The portion of the United Fellowship known previously as the Rebels of the Delta, came to Flage to liberate the city. They have sought out a base for this activity. There was an abanonded silver mine about 26 miles to the northeast of Flage which they later learned has a flight of sleeping dragons that Kendric by virtue of his Ufrai parasite can command. There were the Pyramids of Yaxix about 30 miles to the south which the party has yet to investigate.
7 miles Northwest of Flage there is an abanoned lead mine. It has been used as a crypt for the Guilds of Flage for years, but Ithere is a small shaft somewhat removed from the rest. The entrance collapsed and has been covered over by a Temple to H'kartha, the Earth Goddess. The Temple is run by the Brotherhood of Zelyanar. The order uses the undeground chambers for training, and meditation. At this complex the party was joined by Tiron, Ya'valim of the Zelyanar. From there the party journeyed in disguise into the city learning that demons called the Iuz which they had encountered earlier was involved in the mischief of the city. They learned that some of these demons could hide within human hosts. They also learned that something was terribly amiss in the ziggurat of Pallas, and in fact all three of the ziggurats of the city seemed to be under the control of the Triad.
From the Rat Men who lived beneath the city, they learned that the Triad would make a bid to consolidate their power over the whole city soon. They also learned that the three wizards who led the
Triad: The Summoner Horsentius, the master of Illusion and Shadow magic Ourenmer and the Necromantrix Yolande were involved in a ceremony that would make them as gods. They learned also that the three wear blue sapphires that is the focus of their magical powers and some sort of connection to each other. The party knows that a representative of an ancient race called the Siderthe, a powerful druid called Theylaste Kelaine will help them in their efforts, and that another member of a noble ancient race called the Ufrai was now an ally , being a parasite inside first the snow mage Amberlie and when she died, the paladin of Pallas, Kendric.
Meanwhile the Fellowship of the Clan Tabrechi had begun their adventure seeking to learn who was behind the massacre of their clan and to seek revenge. They learned that the Illithid led Pelai were involved in the massacre, but that they had been manipulated into the act by the evil Goddess Lokatha in the service of dark forces, who they later learned were the Great Old Ones, terrible evil beings from the beginning of time, who were attempting to regain soveriegnty over the world, and the whole Helix, the name for the worlds of the material dimension.
The party discovered that Lokatha was not originally evil and eventually ended the corruption that caused her evil, restoring her to her noble state. They also collected a number of artifacts for the battle against the Great Old Ones, including the three fragments of the Demonstone with which they could perform two great rituals: The Ritual of Qijah and the Ritual of Remaking necessary to the destiny of the Great Jihad that would cleanse the world. They learned of the menace of the Iuz, and that the harbringer of the Great Old Ones: Nyarlathotep was seeking to manifest himself in three Avatars and open a gateway that would allow the denizens of the nether planes to pour out on the world.
They learned that two ancient races: The Siderthe and the Ufrai could be enlisted as allies against the Great Old Ones, and that even the Illithids who led the Pelai could serve as allies. They learned there was a powerful wizard called Yudenaithe who led a pirate army north of the city of Qarnaa in an island in the Endless Sea. Yudenaithe was a siderthe, who could be enlisted as an ally against the Great Old Ones. They also encountered Ghujast, who turned out to be their long friend Canis who had been turned into an Illithid by some horribly evil experiment. They also learned that the sage Antac who had been guiding them was a member of a mysterious race called the Ufrai. All this brought them eventually to Flage. In the countryside a few miles from Flage, the party was set upon by summoners as wellas assassins of a supernatural nature, e.g. they don't seem to stay dead. Hardpressed with several of their number killed, the Tabrechi are rescued by the Rebels of the Delta, and together they defeat these dark foes. The story of the United Fellowship begins with the ending of this battle.
Up over the crest of the hill, Pharuk has slain the shadows and has moved toward the three prisoners and frees them.
Near the scarred boy Charos:
Sheela satisfied with her summoning of giant ants, remarks "That should help us a bit... unless they conjure giant aardvarks!" The fatigued mage then collapses down to her knees, as she directs her summonlings against the assassin foes.
Syrinen looks for black robed targets that she can direct the attack against without endangering her companions.
Tiron moves forward to get into a good target position and Kasim looks after Charos for him.
Down below the hill, five swift undead assassins face 6 giant ants, and the rest of the two character parties.
Skooter looks at the reforming undead, "How can we kill these fell demons?"
Tiron moving foreward to get a good angle on the party hears Skooter and responds:
"They are ghuls of some sort and when these ghuls die the evil corrupt souls of these villains seem to reform to become shadows" replies Tiron, between spellcasting. "Magical weapons should be effective."
He then unleashes a stream of magic missiles arcing across to strike at one of the assassins. The living corpse collapses to the ground.
As she launches her first lightning stike, Kersh calls on the power of Marduk to smite the undead and through a fluke of magic draws the electical energies generated by Syrinen's magic into himself and out against the undead assassins. The assassins are slain and with the help of the party and the ants, under direction of Kersh, the bodies of the slain assassins have their heads cut off, their mouths filled with holy water, their hair doused with holy water and their hearts cut out and doused with holy water, while a strange ancient chant is spoken:
"Gharat me lukrathe sin Ghul aske merdathe kelaithe musaindea ussuran ghestal merdathe ghestal kelaithe asura asura mykeliq udda urande Marduk chastathelen!"
The assassins and all their possessions seem to crumble into dust.
Kersh sensing the dissappointment of the party for the apparent loss of loot remarks:
"If their items were destroyed by this process, it can only mean that they were intricately linked to the evil in the souls of these foul creatures, and as such would only bring bane on anyone who would have dared to use them.
Pharuk quickly searches the remaining corpses/masks of the summoners for any useful item., while he does this he While he asks the prisoners who they are.
The prisoners consist of a kiresh warrior named Baldek, a kiresh warrior named Yosef and a half-elf priestess named Yulaineia
Pharuk finds six rings, two are silver rings with an ivory setting carved with a glyph of a skull. Two of the rings have garnet stones set into platinum and two of the rings are of gold of a signet style with an all-seeing eye carved into them. Each of the summoners had a set of three rings. Nothing is found on the masks themselves. Each of the summoners wore bracers, but these are now useless. Inside their packs are all manner of disgusting items set in strange clear resins, eyes, ears, brains, fingers, teeth, hair, claws, hearts, and clear flasks with all manners of biles and humors.
Without loosing more time Pharuk turns to help his friends and invites the former prisoners to help him.
Yulaineia looks at Pharuk and her eyes roll back and she begins to shake and quiver. Dribble poors from the corners of her mouth and then she stops shaking and begins a beautiful enchanting song. The song wafts over the battlesite and all the party is caught up in its mystical effects. Reality peals away and each of the party members finds itself standing on a great seemingly endless plain of red rock with a swirling grey mist about you. Each of you can see the other party members as well as a strange Haz warrior who seems to have mysteriously joined you on this strange dream realm.
From the mists of your dreams emerges the Haz shamaness Hasana-killed in the recent battle. Her skin pale and grey as the dead, or as a statue come to life. She is the chorus of the play.
"Back when the world was new, back in the age of Dreams before demons and dark things were exiled into the the nether world, Dark Gods reigned over the Helix and a terrible and brilliant race known as the Crylonthians served these dark powers and learned terrible secrets. When the darkness was largely driven back, the Great Race of the Crylonthians remained behind and knew how to sail between the stars, conquering world after world. Three powerful races allied to oppose the Great Race: The Phaerin, The Ufrai and the Siderthe. These races rid the Helix of the Crylonthians but at a terrible price. The noble Phaerin were transformed into the horrific Illithids, the Beautiful Siderthe became ugly homunculi, and the Ufrai, a race of dragons, became ugly parasites. In the aftermath of the victory, the three allied races battled amongst themselves angered by accusations of treachery and consumed by hatred and revenge.
"The three races carved out hegemonies among the many worlds of the Helix. The wars of these Stellar races raged across vast stretches of space and time and left many worlds devastated. H'kartha, our world, was one that was long troubled by the fighting between the Siderthe and the Phaerin. For it was the essence of the Illithe plant that the Crylonthians used to transform the Phaerin, the magical kelp known as Promethe was used to transform the Siderthe, and the magical compound known as Liathra to transform the Ufrai.
"All of these compounds come from H'kartha and thus the world became of special interest of all three races. The Illithids sought allies among the Humans, the Siderthe or Prometheans among the Elves and the Ufrai or Liathrans among the Haz. Recently the Illithids defeated the Prometheans and the Liathrans and the remnants of those once great races were driven across the Helix to find refuge where they could. The Illithids did not long enjoy their victory, for other stellar races had emerged, races tied to the Great Old Ones and the Illithids found that many an ally they had made in their quest for victory and revenge against their enemies now turned on them.
" On H'kartha the race of the Atyri, known by many as the Githyanki revolted against their Illithid masters, and the Hegemony that the Illithids had established over the Delta beginning a decade ago, has all but collapsed. Two of the great fellowships formed to battle the menace of the Illithids, now must join together to combat a new and more dangerous threat, the coming of the Old Ones and their demonic legions. Thus a new set of adventures begins in the world of H'kartha. The Golden Ziggurat of Qoh will be your first proving ground."
The party is returned to the heare and now, but the haz warrior has appeared with them apparently as surprised as they at his new location.
Kersh and Syrinen check out the dead and dying and provide comfort where they can.
Then Kersh moves to the bodies of the summoners to destroy them with his ritual.