Lukar was dead, again. Twitch wasn't quite sure how to feel. Absentmindedly, she scratched at the fur on the back of her neck. After passing through a series of dimensional portals, the Outcasts had confronted the Slaads--and, it turned out, a demon using an invisibility spell to escape detection--on a boulder floating through an endless void. Yipping's mother Vass Fopdoodle stood among the Slaads and begged for help, but none of the Outcasts believed that to be her true form. Indeed, one glance through Envy's illusion-piercing Gem of Seeing confirmed that it was a Death Slaad hiding within a magical disguise. The Slaads moved to attack the Outcasts, but the unseen demon used its powers, too, to try to control the minds of various members of the group. Against Yipping's father, Keh're, the demon succeeded despite the aura of protection Twitch had invoked with The Traveler's power. Despite the best efforts of the companions to free Keh're from the enchantment, the kobold slashed Twitch repeatedly with his swords before his mind cleared once more. As the companions shouted to each other about the effects of an unseen adversary, Envy consulted her trueseeing gem once more and spotted the demon flying around the periphery of the floating boulder. Twitch's attempts to counter the demon's presence drew its attention and ire, and soon she, too, was filled with psychic fright at the creature's presence. Fortunately, however, the demon was content to fly away and hide from the group, which allowed the Outcasts to focus their powers on eliminating the Slaads. As the Death Slaad fell under Keh're's blades, the companions moved quickly to return to the portal and escape the demon's realm. The demon cryptically announced that it would be watching the Outcasts before vanishing entirely from the void dimension, and the Outcasts took the opportunity to return through the series of portals back to Stormreach. Upon arriving back at Stormreach, the companions confirmed that the infections caused by the Slaads had ended. With relief, Ariah returned to Storm Lord Baron Lassite to inform him of the Outcasts' success and to prevent the Storm Lord from killing the infected civilians. Having averted that disaster, the Outcasts returned to the home plane of the Modrons to revive Vass Fopdoodle using the Wish spell contained within the crystal the companions had retrieved from the Dragon Prince. Several lawyerly parsings later, Yipping carefully articulated the Wish and restored his mother to life with the Death Slaad's magical curse or disease removed. Then it was Lukar's turn. Lukar had located a spell that he believed would restore him to mortality and remove his vampirism--but casting the spell required him to die first. It was a risk--it was possible that the spell wouldn't work--but Lukar thought it was a risk worth taking if it could assure him of a lifetime with his wife Velena. Lukar intended to take his wife through a magical portal to a paradise where (he believed) time would effectively pass more slowly, allowing Lukar and Velena to live an extended life together in peace. Lukar asked his friend Envy to wield the knife to end his undeath, and Envy agreed. The companions bid their farewells to Lukar the vampire. For her part, Twitch was sad to see him go, even as she recognized that this was his path to happiness. Indeed, as Envy carefully slid her dagger between Lukar's ribs and eased his lifeless body to the ground, Twitch was unsure how to feel. Death was certainly no stranger to this group--but choosing to die? Twitch wondered if someday she would be confronted with that choice--and what her choice would be. After a few tense moments of concentration, Yipping's mother Vass completed the incantation and Lukar's eyes opened with a gasp--the first gasp of true breath that Lukar had drawn in over a century. Relieved, the Outcasts renewed their farewells to their now-mortal friend. Twitch remained lost in thought when Envy spoke to the group and shook Twitch from her reverie. Envy's brother had sent a telepathic message via House Sivis to Envy telling her that he had been arrested on the distant continent of Aerenal for looting Elven artifacts, and he needed her help. Twitch's brow furrowed. Aerenal? she wondered. Mighty Traveler, I had expected that Your path would take me away from Stormreach, but--all the way to Aerenal? What do You have in mind for me next?