Outskirts
The group took in their surroundings and recognized that they were in the northern outskirts of the city, a relatively deserted section. From their position they could see the Ziggurat of Kalid-Ma and noticed that the top of the structure was slightly different from what they remembered, although no details were visible at this distance. There was still some general confusion as they were all under the impression that the land of Kalidnay in the Gray had dissolved following the death of Thankok-An. Kira had no answers other than that the Mists work in mysterious ways.

Eager to find Vinara and Morg, Jarvix sent out a telepathic message to Morg, telling the Mul of their location and asking him to come find them. Within a few minutes Morg replied, asking Jarvix to stay put and letting him know that the resistance would be coming with Morg. Feeling they were safe, for the moment, the group set about tending to their wounds and recovering from the fight against Dregoth. During their rest, Kira heard heavy footsteps approaching their position.

Instead of Morg and Vinara, the party was surprised to see a templar and a retinue of half-giant and human guards. The templar asked for the party’s surrender and although she was refused, she didn’t order an immediate attack. Elleandra attempted to ask questions of the templar but was dismissed. Similarly Iorskan’s attempts to intimidate them were met with failure as well. During the conversations, Jarvix noticed that all of the guards and the templar were wearing identical symbols, one that reminded him of a piece of jewelry worn by Gwyn’s mother, Marisol.

After the templar mentioned in hushed tones that she would take them to the resistance, the two groups agreed that the party would be allowed to keep there weapons as they were escorted through town. Although suspicious, the templar appeared sincere so they set out. Their winding path through the back streets of Kalidnay were taking them closer and closer to the Ziggurat. Kira was the first to notice that atop the structure several bodies were apparently on display. This observation was shared between her, Jarvix, Li-Am and Iorskan before the half-giant guards caught on.

Feeling they had been duped, Jarvix used the Way to control one of the half-giants and make him attack another. Chaos quickly ensued but the party was able to defeat the templar and her guards quickly, although Iorskan was badly injured during the conflict.

As they took a quick rest in an abandoned building, they realized they were close enough to the Ziggurat to make out the differences. Several bodies had been staked to the top, on display for the entire city to see. There appeared to be two women and one man, along with an insect of some type.

The Ziggurat
The group moved out of sight and pondered the strange turn of events. Jarvix was certain that he had contacted Morg and that Morg had replied to him. Iorskan suggested that Morg, whom he had never met, might have betrayed the party. None of the party was willing to entertain such a notion. While they rested they took the patrols clothes for disguised, with Kezmit and Li-Am posing as guards and Elleandra masquerading as the templar.

Jarvix sent another message to Morg using the Way, asking what had happened and for them to meet back at their initial location in the outskirts of the city. Morg quickly replied that the templars are everywhere and that he and the resistance members had to deal with a patrol. Again Iorskan scoffed and voiced his concerns that Morg had turned on them. Again the rest of the party dismissed the notion.

The party head back towards the edge of town, avoiding any encounters with the population as best they could and pretending to be a templar and her prisoners when needed. They were successful and their subterfuge appeared to work. At the last minute, they decided to go to a different building and see if there was an ambush at the original meeting place. Kira was able to change forms and sneak into the building, discovering another templar patrol, larger than the last.

Upon Kira’s return, the party could no longer deny that they were compromised in some way, although none, except Iorskan, were willing to believe Morg had turned on them. Jarvix sent another message to Morg, for final confirmation, saying that they had been held up by templars and needed to meet at a new location. Much to everyone’s dismay, the templar group waiting to ambush the party moved out within a few minutes.

They decided that the Ziggurat would be the most likely place to get answers, as they were determined to know who or what had betrayed them, as well as to confirm the identity of the bodies atop the Ziggurat. As they marched through the streets they overheard a few conversations and learned a bit about what had been happening over the last few weeks.

Marisol had risen to power following the death of Thakok-An and the entire city had been converted to be followers of the Shadow King. Marisol had been instrumental in defending the city against demon attacks, so the populace said, and had squashed a minor revolution. She had reopened the games and a new champion of her, a mul, had been undefeated. Many of the citizens were eager to see a match scheduled for that evening.

Deciding that the best course of action was to infiltrate the ZIggurat, the group used their knowledge of the secret entrance into the jail to slip past the main guards. Once inside, they were able to use Elleandra’s charms to get past the guards and head to the top. The Ziggurat was not heavily occupied, so they had little trouble reaching the top. There they found answers they didn’t want to find. The bodies of Vinara, Bear, Kalid-Ma (whose head was attached once again) and Laylon-Ka were impaled upon spears.

Within moments of setting foot on the top of the Ziggurat, Jarvix and Elleandra sensed a psionic alarm sounding and suddenly the top of the Ziggurat was filled with a large number of new arrivals. Marisol was at the center of a group of half-giants, templars and guards. In addition there were a number of gladiators lead by a Mul with an eye patch wielding a large metal axe and a spear – Morg. There was no time wasted with false pleasantries and viscous combat ensured.

The party focused everything on taking down Morg so that they could use the Orbs of Kalid-Ma to escape once he was unconscious. Their opponents were attempting to divide and conquer the party and the combination of military training and gladiatorial skills were quite effective. Marisol briefly dominated some of the party, but her control over Morg only allowed it to be temporary. During the fight Kezmit was knocked over the edge of the ziggurat and fell down several levels. Just after that Morg was knocked unconscious and the rest of the party joined hands while grabbing him and Elleandra used the orbs, leaving Kezmit behind.

The Ruins of Kalidnay
The world was whirling about them and everyone was briefly overcome with a sense of nausea. The world quickly settled and they found themselves in the outskirts of the ruins of Kalidnay looking towards the center of the town at the Ziggurat. There were no bodies impaled atop the structure, the sun shown bright and the pervasive sense of dread and fear that all experienced while in the Gray vanished. They were back in Athas.

Morg slowly regained his senses and looked around with a great sense of confusion…

The Shadow Engine
The broad circular chamber before the party had its floor sunken 20 feet below the doorway in which they stood, with the ceilings rising 20 feet above. The Shadow Engine stood supported on a pillar of necrotic energy in the center of the chamber. The rest of the chamber was littered with small amounts of rubble and bones. The room appeared to be old with new elements added, although the exact age was difficult for them to determine, for as they watched parts of the room were decaying under the stress of the terrible energy being channeled in the room.

The party descended to the floor on Kezmit’s flying hook, mindful of any changes to the room as they did so. To their relief nothing reacted to their presence. Elleandra was certain that an Orb of Kalid-Ma was present in the engine and her Orb was eager to be reunited with it. Further inspection of the room confirmed what they had already suspected – much like the Fey Engine, this device appeared to be channeling the raw energy of the Gray to an unknown location. The similarity of design left little doubt that the architect of the engines was the same being.

Feeling there was little other choice, Elleandra leapt into the air and, borne aloft on wings of magic, landed on the Shadow Engine’s platform. When touched down, the bones around the room quickly started to swirl and formed into a monstrous skeletal dragon, as it did so each of the party heard a sepulchral voice in their heads and most appeared taken aback by what they heard, but Jarvix fell to the the ground, unconscious.

Iorskan moved up to the Engine’s base and attempted to destabilize the device by tampering with the arcane stones. Kira conjured a brightly shining orb of swirling color and threw it at the creature, striking true and dazing it. Li-Am joined Iorskan in his attempts to disrupt the workings of the device, apparently making some gains as the column of energy became less stable. Kezmit conjured a spirit to assist his companions and, following the advice of the whispers, was able to partially disrupt the transfer of energy at a basic level, hastening the decay of the engine.

Atop of the Engine, Elleandra, took her Orb and thrust it into the machine, attempting to merge it with its twin inside. The joining was successful, but the combined Orb remained inside the machine. At the moment of the merging, she knew that the final Orb was in the possession of a being called Absalom who was currently in the ruins of Giustenal. She also knew that the Orb was now powerful enough to transport her and her allies, if they were close enough, to either Kalidnay on Athas or the shadow Kalidnay in the Gray.

The dragon, who they suspected was the sorcerer-king Dregoth, focused on Gwyn and, managing to break free of Kira’s magic, took flight and charged while breathing a blast of necrotic energy over the party. Although the breath injured several in the party, only Kira was immobilized by it. His great claws struck home on Gwyn and severely wounded her.

Gwyn retaliated by summoning an orb of shifting energy which hurtled toward the dragon exploding with a blinding yellow light, dazing it again. Iorskan spotted a possible weakness in the dragon and called it out to his allies, hoping to make their attacks more effective. He then called out a challenge to Dregoth, who moved towards him allowing Kezmit and Li-Am to make attacks of their own. With a mighty effort Iorskan was able to make a few probing strikes before landing a blow that caused the dragon to reel, making it more vulnerable for a few moments.

Kira caused barbed vines to whip out of her totem attempting to ensnare Dregoth, but they were unable to hold onto the massive creature. Li-Am attempted to follow Kezmit’s example and disrupt the energy column itself and, although initially unsuccessful was able to reach into the Gray and pull some of the energy into himself causing an instability to form. Kezmit attempted to continue his own efforts to destabilize the Engine while using his spirits to heal the wounds of Gwyn and Kira. Dregoth took advantage of his concentration and struck Kezmit with his tail, knocking him off balance for a moment.

Jarvix was able to regain consciousness and stood up and focused his will onto the dragon, ensnaring it with his mind and tossing it backwards into the pillar of energy. Although Dregoth appeared unharmed by the energy, it did cause damage to the supporting structures, further weakening the device. Able to keep her balance atop the Engine, Elleandra desperately struggled to free the Orb and although unsuccessful, she did manage to break some of the intricate devices on top.

Enraged by the assaults, Dregoth once again took flight and moved towards Gwyn with deadly intent, savagely cutting her with teeth and claws. Although hardened by life on Athas and her draconic nature, Gwyn collapsed under the furious blows. The party was stunned by Gwyn’s collapse and hoped that Iorskan or Kezmit would be able to tend to her wounds.

Finding himself out of position, Iorskan moved towards Gwyn’s body, attacking Dregoth with his dejada as he did so. At Kira’s command, dark clouds formed within the chamber causing lightning to rain down upon Dregoth, splintering some of his bones. Li-Am used his templar training to command Dregoth to submit, crushing its spirit and slowing its flight. Although the sorcerer-king would not submit so easily, Li-Am’s allies were filled with with brutal zeal. Kezmit’s efforts to disrupt the energy flow finally stopped having any effect and he changed tactics, summoning a great gust of winds allowing his friends to move freely about the room. Jarvix was able to force Dregoth back into the column of energy once again, causing more damage while at the same time, he focused his powers with the Way to further disrupt the Engine.

With a horrible, evil intent in his eyes, Dregoth continued to slash as Gwyn’s body, tearing her into pieces, leaving no doubt that she was beyond help. He then turned his attention to Elleandra, still atop the Engine and still causing damage to the device, ever closer to freeing the Orb in her hand. Iorskan breathed a gout of fire onto the underside of Dregoth causing some remaining bits of flesh to burn and fall away. He then hurled himself at the stones forming the base of the engine, hoping to cause enough physical damage to destroy it. Although it was weakened, the Engine was still intact.

Kira’s thorny vines finally grabbed ahold of Dregoth pulling him out of an optimal position to attack Elleandra. Li-Am rushed over to the remains of Gwyn and grabbed the Shadowstaff and the gruesome remains that held the tattoo given to her by the Veiled Alliance. Kezmit summoned forth spirits that started to consume Dregoth, passing that energy to his wounded allies. At the same time he fanned the flames created by Iorskan’s breath further charring him while the warmth given off comforted his injured allies. Jarvix unleashed a massive torrent of psychic energy at Dregoth and so intense was the assault on his mental pathways, that he became stunned and unable to act for a few moments.

Things began to look even worse for the party as Iorksan was unable to cause further disruption to the Engine and Kira was unable to latch a hold of Dregoth again with her vines, although she finally broke free of the immobilizing cold from his breath weapon. Li-Am continued to recover some of Gwyn’s other belongings, this time taking the steel swords she was carrying and the tiara given to her by the dwarves of Kled. Kezmit attempted to continue to have his spirits attack Dregoth but the Dragon was able to resist their attacks.

Jarvix focused all his will into another massive attack, but this time struck the Engine and with a thunderous explosion the device blew itself apart showering gems throughout the room and plunging the room into near darkness. An energy feedback surged from the engine towards Dregoth, sending him spinning as shards of bones were blasted from his body. Elleandra, grasping the Orb in her hand came flying down summoning Illusory barriers around the dragon and collecting the gems from the room.

Furious at the destruction of his device, Dregoth cut her deeply with his claws. Iorskan made a powerful strike against Dregoth and called to his comrades, lifting their spirits and restoring their battle lust. Kira, finally able to move, shifted into the form of a tiger and pounced onto Dregoth’s back, sinking her teeth and claws into his foul body. Li-Am swung with his spectral scourge striking the dragons hind quarter. Kezmit’s spirit companion lunged in for a viscous attack while the fire spirit moved in and exploded causing the room to fall into total darkness.

Seeing more with his mind than his eyes, Jarvix found Dregoth and focused on the weakened Dregoth. The sorcerer-king was finally overpowered and his consciousness faded into nothing while the entire chamber became to crumble and collapse. In the darkness, the companions found each other and joining hands, Elleandra used the Orb to transport them to Shadow Kalidnay.

Shadow Kalidnay
When their sense of nausea faded and their visions cleared, the group found themselves in the outskirts of the city of Klaidnay then had been in a week prior. The heat and dryness was in stark contrast to the cold frozen atmosphere of the Shadow Tomb. There was some confusion as well, for they had thought the lands were destroyed with the death of Thakok-An. Of them, only Kira was familiar with the strange nature of the Gray.

While they took a moment to compose themselves and remember Gwyn, they also reflected on, and shared with their friends, the words that Dregoth had spoken to each of them.

The voice in Kira’s head said…

You are an outsider here – I have no quarrel with you and you should have none with me. Stay out of matters that do not concern you and you will lead a longer life.

Dregoth told Iorksan…

Why do you align yourselves with these lesser creatures? I expect more from my progeny. Help me defeat these interlopers and I shall show you wonders of knowledge and treasure that you cannot possibly imagine. You can lead my armies if you so desire, but you must aid me now.

Kezmit head the following when the dragon spoke…

I know the longing in your heart, the hope for something more than the dreary existence you know so well. I can be what you are looking for, I will be what you are looking for. Join me and you shall be my prophet, my herald, my chosen one. Help me defeat those you call friends and I shall be a God, and you shall search no more.

The voice in Elleandra’s head told her…

Poor little forest daughter, you and your kind are relics of ancient days. My coming will burn away the last of your kind and a new world shall rise from the ashes. I will consume you and drain your precious tree of every last shred of life.

Jarvix heard the following before falling unconscious…

One of the Lord of Winters bloodline seeks to defeat me? Your sire was imprisoned long ago by us and I thought his line was wiped out long ago. I have been absent for far too long. No matter, you and your friends will no longer be a thorn in my side. Now my little gate-hopper, sleep…

Li-Am declined to share what he heard and none knew what Gwyn heard, but they remembered her calling the dragon a liar during the furious combat.

Feywild Ruin
The rest of the party followed Kira through the misty archway and with a lurch, they found themselves in another passageway facing a weathered wooden door. The passageway was illuminated with luminescent gray moss which was growing between the stones of the walls. Flickering firelight shone beyond the wooden door.

Although the group briefly debated on whether or not to take a rest, they decided to push on and see if they had indeed been transported to the Lands Within the Wind. The door opened easily enough and a rotting shambles of a laboratory was revealed. Sheets of red-gray mold were lining the walls and an oily black fungus appeared to have consumed most of a few large tables. Three stone vats stood on the far side of the room.

The group began to examine the room and made several interesting discoveries. Kira and Kezmit determined that the black mold was foul, but not harmful but the the red-gray mold had many spores and could be quite harmful. Li-Am searched the tables and Jarvix searched the rest of the room being careful not to disturb the molds. He found a slight draft in one corner, and believed there to be a concealed passageway. Heedless of the dangers, Iorskan set some of the mold on fire with his torch and partially revealed the concealed door.

The burning of the mold didn’t harm Iorsaskan, but it appeared to enrage the room’s inhabitatnts – strange fungus men similar to those encountered in the Face in the Stone. These however appeared to be twisted and could not be reasoned with. The fight was not long, with Li-Am burning the fungus creatures with power hellfire. Jarvix used his skills with the Way to move the creatures around but in doing so disturbed one of the vats, releasing swarms of angry scarabs.

In the aftermath of the combat, Gwyn discovered a gem-studded mithral key in the vat containing the beetles. Elleandra looked over the contents of the tables and book shelves, but found nothing of any value. The group finished clearing away the mold around the concealed door and moved down a short section of hallway before coming to another obstacle. An open pit about 10 feet deep and forty feet long filled the passageway in front of them. A thick layer of dripping yellow-green fungus could be seen covering its floor.

After a bit of discussion Jarvix summoned a floating disk to help ferry the group across the pit, avoiding the dangerous molds. Once safely across a quick search of the remaining sections of hallways discovered only one exit, a stone archway. Suspecting it was the way out of the tomb, the group entered the archway.

Dark Laboratory
The party found themselves back in the hallway with three stone arches in the Shadow Tomb. Having only one arch unexplored, the party decided to venture through it. Once again there was a lurching sensation and they appeared in a small hallway ending in a weathered wooden door. This hallway was filled with unrecognizable glyphs and sigils, some vaguely reminiscent of holy symbols. The symbols were flaring with a violet light along the walls.

When the door was opened, a dark laboratory could be seen with cluttered shelves and over-sized table strewn with equipment and scrolls. A faint haze of mist could barely be seen twisting above three stone vats set across the chamber. As the party was taking in the room and attempting to determine the next course of action, they were set upon by a trio of ghouls.

Although the party was surprised, the ghouls were quickly finished off. Jarvix ensnared them with a shard conjured with the Way while Elleandra assaulted the creatures already unstable minds with images of flesh-devouring sprites. Gwyn finished off the last as she channeled her magic into her dagger, striking true.

A thorough search of this room revealed many interesting piece of information. Elleandra discovered the remnants of what appeared to be plans for the Fey Engine discovered in the Garden of Graves as well a plans for a different, but similar device that they suspected could be a Shadow Engine. She also discovered another strange key around the neck of one of the ghouls. Satisfied with their findings, they proceeded out of the room and down a flight of stairs.

They came upon a shimmering bridge of force that was covering a 30-foot-long and 10-foot-deep pit. Hundreds of sharpened spikes could be seen at the bottom of the pit. Jarvix discovered the hard way that the force bridge would sometimes give out and he found himself trapped in the pit for quite some time. Eventually the party was able to use the magical hook they had discovered earlier to traverse the trap and they discovered another archway leading back to the hallway.

Boneyard Bridge
Back in the shadow tomb, the party retraced their steps to the only unexplored passage they were aware of. Following the hallway for a short distance, they came across a foul ossuary filled with shattered bones, dismembered bodies, and the stench of death was before the party. The boneyard was crossed by twisting bridges of flesh and bone rising 20 feet above the floor.

Elleandra moved out onto the bridge, holding tight the the hook and rope, trusting that if she fell, her allies would be able to save her. Faint at first, an unearthly moaning began to rise. From the boneyard, ghostly shapes began to take form in tight ranks, shrieking as they soared onto the bridges. Several dozen phantoms stood along the bridge blocking all the avenues of escape.

The party determined that the ghosts were intelligent guardians protecting the sanctity of this mass grave, when the spirits were willing to discuss rather than simply fight. The spirits did not trust that the party’s intentions were good and Li-Am’s attempt to convince them with promises was not well received. After a bit of debate they spirits were finally convinced when the party offered up a magical rod that was discovered earlier. This, somewhat symbolic sacrifice, was well received and the spirits moved aside to let the party pass.

Sepulcher
Rough walls of black stone glistened with necrotic fluid and the sounds of its steady drip echoed in the darkness beyond. The party moved through a series of twisting passageways, leading to many dead ends. There appeared to be many buried within the walls and small chambers, but nothing of value was immediately detected.

Li-Am discovered a small pouch that appeared to be intact and containing coins and possibly gems. Tempted by the treasure, he eventually decided to leave it be, much to the relief of his companions, who reminded him of the encounter with the ghosts that they just had.

At the end of the corridors stood a pair of rune-scribed mithral doors. Wide keyholes in each door pulsed with white light – one in the shape of a skull; the other, a faceted gem. Elleandra and Gwyn placed the keys they had recovered in the matching doors and with a shimmering of powerful magic, they doors dissolved away revealing a large chamber beyond.

The Shadow Engine
A broad circular chamber was revealed beyond the doors, its floor sunken 20 feet below. In the center of the chamber, a fantastic device could be seen suspended on top of a pillar of shadow energy. The fantastic device consisted of a spinning web of platinum cables and black iron rods set with hundreds of blazing gems. The crackling pillar of energy could be seen rising from the floor and disappearing into the engine…

Shrine of Skulls
After awaking from the dream the party decided to take some additional time to recover from their adventures in the dreamland. Their rest was uneventful this time and they felt ready to face any challenge that they would encounter. Before leaving the room, Li-Am and Iorskan pocketed the silverware, knowing that the metal would be very valuable when they returned to Athas. Elleandra performed another augury, curious as to the nature of the dangers they might encounter. She learned that danger was all around her, but those closest were aligned in their goals. When they were finally ready, the group moved out into the only exit from the hall of tapestries with Kira and Li-Am in the lead.

The group passed down a hallway with several empty rooms off to the sides arriving at an apparent dead end. The large room contained many cracked onyx alters set around the crumbling chamber, each piled high with a cluster of blackened skulls. While searching the room for clues or possible exits, a pit trap was located and easily disarmed. At the bottom of the 20-foot deep pit was a passageway leading away from the room. Although the pit had some amount of the necrotic seepage present, most of the hardened adventurers were able to go through it without difficulty. While the rest of the group was working on the pit, Li-Am examined the piles of skulls and found a pair of enchanted bracers that he kept form himself.

Black Well
Moving through the cramped and twisting passage the group came to a chamber that had collapsed into a great chasm. A steady outpouring of black necrotic sludge flowed over the edge from great cracks in the walls. A greater torrent jetted out from faults in the rough rock of the chasm, falling as a hissing curtain of necrotic rain. In the dim light of their torches, rough ledges jutting out form the chasm’s walls could be barely made out. The bottom of the chasm appeared to be about 70 feet down, and partially filled with a pool created by the necrotic rain. Above the surface of the pool, a circular slab of white stone could be seen with for large dragon skulls, each a top a colored door.

Iorskan and Li-Am worked together to tie off a rope and lower Li-Am down onto the first ledge. The ledge gave way almost as soon as Li-Am’s weight was placed on it, crumbling down to the bottom of the chasm. They tried to lower Li-Am again on the next most accessible ledge, but that ledge also crumbled beneath Li-Am’s weight. None were willing to risk the climb down through the necrotic rain and Kira provided a solution – using her ritual magic, she summoned the spirits of giant eagles, as she had done in the past, to fly them down to the bottom of the chasm.

As the group descended the 70 feet, they began to notice that the necrotic rain had unnatural twists and patterns as it fell. As they circled down, tendrils of the black rain formed and lashed out at the adventurers. Kezmit, Li-Am and Kira failed to avoid the tendrils and suffered burns from the seepage. All managed to land at the bottom, with the eagle spirit patiently waiting with them. Kezmit noticed on his way down that there was an unusual echoing of the rain along one section of the wall and, hoping for the best, he directed the eagle through the curtain of of black rain.

At the bottom, Li-Am tried to open the yellow door just as Elleandra noticed the glyphs of warding around it. Too late an explosion of acid erupted from the door burning Li-Am and Kira. The door was revealed to be a fake, with no exit underneath it. Fearing the other doors were also trapped, the remounted their spirit eagles and headed to meet Kezmit who had called down saying that he had found a passageway.

Dead Tiles
The rough stone passage twisted and turned through black rock, wet the the necrotic seepage eventually opening into a ruined hall paved in 1-foot-square green tiles bearing arcane sigils and glyphs. At the far end of the hall a draconic skull could be see mounted to the wall. Cautious about further traps, Li-Am made his way down the hallway towards the skull and found no evidence of danger. The others followed him and to their relief there were no traps set off. Without much difficulty a secret door was located behind the draconic skull and it was forced opened.

Gifts From the Dead
Beyond the secret door was a wide hallway carved from black stone. The passageway had one branching path and lead to a small room that appeared to be a dead-end. After a bit of searching the party could find no signs of hidden doors or anything else unusual, so they backtracked and took the side passage which ended in a five-sided room. Carved stone pillars stood at each corner of the chamber and mystic runes wound around the walls. Weapons, clothing and armor could be seen atop a red stone dais at the center of the room.

Jarvix found his missing clothes and Iorskan noticed that his missing necklace of keys was atop the pile of gear and he went to retrieve it. Li-Am became very suspicious of Iorskan and threatened him. After a few moments of tension Elleandra reminded everyone of the her augury and their common goals. Li-Am backed down but there were some unresolved issues. Kezmit began to examine the equipment, attempting to determine their powers and who might benefit the most from them.

The room had a one exit, but instead of opening the doors, the party decided to backtrack to the fork in the passageway before the tiled hallway.

Sphere of Pain
The passageway lead to a spherical chamber with rune-covered walls and a unusual silvery sheen. The room was explored and another trap door was found on the far side. As they were disabling the trap, the silver sheen fell off the wall, covering the party. The silver substance began to eat away their flesh. Although everyone suffered painful blisters, Elleandra suffered the most.

The party took a few minutes to rest and tend to their wounds once the silver substance was neutralized. Then Li-Am dropped down into the pit followed by Kira and the others.

Planar Archways
The party followed a winding carved stone passageway with walls covered with mystic runes which came to an end with three stone archways. The archways appeared identical to those found in the entrance hall, save for the mists within were gray. Like those in the entrance hall, the mist obscured what lay beyond them. Elleandra and Gwyn could sense strong planar magic emanating form the arches.

After a brief debate, Kira decided to pass through one of the portals and vanished. Those left behind thought they detected a faint flash reminiscent of the Lands Within the Wind and decided to follow her. They found themselves facing a wooden doorway with luminescent gray moss growing between the stones of the walls. Flickering firelight was shining beyond the wooden door. They felt that they had left the Gray and returned to the Lands Within the Wind.

Tapestries of Time
From the alcove, a great feast hall could be seen shrouded in shadow, and a fire pit blazing with a bright white flame illuminated numerous tapestries long the walls. A number of high tables were scattered throughout this area, each set with fine silver and porcelain plates and heaped high with succulent roast meats and sweet fruits. There was one place setting for each of the heroes. Kezmit and the others examined the food and although it appeared to have been created by magic, there was no sign of poison, disease or other harmful effects. Starving and exhausted from their ordeals, they ate and drank the food.

Brightly colored tapestries were hung along the walls and between the tables displaying scenes of battle, with hundreds of heroes of a dozen races rendered life-sized detail – all of them swarmed by swirling shadows as they fight for their lives. Jarvix noted that the armor and clothing of those portrayed in the tapestries was an odd mix of times and places. Ancient warriors in full suits of metal armor could be seen fighting alongside what appeared to be contemporary gladiators of Athas. In addition, many of the races observed were not recognized as those of Athas, although Kira was able to name them.

Still suffering from from the effects of the portals, Gwyn attempted to use her ritual magic to remove the afflictions lingering on her and Kira. Aided by Li-Am and Elleandra, the afflictions were removed, returning Kira to her normal size and restoring Gwyn to her proper age. However, the process was very taxing and both were left tired, even with the rest they were enjoying.

Elleandra used her magic to read the mystic signs and glean a notion of the future. She and the rest of her companions were intensely curious if the path they were following to find the next orb would also bring them back to Athas. Peering into the patterns created by the bones and drippings from the meat along with a few drops of wine, she had a vision of a new orb being united with the ones she carries and a pathway to Athas opening before them. Satisfied that their present course of action was right, the group decided to get a few hours of rest and then continue to explore this new structure. They set watch and all was uneventful, however, Kira was unable to stay awake during her watch and drifted off to sleep as well.

The Vernal Grove
The party all awoke at the same time to find themselves is strange surroundings – what appeared to be the ruins of a town. They sky overhead was dark and cloudy, the town appeared to have been abandoned and the few remaining buildings that were intact showed signs of neglect. The confusion over where they were only increased as Elleandra was sure that they were in the Lands Within the Wind, while Li-Am was convinced they still remained in the Gray. Iorskan suggested that they could be a a crossing point between the two realms. Elleandra remembered vague stories of a place called the Vernal Grove that fit the general description of where they were. Kira too had some vague recollection regarding the Vernal Grove from her studies with Evan.

Seeing no other immediate options, they began to explore the few intact buildings that remained in the town, starting with what appeared to be a house. The outside was run down and as the group peered through the boarded windows, there were no signs of inhabitants. Li-Am kicked down the door and they began to search the house finding little more than rubble. Jarvix located a fragment of a journal in the upper level of the house which contained some information…

He has come again to me in my dreams, a horrible evil creature that torments me. I am sure that my parents know of him and the evil he committed in life.

I learned that he was killed by my parents twenty years ago and supposedly buried in the town graveyard. However I am not sure my parents have told me everything. I’m sure that I am being punished for their crimes.

I have arranged a carriage to carry my daughter Kristal and newborn granddaughter Redra far from this place. Hopefully they will escape my fate and the fate of the other children.

Elleandra was able to decipher a bit more information that suggested her tormentor drew strength from the fear it created. The author believed that by turning her back on the fiend, it would loose some of its strength. Nothing else was located in the house, and the group moved on to a large building that Kira described as a church.

The church also showed signs of massive neglect, although there was some evidence to suggest that a struggle took place at some point in the distant past. Kira uncovered fragments of a broken mirror as well as some church documents, one of which was coded. Together the group worked out the coding and learned more about the town’s past and a rhyme…

It is with great sadness that Sister Amelia has left us. Her choice to return to Occidental Mountain Asylum, the site of the most unfortunate incident, is surprising. Still, the staff there might help her to deal with the recent event regarding her son.

I can’t help think that I should not have told her of the trouble with her son. The adopted parents at 1428 appeared to be a good fit, but the troubles he is having too cannot be denied.

We must trust that there is a reason for all this, but to have so many buried so young is our graveyard is so tragic.

Now I lay me down to sleep, the Soul Collector my life shall keep. In the reflection of my minds eye, evil will see itself and it shall die.

The Iorskan surmised that they could use the mirror as a weapon and Jarvix used his talents with the Way to reforge the mirror using some of the items they found in the church. They headed out to the large intact building with a growing sense of apprehension.

The large building appeared to be the Aslym mentioned in the church notes. They found that it was unlocked and began to search. A few pages from what appeared to be a log book were found, providing more of the history of this place.

941: A terrible tragedy occurred over the holiday weekend – Sister Amelia was trapped with the inmates and brutally assaulted. She is now with child.

966: Sister Amelia has returned to us following the death of her son at the hands of an angry mob. She has locked herself away in one of the unused rooms and will not see anyone.

999: We are overrun with adults who are overcome with grief at the loss of so many children. The parents blame themselves and a supernatural force they refer to only as the Soul Collector. Our new administrator knows little of the town history.

1025: The last of the town has moved away or died, the Asylum will be closed.

In the uppermost floor of the asylum, the parts found a locked room and when it was opened they saw the dead body of a woman in white, kneeling as if in prayer. They assumed this to be sister Amelia, and when Kira examined her, she saw the spirit of Amelia. She silently responded to their questions by pointing to the house, the church and the graveyard, then to the center of the town. Her spirit departed, but Elleandra felt sure that she would be a help in the fight against the mysterious Soul Collector.

The party made the trip to the graveyard and found a massive number of graves having deaths between the years 981 and 995. Most of the dead appeared to have been between 12 and 20 years old. Many of the gravestones had been damaged by what appeared to be three cuts or slash marks. Finding nothing else in the graveyard, they moved back into the center of town. Throughout the investigation of the town most of the party began to find themselves preoccupied with fears from their pasts. Only Jarvix and Gwyn appeared to be untroubled by their fears.

The Soul Collector
As they explored the center of the town, several creatures appeared and moved towards the party, with obvious evil intent. Each of the creatures appeared to be one of the fears that they had been dwelling upon… Kira was approached by a being that appeared to be Evan Moreau, Elleandra’s fear too the shape of a twisted version of her tree, Li-Am was approached by Thakok-An, Iorskan by Yarnath and Kezmit by a great nothingness.

The party reacted quickly thanks to Iorskan’s encouragement and Gwyn’s magic. Although these creatures were born out of their fears, they did not hesitate to act, although Kira refused to attack Evan and helped to bring down Yarnath. Gwyn disposed of the Thakok-An after it was damaged by Li-Am’s magic. During the fight the fears were joined by a being in a dirty brown hat, tattered red and green sweater and a bladed glove in his right hand – the Soul Collector.

The Soul Collector moved towards Gwyn calling out to her that she was the last left and that the bargain she made was over. He pushed away Gwyn’s nearby allies and brutally slashed her with his clawed glove, leaving three cuts in her back. The group largely focused on the Soul Collector who proved to be incredibly resilient to injuries. Eventually Iorskan was able to defeat the fear of Evan, allowing everyone to concentrate on the Soul Collector.

The Soul Collector had been pushed closer to Elleandra and called out to her that she wouldn’t escape like she did in Dempsy. He was able to push away her allies and nearly killed her with his glove, but somehow she managed to cling to life. Iorskan and Kezmit used their powers to heal the majority of the injuries and bolster their friends but their resources appeared more limited than the Soul Collectors.

Using what they learned in the town, Iorskan and Elleandra were able to seriously injure the Soul Collector. Iorskan was able to force him to look upon the mirror carried by Jarvix causing the creature much anguish as it looked upon its own hideous nature. Elleandra called for the spirit of Amelia whose love for the creature drained away its power. Summoning her our courage, Elleandra turned her back on the Soul Collector in an act of defiance, causing it to scream in rage and once again set its sight on Gwyn. Screaming “I’m what’s up Bitch!” he cut her again with the balded glove.

Li-Am unleashed a blast of hellfire that burned the already burned creature and he was eventually defeated, collapsing into a heap with only the sweater, hat and glove remaining. Kira collected the hat as a memento of the event, thought about taking the glove for Evan, but decided to leave it alone. Moments later, the party awoke back in the feast hall. The entire adventure appeared to have been a dream, but they all bore the scars the suffered in the encounters and Kira had the dirty brown hat in her hand.

The Shadow Gate
The party was surprised and terrified by the arrival of the Tortured Vestige, a horrible monstrosity created when the citizens of the city perished in the Gray. There was confusion within the group about the best course of action – to try and fight or to try and flee through the portal. Any plans they had were thrown aside as their foe reacted much more quickly than the expected lashing out with tendrils of bone and flesh piercing and entwining around Gwyn and Elleandra. The tendrils pulled at Elleandra and although she was initially able to resist, she was eventually pulled into the mass and began to be torn apart.

Kelvor dislodged some of the stonework around the portal and moved up drawing the attention of the Vestige while Kira transformed into a wolf, jumping forward to strike then shifted into a rat and fled back to the portal. Li-Am worked to disrupt the wards by diverting the energies into the surroundings. Jarvix used the Way to pull at the threads of time and daze the vestige while teleporting to the top of column where he could focus on the wards in relative safety accelerating their breakdown. Gwyn used her Veiled Alliance training to mask her presence from the Vestige and was able to use her magic to greatly weaken the barriers around the portal. Kezmit conjured spirits to allow his allies to maneuver around the rubble strewn tower. Elleandra transformed into a diaphonus spirit and slid out of the grasp of the Vestige.

Although dazed by the attack of Jarvix the Vestige was still able to lash out with more tendrils, striking Kelvor and Gwyn. Kelvor was pulled inside the of the abomination, disappearing from sight but he was still able to strike out at his foe continuing to daze it and buying time for his allies. Kira and Li-Am continued to break down the wards around the portal by disrupting the foundation stones while Jarvix continued to assault it with his mind. Gwyn was unable to break free of the Vestiges tendrils but was kept alive by Kezmit’s spirits. Elleandra, bolstered by Kezmit summoned the strength to finally break through the defenses around the gate and seeing no other opportunity, she ran through the portal, disappearing.

Continuing to be affected by Kelvor’s attack, the Vestige was only able to rip apart Kelvor, who was only still alive by virtue of his ceaseless resilience. Kelvor continued to attack the Vestige from within, pushing it away from Gwyn who was finally able to break free of its tendrils. Kira and Li-Am jumped through the portal while Jarvix made an attempt to pull Kelvor out of the mass of undeath. He was not able to affect the Vestige and jumped off the platform into the portal. Gwyn and Kezmit also fled into the portal leaving Kelvor to be torn apart even as his attacks pushed the vestige off of the spire.

Perilous Archways
Elleandra and the others struck a hard floor as they passed through the shadow gate. The impact knocked Elleandra unconscious but she recovered, although still badly injured. Looking around the party found themselves in a vast domed chamber with a circle of runes in the ceiling marking the portal through which they just passed. A great stone dragon skull was carved into the floor beside the party – its eyes blank and mouth opened to reveal a space of dead black within.

This darkness in the mouth swallowed the light of the glowing runes that covered the walls- the same sort of sigils that were seen in the Garden of Graves. A dozen glowing stone archways were set around the chamber, each with white mist swirling inside it. Between the arches, some twenty well-rotted humanoid corpses could be seen hanging from the ceiling, entwined by chains that were dripping black ichor to the floor.

More confused than ever, the party began to look around the room inspecting the archways and the carved dragon skull. They were interrupted when a large dray dropped from the chains above, wounded but alive. The dray, who introduced himself as Iorskan, claimed to have no knowledge of this place and little memory of his arrival. There was mutual distrust given some of the party’s encounters with the dray warriors of Yarnath and their general reputation for being ruthless mercenary warriors. However an uneasy alliance was struck in the interests of self-preservation.

As they continued to explore the room it became clear that the magic of this chamber was similar to that of the Garden of Graves and the ziggurats of Kalak and Kalid-Ma – dragon magic. They attempted to discover the nature of the archways and found that they radiated many different types of magic, but mostly teleportation. The general consensus of Jarvix and Iorskan was that the dragon skull looked similar to sigil of Dregoth, the slain sorcerer-king of Giustenal, although the eyes were not closed.

As they explored, several of the party had visions of different locations, similar to the visions that were had in the Garden of Graves. Three visions were repeated during this exploration…

With a shimmer, the ever-present necrotic seepage from the walls vanished, replaced by pale green vines and gray mold. The air washeavy with the scent of decay.

The stillness of dusty stone replaced the dread darkness. Emptiness pervades a desolate ruin, its decaying walls untouched by life or magic.

The stones of a floor were inlaid with sigils and holy symbols, most unrecognizable. Faint on the air, a lament in an unknown tongue carried echoes of a nameless dread.

Jarvix was the first to go through one of the archways, hoping that it would be a way out. Instead of an exit, Jarvix found himself inside the dragon’s mouth injured. A number of other portals were explored by Jarvix and the other, none of which were an exit from the room. During the exploration, the group was attacked by two wraiths which emerged from the shadows. Kezmit’s pouch, a gift from Evan, proved useful in making the ethereal creatures vulnerable to attacks. The two wraiths were quickly defeated with only minimal injuries to the party. The exploration of the archways continued…

• Jarvix emerged completely naked, with all of his mundane gear and clothing gone. A second archway he explored caused him to fall unconscious for a few minutes.
• Gwyn went through one portal which dramatically aged her, making her weak and unable to move quickly. This effect was similar to what Elleandra experienced in the Garden of Graves.
• Kira traveled through another portal and found herself reduced in size to the height of a dwarf.
• Li-Am suffered some undefined injury that made him fatigued.
• Kezmit emerged from a portal and attacked Jarvix for a few moments before regaining his senses.
• Iorskan found one of his items was removed but nothing else was out of place.

Coming to the realization that the portals were likely too dangerous for further exploration and unlikely to provide the exit they were seeking, they returned to their study of the dragon skull. Kira and Gwyn thought to focus on the eyes, which were unusual for this icon in that they were closed. With some trial and error it was discovered that the eyelid could be damaged. Li-Am was finally able to break the eyelid, causing the darkness in the dragon’s mouth to fade, revealing a portal. Without any hesitation, they party jumped through the portal before it could close.

They found themselves in an alcove looking upon a great feast hall…

City of the Dead
The party was trapped by the zombie patrol, but Kira and Gwyn finally caught up with the rest of the group and were flanking the zombies. Most of the zombies were easily taken down, Kira in her tiger form was able to quickly dispatch three of them. However, their limbs continued to grasp and harass those that had slain them and inflicted several wounds before they were finally quieted. Other zombies had chilling breath which sapped the strength out of those that felt its touch. During the fight Kelvor used his crown to summon a spirit of wind to buffet several of the zombies. Elleandra likewise gave into the temptation to use the crystal and utterly destroyed one of the more powerful zombies, using some of its energy to reinvigorate herself.

During and after the fight, Kezmit noticed that the deep chill of Moil was dampening his healing magic. The precariousness of the situation was not lost and they resolved to move through the ruined city as quickly as possible. As the party continued to explore the ice-shrouded city of shattered spires, hoping that each turn ultimately lead them closer to their destination – whatever that might be. As they traveled the city, they saw another group of ghosts moving parallel to them, however, the paths never crossed.

On one bridge, they came across a force of skeletons hauling crumbling stone in an effort to rebuild the bridge. Although they took notice of the party, neither the workers nor the overseers made an aggressive move. Jarvix used his skill in the Way to dispose of the majority of the workers and Li-Am helped mop up the rest quickly and efficiently.

As they moved through the ruined city, gray lightning continued to provide poor illumination but allowed for glimpses of the hundreds of spires spread farther across is the distance, their shattered bridges out of reach. Flying high above a great winged shape could be seen, however it either did not notice the party or care, as it never investigated.

Dark Barrow
The next large tower that the party encountered had been sheared off at an angle, as if it had been struck by another spire. As they approached they noticed movement in the rubble – bones and body parts began to knit themselves together into a larger humanoid figure which approached them.

Li-Am was able to use his magic to lock down the creature, preventing it from moving into a more advantageous position. However, Kelvor drew the brutes attention and it began to crush him with its huge hands. Elleandra conjured a sphere around the creature making it experience pain with each of its attacks. Jarvix was finally able to deal a killing blow to the creature. After the fight, the group was exhausted and risked a short rest, although the lingering cold of the city prevented anyone from truly regaining all of their strength.

Moving on from the battle with the stitched monster, a quick series of lightning flashes allowed them to glimpse a boiling sea of black mist surrounding the base of the towers a hundred feet below. Far below the party spotted a group of zombies marching along one of the bridges. They were too far away to pose a threat and the group decided not to linger.

The Shadow Gate
At last the party reached what they assumed was their destination. The fallen spire before them was open to the darkness. Its central stone core appeared to have been cleanly broken to create a platform of glowing black stone. The party moved closer to the glowing platform but stopped when they realized powerful spellcraft was protecting the portal against access. Those familiar with warding magic all agreed that the wards were newly made, perhaps a few weeks ago.

As they continued to study the glowing platform, they determined that it was imbued with powerful planar and teleportation magic. Although they were convinced that it was a portal to somewhere else, they could not determine the destination. Hopeful that if they could breach the wards, they would know more, they started to work on taking down the defenses.

Before the first attempt could be made, they were interrupted by a sound from behind them. Turning they saw a massive shape composed of dead creatures climbed up from beneath the platform to block the bridge. Close to 20 feet in diameter this horrible swarm of death moved quickly to attack, with tendrils of bone and flesh flailing around it. A host of voices screamed in a twisted chorus of pain and fear.

A Parting in the Mists
The unlikely collection of individuals stood in the Mists unsure of their surroundings. Eventually Laylon-Ka spoke and asked Vinara and Morg to join her and a number of the surviving members of her resistance group to determine the final fate of Kalid-Ma, for she was not convinced that he had truly died. She asked that two of her newer members, Kezmit and Li-Am to stay with Gwyn and her allies for their protection as well as a possible means to keep communication open.

Vinara and Morg accepted her invitation and they walked off into the Mists. Those that remained behind were very confused regarding the final events and what happened to shadow Kalidnay. Evan Moreau attempted to explain although the fine details were lost. He suggested that the lands are tied to powerful individuals and if they die without another suitable replacement, the lands, and sometimes people, disappear into the Mists.

Intending to make good on his bargain he made with Jarvix and Elleandra, Evan invited them back to his library where he could research a way to send them back to Athas. After all agreed, Evan created a glowing circle of sigils on the ground nearby, and a hazy vision of dark room lined with books could be seen. Kira Javed, Kazandra and Melantha stepped through together with the others following them.

The Moreau LIbrary
They arrived in a cool, dark, slightly musty room filled to the ceiling with book shelves, a sight that few had ever thought possible. Melantha quickly and quietly escorted Kazandra out of the room without so much as a word to the others. Evan told them that they were in his private library in the ruins of his families estates in a nation called Dementlieu. He then excused himself to research how to get the party back to Athas. Kira escorted the group around the library while they waited for Evan and the group took advantage of the opportunity to learn as much as they could on a number of topics that were of interest.

Kelvor was keenly interested in what they could find out about the gods. They learned that in this land they gods were real, or at least those who worshiped them were granted extraordinary powers. They learned of Moradin, the god of dwarves, and found some cryptic and disturbing information on the Chained God. They also learned that the primordials lost the war with the gods in this land and thus their power remained.

Kezmit was very curious as to how Kalidnay appeared to exist in two places with two different histories. Kira explained that there were many tales of outsiders to her lands that appeared out of the Mists. They sometimes spoke of strange sounding lands that none here had ever heard of. Kira and Evan believe that strong events of evil can draw the Mists into other worlds and rip the lands into their own. Thakok-An’s betrayal of her family and the powerful magic of Kalid-Ma could certainly have been strong enough to attract the attention of the Mists.

There was also interest in the nature of Kazandra and the similarity between her hunger for blood and that of Sacha and Wyan. Kira did not think that the two were the same type of creatures, for in her experience, a beheaded vampire was a dead vampire. They still wondered what would have happened had they allowed the floating heads to drink from them in the depths of the Ziggurat of Kalak.

Evan returned from his research and they discussed his findings over a meal of strange foods with strange customs. The formality and decadence, compared to most meals they were accustomed to, was amazing, as were the metal utensils used to eat the food. Although it was strange to them, they found it agreeable and this small comfort after so many hardships was very welcome.

Evan informed them that he could not find a way to return them directly to Athas as such magic was beyond him, if it was possible at all. He had located what could be another source of magic from Athas and believed that if they investigated it, they might find a way home. Unfortunately the source of this magic was located in the city of Moil, know as the City that Waits, a place where the dead have consumed the living. Having no other viable options, the group decided to search Moil for a way home.

Before they left, Evan presented Gwyn and Kelvor with magical rings and also gave Kezmit a pouch of bone dust that would aid them in fighting ghosts and other immaterial creatures. Evan was able to instruct Jarvix in the rituals to open portals between magic circles. Although of limited use at this time, should they encounter these circles in Athas, it could be a substantial advantage. With that, Evan opened another portal to the city of Moil and they bid their farewells to Evan, including Kira, who decided to take a leave of absence from her studies with Evan and accompany the party.

Moil
When they stepped through the portal, an ice-shrouded city of shattered stone spires and decaying arched bridges came into view from out of the swirling grey mist. Gray lightning occasionally surged within the clouds providing some illumination. and a boiling sea of black surrounded the base of the tower a hundred feet below. Several other spires connected to the one closest to the group, but uncounted hundreds more spread further in the distance, their shattered bridges out of reach.

Freezing air and a sullen darkness enveloped the party as a series of fractured black columns come into view when they adjusted to the dim light. The cracked stone floor sloped steeply down toward an archway opening onto a dead black mist, and above them a partial domed ceiling framed the sky. However, the howling creatures lurching forward to attack were a more immediate concern. The experienced adventurers were able to brace themselves for the attack and made short work of their opponents. Jarvix conjured shards of nothingness to hold fast the zombies while Li-Am’s was able to conjure waves of flame that blasted his foes. Two of the creatures had powerful chilling claws and Kelvor nearly perished before he was able to shake off the effects. In fact most of the party were unable to shake off the lingering wounds in this cold realm.

The group began to explore the city, slowly making their way across the icy bridges, even watchful for enemies or signs of the magic they were looking for. Elleandra and Gwyn were able to navigate slightly within the strange dead city, but so much was ruined that there didn’t appear to be a direct path. Along the way they saw many groups of different types of undead, including a large formation of tightly packed bodies slowly making its way across a nearby bridge.

At an intersection of bridges, the party barely avoided an unpleasant surprise by a group of several different types of spectral beings. The party was harassed by the banshee’s cries, the necrotic aura of the wraiths, and the nighthaunt’s constant attempts to feed off of their very souls. Kezmit chose not to use the limited supply of bone dust on these foes and the party was fortunately able to vanquish them.

The party moved on, heading to the northeast, in the general direction of the dragon magic they were attempting to find. Unfortunately the bridge they were on collapsed partway to their destination and there was no method of crossing it. Before they could turn around, the adventurers were set upon by a group of zombies that appeared to be patrolling the city…

The Enemy of my Enemy…
Kelvor and his allies took in the captives in the jail cell and they were amazed by their appearance – the three women appeared to be smaller and frailer than most on Athas, with paler skin (one of the captives was exceptionally pale) and their clothing had an exceptional amount of metal. The weary party was unsure what the next best course of action was when the extremely pale one suggested that they be set free.

The captives spoke with strange accents, talked of places unknown and claimed to have been imprisoned for nothing more than being outsiders in this strange land. They were ignorant of many things the party took for granted making it clear that they were outsiders in this shadow Kalidnay. The party, naturally being skeptical, was somewhat reluctant to trust them, but the sounds of approaching creatures pushed them into action. The extremely pale woman, who was called Kazandra, removed a slender metal pin and deftly unlocked the cell. Morg moved into action breaking open a cell with his axe while the third woman was freed from her cell by the other party members.

Just as the captive women had recovered their gear, several ghosts entered the jail through the walls, while a pair of devils entered through the doorway. Gwyn and her allies quickly adapted to fighting alongside Melantha and her allies, but the combination of the devils weakening aura and the ghosts ability to resist damage made if very difficult to overcome their foes.

Melantha had spotted what might have been a secret door leading out of the jail, but it was forgotten about in the heat of combat. The devils tried to focus on Morg, but Kelvor was able to keep them occupied for most of the fight. The ghosts began shrieking so powerfully that they pushed the two groups back and immobilized some with fear. They appeared motivated to slay the heroes as they had been slain by Thakok-An. Eventually Kazandra realized the futility of the combat and activated the secret door, fleeing outside the pyramid before more opponents entered the combat.

Slowly the party made a strategic withdrawal from the ziggurat with Melantha and Jarvix staying behind. The devils moved to pursue Morg, who was still carrying the head of Kalid-Ma. Hoping to stall any pursuit, Kazandra grabbed the head from Morg and tossed it to the devils, who gleefully picked it up. Jarvix was the last in the jail and closed the secret door sealing himself in. He made one attempt to use the Way to retrieve the head, but the devils had too tight a hold on it. He then disappeared, teleporting through the wall to his friends on the other side.

Going to Ground
The large group found themselves in a deserted section of the city, and had brief moment to discuss their next move. The Melantha and Kira appeared to be searching for a friend that they were travelling with, who they had lost contact with during their capture (something that they blamed Kazandra for). Kazandra claimed to know how to find their friend, a wizard by the name of Evan.

Kelvor wanted to locate safe location where they could form a long-term plan. He thought that there might be an area of abandoned warehouses that would serve them well. Other options and concerns were discussed but none of the other plans appeared viable at the time. Fed up with the debate, and returning with some stolen clothes, a less-pale Kazandra started out in the same general direction that Kelvor wanted to go, saying that they could follow her and live or stay and be captured again. They all decided to follow her.

For three difficult hours they made their way through the city, without attracting attention from any guard patrols, attempting to throw off any pursuers by climbing walls and muscling around the many impediments. The makeshift disguises they were able to piece together from the stolen clothes helped them blend in when they were spotted by locals. Although they were mostly successful, the group’s luck eventually ran out and they stumbled into a group of well armed individuals.

Fearing another combat, Jarvix and Gwyn were relieved to see one of the individuals make a sign of the Veiled Alliance. When they reciprocated, they were escorted into an abandoned villa and asked to wait. The party noticed a number of tattered banners with a black diamond on them, the symbol of House Vordon. After a small wait, an undead creature, who looked to have once been a human female came out of one of the buildings. Seeing the resemblance to Yarnath, they prepared for a fight.

The undead bowed to them, introduced herself as Laylon-Ka, and invited them into a building for rest and discussion. Unsure of her true intentions, the party was eventually convinced that she might not be out to kill them, having appeared to taken great offense at the accusation that she might practice defiling magic. They entered what appeared to be a meeting hall and found several individuals seated around a long table eating and discussing. Kira and Melantha recognized one of them as their friend Evan.

Answers and Questions
Pleased at being reunited with their friend, Evan explained how, during their capture, he was pushed aside by Kazandra so that he wasn’t captured. He had been found by Laylon-Ka and only recently had he been strong enough to start planning a rescue. When asked how they had come to be in Kalidnay, he told of his discovery of an powerful magic object that hinted at being of great power. He was searching for the power to break free from the grips of a powerful wizard in his own lands. He produced an obsidian orb from beneath his cloak – an Orb of Kalid-Ma.

Elleandra was very interested in acquiring the orb and eventually a deal was struck – Evan would give the orb over to her, in exchange for the tomes recovered from the Ziggurat. Although reluctant to hand over such information to a stranger, Jarvix was convinced that he had no intention of becoming a sorcerer-king, even if the books contained enough information to do so. Evan also offered to help send the party back to Athas, although he wasn’t exactly sure how to accomplish it.

They all took a much needed rest and learned a bit of the events that transpired in Kalidnay. Laylon-Ka, was a member of the Veiled Alliance and House Vordon, 200 years ago, when Kalidnay shifted into the Gray. It was because of the actions of his high Templar, Thakok-An, that the sorcerer-kings transformation into a Dragon failed. She had no knowledge of the other sorcerer-kings marching on the city, nor was there an explanation in the apparent differences between the passage of time, for on Athas it is believed that Kalidnay was destroyed some 1200 years ago.

The rest and discussions were interrupted by a commotion in the courtyard, apparently the forces of Thakok-An had breached the defenses and begun an attack. Everyone rushed to the courtyard, except Evan, who’s magic was useless in this land. A massive army surrounded the templar who appeared quite pleased. Neither side wasted time with with false pleasantries.

Jarvix hoped to used his skills with the Way to ensnare many of the weaker soldiers found that Thakok-An’s own templars were projecting auras that blocked him. While the others made subtle maneuvers to get into an optimal position, Morg charged in towards Thakok-An. Her half-giant guards intercepted him and quickly knocked him down, barely alive. Thakok-An moved over him and jabbed her spear into his chest, calling out…

“Accept this sacrifice and aid me as you have in the past, destroy my enemies and feast upon their souls!”

A cloud of black smoke gathered around Morg’s lifeless body and a terrible demon emerged. Looking hungrily at his enemies, he waded into battle quickly reaching the larger group. They threw weapons and spells at the beast and slowly began to weaken it, but it gave as good as it got and severely wounded many of those in combat, including some of its allies. Kira finally defeated the foul creature as she assumed the form of a large tiger and decapitated it with a savage bite.

Melantha and Kazandra skirted the main fight and worked their way around to try and attack Thakok-An from behind. Their strategy proved very effective, but Thakok-An dominated Melantha’s mind with her own, forcing her out of position, attacking her friends instead. Eventually the Melantha was able to break free of the domination and she and Kazandra, who had once again become pale and bore fangs, were finally able to strike at Thakok-An, who somehow managed to stay on her feet.

Vinara was efficiently dispatching the defilers and their guards during the fight with her spear. She also managed to get Morg up onto his feet and back into the fray before he truly died. Gwyn magic was strong and she wrapped her enemies in fiery serpents, binding them together, while her dragon scales help her resist the attacks of the soldiers.

Thakok-An finally fell as Kira transformed into her human form again and hurled a radiant ball of energy, striking the templar squarely in the chest. As she fell a strange transformation of the land began to occur with mists rising up from the sand. Kira, Elleandra and Vinara felt a disturbing sensation as if the land itself was being erased. Not only the land, but also many of the inhabitants themselves were consumed by the Mists. When it was over only a few dozen people remained around Vinara and her allies.

Secrets Revealed
Although the party was unsure what to make of the possible relationship between Kelvor and the defiler Tethrades, they knew they didn’t want to simply hand him over without answers. Jarvix used the Way to summon motes of nothingness to hold the House Shom troops in place. Elleandra’s magic caused they to experience visions of hordes of flesh-devouring sprites and she summoned a small tornado to lift one of the muls into the air. Gwyn wrapped her foes in fiery serpents dragging two of the guards and holding them together.

The House Shom forces were well trained and caused many injuries to the party. Morg was overwhelmed by the three warriors he was facing and briefly fell. Vinara was able call upon her primal powers to keep Morg and the rest alive, but it was a deadly combat. Kelvor engaged Tethrades with a passion – his focus on the defiler was an indication that there may be some relationship between the two.

During the fight Tethrades provided critiques on Kelvor’s use of the Way, praising him for his abilities and taking credit for helping him reach such power. Dalem and Marisol remained mostly neutral in the conflict, apparently each being confused by the turn of events. Only when Gwyn was severely injured by some caravan guards that came in to investigate the disturbances did Marisol use her powers of the Way to defeat them.

Finally free of some of the restraining magic that was affecting him, Dalem made a break for it and disappeared through a secret door behind of the statues in the room. Along the way he grabbed one of the metal cylinders containing the plague infested shaqat beetles. Marisol broke free from the combat and headed after him, saying nothing to the others.

As the tide of the battle had clearly shifted away from the forces of House Shom, Tethrades used his magic to open a doorway and disappear from sight. The party quickly mopped up the remaining forces and the additional caravan guards that had just entered dropped their weapons and fled from the ziggurat. Although they wanted to pursue Dalem, Marisol and Tethrades, the party demanded answers from Kelvor.

Kelvor reluctantly explained that his true name was Dravus and in his past he had been a member of the Balic navy as was tradition in his family. He had been approached by Tethrades, a praetor of Andropinis, to be recruited for a special project and to defy a preator meant death. The special project was designed to unlock psionic potential in its subjects, but was more akin to sadistic torture than true research. Eventually he fled the city and adopted a new name and life for himself.

Satisfied with Kelvor’s answer, for now, the party decided to search the ziggurat.

Betrayal
The first floor of the ziggurat contained a spiral staircase heading up to the second floor. There were two other rooms on this level, both open to the outside through large cracks in the structure. One room was completely filled with rubble, its contents and purpose unknown. The other larger room appeared to be a laboratory where research was being conducted, likely on the shaqat beetles. The crack in this room appeared to be a mix of natural and worked stone, suggesting a passageway may have once connected this room to the outside.

The second floor contained four small rooms around the central stairs that continued up. A throne room and dining room were in obvious disrepair, but not open to the outside. The large crack in the ziggurat did break through in to the other two rooms. One of which had a large crack and hole in the floor the purpose of which was not readily understood. The final room on the floor appeared to hold a number of writings and tables but the weather and time had all but destroyed the contents.

On the third floor there were only two rooms, neither of which was affected by the crack in the side of the ziggurat. One room appeared to have been a library of some kind, but the contents were is complete disarray and it would have taken a significant amount of time to piece together anything, time that the party did not have. The second room was relatively intact but empty. There were strange markings on the floor but that was all. The central staircase ended here, but a secondary staircase continued up.

The fourth floor was a single large room with an arcane circle on the floor. The exact nature of the circle was undetermined, but it appeared to be for some type of summoning magic. The circle appeared to be inactive and possibly damaged. From the roof of the ziggurat above, sounds of a struggle were heard and the party ascended the stairs quickly.

On the top of the roof Dalem and Marisol were locked in a struggle and as they fought, the party could overhear what they were saying…

“You promised to help my family regain their fortunes!” Dalem cried out “We both could have been rich beyond measure. How could you betray me?”
Marisol retorted with a stony look in her eyes, “Yes I promised Dalem, but I lied. The Shadow King will not allow your plan to succeed!”

The party was more confused than ever to have Marisol invoke the name of the Shadow King, the sorcerer-king of the city-state of Nibenay. Noticing her daughter for the first time, Marisol called out to her, “Gwyn, help me defeat this scum and make your father proud. Not that fool Jalek. Haven’t you wondered about the source of your draconic nature?”

Unable to hold back any longer, the party attacked Marisol and Dalem. Gwyn pleaded with the party to subdue Marisol so she could be answers she needed. Her friends didn’t appear to care that much and some of their attacks were lethal in nature. Dalem was the first to drop, nearly pushed over the edge several times. Gwyn’s magic finally hurled him and the canister off the top of the ziggurat. Marisol called out to Gwyn one last time; “Your father will reward you for your assistance. Now convince your friends to join us in the service of the Shadow King or they will perish.”

As the fight continued a hot dusty wind began to blow around the ziggurat, intensifying every moment and obscuring the ruined city below. Vinara’s magic was able to keep the storm off of the ziggurat itself, but outside here influence it became stronger and stronger every moment. The speed and intensity of the storm was clearly not natural.

Gwyn and the party had no desire to serve any sorcerer-king and combat continued, again with Gwyn pleading to capture Marisol and not kill her. Kelvor and Elleandra showed restraint in their attacks, but the others appeared more eager to dispatch an agent of a sorcerer-king. Kelvor was overwhelmed by Marisol’s use of the Way and fell. However, eventually Marisol fell to their attacks, Elleandra’s psychic assault knocking her unconscious.

As they tended to Kelvor the sand storm dissipated as quickly as it started and the party was shocked to see that beneath them was a city that appeared to be inhabited. The ziggurat, that moments before was cracked and ruined, appeared to have been repaired. Although it was difficult to make our from this height, there were no signs of the House Shom caravan and the people below appeared to be dressed in archaic clothing. It was then that the party noticed Marisol was not to be found.

The Descent
A small commotion below alerted the party that their presence on the top of the ziggurat was likely noticed. Rather than attempt to scale down the side of the steep structure, they descended down into the ziggurat through the stairs. Elleandra noticed that her tree felt incredibly distant and that Morg was unable to clearly hear the spirits that usually spoke to him. The party suspected that the strange storm had transported them to some different place and time.

The summoning circle on the fourth floor was intact and clearly active. The entire room was protected by physical and magical wards, nothing like the ruined room they had just left moments before. The party was able to locate and suppress the wards long enough to exit the room safely.

On the third floor the found that the library was intact and well stocked with books, scrolls tablets and other writings. Jarvix investigated this area and found several intact works that were of interest to him. Elleandra’s orb was confused, excited and terrified but it urged her to investigate the other room on this floor, the door to which was closed and warded as well. After bypassing the protection, she, Vinara and Morg entered a room to find a closed sarcophagus where nothing had been before. Cautiously opening it, they found a body inside, completely still, and Elleandra recognized it as the body of Kalid-Ma. Vinara gently poked the body with her spear and seeing no response, she slid the spear into his chest as Morg used his axe to chop off the head. With his typical style, he took the severed head as they left the room.

The rooms on the second floor were closed in this ziggurat and the group took a few moments to investigate. The throne room was intact and dusty as if it hadn’t been used too frequently. What had been the room with the hole in the floor now held a large cistern of water – a precious treasure. Where ruined tables and papers had been there was an organized collection of documents that appeared to pertain to the normal operation of the city. Strangely the dates on the paper showed the current year to be Mountain’s Reverence in the 176 King’s Age. Some commotion could be heard from the first floor, but nothing specific could be determined.

The party cautiously headed down the to main floor and discovered that the secret door to the main entry hall was closed. The small room contained a large brazier and it was obvious that the crack had been repaired. Instead of a laboratory, it appeared that a holding area or jail was in the larger room. The broken wall in that room too had been repaired offering no exit from the ziggurat. The party could make out some of the content of the conversation in the main entry room – there appeared to be a disagreement about whether or not intruders were in the pyramid. A slight shuffling could be heard and it was then that the party noticed that in the jail cells were three women…