The fellowship split and rejoined

  The group was split in two. One half, Felnar, Lath, Shaft and Moregrim had teleported to the Ellival estate, then finding it and the town deserted and empty, snuck around in the darkness. They found the Dourstone Mine collapsed, and using the back entrance through the graveyard, saw that the mine had been evacuated through the secret entrance. They then snuck out of town, lest they encounter the dragon Ilthane. In the darkness they heard skittering noises, and made haste towards the Whispering Cairn.

 They reached the Cairn around dawn and found a small camp of people excavating a similarly collapsed cairn entrance.  Ellival, much dirtied by a week of survival led a small group. Members included Kurlag, the half ogre simpleton bouncer of the Emporium, Skunt 'the runt' a dwarf miner, Maxwell, an older woodsman, his daughter Emma, and Celeste the associate of Ekiam Smallcask who helped sponsor the group in the Champion Games.

  Meanwhile, inside the Whispering Cairn, Aardgal, Samson, Ujjal and Zil were waiting and passing the time. Samson was still fixated on the piece of the Rod of Seven Parts in Aardgal's pack. Zil proved to be pretty much unwilling to talk, so Ujjal and Aardgal passed the time. In many ways they were similar, Ujjal had a greater knowledge of the planes and planar creatures, both dedicated to their respective gods, but in many ways at odds. Ujjal believed in Freedom above all, where as Aardgal believed in duty and the ties that bind people together.

  In their talks in came out that Ujjal had decided against reading the Apostolic Scrolls for Felnar and to cure Terra from being a vampire. Aardgal told Ujjal that the group and Felnar had helped free Ujjal's sister Marial of her life threatening 'obligations' to the Thieves Guild. Ujjal remembered it differently and choose to ignore any obligation he may have in return. At which point things turned frosty between the two of them and it was a welcome relief when something happened.

  A sound of movement near the portal to Icosial's tomb was the only warning as a large figure rounded the corner of the tomb. A large figure, a genie, saw the group and asked "Are you the ones who broke the Seal of Law?" After some hemming and hawing, and seeing that the Genie seemed pleasantly disposed Aardgal said "We used it, and it became damaged in the doing, but it wasn't out intent." The genie seemed to care little for the distinction and introduced himself as Shan, an Emir of the Genie. He gave his thanks for breaking the Seal, and slaying Bwimb, the elder ooze, an old sworn enemy.  He turned to leave, saying if they ever found themselves in the Plane of air they could 'look him up'. "Before you leave, perhaps we could ask a favor in return?" You explained you needed to slay a black dragon and were looking for a means of keeping the dragon from flying away. He paused, then clapped his hands together and a large scroll appeared on a set of bone and gold leaf rods. He tossed it to Aardgal saying "This should do the trick." Then disappeared.  Later, when Felnar read it with his Read Magic spell it proved to be a scroll of Control Winds.   

  After some rest around mid-day Felnar cast a dimension door in and out with the rest of the group and Allustan's body. Ellival filled in the whole group on what had happened to Diamond Lake since the group had been trapped in the Cairn.

  The dragon Ilthane flew to the town. Sheriff Melinde was slain getting people to safety in the mines. Confronted in daytime by the Commander of the Militia, Tolliver Trask, his lieutenants, the priests of Heironeous and Saint Cuthbert, and a cadre of 30 soldiers, yet denied help by the followers of the Green Lady, a huge battle was fought at the garrison and all of them were slain by the dragon.

  The dragon then buried the entrances to the mines and killed at will until no one remained in the town. Everyone fled or was slain. The dragon, gorged on townsfolk and chose to lair in the town Smelting plant. It collapsed portions of it, and dug out the foundation and surrounding land until a fair portion of the Lake was inside the buildings. This took days.

  Ilthane found it's few lizard man and black scale kobolds remaining, along with his lieutenant, the half elf half dragon Quomara.  The dragon started capturing and charming people to use as agents to find those who knew or loved the 'Drums of Doom'. Unbeknownst to Ilthane, Quomara is Aardgal's grandmother and acting as a double agent. She fed information to a trio of people bent on keeping the dragon's influence and reach to a minimum. Zalamandra, the savy owner of the Emporium tavern/house of oddities/whorehouse, Marial, Ujjal's sister, and Izenfen 'the Occluded' the female head of the Twilight Monestery, several hours outside of Diamond Lake. The trio along with Izenfen's follow monks outmatched the dragon's slapped together group. Ilthane did manage to capture the Matron dwarf Bitris of the Greysmere covenant. They eventually captured Aardgal's paramour and priestess of Wee Jas Isolde while they were secreting Terra away from Felnar's tower to the safety of the Shrine of the Green Lady.

  The existence of the Shrine of Green lady had been kept from Ilthane. Followers of Saint Cuthbert had found refuge there. The Bronzewood Lodge, the ancient structure outside of town peopled by worshippers of Obad Hai was similarly a haven. Lastly several farm houses were havens, chief amongst these was the home of the Holebrace Halflings, cousins of 'Mouse'.

  While all of this was happening, events in town reached the outside world. 5 clerics arrived by griffin back. Two of Fharlaghn and three elven priests of Corellon. They had been summoned by Ellival to aid in the casting of the Apostolic Scrolls on Terra. When word of the dragon's attack they hastened to help. The dragon easily routed them, killing one of the elves, and sending the rest fleeing.

  I the aftermath of destruction of the Garrison, the remaining patrols, along with forces from Blackwall Keep rallied and mounted a roving band outside of Diamond Lake. Ready to contain or strike if absolutely necessary. Led by a half elf garrison lieutenant Dobrun Trent, he was guided by Marzena the mage, Allustan's former apprentice whom the group rescued from the Twisted Branch tribe of Lizard Folk years ago.

  Lastly, a group of heroes had arrived the previous day. One a cleric of Fharlaghn and survivor of the griffon dragon skirmish, along with a more powerful member of the same order to which Izenfen belonged had brought a number of other warriors to fight the dragon. Few had any hope they would fare better than the 'Drums of Doom.'

  Getting back to the PC's. Zil had an odd conversation with Celeste. Being newer to the group he had never met her, and she seemed to challenge him, a mercenary with no real ties to current events. She asked him why he would stay around such death and destruction. In other words 'What's wrong with you?' He shrugged and asked her why she cared. "Because you care so little, is why. I think being around these heroes will lead you to madness or death in the end, unless you have some reason to fight." Aardgal noticed the two in conversation, and she shrugged.

  A plan was hatched to take the group to the Shrine of the Green Lady. It turns out that Ellival had a boat secreted nearby. Maxwell and his daughter Emma, seasoned trackers would guide you there. Felnar and Shaft would teleport to the Bronzewood Lodge to speak with Nogweir 'the aged'. The priest of Obad Hai was the most likely candidate to cast the scroll of Control Winds.

  Before the group split again, Edgrin had a heated exchange with Maxwell. "What do you mean they fled?" Yelled Maxwell. Shaft and Aardgal ran over and Maxwell turned his ire on them, while Emma separated Maxwell from Edgrin. "The Halfling says you fled into the Cairn to get away from the dragon. My friends and hundreds other people died and you ran away from the dragon?!?" Aardgal explained that the dragon was too much for them, and they had to flee. While Shaft explained that the group had returned with magic that could turn the tide of battle vs. the dragon. Still the fact that the group had initially been routed by the dragon stung. Maxwell agreed to guide the group but pointed at Aardgal and said "I'll do it, but you owe me." "agreed." replied Aardgal.

  By the time the group reached the Shrine of the Green Lady Quomara and Amariss told the PCs that the dragon had been driven from the town by the band of heroes. They had attacked it in the wee hours of the morning and Marial and her allies had seen it flee skyward towards the north. Quomara welcomed Aardgal back. She also told the group that one of the dragon's black scale kobolds had taken the druid shaman Hishna into the Mist Marsh to be raised by a death cult residing there.

  With the relief of not having to fight a dragon, the group went to meet Shaft and Felnar near his observatory and then check out the scene of the battle. When the assembled group made their way to the destroyed smelting house, they saw great gaping holes in the walls and roof. As they neared the collapsed wall they heard a gruff voice inside yelling "Tis a shitty town, with a shitty dragon and a shitty horde. Why did we save this stinking hole in the first place!?!"

  Aardgal rounded the corner and saw a few people along with a really big Mastiff growling at him.

"If it's such a crappy place then I'll give you 5 minutes to leave!" Said Aardgal.

  A lightly armored man wielding a rapier and a monk stood near Aardgal. The swordsman said "Make us." As he drew his blade. Both groups were silent and waited for the other to make a move. A few other members of the group came forward, a fop-ish man holding a spiked chain with two swords on his back and a heavily armored swordsman dressed in browns and tans wearing a holy symbol of Fharlaghn.  

"Hold on there. No reason to fight." Said the second swordsman.

Aardgal: "Leave and there won't be a fight."

Swordsman: "We've defeated the dragon, and saved the town. We are just cleaning up what little treasure the dragon possessed. What's the problem."

Aardgal:  "The dragon's treasure belonged to the people of Diamond Lake before they died. It's not yours."

Swordsman: "I beg to differ. We're adventurers and we have to be paid for our efforts."

Aardgal backed off, but he was clearly perturbed at these assholes and wanted nothing more to do with them.

  As tensions eased, a clearly drunk gnome came forward and pulling the Mastiff away said "C'Mon Brutus. Lunchtime."   

 

    The Drums of Doom left the new comers to digging in the mud for coins, and checked out the town. Soon Acting Captain Dobrun Trent and the Militia troops came into town. The leaders set up command in the town square as the troopers rode patrol to check in on any survivors or monsters. As the group was talking to Dobrun, Aardgal felt a strange sensation. He moved to a bon fire the troopers had started and sitting down next to Marzena he began to dig in his pack. Samson, always at Aardgal's elbow sensed something amiss and shouted a warning and rushing towards Aardgal's side, he was stopped by Dobrun and the other Militia leaders as they drew weapons and attacked Samson.

  Aardgal patiently took off his pack and was reaching for the portion of the Rod of Seven Parts inside. Oblivious to the melee. As the party rushed to his side, Marzena said something in an Alien tongue and 5 barbed devils appeared and attacked. Felnar cast a regroup spell pulling Aardgal away from Marzena and into a Protection from Chaos sphere. Marzena stepped forward and cast a spell sending waves of exhaustion though the entire party. Then Shaft peppered Marzena with arrows and she fell to the ground.  Where she fell a bizarre creature materialized. A bizarre grey slug with a mouth on one end and on the other, three tentacles, each ending in a human head. One of the heads materialized as it pulled away from Marzena's head, obviously possessing her. Ujjal barely recognized it as a powerful devil known as a Belier Devil.

  At this point the Militia leaders were controlled by the devils and forced to fight, they entered into the Protection Sphere and edged away from the combat. Celeste ran up and aided the group, casting a bless weapon on Zil's Scimitar, then after he was grappled by a Barbed Devil she cast Freedom of Movement on him. As the Belier devil appeared, she cast a blade barrier, which only affected one devil, but hedged many of them back until they teleported past it. She told Zil "The forces of Heaven help as the forces of Hell oppose you."

  The Belier Devil cast a Blasphemy spell which paralyzed many of the group, killed the Militia leaders, dazed and weakened the group. In return Celeste cast a Holy Word which Paralyzed, Blinded and Deafened the Barbed Devils. At this point only Moregrim, Ujjal, Aardgal, Celeste and the Belier Devil were moving. The neutral members of the group had been struck by both spells, so Felnar, Zil and Samson were Dazed, Exhausted, Weakened, Blind, Deaf, and Paralyzed. With the forces of Heaven and Hell battling they hoped death would come fast.

  Celeste healed Zil, so he could fight. The Belier Devil grappled Aardgal with its' tentacle necks and heads and began to drain the blood from him, as it choked off his air. The slug mouth was also snapping and biting. Moregrim and Zil found it easier to hit as it was grappling and eventually killed it.

  With many of the group still paralyzed Aardgal asked Celeste who she really was, thinking to catch her in a lie. "I am Celeste, a friend of Ekaym Smallcask. I am also Celeste of the Seraphim and member of the angelic host. The Pit Fiend Viccanix wields a section of the Rod of Seven Parts and he will send legions to destroy you to have it." When asked what to do, Celeste told the group to seek out Felnar's mentor's mentor...Tenser. She turned to Zil. "Mercenary, you fight for nothing. Everyone here (gesturing to your group) has someone to lose, and thus something to protect. Heed my warning, this fight is just a warm up."

  Celeste walks away from the group, she bends down as she nears the Militia leaders and gently whispers something and lays hands on Dobrun Trent, then helps him back to his feet and back to the land of the living. Then she walks away.