Elaryan, Malak, and Loki spend a day retrieving treasure from the Lake of Bones, while Nor spends a day examining the body of Leor and the strange apparatus from the chamber of horrors. After a full day of experimentation, however, the halfling has made no headway. Nor is completely unable to revive Leor, no matter what rituals he performs. Eventually, he gives up, and the party teleports back to Anestral City. At Bladechapel Manor, they trade their magical items in for coin, then meet with Arueshalae. The succubus fills them in on what has happened in the several months that they have been missing from the Prime Material Plane. At first, Anestral City was under constant attack by armies of demons. The fiends would teleport in, attack, and then teleport away before the city could mount defenses. For weeks, the battle continued in this way, with the mortal army suffering humiliating losses. In the midst of this chaos, Arueshalae visited King Rail's Chancellor to see if he has made any progress in redeeming the Sword of Valor. The Chancellor told her that his clerics had tried various rituals, but none were successful. Frustrated, and ashamed at her own role in serving the powers of Evil, Arueshalae wept. Her tears of true contrition were in fact the final ingredient necessary to redeem the Sword . Suddenly, it changed color from black to red. With a scream, the demons in the city had teleported away. Since that day, the war has been more balanced. Unable to teleport within ten miles of Iomedae's banner, Deskari's armies have been forced to march on the city the old-fashioned way. Led by a marilith named Aponavicius, an immense force of vrocks, babaus, and mythic apocalypse locusts has led a siege on the capitol. The armies of Anestral City have slowed their progress, but Aponavicius appears to her armies in astral form, coordinating their attacks. A delicate stalemate has formed. Arueshalae offers to bring the companions to inpect the troops. As they are leaving Bladechapel Manor, however, they are attacked by a squad of invisible Nalfeshnee. The demons have decided to strike at the Sword itself, which is displayed in the war room of the manor. They encounter more resistance than they bargained for... as the mythic companions make quick work of them. Before the battle with the Nalfeshnee has even ended, a second demon force attacks. A group of apocalypse locusts enter the fray, attacking from a strange glowing portals. One of the locusts grabs Elaryan and returns through the portal-- Malak quickly follows. Nor and Loki finish off the last of the enemy combatants, to ensure the safety of the Sword of Valor, then pursue their companions. Everyone who played gains 100,000 XP.
