Chapter 3 - Out of Time

**Chapter 3** of Greetings Adventurers resolves the House Vidalis plotline, gives us the short Temple of Ghostly Evil storyline, and brings an end to the first half of the Fennekin arc. Strap in.

Thom the Dragonborn, now Thom Vidalis, learns that there was an original Thom Vidalis, who cloned himself many times over, with the intention of taking over Pelor's Hope. After a while, Thom confronts himself, and there are many *Timecop* references. The Thom of this time is killed, and everyone is concerned about our Thom disappearing, but he doesn't, leading many to believe that our Thom is one of the clones. This is never resolved. As they are escaping, they free several griffons, and name some of them Peter the Griffon, Bruno Mars, and Sparkles. Fennekin opens a portal using The Brazier of Worlds, which was being used to bring a bunch of evil demons into the world, before our heroes stopped it. They end up bringing the Griffons with them through the portal, and they become an ongoing addition to the party.

There is some strange time shenanigans that take place, where people going through the portal have to wait a prolonged period of time for the others. Thom, Aludra, Ros, and Bucky wait around for a long while before Harper finally comes through and sneaks off with the Brazier. They chase after him, and are all attacked by a Hydra, which they defeat. Harper reveals that he trained under a man named Longcryer, who worked with Fennekin. He also says that Fennekin is a bad person, and has kidnapped the other Harpers, telling this Titus Harper that he must join Aludra and Thom on their quest, and then steal the Brazier and return it to Fennekin, in order to get his family back. They reluctantly agree to help each other.

Still in the scary Swamps of Ichtaka, they soon encounter a group of Troglodytes and kill all but one, Deborah, who tells them of a nearby temple, The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, which has many dangers and treasures. There is a lot of discussion if they should worry about it or not, Harper claiming that they really should get back to Fennekin to save his family, and Thom believing that the whole adventure will only take a couple hours, tops. *(It takes 6 episodes, just under 9 hours total...)* The Temple is quite harrowing, and Harper nearly dies a few times. Thom saves his life, and never lets him live it down. Deborah dies, and at the end of the Temple, they fight and slay a Beholder. It's pretty epic.

The Chapter ends when the group makes it back to Caer, bringing the Brazier of Worlds to Fennekin in the Temple of Erathis (he already had The Whip of Binding, and The Orb of Endless Power). They fail to come up with the World's Greatest Plan, and Harper walks in to confront Fennekin, while Aludra and Thom listen at the door. Fennekin quickly sees through this plan and opens the door. All three party members are now standing before Fennekin. He shows Harper that his family is currently alive, but still captured, until he hands over the Brazier. They ask him what he is planning to do with the three artifacts, and Fennekin reveals that he is going to use the Whip of Binding to bind the Brazier of Worlds to the Orb of Endless Power, creating a massive portal to the Abyss that will bring many many terrible demons into the world. He wants to do this because he is not working for Erathis, as previously thought, but Orcus! He detonates the devices in Thom and Aludra's heads, killing them instantly. He offers Harper a choice: Give him the Brazier of Worlds, and his family leaves alive, or don't, and they die. Either way, Harper is doomed, and he chooses option two. Unfortunatly, he is unable to destroy the Brazier before a dagger is thrust through his heart from behind. The last thing he hears is the voice of Ros, whispering *"I'm so sorry, Harper..."* before he dies...

**Chapter 3**