I have to admit that I was quite disappointed with everyone elses reaction to the return of Tendaris. Lord Islan barely even raised his head from his book as he gave a slight nod. Arilyn exchanged some words then went of to spar with Mawdred and Dolartu assumed his dragon form, just to check... I think, that there would be no hostilities. The poor elf, all that would be a lot to deal with in itself.
That aside, having accomplished what we set out to do the question is now what to do next that does not entail planar travel. The most likely place to look is Tel-Tanauril but having just come back to himself it would do Tendaris great injustice to inflict that on him in the state that the great elven capital is now in. Maybe there is something inscribed in the pictographs at Orovalis though. Home is decided to be a much better option. This way Dolartu can be the "reponsible leige lord" monitoring and checking those things that need, Tendaris can decide for himself what path he wished to take, Arilyn and Mawdred can attempt to finish that barrel of goblin teckillya, Lord Islan can study, and I can make another hallowed place for Baerin and his followers and research something that has been nagging at my mind a bit.
Flesh is weak, no matter what plane of existance a being hails from. So it stands that the power and glory of Aesia, wield by her vessels, should be able to penetrate that. I know that I've read such stories in holy rit, you know, against overwhelming odds the lowly accolyte says a prayer and suddenly through the power of the bright lady the tide is turned and the denizens scrabble away in retreat. I am aware of some of the prayers but they either don't seem to be enough or I am not using them effectively. Maybe in the library of El-Alahd.
So, homeward bound, and as soon as we arrived via teleport it was odvious that something was wrong. Greatly wrong. They were all dead. It looked as if they were taken by surprise and attempted to fight bravely. Okay, major understatement here, attempted, well yes, but all of our workers were slaughtered and Dolartu could not contact his familiar. There was also a lingering aura of great evil but we couldn't pin point the exact time it had been present, 3 hours? 3 Days? We prepared ourselves for the worst as best we could, Tendaris picking up a buckler and my holy sword (all the armor available was dwarven which did him no good) and searched the wreckage for the purpetrator(s) and survivor. We did not search long. Upon reaching the chapel level we watched as Dolartu, who was leading, rounded the corner and was impaled by what looked like ballista shot. 4 arrow demons we faced as well as 2 other fiends, huge in stature bearing flaming whips and swords. We were very hard pressed indeed. Aesia, bless her name, allowed me the power to block the arrow demons with a wall of blades which deflected and destroyed most of their attacks but not before we were cause grave injuries, all most all. Tendaris fell. Seeing Mawdred ill pressed he rushed into the fray, ill equipt as he was, to lay on his hands with the healing power of Aesia. But the whipped fiend struck him down.
The Bright Lady answered my prayers but to not much avail against the fiends so I focused my attention rather on maitaining the parties health. We at last smited all the fiends save one whom we cornered and planned to send back to the pit with a message for its master. So, saying a prayer and transforming into an Archon of the Bright Lady I gave it. The message was sent alright. The best guess is upstairs because down them descended a greater denizen of fiery evilness, a Balor. The thing was huge and brandishing a whip with its legenedary great sword. Lucky for us we did not have to face at least that because Dolartu pointed at it and the sword vanished into nothingness. A valiant battle it was though, Arilyn was devastating until she herself became incapacitated and Mawdred greatly injured as well. Dolartu, grappling with the beast, was unable to stop it from summoning an ally. A she-demon with a serpentine tail, it was she that cause Arilyn the hurt from layered barriers of whirling blades. Glory be to Aesia, I was able to keep her healing light on everyone and finally managed to beat the resistance of the fiend as well. In a flash of holy light, the bolt of her divine glory struck the demon and it screamed as it vanished in a swirling cloud of chaos back to its hellish home. Lord Islan vanquished the snake lady demon wielding the arcane powers of the sun blade as revived as well everyone.
Leaving Baerin in the charge of the keep had been a good idea. He had the presence of mind to retreat all he could into the chapel having volunteers cover the escape then brought the tunnel down to buy time to teleport everyone away. Dolartu made a good choice for senechal. But who ordered this attack? Why we can figure out on our own, we haven't been making friends among the fiends but which one. Asking the Bright Lady for guidance we were able to discern that all 3 major antagonists were plotting. Its Dolartu's thought that instead of waiting we prepare and then brng the fight to them.
Aesia have mercy on you, fiends Antifex and Ashuron, because we surely will not.
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