Dragged upstream by a massive Xhotl, the party continues it's quest for the source of the Colyphyr river. Nor and Lor hide in the barge's hold, Arthas takes position in the pilothouse so that he can aid in steering the craft, and Malak and Elaryan stand watch on either side of the deck. At first, the river is calm and the journey passes without incident. As the party winds its way deeper into Colyphyr's mountains, the banks become steeper, until they become cliffs that disappear into the night sky. The massive cloud of vrock demons forms a sort of ceiling to the resulting ravine, blocking out the scant light of the stars. The result is almost serene. Suddenly, though, the river's surface begins to roil and two huge water elementals appear! They drift alongside the barge, attacking both the craft and its occupants with their giant fists. Malak and Elaryan manage to defeat them with a a well-timed selection of spells, but not before they have severely damaged the barge. Water has begun to leak into the hold, dousing both Lor and Nor, who succumb to its Stygian nature, losing their memories. The other party members lock the two halflings inside for their own protection, and then coax Xhotl to continue upriver. A few miles later, the river widens at the base of a towering mountain cliff that rises well over a thousand feet into the night sky. A seventy foot- wide gorge cuts into the mountainside, and the river pours through this rift, yet passage upriver is blocked by a fortified water gate. A pair of massive doors made of rusting metal bars blocks passage, and anchoring either side of the gate are heavy, thirty-foot-high barbicans. The demonic sentries at this outpost attack, but are quickly dispatched. Xhotl shoulders past the gate, and the journey continues. Not far past the gate, the foul-smelling river ends at a narrow box canyon, hemmed in on three sides by mile-high cliffs of dark purple stone. A pool of water gathers at the base of a three-hundred-foot-high cascade of water pouring from a crack in the cliff. Just to the east of this cascade yawns a dark cave entrance. This opening is sixty feet wide and eighty feet tall, and looms a full three hundred feet off the ground. The party leaves Xhotl tied to the barge, and fly up to the explore the cave. Inside, they discover an enormous cavern. The ceiling and walls are lost in shadows. At what must be the cavern’s center yawns a great pit with a broken stone lip surrounding it. As the heroes peer into this rift, they hear a disturbance at the cave mouth. The great umbral dragon Melazmera has returned to her lair, and is enraged to find invaders in it. With a blood curdling scream, she attacks! Melazmera is a terrible foe. She swoops down on Arthas in a blur of claws and teeth, then blasts the party with a foul breath weapon that drains their strength. Malak manages to wound her significantly, only to have her cast heal on herself immediately thereafter. Elaryan can breach her spell resistance only half the time, and most of Artha's arrows bounce uselessly off her scaly hide. Less than a minute into the combat, both Arthas and Elaryan are incapacitated, leaving Hubris and Malak to battle the beast alone. Hubris nobly sacrifices himself, distracting the dragon while Malak tends to his companions. The draconic disciple uses the staff of healing from Kestoglyr's barge to revive Arthas, who in turns restores Elaryan. From the other side of the cavern, the heroes can hear the dying screams of the hippogriff echo through the darkness. They decide to retreat and regroup. Elaryan uses dimension door to transport the party back to the barge. Unfortunately, the vessel is moored right below the cavern mouth where Melazmera is perched, devouring Hubris. The dragon dives from the cliff, crushing the bow to splinters beneath her massive serpentine form. As the barge begins to sink below the surface of the Colyphyr river, Elaryan moves to free the halflings from its hold... but Malak grabs the sorcerer's arm, yelling that there isn't enough time. Conflicted, Elaryan teleports himself and his two companions back to Alushinyrra. The heroes spend a few minutes at the shrine to Nocticula, recovering and casting various protective spells, then teleport back to the lair. Unfortunately, Melazmera has also spent the time in preparation. The dragon is fully healed, and a shimmering force field protects her. The battle resumes in earnest. This time, the party is more successful. Luckily, Melazmera has expended all of her shadow breath, so the combat is mostly a melee. Between Malak's mighty blows, Elaryan's mythic spells, and Arthas's holy arrows, the heroes are victorious! The adventurers are unable to find any sign of the barge, the halfings, or Xhotl, and only a few gnawed bones remain of the noble Hubris. But there is some consolation... when Melazmera dies, the illusion she used to hide her hoard is broken, and more wealth than the party has ever seen is revealed in the far reaches of the cavern. Gold, platinum, gems, and magic items can never make up for their fallen friends, but they are some small solace. Malak and Elaryan each gain 55,000 XP. Arthas gains 50,000 XP. Defeating Melazmera is a mythic trial.
