When Fedhila opens the portal, the adventurers step through into a grand courtyard. They arrive in a wide court. Ahead of them is a monolith, 20 feet high. Others like it stand in recesses in each of the courtyard's four corners. Observation platforms, supported by pillars, line the walls to their left and right. Above them, a swirling storm of light signifies the souls of the dead waiting for an audience before the Raven Queen. Ahead, stairs are flanked by large braziers burning with blue white fire. They climb to a dais here a dark throne currently sits empty.Gaunt black-clad creatures stand in a line at the bottom of the stairs, their faces embodiments of bereavement. One spreads its dark wings and says in a deathlike voice, "What needs the Raven
Queen with mortal agents when she has the likes of us? Prove your worth and mettle, mortals.' Win your right to serve the Raven Queen!" Suddenly, each of the adventurers is teleported to a different location in the courtyard. When the heroes appear in these places, they are immediately surrounded by five angel of shadow legionnaires and the battle begins.
When three of the sorrowsworn have been defeated, a tall, regal woman with raven hair and a robe of a similar hue suddenly appears upon the dark throne. Her eyes and lips are black and glossy, her skin pale. She looks out over the courtyard, then says in a quiet voice that all can hear, "Why have you attacked these mortals, who have successfully won their way to my citadel?"
The sorrowsworn immediately disengage from the battle and kneel before the woman on the throne. "Forgive us, Dark Lady" one of the gaunt creatures says, "but we sought to conduct our
own test of these mortals to see if they were indeed worthy of serving you."
Her eyes appear to flare, but whether with anger or amusement, our heroes cannot say. Then a slight smile touches her dark lips, and she asks, "And what is your verdict, my guardians?"
The sorrowsworn hesitates, then answers, "Much to our amazement these mortals are worthy of your trust and service. We apologize for doubting Felidha's judgment, my lady."
The Raven Queen stands, and behind her, ravenlike wings extend. She moves forward.
"Welcome, heroes of Zvomarana," she says. "Your victories speak well of you. Now, let us learn more of each other and discuss whatyou can do to help the Raven Queen."
CITADEL OF THE RAVEN QUEEN
The Raven Queen address the adventurers.
"You have proven yourselves worthy to stand before the spinner of fate and the patron of winter. Heed my words, and learn something of the foundations of reality.
"There is a place where all things find their ultimate dissolution, a place that wears the Shadowfell like a cloak. Before my rise, and prior to Nerull's reign in Pluton before me, primordials trapped souls on their way from this existence to the next. There, these insatiable beings consumed souls for power, rather than letting them move on to their ultimate destiny. The first gods wrested control of this corrupted doorway, called Death's Reach, from the ancient ones. They sealed it, forgot it.
"But all that has gone before is now imperiled. Would you hear more, and in so doing, pledge yourself to closing that which has been opened?"
As the conversation progresses, she waves off questions about why she didn't save Zvomarana herself with generalities about other responsibilities, and about the destiny of the adventurers. Cold and blunt, she brooks little second-guessing from mortals. She assures the heroes that the temple is already being restored.
This is what they learn from conferring with her:
What's wrong? What exactly is "imperiled?"
"Some deceased souls arc not making their way to me as they should; they are falling into Death's Reach instead. This error in the way of things indicates that intruders have breached
Death's Reach, upsetting the natural order the gods decreed. These intruders seek nothing less than to usurp my power over death."
Who opposes you?
"Thefollowers of Orcus, some of whomyou have battled recently, gather power within Death's Reach. They have defied the ban the gods placed on Death's Reach, and even now they are ransacking it like ghouls in a graveyard. Worse, they are preparing the way for their lord to enter that place. This must not be allowed to happen! It must not!"
What are they disturbing? What is the nature of Death's Reach?
"When the primordials first crafted the world, they had no regard for the fate of souls. Souls came from beyond the known, and beyond the known they fled in death. Death's Reach was one of the places in the Shadowfell where souls passed beyond this existence. But ancient, gluttonous primordials corrupted the place so that they could consume the souls of the dead. When the first gods seized reality from the primordials, they made other arrangements.
"But that primeval, shadowy place remains. Because it can be reached only withgreat difficulty, the/irstgods deemed it the proper location to store dangerous artifacts and weapons from the Dawn War. Many who fought on the side of the primordials in that ancient conflict were relegated to Death's Reach, where they were locked away.
"Thus, Death's Reach is a graveyard of abandoned weapons hailing from the Dawn War. Primordials and even entire armies were imprisoned therein."
What are the intruders doing exactly?
"I cannot be certain, for even my power cannot breach Death's Reach. I believe the intruders are disinterring relics, ancient weapons perhaps, but also the remains of primeval warriors of unknown strength and power. I believe an army is being assembled, composed of roused Dawn War soldiers, for the express purpose to storm my citadel. The intruders must be stopped.
Moreover, any entities released from Death's Reach must be returned to their ancient prisons or destroyed."
Why can't you or your servants deal with the problem?
"No godlifee being, demon lord, or exarch can enter Death's Reach according to an age-old ban that possesses the weight of divine law. Not even I.
"But mortals are not so constrained. The servants of Orcus have breached Death's Reach for ill ends. Orcus lusts for complete authority over death, and that lust knows no bounds.
"Just as these intruders have perverted the ancient safeguards, so may I try to set affairs back to order. With the aid of those who have proven themselves, such asyourselves, there might even be hope for us to succeed."
Where do you send souls? What lies beyond death?
"Those that fall in Death's Reach are destroyed forever by the corruption there. But in the normal course of things, souls go beyond the worlds as we know them. My intercession on behalf of a dead spirit can direct it toward the realm of its god if that entity wishes it. No being knows the fate of those who pass beyond, not even I. If you remain mortal, perhapsyou shall discover a truth that even the gods are unable or unwilling to explore. When your time/inally comes, as it does for all things of the mortal realm."
Can you provide us with any help?
"You possess the bloodcrystal raven skull. It is a powerful and useful item. In it, you can store a portion of the life force coursing through each of you. This stored life force can be used to power
a Raise Dead ritual when no other part of you remains. Or, the stored energy can be used to save you from an effect that would otherwise trap or destroy your soul. Finally, if you die while your
life force is stored within the sfeull, you instead heal automatically.
Be careful, though. There is a limit to how often you can call upon the skull's power in this way. If you undertake this mis sion,you may use this item with my blessing."
Once the heroes agree to aid the Raven Queen, she explains their mission:
"In aiding me, you aid yourselves. You shall each have a favor from me before your final breath, this I pledge. But I sense that final breath is still distant for most of you, so do not exert yourselves to settle on what that favor may be.
"To close that which has been opened, we mustfirst open it wider still. I will sendyou into Death's Reach as my heralds.
Once you arrive,you must travel to an ancient place known as Nerull's Gate, where the gods built a beachhead in Death's Reach long ago. I cannot enter Death's Reach, even in part, unless I am
summoned. You shall summon me by going to Nerull's Gate and reading a ritual scroll I shall provide to you. Once my aspect has arrived, I shall be able to learn what is truly going on and direct you further. I might even be able to provide more substantial assistance at that time.
"Rest now, and regainyour strength. You may tarry here in my court In your preparations, know that no sustenance or succor awaits you in Death's Reach. You must bring with you whatever you need. When you are ready, I shall sendyou on your way."
At the Raven Queen's signal, one of her courtiers gives the heroese a ritual scroll of Summon Raven Aspect, components for the ritual, and a map of Death's Reach that always shows the party's location relative to its conscious goal.
As the heroes indicate they are ready to enter Death's Reach, the Raven Queen reappears. She explains their transport.
"I am creating a soul gate that allows passage into Death's Reach. The initial passage shall be difficult, but onceyou have touched the soil of Death's Reach, your connection to that place shall make all future journeys easier. Once every 2 4 hours, you can choose to return to one of your homes in the natural world or here, to my citadel. No more than 2 4 hours later, but sooner if
you wish, the soul gate shall carry you back to Death's Reach, to the point from which you left. This back andforth can continue untill have freed you from this ritual or you have freed yourself
by reaching the natural-or unnatural-end of your days."
With that, the Raven Queen begins the ritual. When it concludes, a gap opens in midair. Within the gap, the heroes see a tunnel walled in luminous whirling vapor, shadow, and ominous silhouettes.
A constant roar like thousands of fluttering and cawing ravens pours from it The spinning hollow extends with no obvious end, promising a turbulent passage. "Enter, and carry the hope and gratitude of the patron of winter and the spinner of fate with you," the Raven Queen says.
THE SOUL GATE
Our heroes enter a region of swirling light and tearing wind. The noise is nearly unbearable, and no clear path exists. They float in this twisting ether, able to will themself in different directions. Behind them, the Raven Queen's Court is still visible.
The soul gate twists and turns, and its luminance is confusing. It's hard to know which way to go. Knowledge of the mystical, rather than the natural, must he their guide in this place. They get the feeling that intuition is a good guide here, but sharp eyes for the right openings won't hurt.
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