Autumn in Diamond Lake

  The Champions Belt was called off, and co-winners declared. The authorities of Greyhawk closed down the arena as the investigation deepens. Loris Raknian and his lieutenant Orokal were declared wanted murderers and cultists of Kyuss. A bounty of 10,000 gp and 5,000 gp was placed on them, dead or alive.

  During the week that followed, Auric's war band, the Drums of Doom and their allies in the Gravediggers were lauded as heroes. Very little was made of the characters knowledge of the Tiefling cleric and the shrine below the arena. The groups connections with the Thieves Guild insured that few questions were asked.

  The group collected their winnings, gave a percentage of what was taken from the shrine of Kyuss to Uncle Bump for his help and assistance. They then went on to identify what magic they gained. Then buy and further enchant their magic items through Felnar's membership in the Wizards Guild. The price of enchanting magic was greatly reduced due to their new found fame.

   The group slowly made their way back to Diamond Lake. Taking Moregrim's cart, since Felnar was adverse to teleporting so many times, just for convenience. Felnar did teleport with Aardgal to Hardby, then teleported back to Diamond Lake. Aardgal made arrangements with the Ruby Temple to study and hold for the group the Apostolic Scrolls.

  A few nights after the groups return, the early chill of fall in the air, sounds of battle, screams, and cries of pain rang through Diamond Lake. In the center of town there was a night time attack on a large scale. A large, dark winged form was crashing through buildings and spraying liquid death. Cries of 'Dragon!' and 'Lizard Men!' rang out.

  People fled to their homes, and a contingent of cavalry from the garrison raced through the streets, but was quickly routed in the confusion.

  Felnar was sleepless due to Terra's current bout of 'wilding', and was restrained in chains in the gallery above.  He roused himself from his studies and peering from his window could see little from his observatory on the hill. Despite his newly won dark vision, his new senses were better for dark tunnels, than the gloom of night. A shadowy form coalesced in his bedroom study. Turning he saw a man wearing  charcoal ragged clothing, a black metal breast plate with gold leaf patterns, and wielding a sickle. His skin was porcelain white with long lank black hair. He peered at Felnar, his look feral and determined. He smiled showing fangs. Felnar recognized him as 'Master Dannen'. The chief druid of Terra's group. He had been turned into a vampire, and was the lone vampire to escape during the fighting below white plume mountain.

  Felnar shivered off the vampires assault on his will. Dannen cast a stinking cloud spell which Felnar also fought off. Felnar went invisible, and retreated. Dannen concentrated his senses, and then dispelled Felnar's invisibility with a dispel magic spell. Little was said between the two. Felnar teleported to the Shrine of the green lady to get Aardgal's help.

  There he found a stand off. Amidst the gallery leading up to the entrance, amidst the columns scurried half a dozen large spiders. A few or large size, their legs ending in razors. A half dozen 'green sisters' lay unconscious and bound in webs. No wounds visible, they were motionless nonetheless. Three figures were parlaying with Aardgal and another green sister. Aardgal, clearly aware of the fighting across the water, was unarmored and holding his cold iron great sword.

  Felnar checked to make sure violence wasn't imminent, and Aardgal seemed himself and though tense, was clearly not about to fight. Felnar, quickly told him of the intruder in his home, and fled towards Diamond Lake to assist in the defense and the rest of his friends.

  Meanwhile, the 2 dwarves Moregrim and Bornir 'the Butcher', living in the old Dourstone mansion, roused themselves from the fireplace. Hearing the screams of battle from the center of town, they outfitted themselves in their armor and weapons and trudged down the hillside towards town.

  Likewise, Edgrin, Lath and 'Shaft' relaxed at the likeside villa of 'Prince' Ellival Moonmeadow. Shaft having heard the ruckus spoke to the sleepy elven guard at the villa's gate. He kept watch while the three equipped themselves.  Lath lamented not being able to savor the fine wine just decanted, but with a resigned sigh he too donned his well worn armor. By the time they left the eagle eyed scout reported seeing a large dark shape flying in the night. Perhaps a dragon?

  The 5 met on the road, and seeing that the commotion was mainly centered on the town square and middle of town, an area called 'the vein'. People run past yelling that a dragon and lizard men are attacking. This late at night, it was hard to tell exactly what was occurring. Samson and Ujjal were staying at the Feral Dog, so they elves, dwarves and halfling headed there.

  When the 5 got to the town square, the scene was dire. Sounds of battle and screams of pain still filled the night. They heard, though didn't see something large flying on leathery wings.  In the square were a half dozen lizard men, armed and armored in tribal gear. With them a half dozen dark kobolds. Amongst the lizard men was a tribal warrior and shaman and a huge snake twined about the statue in the center of the square. No sign of Samson or Ujjal. The Emporium, a place of drink and debauchery, was a ruin. By the look and acrid smell of the place it had been subject to a massive gout of acid. In front of the emporium were a dozen people. Several had been killed, tortured and hacked apart by the lizard men. The rest were laying down or on their knees being question at sword point.    

  The battle was joined. The kobolds fled immediately, and as the five advanced, the shaman called out in draconic "Brothers, we need your aid" Shaft understood him to say. Three nearby trees stirred and moved into the town square.  Treants, they trampled the group muttering in sylvan as they crushed the 2 dwarves and Lath under their wooden heels. Shaft appealed to them, but they simply muttered that the "Filthy humans, digging into the earth and spewing bile and corruption into the waters and land." Moregrim figured that was a healthy business model, until now.

  Things looked grim. Ujjal and Samson had armored themselves and sprung from the Feral Dog Tavern, weapons drawn. Unfortunately the shaman had just finished summoning a huge air elemental and it swept them up in a huge whirlwind!

  Lath, having taken the brunt of the treants attack, and fearing they would just run past again and grind him to paste, fled towards an ally, where it would be harder for the large treants to attack. He turned the dark corner and saw two small shapes scurrying forward.  Two of the dark kobolds were only 5 feet away. 2 kobolds, big deal. Until they hissed and opened their jaws, each spewing gouts of acid. He screamed in pain and dropped to the ground before growing still...

  The dwarves grimly advanced, carving lizard flesh at a high price. Ujjal had cast air walk on himself, and used his newly discovered dimension stride boots to slip free of the air elemental's whirlwind. Samson wasn't so lucky, as he was taken 200' ft. above the square and dropped. He hit the paved cobblestones hard, and lay still. Bornir cast air walk on himself also, so avoid the treants trample attack. Shaft levitated up to the top of a building and rained arrow fire at a treant, while Edgrin cast mirror image on himself and scurried from building to the ruins of the emporium.

  The lizard man warlord wielded two long swords, one of which growed with an anrgy red light, and he was hacking into Bornir. Shaft was attacked by a treant, and he retreated, still shooting at the creature. Bornir had to cure himself after casting a righteous might spell to increase his size and fighting prowess, and was likewise cured by Ujjal, since he was taking a beating. Moregrim, having killed several lizard men, was approached by Edgrin, and was placed under an invisibility spell. Moregrim, used this oppotunity to push towards the shaman, who had been buffing himself with spells. Moregrim found him under a stone skin spell, though he still hurt the lizard man. The huge snake attacked Moregrim, but he slew it quickly.

  One of the treants went down under Shaft's arrow fire, and though it saved his life, Shaft found no pleasure in the act. The huge air elemental lifted Moregrim into a whirlwind, and he floated to the ground from the magic of his ring of feather falling. Most of the Lizard man were down. Bornir finally had a chance to rend the lizard warlord with Bloodcrier's Axe. The shaman threw an ice storm spell, then the war lord went down. As Moregrim, Bornir and Shaft converged on the shaman, the treants attacked, but without the benefit of their trampling attack they did little damage. Edgrin snuck towards Samson, finding he still had a pulse, Edgrin cast a minor curative spell on the warrior.

  Samson roused himself and heard Bornir scream in rage and pain as a flame strike took out the dwarf cleric. Killed by the shaman's spell. The shaman hissed in draconic "For the Twisted Branch Tribe!"

  Moregrim closed on the shaman for the second, and last time, as he cut the creature down. The air elemental dissipated, and the two surviving treants fled, casting a hateful look over their shoulders as they did.

   The battle was won, but at a terrible price.

   The battle continues to rage throughout Diamond Lake. The lizard men seem to be intent on raiding the town, and leave barred homes and mines alone. A few aquatic trolls are seen, but they too seem to only attack weak opponents. After another half hour, they flee, mostly by water. Some captives are taken alive by the retreating lizard men.

   Shaft mournfully finds his cousin body, pitted with acid nearby. Samson is barely conscious and amazed to be alive. A troupe of performers and regulars from the emporium reveal themselves nearby. Cloaked by an illusion, they survived the emporium’s attack and describe what happened in detail. The Lizard man warlord and shaman were torturing people to locate Allustan. They seemed to know where to locate others and sent out a band of warriors to attack Felnar’s observatory. The leaders then planned to attack Dourstone’s home and Ellival Moonmeadow’s mansion to kill off Bornir, Moregrim, and Lath. Allustan’s home had been destroyed by the dragon ‘Ilthane’ first, but he wasn’t at home.

   Felnar arrives in the town, out of breath, having jogged all the way from the Shrine of the Green Lady back to town. Aardgal is minutes behind him. Both decided against taking a boat considering their adversaries.

By this time the garrison has assert themselves after being routed by the dragon. No further sightings of Ilthane are seen or heard. Sheriff Melinde and her deputies are gravely injured but alive at the jailhouse. Allustan’s home is destroyed, with no sight of him, though there was no sign of his spells either, so everyone hopes he was away. People ask Felnar if he’s seen his old mentor, though Felnar, engrossed in his own pursuits hasn’t seen him in days, and doesn’t know where he could be. He does suggest someone go speak to his house cleaner, as she may know of his whereabouts.

After she is located, she tells Felnar that Allustan had been away for several days, exploring an old cairn. Upon hearing this, Felnar’s memory is jogged and he recalls that Allustan had been jotting down notes about the whispering cairn on and off for the last year. It wouldn’t surprise him if his old mentor had gone there to explore and continue copying markings from the old tomb.

Ellival eventually makes his way out of his compound, after the danger is long past. Shaft breaks the news about his son’s death. For the first time, his gleeful mask breaks and he hides his face in shame as he cries for the death of his boy.