The Ruin of Nimbar: The Meeting in Dal Haleth

And thus it was that five months to the day since the Gathering of the Wardens in Astifoorn that the three parties that had set out on their individual quests met again, in secrecy, in the ancient dwellings of the Halithoorn, deep within the forests of Dal Haleth. There, under the veil of the light of the First Kings they were hidden from the eyes of the Enemy and, for some time, at peace. So they rested as the sun of the early rebirth of the springtime shimmered between the leaves of the ancient House and the streams with sweet rivers that flowed beneath. And they recounted then all that befallen them of their quests.

For in this gathering were those that had set out to reclaim the starfire from the depths of Firestorm Peak: the Dragonborn Wizard Heskan, the Human Cleric Quinn, the Necromancer Lolth and the Druid Aldred  and it was Aldred who, above all others, was glad of heart to be back home in the lands of his people. There too were gathered the Company of the Hall who had parted from the army of the Dwarves of the Iron Mountains and, with great stealth, arrived in Dal Haleth, even as the shadow of darkness crept menacingly behind them. There was Bruenor - Herald of Clan Battlehammer, the Drow Ranger Drizzt, the Human Archer Catti Brie, the Barbarian Wulfgar and the skilled Assassin Artemis Enteri. And they spoke then of the lands of H'Garth and of the deep darks of Mount Comoth and of the War Council and of the Azkal'ronath - the chanting war music of the Dwarves. And in hearing this the hearts of those who were gathered were lifted for the Army of the Iron Mountains were a force of great reckoning and of great value in the war to come.

Then the Eladrin Wizard Immeril recounted his ordeal within the temple of the Eldar in the Ranarth and of his reuniting with Eladrion, his brother and the last true Scion of the Mages of old. And those that heard the tale stared now with awe and wonder at the Mage Scion, who to them had been but a story of myth and legend.
But Eladrion, who for many years had chosen a life exile, sat now apart and stared off beyond the forests in a quiet reflection. Near him was Lolth, the Necromancer, and he too it seemed, cared little for company and sat hidden almost in shadow. Yet they both listened quietly, for the words of the company were now too great a tale not to be heard ere the final hour approached.

Quinn spoke then of their plight to reclaim the starfire and of the difficulty they endured thereafter:



"Through dangers, torment and great peril did we escape at last the dread of Firestorm Peak and carrying with us the precious starfire crystals and the hope of all of Nimbar. Now could the Everlast again be reforged and the magic of the Shimmer restored but...Alas! The road back to Astifoorn was not an easy one and all paths to and from the Blessed Vale were being watched, We were in need of stealth and secrecy for the Enemy soon learned of our quest and of the crystals we guarded so covetously. It was said that upon discovering the success of our mission, his wrath was so terrible that he smote the lands in the East with such wickedness that they lay all but a barren desert now. Then he sent his hordes in a frenzied assault on us. We were being hunted and our foes were relentless, caring not for rest and they pursued us through day and night. Among our enemies Zaldramas had sent Death Tyrants - cursed Beholders, twisted by his own chaos magic.

Eventually we reached the Forests of Dal Haleth and fled therein, seeking out Aldred's people, who came willingly to our aid and gave us some respite, keeping us safely hidden from the terror of our hunters. Then we sent word to the remaining company and bid you all come for the hour is now upon us and we know not what now lies ahead. But what we well know is that our stay in Dal Halithoorn is ever to be a brief one, for the enemy is remorseless and the Death Tyrants he has sent carry the plague of decay, cursing the very earth over which they move and withering it into ruin."

Then spoke Drizzt Do' Urden, Warden of the North:

"Haste we must make then! For word has reached us that Enemy's plan to destroy the Everlast Forges has failed. Tarak Half Orc and his Legion of Warsworn have the city safely secured...but it is besieged. On all sides. The secret paths are destroyed and there is no way in or out of Astifoorn now, neither by land nor river nor air. And ever the eyes of Zaldramas are watchful. He seeks the starfire crystals and its bearers and he knows that eventually we will attempt to return it to the Tower. So he has laid siege to the City and the might of his forces and hordes have Astifoorn surrounded. Yet, our quest remains unfulfilled - for without the Everlast reforged Nimbar shall truly fall into ruin and all the world turned to memory and dust. What say you now, good friends, for we have need of council..."

"Besieged," spoke Bruenor, "Aye, we are indeed besieged. More so in our minds! Besieged! Hah! Is this not an hour of war?"
And the Dwarf Chieftain stood then and spoke with might of heart and firmness so that his voice seemed to carry with it the beating of the drums of war:
"Too long have we allowed the shadow to grow in the East and grown it has indeed. It has now taken the form of this so called Lord of Chaos. Lord indeed! I have seen many of similar title fall and I say this: Zaldramas' will indeed find us a hardy people to overthrow. For our people are ever the more skilled in craftmanship. If they have iron, then we have steel, if they have armor, then we have Mithril and if their weapons cut through flesh our blades can tear through diamond! Meaning no disrespect to your home Master Druid but far too long have we tarried in these woods. Let now not be the time to parly words under shade of tree and merry streams. Let now be the time where we ride out again, reunited as of the days of old, where we stood firm against our foes. Let now be the time where we lay sword and axe to hilt and strike true! Let now be the time where we ride out! I say we take the fight to him!"

A great stir and murmuring seemed to be in the air and a gust of wind blew in through the top of the trees as if many riders were upon it. But Quinn, the North Warden spoke then and a great smile and laughter was upon him:

"The fires of your Dwarven forges burn ever bright inside you Bruenor of Clan Battlehammer. Indeed our hearts are stirred now to act rather than linger. But Zaldramas already knows that we carry the last of the starfire crystals. He knows too we will attempt to reforge it and it is for this reason that they have laid siege to Astifoorn. He will be expecting us to come...he wants us to take the fight to him so that he may gain the crystals and destroy them for good. For if the crystals are destroyed, then so too the hope of all of Nimbar."
And he sighed before continuing: "As much as it would please me to launch an all out attack, our cause is ever in secrecy. We must get the crystals to the forge without being seen."

"And how indeed North Warden do you propose we do this?" asked Artemis, "You heard it yourself. The City is besieged: there is no way in or out."

A stillness hung in the air and it seemed like all of their hopes were beginning to fade as the light dwindled softly as the last of the afternoon rays eschewed over them.
Then a voice was heard and it carried with it the knowledge of ages past. For Eladrion, Scion of the Mages spoke:
"There is another way in to the City. It is not known by many and the few who know it will not be want of knowing...for it is a path of maddening darkness and danger. But it will lead you to the very door of the Tower of Altoth. This path...it has neither gate nor door and only those with the knowledge of it may cross beyond the veil. It is now no longer known nor spoke of by Men, Elves or Dwarves - save but a few, but in the days of old it was known as the 'Lai T'run Fael'".

At the mention of this a voice was heard to inhale sharply and Lolth, who seldom spoke, had now a trembling in his rasping voice as he exclaimed: "The Paths of Night!"

Eladrion looked then at Lolth and nodded and then looked away, staring into the deep memories of the forests of Dal Haleth as he continued: "Yes Necromancer, the 'Paths of Night'. The world between worlds: A rift between all of our dimensions wherein the very cloth of the universe chooses to unravel itself. Herein time and space have little or no meaning and one may seem to wonder aimlessly for days yet but a drop of dew be in mid-fall in Nimbar. It was this rift by which the Mages of Old wove the realms together and allowed them to travel between. But it is dangerous! For the edges of the realms bleed into this void and with it all the enemies that lay within. This path...is one of great sacrifice, for few have dared walk it less they fall into the madness of the deep dark that awaits therein."

He paused then and turned towards the gathered company: "I have walked the Lai T'run Fael only once before in the company of my master, the Archmage Romarr. It was he who bound the Everlast to the Shimmer and a protection to all of the realms. At the center, lies the great Spire, which you call the Tower of Altoth and though it appears to lie within Astifoorn, it is in fact manifest across all of the known realms. Getting to the Tower is no simple feat. There are Arcane Ruins that act as gates between realms and one may invoke these to cross back into our realm. It would be like crossing a bridge between worlds and you would find yourself in the very room where the great Forge lies. In terms of distance, it is the same distance as we are from Astifoorn...but take no comfort in this...for the measure of space and leagues have little meaning in the void."

"If such a rift exists, does Zaldramas not know of it?" asked Catti Brie incredulously.

Eladrion smiled wryly: "He most certainly knows of it. You see my dear Catti, it was his birthplace. And the birthplace of all the legions of Chaos. But they tore through the rift and sought out and conquered many realms and in doing so, they could never return. The Chaos legions feed off of life and hope and spread evil and darkness. The void is bereft of any life. It is a place of absolute stillness and quietness. There is light but not of the kind we know and there is darkness but not of the kind Zaldramas knows. And though he knows of it, it is not in his mind to dwell on it for the mere thought of it causes him great fear. And it is the only fear he, and all those born out of chaos, truly perceive. But there are those that dare. Chaocites we called them, Undead Beholders, resurrected and tainted with dark chaos magic, they are deadly and they spawn quickly and always in groups of four. It is no mere coincidence, Master Cleric, that Zaldramas sent Death Tyrants to pursue you here. He knows that we might attempt to walk the Paths of Night and his intent is that we do not succeed. His Death Tyrants are the Chaocites - they exist on the fringes of the void and they feed off of all life, good or evil. If a breach to the void is opened, they will most certainly follow. A choice now lies with us...though it is but the only choice to make." 

He turned then to look at Immeril and while he spoke to all, his gaze remained on the Eladrin Elf, his brother and his likeness:

"I shall this very night open the rift and walk this path. And by the blessings of the Mages of Old, carry the crystals through the rift to the Everlast forge. And while I know that many of you would seek to aid me on this quest, I must insist that many more remain. Immeril, my brother, alas that our time reunited has been but brief and now again our paths be split into two. I would ask it of you to join me but you must remain here. For you, above others, have knowledge of the Old Ways and of the Caverns beneath the Ranarth. For should we fail, then Nimbar would have need of one to lead the free people to the places of hiding, wherein none may follow except at great peril. As for the rest of you, I would not ask any join me as the path I now walk is one of great danger and even greater sacrifice."

"Nonetheless, ask or not, I shall most certainly aid you. For though these forests of my home remain fair and green, I would not have the spawn of Chaos upon these lands, " spoke Aldred of Dal Haleth, "I shall join you on your quest Eladrion, for the sake of all that is green and fair. You have my skills as a Druid."

"And mine...as a Necromancer," rasped Lolth, "For I have stood on the edge of madness and peered into the void and I have no fear of it. I shall come with you, Eladrion of the Mages."

"As will I," spoke Drizzt, "For the honor of the Company of the Hall. For vengeance against the Drow. For Astifoorn!"

"I too shall join you, " said Quinn, "For you will have want of a cleric and I have traversed through space and time in a spiritual form. It seems only fitting that I undertake a journey of a physical nature in this manner as well. Very well. So shall it be: We shall attempt to return the crystals by undertaking the Paths of Night. Bruenor and the remaining forces will carry on with the war plans and the march towards Astifoorn. Let it be known that the fate of Nimbar hangs now in the balance. May the light of the Mages be with you all as the final hour approaches. May we all meet again under happier times."

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And now we come to the last of our Adventures. Join Eladrion,, Drizzt, Quinn, Aldred and Lolth as they attempt Adventure 7: The Paths of Night. Then join our heroes again in the Final Battle as they bring the fight to Zaldramas and his Legions of Chaos!