Chapter 11 - Princess Vyrellis (The Pyramid of Shadows - Part 1)

Our heroes return to Winterhaven, where they meet their mentors, and re-unite the slaves with their families. After a short de-briefing with the General, it is clear to all that the heroes' paths are not the same as the Company of the Red Gauntlet and the General releases them from their duties, wishing them good luck for their further, amazing adventures.

The heroes follow the map found on Paldemar's body, and reach an ancient forest. There, they're ambushed by some bandits, but easily take care of them. In an opening in the forest, they find a miniature, shining pyramid laying on the ground, approximately where the Pyramid of Shadows should have been.

A ghosltly tiefling appears to them, revealing to be some sort of guardian of nature. Prompted by the heroes, the image reveals that many secrets await, if only they'll take possession of the pyramid. As they touch the pyramid, the heroes are sucked in the minute object, as the Tiefling's voice spreads around them, mocking them "Welcome to the Pyramid of Shadows... to get free from this place, you'll have to find me and kill me..three times!".

Our heroes find themselves in some sort of refuse pit, as an evil Ettin giant tries to cut their heads, and make them trophies. After fighting him and a couple of carrion crawlers, the party finds among the possessions of the Ettin a magical orb.

The orb reveals to contain the soul of Vyrellis, and ancient Eladrin princess, once wife of Karavakos the tiefling necromancer. The head offers to help the heroes navigate the Pyramid, so that they may all escape. Galen, being the only eladrin in the group, carries the orb.

They face sahuagin barbarians, lizard men hunters, and a horrifing otyugh, the Charnel Lord, as they explore the most rotten part of the weird madness that is the Pyramid.

During their exploration, they recover a moonstone, precious gem that seems to interest princess Vyrellis, although she does not reveal further details about it.



The heroes enter in the Arboreum, a section of the Pyramid ruled by weird plant creatures colled Arboreans. After failed negotiations, they find themselves facing the creatures, and their fearsome druidic powers.

After a well-deserved rest, they complete the exploration of the Arboreum, and discover a region of the Pyramid occupied by a gang of bandits, led by Gharash Vren the Dragonborn. Gharash persuades the heroes to face a "small trouble" he has, namely, one of his former gang member, now turned Werewolf. After the group has handled the beast, Gharash betrays them and orders his man to attack them. Unfortunately for him, our heroes are not so easily beaten, as they manage to subdue the bandits, and take possession of their hideout.

The day after, they finally make their way to the Library, where they face enigmatic creatures called Thought Eater, who apparently feed on knowledge, written or directly from the memories of unfortunate victims. The Thought Eaters are at the service of Arat Karavakos, one of the splinters of the soul of Karavakos. As our heroes defeat him in a difficult fight, they retrieve from him an adamantine key, engraved with mysterious runes, and a riddle.

Further on, they enter a room where the headless corpse of Vyrellis in entrapped in a magical cage. They disrupt the cage, but unfortunately the corpse has been corrupted by Karavakos, and attacks the heroes with unbridled fury. Witnessing the destruction of her corpse only enrages Vyrellis more, and, from her glass orb prison, she once again swears vengeance to Karavakos. Our heroes then face frozen undead and an Ice Demon, and ultimately flying creatures on the stairs that give access to the second level of the Pyramid.