The glowing red light coming out from under the door was made all the more menacing by the sound of the multiple voices chanting in some strange language. Echo steeled herself for what was about to come as Thegman placed himself in front of the doorway. Already they had found two of the halfling druid’s friends and she only hoped that the others were still alive.

Thegman looked around at those getting themselves ready behind him, making sure everyone had taken their place. With a nod from Tanthalas, they all took a deep breath and took a tight grasp on their weapons, mentally preparing for the assault. Audak cracked his neck and grinned, his fingers dancing on the hilt of his axe, itching to start.

And in the naked light I saw

Red light flooded out of the room as Thegman kicked the large ornate doors open. In the center of the room was a large pool of water, glowing red. A stone column rose out of the center, towards the high ceiling. Atop the column stood the figure of a druid, arms and face raised towards the ceiling, chanting loudly. Around the pool of water stood four other druids, forming a four-pointed cross around the tower, each focusing their attention completely on the pool in front of them. The repetitive droning of their chants flowed into the crimson waters, the light pulsing back up onto their hooded faces. On their foreheads glowed a rune, the same sign they had seen on the cultists cloak and in the sewers of Denn. Their eyes seemed focused but undisturbed by the presence of the new arrivals.

In the four corners of the room stood large statues, hunched over. They had a bestial quality, but were mostly humanoid figures, each one identical. The red light played against their still shapes, casting shadows against the wall and illuminating sharp fangs and a snarling visage. Near the back of the ritual chamber lay two figures, unmoving, dressed in the same robes of the cultists they found in the antechamber.

Echo recognized her fellow circle druids immediately, but they were not themselves. Her new companions surged forward into the room, assaulting the druids in an attempt to stop the ritual. She watched as the wizard sent a bolt of ice at her friend Ember, who stood unflinching as the cold magic tore through his cloak. Ember’s eyes showed no pain and lacked the kindness of the man that had made her breakfast just yesterday. To her right, she watched as Al’s large draconic form tackled Moonstone to the ground, the druid chanting the entire time, not even attempting to resist the dragonborn’s forceful push. A flash of a memory crossed her mind in that instant, remembering his laugh when she had failed in one of her first lessons. It had taken a week to get her hair back to normal! To her left, she watched as both Thegman and Audak fired upon her circle leader Silverbark who stood upon the pillar. She could see his wisened face show some recognition of pain as he turned to face his attackers. The fatherly smile of the old man was replaced by the blank, emotionless visage shared by the other druids. Immediately before her, Brylla and Tanthalas were slamming attacks down upon Georj, who could do nothing but buckle upon the impacts, standing solidly in place as the chanting continued. Echo could not take it any longer as she watched the brutal treatment of her druid circle. They were enchanted, clearly, why couldn’t the others see that?

“Stop hurting them! These are my friends!” she cried out, tugging at Tanthalas’ arm, hoping she could make him stop. The strong elf barely budged and briefly looked at her, perhaps trying to judge if Echo was now a threat, but those elven eyes refocused on what needed to be done before them.

Silverbark’s body flew through the air as the chamber exploded with a massive concussive blast of sound. The tiny wizard Flynver stood firmly, his arms outreached as he blasted the druid circle leader off of the pillar. Silverbark’s limbs went limp in the air as his unconscious body slammed into the hard stone ground. Echo couldn’t take it anymore and rushed to his aid, hoping to save her friend.

At that moment, however, a psychic blast seemed to erupt out from the pool of water, causing all of them to reel backward. This was, by far, the strongest they had felt this intrusive force into their thoughts. Tanthalas and Brylla both shook their heads, looking around themselves to see if the others had been able to hold onto reality, but only the eyes of the two halflings were able to return their gaze.

The vision that was planted in my brain

Thegman found himself abruptly transported, no longer in the dim glowing red light of the ritual chamber, but somewhere in the deep caverns of Nidavellir. He recognized the small mining village with its glowing hearths and stone homes. Cart tracks led in all directions, deeper into the mines, but his heart filled with fury as he noticed the figures before him. The gray-skinned warriors around them were destroying the town, knocking over storage crates, and cutting down doors. A look of glee was upon the duergar faces as they invaded the Nidavellir homes. It made the fifth son of Thognor’s blood boil to see them defiling his home in this way. With a loud cry, he charged at the invaders, willing to single-handedly destroy all of them if it came to that.

Unlike his dwarven companion, Al’s reaction to the sudden transportation was one of terror and alarm. The strange dwarven structures around him were unfamiliar. His heart pumped wildly as his reptilian eyes scanned for an exit away from this place. He didn’t know where he was, or who these creatures were that Thegman was attacking, but he was filled with a desire to flee. Quickly finding a hiding place behind Audak’s large goliath form, the dragonborn hunched over, trying to plan a next move. They seemed to be everywhere, but Al needed to get away. Slinking slowly forward, trying not to be noticed in the large cavern, he headed for one of the mining tunnels, hoping for escape.

Meanwhile, these sudden transportations were becoming a little too common place for the barbarian. While he could not fight the feelings being pulled up from within him, the shock of the transition was less and less each time. Audak knew that what was here was not real, but he also knew that even this unreal world could hurt him. Seeing Thegman charging ahead inspired him, the pounding rhythm of his heart quickening as a gleeful grin covered the goliath’s face. These invaders would feast on his steel tonight!

People talking without speaking

A scream from the far side of the chamber filled the room with its piercing cry of agony, ending one of the chanting voices in the chorus. Echo’s druidic friend collapsed to the ground, motionless, a dark shape looming over the body. It was then that the ambushers attacked. Swirling down from the rafters, two clouds of darkness surged into the red glow, their chill touch grasping at the heroes, draining their life forces. Just as suddenly as they appeared, they were gone, fading away back towards the darkness of the ceiling. A game of cat and mouse as the shadows used the high ceiling and dim lighting to their advantage.

Flynver, suddenly finding himself surrounded by a raging barbarian and an out-of-control dwarven soldier, dodged out of the way, narrowly missing being chopped in two as Thegman charged across the flagstones with his axe raised. Whatever it was Thegman was seeing, Flynver could tell the dwarf wasn’t happy about it. The warrior’s blade came down hard, slamming into the sturdy surface of a stone statue, sending shards flying away from it. Thegman’s follow-through sent him blundering into the hard stone, the force of the impact knocking a bit of the wind out of him. As Flynver watched the dwarf chopping at the stone a searing pain filled his mind, before he began to go numb. The halfling looked down to see the head of Audak’s axe being pulled out of his belly, its blade bigger than his head. Flynver wobbled in place, his childlike hands trying to hold himself together. His gaze rose towards the celing as he looked up into Audak’s crazed eyes, before darkness overtook him and he collapsed to the ground.

Echo rushed to cross the chamber to her fellow halfling’s side. The raging barbarian hadn’t noticed her yet, she only hoped she was not too late. She held Flynver’s hand as she closed her fingers around the amulet on her neck. The small bird-shaped charm in her palm glowed briefly, sending a warmth through her fingers, and then through the rest of her, finally flowing into Flynver’s still frame. The wizard’s eyes burst open, staring up at her, as his wounds stitched themselves with Echo’s healing force. Echo heaved a sigh of relief as she helped the wizard to his feet and looked around.

Complete insanity seemed to surround her. The dwarven warrior, battling a statue. The barbarian, attacking his own friends. Her circle, being ripped apart. Weapons swinging in every direction. The very darkness of the room clawing at them.

A voice came into her mind: “This is your future.” It wasn’t her own thought, it felt alien to her. Another presence, pressing into her being.

In the midst of the chaos, Echo’s friend Georj suddenly lurched into motion. His movements were purposeful, but without care for what dangers surrounded him. With the focal lead of the ritual now lying unconscious upon the chamber flagstones, the druid splashed through the water of the pool, his robes soaking in the red dull glow. One hand upon the pillar, then the other, the blank-faced druid slowly climbed up the pillar with a single-minded purpose.

The battle with the shadows of the Dark raged on, filling each of the heroes with uncertainty. Flynver, however, had a very specific goal in mind. The wizard’s wrinkled face furrowed with focus as he gazed up at the tall form of the barbarian who had just attacked him. Purposefully striding over towards Audak, the small wizard readied his staff for a massive swing.

“Hey, down here!” he shouted, leaping and swinging the staff as hard as he could. The wood slammed into Audak’s skull, causing the barbarian to suddenly turn to face the halfling with a look of surprise, and then realization as Audak took in his surroundings. The barbarian only nodded an acknowledgement before charging after one of the shadows. He didn’t even seem to know what he’d done! Flynver shook his head, turning his attention to the ceilings as he looked for more lurkers.

With all of the commotion, nobody noticed the dragonborn slipping out of the chamber into the darkness of the room behind them. Al kept looking over his shoulder, as if something was chasing him. Dodging back and forth, he tried to stick to the shadows, doing his best to avoid whatever visions were chasing him. The darkness of the Nidavellir mines enveloped him fully, his eyes no longer able to see anything but the flickering flames he was leaving behind him. Deeper into the mine he went, one hand out to guide himself along. He kept putting more and more distance between himself and the gray-skinned dwarf-like invaders, but it never seemed to feel like enough. It was only after the light of the tunnel entrance was completely gone and Al was fully engulfed in nothingness that the irrational fear started to leave him.

Take my arms that I might reach you

It had happened so quickly. The druids, falling one by one. The ambushers from the darkness ripping into the heroes souls and feeding off their strength. Flynver, falling to the ground. Tanthalas, collapsing after a blow from behind. Audak sinking to his knees, fighting a shadow, before succumbing to darkness himself. Thegman falling to the stone floor, a shadowy claw sending a chill of death through his whole body. Through the havoc, those that still stood raced to help those that had fallen. It was a constant battle for survival.

The low droning of the ritual chanting continued on in the background, quieter now with the depletion of the druids’ numbers. The shadows swooped through the room, creating a blur of darkness in the dim red light. In Tanthalas’ mind, it almost felt like there was a sinister voice chuckling at them, enjoying their fear and desperation.

Echo looked about, racing to help where she could. It felt hopeless. Her friends were either dead, dying, or attempting to bring evil into the world. Her new companions were in a fight for their life, doing whatever it took to survive but increasingly it seemed that would not happen. The fiery rage that had fueled her thus far, that desire to get revenge for what was done to Ikan, was gone. Replaced with a sadness and fear. But then something miraculous happened.

Thegman wasn’t sure exactly what was going on. The darkness around him had swept through his body, shaking his core as it stripped away his life force. Everything had gone dark. But then he had heard a voice, soothing, but firm. It did not call him to the Light. This voice was loud, urging him onward. He felt an overpowering desire to live, to fight on.

Echo stared in disbelief as she watched the dwarf’s eyes suddenly open, a battle cry escaping the dwarf’s mouth as he leapt to his feet, barely alive.

“We’re not dead yet, friends!” cried Thegman, his blade swinging up and coming down hard into his would-be killer. As weak as the dwarf was, his courage and confidence inspired the others around him. There was a chance here, they knew it! They scrambled, working together as a unit to keep each other alive. This was not a time for individual heroics. If one fell, another took their place and helped them to their feet. One by one, they hunted the ambushers, fighting for their lives and ultimately those of everyone in the region.

The red glow of the water faltered, the ritual magic clearly weakening. The largest of the shadows seemed to pass through the walls and statues, seeking to escape their wrath. Echo’s eyes followed the path of the darkness as she rushed towards the doorway to the antechamber.

In restless dreams I walked alone

Feeling his way along the wall, Al found himself tripping here and there, unable to see in the pitch black of the tunnels. The cold and damp wall of stone should have provided him with the confidence that he was himself again, but it was hard to distinguish this darkness from the nightmare worlds he had visited. Everywhere was always so dark. For all he knew, he could still be in the mines of Nidavellir, were it not for the lack of a crushing sense of dread and fear. Back in that place, he could not have stopped running away, even if he had wanted to. The sensation of panic had been overwhelming. He fumbled in his pack for a candle and lit it, the soft glow giving some sense of security, even if did not shed a lot of light.

As the toe of his boot slammed hard into a raised step, the dragonborn realized he must have reached the bottom of the stairs to the antechamber. His pace quickening, he moved as quickly as he could, finally seeing the red of the glowing light ahead. As he rounded the corner and breached through the antechamber door, he could see chaos in the dull glow of the pool ahead of him. Shapes moving back and forth around the pool, weapons swinging against dark shapes, and one of the druids still standing atop the pedestal.

The red light was suddenly partially blocked by the silhouette of a small figure in the large chamber doorway. It was Echo! The dragonborn didn’t even have time to call out before the small druid’s body began to tear itself apart, her body shifting and twisting as long and hairy legs erupted from her small frame. Body parts stretched and contorted as the druid’s transformation completed into an enormous hairy arachnid. The bulbous shape skittered up along the wall, disappearing into the darkness above, hunting something. Al lifted his candle, trying to peer up into the darkness above, but the small flame could not pierce the pitch dark of the underground antechamber. He could hear the sounds of the spider moving about above him, but then it was gone. A sudden feeling came over him, a worry for his companions that he could not ignore. Al rushed forward into the chamber to protect his allies, finding several of them lying upon the hard stone floor.

Those who were still alive and fighting in the main ritual chamber were surprised by the sudden appearance of the large spider skittering across the ceiling. It dropped, suddenly, atop the pillar, suddenly transforming back into the tiny druid. She looked out upon those around her, putting herself between the heroes and the ritual-casting druids that were her friends.

“I told you to stop hurting them!” she shouted, her hands reaching out and pushing the air before her in a directed blast at Brylla. The dwarf braced herself in the pool of water but could not help but be pushed backwards from the pillar. It seemed as if their former ally was now between them and stopping the ritual.

Left it’s seeds while I was sleeping

The ritual chanting, so much weaker than before, continued amidst the sounds of battle. The red light in the pool was weaker than before but the glow was brightening, its rhythm pulsing at an ever-quickening pace. Twenty feet above the waters the pillar top was crowded. The last remaining druid chanted as loudly as he could, his eyes trained to the ceiling with his arms extended upwards. Echo, her small frame dodging this way and that, danced about the druid trying to stay between him and the others in the room. Lying unconscious beneath both of them was a lithe man in a yellow robe. Echo’s friend, Georj, was nearing death but his mind was finally free of the claws of that darkness that had forced its way inside him.

A sharp intake of breath filled Georj’s lungs and his eyes darted back and forth. Georj felt clarity for the first time in hours and suddenly remembered where he was. He could see two of his Circle brethren standing above him, the one so very small and the other’s voice chanting in that otherworldly language that had filled his own mind just moments before. A dread filled his thoughts as he recalled the feeling of that alien presence. Georj scrambled out from under the others, getting to his feet and looking around him. He found himself high above the ground with no easy way down. His mentor and friends lay unconscious, or dead, on the ground. Strangers seemed to be swarming about below, in an intense battle with some dark force that floated nearby.

The Circle had come here with a job to do and it was time to finish it.

Steeling himself, Georj closed his eyes briefly and took in a calming breath, before opening them again with renewed resolve. His lunge was born of desperation, but his eyes remained calm. He grabbed onto his friend, Moonstone, wrestling with the charmed druid in an attempt to stop the ritual. Georj looked into Moonstone’s eyes to find a face he barely recognized. The tall and lean man was struggling to stay standing, not even realizing Georj was there, Moonstone’s once-lively blue eyes now soul-less. Georj felt a lump in his throat as he fought herself over what he knew he had to do. Bracing with both legs, the druid pushed forward as hard as possible, sending Moonstone toppling forward towards the ledge.

His friend didn’t even flinch as Moonstone was sent flying over the edge of the pillar, falling straight down into the shallow pool of water below. He came up, sputtering, the ritual words still leaving his lips in an unending drone. He clawed forward, trying to make it back to the pillar. As Georj looked down, that “thing” entered his thoughts and filled him with imagery of anger and hatred. He whirled to find the darkness rapidly sliding towards him, its tendrils reaching out. Perhaps this would truly be his end, this time, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Hear my words that I might teach you

Echo stood atop the pillar, her entire being thinking only of protecting her friends. She did not want to hurt anyone, but she would, if it came to that. She could remember chasing something out of the room, but her thoughts of it slipped away from her when she tried to focus on it. The only thing that was clear was her need to protect.

It was the kind words of the priestess of Sif below her that finally reached through the haze. Somehow, the dwarf’s voice broke through whatever enchantment had been placed upon her and allowed Echo the chance to regain control. Quickly looking about, she saw Georj on the pillar behind her being rushed by a dark force. She was about to cry out a warning but the druid needed no help. He shouted at the advancing shadows in defiance, drawing forth power from the earth. A loud concussive blast filled the entire chamber with a deafening roar. The large shadowy cloud was sent twisting away, driven towards the back wall of the chamber by Georj’s magic.

Turning her attention back to Moonstone, Echo looked down to find the druid grasping for handholds on the stone pillar. Echo leapt down from the pillar, splashing into the water below, the pool nearly covering her as she knelt. Her friend stared up towards the ceiling, not seeing her as he groped for his way back to the top of the pillar. Her heart ached as she swung at his head, driving him back into the water. His body twitched for a moment, and then stopped. Tears welled in her eyes as she knelt down to bring her friend’s face out of the shallow red waters.

For the first time in what had seemed like an eternity, the chanting echoing off the stone chamber walls had stopped.

Hello darkness, my old friend

A searing brilliance filled the space ahead of Brylla, descending upon the cloud of darkness that had tormented them. The divine light seemed to sear away at the core of the shifting form, burning a large chunk of it away. The dwarven priestess had watched so many around her fall, rise up to keep fighting, and then fall again. She knew they were nearly out of options and that most of her allies were fading quickly. None of them would be able to take this for much longer. It had felt really good to guide the hand of her goddess into that creature, imagining it screaming with torment. Her companions, those still standing, unleashed everything they had at the darkness, trying to drive it back.

Brylla could hear splashing sounds in the water, followed by silence. The droning sound of the otherworldly language ceased and the entire room began to shift. The already dim red glow of the water began to fade away, flickering, as the enchantment keeping it powered disappeared. A stone fell next to her from the chamber ceiling above as the walls began to crack.

Her mind was suddenly filled with images of pain and torture, loved ones dying, a darkness descending upon the entire realm of Lani. Brylla could tell the others in the room were also being similarly invaded with these thoughts. Words seemed to form in her mind, threatening them all.

“Don’t think you’ve won. This is only the beginning! You will all suffer!”

The voice in her head was suddenly gone. On the other side of a chamber, a rift seemed to materialize from nothingness, sucking the cloud of shadows into it before snapping shut. A low rumble filled the room as a pillar cracked and began to fall to the ground. The dwarf leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding a large section of the ceiling that had just crashed into the flooring. The entire chamber was falling apart around them!

Brylla knelt down and lifted one of the fallen druids off the ground, throwing him over her wide shoulders, as the others grabbed whomever they could in their arms. A race was on to reach the surface before they became buried beneath the rocks! Dodging back and forth, the dwarf leapt atop a falling gargoyle head and propelled herself forward, catching up to the rest of the crew. As they left the chamber, it became obvious that the entire ruins were starting to crumble. The thousands of years of decay had left this place on the edge of collapse and the massive force of the shattering ritual was tearing it apart. Brylla tossed the druid onto the back of a passing horse, likely one of the druids trying to make a quick getaway, and broke into a full run. Thegman was labouring behind her, the goliath slung across his back. The two dwarves worked together to bring the unconscious giant out of the ruins, almost dropping him to the ground a few times but managing to catch his head just before it would hit the tough stone floor.

Ahead, they saw the hallway with Ikan’s limp form leaning against the wall, a sign that they were nearly to the exit. Their pace quickened as they rounded the corner into the dark chamber by the entrance stairs. Above, the moonlight shone through the opening, promising safety. The walls were crumbling around them as the bodies of those that had fallen up to those above until it was just Brylla and Tanthalas, rushing up the stairs to reach the surface.

It had been several hours and the darkness of night was still well upon them. Soon, the morning light of the dawn would begin to colour the sky, but for now the full moon shone brightly. The misty rain from before had ended, giving way to a cool but pleasant air filling their lungs.

Echo fell back onto the firm ground, exhausted, yet exhilarated. Pumping one tiny fist towards the sky, she let out a celebratory shout, happy to be alive. With the tension burst, the others broke into smiles, laughing as the adrenaline from the last few hours finally crashed. After a few minutes, those who had been knocked out in the battle started to come around. Groggy, but alive, they looked around themselves, seeing their friends and allies gathered together.

I’ve come to talk with you again

The sound of slow clapping came from behind them. Turning to find the source of the sound, they noticed a man dressed in merchant’s clothes sitting casually upon some of the fallen stone ruins. The stranger wore a smile that seemed less than genuine and his eyes reflected the moonlight with a silver tinge. Tanthalas recognized this immediately from his past encounters… this was no man. Some dragon had decided to take on a form and seemed to be eyeing them all with amusement.

“Very well done,” the stranger said, a somewhat condescending undertone in his voice. “It’s a rare occasion to survive an encounter with a Shadow Lord.”

“Ge’off?” piped up Echo, bringing herself to a sitting position and whirling her small form around. “What are you doing here?”

“Echo? Oh, I’m so glad you’re safe. I didn’t know you’d be here.” The stranger seemed to be honestly concerned about the little druid. “I’ve been looking for that creature for some time but wasn’t sure exactly where it was hiding itself away. I’ve sent many north and west to find its lair, but I’m happy it was you all that discovered it. That thing needed to use a lot of power to do what it did here today and it will take months for them to make another attempt like that. That will give us time. They have been probing our defenses and I’m glad you dealt with this one. I was going to have to deal with this Shadow Lord otherwise.”

Something was bothering Audak about the man. He spoke in a way that was too familiar to the barbarian, a memory tugging at the edges of his tired mind. He brought himself up to one knee, his eyes firmly on the stranger while he spoke with Echo. He wasn’t hearing the words, but the way the mouth was moving. The way it curled a little into a half-smile at the end of sentences. The way his hands moved as he spoke. He had seen this man before, in camp. This was the one he had been searching for.

Audak didn’t even pause to think and the others had no chance to stop him. With his long stride he was upon the stranger in an instant, the barbarian’s hands gripping the man’s collar. The goliath’s massive arms lifted the man several feet into the air, bringing Audak eye to eye with him.

“Where is the totem?” demanded the barbarian, a threat in his tone. “Give it back, thief. Or else.”

“Ah yes, sorry about that” Ge’off apologized, seemingly unconcerned with hanging a few feet above the ground. The slight smile never left his mouth as he reached into his tunic and pulled it forth, handing it to Audak. “You will probably want to be returning that.”

The man’s tone suddenly shifted as the smile left his face. “Now let’s all relax” he said, placing a palm on Audak’s forearm. The barbarian couldn’t help but slowly lower the man to the ground and back away.

“I wanted to bring you all together” continued Ge’off, returning to his seat upon the stones. “Sometimes that meant taking a totem. Or letting slip a little news about a dragon egg. Or leaving some suggestions with the right people on where to go. Little threads tugged here and there.”

“Why didn’t you just ask us to help?” demanded Brylla, indignation in her voice. She had just risked her life to save these people only to find out she had been a pawn in somebody’s game!

“I needed to see what you would do” came the stranger’s response. “There has to be some agency to it. I can leave the clues, but not everyone reacts the same way. Those of you who are… I’m not sure what the best word is in your tongue… Immune? Some of you rise to the challenge with the choices you make, but others do not always make the same decision and a take a less… helpful… path.”

A flash of annoyance crossed Ge’off’s face, possibly remembering a particular incident of this.

“I’ve had these conversations before” the stranger continued, moving his hands and summoning visions of other groups of adventurers into the air. Based on the styles of clothing and different seasons and scenery, it was apparent that these scenes had taken place at different times over the millennia and in different places across Lani. “It has been very rare for one of you to do this well. But we will need more than just you to fight what is about to come. You will need to find others like you, and gather them together, to face the darkness that is coming.”

“And how are we supposed to know who they are?” demanded Brylla, a touch of annoyance in her voice.

“They will stand out, wanting to do more than the common folk” explained the dragon. “They will be driven to greater things, not content with a happy life of family and work. They will resist and push and not be willing to back down. Sound familiar?”

Rising to his feet, he lifted his lantern from the ground and smiled. With a brief gesture of his hand a bluish portal appeared next to him.

“I do need to be getting to some other matters, but thank you, again. You have done a great thing this night. I’m sure we’ll see each other soon. Remember: none of this ever happened.”

With those words the man was gone, leaving a silence upon the crowd in his wake.

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

“A bit of a dud, eh?” piped in Flynver, hoping to break the tension amongst them, but not eliciting any laughs this time around. Tanthalas nodded in agreement. The self-important creature that had visited them had left few clues as to what to do or how to do it, seemingly leaving a monumentally important task at their feet with little instruction.

The druids were gathering together, speaking with their leader Silverbark, and discussing their next move. The halfling separated herself from the pack to join Flynver and the others.

“I will head for Denn” Echo decided. “That righteous Council of theirs needs to do something about this. And people need to know what’s happening! If you find any of those heroes Ge’off was talking about, you should send them there and we’ll make them ready.”

“I think we should help Audak return his totem to his people” suggested Brylla, placing a hand upon the battered and tired goliath’s arm. “I wouldn’t mind meeting his tribe. Perhaps there might be some help among them.”

The travellers spoke and got to know each other a little as they travelled back to Greenfell through the night. The light of dawn was just starting to colour the sky as they found themselves approaching the ruins of the small town. The fires had burned out but the smell was still heavy in the air. A few of the buildings still had enough structure left to provide some shade and shelter, but most people were outside. Some of the townsfolk were wearing chains, perhaps captured after their heinous deeds of the night before. All of them wore faces touched with sadness and regret. This town might never rebuild itself, even if the buildings were to be made whole again.

They may have stopped the evil this time, but the Dark had left its mark upon Greenfell and its people.

Credits

• Writing credit: Inspiration taken from session notes by Matthew Moran.
• Cover image: “Ritual Chamber”, composite editing by Jason St-Cyr, source images generated by Jason St-Cyr using NightCafe
• Ge’off image: “Man in ruins”, generated by Jason St-Cyr using NightCafe