Easthaven

Screams.

Blood.

Warmth.

The white light fades and the smoking remains of Easthaven appear around the companions. The sun's rays come down not as the gentle reminder of a new day, but as though through a glass window tinted red, painting the battlefield in a hellish light. A hot wind - utterly unknown by the inhabitants of Icewind Dale - blows into their faces. Bodies and black sludge are sprawled all about, signs that the defenders' lines are breaking.

Indeed, in the face of the misshapen horde of demons streaming out of the portal, order can only last for so long. A body hits the ground just before them, dropped from high in the air. Isherwood's shriveled face stares up from a twisted neck. Not far away, Natalie sits in the muck, cradling Jermsy's head in her lap. The boy is pale and seems to be shivering.

Just ahead, a score of orcs surround a pair of monstrous, orange apes - barlguras, like the ones faced with Yxonumei months ago. Small, ugly forms dart among the orcs' legs, clawing with poison-tipped nails. Just past this group, an even larger demon with a canine face holds Jhonen up high with a massive pincer around the man's waist.

All about is chaos and blood... and only more demons crawl out of the portal ahead. Its surface is like boiling black tar, about a hundred feet ahead.

Everard's eyes are wide and distant as he looks on his home. "By the gods..."

Round 1 Player Phase!

The three remaining priests of Tempus shout for joy at seeing Everard returned, and raise their hands in prayer to strengthen the group. Alalla, Ug, and Reòthadh each find a shimmering, protective force in place around them (Al, Ug, and Reo are each under the effect of a Shield of Faith spell, which increases their AC by 2).

Reòthadh takes to the air with most of the party clinging to his broad back, with Alalla and Ug flying on either side of him and Everard nestled securely within a sphere of abjuration magic.

Jermsy's body stops its shivering and goes still, and Natalie's wail is lost in the din of battle. Meanwhile, the orcs battling the two barlguras manage to kill one of the demons, but in moments their own numbers are reduced to a mere handful, and with only more foes closing in. A moment later, they are gone.

Zenithral's arrows streak through the air and each find their mark in the fearsome glabrezu trying to tear Jhonen in half. The demon vanishes and Jhonen drops heavily to the ground. He looks up at Zenithral and smiles in thanks, then gets to his feet just as a handful of screaming, bloated fiends reach him. A sweep of his radiant sword returns them to the Abyss, and then Jhonen is lost to view as the battle rages on.

The forces battling below do no miss the sight of a giant dwarf flying above them. A bellowing cheer rises from Keggruk as he lays into a diseased goat-like demon, the orcs around him quickly take up the shout. Among them, the party sees three smaller figures: two elves and an aged human woman. Erevain is a blur as he moves back and forth across the defensive line, here turning aside a demonic claw as it reaches for an ally, and there sword flashing to take the head from another foe. Every one of Arannis' arrows buried itself deeply into an eye, mouth, or other vulnerable target. Saki walks calmly among areas that are clear of enemies, retrieving spent arrows and sticking them into the ground near her husband. How did she even make it across the battlefield?

Upon seeing the flying companions, Erevain's eyes light up for a moment. He catches Alalla's eye, and his mouth turns to a thin line as he inspects the battlefield ahead, as if to judge how easily he might make his own way to the portal.

Even as cheers rise from the heroes' armies, a deafening drone fills the air as a handful of ogre-sized demonic insects fly towards the party (There are some saves to be made, details below).

Round 2 Player Phase!!

The abyssal insects fly in, their wings buzzing violently. Each one extends a terrifyingly long proboscis lined with razor-sharp ridges. With arrows, sword, axe, and spells the demons are quickly demolished. One of the chasme staggers past Alalla and Ug to land upside down on Reothadh’s chest. As it greedily shoves its insectoid head forward to dig into the dwarf’s flesh, it fails so thoroughly that its proboscis is shoved back into its own brain. Apparently giant dwarf skin is tougher than it appears.

As the disgusting bodies fall onto the battle below, the group notices that Ug did not fare well in that exchange. The goliath has two gaping wounds in his chest where the chasme managed to stick him (I believe Ug has resistance to piercing from rage AND necrotic from his amulet. So after resistance, he takes 24 piercing and 48 necrotic damage. Unfortunately, his hit point maximum is also reduced by 48 points! It'll take something like a long rest or Greater Restoration to get his hp maximum fixed).

To make things worse, Ras, Vincent, and Halla all droop in their seats. If care is not taken, they may fall (Ras, Vince, and Halla are unconscious).

The party moves on as quickly as it can, and a few moments later are just above the massive portal, marked by churning black sludge that spawns forth demon after demon. Even as they watch, four large forms burst from the portal and take to the air – demonic vultures known as vrocks. With tar-slicked wings they rise toward the group, each one screeching with unearthly rage.