Both Arthas and Elaryan find themselves raised from the dead. Neither remembers the exact details of the afterlife, but both can recall small snippets of their experiences there. Arthas has a sense that he was resting on the plains of the Ragathion, but was told that his mortal obligations were not yet complete. Elaryan has a distinct memory of having his heart eaten by Yrure’tugala, the Eater of Elves, before being ordered back to life by Anghazan. As the two heroes regain consciousness, they realize that they are in the temple are of one of Anestral City's guard towers. Clerics of Iomedae are standing over them, and Irabeth Tirabade and Dierna Hillerchaun wait nearby. Commander Hillerchaun explains that their bodies were found on the edge of the Hellmouth, both having been stabbed through the heart. A week has passed since the party set out to infiltrate the Ivory Sanctum. King Rail is waiting for their report. The heroes hurry to the King's Palace for an audience. There, they discover that the King is already familiar with much their progress, for he has received Arueshelae's report. When the companions disappeared, the succubus fled the Sanctum, but not before grabbing as much as she could carry from Xanthir Vang's library. She brought these materials to the Knights of the Pale, who have been studying them ever since. The most important work is an ancient tome, the Lexicon of Paradox, This ancient tome describes the ritual that the witch, Areelu Vorlesh, used to open the Hellmouth, and suggests a method of closing it. It turns out that the Hellmouth in Anestral City is the endpoint of a weakening in the fabric of reality that stretches from Anestral to Talism. This weakening, known as the Worldwound, can only be closed at its center, which lies on the border between the two nations in a temple known as the Midnight Fane. Having scoured the materials retrieved from Vang's library, combined with the intelligence that the party gathered earlier, the Knights of the Pale have also learned more of Vorlesh's ability to create Mythic demons. The elixirs she uses are created from Nahyndrian crystals mined from the Demon Lord Nocticula's realm on the Abyss. The followers of Deskari have developed an apparatus for extracting Mythic power from these crystals, a machine which is also located at the Midnight Fane. One reason they have been forced to hide the device on the Prime Material Plane is that they have been harvesting the crystals without Nocticula's knowledge or permission. However, Vang's notes suggest that, thanks to the unexpected opposition they have faced from the party, Deskari's forces have decided to try to form an alliance with her. They have sent representatives to Nocticula's capitol city of Alushinyrra to try and attract her attention; Nocticula is famous for only dealing with agents who prove themselves publicly in her realm. Given these details, King Rail sets forth a series of missions for the heroes. First, they must travel to the Midnight Fane, and destroy the Nahyndrian Refinery, disposing of any tools, resources, and inventors. Second, they must close the Wordlwound, using the ritual described in the Lexicon of Paradox. Third, they should travel to Alushinyrra themsleves, attract Nocticula's attention, and convince her not to form an alliance with Areelu Vorlesh. Finally, they must find the source of the Nahyndrian crystals and cut off their flow, so that no more Mythic demons can be created, even if the Refinery is rebuilt. Pretty straightforward, really. Arthas and Elaryan agree to take on these responsibilities, and Arueshelae agrees to conduct the part of the Worldwound ritual that takes place on the mortal side of the right. The three of them pay for a wind walk spell, and travel to the Midnight Fane. The denizens of the fane are not expecting an incursion, but still put up fight. In the entrance, the party encounters a stone golem in Deskari's form, and in a subsequent hallway they encounter three ash giants armed with huge pick axes. After defeating these foes, they finally locate a chamber containing a huge machine and a glowing rift. As they are about to investigate further, a human female in plate armor appears. The woman introduces herself as Yaniel, a champion of good who disappeared centuries ago (and an ancestor of Arthas). She explains that she was unsuccessful in defeating Baphomet's forces, and that she was subdues by the Demon Lord's lieutenant, Minagho. Eventually, she realized that the forces of Good were outmatched and that the only way to survive was to serve the Lord of Minotaurs. She invites the companions to join the side that is destined to win. Arthas and Elaryan both quickly refuse, and while Arueshelae has a moment of doubt, she also denies Yaniel's request. The paladin shakes her head disappointedly, then disappears. Everyone who played gains 5,000 XP.
