Malak Freed regains consciousness somewhere in the mists of Uldivai. Where is he? What has happened? He is not sure. The last thing he remembers, he was standing over a dead lizardman at the top of the Tower of Spider Eaters. Now he is... walking? But where? Eventually, Malak finds himself stumbling out of the mists, down one of the long, golden ramps at the city's entrance. At the foot of the ramp, he finds the rest of the party's lifeless corpses stacked in a pile like cord-wood Their bodies are battered and scorched, Eovan's bowstring has completely snapped, and Yolotomassi's mighty sword has melted to the hilt. Still disoriented from the mist, Malak falls to his knees. What madness is this? But wait! As he lays his head on the breast of his dear friend Elaryan, he heads a faint heartbeat. It seems his companions are not dead after all! Malak decides to bring their bodies back to the lizardfolk village. Perhaps the Zothian elders can help. It is a mile from the city to the village, however, and the young man can only carry one body at a time. He is halfway across the fields, dragging Elaryan behind him, when the evening sun is blotted out by a shadow. Descending from the sky, a mighty blue wyvern lands before Malak, the remaining party members in its huge talons. "What are you doing, brother?" it asks in Draconic. Malak is too tired and disoriented to even be surprised. "I am bringing my friends back to the village," he answers truthfully. "They have been grievously wounded." "This one is worse than wounded," the wyvern replies, holding up the limp form of Eovan. "I believe he has moved on to the Great Hoard. And these others are not far behind." "I will not give up on them," Malak replies, and resumes dragging Elaryan's body. The wyvern bows its head gracefully, then hops over, plucking the mage from Malak's grasp. "As you wish, brother," it says, then leaps in the air. It winds it way eastward, covering the remaining distance to the village in minutes. By the time Malak trudges into the lizardfolk camp, the wyvern has flown away, leaving the lifeless companions on the outskirts of town. The lizardfolk gather around in awe. The wyvern, whom they call Hishtag the Cruel, is a source of awe and worship among the villagers. This is the first time in memory that it has ventured so close to village. It is a great omen. The lizardfolk nurse the companions back to health. By joining their powers and using ancient lore passed down through the ages, the Zothians even manage to raise Eovan from the dead, though they warn that he may never regain full health. No one gains any experience for this adventure. Eovan gains two permanent negative levels.
⇚ Deeper Into Chaos
The Forbidden Palace ⇛