Chapter 7: To Gravenhollow

As Melpomene takes the gem and focuses it, her vision fades away...

You see a kuo-toa swimming in the gloomy depths of a dark, subterranean lake, uncertain. It turns left and right, trying to find something, even as it's surrounded by a fanged creatures resembling manta rays. The kuo-toa smiles, its needle teeth gleaming even in the darkness. It has seen something. It understands a new secret, and its already unhinged mind plunges further into madness.

The kuo-toa curls in on itself, arms extended in worship. Then from the circle of rays, two tentacles emerge- followed by two howling baboon heads.

Upon describing this scene to the others, they will recognize the baboon-headed creature as Demogorgon.

After another two days of research, you discover little more than you already knew. As you sit around and try to determine where else you can look, you hear footsteps down the hall just moments before Vizeran and his bodyguard enter the room. He appears to be quite irritated and begins speaking immediately.

"That fool Gromph brought the demon lords down upon us, with his demon queen pulling his strings all the while. He has given Lolth free reign in the Abyss. My own research leads me to believe Gromph used faerzress to achieve such a summoning, though I am sure he didn't intend this result. Imbecile!"

"I can save you months of research-time we clearly don't have. The information I found here has confirmed my theories, and I know how to banish the demon lords back to the Abyss. We can do this only if we work together, if you are willing and daring enough to directly challenge the demon lords... Or perhaps foolhardy is the better word."

Vizeran shakes his head, "We can't discuss it here... The walls here literally have ears, and echoes linger forever," he says, "I invite you all to my home to discuss this matter further; it is the only safe place to discuss such... delicate matters."

"This never will happen again," Vizeran replies, "Few are even powerful enough to attempt something like this and I don't believe it could be duplicated."

Vizeran nods, satisfied, before responding to your question, "Faerzress is the name given to the unique, and powerful, magical emanations that permeate the Underdark."

Vizeran nods, "You see it now," he says, "Maybe you're smarter than I thought. I have no use for you all dead."

With your apparent agreement, he nods, "Let us leave immediately. Time is of the essence," he says, sweeping out of the chamber with his bodyguard a step behind.

Hours later, you find yourselves back in the lightless caverns of the Underdark, following the powerful mage as he leads the way to his home. It takes upwards of two weeks before you reach a blank stone wall and he stops, "My home is just ahead," he says, "I expect that you'll be on your best behavior?"

Nodding, Vizeran taps the wall with a ring on his finger. The wall glows briefly before fading away to reveal a narrow passageway, "Your... retainers and mounts will have to camp here, I'm afraid," he says, turning and entering the tunnel without waiting for a response.