Peaceful, post-celebratory slumber was shattered by a knock at the door. Helios called out in a panic. There had been screaming from the refuge camp and rumor of ghosts attacking people. The cleric woke up everyone at the inn, except Kriv, who he could not locate. In a hurry, we threw our clothes on and headed out to investigate. People were hurt, some dead and being hauled off to the temple. When we arrived, we found a small crew of sickly humanoids with chain weapons and dark leather bondage style armor. When they noticed us, one glared at me with eyes much like mine, and I knew these were Shadar-kai. Beings from the Shadowfell shaped by their worship for the Raven Queen. I feared that the rift might have been reopened, but that was very unlikely since it was well-guarded.
No time to spare we rushed in to fight them. The chain fighters lashed out, striking everyone in the area with brutal force. I stepped back to get out of the way and began firing into them with gradual intensity to get a feel for the threat. They were very tough, but not tough enough. When all but one was slain, the survivor began to speed off down the alley. He nearly escaped, but ran straight into my icy grasp. I held him in place as the others decided what to do.
“Whatever you’re going to do, hurry, he’s dying as I hold him,” I shouted.
“Let’s tie him up and take him to the jail,” Iceborn said.
Holding on to a shred of life and chilled to the bone, he was released from the grip into a tangle of rope. We took him to the jail and put him in a cell. The questioning began. Where he was from, what he was doing, who he was working for. All he could tell us was that he had come from Monolith, paid to stir things up, seek us out and kill us. He would not tell his employer’s name.
After this, the debate started over what to do with him. He had killed people here at the festival, so he could be put to death. I proposed that his information was worth as much as his mercenary work, so I didn’t really care if he died. Iceborn decided to make an example of him.
“Well, if I am to be put to death anyway, then I suppose I might as well give you the name of my employer.”
The Shadar-kai gave a name and we led him to the square. Iceborn and Helios instructed the guards to have the children moved someplace where they wouldn’t see the execution. Iceborn made the announcement that this Shadar-kai would serve as an example, that Fellhaven will not be pushed around and that murderers will be punished. As the crowd looked on, Iceborn asked if he had any last words. He shook his head.
“You fought well, may we meet again on a different battlefield,” Iceborn said as he brought his dagger to the Shadar-kai’s throat.
“Sooner than you think,” he responded and as Iceborn’s blade sliced, it met with only air. Iceborn was alone.
A screech came from behind us, in the crowd and a floating apparition rose up. People began to scream and flee. Some started to attack each other. As the area cleared, the Shadar-kai we had meant to execute approached from the end of the street with a handful of others. Our immediate danger was the wraith between us and them. At this time, Kriv was climbing though the waves of fleeing civilians. He arrived just in time.
Taken off-guard and in no position for a fight, we were assaulted by the wraith. Iceborn went mad and began to swing his axe. His eyes fixed on me and I braced myself for the attack. Luckily, in his madness he swung too far and only the handle struck me. He shook off the control and turned to face the wraith.
Not wanting to get hit by my party again, I stepped to the edge of the street and began firing more serious spells. The wraith finally dissipated and the Shadar-kai moved in. They made menacing comments as they fought, saying we would fall eventually, that there would be more of them to come if they failed. It looked as though they might not fail, the chain warriors were seriously dangerous. The fighters had charged down the street to face the Shadar-kai head-on while Helios and I stood firm, out of reach of the flurry of metal. A warrior slipped through and raced toward Helios, and in one swift motion, Helios flashed a holy light that sent the warrior running back the way he came. He fell over himself and ran straight into the swinging blades and death. His comrades were already being burned alive by my flaming sphere. At last they fell.
We stopped to catch our breath. As we looked at the bodies and at each other, we noticed that most of the damage we had taken had not come from enemies. Iceborn took the most significant damage from the Shadar-kai, but Kriv’s only injury was a minor burn I had inflicted and I was bruised up from Iceborn’s attack. The streets were quiet again. People slowly returned to see if the Shadar-kai had been defeated. There was a tension in the air and you could hear a heartbeat.
“Is this a party or what?” I shouted as I stomped off toward the festival area, trying to break up the silence.
