Chapter 30 - Thanatos (Demon Queen's Enclave - Part 5)

Before them stands a black gate, seemingly carved from the stuff of shadows. Light cast upon it is devoured by the inky blankness of the door. It has no details they can determine, no door handles, no features, nothing. The black stone around it seems to frame a large rectangle of pure darkness.

As they step through, pain shoots through them as infinite darkness surrounds them.
The void alternates between searing heat and deadening cold.
Lights flash, and your life force flutters and shifts within them, as if some monstrous entity seeks to tear it free.

As the energy saps each character’s life, a voice speaks within the mind of Zakonik:
“My master requires only the strongest souls. Make a sacrifice now, surrender your might so that your companions may live. I shall spare them, but your agony shall be doubled.”
Zakonik refuses to make this sacrifice, and a part of each hero life force is drained.

The darkness around them fades to gray. Ahead, they see a robed figure sitting atop a small pile of skulls. It holds a wand of bone in its left hand and a book in its right hand. The figure beckons them closer.

When they approach the figure, it speaks to them:
“All that lives dies. All that die come before Orcus, king of the dead. You are not dead. Yet. But you seek to enter his domain. I believe that you are lost souls, confused as to your true destination. Perhaps I must send you back from whence you came. Unless, of course, I am mistaken and you are indeed dead. Each of you must demonstrate to me that life no longer courses through your veins. Who shall be first?”

All the heroes manage to convince the creature that they are dead, except Daedrie, who is marked for punishment at a later stage.

Suddenly, they stand before a monstrous being sitting upon a throne of bones. This creature has a pig-like face, red skin, and massive wings. It can only be Orcus, demon prince of the undead. The creature carries a jeweled rod in one hand. It points it at them as a voice echoes in their mind.

Orcus speaks to each character via telepathy. He says:

“You and your allies are pathetic. You cling to the light of good out of weakness, only because the path of chaos holds fear and uncertainty. You, above the others here, are strong and resolute. Slay the drow Zirithian in my name and I shall grant you the power of an exarch.”

The party stands united and defiant, refusing to bow to Orcus, and he shrieks in wrath, angered at the characters’ defiance. Yet, the heroes detects a hint of fear in his cry, as the demon lord sees that his new exarch may face his doom.

The adventurers appear within the ziggurat. they stand in a 10-foot-wide hallway. Ahead of them, the hall opens upon a large room dominated by the statue of a dragon.

The heroes face many undead minions, until Lord Dust, Lich servant of Orcus, and Zirithian himself appear to join the fray. The Lich smothers Waylander's life force, as Zirithian feeds on the last drop of blood of Ruby. Daedrie and Zakonik manage to stay alive and destroy Zirithian. At this point, Lord dust allows them to depart, never to come back again.

As the party defeats Zirithian and take possession of Nightbringer, Orcus manifests two forms that appear over opposite gems in the central chamber. A huge eye over one, and a grasping clawed hand over the other. Orcus’s voice rings out, “Give me the sword,” as does the Keeper’s voice, “Plunge the sword into the eye!” Daedrie plunges the sword into Orcus' eye allowing the Keeper to take control of Deadhold.

After this act, the whole party is transported back to Zakonik's caves near Moonstairs.

Chapter 29 - Hordethrone (Demon Queen's Enclave - Part 4)

A small, strange settlement of yellow brick buildings, many of them in ruins, stands atop a small plateau. The gorge around the plateau is filled with an endless army of shuffling zombies.
The undead wear a varied array of armor and clothing, and many of them are humanoid creatures you have never seen before. Here and there, a giant-sized zombie shuffles among the horde.

A single bridge extends across the gorge to the main gate. The bridge is crafted from pearly white bones fused together. At the far end of the bridge stands a pair of skeletal creatures with overly long arms. Several gaunt undead cluster around the skeletal beasts. They toss something back and forth among them. It’s the severed head of a drow.

Thanks to Ruby draconic magic, the heroes are able to avoid the bridge, and fly on the small island. Unfortunately they're spotted by a Nightwalker, an undead abomination that puts their mettle to the test.

They see a broad, open plaza dotted with wooden posts. From these posts hang shriveled heads with eyes that turn to follow them, glaring with the hatred of the living dead. In the middle of the plaza stands a squat, stone structure. Four statues of Orcus adorn each corner of the structure, looking outward from its center. Atop the structure, a humanoid figure clad in plate armor lifts a staff above its head. A voice booms out. “Who comes to the Plaza of Howling Skulls, and what offerings do they bring before Orcus, Lord of the Undead?”

The voice belongs to Arath Nightcaller, a priest of Orcus. Not willing to risk sealing more deals with Fiendish creatures, the Heroes destroy Arath after he reveals that Zirithian hides in the ziggurat in the middle of the plateau. The heroes proceed to the gates, reaching a square.

Several wooden platforms fill the otherwise open square, each about 10 feet high. Metal cages hang from each platform’s edge. Inside these cages, humanoid corpses can be seen. Some are crumbled on the floor of the cages, while others are posed in standing positions. Atop the nearest platform stands an ogrelike creature with bat wings. It grasps a sword and a whip, one in each hand.

The creature is Baaldran the Flayer, servant of Zirithian. He is eager to have more victims, and promptly attacks the heroes. His poisonous breath takes the lives of Zakonik and Daedrie, moments before Ruby and Druss manage to destroy him and his undead minions.

Ruby and Druss decide to rest, so that Ruby has the chance to study Daedrie's rituals, and bring Zakonik and the shaman back to life. When the changeling awakes, she finds that Druss has disappeared. With no time to ponder on this event, she begins the lenghty rituals to bring back her companions from the dead, but even when she succeeds, she can feel a monstrous presence trying to steal and devour their souls. At this point, a cloaked figure appears. He declares to have been sent by the Raven Queen herself to help the party, and introduces himself as Waylander. Even though the party notices this new arrival is a Revenant, some sort of living undead, they decide to see his coming as an omen sent by the Raven Queen, and accept his help.

They can now enter the compound which holds the Black Gate. As they approach this walled area before the tall, black ziggurat, the sky darkens as twilight suddenly falls across this forsaken land. A gate in the 20-foot-tall rock wall opens to a courtyard. The courtyard features one intact outbuilding and a second, tumbled ruined, that appears similar to the one that still stands. A statue of Orcus stands at one end of the courtyard, facing a pair of black, double doors that lead into the ziggurat. Two rows of pillars bound the path leading to the doors, while a pool of dark water spread out from the ruins of the second outer building. The intact building has a set of closed doors on its western face. Flanking the doors are narrow, dark arrow slits. A pair of giant mummies, their wrappings dragging behind them in the sand, guard the intact outbuilding. They stand tense, ready to attack.

From the building, a Death Knight and a Rakshasa noble come out to join the fight. After defeating them, our heroes can finally enter into the Ziggurat.

Chapter 28 - Deadhold (Demon Queen's Enclave - Part 3)

Stepping through the portal, the heroes stand upon a stone platform suspended in a great void.
Ahead of them, a bridge seemingly spun from spider webs stretches to another stone platform below. Three other platforms are linked to the lower landing by similar bridges.

Indistinct figures stand on these distant platforms. Tiny spiders swarm through the webbing. On the platform directly across from them, is a strange black orb, its surface traced by flashes of crackling yellow energy.

After dealing with Undead guardians, led by a Cambion Magus, the heroes step through the Black Orb, and are whisked away.

They now stand atop a stone platform next to an exact duplicate of the sphere they stepped through at the web bridge. Around them, a desert of gray sand and ash stretches as far as they can see. A dull sun hangs in the sky above them, its light obscured by a thick layer of clouds, but its heat no less oppressive.

A faint breeze reluctantly stirs the air, bringing with it the stench of decay. In the distance, they hear the faint sound of untold voices crying out in torment.

The short, hunched figure of a human male stands at the base of the platform. He is clad in tattered robes, clutching a staff that ends in a curved fork. Floating between its tines is
a severed human hand. A bell dragging behind the figure is attached to an iron chain wrapped around his neck.

The human bows as he speaks. “I am the Keeper. Welcome to Deadhold, travelers.” he says. The heroes quickly gather that the creature resents Orcus supremacy on this Plane of Existance, and is willing to strike a deal with them.

They agree to kill Zirithian, and to pierce Orcus' eye with Nightbringer, his cursed sword. In exchange, the Keeper allows them passage, and grants them a token, a copper coin, that will help them avoid the Dark Curses of Deadhold. The party can then venture into Deadhold itself.

Though the sky above is strewn with cloud, an oppressive, choking heat tears at them as they make their way across the desert. The ashen sand varies from gray to white to a dull yellow.

Here and there, skulls and shattered bones poke through the dunes. In the distance, a small settlement rises from a wide plateau, surrounded by what looks like a river of shadow. Growing louder with every step you make, the cries of suffering rise from the area around the river.

The settlement is cloaked in what appears to be a shimmering haze of desert heat. However, even as they approach, they can make out the true nature of that dark stain—the air above the outpost is thick with an endless swarm of flies.

After a dangerous journey through the undead-infested wasteland, the Heroes reach Hordethrone, Zirithian's sit of power.

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.

Chapter 26 - The Star of Ruin (Demon Queen's Enclave - Part 1)

Before leaving Moonstair, the party visits the Red Priest one last time. Gully and Zephyra are searching the nigh sky, apparently awaiting someting. Suddenly, a crimson star streaks into the sky, flaring brightly before disappearing into the night.

The Red Priest informs the party that this was the sign she was expecting, as the Star of Ruin will guide her path to an undead menace raising in the Darklands. Neri and Druss consult with Zepyra, who suggests to make contact with the Mages of Saruun, Druss' former Masters, on their way to the Underdark.

Neri teleports the party to Winterhaven, wher they meet with Valthrn the Prescient, who is already busy studying the Star of Ruin. He confirms that they must travel to the Underdark, since the Analect of Tzunk foresaw that the arrival of the Star heralds the birht of a great Undead evil that will sweep through the mortal worlds.

The heroes travel to Miser's Pit, the nearest entrance to the Underdark, and from there reach the Seven-Pillared Hall. There, they learn from the mages of Saruun that they have heard rumors of undead armies stirring in the Underdark, especially in the neighborhood of Phaervorul, a Dark Elves Enclave with which the Mages have trade contacts. It is several weeks they don't receive reports from Orontor, their ambassador in the Drow Enclave, and ask the heroes to investigate the facts.