Chapter 27 - Phaervorul (Demon Queen's Enclave - Part 2)

On their way to Phaervorul, the heroes meets a Drow party, led by a Drider Fanglord, attacked by undead abominations. The party lends aid to the Dark Elves, and the Drider allows them to pass, once he has ascertained that they're in the Underdark for a diplomatic mission.

As the heroes reach Phaervorul, after contending with more spiderish horrors, the find the Enclave under siege. Demons and Undead roam the streets, has Dark Elves try to mount a resistance.

They face and defeat a Mind-flayer slaver, who seemed to be profiting from the chaotic situation, and then reach a ruined merchant house. Investigating the ruins, they're attacked by more undead horrors, and by a screeching vulture-like Demon. During the fight, an Undead Hook Horror manages to crush Neri in his pincers, as the Vrock demon rips her apart with her claws. The heroes finish the abominations off, and mourn the death of Neri.

In the cellars of the ruined house they find a Drow slave, who sheds some light about the happenings in town. She explains that all started when a Vampire Dark Elf challenges the Matron, and then summoned hordes of Demons and Undead into the Enclave. The slave believes that the Temple is still held by the Matron, and urges the heroes to reach the unholy place.

Guided by the slave, the party reaches the temple plateau, where they meet several Templars and a Drow Arachnomancer. The heroes offer their help in fighting the Demons, but the Drow will not let them meet the Matron so heavily armed. The heroes decide to first go and look for Orontor, the missing Mage of Saruun, and then eventually return to the Temple. To keep an eye on them, and to report on their abilities, the Arachnomancer proposes the hero to bring with them Briza (which in reality is Ruby in disguise), a skilled sorcerer, in order to replace the loss of Neri.

They reach the Saruun embassy, and find it occupied by several unead creatures. Luckily, after dealing with them, they find Orontor safe and sound, hiding inthe enclave. Orontor is gald to meed with Druss and the others, and asks them to escort him out of town, so that he may reach the Seven-Pillared Hall on his own.

The heroes then return tothe Temple, and Daedrie and Briza (Ruby) meet with Matron Urlvain. Daedrie wishes to know where she can find the renegade Zirithian, the Vampire Drow who is the cause of all this unrest. The Matron will only help the party if they assassin her two main rivals in Phaervorul: Jhaelant the Mage, who is suspected to be a traito of his own race, and Lareen, who apparently was Zirithian's lover, and one of his most trusted companions.




The heroes decide to handle Jhaelant first, who is protected by some of his own experimental creatures. Once the Mage is defeated, the party has access to his library, and find out more details about Zirithian, and the fact that he may be hiding in a faraway citadel hidden in the Shadowfell.






The party then reaches Lareen's villa, where they have to contend with many Vampire minions, and with Lareen herself, who is a very powerful Vampire. The battle seems lost, but then Zakonik fakes a retreat and manages to surprise the Vampire Lady, and cut her head off. In Lareen's rooms, they find a mystical portal. Druss deciohers the ancient glyphs, and realizes that the portal is the first step in their descent into the Shadowfell.


Our heroes decide to rest before stepping through the portal, but their dreams are not happy ones. They all find themselves in a Thorne room, with Zirithian himself mocking and provoking them. Druss realizes that the whole event is a dream, probably a trick from Zirithian to gauge their strengths. Once satisfied, Zirithian sends them back to the real world, issuing one final challenge to meet them in Deadhold.

Waking up with this dark omen, the heroes step through the Portal.