A dragonnel roared overhead and strafed the battlefield, throwing up a cloud of dust.

Hazeal ran towards the remaining Dragon Army officer, but was unable to do anything more due to the dust. Rizira Misty Stepped to the Dragon Army officer and stabbed him. Kelara dashed forward, coming to a stop behind Godfrey and Levna. Aurontiros went forward and activated his dancing longsword.  Unfortunately, the weapon was unable to hit the soldier. Godfrey attacked the last Dragon Army officer and dodged his retaliatory strike.  He motioned to Rizira, who launched herself off Godfrey and killed the officer with a stab to the eye. Looking ahead, the party saw a cargo-stuffed alcove at the north end of the dragonnel pens where several wooden boards leaned against the cliff wall.  Aurontiros noticed a gap between the boards and pointed it out.  Moving them aside, they revealed a passageway that wound into the cliff and towards the City of Lost Names (episode 25).

### City of Lost Names

The party entered the passage.  Levna lit a torch while Rizira took out her hooded lantern.  They noted that the ground seemed to slant slightly to the southwest.  After traveling for hundreds of feet through ancient stone, they passed a seam in the wall, after which the rock’s texture abruptly changed.  Hazeal noted that the passage ahead had formed naturally, but the surrounding rock was not from the Northern Wastes. Godfrey cautioned Rizira from scouting too far ahead.  Aurontiros felt the party should spread out so they were not all caught by a Fireball or any similarly unpleasant surprises.  After everyone agreed, Aurontiros gave a Motivational Speech.

Rizira was the first to note a fork in the corridor that split off to the north and south. Seconds later, the walls burst into green flame that rushed towards them.  Spectral dragon heads erupted from the flames as the corridor filled with furious, hissed words in an unknown language.  Levna was compelled to hit Godfrey, who was compelled to retaliate.  Rizira and Aurontiros were compelled to stab Levna in the back.  Hazeal was compelled to cast Green Flame Blade and attack Aurontiros with her warhammer, with magical fire splashing onto Kelara’s arm.  The spectral dragons then vanished.

Once she had come to her senses, Kelara shrieked, turned around and slapped Hazeal.  The party was confused, but recognized that something had made them attack each other.  Aurontiros offered to play a song they had been taught to ward off any more mental attacks, but warned it would compromise their ability to sneak through the passages.  Levna suggested the bard keep the melody prepared for the time being.  As Godfrey and Levna caught their second wind, some of the adventurers realized they had encountered ghosts of some sort and had been momentarily possessed—with the exception of Kelara, which Levna guessed was due to her being favoured by the gods.  Realizing this was the second time that Rizira had attacked her comrades because she had been possessed by an undead entity, Kelara cast Protection from Evil and Good on Rizira.

Rizira told the party that she had heard water trickling from the south and nothing but silence from the north.  With their assent, she scouted ahead down the southern passage.  She soon noticed a transition from a natural stone passage to a chamber with walls and a floor of worked marble blocks.  The chamber tilted to the southwest again, where a carving of a flying dragon could be partially seen.  However, the carving was partially submerged in water, which also flooded the hallway beyond.  Another passage to the north exited out of the room.  Looking closer, she noted that the flooded hallway had partially collapsed, but thought she could squeeze through.  She returned to the party, conveyed her findings and expressed her desire to explore the partially collapsed hallway.

After the party agreed, Rizira waded into the ice-cold water and easily made her way through the gap.  Godfrey waded into the water with her but waited for her return. As soon as she came back, she told the party there was a slaad and they had to go.  Godfrey asked her to repeat herself while Hazeal entered the water.  Rizira saw a light and dove underneath the surface before a fire ignited the oil slicked water.  Hazeal jumped out of the water in time, but Godfrey could not avoid getting burned.

Aurontiros granted Godfrey Bardic Inspiration and prepared to fire if anything emerged. Knowing that the surface of the water was on fire, Rizira decided to stay submerged, hide and wait to stab the slaad if it came through. Not knowing what to do, Kelara stood ready to clean any burning oil off Godfrey if he got out of the water. Hazeal cast Dragon’s Breath on herself and breathed a cone of cold air to put out the fire, covering the surface of the water and the collapsed hallway with ice.  Godfrey interposed his shield to keep himself from getting frostbitten, while a submerged Rizira managed to avoid the cold as well.  Hazeal then moved back from the water’s edge.  Levna urged Godfrey to get out of the water and pat out the remaining flames before standing ready to attack any hostiles. Realizing Rizira might be trapped underneath the newly formed ice, Godfrey broke it apart with the pommel of his sword—almost hitting the kender in the process.  He then moved out of the water, gritting his teeth at the burning oil that clung to him.  Kelara used her old cloak to smother the flames and wipe off the oil. Wading into the water, Aurontiros grabbed Rizira and pulled her to the edge of the water. Listening closely, Rizira could not see or hear any sign of the slaad coming through.

Hazeal told Aurontiros that she could maintain the spell for another minute.  Godfrey thanked Hazeal and Kelara, but regretted that he felt unbearably hot and cold at the same time.  Rizira explained that she had dodged Hazeal’s spell and confirmed the slaad was in the adjoining chamber (along with chairs, tables and a bar).  Aurontiros wondered if Hazeal could use her spell to freeze that chamber.  Hazeal allowed that it might be possible but could not be sure as she had never tried something like that.  She suggested leaving the slaad alone and continuing on their way—while keeping an eye behind them in case it tried to follow.

The party decided to follow Hazeal’s proposal and ventured north.  Godfrey offered to return Kelara’s cloak, but she told him to keep it.  The party began to enter a chamber whose floor was covered with mismatched bones.  The ceiling had caved in, allowing part of a building to fall into the cavern.  Wooden heads and decaying hats could be seen inside the structure.

Kelara and Rizira noticed a ten-foot tall statue buried within the rubble of the building.  After Rizira pointed the statue out to the others, she moved to get a closer look and was fascinated to see that some of the hats were still intact.  As she picked one up, she noticed the eerily-lifelike face of the statue before it rose to its feet. Rizira tried to Taunt the golem, only to find that it did not understand her.  Realizing that, she slid between its legs.  The golem hit her with its fists before she managed to run away and hide. Aurontiros, who was still in the partially submerged chamber, looked through their friends and saw the golem.  They cast Shatter on the golem before throwing their dancing longsword.  Unfortunately, the magical weapon bounced off the wall and landed in the golem’s outstretched hand. The golem looked around for Rizira.  Failing to find her, the construct hit Hazeal twice with its new longsword (despite Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs).  It also used its magic to Slow Levna and Aurontiros.  Kelara hugged the wall, moved around the golem and hit it with a Guiding Bolt. Hazeal swung her warhammer and used it to cast Earth Tremor, damaging the golem and knocking it prone.  She backed away, dodging its attack of opportunity. Levna slowly demanded that Hazeal enchant her weapon before stepping in front of the mage.  She was unable to strike the golem. Godfrey moved up and struck the prone golem twice, knocking Aurontiros’s sword out of its hand.

Whipping around the corner, Rizira unloaded her Wand of Magic Missiles on the golem.  She then ran around the building and hid again. Aurontiros cast Shatter again and was able to shake off the effects of the Slow spell. The golem rose to its feet and swung at Levna.  While it hit the knight, it could not shove her out of the way.  Having failed to open up a path to Hazeal, it settled for hitting Godfrey instead with its next attack. Kelara fired another Guiding Bolt before moving into a side passage, noting it was the fork in the tunnel that the party had seen earlier. Hazeal dealt the final blow, destroying the golem with a Fire Bolt.

The party reconvened in the chamber.  While Aurontiros recovered their dancing longsword, Kelara came out of the passage and assessed who needed healing.  Godfrey and Rizira both felt a rest was in order before they proceeded.  Levna was disappointed to learn that Hazeal could not permanently enchant her weapon.  Hazeal suggested that she stay between Godfrey and Levna, and they should not move away from her to engage any future enemies until she had a chance to cast her magic.  While the majority of the party rested, Kelara cast a Prayer of Healing.  A restless Rizira wandered away, eventually entering a chamber to the northeast.

She eventually returned after Kelara’s prayer was complete, carrying six intact bottles of wine.  Godfrey began to ask where she had gone before cutting himself off in resignation.  Rizira explained there were many bottles in one of the other chambers but had managed to find some that were not broken.  Wondering if they held red wine, she uncorked one of the bottles.  As a vinegary smell reached her nostrils, she peered inside and saw it contained a vibrant blue wine.  Before Godfrey could say anything or Aurontiros could do anything, Rizira took a sip and was immediately poisoned.  The kender promptly vomited, almost hitting Aurontiros with the spray.  The bard gently chastised Rizira for her impulsiveness, reminding her of a similar incident that occurred the first time they met.  They wondered why the wine—and vomit—was blue.  Aurontiros realized the wine was spoiled by the smell, guessing it had absorbed cobalt or some other blue mineral from the subterranean environment.  They hastened to give Rizira their water bead when she tried to take another sip of wine.

Looking at the wine, Hazeal realized the blue wine was marked with the symbol of the Kingpriest of Istar and thus hailed back to before the Cataclysm.  She also spotted a piece of paper adhered to one of the bottles that bore the Istarian words: “Onyari, the City Without Sin”.  Finally, she knew that an unopened bottle of this vintage would be worth two hundred steel coins to the right collector. Hazeal suddenly urged the party not to open any more bottles.  Aurontiros paused in the midst of smashing the bottles and turned towards her.  Hazeal explained that they were worth two hundred steel to the right collector as they were old and rare—though she conceded that the definition of ‘old’ and ‘rare’ could vary depending on one’s perspective and lifespan.  Rizira agreed to put them in her bag for safekeeping.  When Godfrey asked if the party was ready to move on, Rizira indicated that she was still feeling ill.  Aurontiros offered to give her one of the mushrooms they bought from Lavender.  Rizira decided to drink one of the potions she bought from Lavender instead. She hiccupped and promptly turned a vibrant, glowing shade of purple.

Hazeal wryly asked if she was feeling more like herself, while Godfrey wondered if it was kender rabies.  Levna sarcastically asked if she should put Rizira down and was quickly chastised by the kender.  Aurontiros asked if Rizira was all right.  Rizira assured them that she was fine, but observed that she had inexplicably turned purple.  Kelara observed that she seemed fine.  The party began to wonder if Rizira had gone from being poisoned to becoming poisonous and urged her to go after a suddenly frightened Levna.  Kelara put a stop to the antics by insisting she did not want to heal anyone unnecessarily.  Godfrey and Hazeal suggested that Rizira test out her potentially poisonous status on the next enemy they encountered.

Given that Rizira had thoroughly investigated the cavern to the northeast, they decided to head to the northwest.  Aurontiros reminded the party to spread out and decided to aid Rizira’s scouting by casting Greater Invisibility.  Rizira was delighted and, upon discovering that the spell had a limited duration, promptly ran off. Within a minute, the rest of the party began hearing a rattling noise ahead of them, followed by words that were hissed in the same unknown language.  Looking ahead, they saw enormous reptilian bones in the walls that began to move and form incomplete skeletons. Hazeal realized they were dragon bones.

The skeletons snarled at the adventurers and lurched out of the walls. Rizira ran back and attacked the closest skeleton before backing up.  However, she bumped into a large and similarly invisible figure.  Smelling the scent of oil, she suddenly realized a new enemy had joined the battle and warned her comrades that the slaad had returned. The incomplete dragon skeleton—as the party soon realized it was—crawled forward and flailed at a still-invisible Rizira, scoring a hit. Aurontiros cast a Fireball that hit two of the incomplete dragon skeletons.  Unbeknownst to the bard, Rizira was also burned by the flames.  They gave Godfrey Bardic Inspiration and told him he was needed. Hazeal Imbued Levna’s sword with magic—after teasingly asking if she wanted it—and stepped back around the corner. One of the burned incomplete dragon skeletons swiped at Aurontiros, but missed due to their Silvery Barbs.  The slaad suddenly appeared, raised its hands and cast a Fireball of its own that hit two incomplete dragon skeletons, Aurontiros, Levna and Hazeal.  Godfrey raised his shield in time to block the flames and take no damage.  Quietly enraged at getting burned (again), Levna rushed forward and smashed two incomplete dragon skeletons to smithereens.  She pointed her greatsword at the slaad and declared that the aberration was next. Kelara stepped into the corridor, assessed the situation and decided to hit the slaad with a Guiding Bolt. Godfrey shouted out, telling Rizira to attack the slaad.  The still-invisible kender promptly complied and stabbed the aberration.  He then advanced on the remaining incomplete dragon skeleton and chopped off one of its limbs.

Rizira slashed twice at the slaad, wounding it deeply. The incomplete dragon skeleton reared up, snarled and tried to swipe at Godfrey, only to hit the wall instead. Aurontiros moved forward and attacked the slaad with their longbow and dancing longsword. Feeling sorry for Levna’s suffering, Hazeal cast Haste on the knight. The slaad regenerated from some of its injuries and hurled a bolt of fire at Kelara.  It lashed out and tried to bite Rizira, but missed due to the distraction of Aurontiros’s Cutting Words.  The slaad then tried to retreat, only to die as Rizira lethally stabbed it through the jugular. Levna rushed forward and hacked the incomplete dragon skeleton apart, yelling that she was sick and tired of fighting dragons.

Godfrey asked his mentor if she felt better.  Levna admitted she did and asked about Rizira’s whereabouts.  As if on cue, Rizira materialized, threw up a puddle of purple vomit and returned to her natural colouration.  Levna implored her friends to continue until Hazeal dropped her Haste spell, at which point the knight agreed that they should take another break (episode 26).

The party found themselves back in the passages where they fought the incomplete dragon skeletons and found the partially submerged chamber.  Rizira searched the slaad’s body, found the walking stick that it had used to shoot fire and pointed it out to the spellcasters.  Hazeal believed the staff was not innately magical and had simply been used as an arcane focus.  Patting the slaad down some more, Rizira found a half-full wine flask and took a swig before anyone could stop her.  After she declared the wine was all right, Aurontiros and Rizira decided to take another rest in the flooded tavern.  Hazeal did not require any time, but agreed to stay instead of wandering off and starting another fight.  As Levna motioned for some of the wine Rizira found, Aurontiros serenaded them with a Song of Rest.  Godfrey began to wander around the tavern.

Noticing Godfrey had wandered through the room without triggering anything, Hazeal joined him.  Hazeal noticed the murals were from Istar and would be extremely valuable if they could be removed and brought to a museum.  She shared her observations after Godfrey mentioned the murals were pre-Cataclysm.  They hoped the paintings meant they were on the right track.

Levna wanted to know what Godfrey and Hazeal were talking about.  Aurontiros replied they were talking about old paintings.  Rizira asked to be carried over so she could see them.  After some discussion from the party, Godfrey offered to carry the ‘kender queen’ over so she could see the murals for herself.

Looking at the mural behind the bar, she realized there was a crack in the wall and a recess behind a broken tile in the mosaic.  Pulling it out, she avoided the rusty needle trap.  Peering into the recess, she found a small rusted lockbox.  She broke the needle with her warhammer to make sure no one got poisoned (or got tetanus).  After noting its size and the rudimentary lock on it, she brought it over to the others.

As Rizira looked for some tools to pick the lock, Hazeal decided to break it instead with her warhammer.  Unfortunately, her aim was off and she broke the actual box—along with its expensive-sounding contents—instead.  Out of amusement, Rizira picked the intact lock and, from how easily it opened, surmised that the box had not been properly locked in the first place.  Godfrey assured Hazeal that they were no worse off than they were before.  Aurontiros wryly observed that this was why they made a good team with Hazeal—they fixed things after she broke them—before casting Mending on the box.  Rizira opened the restored box and discovered some desiccated, but well-stamped, travel documents written in a language she could not read.  She also found what used to be a fabulous pearl necklace with gold inlay and a gold-and-sapphire pendant.  While the pendant was relatively intact, the pearl necklace had been crushed into dust.   Kelara and Rizira thought the pearl dust could be used as a spell component, causing Hazeal to rationalize that her slip was actually forethought on her part.  Aurontiros tried to restore the necklace with Mending but soon realized it would take far too long.  They suggested various means of accelerating the restoration but eventually conceded it was a lost cause.  After the party decided to pretend that they had found pearl dust and a pendant, Godfrey got them back on track by pointing out the set of double doors at the top of the stage.  When they agreed to investigate, he offered to carry Kelara across the water.  She happily accepted his gallant gesture.

Aurontiros was about to make the same offer to Hazeal but, seeing she and Rizira had already waded through the water to the doors, turned to Levna.  The knight sarcastically agreed to jump into their arms.  Kelara suggested that Aurontiros was asking to be carried instead.  Aurontiros took advantage of Levna’s sarcastic offer and hopped into her arms.  One by one, they made their way over.  Rizira listened by the doors and, hearing nothing, opened them.  Before Godfrey could stop her, she entered the room.  Hazeal was right behind her.

They saw crumbled chairs toppled throughout the room.  A bas-relief of dragons bowing respectfully over a large dragon corpse hung by the north wall, while a dragon skull was mounted on the east. Hazeal saw the relief was made of a different stone than the surrounding area, meaning it was carved somewhere else and transported here.  She also noted that the people who moved it were not particularly skilled. Moments later, green flames blazed from the eyes of the dragon skull.  Beneath it, the incorporeal bones of a phantasmal dragon appeared and began to speak in Draconic.  Unfortunately, neither of them were fluent in the language.  Hazeal put a hand on Rizira’s shoulder and told her she had an idea.

Speaking in Istarian, she said they meant no harm and asked it to let them pass.  The spirit replied in the same language but indicated that it was outraged.  It accused her of building a throne on the graves of its people and using its ancestors to fuel her ambition.  However, it noted that its kind had struck hers down after the gods had left and declared that her return would be met by its own. Rizira turned back and gave the others a thumbs-up. Hazeal explained she was speaking Istarian as she did not know its language and that her companions sought to save this place from invaders. The spectre gave a nod and vanished.  At the same time, the green lights in the skull’s eyes went out.  Moments later, they were joined by Aurontiros, Godfrey, Kelara and Levna.

Rizira thought the conversation went well.  Hazeal corrected her mistake, explaining the spirit was offended by the language she chose, but was convinced that they meant no harm to it or its kin.  She believed they could safely pass through this area but advised them not to touch anything.  The party slowly went through the room towards another set of double doors.  Aurontiros decided to listen and see if they could hear anything.

Aurontiros told the others that they did not hear anything.  Rizira pushed into the room before they finished.  She found herself in a worked stone room filled with laboratory equipment, including vials of colourful liquids, glass lenses and live mice in cages.  There were several shelves overflowing with books.  She noticed that there was no dust on the floor and the books were well taken care of.  Relaying her observations, she asked if they wanted to wait and see if anyone came back.  Hazeal wanted to look around.  Aurontiros decided to join Hazeal and Rizira while Godfrey, Kelara and Levna waited outside.  Kelara called out to Rizira, telling her not to drink anything. Hazeal was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of pre-Cataclysm books and began flipping through random books.  She was eventually roused when Rizira told her she found a book full of rituals.  Looking over, she saw the symbol of a Phantom Steed ritual on the cover of the book and was intrigued.

Godfrey called out into the next room and asked Hazeal for more information about the conversation she held with the spirit.  Hazeal replied that she couldn’t understand it at first but learned she was speaking the language of the people who they defeated at one point and had hunted them in return.  After she explained that she had only chosen that language because she did not speak its own.  The spirit seemed to indicate that it could easily crush her party and, having dismissed them as a threat, sent them on their way.  Levna was somewhat mollified and pushed past Godfrey and Kelara into the study.

Reading the book, Hazeal found references to a flying city called Onyari.  During the Third Dragon War, a conflict that occurred generations before the Cataclysm, the legendary Human Dragonbane defeated Takhisis and thwarted her efforts to conquer Krynn.  When the Dragon Queen left their world, her chromatic dragon servants followed.  To maintain the balance between good and evil, most of Krynn’s metallic dragons decided to retreat to the hidden reaches of the world.  Centuries later, the last kingpriest rose to power in the land of Istar.  Envisioning a paradise for those he deemed righteous, he created a flying island with his servants—which he named Onyari, the City Without Sin—and decreed that he and his worthiest—and wealthiest—subjects would live there like gods, freed of mortal limitations.  However, the kingpriest and his servants hid the fact that the city was built upon an ancient sacred site, where dragons of Krynn had gone to die for millenia, and used the magical resonance of the buried dragons to lift the city into the sky.

The remaining metallic dragons were furious when they learned of the desecration.  While some advocated restraint, the gold dragon Karavarix led a contingent of metallic dragons to Onyari with the goal of forcing the city to land.  Paladine tasked Zanas Sarlamir, a Knight of Solamnia, with finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.  However, Sarlamir failed and ultimately killed Karavarix.  The resulting battle led to Sarlamir’s death and the flying city to fall apart across the Northern Wastes, with the bulk of it crashing in its final resting place.  The kingpriest suppressed all records of Onyari and those who knew of the city refused to speak its name.  After the Cataclysm, the few who remembered Onyari called it the City of Lost Names.

Furthermore, Hazeal also recognized that the party now carried the lance that slew Karavarix.  She continued reading, oblivious to the fact that the party had entered the next room.

Rizira called out to Hazeal, suggesting there was someone she should meet.  Looking up, Hazeal wondered where everyone had gone.  Kelara explained they had entered the next room.  The red-robed figure greeted them with a nod and said they should proceed with the assessment.  She held up the gem, which abruptly shattered and filled the room with blue light. A swirling vortex appeared in the centre of the room, quickly manifesting as an air elemental whose outline resembled a dragon. Rizira ran up and tried to attack, but missed.  She tried to Taunt the air elemental, only to realize it could not understand her.  She dove into the rubble to try and climb, but failed. The air elemental advanced on Aurontiros and Godfrey and turned into a vortex.  Godfrey was buffeted by debris.  Aurontiros was flung backwards into Levna, knocking them into a bookcase that fell atop of them.  The air elemental then punched Godfrey, who responded with a Riposte.  Aurontiros Misty Stepped into the room and materialized next to the red-robed figure.  Despite her efforts to dodge any attacks, they managed to hit her with their blade.  Hearing the kerfuffle, Kelara moved up, stopped in front of Levna and peered into the next room.  Seeing a draconic-shaped air elemental pummeling Godfrey, she Twin cast Shield of Faith on Levna and Godfrey and fired a Sacred Flame at the air elemental.  Finally putting the book down, Hazeal walked over to Levna and Imbued her sword. Levna thanked Hazeal.  After Godfrey allowed her to go first, she entered the room and hit the air elemental twice.  Godfrey switched positions with Levna and attacked the air elemental, slashing through its ethereal form several times.

Rizira attacked the red-robed figure but missed, due in part to the Shield she raised.  The kender then dove between her legs and slid into the next room. The air elemental tried to hit Godfrey but missed.  Godfrey failed to retaliate.  It continued to attack Godfrey and Levna, but neither of them were hit. Aurontiros cast Command on the red-robed figure to make her lie down, but she resisted their spell.  Seeing that, they asked for Rizira’s help and gave her Bardic Inspiration. Kelara hit the air elemental with another Sacred Flame. Hazeal cast Blindness on the air elemental. Godfrey and Levna struck the air elemental simultaneously and discorporated the creature.

Holding up her hand, the red-robed figure told the party to halt.  She pushed back her hood and removed her mask, revealing the features of an elven woman.  She explained that she sought to appraise their abilities and wished to speak.  Godfrey invited her to proceed as Hazeal entered the room. Rizira picked up a wand lying on the bed, drawing everyone’s attention when it sent a flash of light into her eyes.  The robed woman asked Rizira if she was done.  Godfrey pointed out she was in no position to reprimand anyone after the greeting she gave them and told her to say her piece.  The woman replied that they had invaded her home but introduced herself as Demelin, High Wizard of Onyari and revealed that the city had seen other visitors recently.  She noted that the outside world seemed to have remembered the existence of her home, though not its lessons.

Rizira was fascinated to learn Demelin had lived when the city flew through the skies and asked whose side she had served.  After a pause, Demelin admitted she had helped the city rise into the skies and watched her hubris be rewarded by witnessing the city fall.  She allowed Aurontiros to amuse themselves with a few jokes before confirming the party was not aligned with the Dragon Army.  She wanted to evict the Dragon Army so the city would never rise and asked for their help.  Demelin admitted she did not know why the Dragon Army were exploring Onyari, but suspected it had something to do with the magical resonances of the city.  Rizira explained the Dragon Army was looking for a weapon.  Demelin replied that the city could be used as a weapon, were it restored and made capable of flying.  She went on to explain that the city was built on a graveyard of metallic dragons and had been used for ill purposes in the past.  Rizira asked some more questions.  She learned that her bone-laden attire was a deliberate choice to remind her of her past mistakes and she used the mice to further her arcane knowledge.  Demelin offered to serve them tea and show them the geography of the area.

Kelara stayed behind Levna, having been thoroughly intimidated by the wizard.  Demelin invited her to join the others in her apartment for tea and biscuits, but asked Rizira to put down her dream diary as it was difficult enough for elves to dream at all.  Unrolling a map of the City of Lost Names on her dining room table, Demelin began pointing out locations.  She revealed that they were presently in an area called the Path of Memories, located near the east, before pointing out the Bastion of Takhisis, the Threshold of the Heavens and the Temple of Paladine in the south, centre and north, respectively.

Rizira introduced herself and declared herself as the kender queen.  Demelin politely noted how much things had changed if the kender had established a monarchy before noting that the Dragon Army was likely in the Threshold of the Heavens, as it held the city’s flying controls.  She revealed that they had been searching that area, coming and going from a nearby mansion that they had commandeered as a command post.  Godfrey was dismayed to learn that Onyari held a shrine to Takhisis.  Demelin calmly pointed out the city also had a shrine to Paladine.  Hazeal reminded him that the city was very old.  Rizira asked for more information on the Dragon Army and learned they had entered the city from the south, along with a strange undead creature of great power.  The party recognized the latter as Lord Soth and knew they were in the right location.

Recalling Godfrey’s concern about the Bastion of Takhisis, Demelin asked why they were in the City of Lost Names.  Godfrey explained they were trying to stop the Dragon Armies from conquering the world.  Kelara revealed they had destroyed her home, while Rizira added there were at least two Dragon Armies that they knew of.  Levna confirmed the location of the Temple of Paladine and asked if that was what they were looking for.  Godfrey revealed it was where they were supposed to bring the dragonlance there.  When Demelin expressed interest in the dragonlance, Kelara gave a rambling explanation of how they had found it.  Demelin walked up to Godfrey with a strange look on her face and ran a finger along his armour.  The party added that Godfrey wore Sarlamir’s armour, per his spirit’s request.  Demelin was amused to learn that the dragonlance they carried was Sarlamir’s as well, feeling this was no mere coincidence and agreeing that they should visit the Temple of Paladine.  In the meantime, she invited the party to rest and recuperate.

Rizira asked Aurontiros if they could convince the mice to serve as scouts.  Demelin protested, wishing to keep some companionship, but allowed them to take Rattles, as he was the runt of the litter.  She asked the party questions about various areas throughout the Northern Wastes and how they had changed over the centuries, before asking Hazeal if she was still an apprentice mage.  Hazeal admitted she was, though she had been given a provisional promotion to the rank of mage.  Demelin told her that Onyari was not a place for novices and if Hazeal intended to continue, she should do so as a true mage.  As a master of the Tower of High Sorcery in Istar, she offered to administer the Test of High Sorcery after she had the chance to rest.  Hazeal eagerly accepted, told Godfrey that there was nothing he could do to help her and thanked the mage.  With a disturbing smile, Demelin warned Hazeal that her thanks were premature (episode 27).

Demelin asked Hazeal if she wanted to take the Test immediately or take some time to rest, warning her that magic rarely waited for ideal circumstances.  Having come to the same conclusion about magic, Hazeal declared she was ready to take the Test now.  When Demelin asked if anyone else wished to take the Test, Hazeal replied that she was the only one who had dedicated her life—or a significant amount of it—to the pursuit of magic.  She allowed that some of her companions had dabbled, glancing at Aurontiros and Rizira.

Turning to Aurontiros, Demelin asked them if they were an aspiring mage.  Aurontiros replied that they had lived for some time and felt the pursuit of magic was inevitable.  Demelin warned that there would be no turning back after taking the Test and that magic would dominate the rest of their life.  Aurontiros took her warning to heart, but indicated they would indeed take the Test.

Moving to Rizira, Demelin asked the kender if she was a wizard.  Taking her Wand of Magic Missiles out, she tried to use it—having forgotten it had run out of charges.  She replied that she viewed herself as someone who borrowed magic, rather than a practitioner.  Demelin guessed that her talents might lie elsewhere.  Rizira admitted that she was interested and that Hazeal had offered to take on apprentices should she pass her Test, but felt she was more inclined to martial or stealthy pursuits.  Demelin took this as an indication that Hazeal and Aurontiros would be the only candidates.

Demelin motioned to an old wooden table, which bore a spiralling checkerboard top for some ancient elven game, and asked Godfrey and Levna to move it to a pair of chairs.  They complied, but visibly struggled to carry it over.  Once it had been set down, Demelin gestured for Hazeal and Aurontiros to sit. When they did so, she began the Test.  As the lights flickered and spectral green flames traced the walls, she told them that it traditionally consisted of several trials and spell battles.  Given their adventures and how far they had gone, she felt it was fitting to give them the last trial to answer an important question.  She lifted a pair of old goblets and held them out.  The green flames flew out from the walls, swirled around and landed in the goblets.  As she placed the goblets before Hazeal and Aurontiros, she told them it was time to find out who they really were.  Demelin said that the contents of one goblet would grant the drinker great magical power, while the other would either kill them or strip them of their magic.  She invited them to conduct whatever investigation they desired before making a choice, as she would only grant mastery of the magical arts to one mage—who would need all their power to face what was to come.

Hazeal and Aurontiros looked at each other in silence.  Eventually, Aurontiros said they might be a stepping stone for something greater.  Hazeal slowly admitted that she did not want to impede their progress.  They acknowledged that magic was all she had after leaving Thorbardin and had been the driving goal of her life.  However, they both expressed a willingness to wait, if that was what fate had in store of them, along with gratitude for their friendship.

Turning to Demelin, Hazeal asked if it was too late to ask if they could share.  Demelin replied that they could do whatever they desired.  Aurontiros volunteered to drink first and see if they could cast any magic afterwards.  Hazeal decided to cast Detect Magic instead. She saw that the goblet closest to Aurontiros brimmed with enchantment and transmutation magic, while the one in front of her glowed with necromantic magic. Once her spell was cast, Hazeal picked up the goblet in front of Aurontiros and examined it. She saw the liquid was clear as water, but warm and comforting to the touch. After a pause, she drank half of its contents. She felt magic flood through her as some of her spent power was restored. Hazeal then handed the goblet to Aurontiros.  Declaring that if it was good enough for Hazeal, it was good enough for them, Aurontiros drank the remaining liquid.  The pewter goblet turned to sand in their hands.

Hazeal’s robes suddenly shimmered and turned a full red hue.  Demelin congratulated them on passing their Test of High Sorcery.  She then expressed some uncertainty on the designs of the Dragon Armies, though she suspected they wanted to use Onyari as a weapon.  However, the means of preventing its flight and its weapon systems from being used again were lost to time.  She asked for the party’s help.  Rizira agreed on behalf of the party before voicing her surprise on how easy the test was.  Hazeal replied that the test lay in its uncertainty.  Demelin bid Hazeal and Aurontiros to rise and greet their friends as full-fledged Mages of High Sorcery.  As they did so, Godfrey offered his congratulations and Kelara applauded while Hazeal and Aurontiros shook hands.

Demelin guided the conversation back to the matter at hand and raised a hand.  One of her rings sparkled and the wall that held the mantle and cups faded away, revealing a circular chamber within.  Demelin explained that great magics had raised Onyari into the sky, only to be lost during the war with the dragons.  She had saved her most powerful magics until spellcasters arrived who were worthy enough for the task at hand.  Their mission, should they choose to accept it, was to step into the chamber and go back in time to retrieve the spellbook that contained those magics before they were destroyed.  Specifically, Demelin would send them back to the day the tome was destroyed, the city fell and everyone (except Demelin herself) died—in order to prevent any changes to the timeline.  She and her fellow wizards would use the spellbook to thwart any plans the Red Dragon Army had for Onyari. Godfrey and Hazeal sensed no ill intent from her.

After providing directions on where to find the tome, Demelin added that she needed to stay behind to keep the portal open.  Aurontiros was concerned that the other party members needed to recover their strength or—looking at Hazeal—magics.  Demelin warned that the longer they waited, the greater the chance that the Red Dragon Army seized control of Onyari.  Given the urgency of the situation, the party decided to have a Short Rest.  Godfrey asked her where they could find the books.  Demelin told him they were held in the Great Library and pointed out its location on the nearby map.

Rizira entered the chamber once they had rested.  Levna, after consulting with the party, stayed behind—both to make sure Demelin did not betray them and to protect her from the Red Dragon Army.  Demelin emphasized that it would take all her power and concentration to maintain the portal, but she would try to keep it in the same location for their return.  The party acknowledged that time travel was a new prospect for them, despite everything they had seen.  Hazeal admitted that it was beyond her experience.

With that, Demelin began her spellcasting and opened a breach in the middle of the chamber that flashed three times before sending the party back through time.  The stones beneath their feet were replaced by cobblestones.  Wind blew past their faces and the sounds of screams pierced the air.  As their vision cleared, the party found themselves in Onyari, back at the height of its glory when it flew through the sky.  All around them, people fled in terror as dragons strafed the city, toppling buildings and killing countless civilians.  Behind them, the party saw the portal flickering… and an immense marble building.  Using her knowledge of Istarian, Hazeal read the building’s placard and identified it as the Great Library of Onyari.

Rizira dashed into the library and saw various scholars looking up in horror.  A shriek gave the only warning before the overhead dome shattered in an explosion of lightning.  Rizira avoided the falling debris, but one of the scholars was not so fortunate.  She warned the other scholars to seek shelter by the walls.  Looking around, she saw a bust of Paladine, oriented herself and broke into a run.  Hazeal cast Longstrider and ran into the library, arriving in time to see the scholar die and Rizira run off.  Aurontiros ran into the library, passing Rizira and Hazeal and pulling into the lead.

As Rizira dashed through the library, she saw a large case that held a moonstone-tipped staff, a spellbook bound in red leather and a golden medallion with a burning eye at its centre.  She picked the lock and turned to smile at her friends… before the arcane trap went off and disintegrated her in a flash of green light.

Hazeal was flung into a nearby bookshelf, breaking her arm as books rained down on her.  She ran to the chest, casting Detect Magic en route.  Her spell detected abjuration magic from the staff, evocation magic from the medallion and many types of magic from the book.  Aurontiros looked for any sign of Rizira, finding only the stick she used to keep in her hair, before giving Hazeal Bardic Inspiration.

Reaching the chest, Hazeal pulled out the spellbook.  She felt herself swelling with energy and sensed the tome held more arcane knowledge than she had ever seen before.  Looking at Aurontiros, she told them to grab the remaining items if they desired, but she had acquired their objective and chose to flee.  She began running back to the library’s entrance.  Aurontiros put Rizira’s stick in their hair and grabbed the staff and medallion, as they believed Rizira would have done, before following Hazeal.

Kelara fired her crossbow and hit the dragon with a Divine Strike before Twin casting Shield of Faith on herself and Godfrey.  In response, Godfrey moved between Kelara and the dragon and urged her to unearth the gate so they could escape.  He then attacked the dragon and knocked it prone.  Outraged, the dragon unleashed another breath of cold, which Godfrey and Hazeal shrugged off.  Godfrey and the dragon exchanged attacks.

Hazeal and Aurontiros emerged from the library and were dismayed to see Godfrey and Kelara fighting a silver dragon.  They decided that the portal should be their priority as it was buried in ice.  The Fire Bolt and Fireball that Hazeal and Aurontiros cast, respectively, melted enough ice to open a fissure to the portal.  The party could hear Levna yell over the sounds of battle, warning that the gate could not be maintained for much longer.  Kelara hit the dragon with a Guiding Bolt.  However, the dragon responded with a cone of cold that froze Godfrey solid.

The dragon stepped on the frozen Godfrey and loomed over the adventurers.  It tried to bite Kelara but missed, allowing Kelara to hit it with another Guiding Bolt to the face. Looking at the portal, Hazeal decided there was just enough room to send the book—or Rizira, if she was still alive—through.  She told Aurontiros and Kelara to get to the portal while she retrieved Godfrey.  Hazeal then ran to the ice, tossed the spellbook through the portal, ran to Godfrey and stood between him and the dragon.  Aurontiros used the last of their magic to cast Shatter on the dragon before drawing their sword.  However, they saw a nearby spire topple over—threatening a woman who was trying to guide three elven children.  They called out to Hazeal and directed her attention to the spire before Misty Stepping to the civilians.  Aurontiros pushed them out of the way… before the tower crashed down and buried them.  Kelara moved a few steps closer to the portal while tears streamed down her face and hit the dragon with another Divine Strike from her crossbow.

Glaring at Hazeal, the dragon ordered her in Common to flee.  Before the dwarf could respond, it breathed another burst of ice at Kelara and she went down.  Hazeal acknowledged the dragon’s demand with a salute, grabbed Godfrey’s body and Thunder Stepped to the portal.  The resulting thunder damage dealt the final blow and killed it.  When she materialized at the portal, she realized it was only large enough to send one person through at a time.  She quickly concluded that she could not save Aurontiros or Godfrey without help.  To make matters worse, when Hazeal took a closer look, she realized she only had time to send one person through before the portal collapsed.  After a moment’s thought, she grabbed Kelara’s body and pushed her through the gate.  As the portal vanished, a gold dragon landed on the ice.  Looking down, it let out a terrifying growl before it opened its mouth and the world disappeared in flame.

As the smell of tea filled the air, Hazeal and Aurontiros returned to consciousness.  They realized that their harrowing ordeal in ‘Onyari’ was nothing more than a shared dream.  However, Aurontiros’s clothes had transformed into a set of white robes, while Hazeal’s robes were definitively red.

Demelin congratulated them as full-fledged Mages of High Sorcery before she was interrupted by a loud slurp.  Turning around, they saw Rizira finish drinking the remaining goblet of tea without realizing what she was doing.  A dumbstruck Demelin began to ask what Rizira had done before the cup exploded in her hand, as green flame danced between the kender’s fingers.  Demelin told the party that the tea was not meant for anyone who was not a mage with a burst of green flame and, fighting through her shock, realized that the kender had learned (or stolen) magic.  Rizira was delighted with the development and wondered what she could do.  Aurontiros told her she would have to find out for herself.

Godfrey asked Hazeal and Aurontiros how they were doing.  Hazeal was silent, but Aurontiros struggled to understand what had—or had not—happened.  Demelin explained the other adventurers had watched their dream unfold, which Kelara compared to a play.  Godfrey quietly told Demelin that the Test was cruel.  Demelin replied that life was cruel and magic was crueler.  As Rizira experimented with her newfound magic, Aurontiros observed that Demelin was indirectly responsible for the unintended outcome.  Demelin acknowledged that she would likely be dismissed from the Mages of High Sorcery as punishment if the Tower in Istar still stood.  She then told Hazeal and Aurontiros that they had proven how, in the darkest hour, they would prioritize other people and magic before themselves.  As such, they had earned their robes.

Aurontiros thought back to the people they had seen.  Demelin confirmed that they had all died when Onyari fell and she was not aware of any other survivors.  She asked them if they would do whatever was necessary to stop a similar calamity from happening again.  When Hazeal said yes, Demelin told them to stop the Red Dragon Army.  Hazeal and Aurontiros vowed that they would.

Kelara slid over to Hazeal and offered her some warm tea.  Putting an arm around the dwarf, she thanked her for ‘saving’ her life.  When Hazeal tensed up, Kelara enveloped the mage in a full hug.  Eventually, Hazeal relaxed and told Kelara she was their best hope.  Rizira then realized that she had ‘died’.  Kelara convinced the kender to check for traps, despite her newly acquired magic, before rounding on Godfrey.  Despite his protests that it was not real, Kelara, Rizira and Hazeal pointed out that his copy’s inclination for sacrifice over tactics was eerily accurate.

Demelin invited them to rest for the night in her workshop, but urged them to head into the city as soon as possible.  She then allowed that it had been a trying day and retired for the night.  Rizira wondered if all Tests were like that.  Hazeal replied that, from what she had heard, every Test was different.  However, there was always a choice to be made.  Godfrey assured Hazeal and Aurontiros that they had made the right choice and asked again how they were doing.

The more perceptive party members noticed that Hazeal’s eyes had changed from stone-grey to a bright, molten, golden yellow.  Rizira was the first to bring it to the party’s attention.  Hazeal displayed little reaction to the apparent change in eye colour.  Rizira also noticed that Aurontiros was uncharacteristically silent as they were coming to terms with what they had just experienced.  Godfrey suggested they eat and get some rest.  The rest of the party agreed with his suggestion and, after consuming their meal, retired for the night.

Demelin congratulated them as full-fledged Mages of High Sorcery before she was interrupted by a loud slurp.  Turning around, they saw Rizira finish drinking the remaining goblet of tea without realizing what she was doing.  A dumbstruck Demelin began to ask what Rizira had done before the cup exploded in her hand, as green flame danced between the kender’s fingers.  Demelin told the party that the tea was not meant for anyone who was not a mage with a burst of green flame and, fighting through her shock, realized that the kender had learned (or stolen) magic.  Rizira was delighted with the development and wondered what she could do.  Aurontiros told her she would have to find out for herself.

Godfrey asked Hazeal and Aurontiros how they were doing.  Hazeal was silent, but Aurontiros struggled to understand what had—or had not—happened.  Demelin explained the other adventurers had watched their dream unfold, which Kelara compared to a play.  Godfrey quietly told Demelin that the Test was cruel.  Demelin replied that life was cruel and magic was crueler.  As Rizira experimented with her newfound magic, Aurontiros observed that Demelin was indirectly responsible for the unintended outcome.  Demelin acknowledged that she would likely be dismissed from the Mages of High Sorcery as punishment if the Tower in Istar still stood.  She then told Hazeal and Aurontiros that they had proven how, in the darkest hour, they would prioritize other people and magic before themselves.  As such, they had earned their robes.

Aurontiros thought back to the people they had seen.  Demelin confirmed that they had all died when Onyari fell and she was not aware of any other survivors.  She asked them if they would do whatever was necessary to stop a similar calamity from happening again.  When Hazeal said yes, Demelin told them to stop the Red Dragon Army.  Hazeal and Aurontiros vowed that they would.

Kelara slid over to Hazeal and offered her some warm tea.  Putting an arm around the dwarf, she thanked her for ‘saving’ her life.  When Hazeal tensed up, Kelara enveloped the mage in a full hug.  Eventually, Hazeal relaxed and told Kelara she was their best hope.  Rizira then realized that she had ‘died’.  Kelara convinced the kender to check for traps, despite her newly acquired magic, before rounding on Godfrey.  Despite his protests that it was not real, Kelara, Rizira and Hazeal pointed out that his copy’s inclination for sacrifice over tactics was eerily accurate.

Demelin invited them to rest for the night in her workshop, but urged them to head into the city as soon as possible.  She then allowed that it had been a trying day and retired for the night.  Rizira wondered if all Tests were like that.  Hazeal replied that, from what she had heard, every Test was different.  However, there was always a choice to be made.  Godfrey assured Hazeal and Aurontiros that they had made the right choice and asked again how they were doing.

The more perceptive party members noticed that Hazeal’s eyes had changed from stone-grey to a bright, molten, golden yellow.  Rizira was the first to bring it to the party’s attention.  Hazeal displayed little reaction to the apparent change in eye colour.  Rizira also noticed that Aurontiros was uncharacteristically silent as they were coming to terms with what they had just experienced.  Godfrey suggested they eat and get some rest.  The rest of the party agreed with his suggestion and, after consuming their meal, retired for the night. Overcome by what she had experienced, Hazeal cast Silence and cried herself to sleep.  As she slipped into slumber, she remembered leaning against her father’s leg as a child and how he would run his rough stoneworker hands through her hair while whispering reassurances to her.

In the morning, the party ate their breakfast.  They felt the ground quiver under their feet and saw mist flow out from the door of the nearby apartment.  Demelin opened the door and bid them farewell before Hazeal cast Mage Armour on Rizira and the party left the workshop.  They went down a path and emerged outdoors, where they saw a glittering city of broken domes and jagged towers, scarred by fire and floods, that sloped into the basin of a vast crater.  In the centre, they saw a delicate tower of sharp marble and graceful buttresses, rising from a rocky foundation that floated off the ground.  Looking around, they also saw the Temple of Paladine and the Bastion of Takhisis.  Godfrey asked where they should go first.  Rizira reminded them they had to bless Sarlamir’s dragonlance.  Hazeal agreed with Rizira’s suggestion, marveling at how much had changed since they had left Kalaman.  Still concerned, Godfrey asked if Hazeal and Aurontiros were okay.  Hazeal assured him she was fine.  Levna asked if they were ready.  Kelara, with forced confidence, declared her readiness to fight the Dragon Army while Rizira showed off what she could do by casting Green Flame Blade.

It was then that something drew Levna’s attention.  Following her gaze to the southwest, they heard the crack of shearing stone from a distant temple that was surrounded by troops.  On the temple roof, they saw a figure holding a scepter that crackled with familiar violet flame.  Moments later, a skeletal dragon scaled the temple and screeched out loud before pausing before the figure, who climbed onto its back.  The two rose into the air and circled the city before flying south and out of sight.  Aurontiros, Rizira and Kelara were the first to recognize the figure as Lord Soth, from the images they saw in the catacombs below Castle Kalaman.

After they recovered from their shock, they decided to head for the Temple of Paladine.  Before they could move, the fargab crackled to life and Rookledust’s voice rang out, asking if the party was okay.  Not waiting for their reply, she reported that the Kalaman army had seen the undead dragon.  Furthermore, the expedition was in retreat with the Red Dragon Army in pursuit.  However, Rookledust was confident the Kalaman forces could retreat safely and hinted she had some tricks to deal with their pursuers.  She urged the party to find and eliminate the leaders of the Dragon Army contingent within the city.  Godfrey wished Rookledust good luck and promised they would do their best (episode 28).

As they began planning their route, they noted the crater that Onyari lay in was anywhere from sixty to one hundred feet deep.  They could hear the growls of draconians and other unseen monsters.  Despite the low-lying haze and dust, the daylight allowed everyone to confirm the city was in ruins and how many buildings displayed signs of damage or collapse.  The amount of damage and broken ground made it difficult and tiring for the adventurers to travel through the city.

They noticed a number of bridges that remained intact despite the crash and passage of time.  Rizira and Kelara noted troop movement on the nearest bridges, located to the south, which encouraged the party to head north and avoid them.  After two hours, they rounded a corner and saw a partially-collapsed aqueduct.  Kelara saw a trickle of water which suggested that some part of the aqueduct system remained intact and the water was probably safe to drink.  When she pointed it out to the others, Levna expressed some amount of wariness.  Rizira reminded them of the water beads they carried, but Hazeal pointed out that they only had a limited amount.  Levna advised them to take note of its location so they could return if they needed water. While their companions talked, Aurontiros sat down near the fallen aqueducts.  They soon returned and revealed that they had made a grisly discovery.  Before they could say any more, Rizira darted off to investigate.

Hazeal was the first to join Rizira and saw some words carved into a cobblestone that read “We deserve this.”  She told the others what the inscription said, though she was not sure how the words had been carved until Rizira revealed the dagger she had found.  Hazeal quietly scolded Rizira for her impulsiveness and begged her to exercise more caution, as she remembered how her illusory copy died during the Test and did not want to see that again.  Aurontiros joked that Rizira should at least hand over her possessions first so they would not be disintegrated along with the kender.

Godfrey suggested that the adventurers should avoid disintegration and stick together, subtly directing his words at Rizira.  As Aurontiros revealed their previous words had been intended as a joke, Godfrey decided to take a sip of water from the aqueducts. Moments later, Godfrey and Kelara waved their hands at the rest of the party, warning them to be quiet.

While he did not understand the words, Godfrey felt the words sounded like bickering or haggling, rather than anything more serious.  The party debated whether they should investigate or send an ‘ambassador,’ with Rizira ultimately suggesting that Hazeal try to listen for herself.  With the aid of an ear horn that Aurontiros lent her, Hazeal told them that she heard the word “cheater”.  Godfrey wondered if the voices were Dragon Army soldiers until Hazeal revealed that they were talking in Istarian.  Aurontiros suggested that Rizira sneak up on the ghosts.  The kender immediately agreed and disappeared, despite Godfrey’s protests about the party sticking together.

Rizira soon returned and reported that she saw three ghosts, one of whom was demanding to speak to the manager regarding the price of wine. Hazeal felt that made sense, given what she’d overheard.  Rizira then remembered seeing an intact bottle on the shelf inside that contained an amber liquid and thought it might be whisky, rum or some kind of spirits.  The party began a discussion on whether they should intervene, raising points such as their track record with ghosts, leaving people who might need help, what their priorities were and how Kelara could help with Protection from Evil and Good—the latter causing a notable amount of confusion, misunderstanding and frustration.  They went back and forth on the topic before deciding to proceed to the Temple of Paladine, agreeing that helping the ghosts could wait until after they saved Krynn.  As Kelara added the uncharacteristically grim addendum that they also had to survive, Aurontiros gave them a Motivational Speech.

The party continued on their way.  Aurontiros and Kelara grew tired from all the rubble they climbed over, while Rizira became exhausted.  As they climbed over several houses worth of debris, the rubble collapsed beneath them.  Some of the adventurers fell down… while Rizira fell down a chimney. Rizira called out for help.  As the rest of the party moved over, they could hear the kender talking.

Aurontiros called out to Rizira and asked who she was talking to.  Rizira replied that she was talking to some bones, needed help freeing herself and had discovered that her dagger was glowing.  The bard told Godfrey that it was his duty as a knight of Solamnia to hop down the chimney to dislodge Rizira.  When Levna reminded them that Godfrey was technically still a squire, Rizira asked her to come down and sit on her face.  Levna was shocked at her words, while Rizira admitted she had heard the phrase at one point and did not understand their meaning.  Godfrey cheekily asked if Levna was prepared to disobey a ‘royal command’ and agreed that he was not a knight.  He then pulled out a rope while Aurontiros composed an impromptu poem about the situation.

Rizira called up again, telling her friends that she had freed herself but still needed help.  Godfrey obliged and lowered a rope, which Rizira used to climb back up.  When Rizira was close enough, Levna grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and pulled her free.  The knight chastised her for her choice of words, ultimately telling her not to repeat the phrase again as it referred to a sexual act.  When the conversation turned to the age of the adventurers, Aurontiros was shocked to learn that Rizira was approximately twenty-five years old, Godfrey was twenty, Levna was twenty-six, Hazeal was fifty and Aurontiros was five hundred (give or take a few centuries).

Godfrey turned the party’s attention to more serious matters and asked why Rizira’s new dagger was glowing.  Rizira thought it was reflecting the moonlight, which confused Levna as it was daytime.  With Aurontiros’s help, Hazeal examined the weapon and determined it was a Moon-Touched Dagger attuned to Lunitari.  The party debated whether the weapon should be given to Hazeal before deciding to let Rizira keep it.

From their elevated position, Aurontiros and Hazeal estimated that it would take another hour to reach the Temple of Paladine.  However, they also heard the sound of picks hitting city streets and a cracking whip that made them think of a labour camp.  Aurontiros turned to Hazeal and asked her opinion on whether it was worth investigating or just another distraction.  Hazeal admitted that there may be people who needed rescuing, but was concerned that they would attract too much attention.  They decided to tell the rest of the party what they heard.

Godfrey thought they should check it out in case anyone needed help.  Once Aurontiros cast Pass Without Trace, they climbed down the rubble and crept down the streets.  On the other side of a bridge, they saw an immense fissure that had torn the street asunder and made the movement of substantial troops impossible. With her Stonecunning, Hazeal estimated that the damaged street could only handle three thousand pounds of weight, as any more would cause half of the street and some nearby buildings to collapse into a sinkhole.

Crouching behind a building, the party saw ten people working down in a thirty-foot deep crack running through the street.  They saw a Red Dragon Army officer barking orders and cracking a whip.  Three silver-coloured draconians were nearby, rifling through some old barrels and bins.  Godfrey asked for ideas, placing a shoulder on Rizira to prevent her from running off.  Aurontiros suggested that they go with Rizira to flank the enemy, using some planks that had been set up as a makeshift bridge.  Rizira revealed that her newfound magic might be capable of putting one of their enemies to sleep and asked Hazeal if she could blind another.  That gave Aurontiros the idea of casting Greater Invisibility on Rizira.  Rizira sneaked off to cross the planks and enact her plan.

Rizira cast Sleep on one of the draconians, but only succeeded in making him yawn.  His companion thought he needed coffee, chose one of the slaves to grind coffee beans afterwards and ordered him to do push-ups to keep himself awake.  Meanwhile, the Dragon Army officer ordered the slaves to continue working. Aurontiros stealthily moved into some building.  Hazeal tried to follow, only to attract the enemy’s attention when she banged the wall.  In response, Aurontiros activated their dancing longsword and sent it to strike the Dragon Army officer.  Realizing the element of surprise was lost, Kelara directed Godfrey to run to the narrower part of the fissure and jump across.  She then paralyzed the officer with Hold Person. Levna dashed forward, made a running leap and landed on the other side of the fissure.  Following Levna’s lead and Kelara’s orders, Godfrey began running as well.

Darting forward, Rizira attacked one of the draconians, hitting him with her newly acquired Moon-Touched Dagger.  Hazeal cast Silence on two of the draconians. Taking advantage of the Dragon Army officer’s paralysis, Aurontiros hit him with their longbow and dancing longsword. Kelara killed the officer with a Guiding Bolt.  Levna charged forward, reaching one of the Silenced draconians.  Noticing her approach, he struck out, managing to hit the knight once.  Levna’s response was muted by the Silence spell. Godfrey jumped across the fissure, caught up with Levna and inspired his mentor to retaliate.  She lashed out with her greatsword and chopped off the tip of the draconian’s tail.  Another draconian jumped across the chasm and attacked Aurontiros, hitting them with a sword strike and tail slap.  The third draconian looked around, roared and charged Godfrey.  The squire deflected his attacks and retaliated with a Riposte.

Rizira ran to the draconian fighting Levna, thrust a Green-Flame Blade through his throat and killed him.  She was surprised to see a screaming, spectral version of herself appear but kept hold of her senses.  The same could not be said of Levna, who hastily backed up in fear.  Rizira then went to stab the draconian who was fighting Godfrey. Hazeal Blinded one of the draconians before hitting it with a Fire Bolt.  She felt really good about it. Aurontiros hit the blinded draconian with their dancing longsword, then backed up and fired another arrow into its chest.  Kelara killed the blinded draconian with a Guiding Bolt.  She, Hazeal, Aurontiros were unimpressed with the spectral copy of Kelara that appeared and screamed at them. Levna turned around and chopped off an arm from the remaining draconian.  Snarling, he retaliated and struck her back. Godfrey decapitated the draconian with a single blow, but was frightened by the spectral copy of himself that appeared.  Levna and Rizira, however, held their ground.

At Rizira’s request, Aurontiros dropped their Greater Invisibility spell.  Hazeal released her Silence spell at the same time.  As the spectral copies faded away, they heard cries for mercy come from the fissure.  Kelara leaned over and gave a friendly wave as Rizira assured the prisoners that they meant no harm.  One of the prisoners revealed that they were engineers who had been abducted from the surrounding villages to shore up the city’s foundations.  Godfrey asked if they could return on their own.  The spokesman admitted that they did not know where they were and asked Godfrey where he came from, adding that they had been housed in a barracks to the south where the Dragon Army was making plans.  Hazeal directed the engineers to head east, where they could find shelter and water by the fallen aqueducts.  The engineers agreed, taking their picks and—at Godfrey’s suggestion—weapons from the defeated Dragon Army soldiers.  They wished each other farewell and good luck before parting ways.

The party continued into the northwestern district of the city.  While they saw several signs that the Red Dragon Army had been there for some time, their journey was uneventful.  They noted the area was clogged with water and pondweed, which they took as a sign that the Red Dragon Army had yet to establish a presence.

As they proceeded, the water deepened into a broad pond broken by the rooflines of submerged buildings.  They saw an embankment rise above the water, covered in a cluster of violet-leafed trees.  Beyond the grove lay the half-drowned ruins of a temple, whose belfry displayed a platinum triangle.  Kelara recognized the triangle as the symbol of Paladine and passed that information onto the others.  The party was relieved at the news, which confirmed that it was the Temple of Paladine.  Remembering their previous adventures, Rizira wondered if they had to leave an offering of platinum.  As none of them were sure what to do, Kelara suggested they simply keep their eyes open.  Aurontiros added that they should refrain from touching things.  Levna made a sarcastic jibe about floating into the temple, which reminded Rizira of the spell Dalamar cast on her at Camp Carrionclay. The knight admitted that she did not have fond memories of the wizard but, responding to Godfrey, conceded that he was better than his Silveanesti brethren.

Aurontiros, Kelara and Rizira were perceptive enough to notice the dismembered limbs of Red Dragon Army soldiers amongst the trees.  A disturbed Kelara hoped that the trees could discern good intentions.  Godfrey was confused until Kelara pointed the bloodshed to him.  Aurontiros suggested staying away from the trees.

As if hearing them, a voice called out to them.  Kelara hesitantly identified themselves as travellers, Godfrey identified himself by name and Rizira replied that they carried a lance to honour Sarlamir’s wishes.  Aurontiros identified themselves as heroes, traveling with a priestess of Mishakal, and explained they had come here to stop the Red Dragon Army.  Looking around, they saw the violet trees climbed a ring-shaped rise around the temple.  They could also see stone stairs going up the rise and down into the shallow water.

One of the trees stepped forward and stared down at them, asking what kind of heroes they were and noting that they came to Paladine’s temple with a priestess of his wife.  As Kelara waved, the tree seemed to take a sniff and noted they were touched by Habbakuk.  Kelara asked if that was a good thing.  In response, the tree asked if they planned on defiling its gardens.  When Kelara gave a firm shake of her head, the tree identified itself as Duskwalker, the gardener and protector of Onyari’s greenery.  It silently commanded the surrounding trees to shake violently as they grew through decapitated heads.  Stunned, Hazeal and Rizira confirmed that they were not here to destroy the gardens.  Duskwalker told them that the Red Dragon Army had tried to collect firewood for their engines and had been subsequently killed for compost.  It swore to destroy any more “invasive species”, but would allow them to pass so long as they promised not to disturb the trees.  The party thanked the guardian, who became motionless once more.

Rizira admired the violet shade of the leaves.  Hazeal insisted the treant was why dwarves lived under the mountain.  Aurontiros replied that the treant was why elves lived in the forests.  Hazeal teased Aurontiros that she knew there was a reason why she did not like him.  Godfrey gave more thanks to Duskwalker for letting them pass before the party moved on.

They passed through the ring of trees and descended into a flooded bowl.  On the other side, they saw a roughly triangular temple rise from the water.  The party noted that its north side had largely crumbled and its belfry leaning.  They also saw the temple doors were succumbing to rot after being half-covered in water, though their platinum inlays of dragons were still shining.  Godfrey complied with Rizira’s request and picked her up.  He then turned to Kelara and asked if she could cast Water Walk.  Kelara was uncertain if it was an appropriate time to spend such powerful magic.  After noting how shallow the water was, they decided to wade through the water instead.  Hazeal made sure to stay close to Levna, both for safety and as the water went up to her chest.  They had only made it halfway across when there was a sudden swirl of motion.  A fish-faced creature, who vaguely looked like a merchant, and a water elemental suddenly appeared.

Moving forward, Rizira hit the fish creature with a Green-Flame Blade.  She then backed out of the way. Kelara stepped forward and Twin Cast Protection from Evil and Good on Godfrey and Levna, crafting her spell to target elementals. Aurontiros trudged to the shore.  They decided against casting a Fireball for fear of damaging the trees and raising the talking tree’s wrath.  Instead, Aurontiros cast Shatter on the elemental and the fish creature, uttering some Cutting Words in the process.  Angered, the fish creature ordered the elemental to attack.  Aurontiros responded by giving Rizira Bardic Inspiration. The fish creature pointed a finger and fired a jet of water that hurt Hazeal, Levna and—to a lesser degree—Aurontiros.  Obeying its summoner, the water elemental swam over to Aurontiros and slammed them into unconsciousness.

Rizira tried to Taunt the fish creature and hit him with her hoopak.  Unfortunately, she failed on both attempts.  Levna pulled up Hazeal and made sure she was okay before attacking the elemental, though she noticed it absorbed some of her hits.  Kelara skirted around the elemental and revived Aurontiros with a Healing Word.  Waking up, Aurontiros Misty Stepped into the orchard. Godfrey moved to the fish creature and hit him twice.  With a blow from his shield, and Aurontiros’s Cutting Words, he knocked the creature prone and continued the attack—frightening him in the process. The fish creature dissolved into a gaseous cloud, which began moving to the west. Meanwhile, the elemental submerged… only to explode in the midst of Hazeal and Levna, hitting them both.  To make matters worse, it grappled Levna and began drowning her.  Crying out that she had enough, Hazeal dismissed the water elemental with Dispel Magic.  Released, Levna fell down and began coughing, but silently indicated to Hazeal that she was all right.

Taking a few steps forward, Rizira prepared her attack.  When the fish creature rematerialized on the shore, she hit him with a hoopak shot to the head.  The fish creature launched another jet of water.  Hazeal and Levna flew into the temple and bounced off the wall.  The knight, however, collapsed into the water.  Rizira dodged the watery attack while Godfrey blocked it with his shield.  Guessing the fish creature was not native to Krynn, Kelara declared she had enough and Banished him back to his home plane.  She warned the others that she had to concentrate for a minute to make sure the creature did not come back.  Godfrey promised to stand guard.  Kelara then rushed over to Levna, cast Spare the Dying on the fallen knight and motioned for the others to come close so she could cast healing.

Having taken no damage, Rizira was eager to begin exploring the temple.  However, Kelara persuaded her to rest.  As she began a Prayer of Healing, Aurontiros played a Song of Rest.  Rizira began exploring the lake while the others received healing (and Levna returned to consciousness). After catching a Second Wind, Levna assured the others that she was okay and was ready to proceed.  Aurontiros was stunned at how close they had come to death.  Levna offered them reassurance, citing their age.  Their conversation was interrupted by Rizira, who was eager to proceed into the temple.  As soon as they agreed, the kender pushed the temple door, which collapsed at her touch.  They entered a triangular chamber, which was covered with murky water.  To the east, they saw the hall narrow to a raised area with an altar.  The north side was buried under fallen stone and beams, while two doors were seen to the south (episode 29).

Rizira took the dragonlance out of her pack, turned to the party and asked who wanted to put it on the altar.  Aurontiros, Levna and Hazeal agreed that Godfrey should have the honour as they believed he had retrieved it and Sarlamir had charged him with that quest.  Godfrey accepted the task, entered the temple and went to the altar.  As he walked, his eyes were drawn to the stained-glass windows and the many depictions of dragons on display. Suddenly, he disappeared mid-step into the water.

Rizira jumped into the water after Godfrey, magic dagger in hand.  She saw him sink down twenty feet into a rotted pit and land on the bottom.  Looking around, she saw a number of embalmed corpses wrapped in bandages, including two in the pit Godfrey had fallen into.  As she reached towards Godfrey, one of them lurched to life.  It tried to grab her, missed and let out a watery groan.  In response, she cast Green-Flame Blade on her rapier and stabbed the mummy—with the flames bouncing to its partner.  She then missed with a dagger attack and took a devastating blow in return.  Rizira could feel something foul enter her body. Kelara cast Water Walk on the party.  Godfrey and Rizira rose to the surface of the water.  Everyone could see black veins lining the side of Rizira’s suddenly haggard face. Looking down, they could see the two mummies swim up.  Godfrey locked eyes with one of them and became paralyzed with fear.  The mummy closed the distance, but failed to hit him with its fists. Hazeal cast Alter Self as a Quickened Spell, granting herself gills and the ability to swim unimpeded.  She moved forward and hit one of the mummies with her warhammer.  Across the room, two more mummies rose from the depths. Levna stabbed into the water, hitting a mummy. One of the newly emerged mummies shuffled forward and hit Godfrey.  It then stared at Levna and frightened her. Aurontiros fired their longbow at the farthest mummy, landing a hit, before giving Godfrey Bardic Inspiration.  It gave them a Dreadful Glare, which they shrugged off. The mummy that Aurontiros attacked moved forward, but missed hitting Kelara.

Rizira attacked the closest mummy with her Green Flame Blade rapier and dagger, hitting it several times. Kelara Twin Cast Shield of Faith on Godfrey and Levna before Channeling her Divinity. Two of the mummies ran away from Kelara, incurring opportunity attacks from Hazeal, Rizira and Aurontiros.  One was killed by Rizira, releasing Godfrey from his paralysis, while the other was beheaded by Aurontiros. Hazeal swam underneath Kelara and teleported them away with Thunder Step, damaging the two remaining mummies.  Still frightened, Levna ran away and took a hit from a mummy. Another mummy ran away from Kelara, incurring a critical hit from Godfrey.  Aurontiros cast Shatter on the mummies before killing one with their dancing longsword. Godfrey killed the last mummy with a barrage of strikes.

Groaning, Rizira admitted she was in pain.  Godfrey caught a Second Wind as Hazeal popped out of the water.  Aurontiros wondered if Godfrey had dropped the dragonlance, only to realize that he still had the weapon.  Rizira was relieved to hear from Levna that they would take a break after restoring the dragonlance as she felt she needed a Long Rest.  Noting that Rizira’s black veins, Aurontiros called Kelara over.  Between the two of them, they determined that Rizira had contracted mummy rot.  Kelara cast Lesser Restoration to cure Rizira of the disease.

The party began searching around the temple.  While Hazeal did not see anything, Rizira found some more pits and warned her companions.  Having noted the dangers, they moved across—or through—the water and ascended the stone steps to a dry platform bearing a triangular stone altar that bore the symbol of Paladine.  Sculpted reliefs nearby displayed majestic depictions of platinum dragons.  Godfrey and Kelara felt a sense of warmth and righteousness as they stepped onto the platform.

Taking a deep breath, Godfrey straightened up and walked forward.  A column of dim light rose from the altar.  After a pause, he placed the rusted dragonlance tip down.  The lance began to shine with a silvery glow.  As they watched, the rust bubbled and leaked a dark liquid that flowed away from the altar and disappeared.  The spear simultaneously lengthened into a whole, newly forged, pike-length dragonlance.  A powerful voice began speaking, inspiring the adventurers with confidence and awe.  It told them that Sarlamir, the last wielder of the dragonlance, was unworthy and that his failure contributed to Krynn’s destruction.  However, the new age required a new hope.  The adventurers were charged with using the dragonlance to defend the destiny that the mortals of the world had chosen and banish the shadow of the Dragon Queen.

As Godfrey’s fingers wrapped around the dragonlance, a sudden wave of light burst from the weapon and spread throughout the temple.  The adventurers were healed of their injuries.  In addition, Rizira was cured of her mummy rot.  Overcome by nausea, Aurontiros fell to one knee and coughed out a writhing tadpole, which burned to ash upon hitting the water.  The party recognized it as one of the mutated slaad larvae from the temple they had investigated.  Aurontiros was shocked to discover their joke to Godfrey was actually real.  Rizira was surprised to see Aurontiros had been carrying the larva all this time.  Kelara revealed that they had been spoken to, and blessed by, Paladine himself.

Levna stepped across the water, walked up to the altar next to Godfrey, drew her sword and bade her squire to kneel.  Godrey complied, failing to suppress his smile despite the solemnity of the occasion.  She declared that Godfrey was no longer her squire, having completed his quest, entered enemy territory and restored a holy relic.  Levna dubbed him an official Knight of Solamnia and helped Godfrey to his feet.  As Kelara let out a whoop, Rizira tackled Godfrey in a hug.  Godfrey thanked Levna and his friends.  At Levna’s not-so-subtle prompting, Godfrey went over and kissed Kelara.

The party decided to investigate the rest of the temple, though Aurontiros also kept an eye on Rizira.  They started with the closest room, a small rectory that was flooded like the rest of the temple.  Moldering vestments hung in a wardrobe, while a nearby bed was blanketed in fungus.  Looking under the bed, Rizira saw a rusted chest.  Remembering how her illusory doppelganger died during Hazeal’s and Aurontiros’s Test, she checked for traps.  While she did not find any traps, she also realized the lock had been rusted solid and could not be picked.  She called for Hazeal’s help and brought out the chest.  Aurontiros recalled what happened with a similar chest, but ultimately expressed faith in the mage.  Hazeal admitted she had two modes of operation, neither of which was subtle.  Kelara suggested that Godfrey or Levna could use an implement to pry open the chest rather than smash it.  Rizira dug out a crowbar from her pack and gave it to Godfrey, who used it to open the chest.

They were surprised to find four hundred gold coins—dating to before the Cataclysm—a platinum necklace with Paladine’s symbol, two potions of superior healing and a delicate silver chain with a black gem pendant.  Rizira immediately held up the latter and asked Hazeal if it was magic.  Hazeal and Aurontiros examined it closely and determined it was a protective charm of some sort.  The dwarf confirmed that assessment after casting Detect Magic, as she sensed a very strong aura of abjuration magic, and told the others of her findings.  Fascinated, Kelara inspected it for herself.  With Hazeal’s help, Kelara had the divine sense that it was a periapt of proof against poison.  After Kelara revealed what the item could do, Aurontiros wondered if it would protect them from Godfrey’s cooking.  Levna doubted its magic was that powerful while Godfrey swore he would never cook again.  She also suggested that Godfrey and Kelara were now married, after their public kiss in the temple.  Rizira was excited at the thought, while Kelara was unimpressed by the presumption.  Levna quickly changed the topic to the remaining room that they had not explored and moved to investigate.  Hazeal and Rizira followed, with the latter stuffing the chest’s contents in her pack.  Kelara insisted they were not married, Godfrey could not stop stammering, and Aurontiros revelled in the awkwardness of the situation.  Godfrey wondered what their status was, while hastily assuring her he would be happy either way.  Kelara firmly told Godfrey that they were not married or engaged because he had not asked any questions, scolded Aurontiros for taking so much pleasure in the situation and stomped off after Levna.  Aurontiros pretended to be enthralled by the contents of a book they opened.

Hazeal, Rizira and Levna entered a round windowless chamber, where a large stone table stood in the midst of the dirty water.  They saw wall shelves holding bottles and vials, most of which had cracked and stained the walls with their contents. Hazeal thought this was a room that was once used for solitude and quiet contemplation.  She was subsequently confused to find three scrolls of gentle repose. Hazeal showed her friends the spell scrolls she found and opined that this room had been used for quiet contemplation and storage.  Rizira corrected her, stating the room had been used to prepare the dead.  Thinking of the table, Hazeal was confused as everything in Thorbardin was made of stone. Rizira then noticed a brain floating in an intact jar on the shelf next to Hazeal.  She pointed it out to Hazeal, who pulled it down and handed it to her.  Noting an inscription in Istarian, Rizira showed it to Hazeal, who identified it as the name ‘L’ree’, though she initially pronounced it ‘Larry’.

She also saw a storage shelf on the side of the embalming bench that held a small metal box with a hinge on the side.  Noting it was cool to the touch, she pulled it out.  Rizira discovered it had a latch or handle on one side and depicted a dragon-riding knight.  She was excited to recognize it as art from the Legend of Huma, and even more so when she realized there was something inside it.  Opening the box, she found a ham sandwich, a wax pouch of trail mix and a thermos full of thick, juicy cider.  Realizing the food was perfectly preserved, she began to eat it.  Hazeal was taken aback at the sight of the kender eating food she just found.  Rizira assured her it was safe and offered some to her.  Hazeal hesitantly took a bite and was surprised that Rizira was correct.  They soon determined the food had somehow been magically preserved by the box, which was radiating cold as if it had been enchanted with a variant of the Gentle Repose spell.

At that point, Kelara joined them. Rizira offered some of the food to Kelara, while Hazeal assured her it had been magically preserved, suggesting she could don the periapt to avoid food poisoning. At some point, Aurontiros joined Hazeal, Kelara and Rizira.  Seeing that Rizira was eating food that she had just found, they proposed that she wear the periapt, as she had not shaken the habit of putting random and potentially dangerous items in her mouth.

Calling out to get his party’s attention, Godfrey suggested the temple might be a good place to rest, given the protection afforded by the violet-leafed trees.  Rizira reminded them where the remaining pits were located.  Godfrey asked what they should do with the dragonlance.  The party determined that Godfrey or Levna should wield it.  Levna admitted she would like a magic weapon, citing how frustrating it was to fight the mummies, but hesitated at accepting Godfrey’s sword and shield as she was not used to wielding the latter.  Remembering that Kelara was proficient in shields, Godfrey gave Levna his magic sword and Kelara the shield he inherited from Ispin.  Levna agreed that Godfrey should keep the dragonlance as he had earned the weapon.  Rizira gave Godfrey the necklace bearing Paladine’s symbol as she felt it fitting.

Levna then asked Godfrey if he had chosen an order.  When Godfrey told her he had decided to pick the Order of the Rose, Levna warned that he would have several responsibilities upon his return home.  However, she admitted it made sense as she had knighted Godfrey and was also part of that order.  Growing introspective and serious, Levna told Godfrey that, as they were both Knights of the Rose, they would have to fight Lord Soth—the Knight of the Black Rose.  She told Aurontiros they had better compose a song to commemorate their deeds, as she did not know if they would survive that battle.  Godfrey took comfort in their duty, their friends and the gods.

The party spent the rest of the night in the temple next to a fire, which they lit on the presumption that it was not large enough to offend Duskwalker.  Aurontiros entertained them with their harp, which provided a distraction from the tremors reverberating through the City of Lost Names. One by one, they drifted off to sleep (or into a Trance).

Aurontiros, Godfrey and Hazeal were roused by Kelara, who asked them about Rizira’s whereabouts.  As they began calling out for the kender, they realized the temple was dry and the water somehow stayed outside. As they searched, Godfrey told his friends that he felt things were finally going their way.  Hazeal declared things would only be fine if they found Rizira.  At that point, Rizira returned to the temple.

Godfrey jokingly asked if Rizira borrowed the water.  Kelara idly wondered if this was what Fizban meant by ‘cleaning it up.’  When some of the party expressed confusion, Kelara admitted she had a dream like the one where she met Mishakal.  In this dream, though, she did not believe that she met a god.  Instead, she met a nice old man named Fizban who was sweeping the stairs.  She recalled that Fizban promised to look after the temple and that he came from another time.  Kelara guessed that the current state of the temple was a result of his effort.  Rizira idly observed that she’d met a kender who came from another time too, which drew Levna’s attention.  Godfrey told Kelara that Fizban and his time-travelling efforts sounded good.  He then turned to Rizira and admitted that the thought of a time-travelling kender sounded scary.  Levna warned Godfrey that Kelara was already dreaming of other men, motioning to a particular finger on her left hand.  When she showed no sign of relenting, Godfrey told her to sit on a kender’s face.  Rizira voiced her indignation while Kelara poked Levna repeatedly in the side.  Levna suggested that they prepare themselves to fight the Dragon Army instead (episode 30).

The adventurers made breakfast, frying a mix of bacon, trail rations, butter and old bread.  Levna handed Godfrey some olives and nuts, noting it might be their last breakfast, while Rizira packed her pipe with longbottom leaf.  As Godfrey handed the food over to Kelara, Levna professed a desire for herbs and asked if anyone was willing to talk to Duskwalker.  Kelara declined but Godfrey was willing to accompany anyone who did want to talk.  Aurontiros decided to go, but advised Godfrey not to bring an axe. Rizira dug through her bag and pulled out a small pillowcase that expelled a burst of chicken feathers.  She was quickly reproached by Levna, who was concerned the feathers would float into the breakfast.  Nonplussed, she eventually grew bored and followed after Aurontiros and Godfrey.

Kelara accepted her breakfast and quietly added some dried herbs from her stores, choosing not to share them as no one had bothered to ask if she had any.  Levna declared that they should talk, now that the ‘idiots’ had left.  She reminded them that they were planning to go to the Threshold of the Heavens, which would undoubtedly be an incredibly dangerous area, and declared that the three of them had to keep Aurontiros, Godfrey and Rizira from doing anything ridiculous.  Kelara suggested that settling on a plan beforehand would at least keep Godfrey in line.  Levna and Hazeal recognized that Godfrey might be tempted to sacrifice himself now that he had a fully restored dragonlance and agreed they had to prevent that.

Turning to Kelara, Levna warned that if she and Godfrey continued their relationship, they were liable to get married—which meant she would likely leave her home for Solamnia.  Kelara was confident that Godfrey would do what she wanted once they said their vows, and the Highvalor family estate would not be any more challenging than running a farm.  Levna conceded that if Vogler was rebuilt, Kelara could probably convince Godfrey to assume Becklin’s duties.  Kelara was intrigued, noting that she had already trained most of the town to listen to her.  Narrowing her eyes, Levna noted her conniving qualities and asked if she was affiliated with any evil god.  Kelara assured her that everything she heard indicated that Mishakal was a benevolent goddess, but there would be consequences for angering the woman who cleaned their clothes, cooked fish pies and other tasty food and kept things in order.

Levna then asked Hazeal about her plans, given that she effectively had two apprentices.  They agreed that Aurontiros had changed after their vision, but they were not certain how.  The two also agreed that Rizira still acted like a kender.  Hazeal admitted that she had hoped Rizira would change after the vision.  Kelara felt that Rizira might act in unpredictable ways, but things generally worked out for her.  Levna insisted that she still had no love of kender, but still wanted Rizira to make it out of the war in one piece.  Kelara added that all of them had better make it out in one piece.  Hazeal and Kelara made it clear that they were including Levna—with Hazeal reminding the knight of Ness and Kelara declaring that she did not want to see Levna on death’s door again.  Levna told Hazeal she was an asshole before storming off to check on the herbs. Kelara waited until ‘the other idiot’ was gone before adding spices to the butter.  Hazeal took the opportunity to talk to Kelara about casting Death Ward on as many party members as possible.  Kelara felt it was a good idea, but was reticent to allocate that level of divine magic so early in the morning.

Shortly after, Levna called out to Aurontiros, Godfrey and Rizira and urged them to come back for breakfast.  The three adventurers returned shortly. Levna mused that the breakfast might have been enhanced by cooking the dragon egg they found, and was quickly chastised by Rizira and Aurontiros.  Godfrey chimed in and was thrown into the water by Levna for his troubles.  She then began chasing Rizira, who continued to taunt the knight, only to be tripped by Godfrey’s dragonlance.  Rizira took advantage of Levna’s vulnerability to sit on her chest.  The two tried to tickle each other while Godfrey and Hazeal enjoyed their breakfast.  The party was fascinated to find how effectively Rizira tickled Levna despite her armour.  Eventually, everyone helped themselves to breakfast.

Hazeal cast Death Ward on Godfrey and Levna.  Godfrey wondered if Kelara would be the better recipient, but Hazeal told him she had already cast the spell, while Levna pointed out Kelara had the sense to stay in the back.  As Levna made sure the cooking implements were packed away, Rizira divided her Potions of Superior Healing between herself and Aurontiros.  Godfrey made a point of thanking Hazeal for the Death Ward before telling the others that they had learned the Red Dragon Army employed a passphrase.  He suggested they perform some reconnaissance on the Threshold of the Heavens.  Aurontiros, however, was confident they could bluff their way in.  Given the limited duration of Hazeal’s Death Ward, Rizira offered a compromise: spend an hour scouting the Threshold of the Heavens for the information they needed, then try and talk their way inside if they had not acquired the necessary intelligence. Given that the party had decided on a course of action, Kelara cast Death Ward on Rizira.

Packing up their belongings, the party left the temple.  Upon reaching the top of the hill, where Duskwalker and their grove stood, they easily saw the Threshold of the Heavens.  It consisted of a slender, grey obelisk rising on a floating island above the surrounding plaza, with four graceful flying buttresses curving up the tower and crystalline windows at its summit.  A single stone door stood at the base.

Aurontiros cast Pass Without Trace on the party before they began to move.  As they travelled they heard monsters shriek and the horrible sounds of something noisily eating.  Rounding the corner of a dilapidated building, they saw a contingent of Dragon Army workers… and a half dozen emaciated undead stripping armour off corpses and consuming the flesh.  One of the ghasts took a crossbow bolt to the head before four winged draconians descended.  The party decided to stay in the shadows and let the draconians dispatch the undead.  After the battle was over, the draconians talked amongst themselves before their leader, in Common, ordered them to gather more soldiers and Istarian drones for Belephaion.  The party remembered that Belephaion’s name was mentioned at locations like Sunward Fortress.

After the draconians moved on, Aurontiros asked to see the note Rizira found.  They carefully examined the document, but were unable to glean any further information of use and returned it to Rizira.  Godfrey noted the comment about Istarian drones, but no one knew what that meant.  He speculated that if they could find such a thing, it might provide another way into the obelisk.  Rizira brought up the third option of pretending to be a prisoner while the others use the newly acquired uniforms to pass themselves off as Red Dragon Army soldiers.

Hazeal recalled that Istar was an advanced civilization that employed constructs made of marble and gleaming metal inlaid with crystals.  These constructs, which she guessed were the drones that the draconians talked about, used an eldritch resin to build and reinforce a variety of structures.  From what she remembered, the drones resembled four-legged praying mantises made of metal with a single cyclopean eye.  She was conflicted as to whether the work of these drones was inferior (based on her dwarven heritage) or clever (based on what she had learned since leaving Thorbardin).  However, she eventually passed the information onto the others.

The party proceeded to the Threshold of the Heavens, avoiding any dragonnel patrols that flew overhead.  When they arrived at the tower, they saw it was not heavily guarded.  However, they quickly surmised that that was due to the floating nature of the structure and the fact that most Dragon Army personnel who needed to access it had their own means of flight.  The party also saw various floating stones that had been caught in the same gravity-drying magic.

After changing into Dragon Army uniforms, most of the party began hopping up from stone to stone.  Godfrey lent his aid to Kelara and anyone who needed it.  Hazeal went last so she could cast Feather Fall on anyone who slipped.  Aurontiros chose to move close to the base before Misty Stepping to the top.  They secured a rope to help the other adventurers ascend while avoiding any wandering patrols.

Levna and Hazeal decided to push ahead, hopping their way up to the top to join Aurontiros.  Rizira, Kelara and Godfrey used the rope to help them with the remainder of the climb.  They saw the stone door was guarded by four draconians while armoured dragonnels and their riders flew overheard.  Seeing that they had not been spotted, the party decided to wait.  After half an hour, one of the dragonnels landed.  The rider dismounted and approached the door, only to be challenged by the draconians.  Aurontiros and Kelara were Observant enough to read the rider’s lips and see them say “By her will: the world.”  They made an educated guess that that was the passphrase they were seeking.

Aurontiros tied a rope around Rizira so she could act as a prisoner, taking care with the knots so she could easily free herself.  Godfrey and Levna changed into Dragon Army uniforms.  Hazeal decided to carefully arrange a cloak and pass herself off as a magic-user in the service of the Dragon Queen, rather than wear any armour that might impede her spellcasting.  Concerned that Kelara might be recognized, the party made sure she wore a helmet along with the uniform—and pass her (disguised) staff to Hazeal to hold.  Aurontiros completed the ruse by gently tying a gag around Rizira.  Kelara cast Freedom of Movement on Rizira in case the Red Dragon Army took the kender away from the party.

They made their way across the pavilion to the stone door.  The draconian guards confronted the party, but immediately let them pass when Godfrey raised his hand and uttered the passphrase.  They entered a plaza that was adorned with murals of idyllic life in Onyari.  One mural on the west showed a handsome, long-haired man in flowing robes, radiating golden light.  Fountains could be seen to the north and south.  The east wall held a single door to the north and a double door to the south.  However, they were quickly challenged by a draconian and a bone devil, who ordered them to state their business.  Aurontiros claimed they had brought a prisoner who might know the whereabouts of the priestess of Mishakal.  To aid the ruse, Rizira pretended to struggle while gagged and bound.  The draconian let them pass.

The party went through the double doors into a small room.  Two long consoles covered in levers, coloured stones and dull glass hemispheres extended from the walls.  An elaborate symbol radiating orange light could be seen etched into the floor. Hazeal examined the consoles and determined that they were monitoring a powerful source of magic located elsewhere in the tower.  Furthermore, while the magic was active, something was malfunctioning.  She was certain she could use the consoles to diminish the power of the magic, if she desired, but she could not deactivate it completely. Aurontiros asked Hazeal about the floor symbol. Hazeal looked at the symbol and was certain it was some kind of magical sigil, though she could not discern any more details. Realizing the rope they used to tie Rizira had gone slack, Aurontiros looked around until they found the kender. They commented that they heard her say something about a ‘disintegration box’ before realizing Rizira was trying to exercise some restraint after the vision they had shared.  As consolation, Godfrey suggested that Rizira could push the button on the way out.

With that settled, the party turned their attention back to the symbol on the floor.  Aurontiros and Rizira felt it was some kind of blueprint.  Godfrey did not want to touch it if it was in any way magical, a position that Hazeal supported. They considered changing out of their disguises but decided to keep them on for a little while longer; given the time it would take.  Giving the floor symbol a wide berth, they made their way to another door, which revealed a spiral staircase leading up.  Ascending the stairs, the party reached another door.  Aurontiros and Rizira paused to listen and heard something that resembled crackling lightning.  As they did not hear any voices, they opened the door.

Returning to the others, Aurontiros explained the room was full of lightning bolts and they had gotten separated from Rizira.  Hoping the kender would not cause too much chaos, Godfrey and Levna sought help in changing out of their uniforms and back into their armour.  As they finished buckling the plates on, they heard a loud explosion.  Godfrey and Hazeal expressed their dismay.  While Godfrey was ready to investigate, Kelara and Hazeal advised caution as if it was Rizira, her fate was sealed.  Aurontiros peeked into the room and told them a metal bug had been destroyed—and was now on fire—not their friend.  Hazeal asked for more details and determined it was probably an Istarian drone.

Godfrey wondered what they were supposed to do.  Hazeal squeezed forward and examined the columns.  After determining that she could only disable one of the columns with Dispel Magic, she told them that she could Twin cast Haste on Godfrey and Levna so they could safely run through the room, but the others would have to fend for themselves.  Godfrey threw a crowbar and managed to attract lightning from one of the columns.  Moments later, a second drone entered the room and was quickly destroyed by lightning. Aurontiros sent their dancing longsword into the room to attack one of the columns.  In response, a ten-foot-square panel appeared in the floor, releasing an Istarian drone that seemed more complete and insulated from the lightning.

Opening the door, Rizira saw a third drone, intact and seemingly immune to the lightning.  She entered the room, dodging a bolt of lightning, and struck the drone with her Green Flame Blade and rapier.  She then retreated back into the other room and tried to Hide. Aurontiros entered the room, dodged a lightning bolt and cast Shatter—destroying three of the columns.  To their surprise, the lightning died down.  They gave their friends a thumbs up before fully entering the room and directing their dancing longsword to attack the drone. Godfrey ran forward and stabbed the drone twice with his dragonlance. Levna joined Godfrey and hit the drone twice with her longsword. As Hazeal joined the fray, the drone struck Godfrey and grappled him.  It then struck Godfrey and Hazeal, despite Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs, and grappled the dwarf as well.  Kelara moved into the room, assessed the situation and shot the drone with a Divine Strike from her crossbow. Rizira snuck back in, jumped on top of the drone and destroyed it with a stab through its glowing red eye.

The kender then informed the party that she was able to activate and destroy two other drones.  Aurontiros noted that everyone was all right at the end before belatedly acknowledging Godfrey’s and Hazeal’s injuries.  At Godfrey’s advice, the party retreated into the adjoining room, where Rizira pointed out a console which she used to operate the drones.  As Godfrey caught his Second Wind, the party discovered another stairwell and followed it up into another room, where they found a three-foot-tall, circular metal pedestal.  Atop the pedestal, hundreds of tiny illusory buildings and a miniature illusion of the Threshold of the Heavens glowed with a pale yellow light.  Four crystal globes mounted on the walls glowed with the same light and projected illusions onto the pedestal.  The party was able to determine that the pedestal offered an illusory representation of Onyari before the crash, but was slowly being updated to reflect the damage done to the city.  Seeing doors to the north and west, Aurontiros and Rizira decided to eavesdrop.  Rizira overheard a buzzing noise from the western door, like one of the damaged constructs, while Aurontiros caught the sound of scraping, breathing and muttering.  After Aurontiros and Rizira relayed their findings to the others, the bard decided to open the door.

After a moment, Aurontiros closed the door and told the party that there were two large draconians in the next room, which had a door to the north.  Rizira believed that attacking the draconians in a pincer maneuver would be the best course of action.  Aurontiros offered to make Rizira invisible.  Kelara advised that they check out the other room in case there were enemies in there as well.  Rizira bowed to Kelara’s request, carefully opened the other door and peeked through. The kender softly closed the door.  Moments later, it exploded.

Rizira cast Sleep on one of the flameskulls, only to see it shrug off the spell.  She then tried to hide behind the wall. Aurontiros burst into the other room and deceived the draconians into believing that some prisoners had escaped and were trying to destroy the Istarian drones on the floor below.  Hazeal Twin cast Haste on Levna and Godfrey. Levna charged into the room with the flameskulls, but missed her attacks.  In response, she was hurled back ten feet with a Flame Bolt.  A flameskull tried to cast Fireball, which was Counterspelled by Hazeal.  Another flameskull floated down and cast its own Fireball, burning everyone but Aurontiros and Rizira.  One of the draconians entered the pedestal room and struck Godfrey twice with his talons.  The third flameskull acquired a line of sight and launched another fireball.  Hazeal and Levna were severely burned and almost went down, the latter surviving only due to Hazeal’s Death Ward.  The other draconian ran to the door and fired three bolts of energy, all of which missed Godfrey. Kelara ran between Hazeal and Levna and Twin cast Cure Wounds on them before retreating to the stairs. Godfrey knocked the draconian off his feet with a slash from his dragonlance before slicing his throat open.  A ball of lightning exploded from the draconian’s chest, mildly searing Godfrey.  Ignoring the pain, Godfrey stabbed the second draconian but was unable to knock him prone.  Nonplussed, Godfrey landed two more hits with the dragonlance and rallied Rizira to action.  She landed a devastating blow on the closest flameskull.

The kender moved into the next room, summoned her Green Flame Blade and stabbed the middle flameskull.  While she scored a hit, her magical flames had no effect.  Rizira then poked the flameskull closest to Levna with her dagger. Aurontiros moved to one of the doors, saw Rizira apparently in battle with three flameskulls and cast Shatter.  After the spell destroyed one flameskull, Aurontiros cleaved another with their dancing longsword.  Levna charged forward and attacked the last flameskull.  Despite the barrage of attacks, it was still floating.  Hazeal’s arcane knowledge told her that Dispel Magic would not destroy them, but it would prevent them from reforming afterwards.  Instead, she ran into the room and hit the flameskull with Colour Spray.  Blinded and outraged, the flameskull tried to cast another Fireball in response… only to have it Counterspelled by Aurontiros. The remaining draconian tried to charm Godfrey but failed.  He ran away, taking a blow from Godfrey as he fled. Kelara destroyed the last flameskull with a Sacred Flame.  She told the others that the second draconian ran off and would probably summon reinforcements.  Rizira and Aurontiros ran off in pursuit.  Hazeal chose to stay behind as she was still sorely wounded.  Godfrey went back to check on the others (episode 31).

Aurontiros and Rizira returned with some urgency.  They reported that there was a table in the adjoining room that magically displayed the landscape around Onyari—including an ongoing battle between the forces of the Red Dragon Army and the Kalaman expedition.  The party realized they had to hurry if they wanted to save their friends.

Hazeal was the first to ask for some sort of rest, which made Aurontiros and Rizira realize some of their friends were badly injured.  Kelara Channeled her Divinity to give Godfrey, Hazeal and Levna some extra health.  Even so, Godfrey and Levna still wanted to catch their breath.  Rizira decided to loot the nearby bodies, while keeping an eye on the map for troop movements.  Aurontiros began to join Rizira, but seeing how their other comrades needed a reprieve, they sang a Song of Rest instead. Minutes later, Rizira asked the others if anyone wanted scale mail from one of the draconians.  All of them declined.

As the party recovered their strength, they turned their attention to the room where the flameskulls stood watch.  They paid particular attention to the blackened consoles, which buzzed softly and occasionally spat out sparks. Hazeal noticed the consoles sported many buttons and feared they would make more flameskulls.  She remembered that the flameskulls would return to life an hour after their demise—unless someone cast Dispel Magic or Remove Curse. Hazeal told the others that the flameskulls would come back an hour after their destruction.  However, a Dispel Magic or Remove Curse would prevent that rejuvenation.  She asked if anyone could cast those spells, explaining that she could cast the former on one of them.  Rizira asked if anyone had holy water that they could sprinkle on the ashes.  Aurontiros suggested that they could sweep all the flameskull ashes into a corner.  Godfrey looked for a corner to throw out the ashes, with the hopes that the wind would carry them away.  Failing that, he suggested sweeping them into a room that they could barricade.

While the party discussed their options, Aurontiros mentioned that the console was damaged beyond repair and had been before they arrived. Aurontiros then turned the conversation back to the flameskulls and asked what they should do.  Hazeal conceded that she could dispel all of them at the cost of exhausting most of her magic—when they knew the party might need it later.  After considering the idea of barricading the flameskulls or hoping the undead might forget the party upon their return, they decided to run.  Hazeal and Kelara cast Dispel Magic to put two of the flameskulls to rest once and for all.  They decided against using more magic, as dealing with one flameskull would be significantly easier than three.  Rizira took the opportunity to mention that the Kalaman expedition was engaged in a tactical retreat.

Sensing the urgency of the situation, the party proceeded up the stairs.  They soon found themselves in a large open room.  Window-like crystal panels covered the walls, with three showing crackling thunderheads and the fourth depicting the city of Kalaman.  Another door could be seen on the other side of the room.  In the centre, stone desks with magical consoles surrounded  a raised platform.  A pale human male, garbed in black robes and sporting greasy black hair, stood hunched over one of the consoles, where he was turning one of the dials.  Taking a step forward, Rizira stepped on the sash she had just looted and fell to the floor.  Hearing her tumble, the man turned around and turned one of the dials.  The image of Kalaman abruptly became fuzzy, which made the more perceptive adventurers realize that the dials could focus the magical mirrors.

The man greeted them.  Rizira claimed they were here for a maintenance inspection and gave the passphrase.  Unfortunately, the man did not believe her, observing the Dragon Queen did not employ kender.  Rizira claimed they were hired mercenaries.  The man assured them they did not have to maintain their ruse for his sake.  He recognized that some of the adventurers were Solamnic knights and expressed his relief, claiming he’d been forced to serve under Belephaion. Putting a hand on her sword, Rizira told him to keep his hands up.

After protesting, the man offered to trade his life for information.  However, he insisted on their word—as Solamnic knights and Mages of High Sorcery—that they would let him go.  Kelara ducked back around the doorframe to get out of sight.  Given that he’d already tried to lie to them, Rizira insisted on a gesture of good faith first.  Aurontiros moved to block the other door and was warned that Belephaion was there.  The man added that Belephaion was a fanatic and the adventurers would not enjoy dealing with him.  Rizira asked who the man was.  He replied that he was a researcher, presently studying the City of Lost Names and its ancient artifacts.  Directing his attention to Hazeal and Aurontiros, he opined the hope that they would understand the importance of cataloguing all the lost magic and pre-Cataclysm artifacts.  Hazeal conceded his point, though she implied she would not have joined the Red Dragon Army. Rizira allowed that they could continue their conversation and released her grip on her sword.

The mage insisted that Godfrey and Levna give their word.  Levna tersely agreed, but warned that she would attack if he tried any magic.  Godfrey pointed out that they technically had to refrain from harming him if he surrendered.  Levna asked whether a mage could truly surrender, given the magic at their command.  Hazeal and Rizira suggested cutting out his tongue, which earned them a look from Levna.  Aurontiros and Godfrey suggested a gag might be more appropriate, should it come to that.  Godfrey agreed to honour their deal and let the mage go, as long as he stayed out of their way.  The man readily agreed.

Rizira asked what Belephaion was doing.  The mage explained that the Threshold of the Heavens was the control centre for the City of Lost Names.  He and Belephaion had reactivated its magic and were waiting for orders to raise the city.  When Rizira pointed out it was already raised, the mage pointed out that the Threshold of the Heavens was raised a mere thirty feet, but had the power to raise the entire city into the sky.  He added that Belephaion was a fanatical worshipper of the Dragon Queen and promised to leave without complaint if the party killed him.  Hazeal pointed out that the hubris of raising an entire city led to Onyari’s fall.  In response, the mage opined that the gods had abandoned Krynn and doubted that raising it again would cause a second Cataclysm.  He began offering retorts to Rizira and the mages—who he did not recognize—until Godfrey turned the conversation back to his research and cataloguing.  The man admitted he had been studying Onyari for about a fortnight.  When pressed, he admitted he had some of his findings written down, but committed the rest to memory.  Godfrey asked Hazeal if the notes would be useful.  Hazeal allowed that it was possible.

The mage expressed doubts that the party would succeed, as Belephaion was very powerful, Lord Soth was their ally and the Dragon Army was coming.  He elaborated that the Dragon Armies were spreading everywhere as gods had abandoned Krynn—except for Takhisis.  Rizira admitted she did not realize that the Dragon Queen was actually a goddess.  After discussing what Rizira had or had not learned in school, the mage revealed this was a scrying room and Belephaion had ordered him to scry on Kalaman.  As a demonstration, he turned a knob and a birds-eye view of Kalaman appeared in the mirror on the western wall.  Aurontiros asked how this was possible.  The mage simply replied it was magic, elaborating that they had viewed Kalaman’s defences, troop numbers and other matters of military importance.  He explained that Kalaman was the next target of the Dragon Armies, but all the towns and cities would eventually fall.

With that, the man asked if he could leave with his possessions—gesturing to a variety of relics spread across a nearby console—or whether the party would take them from him as well.   Godfrey asked for any more information on Belephaion.  The mage replied that Belephaion was very powerful and that they should expect some level of magic.  Godfrey was dismayed at the latter information.  Hazeal looked at his belongings and recognized them as Istarian relics.  Aurontiros asked the mage why he wanted to leave.  Hazeal explained that the mage’s desire to leave was tied to his desire to live.  Aurontiros proposed that the mage introduce them to Belephaion.  The mage replied that that was not part of the deal.  Rizira felt they would want the element of surprise anyway and asked if the mage could make people invisible.  The mage said his talents lay in necromancy and evocation, not illusions.  Godfrey quietly suggested to Levna that they should break the consoles.  Levna pointed out that that would raise too much noise.  Godfrey conceded the point, but felt they could not let the scrying magic remain intact.  Rizira suggested they could always return to destroy it after defeating Belephaion.  Levna then asked for clarification on what they planned to do with the mage.  Hazeal said they would let him escape with his life, but they would claim his possessions.  Seeing no other choice, the mage agreed.  As Levna stepped aside, Kelara got her first look at him.  The mage leered at her as he passed by.  For her part, Kelara kept a wary eye on him as he left.  Aurontiros belatedly thought they should have tied him up so he could not alert any Dragon Army forces.  Kelara pointed out it was too late to second-guess their actions.  Hazeal assured them that the mage’s desire for self-preservation would likely outweigh his desire to send anyone after them.

They debated the semantics of robbing mages and whether their deal involved the relics that the Black Robe had found before turning their attention to the fight ahead.  Aurontiros was willing to turn Rizira invisible, but warned it would require their concentration.  Rizira felt their focus was worth it, given the damage she could cause with the element of surprise. Hazeal Twin Cast Death Ward on Levna and Kelara.  The party finalized their plans to climb the stairs, have Aurontiros cast Greater Invisibility on Rizira, wait for the kender to sneak inside and make her move, then charge into the room and join the fight.  Hazeal examined the relics and determined that one of the jewels was a Gem of Brightness.  With that, the party ascended the stairs.  Once Aurontiros cast their spell, Rizira slipped into the room.

Hazeal gave the kender ten seconds before casting Message and asking for a report.  Rizira did not respond immediately.  When she did, though, her tone made it clear they had to attack immediately.  She also told them that Belephaion was accompanied by two draconians.

As the battle began and the city began to rise into the air... Belephaion transformed into a blue dragon. He leered down at Rizira with a horrifying smile.  The kender Misty Stepped out of his grasp, appeared on his other side and summoned another a Green Flame Blade.  Unfortunately, her rapier attack was deflected by his scaly hide.  In response, he bit into her.  Rizira freed herself and ran away.  Hazeal moved forward, Twin cast Haste on Godfrey and Levna, then stepped back. The draconian stationed by the western wall snarled.  Obeying Belephaion’s orders, it rushed to the door and cast Enlarge on itself.  Godfrey entered the room and ran past the Enlarged draconian, dodging his attack.  He proceeded to attack Belephaion, striking him once with his dragonlance.  In response Belephaion raked Godfrey with his claws, bit into him and pushed him away.  Nonplussed, Godfrey picked up the dragonlance, which had been knocked out of his hand, and stabbed Belephaion again.  With an Action Surge, Godfrey struck an additional blow.  He then gave Rizira a Bolstering Rally.

Belephaion screamed before letting out a bolt of lightning that hit Godfrey and Aurontiros.  Godfrey would have fallen if not for the Death Ward. Levna rushed in, overcame her fear of dragons and charged towards Belephaion, landing three critical hits. The (normal-sized) draconian charged forward, only to be stabbed by Godfrey’s dragonlance.  He became frightened by Godfrey’s Menacing Attack, thanks in part to Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs.  Despite his fear of Godfrey, he was more afraid of Belephiaon and pressed the attack.  The bolt of lightning he launched sailed over Godfrey’s head. Kelara joined Aurontiros at the door, peered through and Twin cast Shield of Faith on Godfrey and Levna.  After hitting Belephaion with her Sacred Flame, she retreated back down the stairs.  Aurontiros moved into the room and cast Heat Metal on the armour of the Enlarged draconian.  They moved into a nearby pit and activated their dancing longsword, which flew over and hit the other draconian.

Rizira darted back, leapt onto Belephaion’s back, and stabbed him through the head with her rapier and another Green Flame Blade.  In a triumphant flourish, she took his crown and placed it on her head.  In its death throes, Belephaion let out a terrifying roar and breathed one last burst of lightning.  Rizira and Levna were hurt, while Godfrey collapsed to the floor. Rizira then sat on the dead dragon, crown on her head and Taunted the Enlarged draconian. Hazeal moved past Kelara, looked into the room and expressed her pleasure at the sight of the dead dragon.  She then told the Enlarged draconian to die and killed him with Blight.  Hazeal ducked back into the hallway before the draconian exploded.

The other draconian tried to cast a Stinking Cloud, which was Counterspelled by Aurontiros.  Snarling, he plunged his trident through Godfrey’s throat and killed the knight before stabbing Levna in the side with another thrust. Levna let out a scream and struck the draconian three times with her greatsword. Hearing Levna’s cries, Kelara ran into the room, fell to her knees and brought Godfrey back from the dead with a Revivify spell. Aurontiros cast another Heat Metal on the draconian’s armour.  He dropped its trident and tried to remove it before succumbing to the burns and exploding.  Thankfully, the surrounding adventurers dodged out of harm’s way.

Godfrey came back to consciousness to the sight of Kelara silently sobbing.  He pulled her into a hug and felt her fists banging on his armour as she scolded him.  The party realized the tower was shaking and could feel lightness in their guts.  Looking outside, they could see boulder-sized chunks of the city tear themselves free and rise into the air.  Entire districts shuddered as they were pulled towards the sky.  A crack rang out from within the tower and the floor suddenly shifted beneath their feet into a slant. Godfrey and Kelara stumbled and fell down.

Alarmed, Kelara looked out the windows and confirmed that Hazeal could still cast Feather Fall, feeling that that might be a possible exit route.  Aurontiros grabbed Rizira and put her in the chair, explaining that Belephaion had done something with it before the fight began. Rizira told the party that she did not have time to attune to the crown and prevent the city from tearing itself apart, but decided to keep the crown anyway.

Aurontiros realized Belephiaon was wearing something around his neck that resembled a purse.  They grabbed it, idly noting it was remarkably light, before turning to flee.  Rizira tried to break off one of the dragon teeth but failed. Seeing that, Levna chopped off several teeth with her sword, handed Rizira one and urged the party to leave.  Aurontiros cast Shatter on the window to free a path, while Kelara helped Godfrey up and pulled him towards their escape route.  The adventurers leapt out the window and were momentarily alarmed to plummet towards the ground until Hazeal cast Feather Fall on them.  She caught up with her friends with dwarven velocity before remembering to cast Feather Fall on herself.

Looking around, the party saw the city was starting to collapse.  As they floated down, the party made sure to get clear of the tower.  Stone islands and crumbling buildings floated towards the sky, which was filled with dragonnels and winged draconians making their escape.  In the south, violet flames lit the sky as the Bastion of Takhisis rose in the sky.  Lord Soth appeared again on his undead dragon and circled the flying citadel.

The party landed in the centre of the city, which had fully collapsed into chaos.  Looking behind them, they saw the Threshold of the Heavens start to tip over.  As Godfrey and Levna got their Second Wind, Rizira shoved her Potion of Superior Healing into Godfrey’s mouth.  Levna urged the party that they had to leave.  Hazeal cast Longstrider on herself so she could keep up with her friends.

As they ran, a rut opened up in the ground and seemed to follow them.  They saw a bridge up ahead that had broken into a series of floating rocks.  Aurontiros gave Hazeal Bardic Inspiration before helping Kelara navigate the rocks.  Rizira struggled to climb up, but dodged a chunk of marble that went flying into another draconian.  Seeing her struggles, Hazeal gave Rizira an assist.  The party made their way across the remaining floating rocks, with Godfrey helping Kelara and Aurontiros granting Bardic Inspiration to Godfrey.  Levna encountered some difficulties, but managed to avoid getting hit by any flying debris.

Upon reaching the other side of the bridge, the party saw a patrol of draconians.  One of the draconians lunged at the party, only to be crushed by a giant boulder.  Rizira launched a bottle of grease from her hoopak, hitting both of the draconians. Hazeal launched a Sacred Flame, hitting the draconians due to their proximity to each other. Aurontiros cast a Fireball, which killed one of the draconians.  The other one, barely alive, was caught in the warping levitation magic of the city and began floating away.  An exasperated Aurontiros sent out their dancing longsword and finished him off.

Onyari shook again, causing the party to stumble.  The party kept their footing, though Hazeal needed some help from Rizira.  They began to run again, making their way to the mansion where the Red Dragon Army had set up base.  Aurontiros and Kelara noticed that there were a couple dragonnels in the nearby stables.  Kelara saw they were not hostile, guessed that they had been separated from their riders and approached them with a treat.  Aurontiros cast Speak with Animals, jumped on the largest dragonnel’s back and ordered them to take the party away if they wanted to live.  Rizira dragged Hazeal over, forced her to climb on a dragonnel and tied her sash around Hazeal’s eyes.  Hazeal hung onto Rizira out of fear while the remaining party members mounted the other dragonnels.  As the city continued to crumble, the dragonnels took flight, flew out of the city and into the Northern Wastes.

The party managed to orient themselves and flew south to rendezvous with the Kalaman expedition.  They noted the Red Dragon Army had been called back to Onyari upon seeing it take flight.  Eventually, the adventurers found the Kalaman expedition and landed.  The more perceptive party members realized that a third of the army was dead.  Some of the soldiers raised their pikes, but soon lowered their arms upon recognizing the party and called for their friends.  A moment later, Darrett rushed out to greet them, his armour battered and his face stained with soot and blood.  He expressed relief that they were all right and was momentarily stunned at the sight of the restored dragonlance.  Recovering, he confirmed they had sustained heavy losses.  Rizira reported that they had slain the blue dragon Belephaion.  Darrett said they had to run as whatever had recalled the Red Dragon Army would not keep them for long.  When Godfrey told him the Red Dragon Army was heading for Kalaman, Darrett declared that they had to get there first and ordered his troops to head out.

As the Kalaman expedition began to retreat, the red cliffs surrounding the City of Lost Names took on a violet hue.  A floating island came into view, crowned by a terrifying temple smouldering with Cataclysmic flames, and took a position over the rallying Red Dragon Army troops.  The adventurers and their allies could see crimson pennants fluttering in the breeze and knew the citadel was the newest weapon in the arsenal of the Dragon Queen (episode 32).

### Siege of Kalaman

The Kalaman expedition made camp on a bluff east of Onyari—or whatever was left of it.  They could see a constellation of rocks floating in the air, ranging in size from boulders to islands.  The largest island, holding the Bastion of Takhisis could be seen repositioning itself above the reassembling Red Dragon Army forces.  Otherworldly violet glowed from its cracked walls.  Skeletal dragons, sporting blackened bones and violet flame, crawled over its foundation or took flight and circled the citadel like vultures.

Hazeal looked at the floating island and was sure it was (already) approaching their position.  Rizira commented that they had a few days’ time as the Red Dragon Army was constantly flying dragonnels up and down, suggesting that they were busy moving troops and supplies to the citadel.  She wondered why they had not transferred them before lifting off.

Levna guessed that the party’s actions at the Threshold of the Heavens had forced the Dragon Army’s hand, which meant they had bought themselves some time.  Rizira remembered that they were scrying on Kalaman and its defences, which meant they needed to warn them and get the expedition back.  Darrett assured her they would, but the Kalaman forces were in no shape to assault the flying island.  Rizira suggested that they should go to Heart’s Hollow and talk to someone who could help them.  Godfrey agreed.  Levna was initially confused when Rizira dropped hints on who she was talking about, then grew increasingly animated.  Darrett didn’t know what they were talking about but, citing their accomplishments as an advance scouting party, recommended that they get to Kalaman and give as much advance warning as possible.  He mentioned that they had established sites along the eastern coast to board their transports and ferry out of the Northern Wastes, but it would take the expedition four or five days of hard marching to reach them.  Rizira admitted they did not know how fast the floating island could fly, which Darrett took as another reason for the party to warn Kalaman as soon as possible.  He also recommended taking Cudgel and Rookledust, as they could help with a military estimate of the citadel’s threat.  Darrett assumed Hazeal could make the party fly back until she corrected him.

Darrett directed them to Dread Wolf Cove, where he had arranged the transports to meet the expedition.  He told them they could probably borrow a ship and return to Kalaman if they got there first… as their casualties meant they wouldn’t need as many ships.  Hazeal agreed that a small team could move faster than a larger army.  Once the party agreed, Darrett declared he would find Cudgel and Rookledust.  In the meantime, he encouraged them to take a moment for themselves, as the Red Dragon Army was clearly not ready to mount any attack.

After Darrett left, Rizira repeated her recommendation of visiting Heart’s Hollow.  Kelara gave the seemingly clueless Levna a pointed look.  Aurontiros warned that it might take more than Levna’s charms to change Ness’s mind.  Rizira thought Ness might want to save her home.  Hazeal disagreed, feeling Ness had made it clear that Heart’s Hollow, not Krynn, was her world.  Godfrey felt it was worth trying to change Ness’s mind, given how the situation had changed, but they should be prepared for the possibility that Ness would still say no.

The party then wondered if Heart’s Hollow was on the way to Dread Wolf Cove.  Kelara was the first to remember that Dread Wolf Cave was near the cave that they investigated at Dalamar’s behest—where he acquired a rounded shard of glass and Rizira tied his laces together—while Heart’s Hollow was near the raised plateau of High Hunt and the gate that Hazeal had stabilized.  Eventually, they all realized that Heart’s Hollow was southwest of their current location, while Dread Wolf Cove was directly to their east.  Going to the former before heading to the latter would take an extra day—even with Habbakuk’s blessing and moving fast.  Rizira suggested splitting up, with some of them going to Heart’s Hollow while the others head for Kalaman.  Aurontiros considered that option, but Hazeal and Levna did not like the idea of splitting up.  Godfrey warned that the Red Dragon Army was probably scrying on them, meaning they could track the party to Heart’s Hollow and give away its secret location.   Hazeal pointed out that Ness might be less inclined to help, now that she had a dragon egg to look after.  Kelara provided another option: she could cast Sending from their current location, Ness could respond and then they could head directly to Dread Wolf Cove.

When Rizira expressed her surprise, Kelara revealed that she had been able to cast that spell for some time and had offered it on several occasions, only to be turned down as the party had continued relying on the fargab.  The party agreed that that was the best option and, after Kelara revealed that Sending could only accommodate a limit of twenty-five words, began planning their message.  Rizira’s suggestion on identifying who they were was turned down as Kelara explained that Sending would reveal that anyway.  Godfrey quietly suggested that the message could include a reference to Levna, only to be reminded that there was a word limit.  Levna smacked him for his impudence.  Hazeal pointed out that the gravity of the situation would not be conveyed if they kept making juvenile jokes about Levna and Ness.  Once they agreed on what to say, Kelara cast the spell.

After a moment of silence, Kelara heard Ness respond in her mind.  While she understood what was at stake, she felt she had to protect the egg and her people.  Ness urged her to go to Kalaman and promised that she would see what she could do.  Kelara relayed the response to her friends.  When Levna asked if they should rest first, Godfrey and Hazeal said yes.  Rizira was disappointed as she thought this might be her last chance to see the dragon egg before dying.  The party assured her that she would not die.  With that settled, Levna decided to find herself a drink.  She extended an invitation for anyone to join her, though no one did.

They found a grove of stick brush and trees to set up camp. Hazeal wandered off, wanting to be alone and away from everyone, steeling herself against the possibility of losing more people that she loved.  Her gaze turned from the battlefield, where the Kalaman and Red Dragon Army troops fought, to the starry sky, where she could see two of Krynn’s moons.  As she thought about all the people who had died, Hazeal changed her lunar focus from the Full Moon to the New Moon, choosing to eschew passive defence for passionate offense.  Having chosen a more suitable arsenal of magic for the trials ahead, she went to sleep, hoping it would be enough.

The adventurers woke to the smells of a recent, but distant, battle and the sounds of the camp packing up.  After receiving Mage Armour from Hazeal, Rizira dumped her bag of steel coins and miscellaneous loot into Aurontiros’s bag, which they had confirmed was a magical Bag of Holding.  Kelara conducted a quick experiment and confirmed that she could retrieve whatever she thought about from the bag.  She decided to put her supplies in there in case anyone else died, pointedly looking at Godfrey.  Aurontiros lamented how long it took to pick up all the coins with Telekinesis after emptying it the night before.

Picking up the symbol of Takhisis, they wondered aloud whether it should be returned to the bag and gave it to Kelara.  Feeling uneasy about carrying or wearing the symbol of an evil goddess, Kelara wanted to pierce the symbol with a nail and convince someone to bury it face down when no one else was looking.  She approached Levna with her plan, who asked whether she wanted to keep it in case she had to masquerade as a priestess of Takhisis.  When Kelara divulged her concerns that wearing the symbol might corrupt her, Levna agreed with her plan and tried to distract Rizira by asking her to find her helmet.  Her efforts were thwarted by Rizira’s attention and an oblivious Aurontiros handing her the helmet.  Rizira replied that the symbol could be used as part of a ruse and was confident it could be deconsecrated and sold for a profit.  Kelara pointed out they had a fair amount of material wealth from the coins they had gathered.  Hazeal chimed in that they still had some vintage wine that would earn them further profit if they found the right buyer.  Aurontiros and Rizira wanted magical confirmation that the symbol could corrupt or otherwise bring ill will to the wearer, but Hazeal and Kelara were reluctant to expend magic to confirm what they felt was an unassailable fact.

Godfrey gently intervened before Kelara was forced to resort to an uncharacteristic use of foul language.  Aurontiros brought up the possibility that they were being magically watched and Kelara pointed out that the symbol could be magically traced.  Godfrey and Hazeal suggested leaving the symbol in the bag for now and dump it in the ocean en route.  While Aurontiros and Rizira still thought they could use it as a ruse, Godfrey felt it wasn’t worth the risk.

Levna went to get Cudgel and Rookledust and quickly returned with the duo.  Cudgel and Rookledust wondered, in their own way, how the party had managed to traverse the Northern Wastes so quickly.  The party explained they had received a divine blessing from Habbakuk, which Rookledust misheard as the consumption of cake.  Rather than correct the gnome, the party opted to take their leave and begin the trek to Dread Wolf Cove.  They traveled for thirty miles or so, easily avoiding the Wash and any wasteland predators.  Eventually, they began to recognize various landmarks and confirmed they were on the right path.

The party then noticed three crimson dragonnels, bearing riders in Dragon Army armour, pursuing a riderless, copper dragonnel.  As they watched, one of the riders hurled a net, which tangled itself in the wasteland dragonnel’s wings and caused it to crash.  After consulting amongst themselves, the party decided to investigate.  They found the downed dragonnel, surrounded by several boulders.  The Dragon Army riders were in the midst of landing their mounts, seemingly intent on capturing the dragonnel.

Rizira used her cloak to Misty Step, reappearing behind one of the Dragon Army officers and astride the dragonnel.  She stabbed her with a Green Flame Blade.  The flame burned through some of her saddle straps, causing her to scream and tumble to the ground.  Burned and surprised, the dragonnel took off—with Rizira hanging on for dear life.  Aurontiros attacked the Dragon Army officer who had fallen prone with their dancing longsword.  They moved to where they thought Rizira might fall before hitting the northernmost Dragon Army officer with an arrow.  Standing up, the Dragon Army officer cursed before hitting Aurontiros twice with her lance.  She issued orders to her subordinates, who promptly shot Aurontiros and Rizira with arrows. The dragonnel tried to buck Rizira off.  She managed to stay on as the dragonnel continued its ascent, but not before slamming into the saddle. Hazeal cast Sacred Flame on the southernmost Dragon Army officer and her dragonnel, which ultimately singed the latter.  Levna dashed towards the southernmost Dragon Army officer and began climbing the boulder that the dragonnel was about to land on. Kelara Twin cast Shield of Faith on Aurontiros and Rizira, then killed the Dragon Army officer who’d lost her dragonnel with a Sacred Flame.  She then moved to hide underneath a nearby tree. Another Dragon Army officer flew towards Rizira and struck her with his lance.  However, he overextended and missed his second attack.  Rizira would have been able to take advantage of his vulnerability, had she not partially dodged out of the way.  The third Dragon Army officer flew past Levna and towards Hazeal, but failed to hit either woman.  In response, Godfrey struck the dragonnel with his dragonlance. His second thrust successfully killed the dragonnel.  The Dragon Army officer deftly leapt off the saddle and landed on his feet, only to be hit by Godfrey.  The knight then switched places with Hazeal.  Cudgel surged into the fray with her swords, but missed both of her attacks.

Now a hundred feet up in the air, Rizira reached into her bag to look for any of Kelara’s treats that she might have ‘found’ and forgotten.  Unfortunately, all she found was a prosthetic leg that said ‘Property of Strazar’.  Tossing it aside, Rizira successfully hid from the dragonnel she was riding.  Aurontiros was able to discern what Rizira was doing and decided Hazeal, Godfrey and Cudgel could handle the Dragon Army officer confronting them.  They fired their longbow at the Dragon Army officer who was still riding a flying mount, scoring a direct hit.  After some thought, they sent their dancing longsword to backstab the Dragon Army officer engaged with Hazeal, Godfrey and Cudgel. Hazeal cast Lightning Lure on the Dragon Army officer, yanking him closer after Aurontiros cast their Silvery Barbs.  The officer began shaking as lightning coursed through him.  Cursing, Levna turned around and began dashing back towards the Dragon Army officer who was now engaged with Godfrey, Hazeal and Cudgel.  Kelara hit the Dragon Army officer who was still mounted and flying with a Guiding Bolt.  Angered, the officer landed his dragonnel on the rock behind Kelara and fired two shots from his crossbow.  The bolts bounced off her armour.  In response, she made a face at him. The Dragon Army officer tried to fight through Hazeal’s Lightning Lure and hit her, but failed to land a blow. Seeing that Kelara was in danger, Godfrey began running to her aid.  He dodged the opportunity attack from the bound Dragon Army officer and retaliated with an attack of his own.  Godfrey then dashed towards Kelara and climbed up the boulder.  With a Surge of Action, he attacked twice, skewering and disemboweling the dragonnel.  The rider fell off his dead mount, landing on his feet. Cudgel attacked the Dragon Army officer.  Her longsword attacks were deflected by his shield, but her shortsword buried itself in his stomach and killed him.  Levna finally joined them and expressed her frustration for arriving too late. The dragonnel Rizira was riding tried, but failed, to bite her.

Rizira aimed carefully and hit the last Dragon Army officer with her hoopak.  He looked at the adventurers and slurred his praise to the Dragon Queen before succumbing to his injuries. The remaining Dragon Army dragonnel landed on a nearby boulder, gently pushing a willing Rizira off its back.  It warily looked at its dead comrades and backed away from the adventurers.  Ignoring Rizira’s protests that she had not tried to harm it, the dragonnel took flight.

Godfrey asked if everyone was all right.  Before anyone could respond, the dragonnel caught in the net let out a cry and tried—but ultimately failed—to free itself.  Aurontiros approached the restrained dragonnel.   Godfrey moved to join them, but the bard managed to free it without any need for assistance.  After the freed dragonnel looked at Aurontiros, the bard cast Speak with Animals.

Aurontiros began squawking with the copper dragonnel, breaking off to tell their companions that the dragonnels could speak common. Rizira lamented that she had merely held onto her dragonnel when she could have talked to it. The copper dragonnel squawked again.  Aurontiros explained the red dragonnel as being too stupid to understand Common. After a prolonged amount of squawking, the wasteland dragonnel took flight.

Hazeal expressed her confusion.  Aurontiros explained that the dragonnel, whose name was Rebel, would try to find more of its kin.  The dragonnels would then meet them at Dread Wolf Cove and fly them down to Kalaman in exchange for food.  Hazeal was dismayed to hear that they would be flying.

The remaining trek to Dread Wolf Cove was uneventful.  They saw several ships docked in the sheltered waters of the cove, along with a small camp of Kalaman soldiers who bristled at first before recognizing the party.  One of the captains approached them and introduced himself as Haldri Leddis.  He asked for any good news.  After an awkward pause, Hazeal admitted there were casualties and Godfrey said the survivors would arrive at the cove soon.  Rizira revealed that the Red Dragon Army got the weapon they were looking for and the ships needed to sail for Kalaman as soon as the rest of the expedition arrived.  Aurontiros assured Leddis that the expedition had not been a total failure as Godfrey had earned his knighthood and the party had successfully restored the dragonlance.  Godfrey told Leddis that they might not be able to stop what was coming, but they might be able to stop the people behind it and needed to reach Kalaman immediately to warn them of the approaching danger.  Leddis offered the party a ship, given that they could probably spare one if the casualty reports were true.  Godfrey admitted he was uncertain that they needed one.  Aurontiros explained that they had saved a wasteland dragonnel, who had promised to summon its brethren and provide safe passage to Kalaman as thanks—with the expectation that they would be given food upon arrival.  They believed that the dragonnels would provide a faster means of travel than any ship.  Leddis thanked them for the advance notice so they could begin to prepare for the arrival of their fellow soldiers.  The party told him that the expedition should arrive in a few days to a week at most.  Leddis invited them to replenish their supplies and to stay at the camp until their departure.  However, he advised them to keep the details of any Kalaman casualties and the weapon that the Red Dragon Army retrieved to themselves, suggesting that they simply say the battle was hard-fought and show off the dragonlance.  When Rizira disagreed, Leddis explained the omission was intended to maintain morale while the camp waited for the expedition.

Kelara suggested that Aurontiros could play some music and tell a story to bolster their spirits, adding that she could use her magic to change the campfire colours and enhance the performance.  Rizira grew excited, offering to tell the tale of how she slew a dragon—with help from her friends.  Leddis gathered his men, telling them the ‘heroes from Vogler’ had come to regale them with an elven song.  The party admitted that they had never come up with a name for their group, though Aurontiros suggested the Greenshields as an option.

Aurontiros began telling the story of their adventures.  At Kelara’s request, they chose a melody they had played before as musical accompaniment, so Kelara would know when to provide the appropriate magical highlights.  Hazeal enhanced the performance with Minor Illusions while Levna provide cheers at key moments.  Rizira took over, giving a slightly exaggerated account of her exploits.  Hazeal created a magical illusion of the dragon—who somehow sported two heads and four wings—while Kelara used Thaumaturgy to mimic the creature’s roar.  The enraptured crowd burst into applause.

Moments later, the sound of beating wings came overhead.  The assembled soldiers initially thought it was part of the show… until four copper-scaled dragonnels descended out of the sky.  Alarmed, the soldiers scrambled for their weapons.  Kelara used her Thaumaturgy to order them to sit down—proving so intimidating that the soldiers, her friends and three of the dragonnels obeyed—before sweetly informing the troops that the dragonnels were friends who were offering their assistance.  Leddis thanked the party for their performance and, after Rizira explained the dragonnels understood Common, welcomed them to the cove.  Aurontiros and Godfrey recognized that they had to leave.  Kelara waved farewell to the troops, which Aurontiros and Rizira turned into a brief comedy sketch.

Kelara reassured the closest dragonnel that her words were intended to avoid any hostilities from the soldiers.  Rizira led a visibly tense Hazeal to one of the dragonnels, helped her on its back and tied on a blindfold.  Aurontiros took the time to cast Speak with Animals as a ritual. After talking with Rebel, Aurontiros told Kelara the dragonnel she had approached was Scooter, named for his speed. Godfrey suggested that Kelara offer some cookies to the dragonnels.  Kelara rummaged through her bag and found two cookies.  Rizira did the same and found half a cookie.  After feeding the dragonnels, the party mounted the creatures and took off into the sky. Hazeal would remain on edge, fully prepared to cast Feather Fall at a moment’s notice.

It would only take a few hours for the adventurers to fly south to Kalaman, arriving just as the darkness fell upon the land.  Everyone but Hazeal could see lights burning in every window, double the normal number of guards stationed on the wall and a great deal of tension in the air (episode 33). The party directed their dragonnels to land in the courtyard of Castle Kalaman.  They were quickly confronted by guards armed with pikes.  Aurontiros assured them that they were with the Kalaman forces.  Some of the guards were mollified, first recognizing Aurontiros, Levna and Godfrey.  Cudgel was insulted that they did not recognize her.  Rizira turned around and told Hazeal she could take her blindfold off.  After some convincing, the dwarf took a peek, breathed a sigh of relief and slowly slid off the dragonnel to the ground.  Hazeal muttered that she did not know why she ever left the ground.  Rizira briefly thought Hazeal was talking to her before asking what was going on.  One of the soldiers stepped forward, explained the council was in session and they were waiting to hear word as they were expecting the worst.  Rizira told them there was some good news, but there was also plenty of bad news.  Godfrey added that they had to see the council immediately.  Levna dismounted and helped Rookledust dismount while Kelara slid off on her own.

The guards led the party into the castle, taking a slow pace so the adventurers could reacclimate themselves and shake off the bow-legged stride they had adopted while riding the dragonnels.  They arrived at the council room, which was packed full of people and cleaned of the blood and gore that they had seen before.  Vendri and Lord Bakaris sat at the repaired table, along with several bickering people bearing the colours of Kalaman’s guilds.  A woman in simple clothes sat in the governor’s chair, watching the meeting with uncertainty.  Seeing the party, a surprised Vendri rose to her feet and silenced the council.  She welcomed the party and invited them to share any news they had.  Some of the newcomers did not recognize the party until Lord Bakaris explained they were the scouting party that was sent to the Northern Wastes.  Vendri wanted to hear their report in private, but Lord Bakaris insisted that the council was entitled to hear their findings as they were all facing the same threat together.  Rizira bluntly told them they would face the same threat together when a giant floating city came for them.  Lord Bakaris paled as other council members began muttering amongst themselves.  Godfrey observed that that was one way to broach the subject.

The woman in the governor’s chair quelled the council, identified herself as Fuline Thren, the new governor of Kalaman and invited the party to refresh themselves with food and drink before giving their report.  Rizira and Aurontiros explained to Lord Bakaris that the enemy had acquired one flying citadel, but it was large enough to house an army of troops.  Furthermore, the expeditionary force would be returning shortly… after losing a third of their soldiers.  Rizira added that they had acquired a dragonlance, which Godfrey confirmed.  Lord Bakaris was skeptical that a single weapon was worth the cost.  Aurontiros revealed that they had already used it to slay a dragon, which prompted much whispering and demands for proof.  Rizira and Levna pulled out the dragon teeth they had acquired, which seemed to quell the doubts.  The party went on to explain that the citadel’s flight was due to magic and it was heading for Kalaman.  Rizira allowed that the structure might have a control mechanism like the city of Onyari.  Lord Bakaris recognized as the fictional City of Lost Names.  Rizira revealed that the Red Dragon Army had intended to raise the entire city, but was only able to raise one building—the Bastion of Takhisis—due to the party’s intervention.  Godfrey took over, explaining that the party had arrived in advance, due in part to the dragonnels that they had used to fly from the Northern Wastes to Kalaman.  Furthermore, the Dragon Armies had not anticipated the need to raise a building so quickly and would need time to move their forces aboard.  He estimated that the surviving members of the expedition would be able to return before the flying citadel.

Vendri conceded that the party had brought some good news after all.  However, Lord Bakaris and various council members wondered how they could fight a city that could fly over their defences.  Rizira told them they would have to devise better defences and offered Rookledust’s services.  She also proposed that the party could infiltrate the citadel when it arrived and take out their leaders, which was met with a dismissive response from Lord Bakaris.  Kelara spoke up for the first time, advising him to offer constructive criticism and suggestions rather than whining, whinging and complaining.  Aurontiros joked that they enjoyed the whining and whinging.  Vendri intervened, suggesting that the party could retreat to their quarters, which were still assigned to them, and rest after their long journey while the council considered the ramifications of their report.  Lord Bakaris tried to offer another protest, only to fall silent when Vendri and Kelara glared at him.  Kelara strode out of the council chambers.  Vendri led Aurontiros, Hazeal and Rizira after him.  Godfrey was the last to leave.  He implored the council to have faith and take the restoration of the dragonlance as a sign that the gods were with them before closing the doors behind him.

The party followed Vendri back to their quarters.  Vendri admitted that she wanted to talk with them some more when they had rested, unless they were up to the task of talking now.  The party agreed that they would rather discuss matters then and there.  Vendri admitted she was relieved to see them as Kalaman had not heard any word since their departure and the uncertainty had caused some tension.  She admitted that the war had not gone well.  While Kalaman’s forces had held their own, the Dragon Army had successfully captured much of the surrounding land.  However, the enemy had noticeably avoided Kalaman and had stationed the bulk of its forces near the ruins of Vogler, as if waiting for something—which had subsequently been explained by the party’s news of the flying citadel.  She had ordered all troops to return to Kalaman and the wall defences to be shored up.  Privately, though, she admitted the city had little hope of defeating a flying citadel.

Vendri also promised to inform them when Becklin returned from her duties commanding units in the field—and assured them that she was fine.  In response, Kelara told her that Darrett was all right when they had left.  Rizira added that Darrett had come a long way since his time as a squire and that Becklin would be proud of him.  After confirming the estimates on when the expedition would return and the flying citadel would arrive, Vendri encouraged them to get some rest, fearing the worst was yet to come.  She offered her thanks and encouraged them to see her if they needed anything… after the council finished arguing and butting heads with each other.  Rizira and Hazeal added their thoughts on the constructive benefits of headbutting.

Godfrey asked if there were any catacombs or underground sites to hide some of the civilians.  Vendri admitted there were not many of them, but agreed that it would be a smart move.  She promised to bring forth a proposal to the council of converting the catacombs beneath Castle Kalaman into an emergency shelter—though she wryly observed that there was no hiding the hole Lord Soth made on his way out.  Since they were in private, Rizira added that the Dragon Armies were being led by Lord Soth, who was currently riding an undead dragon.  Vendri revealed some knowledge of the enemy leadership, naming Highmaster Kansaldi Fire-Eyes.  Kelara had faith that their dragonlance would help.  It was then that Vendri provided more detail on Fireeyes, including the fact that she rode a dragon herself.  She revealed that they had encountered her in the field on a few occasions… and silently indicated that they had not gone well.  After a moment, Vendri admitted Fireeyes had been responsible for several dozen men and, dropping her decorum, asked Godfrey to kill the Highmaster and her dragon.  She then took her leave and the adventurers went to sleep (episode 34).

Hazeal spent more and more time focusing on her studies; preparing for war and looking for ways to protect some of the only people she had grown to care about.  On the morning of the third day, she received a not-so-subtle letter from Wyhan requesting her presence.  She obeyed the summons and made her way to Wyhan’s shop.  Opening the door, she was surprised to see the inside of the shop was mostly empty.  Wyhan stepped out of the back room and acknowledged her presence.  Hazeal observed she was leaving.  Wyhan admitted she had no reason to stay if Kalaman fell to the approaching Red Dragon Army, then asked her to pick up a nearby box.  Hazeal complied, keeping her thoughts about Black Robes to herself.  She noted the box was hastily packed and contained several Potions of Healing, along with scrolls for spells such as Faerie Fire and Fireball.  As Wyhan’s back was turned, and she was still stinging from Wyhan’s comments, Hazeal decided to retaliate by taking three healing potions and the Fireball scroll.  She assured Wyhan the box was awkward to carry, but not too heavy, and carried the box into the back room.

As she walked in, she saw the room was richly furnished and well-appointed.  Music played from an animate mouth installed over a crackling fireplace, black leather chairs lay about, tapestries lined the walls and candles lit the room.  Feeling a chill run up her back, she glanced over her shoulder and saw the inside of the doorway was ringed with runes.  She realized the room was much larger than the building that housed the shop.  Looking out the lone window, she saw an impressive forest.

Wyhan directed her to set the box down.  Hazeal complied, looked around briefly and finally asked why Wyhan wanted to talk to her.  The Black Robe mage began by congratulating Hazeal on becoming a full-fledged Mage of High Sorcery and offered her some tea.  Hazeal accepted the tea and took the proferred teacup and saucer as a toad hopped onto the table and gave her a surprisingly intelligent look.  Wyhan told her to pay Bufo no mind.  Hazeal recognized something was suspicious and mimed drinking her tea.  Wyhan declared that she wanted to make Hazeal an offer.  Hazeal corrected her assertion that she chose the Red Robes, stating it was the other way around.  In response, Wyhan said that magic chose and used people, while the Robes dictated how mages chose to be used.  She proposed that Hazeal stay with Wyhan as her apprentice, safe from the invasion that threatened Kalaman.  Hazeal accused Wyhan of being a coward.  Wyhan laughed mockingly, declaring that she could not serve magic if she was dead.  When she added that the other mages were not coming to Kalaman’s aid, Hazeal accused them of being cowards too, as their presence could tip the battle in Kalaman’s favour.  Wyhan replied that Hazeal was no longer in Kalaman, that they were holding this conversation in her private suite in the Tower of High Sorcery, and invited her to look out the window.  Hazeal declined as she saw no point in confirming what she already knew within Wayreth Forest.  Wyhan then accused her of being self-righteous, labeling her fellow mages as cowards when she never had to pay a price for her magic.  Deeply offended, Hazeal replied that she had lost everything she had in exchange for her magic and refused to allow the Red Dragon Army to destroy everything else that she had gained.  Wyhan urged her to reconsider as her journey did not have to end in Kalaman.  Hazeal insisted that no matter what fate had in store for her, she would not stay with Wyhan.  The Black Robe mage replied that she had little choice in the matter and the room’s wards would keep her here until she changed her mind.  Hazeal vowed that she would leave or bring down everything around them.  When Wyhan observed that the Council might object to the destruction of the Tower of High Sorcery, Hazeal calmly replied that their response would mean little if she was dead.

As Wyhan began to respond, they heard the door to her shop open. Aurontiros cheekily called out, claiming the door sign said the shop was open.  Wyhan firmly insisted that they were mistaken.  When Aurontiros persisted, Wyhan offered congratulations on becoming a Mage of High Sorcery, informed them that they were trespassing and asked them to leave. They cheerfully agreed to leave, once they retrieved something that had been misplaced.  Hazeal called out to Aurontiros at that point and extended her greetings.  Wyhan explained that she was discussing how Hazeal’s death in Kalaman would be inconvenient for the plans of the Mages of High Sorcery.  Hazeal asked who would be inconvenienced—the order or Wyhan?  The Black Robe mage claimed that her interests were aligned with the order.  Hazeal reminded Wyhan that she was no longer an apprentice and would use her prerogative to leave with Aurontiros.  Looking between the two of them, Wyhan backed down.  She told Hazeal that she looked forward to seeing her again if she survived, as she still believed they could do great things together.  Hazeal made for the door to join Aurontiros.  Wyhan deactivated the runes and wished them good luck.  As she left the room, the door to Wyhan’s private office slammed shut.  Hazeal quietly told Aurontiros they should go, telling them that their timing was perfect.  Once they left the shop, Hazeal quietly added they should move quickly before Wyhan realized that Hazeal robbed her.

Aurontiros and Hazeal soon realized that Kalaman was filled with the sounds of alarm bells chiming and people panicking.  The two decided to head for the Trade Gate. The western-facing ramparts of the Trade Gate were filled with activity, as soldiers rushed in with reports and out with orders.  Vendri gave a constant stream of commands to her seemingly infinite lieutenants, occasionally looking past her soldiers and the wall to the thousands of Red Dragon Army soldiers, their war machines, their dragonnels… and the flying citadel.  Otherworldly smoke roiled from the ruined temple that stood atop the floating island.  Undead dragons circled the island, glowing with the same eerie light as the temple itself.

Once the party had reunited, Rizira observed that Aurontiros had sniffed Hazeal out.  Kelara asked if they got her note.  Hazeal asked what was going on and received a summary from Rizira.  In response, Hazeal explained that Wyhan had tried to kidnap her, both for Hazeal’s supposed safety and Wyhan’s ambitions, and Aurontiros had arrived before the situation could escalate.  The party shared each other’s perspectives on the situation before Hazeal revealed a ‘gift’ she had acquired from Wyhan—distributing healing potions amongst Kelara, Rizira and Hazeal.

Aurontiros noted how Hazeal had procured some gifts while they had been insulted.  Hazeal elaborated that Wyhan had chosen the cowardly route of abandoning Kalaman in its time of need.  In light of that, Rizira gained a better understanding of the Black Robes.  Hazeal admitted that the Black Robes might not be cowardly by nature, but their selfishness could lead towards acts of cowardice, and her accusations stemmed more from her displeasure towards Wyhan.  Aurontiros felt some pride for interfering with Wyhan’s plans, especially after Hazeal revealed that she was prepared to destroy the Tower of High Sorcery as the nearby runes prevented her from returning to Kalaman.

Godfrey wanted to check on the refugees from Vogler and make sure they were safely relocated to the catacombs.  Levna asked if everyone had whatever they needed, warning they should be prepared to fight at a moment’s notice.  When she noted that Rizira had stolen her belt, the kender claimed she had borrowed it to make a pouch for the knight.  Rizira then returned the belt, which now sported a hastily made bag that contained Levna’s salts and spices.

The party made their way to Castle Kalaman.  When they entered the courtyard, they saw a small contingent of six soldiers march through.  As their commander issued orders, one of the officers stabbed him in the back.  Two other officers tried to respond, only to be killed as well.  The four traitorous soldiers leered at the adventurers.

Hazeal cast Confusion on the hostiles.  She warned her friends that she did not know if their minds were affected by something else, but they were certainly affected by her now. Surging forward, Levna attacked and managed to hit a soldier once.  She called out to Godfrey for help. With the help of their Cutting Words, Aurontiros hit three of the soldiers with a Fireball. Hazeal and Kelara noted that the fireball did not char the enemies’ physical bodies, leading them to believe that they were actually shapeshifting draconians. Aurontiros sent forth their dancing longsword and hit the enemy fighting Levna.  Rizira joined Levna, Taunted the enemy she was fighting and attacked with her Green Flame Blade.  She noticed tarnished silver scales begin to push themselves out of the soldier’s flesh before backing up.  Godfrey rushed behind Levna, attacked the enemy that Levna and Rizira engaged and cut the draconian down.  A spectral image of Godfrey appeared, but failed to scare Godfrey or Rizira.  Godfrey then killed another draconian and was equally unphased by the spectral image.  Godfrey switched places with Levna and, with a Surge of Action, killed a third draconian.  He finally succumbed to fear at the sight of the third spectral image.  In a panic, he motioned for Levna to attack.  She complied and hit the last draconian. Kelara followed up with a Sacred Flame. The draconian remained in a state of confusion despite the attacks he sustained. Hazeal tried her own Sacred Flame, but he ducked out of the way at the last second to pick up a penny. Levna struck the killing blow and decapitated the last draconian.  Godfrey was frightened again when the spectral image appeared.

Levna realized the draconians were already infiltrating Kalaman.  Rizira began applying lipstick to distinguish herself from any draconians who tried to pass themselves off as her.  Kelara took the lipstick and began drawing hearts on the foreheads of her friends.   At Godfrey’s invitation, Kelara kissed him on the cheek instead.  Godfrey took out the favour Kelara gave him back in Vogler and tied it to the dragonlance, prompting her to blush before drawing hearts on someone else.  Levna observed that it would be a long night.  Godfrey felt that Vendri should know what happened.  The party left to gather their belongings, bandage their wounds and look after themselves.

It was almost midnight when the party returned to the Trade Gate.  They saw Vendri and, much to their surprise, Becklin.  Becklin looked tired, bore new scars and leaned on a crutch.  Despite her weariness, she gave a friendly greeting to the adventurers.  Aurontiros asked her how retirement was going.  After looking over the walks, Becklin claimed it was as eventful as she hoped, dismissing the crutch as a slight limp.  She explained that they had fortified themselves as best as they could and sent out a message to request a parley.

Becklin noticed Kelara staring at her.  Peering closely, Kelara asked Becklin what was Ispin’s favourite thing to say.  The knight replied that that would be whatever came out of his mouth, so long as he could hear the sound of his own voice.  Becklin was in the midst of observing that Godfrey had truly inherited Ispin’s shield when Kelara marked Becklin’s forehead with lipstick.  While Becklin was willing to accept the odd gesture, Kelara and Rizira explained the need for such precautions.  Becklin complimented Aurontiros and Hazeal on their appearance—and, indirectly, their status as full-fledged Mages.  She greeted Godfrey before realizing he wore Sarlamir’s armour.  Godfrey acknowledged that he wore it to help the fallen knight rest and there was indeed a story to tell.  Rizira made a point of mentioning the dragonlance he carried as well.  Becklin finally greeted Rizira, humouring the kender by addressing her as Her Majesty.  Godfrey suggested that Becklin could act as Rizira’s royal advisor.  Becklin allowed that that was a possibility if they could survive the next few days and promised to pass on their report to Vendri.  When the party asked what they could do to help, Becklin requested that they patrol the area and watch out for any more infiltrators.

They were interrupted by a soldier who had come from Vendri.  He reported that the Warrior’s Gate on the east wall was undefended and they needed a contingent to guard it immediately.  The party immediately volunteered their services and the messenger agreed to guide them. The soldier expressed surprise that there were only six of them.  When Rizira asked if he knew who they were, he guessed that they were the Greenshield Company.  The party confirmed their unofficial name and added their list of titles.

As they ran through the centre of the city, they heard a mighty roar.  An immense shape loomed overhead, soon revealing itself as a red dragon with a silver-haired female rider.  She looked down at them with her blazing eye, smiled and pointed a finger.  A violet star crashed to the ground in front of them.  The party heard a shrieking noise rise from the star.  Moments later, blackened fangs and violet flame burst forth.  They saw a massive skeletal dragon emerge from the wreckage, whose bones shifted and split into two undead creatures.

Rizira Taunted one of the dragons to no avail.  Seeing that, she strode forward and unloaded all the charges from her Wand of Magic Missiles against it.  She then sheathed her wand and pulled out her rapiers. Aurontiros hit both death dragons with a high-powered Shatter spell.  One of the death dragons took flight, landed and breathed out a cone of purple flame.  Kelara, Hazeal, Godfrey and Levna were all hit—with the knights taking a significant amount of damage.  The dragon then flew over the party.  Hazeal blocked its attack with her Shield while Godfrey managed to land a strike in response.  It let out another growl and perched on a nearby rooftop.  Kelara cast Dispel Evil and Good on herself before moving out to seek protection from another building to the north.  Hazeal Twin spelled Haste on Godfrey and Levna, then moved to find shelter in one of the southern buildings.  Godfrey went after the death dragon that was still on the ground.  He saw a piece of parchment pinned to one of its ribs, but set the observation aside to strike the creature three times.  He then gave Levna some words of encouragement. The death dragon who Godfrey had attacked let out a roar and charged.  It tried to bite him but failed, thanks in part to Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs.  In response, Godfrey killed it with an opportunity attack right through the skull.  He grabbed the note before the divine energy of the dragonlance could destroy it. Levna ran to a cart, used it to reach the roof of a building and hit the remaining death dragon three times.

Rizira ran towards the dragon, Misty Stepped to the roof beside Levna and attacked with a Green Flame blade.  After stabbing it again with her other rapier, she climbed onto the dragon, wincing as she took some damage from its necrotic aura. Aurontiros positioned their dancing longsword on the ground with the blade pointing up before using Telekinesis to pull the dragon off the building and onto the sword.  Rizira rode the dragon down but didn’t take any damage.  The death dragon let out a roar before charging at the bard.  Aurontiros dodged its first attack thanks to their ioun stone.  They were unable to avoid the following two attacks, though their Silvery Barbs mitigated some of the damage.  Turning around, the death dragon breathed flame on Rizira and Levna.  The knight leapt off the building as it collapsed beneath her, landed on the ground and rolled to her feet.  Looking back at Aurontiros, the death dragon growled and bit into the bard. Kelara ran from the building she was hiding behind, struck the dragon with her staff and dismissed it with Dispel Evil and Good.  Rizira momentarily stayed in mid-air before falling on Aurontiros.

Hazeal dismissed her Haste spell.  As Godfrey and Levna fought through the magically-induced exhaustion, Rizira wondered if Kelara could perform a similar feat on Lord Soth.  Kelara revealed her concerns that Soth would be able to resist her spell, which would subsequently leave her vulnerable to retaliation.  Rizira and Aurontiros assured her that the rest of the party could protect her, with the former suggesting that they could give him some of Godfrey’s cooking.  Ignoring the jibes, Godfrey unfurled the note, which acknowledged their offer of parley while promising their destruction.  Despite the lack of any signature, he guessed that it was written by Kansaldi Fire-Eyes herself.  Godfrey grimly suggested that the party should shoot at the highmaster the next time she flew by overhead.

The party remembered their original assignment and resumed their trek to the Warrior’s Gate, but not before Kelara used her Channel Divinity on Levna, Aurontiros and Godfrey.  When they arrived, they were dismayed to see that the Warrior’s Gate was indeed open, the guardroom’s door is ajar and six Dragon Army officers paced on the other side of the closed portcullis.  As they approached, the portcullis began to rise and realized someone in the guardsroom was turning the winch controls inside.

Rizira darted towards the guardsroom, but not before Kelara cast a Flame Strike.  Screams briefly rang out as the spell killed everyone inside.  A lone man wearing burned finery managed to stumble outside and crawled towards the gate, gasping out words about his son before succumbing to his injuries.  The portcullis slammed back down.  Seeing what had happened, the Dragon Army officers decided to retreat.  Hazeal walked to the portcullis and stared at the retreating officers, while Aurontiros and Rizira hit two of them with their bow and hoopak.  Godfrey and Hazeal expressed their admiration to Kelara.  Hazeal then gave in and cast a Fire Bolt to further harass the retreating soldiers.

Seeing the finery of the man who had emerged, Godfrey decided to investigate.  The sheer number of rings and other jewelry confirmed his suspicions that he was Lord Bakaris.  Searching the body, he found a leather pouch containing a significant amount of steel coins and a letter.  Unrolling the missive, he saw it was a letter from his son, who had apparently joined the Dragon Army.  Bakaris the Younger proposed that Lord Bakaris abandon Kalaman, open the Warrior’s Gate to allow entry into the city and defect to the enemy.  Aurontiros recalled that Lord Bakaris had though his son was dead.  Looking into the guardsroom, Godfrey saw five Kalaman soldiers—likely the lord’s honour guard or defectors—burned to a crisp.

As they looked upon the dead, they heard a horse approaching and soon realized Darrett was approaching.  He told them that he had heard that the Warrior’s Gate was undefended, as the guards assigned there had been reassigned by the Council, and had come to investigate.  Looking behind him, the party saw he was not alone, as a dozen Kalaman soldiers were heading towards them.   Kelara told him that they had been betrayed.  Aurontiros struggled to find words, as their sympathy was tempered by the traitors’ ultimate fate.  Godfrey silently handed over the letter as Rizira—who had found higher ground to continue taking pot-shots—climbed back down.  Aurontiros kicked open the guardsroom door to reveal the burned bodies inside.

Darrett spoke to Aurontiros and proposed that the traitors were Dragon Army soldiers who had disguised themselves with Kalaman uniforms.  Seeing him cast an eye on the approaching Kalaman reinforcements, Kelara and Godfrey played along.  Darrett passed the cover story to the Kalaman soldiers, ordered them to remove the bodies and secure the Warrior’s Gate.  He turned to Kelara and silently thanked her for maintaining the ruse.  Darrett then thanked the party for their aid, assured them that he would take over the efforts to guard the gate and suggested that they get some rest before the next day’s trials.

Aurontiros tested Darrett’s identity by asking who won the fishing contest at Vogler.  Darrett recalled they tried fishing with the kender queen—though Rizira hastened to add that the unorthodox method succeeded—but Godfrey had ultimately won the contest.  Aurontiros was satisfied that they were talking to the real Darrett and the gate—and Kalaman—were in safe hands.  Kelara told Darrett to watch out for shapeshifters.  He assured her that he had heard their reports and would continue exercising vigilance.  Darrett acknowledged that the Red Dragon Army was merely testing Kalaman’s defences and anticipated that they would launch an attack in the morning.  Before they left, Kelara cast another Channel Divinity, accompanied by Aurontiros’s Song of Rest, to bolster the Kalaman soldiers.  For her part, Hazeal cast Death Ward on Darrett.  When asked, she explained it would help keep him safe.  He hugged her in return, declaring that she was a good friend and praying they would find a happy ending.

The party returned to their quarters at Castle Kalaman. Godfrey left their room while Levna removed her armour, but returned a short time later. Seeing Aurontiros and Hazeal, Godfrey thanked them for their magic.  Levna was quick to agree.  Godfrey admitted that he still didn’t like magic, but knew that they would not have survived this long without it.  He added that he was at peace with what had transpired at the Warrior’s Gate that night.  Hazeal agreed, saying they could not save everyone—especially those who chose to oppose them.

Aurontiros said that they would not have fired upon retreating soldiers in the past, but were motivated to do so now in order to reduce the number of enemies who might slaughter helpless refugees tomorrow.  Godfrey understood, noting they took some lives now to save more lives later.  Aurontiros struggled to understand the motivations of the Dragon Armies.  Hazeal summarized them as sowing fear, control the city, or rule the world.  The bard was still dismayed by the actions they had taken and the choices they had made, wondering if some of their enemies had been forced to join. They moved on to ponder the motivations of men such as Lord Bakaris, who were apparently willing to join the enemy of their own free will.  Hazeal replied that she had not participated in any war until now, but she had heard stories, and had learned that mercy was a privilege for those outside of war.

Godfrey spoke up again and expressed his hope to meet Bakaris the Younger, a sentiment that Levna shared.  He acknowledged Aurontiros’s concerns that they did not know the young noble’s motivations but if the letter was truthful, then confronting him might avenge Lord Bakaris in some way.  Levna disagreed, feeling that Bakaris had sold his honour and would have no sympathy from her.  The two agreed that they would not stand for people who abandoned those who were in need, but Godfrey felt that retaining the ability to empathize with their opponents was what made them knights.  Godfrey and Hazeal both allowed that Lord Bakaris may have acted out of fear to save the only thing he knew.  As such, Godfrey felt sympathy for the fallen noble but took comfort in the certainty that he had made the right choice that night.  Aurontiros then wondered if the Dragon Armies would use the promise of steel to persuade their enemies to switch sides.  Hazeal felt that it was a possible tactic, but one that would likely be used when their opponents were on the verge of defeat—and the forces of Kalaman had just begun their fight.

Given that they did not need as much rest as the others, Aurontiros decided to spend the next couple hours wandering the walls and performing—both to sort things out in their head and play some songs that they felt people needed to hear.  Hazeal and Levna advised them to make sure they got enough rest, as even elves needed rest. Levna declared she would retire for the evening and told the others to do the same.  She idly commented that she had hoped her last night would be spent in a more comfortable bed, but conceded that it was better than a sleeping roll.  Rizira suddenly made her presence known and offered to share her bed, startling the knight.  Godfrey could not resist teasing Levna and speculated what a dragon’s bed would feel like.  Aurontiros recalled hearing that dragons slept on piles of gold, which Godfrey thought was uncomfortable.  Rizira suggested asking Levna again after she was reunited with Ness.  Aurontiros wondered if the mortal races had switched to steel currency because the dragons were attracted to and acquired all the gold and silver.  Smiling, Levna picked Rizira up and threw the kender at Godfrey before pulling her curtains shut.  Aurontiros noted that Lord Bakaris’s bed was now available and it was undoubtedly larger in size before seeing themselves out.  Kelara extricated Rizira from her predicament, healed any bruises, hugged her again and thanked her for her friendship.  She hoped the kender would survive, especially as she felt Landon needed more tutelage. The companions went to bed and, for once, enjoyed a long dreamless sleep.

The morning came far too soon, rousing the party from their slumber or Trance.  The sound of horns echoed over the battlements, prompting them to don their equipment and head outside.  Their breath was taken away at the sight before them.  Lightning heralded the beginning of the siege of Kalaman, as thousands of Dragon Army troops marched towards the city.  Kalaman soldiers shouted commands while the ballistae struggled to keep the dragonnels at bay.  Beyond the enemy, the adventurers could see the flying citadel looming like a threatening thunderhead, drifting slowly but relentlessly closer (episode 35).

The party quickly headed to the Trade Gate.  Along the way, Hazeal Twin spelled Haste on Godfrey and Levna while Rizira enchanted her hoopak.  Overhead, the sky was grey and overcast due to the smoke from burning local forests.  When they arrived, the adventurers were soon split up, with Aurontiros, Godfrey and Rizira on the north side of the battlement and Hazeal, Kelara and Levna on the south.  As they arrived, four draconians swooped down to destroy the ballistae positioned on the gate.  One of the draconians knocked a guard off the wall and down to the ground below.  Vendri continued issuing orders from the top of the battlement, while she and two of the remaining guards lent what aid they could.

Aurontiros used their Cutting Words to cast Heat Metal on the closest draconian.  They then sent their dancing longsword, which slashed at the enemy. Levna hit the nearest draconian with three strikes from her longsword. Rizira took advantage of the smoke to disguise her movements.  She joined Aurontiros and attacked the draconian with a Green Flame Blade, scoring a hit that splashed some fire onto the neighbouring draconian.  Rizira then vanished into the smoke once more.  Godfrey killed the draconian that Aurontiros and Rizira had engaged.  A spectral image of Godfrey failed to frighten any of the adventurers.  However, one of the Kalaman soldiers dropped their sword and ran into the building.  Ignoring the spectre, Godfrey strode through it and struck the next draconian twice. The draconian tried to retaliate.  After two failed swipes, it hit Godfrey with its tail. Meanwhile, the draconian fighting Levna also struck back, but only hit her with a tail swipe. The third remaining draconian attacked the closest ballista and damaged the weapon. Hazeal cast a Sacred Flame on the draconian who had damaged the bastilla before moving in front of the weapon. Kelara gave Levna some Help and lashed out with her staff, hitting the draconian with a Divine Strike.

A guard on the south side of the wall joined Levna and hit the draconian from behind.  Two other guards fired their crossbows, but only one landed a hit as the other guard’s crossbow snapped.  On the north side of the wall, another guard joined Godfrey and tried to attack.  Unfortunately his strike—and another crossbow bolt from his above—missed.  A fourth crossbow bolt dealt a grievous blow to the draconian who had endured Hazeal’s Sacred Flame.  Sensing one of the draconians was on his last legs, Aurontiros sent their dancing longsword through the image of Godfrey and took him out from behind.  A spectral image of Aurontiros appeared, but failed to scare Aurontiros or Rizira.  They then rushed through the tower, scolding the spooked guard that draconians, not ghosts, were real. Levna reduced a draconian to pulp.  Ignoring the spectral image of herself, she urged the others to stop the last draconian before he could damage or destroy any ballistae.  Rizira ran to the top of the tower and killed the last draconian with her hoopak.  A spectral image of Rizira appeared, but only Levna was alarmed.

A momentary pause fell over the Trade Gate, allowing the adventurers to take a moment to catch their breath.  The rest of Kalaman was not so lucky, as dragonnel riders starfed the walls, fighting continued below and a death dragon could be seen attacking one of the far walls.  Vendri continued issuing orders until two golden draconians stepped through a Dimension Door and attacked.  It was clear that they had come to kill the marshal. Rizira stabbed the nearest draconian with a Green Flame Blade.  He grabbed her hoopak, halting the attack and summoned his magic.  However, he failed to Dominate the kender.  In response, she Taunted the draconian for his ineptitude and ran to the northern side of the chamber.  The draconian exhaled a cone of noxious gas that hurt and exhausted Aurontiros, Vendri and a nearby guard. Godfrey ran to the top of the tower, assessed the situation and stabbed the southernmost draconian.  He knocked the draconian off his feet and gave Vendri a Bolstering Rally.  However, he breathed in some of the noxious gas and began coughing. While he was distracted, the southern draconian Dominated Godfrey.  The northern draconian hit Rizira with two energy bolts. Kelara backed up until she could see the top of the tower and hit the southern draconian with a Sacred Flame.  Between the radiant damage and Aurontiros’s Cutting Words, the draconian lost concentration on his Dominate spell and Godfrey was freed. Vendri killed one of the draconians.  However, a ball of lightning flew out in his death throes, striking her, Aurontiros and one of the guards.

Switching from her hoopak to her rapiers, Rizira enchanted one with a Green Flame Blade and stabbed the draconian twice. Ignoring the kender, the draconian focused on his mission objective and stabbed Vendri.  Hazeal cast Shield on the marshal at the last second to block the draconian’s second attack and save her life.  The mage followed up with a Sacred Flame.  Godfrey ran around, grappled the draconian, dragged him to the edge and pushed him off the tower.  He then threw a javelin, killing the prone draconian.

Vendri picked herself, coughed and offered her thanks. Kelara and Hazeal heard someone running.  A scout came into view and ran up to them with a message in his hand.  He told them that a small group of coppery dragonnels landed in a grove southwest of the city.  They did not look like the kind used by the Dragon Army and only one had a rider.  From the description of the dragonnels, Hazeal realized it was Clystran and thanked the scout.  She then called out to the others and told them their ride was here. The party began to reunite.  As Hazeal and Kelara explained that a scout had reported the arrival of some coppery dragonnels and a lone rider—most likely Clystran and Rebel’s kin—Godfrey got his Second Wind.  They realized that there were far too many enemy troops on the battlefield for them to make it to their ride on foot.

Calling down, Aurontiros told the others that they saw a newly-constructed gnomeflinger.  Rizira was excited and immediately wanted to know where to go.  Hazeal was thoroughly dismayed.  Reaching over, Rizira grabbed Hazeal’s hand and broke into a run.  Hazeal tugged her hand free, resigned herself to her fate and headed for the castle.  The rest of the party was quick to follow.

When they arrived at the castle, the adventurers saw Rookledust and Than in the midst of an argument.  Rizira wanted to know what was going on.  The gnomes explained they had set up a gnomeflinger to rapidly deploy soldiers as needed.  Rizira told them they needed to use it in order to leave the city.  Godfrey looked at the flying citadel, but was told the gnomeflinger couldn’t go that far.  Hazeal saw a burning grove southwest of the city, guessed that was where the dragonnels could be found and pointed it out to the gnomes.  Rizira volunteered to climb aboard.  Godfrey gave Hazeal a Bolstering Rally.  The gnomes gave everyone a narycrash before loading the rest of the party into the gnomeflinger and launching them into the air.

The party pulled their narycrashes as they began their descent.  From the smoke and fire, they could hear bestial screeching.  As they floated down, they soon realized that the Kalaman scouts were not the only ones who noticed Clystran and his five dragonnel friends, as four red dragon wyrmlings had come to investigate.

Hazeal cast Hypnotic Pattern on the two northernmost wyrmlings and told her friends to leave them alone unless they were attacked first, as she had taken them out of the fight. Kelara cast Dawn on all four wyrmlings, feeling the damage was worth negating Hazeal’s Hypnotic Pattern.  Aurontiros fired an arrow into one of the wyrmlings to the north. Peering through the smoke, Rizira aimed carefully and hit one of the wyrmlings with a shot from her hoopak.  Enraged, the wyrmling took flight and breathed fire on Kelara and Hazeal.  Rizira was able to Evade the flames.  Godfrey did a barrel roll as he floated down, aiming to Dodge any attacks. Another wyrmling took flight and breathed fire on Kelara, Levna, Godfrey and Aurontiros.  A third wyrmling flew towards the dragonnels and landed on the ground.  As Clystran scrambled off his mount, the wyrmling reared up and began to breathe fire—only to be overwhelmed by a blaze of lightning that destroyed the wyrmling.  The party was happy to see that Ness had indeed come to their aid. Levna tumbled to the ground, slamming into the earth hard. Seeing Levna prone, the last wyrmling rushed forward and buried his fangs into her hip. A flight of dragonnels strafed the battlefield.  The wind from their passage reignited flames on the burnt ground, burning the adventurers’ flesh.  Seconds later, the rest of the party safely landed on the ground.

Pushing through the pain, Hazeal Twin cast Blindness.  She managed to blind the northernmost wyrmling. Kelara repositioned her Dawn spell.  She then used Thaumaturgy to make the sounds of running footsteps, distracting one of the wyrmlings and luring it further into the Dawn spell’s radius. Aurontiros summoned their dancing longsword back into their hands and used it to slash the nose of the closest wyrmling before Misty Stepping to a safe distance. Rizira aimed carefully and launched a rock from her hoopak that choked one of the flying wyrmlings to death.  She then moved away from her party and found shelter behind a nearby stump. Godfrey came to Levna’s aid, killing the wyrmling that was assaulting her with two merciless strikes.  He then urged Rizira to fire another shot from her hoopak, which hit the remaining wyrmling. Kelara’s Dawn spell burned the last wyrmling to a crisp.

Once the battle came to an end, Kelara dropped her spell and the party ran to the dragonnels.  Most of the adventurers were burned by the surrounding flames.  When they arrived, they saw Clystran staring wide-eyed at Ness.  Clearly in shock, he stammered that Ness had breathed lightning.  Ness, who had resumed her human form, confirmed the observation and urged him to move on.  She added that the adventurers were already aware of her true nature, apologized for keeping it a secret, and admitted that she was the dragon he saw as a child.  Returning to the matter at hand, she told the party that they had brought some dragonnels.  Rizira exchanged greetings with Ness and asked how Drazira was doing.  Narrowing her eyes at the kender’s attempt to name the unborn dragon, Ness replied that the egg was fine.  Ness added that some of the adventurers would have to double up as they only brought four dragonnels for the six adventurers—with a fifth reserved for Clystran and Ness to make their escape.

Coming to his senses, Clystran hoped that he could lead the party past the enemy dragonnels to infiltrate the flying citadel through the tunnels he saw.  He warned them that they would be on their own after that and he did not know how they would escape, but promised to stay as close to the island as possible.  Rizira assured him that they could handle the rest of the mission objectives on their own, while Hazeal breezily replied that they had already left the island once and could do it again.  Godfrey asked if they could leave now or needed time to catch their breath.  Levna warned that they could only spare a minute.  Realizing they did not have time for a Short Rest, Kelara cast Mass Healing Word.  Ness also handed over some healing potions, courtesy of Lavender, which Aurontiros and Hazeal drank immediately.

Taking a step forward, Ness put a hand on Levna’s shoulder and encouraged her to come back so they could have a longer conversation.  Levna was taken aback.  Noting Kelara’s favour on Godfrey’s dragonlance, she tied her handkerchief around the base of Levna’s pommel.  Levna eventually found the words to suggest that they leave the grove.  Godfrey was wise enough to keep any comments to himself, though he and Rizira grinned at the entertainment before them.

Clystran and Ness climbed onto one of the dragonnels.  Kelara and Godfrey shared another, with the priestess acting as pilot.  Aurontiros and Hazeal shared the third dragonnel, with the bard acting as pilot and the sorcerer providing Help to counter their exhaustion.  Levna and Rizira had their own dragonnels.  The dragonnels took flight once their riders were secured.  Down below, they could see the fight between the Red Dragon Army and Kalaman’s defenders.  Despite the bombardment of enemy war machines and dragonnels, the city walls held strong.  Flights of winged enemies could be seen circling between Kalaman and the flying citadel.  Pointing to the latter, Clystran guided his mount to follow the path of a group of Red Dragon Army dragonnels returning from an attack.  Thanks to Aurontiros and their Pass Without Trace, the enemy dragonnels paid the party no mind.

As they neared the flying citadel, two bright-red dragonnels emerged from the dark clouds drifting in its wake.  The riders steered the dragonnels towards the adventurers, having seen them despite their enhanced stealth.  Some of the party recognized the first enemy as Red Ruin, the commander of the Red Dragon Army’s airborne dragonnel unit who had earned a reputation for her prowess in aerial combat.  The second rider arrogantly pulled off his helm, revealing himself as Bakaris the Younger.  Clipping the helm to his belt, he greeted the party and promised to kill them all.

Rizira commanded her dragonnel to fly alongside Bakaris’s dragonnel.  She stabbed Bakaris with her Green Flame Blade.  The two exchanged a round of insults.  Rizira successfully Taunted the boy after Aurontiros scolded him with their Cutting Words.  She stole Bakaris’s helmet, Disengaged and flew away. At Hazeal’s urging, Aurontiros swooped towards Bakaris and hit him with an arrow.  They sent forth their dancing longsword and stabbed Bakaris in the back.  Red Ruin pivoted her dragonnel towards Rizira and charged.  She stabbed the kender twice with her lance and knocked her off her dragonnel.  Seeing that, Hazeal cast Feather Fall on Rizira.  Meanwhile, Red Ruin tried—and failed—to stab Aurontiros. Kelara hit Red Ruin with a Guiding Bolt before steering the dragonnel next to her so Godfrey could attack.  Rizira was sad that she was floating away from the fight… until Levna grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and hauled onto a dragonnel.  The two exchanged words about the stupidity of their actions.  As they flew back towards the fight, Rizira thanked ‘her’ knight. Godfrey stabbed Red Ruin with his dragonlance.  She kept her seating in the saddle and greeted the knight.  Godfrey gave a curt response, stabbed her again and urged Rizira to join the fight.  Unfortunately, the kender was unable to land an attack.  With a Surge of Action, Godfrey landed a Critical Hit and Divine Smite on Red Ruin’s dragonnel before commanding his mount to attack.  The dragonnel complied, tearing out the throat of Red Ruin’s dragonnel.  Red Ruin looked disheartened until Rizira mocked her, at which point she leapt onto the dragonnel carrying Levna and Rizira.  At Bakaris’s urging, Red Ruin stabbed Rizira with her lance and knocked her off the dragonnel.  Not content to see her fall, he swooped down and attacked, but only hit the kender once due to Aurontiros’s Silvery Barbs.  Bakaris tried to get Red Ruin to stab Levna, to no avail. Hazeal flew her dragonnel down to Bakaris and Quickened a Bestow Curse spell to cripple his strength.  She then tackled Bakaris off his saddle.  As they fell, she pushed herself away and cast Feather Fall on himself.  He plummeted towards the ground and was lost in the chaos and smoke.

As she floated down through the air, Rizira hit Red Ruin with her hoopak and broke off part of her mask.  Red Ruin ignored the kender’s Taunt. Aurontiros hit Red Ruin with an arrow before flying down and stabbing her with their dancing longsword.  The bard then flew away, but took a hit from Red Ruin’s lance and was knocked off their mount. Gritting her teeth, Red Ruin stabbed Levna three times and knocking the knight off her mount, before leaping onto the now-riderless dragonnel.  Kelara convinced the friendly dragonnels to fly down and rescue Aurontiros, Hazeal, Rizira and Levna.  Hazeal found the courage to take the reins instead of Rizira.  An exasperated Levna flew back up, struck several blows against Red Ruin and broke her lance in two. Godfrey killed Red Ruin with a thrust through the back.  As she tumbled to the ground below, Godfrey proceeded to slay the remaining enemy dragonnel.  The friendly dragonnels tore it apart and let its carcass plummet to the earth.

At Clystran’s urging, the party continued to the flying citadel.  As they approached, they saw the temple rose from an inverted mountain of black stone and exposed dragon bones.  Clystran and Ness guided their dragonnel close to one of the tunnels that extended throughout the rock foundation, a natural shelf with space enough to land.  Beyond the tunnel entrance, a narrow cave cut its way into the depths of the flying citadel… and their destiny (episode 36).

Clystran asked the party if they would be all right.  After a brief pause, the adventurers replied that they would have to deal with the challenges ahead.  Clystran assured them that he would stay close by and avoid the enemy until he and the dragonnels were needed.  Ness added that she would look after him and wished them good luck.  She continued to resist Rizira’s suggestion of a name for the unborn dragon but, for the first time, seemed more open to entertain other suggestions.  Levna was visibly embarrassed when Ness made a point of asking the knight to come back and return the favour she lent her.

Once Clystran and Ness departed, the party discussed their next move.  They eventually decided to use Hazeal’s driftglobe to provide light, as most of the party could not see in the dark.  The illumination revealed the tunnels, which were riddled with ancient dragon bones.  They felt rumbles echo through the passage as the foundation of the flying citadel shifted in flight.  Before they went any further, they decided to take a Short Rest to catch their breath and tend to their wounds.

When they were sufficiently ready, the adventurers ventured into the tunnels.  While they occasionally opened into larger chambers, the number of switchbacks, dead ends and slopes turned the passages into a maze.  Godfrey found himself lost on occasion and even Rizira was briefly confused at times.  However, the party managed to navigate the tunnels.  After half an hour, they encountered a thirty-foot vertical shaft, which they climbed with the help of their explorer’s packs.  Reaching the top, they saw a gash in the rock that formed a passage to the east… and a blue-skinned elf in a pale dress, who stood with a knowing smile on her face.  They recognized her as Leedara, the enigmatic woman who they had met at Ispin’s funeral and in the council chambers of Castle Kalaman.

Rizira wondered how Leedara had gained access to the tunnels.  The elf enigmatically replied that she was bound to go wherever she needed to in order to stop Soth.  Aurontiros and Rizira were grateful for her aid, though the kender pointed out that they could have used her help in several other encounters.  Leedara explained that Soth lurked in the ruins above, having used the Cataclysmic fire obtained from Kalaman’s catacombs to control the flying citadel and reanimate the dragon skeletons buried in its foundations.  She explained that if the adventurers could quell the Cataclysmic fire, the undead dragons would be destroyed and the flying citadel would fall.  However, she was not certain how to quell the flames.  She speculated that the power of the gods could extinguish them as they were created by the gods in the first place.  This prompted Rizira and Godfrey to look at Kelara, Aurontiros and Hazeal to look at each other and Levna to look down the hole.  Leedara warned that, despite their accomplishments and resourcefulness, the party was no match for Soth.  She proposed an alternate solution: an elven relic known as the mirror of reflected pasts that was hidden somewhere in the chambers ahead.  Given that those who viewed the mirror would see glimpses of their past, she believed that the mirror could distract Soth long enough for the party to extinguish the flames.  Rizira was concerned about the mirror’s effects on the party, but Leedara assured her that their pasts would probably not be as overwhelming as Soth’s.

On that note, Leedara went on to explain Soth’s past.  She explained he was a noble Solamnic knight of the Order of the Rose, ruling the province of Knightlund from Dargaard Keep.  However, his fall from grace when he rescued a company of Silvanesti elves from raiders—including the priest Isolde and her attendants—and fell in love with the priest despite the fact that he was married.  Shortly after, Soth’s wife died.  When he married Isolde within days of his wife’s passing, the Knights of Solamnia cast Soth from their orders for disrespecting his dead wife’s memory.  The gods soon tasked Soth to prevent the Cataclysm and redeem himself, but Soth failed in his quest.  As a result, the gods rained destruction on the world, Soth became forever cursed, the Knights of Solamnia fell into disgrace and Dargaard Keep became a haunted ruin.

Having concluded her summary of what was commonly known about Lord Soth, Leedara revealed the reason why he failed: when he began his quest, he encountered Isolde’s attendants.  They blamed him for leading Isolde astray from her holy path, played on his jealousy and falsely accused her of being unfaithful.  Enraged, Soth abandoned his gods-given quest and returned to Dargaard keep to murder her.  As the Cataclysm was unleashed, Isolde cursed him with her dying breath to suffer one lifetime for every life lost in the Cataclysm.  Soth became a death knight, his followers were reanimated as the undead and several of Isolde’s attendants became spirits devoted to ensure that Soth never found peace.  She charged the party to take the flying citadel from Soth and deny him his victory.  Aurontiros agreed on behalf of the party.

Rizira asked where the Cataclysmic fires were located and was not surprised to learn that they were situated at the highest point of the Bastion of Takhisis.  Leedara confirmed Rizira’s guess that Soth was compensating for his shortcomings… and certain anatomical features that had been burned off in the Cataclysm.  Nonplussed, Godfrey asked where they could find the mirror and learned they were somewhere in the ruins beneath the Bastion.  Leedara told Rizira that the mirror was in an elven tomb, but she did not know whether there were any safeguards.  The party agreed that they had nothing to lose by seeking the mirror.  After noting the gods’ sense of irony in placing the adventurers, Soth and the means of his undoing in the same place, Leedara wished them good luck and vanished.

The party began brainstorming ways to make Soth look at the mirror, before Aurontiros and Godfrey suggested they should find the artifact first.  Moving forward, they went down a corridor that soon split into a fork.  A fissure created an opening to the south, while a burial vault could be seen to the north.  Scouting ahead, Rizira looked into the vault and saw that several bricked-over stone archways—each holding a burial crypt and some bearing plaques—were spaced evenly around the perimeter.  In fact, the opening she was peering through was one of the archways.  A raised stone dais with an ominous statue stood in the centre.  A double door, a smaller door and a stairwell could also be seen at the east end of the room.  She also saw a skeletal minotaur and two skeletal knights holding vigil.

Returning to the others, Rizira reported her findings.  The party discussed battle tactics and eventually decided on a pincer maneuver where Godfrey and Levna would station themselves at the southern fissure—with Hazeal and Kelara behind to provide magical support—while Aurontiros and Rizira attacked from the northern passage.

Aurontiros squeezed past Rizira and attacked the northernmost skeletal knight with their longbow and dancing longsword, before retreating behind the kender. Hazeal moved to the edge of the tunnel and cast Lightning Lure, striking the southernmost skeletal knight and dragging it towards her.  After moving the drift globe into the burial crypt, she retreated back into the fissure before the undead creature could respond. Levna moved forward, struck the southernmost skeletal knight twice and moved back. Seeing that none of the enemies had responded and she could not attack from behind, Rizira aimed carefully and let loose a shot from her hoopak.  The rock went through an eye socket, bounced back and forth amidst the bones and destroyed the skeletal minotaur. Godfrey attacked the southernmost skeletal knight with his dragonlance, but only managed to hit it once.  Kelara hit one of the skeletal knights with a Sacred Flame before backing up to the fork.

Identifying the skeletal knight that had received more damage, Aurontiros struck it with their longbow and dancing longsword.  Noting the shadowy magic writhing from the knights’ weapons, Aurontiros decided to retreat. Hazeal cast her own Sacred Flame and chose to stay behind Godfrey and Levna. The northernmost skeletal knight approached the cleft in the wall, glared and threw three throwing axes.  Rizira was the only one hit, though she mitigated the damage with an Uncanny Dodge. Rizira Steady Aimed her hoopak and scored a critical hit on the northernmost skeletal knight.  She cheekily took one of the enemy’s throwing axes and cheekily thanked it. Levna asked Godfrey if he had her back but charged forward before he could respond, striking the southernmost skeletal knight with a blow and decapitating it with a critical hit.  She removed one of its hands and used it to give the remaining skeletal knight a rude gesture. Godfrey indulged in some commentary with Levna before attacking the last skeletal knight twice with his dragonlance. Kelara destroyed the last skeletal knight with another Sacred Flame.

Rizira was the first to enter the room.  As the others followed, Aurontiros reminded them that there may be traps in place.  The drift globe illuminated the stark features of the statue in the centre of a crypt: a robed figure with a grim skull for a face.  Two skeletons kneeled before the statue, holding an altar of polished black stone between them. As Hazeal followed Levna into the room, she saw a crushed plaque on the floor that read Acont, Prince of Minotaurs.  She also noted that the fissure was large enough for a giant minotaur to leave the crypt. Rizira retrieved the rock that destroyed the skeletal minotaur before investigating one of the burial crypts.  She told the others that she heard the sound of crying from within.

Godfrey immediately wanted to help whoever was crying.  Aurontiros and Rizira expressed doubts that anyone was still alive in the crypt.  Using her Stonecunning, Hazeal confirmed that the archways had been bricked over a long time ago. Hazeal looked at the southern crypts.  One had a plaque that read Nessa Coalcracker, Expert Engineer.  Another had a plaque that read Asa the Traitor.  The remaining two had no plaques. Rizira moved counterclockwise around the vault.  After examining the various crypts, she asked Godfrey and Levna if any of them held the remains of knights.

Aurontiros decided to investigate the altar. Immediately after stepping onto the dais, Aurontiros warned everyone that the altar had ‘bad vibes’.  Seconds later, they asked if anyone had heard a voice speak.  When Hazeal and Rizira expressed confusion, Aurontiros repeated the voice’s offer: ‘Join me and I will open the River of Souls’.  Rizira advised against accepting the offer.

The jaws of the skeletons holding the altar opened up, releasing smoke that coalesced into a hulking figure of unholy fog and the stench of death. Rizira Taunted the shadow and ran back into the tunnel to Hide. Aurontiros Viciously Mocked the shadow and hit it with their dancing longsword. The shadow chased after Rizira.  Seeing that it could not reach the kender, it widened the hole in the wall with its bare hands before casting Haste on itself. Levna struck the shadow twice, with one attack scoring a critical hit. Godfrey switched places with Kelara before striking the shadow twice. Seeing the shadow trying to kill Rizira, Hazeal cast Confusion on the creature. Kelara hit the shadow with a Sacred Flame.

Rizira snuck up on the shadow and landed a Sneak Attack with her Green Flame Blade rapier, before Hiding in the dust and debris. Aurontiros shot the shadow in the back with their longbow, only to see the arrow burn harmlessly to ash.  The following attack with their dancing longsword was more effective. The shadow lashed out in a berserker rage before slamming its head into the wall, punching itself and laying waste to several crypts.  The self-inflicted damage was enough to end its existence.

Rizira snuck up behind Levna and asked if the party had killed the shadow.  Levna replied that the shadow had killed itself.  Noting that one of the damaged crypts was the one Rizira had heard crying from, Godfrey peered inside with his dragonlance at the ready.  He saw a wraith curled up and crying.  Seeing the plaque read Minara of the Scarlet Robes, he cautiously greeted her.  Seeing that the wraith continued to cry, Godfrey called out for assistance.  Kelara went over to help, while Hazeal warned that she had been in the crypt for a long time.  After casting Protection from Evil and Good on herself, Kelara tried to greet the spectral woman.  As she focused her gaze, Kelara saw the woman bore archaic and tattered clothing.  However, the spectral aura was superimposed on the pale rotting body of a wight.  Kelara asked if she was okay, but the wight continued to sob.  She determined that the woman was locked in a state of perpetual dismay and that too much interaction might cause her to become hostile.   The only thing she could think of was to provide some form of daylight, which might free the wight from her grief or destroy her outright.  Kelara relayed her insights to the party.  Aurontiros and Godfrey did not want her suffering to continue.

Meanwhile, Rizira began searching the crypts that had been broken open by the shadow.  She found one whose inhabitant had been buried alive and another whose resident wore perfectly preserved elven leather armour.  She brought Aurontiros over to look at the latter.  Aurontiros decided to put their concerns about desecrating the dead aside as they had grown increasingly uncomfortable with wearing the armour of a Red Dragon Army officer.  Rizira successfully removed the armour from the corpse and handed it to Aurontiros.  In a moment of doubt, the bard asked aloud if they should put the new armour on or keep the old armour in the hopes of passing themselves off as a Red Dragon Army officer.  However, Rizira convinced them to make the former choice.

Hazeal realized the statue on the dais represented some kind of god, though she could not place the exact deity. Aurontiros confirmed that no one else heard the voice that spoke to them.  Godfrey reminded them that their ears often picked up things that others missed.  Rizira speculated that the voice belonged to the shadow—which Aurontiros doubted—before guessing that the source had gone.  Aurontiros repeated what the voice said.  Godfrey—and Hazeal, to some extent—felt that dedicating themselves to the voice was a bad idea.

The party considered searching the remaining crypts or dealing with the wight’s suffering until Levna pointed out that stopping Soth and bringing the citadel down would put an end to her misery.  Seeing the wisdom of her words, Aurontiros listened at the set of double doors while Rizira did the same at the smaller door. Hearing nothing, Aurontiros and Rizira went through their separate doors.  After a moment, Aurontiros waved at them to follow.  Godfrey joined Aurontiros while Kelara and Hazeal watched from the doorway.  They saw statues adorning the walls: an elven man reclining on a bench to the north, an elven noble sitting on a fine chair to the east and an elven woman reclining on a bench to the south.  The last statue had been pushed aside, revealing an open doorway behind it that led into another room.

A long gray marble slab lay in the centre of the chamber, with a humanoid skeleton lying on top.  A shallow inset of similar size was carved into the ceiling directly above the slab.  Shards of broken glass littered the slab and floor. In a sudden explosion of mist, the bat transformed into a fully grown man with dark hair and black robes.  He asked if the bard was a friend or a foe.  Aurontiros introduced himself to the man, who returned the gesture and identified himself as Alstare Bellis, High Priest of Chemosh.  Alstare asked if Aurontiros was part of the Red Dragon Army.  When Aurontiros replied in the negative, Alstare gave a hearty laugh, revealing a set of long sharp fangs.  The priest felt they could work together and dangled the promise of treasure in exchange for their aid (episode 37).

Godfrey, Hazeal, Kelara and Rizira reconvened and moved towards the antechamber.  They saw Alstare was a handsome man whose charm and debonair presence seemed at odds with his surroundings.  Rizira tried to sneak up behind Alstare, only to trip over a loose tile and tumble to the floor.  In a failed attempt at stopping her fall, Rizira grabbed Alstare’s pants and pulled them down, exposing his pale flesh to the adventurers.  Godfrey, Hazeal and Aurontiros chided the kender, whose apology was hampered by Alstare’s physical assets.  As Rizira pulled his pants back up, Aurontiros apologized for the gaffe.  Alstare graciously accepted the apology, admitting that he had a kender acquaintance as well.  Realizing that he and the other kender were vampires, Rizira bared her neck.  Alstare vehemently turned down the silent request, as creating an immortal kender was a mistake that he could not take back.

Godfrey, Hazeal and Rizira saw that he wore a medallion around his neck in the shape of a goat’s skull.  They recognized it as the symbol of Chemosh, the god of undeath.

Aurontiros asked if everything was all right.  Alstare pointed out they had declared themselves enemies of the Dragon Armies, while Godfrey expressed reservations about working with a priest of the god of undeath.  However, Godfrey conceded that time was of the essence and asked to hear the details of Alstare’s proposal.  The priest asked them to kill the draconians that had established themselves above his sanctuary in exchange for untold treasures.  Aurontioros asked for specifics on the treasure as they might not live long enough to enjoy them.  Rizira made another request to be turned into a vampire. Hazeal recognized that Alstare simply wanted the draconians gone and did not care if the adventurers lived or died.  Furthermore, he would honour his pledge to reward them if they succeeded, but he was also prepared to kill them if they refused his offer.

Hazeal confirmed that Alstare wanted the party to kill the draconians and assured Godfrey that the offer was genuine.  Alstare went on to explain that he desired the death of their gold-scaled leader and suggested that they could avail themselves of the nearby altar of Chemosh to receive its blessing.  When Rizira wondered if that was the same altar that attacked them, Alstare acknowledged it was possible if they approached it without showing the proper respect.  He explained that it could provide answers about the temple and directions… if they submitted to Chemosh’s influence and truth.  Rizira felt that death was the next grand adventure, while Alstare believed that death was the end of all adventures.  After some discussion, Rizira decided to find the kender vampire Alstare spoke of and discuss the matter further.  When she declared that they would become best friends, Alstare was quick to ask that they take the vampire with them.  Aurontiros recalled Ispin saying that death was the only adventure he had left, which led to a brief conversation about the late adventurer’s accomplishments.  However, Alstare was quick to remind them of their deal before transforming into a bat and flying out of the room.

The party indulged in some chatter on how frequently vampires could transform into bats, amongst other things, before turning to the matter at hand. Seeing that the eastern statue was closest, Rizira climbed to the top and engulfed the statue—along with part of the door behind it—into a large hole that she unfolded from her bag. Godfrey looked at Levna and observed that the kender had saved them the trouble of pushing it.  The party saw there was a room behind the statue that held a long gray marble slab in the centre and the skeletal remains of an elf around it.  There was also an inset in the ceiling that held a mirror the same size as the slab.  Rizira folded up her hole, put it away and asked if it was the mirror they were seeking.  Godfrey did not know the answer.  Aurontiros asked the mirror directly but received no response.  Not knowing what to do, most of the party decided to enter the tomb.

Hazeal cast Detect Magic and learned that the mirror radiated with an aura of necromancy.  She informed the party of her findings and speculated that it might be the mirror they were looking for.  Godfrey asked if Rizira could fit the mirror in the portable hole.  Rizira thought it was possible, but decided to see if she could retrieve or touch the statue that had been swallowed up by the hole first.  She took a step outside, kicking a length of bone back towards the slab.  Reaching inside, she managed to touch the top of the statue.

With her Detect Magic spell, Hazeal sensed a flare of energy when the bone touched the slab.  Godfrey suddenly warned his friends to stay back.  After examining the mirror, he began to gather the scattered bones and reassembled them into a skeleton on the marble slab.  Hazeal soon joined him, as she felt he had the right idea. Rizira wondered what they were doing.  Godfrey explained he was reassembling the skeleton on the slab.  Aurontiros opined that that was a respectful gesture before Hazeal added that they wanted to see if the mirror would respond in any way.

When the final bone was returned, the reflection of the mirror shifted into the image of a living elf which opened its eyes and began to speak.  He identified himself as Cithcillion of Silvanost and asked if the adventurers knew what happened to his friends, Madar and Tenadria, who had accompanied him.

Hazeal admitted that she did not know those names, but she had seen two other tombs nearby.  Cithcillion grew sad as he concluded that the tombs were for his friends.  He asked the adventurers to bring the bones from the other tombs to his own so he could be reunited with his friends in death.  Hazeal relayed the request to the others.  Levna was confused until Hazeal explained that there was probably a tomb behind the northern statue.  With a concerted effort, Levna pushed the statue aside and revealed another tomb of similar size to the others.  It also had a marble slab in the centre and a shallow inset in the ceiling.  However, it had a mixture of glass shards and bones on the floor.

Rizira found it odd that one tomb had an intact skeleton, one had bones scattered on the floor and one had bones intermingled with shards of glass.  Godfrey speculated that it could be due to one mirror having magical properties while the others were normal mirrors.  Aurontiros wondered if bringing all the bones together was wise, given the necromantic enchantment on the mirror above Cithcillion’s tomb.  Rizira thought it would not be a concern if they were taking the mirror with them.  Godfrey talked to Hazeal and confirmed that it was only the mirror that was magical.  She assured him that the bones would not have any necromantic magic unless they were being animated.  Meanwhile, Levna sought Kelara’s help in gathering the bones from the northern tomb and brought them to the eastern tomb.  while Aurontiros, having been mollified by Godfrey’s and Hazeal’s conversation, moved the skeleton from the southern tomb to the eastern tomb.

Aurontiros thought they were part of a ‘goat clan’ like Alstare.  When Levna asked for clarification, Aurontiros pointed out that the vampire had a goat skull medallion.  Godfrey identified it as the sign of Chemosh, god of undeath.  Rizira expressed doubts that the elves were connected to the vampire.  Hazeal assured everyone that she would crush the skeletons with her warhammer if they became animated and hostile.  Rizira promised to put them in her (portable) hole, which resulted in a look from Kelara due to the kender’s choice of phrasing.

When the adventurers finished transferring the bones to the eastern tomb, the ghostly shape in the ceiling mirror solidified.  Cithcillion thanked them for their efforts and asked how he could repay their kindness.  When Rizira expressed interest in the mirror, Cithclilion corrected her, stating that the tomb’s mirror was not the mirror of reflected pasts that the adventurers were seeking.  However, he assured them it was present somewhere in the tomb.  He explained that he and his friends had come to Onyari out of concern for the kingpriest’s increasingly arrogant behaviour, hoping to bring him back to some semblance of sanity and persuade him to return the dragon bones to their proper resting place.  They had brought the mirror of reflected pasts, an elven relic used to help long-lived peoples recall happier times, to help the kingpriest reflect on simpler expressions of faith and deter him from offending the gods.  Unfortunately, their mission failed and the kingpriest imprisoned them in the tombs.  Cithcillion was not certain what happened to the mirror, but he was confident that it could still be found within the tomb and thanked them for their kindness.  Rizira thanked him for his information and offered regrets on learning that the elves had starved to death.  Cithcillion assured Rizira that they only died once, assured Godfrey that they would find peace, and expressed confidence that the kingpriest would die countless deaths in the hearts and minds of everyone he had wronged.  With that, the elf’s image faded from the mirror.

After confirming that the ceiling mirror was not what they were looking for, Aurontiros hoped the mirror of reflected pasts would be smaller.  Godfrey regretted that they had not asked for a description.  Aurontiros was confident that they would not be confused again as there could not be too many mirrors in the tomb, which led the party to enjoy some levity.  When Aurontiros asked if they wanted to pray at the altar of Chemosh, Godfrey firmly said no.  Rizira felt that Paladine and Mishakal would object if they sought the favour of Chemosh, while Hazeal pointed out that they had probably fought the ‘blessing’ earlier.  After Rizira reminded Aurontiros that they had already declined, the bard let the matter rest.

Rizira led the party out of the catacombs and up a flight of stairs. Carefully opening the door, she took a look before closing it and explained that there were two skeletal knights nearby. After the party discussed a plan of action, Rizira used Dancing Lights to create a vaguely humanoid shape and moved it north along the hallway.  She saw that one of the knights chased after the cantrip and signalled to the party that it was time to attack.

Bursting out of the door, Rizira picked up a stone from the ground, aimed carefully and fired it from her hoopak.  The stone scored a direct hit against the remaining skeletal knight. Hazeal moved past Godfrey and Levna into the hallway.  Keeping an eye out for the skeletal knight who ran off, she failed to strike the remaining knight with a Sacred Flame.  The other skeletal knight saw through the deception, ran back and hit Hazeal with two strikes.  Aurontiros squeezed past their companions and hit the skeletal knight who had stayed at its post with their longbow.  Their Silvery Barbs mitigated the damage that Hazeal sustained. Levna ran into the chamber and attacked the skeletal knight who had hurt Hazeal.  After hitting the creature once, she told Godfrey to attack the other skeletal knight. Kelara moved up the stairs past Godfrey, peered out the door and hit the skeletal knight she could see with a devastating Sacred Flame.  She then retreated back down the stairs past Godfrey so he would have a clear path of attack. The skeletal knight who had stayed at its post ran forward and downed Aurontiros with three deadly strikes.

Godfrey rushed in to defend his friend.  After taking a hit, Godfrey surged into action and hit the skeletal knight three times with his dragonlance. Expressing her dismay, Rizira whipped out her rapier, wreathed it with Green Flame and immolated the skeletal knight with a stab to the chest.  She moved to the remaining skeletal knight and gave it a small stab. Inspired by her kender friend, Hazeal cast Green Flame Blade on her warhammer (though it manifested with a red hue) and struck the skeletal knight. The undead creature attacked Hazeal, but only hit once due to a hastily raised Shield. Levna retaliated with two hits of her own. Kelara emerged into the chamber and saw Aurontiros bleeding out on the floor.  Seeing the necrotic energy seeping from their wounds, she suspected that any normal healing magic used at this time would not work.  Calling on the power of Mishakal, she overcame the enervating damage and brought Aurontiros back to life (while giving Hazeal an iota of healing as well). Clearly surprised, Aurontiros told Kelara that she was not Ispin.  While Kelara voiced her confusion, Godfrey told them that she was prettier.  Aurontiros decided they had more things to do before they saw Ispin again. Godfrey moved to the remaining skeletal knight and struck it twice. Rizira scored another kill, dealing the killing blow with another Green Flame Blade.

As they caught their breath, some of the adventurers spotted a set of small kender-sized boot prints heading into the room to the south.  Aurontiros thought Rizira had wandered around while they were unconscious until Kelara guessed it was probably the vampire kender.  Having come to the same conclusion, Rizira repeatedly begged to find her.  Godfrey (and Levna) caught a Second Wind but still felt drained and asked if they could have a Short Rest first.  Rizira reluctantly agreed and scouted around with Kelara while the others bandaged their wounds. Eventually, Kelara and Rizira entered the southern room.  They were only gone for a few minutes before they shrieked in unison.  Alarmed, Godfrey rushed in and asked if they were all right.

At some point, Aurontiros—having heard something with their keen hearing—suddenly called out that they “knew it.” Godfrey, Rizira and Kelara returned to the party, along with a rat who was perched on Kelara’s shoulder.  Rizira introduced the rat as the vampire kender, whose name was Lorry.  Rizira also mentioned that the draconians were probably somewhere beyond the set of double doors. Godfrey and Rizira asked how Hazeal and Aurontiros were doing.  Hazeal admitted she was feeling better.  Aurontiros recounted some vague impressions of what they remembered, which included seeing Ispin again, while they were unconscious.  Rizira advised that they check their pockets.  When Aurontiros complied, they found that Rizira had returned the Potion of Greater Healing that they had originally gifted to her.

After confirming that everyone had recovered from the last battle, Godfrey advised that the party should have a plan in mind to deal with the draconians, given the wide variety of abilities at their disposal.  Levna suggested blowing them up at a distance with a Fireball, though she pointed out they had no idea how many enemies were there.  Rizira asked Lorry if she knew.  When the rat squeaked no, Rizira asked if she could find out.  Lorry reluctantly agreed, turned into a mist, rolled down Kelara’s body and went through the door.  When she returned, Lorry relayed that there were seven draconians—one of which had gold scales.  Godfrey proposed that they hit the draconians with a fireball if the opportunity presented itself, he and Levna would keep the enemy trapped, Rizira use her mobility to go where she was needed and the others provide ranged support.  Hazeal Twin cast Death Ward on Aurontiros and Godfrey.  Rizira reached into her bag and pulled out a translucent package of trail mix that Aurontiros had ‘lost’ a year ago.

Having made their preparations, the party burst through the double doors.  They saw crumbled frescoes and obsidian columns lie along the walls of a dilapidated sanctuary, though a portion of the south wall had partially caved in.  A twenty-foot-tall statue of Takhisis stood prominently, with Chemosh and other evil gods forming a semi-circle behind.  Six draconians could be seen dismantling the statues of the gods behind the effigy of Takhisis under the supervision of the gold draconian. Rizira aimed carefully and hit the gold draconian with a shot from her hoopak. Levna rushed in, forgetting their plan to Fireball the draconians until it was too late.  Godfrey looked at Hazeal and Kelara and shrugged in resignation as Levna struck the draconian. Kelara hit another draconian with a devastating Sacred Flame. Godfrey could not bear to see Levna fight on her own.  Telling the others to aim over him and Levna, he charged into the room, thrust over Levna’s shoulder and killed the gold draconian with a stab through the skull.  The creature exploded in lightning, knocking both knights over and stunning them.  Levna belatedly remembered they were not supposed to run in.  Hazeal moved far enough into the room to strike two of the draconians with a Sacred Flame. Aurontiros wondered if they were still supposed to cast a Fireball, then realized the death of the gold draconian simplified matters and used the statue of Takhisis as the centre of their spell.  Two of the draconians hit Godfrey and Levna with lightning before Aurontiros’s Fireball went off.  The bard’s spell killed four of the draconians and burned the other two.  In addition, one of the statue’s wings shattered and fell to the floor.  As Hazeal moved to the side, Aurontiros killed one more draconian with their dancing longsword. Rizira scolded Levna for her impulsiveness before aiming carefully and killed the last draconian with a shot from her hoopak. The party then noticed that the other draconians had exploded in their death throes, destroying the smaller statues of the gods.  Lorry, still in rat form, chortled at the carnage.  She advised Rizira and the party to return to Alstare.

However, they did not need to go anywhere as Alstare appeared behind them and acknowledged that they had fulfilled their deal.  Gesturing to the south wall, he told them there was a secret room behind it that held the treasure he promised and it could be opened by turning the statue of Takhisis towards the south.  Looking closely, Rizira saw depressions spaced along the base of the statue, along with a plaque reading ‘Yield to Her Will,’ and realized they were handholds.  Levna got up and, with a mighty roar, moved the statue and opened the room.  Coins and valuables lay strewn about the chamber—including a sizable mirror with an intact pane of black glass.  Alstare declared that their deal had been concluded… and hastily turned into a bat and flew away when Lorry asked if he would take her with him and have some fun.  The party pointed out to Lorry that she could chase after Alstare or stay with them.  Lorry chose the latter—until they got boring.  Rizira took exception to that statement, feeling that kender were never boring.  Godfrey felt that a boring kender would be truly exciting.  Kelara suggested that Rizira or Lorry could try to be boring, even for a short time, just to see what it would be like.

Despite the debris, the party was able to retrieve 5200 steel pieces worth of coins and art, a potion of gaseous form, two potions of superior healing, a glittering greatsword and the mirror of reflected pasts.  Levna eagerly took it and handed her longsword to Aurontiros. Kelara asked for Levna’s assistance again.  With a grunt, the knight pushed the statue of Takhisis to the north.  As the party discussed how to transport the mirror, with Rizira deciding she would have to remove the statue she had acquired from her portable hole, another hidden door opened in the northern wall, revealing a cave of dark stone.  A gleaming altar of polished black obsidian stood inside.  Where the light struck it, bands of colour glimmered in the shades of all five chromatic dragons.

Kelara went into the northern room.  She called out to Hazeal just before Rizira dumped the statue out.  Kelara asked Hazeal to join her and bring her hammer.  Curious, Godfrey, Hazeal, Rizira and Levna went over.  Aurontiros stayed behind to continue scooping up the treasure. They found themselves in a cave of dark stone.  A gleaming altar of polished black obsidian stood inside.  Where the light struck it, bands of colour glimmered in the shades of all five chromatic dragons. Kelara explained that it was a shrine of Takhisis and shared her suspicions that it was powering something. With her Stonecunning, Hazeal recognized that the altar was made by obsidian, specifically a kind forged from dragonfire.  Furthermore, she realized the area had been desecrated and was positively bleeding with the power of Takhisis.  She felt that destroying the altar would ultimately benefit the universe, though she did not know what would happen to her.

Hazeal warned the others to back up.  Sensing what she was about to do, Godfrey asked if she wanted him to destroy it.  Rizira warned that if Hazeal destroyed it, and it was a power source, then Soth would become aware of their presence.  From the other room, Aurontiros cheerfully called out that it was probably a moot point.  Hazeal felt it was not a power source.  Godfrey and Hazeal both agreed it was evil and needed to be destroyed.  Aurontiros asked if they had found anything interesting.  Rizira left to put the mirror in her portable hole. Hazeal slammed her hammer against the altar, leaving a slight crack in its surface, before being knocked back. Suddenly, three screaming wraiths emerged from the walls and attacked.

Hearing their cries, Aurontiros ran into the cave and joined the rest of the party. Lashing out with their dancing longsword, they struck the southernmost wraith. Rizira moved into a better position and hit the northernmost wraith with her hoopak.  Hissing, the wraith reached into Hazeal’s chest and drained some of her life. Kelara hit the northernmost wraith with a Sacred Flame. Levna ran into the shrine, saw what was happening and Dashed forward in the hopes of drawing the wraiths away from Hazeal. One of the wraiths took the bait and siphoned some of Levna’s life energy with two strikes. Godfrey took out his holy symbol of Paladine and held it before him, turning away one of the wraiths.  As it fled back into the walls, Godfrey Surged into Action and killed the northernmost wraith.

Aurontiros attacked the remaining wraith with their dancing longsword before casting Vicious Mockery.  Rizira followed up with a hit from her hoopak. In response, the wraith slashed into Godfrey and took some of his life force. Kelara finished off the wraith with her Sacred Flame. As the party asked how everyone was faring, the wraith that had fled returned and dealt two crippling blows to Levna.  Godfrey switched places with Hazeal and struck the wraith twice with his dragonlance. Hazeal landed a blow with her Sacred Flame. Seeing how successful they had been, Aurontiros repeated their attacks with their dancing longsword and Vicious Mockery.  Aiming carefully, Rizira finished off the wraith.

A winded Levna managed to wheeze that the party should rest outside the desecrated shrine.  The party agreed and retreated to a safe place to tend to their wounds and enjoy Aurontiros’s Song of Rest.  Lorry re-emerged in her kender form and told them she was entertained by the fact that they almost died.  Hazeal rebutted that they had faced more harrowing fights that brought them closer to death.  Lorry asked to turn them into vampire spawn if they died.  Rizira and Aurontiros agreed while Godfrey and Hazeal refused.  Lorry gave a report on some of the rooms ahead and the enemies inside—including a library and a war room full of draconians—but revealed a path that would bypass the hostiles and lead to a stairwell.  Thoroughly excited, Lorry urged the party to cause chaos and not be boring before turning back into a rat.  With a serious look on her face, Levna asked the adventurers for a plan of action (episode 38).

Godfrey felt the more they waited, the more people would die.  Rizira agreed, adding the casualties would increase once the citadel reached Kalaman.  Aurontiros pointed out they had no idea how the battle fared and there might still be a chance if the citadel had not arrived at the city.  In preparation for the upcoming battle, Hazeal cast Mage Armour on Rizira.  Godfrey took the opportunity to express his gratitude to everyone for their various contributions.  Hazeal and Aurontiros were particularly inspired by his Bolstering Rally.  Not to be outdone, Aurontiros gave a Motivational Speech.

Rizira sought clarification on their plan by stating they had to find Soth and take the mirror out of her hole to distract him.  Hazeal added they needed to locate and extinguish the Cataclysmic fires.  Kelara and Levna warned that the citadel would likely stop flying and start to fall once the fires were out.  Furthermore, Kelara was concerned that the party just assumed they would get out and wanted to know the details.  Godfrey suggested running to find the dragonnels.  Levna recalled that Clystran had promised to wait for them.  The party debated whether they could contact Clystran using the magic at Hazeal’s and Kelara’s disposal, along with the practicalities of seeking refuge in Rizira’s Bag of Holding.  Ultimately, they decided to escape by jumping out a window and use Hazeal’s Feather Fall spell to safely reach the ground one way or another.

Before they left, Levna—in her usual indirect manner—told the adventurers how honoured she was to travel with them and her hopes that they would survive.  Rizira approved of her implied optimism.  Godfrey told Levna she had to live so she could witness his proposal to Kelara—a statement that provoked a pointed look from the priestess.

After the party debated whether one could only die once, Aurontiros recalled befriending a phantom steed in the catacombs below Castle Kalaman and promised that they could summon their aid if necessary.  Levna told Rizira it must be nice to be incapable of feeling fear.  Rizira, for once, did not respond.  Growing solemn, Levna swore an oath to complete their mission at any cost.  Hazeal approved of the knight’s words.  Aurontiros began to bring the party to their home before remembering that it was gone, prompting Rizira to extend an invitation to visit Kenderhome—and witness the marriage of Godfrey and Kelara.  Lorry asked if the party wanted to explore the other rooms first, suggesting the library for its collection of scrolls and books.  The party ultimately decided they did not have any more time to waste and began to sneak forward.

Aurontiros debated whether they should cast Pass Without Trace, but eventually did when they remembered that Godfrey, Kelara and Levna were all wearing heavy armour.  Once their spell was complete, they began to creep down the hallway.  At Aurontiros’s prompting, Hazeal used her Stonecunning to determine that they should head north and directed her friends accordingly.  Rounding the corner, they saw several bare stone cells.  Aurontiros, Rizira and Kelara heard muttered Draconic from a door to the south that sounded like arguing.  Kelara and Rizira motioned for silence and pointed to the door. Listening closely, Hazeal heard rough voices outline how they would attack Kalaman once the citadel was in position.  She learned that the Red Dragon Army had discovered that Kalaman was housing the infirm and children in the catacombs underneath the castle.  In addition, word of her friends and their exploits had spread through the rank and file.  She passed the message along.

The party reached the top of the stairs and saw a shattered corridor running to the south.  They saw the walls to the west and east were made of crumbling stone, allowing flickering violet light to shine through gaps in the eastern wall.  At the south end of the hall, a woman stood near another stairway.  Seeing the adventurers, she reacted with mild surprise before declaring that the party could be useful and inviting them to follow.  She went up the stairs without waiting for their reply.

Through a hole in the wall, the party could see the interior of the temple, which had been hollowed out into a single great chamber.  A menacing statue of the five-headed Dragon Queen stood at the north, above which lay a shadowy chamber in the wall forty feet up.  A massive brazier burned with violet flame in the centre of the chamber, surrounded by a crude iron scaffold and uneven stairs that led to a platform surrounding the brazier’s lip.  An undead female knight in blackened armour stood atop the scaffold, bearing a pike fluttering with tattered cloth.  Rizira revealed her suspicion that the woman who greeted them was actually Caradoc and suggested that they see what he wanted.  The party wondered what to do, beginning a roundabout discussion that only established that no one knew what to do.  Ultimately, Aurontiros voted for Rizira’s initial suggestion of following Caradoc.

The knights wondered whether they should break down the wall.  Rizira wanted to see what Caradoc was up to.  Furthermore, while Leedara had advised them to stop the violet flames and use the mirror to distract Soth, the kender feared that Soth would try and stop them once they attempted to extinguish the flames.  As such, she suggested they consider attacking Soth directly.  Aurontiros decided to follow Rizira’s lead in meeting Caradoc.  Godfrey wanted everyone to stick together but, if things took a turn for the worse, advised that someone should return to extinguish the violet fire.  The party was evidently confused by the fact that the undead knight near the violet flames was not Soth and by Caradoc’s unexpected appearance.  With Godfrey, Kelara, Hazeal and Levna frozen in indecision, Aurontiros cast their vote to follow Rizira’s course of action.

As such, the party eventually followed Caradoc up the stairs and found themselves in a dilapidated room.  The wall carvings of robed figures gathering beneath a large black moon, and the recesses with lit black candles, revealed that it was a former shrine. Aurontiros thought the shrine was to the god of holes. Caradoc greeted them, observed that they had taken their time and assumed they realized ‘her’ true identity.  He assured them that he was on a mission and his actions during their initial encounter at Castle Kalaman were not personal.  Rizira was not as forgiving, given what had happened to her, but Caradoc pointed out that she was still alive.  Getting to the point, Caradoc shared his opinion that Soth’s alliance with the Dragon Armies was a mistake, one that distracted him from exacting revenge against the Knights of Solamnia.  He asked the adventurers to seize the flying citadel and transfer control of it to him.  In return, he promised to fly it away from Kalaman and never return. Godfrey and Hazeal determined that Caradoc was being honest, albeit for terrible reasons.

Glancing at Levna, who was leaning against the eastern door, Caradoc advised her not to open it as that would lead to Soth, who was controlling the flying citadel from the throne there.  He then changed his mind and encouraged her to open it.  Rizira asked him if he would warn Soth that they were coming.  Caradoc assured her that he would not… if they could get Soth away from the throne.  He warned that Soth was too powerful for them to defeat, but he could be distracted.  Aurontiros conceded they didn’t have to like Caradoc to agree with his plan.  Rizira looked at the bard in confusion. Hazeal sent a Message to Rizira, explaining that Aurontiros might be lying to Caradoc to disguise the party’s true intentions, whatever they might be.

Caradoc noted that, even if they distracted Soth, they still had to face Wersten Kern, Soth’s standard bearer.  He revealed that she was the knight that the party saw guarding the Cataclysmic fire, loyally served Soth and had to be dealt with as well.  Godfrey was more concerned that the flying citadel might fall onto Kalaman and pressed Caradoc on his promise to fly it away from the city.  Aurontiros felt that it was a clearer plan than anything they had come up with and conceded that they did not want the flying citadel to crash onto Kalaman either.  Hazeal seemed to agree as well.  Godfrey asked Caradoc who he was possessing and learned she was a Kalaman sergeant named Amelia Ghallen.  Godfrey insisted he let her go.  Caradoc insisted he needed a body.  Godfrey suggested Caradoc possess Kern, but Caradoc objected to the idea of possessing a corpse.  Rizira interrupted, saying they were wasting time.

Levna muttered to Godfrey that this felt like a distraction that would lead them right to Soth.  Overhearing the two, Aurontiros thought that was the plan.  Levna replied that the plan was to take out the Cataclysmic fire.  Aurontiros and Hazeal agreed that they seemed to have agreed on a new plan: to ally with Caradoc, despite their misgivings on his loyalties, and go after Soth.

The party pushed through the door, went up a flight of stairs and entered another small room.  A hulking minotaur was carved in bas-relief on the west wall.  Scorch marks covered the floors and walls, while doors led to the north and west.  However, the party’s attention was drawn to the two skeletal knights, both of whom had their swords drawn.  Caradoc belatedly apologized for ‘forgetting’ about them and asked the party to deal with them. Rizira moved to the closest skeletal knight and landed a devastating blow with her Green Flame Blade before moving out of the way and urging Levna to join her. Levna charged in and dealt two blows with her new greatsword. Kelara moved up and cast Sacred Flame and the knight failed his saving throw. Aurontiros entered the room, attacked the skeletal knight Rizira and Levna engaged with their dancing longsword and Vicious Mockery before retreating back into the hallway. Hazeal cast Sacred Flame against the other skeletal knight, as it was the only threat she could see. The skeletal knight fighting Levna retaliated at last, landing several blows.

Rizira took a hit from the other skeletal knight, despite Levna’s intervention, and reacted with an attack of her own.  Godfrey made his way into the room and stabbed twice at the skeletal knight that Levna had backed into a corner. Rizira attacked the second skeletal knight with two stabs with her rapier, one of which was wreathed in a Green Flame Blade. Levna decapitated both skeletal knights with two decisive strikes.

The party thanked each other for their contributions before sarcastically thanking Caradoc for his (lack of) help.  After pressing Caradoc for details on any other surprises, Kelara assessed the party’s injuries and ultimately cast Cure Wounds on Levna.  Aurontiros discovered two Potions of Greater Healing which had somehow come into their possession, but was persuaded to keep them in case they needed healing and Kelara was unavailable.  The party left Caradoc behind and proceeded up the stairs.  Aurontiros reminded the party that they were still under the benefit of their Pass Without Trace spell while Godfrey Channeled his divine magic to gain a Sacred Weapon.

Sections of the room had fallen, revealing the open interior of the temple, the violet flames at the temple’s heart below, and the dark clouds outside that surrounded the flying citadel.  A crude throne lay inside, with veins of violet light pulsing through the broken marble.  A still figure in charred armour sat on the throne, red eyes glowing from his crown-like helm.  A black rose emblem could be seen on his charred breastplate.  Looking closer, they realized that, beneath his armour, his body was perpetually burning.  Rizira pulled the mirror out of the portable hole.  When Soth did not react, the adventurers realized his attention was focused on the open balcony to the north and the lit brazier below.  The party wondered if they should follow Rizira into the throne room and surround Soth.  Hazeal was reticent to go through the door, given how similar experiences had led to the mage being hit by fire magic.  Godfrey was intent on engaging Soth.  Rizira eventually entered the room and openly proclaimed that Soth had betrayed Isolde.  Soth slowly turned his head, turning his fiery gaze upon the kender.  The party noticed he was holding a blazing brand, resembling a combination of a mace and a lit torch, by his side.

Rizira held up the mirror.  Soth took a step forward as the brand in his hand ignited.  His pace faltered as the mirror came to life.  The party barely heard Soth whisper the name Isolde as he came to a stop, transfixed by an eternity of betrayal.  Rizira moved behind Soth and stabbed him in the back with her rapier.  She then decided to sit on the now-vacant throne. Godfrey struck Soth with his dragonlance and knocked his burning brand out of his hand.  After stabbing him again, Godfrey prompted Rizira to land another strike.  Levna ran up and kicked his burning brand out of the room and down into the temple chamber below before landing two hits. Soth roused himself from his paralysis, despite Aurontiros’s Cutting Words.  Turning to the adventurers around him, he uttered his derision and a Word of Death that struck a grievous blow against Rizira.  He then kicked at Levna, who barely resisted his attempt to kick her over the edge, before wounding both Levna and Rizira. Aurontiros pulled Soth off his feet, told him he had failed against the strongest lesbian in Krynn and hurled him over the balcony with Telekinesis.  Soth landed in the brazier, still restrained by Aurontiros’s spell.  They sent their dancing longsword to cut into his undead flesh. Hazeal moved into the room and peered over the edge.  She saw Soth stand up in the brazier and summon the burning brand back to his hand.  In response, Hazeal cast Bigby’s Hand, which grappled the undead knight and began to crush his body.  Letting out a roar, Soth tried to dispel her spell, only to be thwarted by Aurontiros and their Cutting Words. Kelara moved up, struck Soth with a devastating Guiding Bolt and backed away from the balcony.

After drinking her Potion of Superior Healing, Rizira stood up, hit Soth with a shot from her hoopak, and sat back down on the throne. Godfrey took Kelara’s favour off her dragonlance as he did not want to lose it.  He then hurled his dragonlance into the brazier.  Soth reached out, but failed to free himself.  As the Catacylsmic flames began to go out, Godfrey urged his friends to follow him down the stairs towards the sanctum. Furious, Soth aimed his burning brand and fired a bolt at the party, which exploded into a fireball of Cataclysmic flames.  The brazier suddenly stopped burning and the floor beneath it splintered.  Kern screamed at her lord’s plight.  Shouting out in dismay, Caradoc ran through the door to the south.  Godfrey cheekily told him the citadel was his as promised.  The ground collapsed, sending Soth plummeting into darkness.

With the brazier no longer lit, everything began to tremble, shake and fall apart.  Seeing that Levna was grievously injured, Kelara immediately gave her some magical healing.  Aurontiros handed her a potion of superior healing while the knight caught a Second Wind.  Rizira began searching around, noting that Caradoc was looking on in horror and Kern was trapped beneath the broken floor.  While the destruction was obscuring her view, she saw several cracks in the temple wall large enough to jump through.  After confirming that Hazeal still had the necessary magic, she recommended that the party take the ‘express route’.

The party agreed and jumped through the cracks, Rizira pausing long enough to retrieve the mirror of reflected pasts.  As they fell, Hazeal Twin casted Feather Fall on the adventurers.  While she forgot about Lorry, the rat managed to cling to Kelara’s shoulder and was taken along for the ride.  As they floated down, they saw that the citadel was slowly descending towards Kalaman Bay, leaving a great trail of purple smoke behind it.  One by one, the death dragons who were attacking the city exploded and fell apart as the Cataclysmic magic that animated them vanished.  Below, Dragon Army troops could be seen panicking as they saw the citadel fall apart.  More importantly, they saw a pitched battle on the water as their allies had finally returned from the Northern Wastes.

They landed on a walkway and watched the battle overhead.  In the distance, they could see Clystran and the allied dragonnels flying towards them.  An immense draconic skeleton, larger than any the party had seen before, burst through the crumbling ground, its body still blazing with violet flames.  The death dragon  roared to Sarlamir, declaring that she would not be driven from the skies again and would have revenge on him and all humans.  The party realized that they were looking at the gold dragon Sarlamir had slain during his failed quest to Onyari.  Aurontiros gave Godfrey advance notice before using Telekinesis to retrieve his dragonlance and pull it into the knight’s hand before the battle began.

Rizira Taunted Karavarix, thanks to Aurontiros and their Cutting Words.  The kender then ran away and successfully Hid from the dragon. Kelara moved away from the rest of the party and cast Flame Strike.  Hazeal cast Scatter to teleport the adventurers to various locations around the death dragon.  However, she forgot about Lorry.  After she fell to the ground, she let out a curse and scurried for the closest patch of shadow.  Aurontiros raised Karavarix with Telekinesis  They moved the dragon between Godfrey and Levna and maintained the spell to keep it restrained. Karavarix slashed at Godfrey before taking a deep breath.  Levna was unable to dodge the following wave of Cataclysmic flame, but Rizira managed to avoid the attack.  Godfrey tied Kelara’s favour back on the dragonlance before stabbing the undead dragon four times. Levna voiced her displeasure and defiance before slashing at Karavarix.

Running forward, Rizira pulled out the mirror of reflected pasts.  However, the magical item had no effect despite Aurontiros’s Cutting Words.  Shrugging, Rizira slashed Karavarix with her rapier.  Kelara struck Karavarix with a destructive Guiding Bolt. Hazeal cast another Bigby’s Hand and commanded it to punch the dragon. Karavarix slashed at Rizira, wounding her despite Hazeal’s Shield. As Aurontiros moved towards Karavarix, they dug out the arrow with the stone arrowhead that a child had given them a long time ago.  They used their Telekinesis to wrench the dragon’s head down on their dancing longsword, then fired the stone arrow through the eye socket and killed the undead dragon.

The adventurers had no time to celebrate as the ground began to split beneath them.  Death dragons continued to fly around as the island continued to fall apart.  The party began to run towards Clystran and the dragonnels, who spotted the light reflecting off Ispin’s shield.  A small group of draconians tried to pursue them, only to fall into a chasm and die.  As they ran, chunks of masonry fell around them, striking Godfrey.  Moments later, Clystran touched down with the dragonnels.  The party brushed aside any attempts at conversation, keenly feeling the need to leave before the temple fell apart.

They flew away in the nick of time, as the flying citadel crashed into Kalaman Bay and the Bastion of Takhisis crumbled above the field west of the city.  Massive boulders and Dragon Army troops fell to the ground below, crushing the Red Dragon Army forces in droves.  Clystran and the adventurers landed a quarter mile from the west wall of Kalaman, keeping a safe distance from the flying citadel.  Fallen rocks and the remains of death dragons littered the field around them.  As draconians fled the flying citadel and the Red Dragon Army scattered, Clystran exclaimed that the party had survived what they had all suspected to be a suicide mission.

A streak of red swept low over the battlefield, crashing through dozens of retreating enemies who were in its path, before soaring upwards at the last moment.  A red dragon perched atop a stone spire fallen from the flying citadel.  Its rider, a woman with short white hair dressed in Dragon Army armour, leveled a pike at them.  Her left eye—replaced with a crimson gemstone—smouldered with magical flame (episode 39).

## Appearance

Hazeal is a 4'9" tall mountain dwarf with pale skin and red hair. She had stone-grey eyes for most of her life. After passing her Test of High Sorcery, however, her eyes turned golden yellow.

## Character Build

* Metamagics: Heightened Spell, Quickened Spell, Subtle Spell, Twinned Spell
* Known ASIs/Feats: Adept of the Red Robes, Initiate of High Sorcery (Lunitari), Metamagic Adept, +2 Cha
* Known Spells:
	+ Cantrips: Blade Ward, Control Flames, Fire Bolt, Green Flame Blade, Lightning Lure, Message, Minor Illusion\*, Sacred Flame\*\*
	+ 1st Level: Detect Magic, Earth Tremor, Feather Fall\*, Longstrider\*, Mage Armor, Shield (Full Moon)\*\*, Ray of Sickness (New Moon)\*\*, Colour Spray (Crescent Moon)\*\*
	+ 2nd Level: Dragon's Breath, Silence\*\*\*, Moonbeam (Full Moon)\*\*, Blindness/Deafness (New Moon)\*\*, Alter Self (Crescent Moon)\*\*
	+ 3rd Level: Counterspell, Haste, Melf's Minute Meteors, Thunder Step, Dispel Magic (Full Moon)\*\*, Bestow Curse (New Moon)\*\*, Hypnotic Pattern (Crescent Moon)\*\*
	+ 4th Level: Blight, Death Ward (Full Moon)\*\*, Confusion (New Moon)\*\*, Hallucinatory Terrain (Crescent Moon)\*\*
	+ 5th Level: Bigby's Hand, Immolation, Rary's Telepathic Bond (Full Moon)\*\*, Hold Monster (New Moon)\*\*, Mislead (Crescent Moon)\*\*
	+ 6th Level: Scatter

*\* = Initiate of High Sorcery spells*
*\*\* = Lunar Sorcery spells. Please note: the decision was made off-camera to have Moonbeam as the Lunar Embodiment (Full Moon) spell as per Unearthed Arcana, rather than the official spell of Lesser Restoration.*
\*\*\* = Adept of the Red Robes spell

* Lunar Boons
	+ Whenever you use Metamagic on a spell of a school of magic associated with your current Lunar Embodiment phase, you can reduce the sorcery points spent by 1 (minimum 0). You can reduce the sorcery points spent for your Metamagic a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest
		- Full Moon – Abjuration + Divination
		- New Moon – Evocation + Necromancy
		- Crescent Moon - Illusion + Transmutation

* Waxing and Waning
	+ You gain greater control over the phases of your lunar magic. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 sorcery point to change your current Lunar Embodiment phase to a different one.
	+ You can now cast one 1st-level spell from each lunar phase of the Lunar Spells table once without expending a spell slot, provided your current phase is the same as the lunar phase spell. Once you cast a lunar phase spell in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

* Imbuing Touch
	+ As an action, you can touch one nonmagical weapon and spend 2 sorcery points to imbue it with magic for 1 minute. For the duration, the weapon is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming immunity and resistance to nonmagical attacks.

*Note:*

* *Decisions were made off-camera to incorporate elements of Unearthed Arcana and other homebrew fixes as needed to make the Lunar Sorcery origin more thematically appropriate and fun.*
* *Between episodes 20 and 21, when going to level 7, the decision was made to switch the official Crescent Moon spell Phantom Steed for Hypnotic Pattern, as the former would never be used.*
* *Between episodes 25 and 26, when going to level 8, the decision was made to switch the official New Moon spell Vampiric Touch for Bestow Curse.*

## Trivia

* Her favourite colour is red.
* At some point, Hazeal inexplicably found herself in a television show called Sailor Moon. As the main enemy, a weird circus man, tried to run away, she stepped out of the shadows and declared "In the name of the moon, and my warhammer, I will punish you." She then proceeded to incinerate the enemy with her Moonbeam, after which she was invited to join some other adventurers for a meal of ramen. When they opened the enemy's wallet, however, they were transported to another world where they quickly became involved in a wrestling match. Hazeal would ultimately win the match after swinging down from the rafters with her warhammer and hitting her opponent in the face (with Heavy Metal). She was declared the new Intercontinental, or Transdimensional, champion.
* In episode 14, due to the complications caused by the Red Dragon Army, Hazeal became a provisional mage.  Her Test of High Sorcery would be deferred until after the Red Dragon Army had been dealt with.
* In episode 14, Aurontiros became a provisional apprentice mage under Hazeal’s mentorship.
* In episode 15, Hazeal gained a +1 Wand of the War Mage.
* In episode 17, Aurontiros, Godfrey, Hazeal and Rizira gained Habbakuk’s Blessing.  For the remainder of their journey through the Northern Wastes, they gained advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to notice flash floods and, along with a maximum of five other creatures, could ignore difficult terrain outdoors.  The blessing would last until twenty-four hours after they departed the Northern Wastes.
* In episode 28, Hazeal took the Test of High Sorcery and became a full-fledged mage of the Red Robes.  As an unintended side-effect, her eyes changed in hue from stone-grey to a molten, golden yellow.  Her new eyes granted her the ability to cast Shield on herself or an ally within 30 feet once per Long Rest, without using a spell slot.
* In episode 38, Hazeal gained the Dragon’s Queen Will.  As a result, she gained a temporary bonus to Wisdom saving throws, unsettling but harmless dreams of ravenous dragons and the permanent ability to speak Draconic.