Jul 2^nd – Jul 4^th

The party take the road east toward the citadel of Dros Drenai. They are joined by a priest Jarik, a man called Locan, who travels with them on their quest for the Drenai capital. At night the temperature plummets, an unseasonal cold. Zavien Scourge and Malethrax are both aware that Caldron’s influence is close at hand.

At the western tip of the Lone Lake – a vast inland sea in the middle of the Drenai lands – the party face a choice. The road splits north and south of the lake; the northern road is the main highway to the capital whereas the southern way is quieter. They decide on the quieter southern route.

They pass many small fishing villages along the way. Many of the inhabitants are suspicious of strangers and lock their doors as Malethrax and his companions ride past. One man offers them lodgings however, but the party decline and move on. All the while the spectre of Caldron’s influence can be felt, like a deep chill in the bones.

A deserted village makes the horses nervous. Broken windows, sunken fishing boats and general decay greet them…the horses have no desire to venture into it so Malethrax steers the horses around it and out into the wilds.

The night is unnaturally cold once more. Away from the water’s edge but no away from the cold they camp a few miles from the Lone Lake. Zavien handles the Bloodstone; he hopes to gain some kind of sensation from the magical gem. He senses double heartbeats amongst the party. He wonders whether it is the influence of the dark sorcerer Caldron…Zavien does not have long to wait before he discovers the meaning of the strangeness.

The five remaining thooligans stand up around the party and draw their swords. Instantly Zavien – and his companions – realise that the thooligans are under some kind of possession. Violence explodes in the camp as the party reach for weapons to engage the warriors about them.

Malethrax casts jump and exits the combat immediately. A thooligan stabs at Zavien with a longsword but the assassin swerves out of the way before somersaulting backwards – out of the fight – and into the shadows of the night. As two thooligans move toward Malethrax Danat and Locan are left to engage three thooligans together. Danat Peres slashes at the face of an attacker and the poison on his knife (by Zavien) paralyses the thooiligan. Locan, the young priest, cannot cope with the expert swordsmen before him and he is cut down instantly, his throat cut by a well-aimed blade.

Malethrax backs off and casts invisibility and the two thooligans are temporarily confused. Zavien uses this confusion to attack one from behind. As the blade slices into his sword arm the warrior is also paralysed from the poison on the blade. Danat engages a second thooligan, his skill with the deadly knife too much for the warrior and a third is paralysed.

Malethrax draws his longbow under the security of his invisibility and shoots a thooligan in the back of the head. The last warrior turns on the Elementalist but Malethrax puts an arrow into his mouth and the fight is over.

Zavien binds the three thooligans and uses the Bloodstone to interrogate them. It becomes clear that Caldron’s influence is still upon them – some form of possession. Zavien slaughters the three men mercilessly…but in respect of their help over the last few weeks the thooligans are given a decent burial.

The party sleep during the day and move at night. The cold dogs their movement once more. In the darkness a horse accelerates up in the air to fall down to earth hundreds of yards away…it becomes clear that something fast and flying is amongst them. Zavien and Danat let the horses escape – Danat has horsemanship and will be able to round them up later.

To the party’s horror a huge skeletal monstrosity descends amongst them. It’s eyes are blood red, it’s fangs drip with blood, and it’s claws are the size of small knives. Malethrax and Zavien realise that they have no weapons to even mark the demon…they flee the battle (Malethrax jumps once more) leaving Danat alone with the beast. He hefts a small dagger of speed, the only possible weapon that can affect it. Whilst Malethrax and Zavien sprint for safety Danat Peres – martial artist – attacks the demon.

It takes all his skill and composure to stop the beast’s razor-like claws ripping him to pieces. To add insult to injury the demon is protected by an aura that deflects all but the very best attacks. With sweat in his eyes and panic rising Danat becomes more desperate. Eventually his blade punctures the beast’s defences and it howls in pain into the night – green acidic blood spills onto the earth. But the beast reacts angrily; it’s vicious jaws bite deep into Danat’s shoulder. Never in his life has he felt such exquisite, mind-sapping pain. It is not a physical wound; Danat feels the beast drink his soul!

Danat recoils, his whole body limp and subdued. To his annoyance the demon’s wounds have healed the effect of drinking a soul…the demon is invigorated by the nourishing power of Danat’s soul. But Danat Peres draws on impossible reserves of strength. He lashes out at the beast; the blade punctures the left eye and sprays green acid everywhere. Another howl fills the night and drives away anyone who hears it.

The demon spins with a maddening scowl and lashes out ferociously. But Danat skips and rolls away from the deadly claws. Despite the awesome pain he drives the dagger into the ribs of the beast and more blood is spilt. Zavien and Malethrax watch from a distance, unable to believe that Danat is still alive.

But the demon is hurt badly. Slowed by two cruel wounds he launches a desperate attack…Danat ducks under the blow and comes up under it’s defences – he drives the dagger with all his fading strength into the face of the beast. As the right eye explodes the demon is blown into a thousand pieces…those pieces evapourate instantly and Danat slumps to the ground, his face lined with exhaustion.

Malethrax decides that the quickest way to reach Dros Drenai is by boat across the Lone Lake. "I will cast elementals," he says. Danat and Zavien agree. At the next fishing village they hire a boat from a man called Dovit, a Drenai fisherman, and Malethrax casts summon elemental Earth & Air to aid their journey.

Their progress is swift. The fisherman Dovit is unaware that his boat is travelling so quickly. Only when he sees other fishing vessels in the area does he realise that something is wrong.

After a day Malethrax halts the boat. A tower of steam is a quarter of a mile in front of them. Despite his attempts to outrun the steam Malethrax realises that whatever is in the water has them trapped. At first he fears demonic influences but when Dovit points out a wall of water behind them he realises that they face elementals. Malethrax watches as the wall of water grows behind them…at fifty feet he realises that there is no escape. He casts water breathe on Zavien and himself just before the catastrophic wave sinks them all…

When they wake the debris of the shattered fishing boat surrounds them. Water laps around them and they find themselves unhurt and on the shore of a large underground lake. On closer inspection Malethrax realises that they are underneath the Lone Lake, the ceiling of the cave is actually the water of the lake above.

A figure rides toward them. Initially the rider appears human but webbed feet and hands reveal that he is anything but. Even his horse has webbed feet.

"I am Sir Antiar," he says, "the chancellor of Lord Segar of the Lake…he is expecting you."

They are shown through a waterfall into a natural cavern that is dominated by a pool. Waterfalls feed the pool but Malethrax senses elementals everywhere…some of the waterfalls flow up hill. Lord Segar is an elemental in the pool itself.

"Greetings Malethrax," he says. "I have been expecting you."

Malethrax explains the situation but the elemental lord is more concerned by the fact that elementals were summoned into his lake. After an apology it appears to the party that Lord Segar is not acting alone in this matter. He explains that he has another sorcerer (Caldron) who was interfering with the lake…he has secured him in a similar cavern. "The king of Drenai and I have a pact," Lord Segar says, "I maintain the lake and he leaves me alone…although I concede you had no idea of this arrangement Malethrax. I will therefore accept your story and send you to his majesty at once."

They are led to a waterfall, which flows directly upwards. Once inside they are propelled rapidly to the surface of the Lone Lake, on the northern shore. Drenai soldiers are everywhere. A thousand troop ships litter the lake. Soldiers haul the travellers on board and a burly sergeant gathers Zavien, Malethrax and Danat together.

"Go and fetch the king," he says…

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