Epilogue

Exhausted from their struggle, the heroes recuperate in what they discover to be the great monastery of Pelor in Ghelna. Talking with the party as they recover, the high priestess Orina is intrigued by the Duke's actions in the preceding events. When ready to depart, Orina teleports them back to Oym Edhil and requests that the party entreat the Duke for an audience with her in the elven city at a later time. She provides the party with a magic amulet that can turn into a bird and carry a message back to her.

The party returns to the BlackRock citadel where the Duke and his court greet the party as heroes. As a result of recent events, the Duke has restored Oym Edhil and the surrounding lands to the wood elves and has agreed to assist in defending those lands if called upon. In exchange, Oym Edhil now as formal diplomatic relations with the Duke and a small trade has been established between the two kingdoms. Lady Tyrell is named the Duke's trade emissary. The Duke's citizens are allowed peaceful passage to Oym Edhil. The peace between the vampires and the wood elves is uneasy.

The Duke stands by his promise and offers a lordship and lands to Tormund, Sora, Dae, Gallandan, and Humbert. In the alternative, they can refuse the lands and take a title and a position at his court, or a rare gift. He sends the party away to rest and think about his offer while he wraps up his most recent campaign. In the chaos that came from these recent events, the Duke was able to grab more territory and plans to continue to do so through the winter. The party then returns to Lower Benneth to put their feet up while the snow flies.

From Darkness to Dawn

The following day the party met with Lady Tyrell, Caryarus, Peraxalim and Alvorelle of the wood elves, and Lord Terrowin Lorneheart, Archmage of the Mystic Order of Frinchshaw. Lady Tyrell expressed her gratitude and decided to support the effort to retake the Oym Edhil in exchange for preferential trading rights.  Lord Terrowin Lorneheart also express their gratitude to the party and the wood elves for helping out Lady Tyrell and offered to send some mages with the wood elves to assist in retaking the city. As the sunset on the meeting, a delegation from the Duke's court came to visit Lady Tyrell and offered their apologies for the action of Prewdact, assuring the party that the ruling council of the city is under investigation and that Lady Tyrell and her household is under the protection of the Duke. Learning about the party's plans, the Duke's delegates offer to send a group of the Duke's red guard to help recapture the city. The Frinkshaw guild wizards exchange threats with the vampires and the group were given a choice as to their allies in the attack. The group holds their noses and takes the vampires up on their offer, knowing that it will forever link Oym Edhil to the Duke.

After a detailed strategy session, the party sets off towards Oym Edhil with their army of wood elves and their allies, some mercenaries provided by Lady Tyrell, and a group of vampires chaperoned by a death knight. With intelligence collected by the vampires, the elven force was able to determine the exact positions and defenses of the orcs, giving them a considerable advantage. At nightfall the attack began, giving the party the necessary distraction to fight their way toward the teleportation circle. After locating the right structure, the party ascended a giant tree network and found the temple that contained the teleportation circle. The circle seemed to be compromised, but with orcs hot on their heels the party had no choice but to proceed with the plan. After initializing the circle's magic, the party realized too late that they had walked into a trap. Kal'uul intercepted the party in an interdimensional abyss and vowed to destroy them for their part in foiling his plan. A desperate battle ensued, but the party overcame Kal'uul and sent him back to the netherworld. With Kal'uul defeated, the magic holding the dimensional pocket open started to wane and the world began collapsing around the heroes. Just then a voice called out to them with a beacon of bright light and led the heroes safely out of the dimensional pocket. When their eyes opened, they were greeted to the sight of a priestess of Pelor tending to their wounds with the help of two angels. At last, the journey was over. One of the angels took the book from Tormund and absorbed it into himself, sealing it away forever.

Showdown with the Captain

Once back at street level the party prowled their way through the streets towards the sealed gate. After carefully taking out the guards at the periphery of the gatehouse, the defenders eventually became aware of the attack and the battle devolved into a desperate attempt to open the gate before help could be summoned. With some quick thinking and savage intent, the heroes managed to spring open the gate, allowing Illana's force of wood elves to pour into the 2nd district and give battle to the town guard and baku thugs.

With the elves lifting the siege of Lady Tyrell's manse the party set off to attack the magic siege engine that was threatening the estate. The party arrived to find Captain Alban Prewdact at the bottom of the tower, enraged at the failure of his plan. The party split up to attack and destroy the machine while the balance tried to fend off the Vampire as long as possible. Sora and Dae battled their way up the tower and eventually destroyed the device before returning downstairs to join the fight with Prewact. A desperate battle with the vampire ensued in the streets, with the party eventually overcoming the insane captain who is forced to flee but not before swearing vengeance. Exhausted by the battle, the party then regrouped with Lady Tyrell and rested.

Out the Other Side

Without the aid of their guides, the party battles though the sewers, bested by monsters at every turn. After much exploration, the party eventually discovers Gruther's Distillery buried in the subterranean ruins. Just then the party is attacked again by some vicious creature and barely manages to escape by breaking into the distillery and collapsing the door way behind them. Once in the distillery, the group explores the ancient factory trying to find a way out. All of a sudden, the party is attacked by huge group of oozes. Unable to fight off the large number of oozes, the party becomes desperate for an escape and attempts to work out a huge Rube-Goldberg to swing one of the suspended sills as a wrecking ball to smash through a wall. Just when it seemed that the party would be overcome, they figure out how to set the vessel in motion and smashed a wall down leading them into the sealed off 2nd district of Appelane.

A Plan is Hatched

After working with Peraxalim to ignite the passions of the wood elves and overcome the resistance of Caryrus, the party beings to plan the recapture of Oym Edhil. Details of manpower, logistics, allies, equipment and financing are all worked out. Lady Tyrell's spies show up at the warehouse to let them know Lady Tyrell is in dire staights. The town guard have surrounded her manse, declaring her a traitor. The town guard along with a faction of wizards from the Baku are setting up a giant magical siege engine on top of a nearby building to blast down the barrier that Lady Tyrell's wizards have erected to defend her estate. The entire district where Lady Tyrell's house stands has been sealed off.

The party hatches plan convincing the wood elves to assist in saving her in order to secure financing and resources needed to execute the invasion of Oym Edhil. While Illana prepares the wood elf troops to take to the streets, the rest of the party departs with Lady Tyrell's spies into a sewer passage to rescue Lady Tyrell. While wondering through the swers trying to get back to Lady Tyrell, the party's guides get eaten by some giant oozes. The party then continues to wander in the dark, eventually discovering that the city of Appelane was built on tope of ancient ruins long buried. The party continues to wander through the underground, searching for Gruther's Distillery, where the spies had told them to seek an exit to the surface.

Fomentation of War

After emerging form the underground passages of Appelane with Alvorelle still incapacitated and Favian in tow, the group made its way to an inn in the seedy 2nd district to hide out and recuperate. On the way, the party saw a gigantic explosion coming from the direction of lady Tyrell's made. While Alvorelle was recovering at the inn the party learned from gossip in the ale room that the 4th district had been completely sealed off. Rumour has it that there had been open fighting in the streets between some the town guard and group of insane wizards bent on destruction.  Stranger still is that some said the towns guard were fighting along side an unknown faction of monstrous irregulars. When Alvorelle recovered she lead the group to warehouse in the 3rd district that was revealed to be an indoor enchanted grove where the survivors and friends hide out and plan their return. In a nighttime council the heroes convinced the leadership that the time was ripe to retake the city and offered up lady Tyrell as a source of financing for the expedition.

Depths of Corruption

Descending into the depths of the Sultry Siren, the party finds Favien conducting dark business with a man called Jarin who seems to be orchestrating the recent troubles. After overhearing Jarin and Favian implicate the captain of the guard Alben Prewdact in a scheme with the Baku to recover the book, the party emerged from their hiding spot to launch an attack. Jarin transformed into a demon and summond allies form the abyss to join him in giving battle to the heroes. In the melee Favien tried to escape but was savaged and nearly drowned by the party's summoned monsters. After dispatching the enemy, the party split up, half taking Favian back to Ms. Tyrell's manor and the balance looking for treasure and covering the group's tracks.

After the party reunited at the manor, a group of the city guard showed up at the gate of the manor at the crack of dawn demand to enter the manor and take Favien into custody. Hesitant to open the gates due to the town guard's confirmed connection to the Bakku, the half the party with the book was led out of a secret back entrance through an underground network of tunnels into the 3rd district.

A Dark Dinner and Dockside Delving

After a good day’s rest, the party visited the workshop of the famous blacksmith Daquan Melling who revealed that the dagger was ordered by one Favian deMawbray, a member of the guild of teamsters and longshoremen. That evening lady Tyrell hosted a dinner party where the heroes got a chance to meet some of the great and the good in the city. At the head table the conversation got heated at several points, boiling over when a dispute erupted between Favian and Master Commonbrook, member of the honourable guild of mercers, over some lost merchandise. The party chimed in trying to goad Favian into rashness and also ran afoul of the captain of the guard Allen Prewdact, who himself exchanged threats with Lord Terrowin Lorneheart, the Archmage of the Mystic Order of Frinchshaw. As the tension came to a point, Favian left the event in frustration.

After the dinner the heroes went to investigate the Sultry Siren based on the lead they received from the imprisoned thug. After splitting up and investigating different areas of the tavern, the group discovered that the tavern has a secret lower level where Favian was located, conducting some suspicious business. After a quick scrap in the back room, the party started down the stairs into the underbelly of the Siren. 

Arrival in Appellane

At the urging of Sora and Tormund, the party decided it was best to investigate Alvroelle's meeting, both in the interest of retaking Oym Edhil from the orcs, but also as a force multiplier to gain access to the teleportation circle. Through Alvorelle's mysterious magic, the group was able to travel  undisturbed overland and make excellent time to the border city of Appellane.

Upon their arrival, the party was disconcerted not only with the imposing fortification of the vast city but also the numerous monstrous undesirables inhabiting the suburban camps around the walls and the 5th and 4th districts. Unbeknownst to his companions, Gallendan has a close cousin in the city by the name of Lady Tyrell - a famous and prosperous merchant located in the posh 2nd district of Appellane. While making their way through the city, the party detected that they were being watched and followed through the crowded streets by a posse of greenskins. After an ill-fated attempt at stealth and misdirection, the party ended up being confronted in a busy marketplace by a mob of orc and half-orc thugs being led by three human mercenaries. The combined might of the party proved too much for the assailants, who were overwhelmed and largely cut to shreds before attempting to flee. Tormund was able to catch one of the fleeing mercenaries with the broad side of his blade, knocking him unconscious for later questioning. A large squad of city guards arrived just moments after the fight, enquiring after the bloody disturbance, but Gallandan deftly put the sergeant under his spell and persuaded him to escort the party to Lady Tyrell's manor.

The heroes arrived at Lady Tyrell's manor house in the evening, where she received them and settled into a quiet evening by the fire. On a late night scouting sortie, Sora discovered a suspicious half-orc messenger observing the manor house, though he was gone by sunrise. The next morning the party took breakfast with Kraldohr Swifkind (dwarf) and Rochester Burtone (human), Lady Tyrell's old traveling companions who were in for a visit. Lady Tyrell warned them that she was scheduled to host a high-society ball in the evening, inviting the party to join at their own peril. After breakfast the party questioned the captive mercenary, who told the heroes about their pay arrangements at a seedy dockside venue after a spirited beating administered by Tormund. Lady Tyrell's spies were able to identify the maker's mark on an exotic dagger the mercenary had with him, pointing towards Daquan Melling, a famous blacksmith in the 3rd district.

Fruit of an Odd Tree

After a thoroughly degenerate night at the Golden Piss Pot, the party departed Fort Crusher towards the south-east, continuing on their way to Oym Edhil. As the journey progressed the weather began to turn, and the party sought shelter in an alcove among a cliff face along their route, hoping to shelter from the chill air. As dusk settled the party was attacked by a band of Baku agents descending on them from the cliffs to take them by surprise. The party managed to spot them in time and fought them off easily, capturing two for questioning. It was revealed that there was a Baku spy the name of Peg-Leg at Fort Crusher who had overheard them talk about the book and sent assailants after them to investigate. Sora sent a bird back to Crusher with a note to expose the agent.

The next day the party saw from a vantage point that an unknown force was combing through the woods presumably looking for them. The heroes fled deeper into the woods hoping to evade a confrontation, and eventually ran into a giant hostile tree creature. After a desperate battle, the heroes eventually slew the tree creature and freed Alvorelle Loraqen, the wood elf they had helped earlier, who had been captured by the tree. After thanking the party, Alvorelle invited them to join her on her way to the border city of Appelane, where other survivors of Oym Edhil gather to plan the recapture of the city. 

Strangers and Stranger Things

Inspired by the promise of lordship, the party set out with the accursed book, tracing a path along the eastern mountain range though the expansive forests to Oym Edhil. Along the rout the party witnessed a mysterious wood-elf being chased through the forest canopy by a drow leading a pack of armed werewolves all bearing a forbidding dark crest. Recognizing the stranger's heraldry as a fellow citizen of the ruined Oym Edhil, Sora called out to the fleeing elf and launched an attack to aid her countryman, who was able to flee as a result of the distraction. After a vicious battle the werewolves were slain and the drow elf captured and questioned. It was revealed that he was in the service of the forces of darkness and was bidden to run down anyone traversing through this area and slay them. Realizing that there were more werewolves who were bound to return momentarily, the party bargained with the draw to allow each other safe passage passage.

After a long, hard slog through the wilderness, the party decided to turn south and stop on at Fort Crusher to visit their friend and gather information. Arriving to what passes for a hero's welcome at Fort Crusher, the group immediately set upon The Golden Piss Pot tavern to hydrate themselves and sow exaggerated stories of their deeds among the local rabble. It was there that the group first met the brash barbarian warrior Illana who, the group discovered quite awkwardly, is crushers's daughter - though they seem to bear little resemblance. She told the party that the elf they had encountered has passed through Fort Crusher last night, which immediately piqued the party's interest. Ultimately the well intentioned fact-finding expedition degenerated into a raucous stein-hoist, culminating in Crusher loosing two consecutive armwrestling matches to a mysterious giant bear who appeared in the tavern.

The Dame and the Duke

After discovering a letter left behind by Tormund, the group follows him to the Blackrock Citadel where he has been hiding out in the duke's quarters. The party arrives a day behind him, only to find him sequestered away. Sora was able to make contact with Tormud by sneaking into the duke's chamber in the shape of a spider, revealing that Duke Reinheart was on his way back to consult on the matter. of the book. With time to spare, the party immediately set out to find trouble to pass the time.

Searching for secrets in the duke's library late one night, Dae meets the acquaintance of Diynah, a mysterious and mischievous vampire in the duke's court. After a brief encounter in the library, Dae convinces Diynah to help him retrieve the book from Tormund to examine its wonders.

The following dae some of the party members hatched a vague plan to access the duke's room with Diynah's help. At the same time, the plot was brewing the Duke returned to his chambers with Duchess Isabelle to consult with Tormund on the book. When the book was revealed to the duke he was not able to withstand its influence, leaving Tormund and Isabella to wrest it away from him. Just at that moment, the other party members gained access to the room to witness the duke's powerlessness to help with the book. The duke then told the party that their best chance was to bring the book to one of the kingdoms of light. He let the party know of two routes to the kingdom of Ghelnah where the party can seek guidance from one of the holy orders in safeguarding this knowledge from the forces of darkness.

Safeguarding the Book

After narrowly escaping the pursuing orc army in the Temple of Vecna, the party decided to strike out to the north-east, towards the Blackrock citadel hoping to get the duke's council in deciding how to safeguard the book. Wary of the book's influence, Tormund decides to take on the burden of carrying the cursed volume, having proven able to resist its influence. His instincts prove to be correct as his companions are increasingly interested in opening the book to learn of its secrets, urged on by Gillendan's endorsement of its wonder.

In the night the party gets attacked by a host of undead monsters. Adding to the confusion of the midnight attack, the book glamours various party members, disorganizing their effort to mount a counterattack. The party narrowly survives the encounter, deciding to move on and make camp in a cave further towards their destination. As the party settles down for the night, an uncomfortable tension comes up as the subject of the book is raised again and again. Following his instincts, Tormund takes off in the middle of the night with the book in order to keep it safe from the other party members. Alone, he makes all haste to the citadel where he holds up in the duke's bedroom while the duchess leaves to find the duke.

The Abandoned Temple of Vecna and the Book

After resting and resupplying at Fort Crusher, the Heroes set out to follow the trail of the orc raiders that fled into the woods. While pursuing the raiding party, the group came across a cursed tomb where they dug up the grave of Bodo, Taker of 1000 Eyes, Hero of the Mountain, and Cursed of the Death God. After plundering the tomb the party continued to follow the trail of the mob until it split into a smaller and larger group. Following the smaller group's trail towards a distant tower, the hero's came upon an abandoned temple of Vecna nestled up against the mountain, exuding a dark energy. Approaching the temple, the group was attacked by a zombie beholder in league with a group of orc archers, and only narrowly survived the encounter.

While exploring the temple of Vecna, the group uncovered evidence that the temple library and tower were being used by agents of evil to research and perform dark rituals to contact the servants of the demon lord Kaal'ul and obtained the secret incantations to summon Orcus back from his extra-dimensional banishment. Something must have gone wrong, however, as our heroes found the top of the tower blasted off and warped with demonic corruption. At the center of the blasted ruin, the heroes discovered a demonic grimoire containing part of the incantation to summon Orcus. Just then, the party noticed the larger orc force heading towards the temple seeming out of nowhere. The party then fled down through the tower grabbing as much loot as possible and fled out through the catacombs beneath the temple into the surrounding forest. On the way out, the party started to get the impression that there was more to the book than what meets the eye.

Fort Kick-Ass & The Eastern Woods

After battling the demonic servant of Kal'uul in the pit at the duke's army encampment, the heroes set off to the northeast where the scouting parties of the duke's army had captured the possessed orc shaman. On the road northeast the party encountered the remnants of a smashed orc raiding band, presumed to be the work of the duke's forces. Further up the road at the edge of the northeastern woods the party encountered a fortified rural outpost later discovered to be named Fort Kick-Ass.

Discovering the settlement to be a morally bankrupt cesspool ostensibly purposed for logging and trade, the party engaged with the locals to learn what they could regarding the activities of the monstrous races in the region. The party came to learn that orc tribes traditionally divided by clan enmity appear to have laid aside their centuries of mutual hatred and are attacking anything that goes into the woods, preventing the community form carrying out logging operations. While entreating the local rabble for information, the party was waylaid by a gang of horse thieves looking to capitalize on the newcomers' mounts. They quickly realized their error as their mob tactics failed to prevail over the heroes, who then proceeded to cut the bandits down in the street. Only the arrival of the town's self-appointed ruler and law-keeper allowed some of the miscreants to get away with their lives. 

This is how the party came into the acquaintance of the man who calls himself Crusher. He is a huge brute of a man with fists the size of a man's head, and great red beard coving his scarred face. Crusher appreciated the party's impromptu cleansing of the horse thieves from the city, and offered to host the party for the night while they rested up and resupplied. The fort was attacked in the middle of the night by an alliance of various Ork tribes and an unknown wizard. The party joined the less-than-valiant defenders of Fort Crusher and repelled the nighttime raid, scattering the orcs back into the woods. Exhausted form the battle, the party decided to wait until morning to pursue the enemy into the northeastern woods. 

Witness the Endless Horde

After meeting Duke Reinheart and his court at the Blackrock Citadel and informing him of the strange developments in the land, our heroes depart back towards lower beneath to await the arrival of the Duke and his promised forces. On the way back the party came across a village which seemed to have been razed by the roving hordes of monsters. While assessing the carnage, the heros discover a pair of strange pale children, twin brother and sister. Seemingly traumatized from the attack, they do not speak nor protest direction. Thinking it better to take them along, the party leaves with the children in tow.

Eventually the Duke's forces meet the party in the outskirts of Lower Benneth, where the heroes first get a glimpse of the Duke's army. An odoriferous necromancer under the Duke's control seems to take an interest in the children, insisting to perform a ritual on them to better understand their nature. Under the light of the moon, the necromancer takes them to a nearby graveyard, where the experiment turns out to be a sacrifice. A battle ensues between the heroes and the necromancer, with the heroes slowly loosing ground to the dark wizard. At the very last moment, the children reveal their nature as strange aberrations from the underdark and kill the necromancer.

Upon reporting back to the Duke, he takes the children into his stewardship while the party goes to investigate a captive orc shaman that was taken by a ranging of vampire knights in the coutryside near lower beneath. The party now sees the true dizzying scale of the Duke's army. In the middle of the Duke's host, the party interrogates the orc, only to find out he is possessed by a demonic servant of Kal'uul. The party battles a group of demons in the deep pit, eventually overcoming them.

The Duke

During the long and perilous ride north the party observes that the attacks plaguing the countryside surrounding lower beneath is also happening in other counties. The party makes all possible hast to the Blackrock citadel, travelling off the road but parallel to it to avoid the marauding bands of orcs, goblins, knolls, hobgoblins,  and countless other threats. Along the way they observe many razed villages and burnt out farmsteads, deeminging their sense of worry about the present situation. After a long haul the black mountain comes into view and the heroes arrive at the citadel. Behind its great walls lays a vast and cold city standing in the shadow of the mountain. At the foot of the black mountain, the Duke's keep emerges from the mountain side cutting a menacing figure over the city skyline.

The party immediately seeks an audience with the Duke. While waiting for the summons, the heroes  spend the day in the city, unnerved by the strange people and society. That evening they are summoned to the palace, where they are received warmly by the Duke's court as heroes who have braved great peril to save their fellow citizens. The party spends some time with the Duke's court, who seem very strange to them. Eventually the Duke arrives to meet the party with his wife Isabelle. After much back and forth, the Duke thanks the party for their service and tasks them to return to Lower Benneth on the morrow to inform the mayor of the Duke's pending arrival with an army to quell the monster uprising. They spent the night with the Duke's court drinking and making merry, falling deeper and deeper into a state of unusual and bewildering intoxication. Before retiring for the evening, the party is overwhelmed by their curiosity and asks the Duke point blank if he is vampire...