Alora eyes open in a dank and dark dungeon. The smell of iron lingers heavy in the air. Where is she? As she begins to stir, her clothes feel heavy and large. Why are her clothes not her own, and why are they so incredibly large? Looking up, her gaze is met with a the kind face of an elf she does not know. Behind her a bloodied half orc stares intently at the now 10 year old Alora. Whether it be the reincarnation, her mind forgetting everything past her 10 year old self, or the new environment, it is all too much for her younger self to bare. Alora’s vision blurs as she falls unconscious.
Dorus lies asleep in a grave after many nights of restlessness. Fay sits with Alora waiting for her friend to awaken. Nom and Mokon are bored and decide that a little exploration is in order, after all, they hadn’t seen this entire dungeon and well… It's time to change that.
Nom and Mokon begin to explore. They come across two small crypts with very little of interest. (Although, at a later time, Mokon does find a pretty sweet regal scepter that, thinking it may be cursed, kicks back to Fay who immediately picks it up. Sighhhhhhh.)
In the second crypt Mokon spies a broken wall and a faint path heading into the rock. Mokon discusses next steps with Fay, while Nom decides actions speak louder than words and walks into the cavernous tunnel finding a deep stairwell. She begins to walk blindly downward… for a while. Then opting for backup and a sight goes back for Mokon and a torch.
Fay, Dorus, and a pre-teen Alora wait inside an underground, and hopefully non-occupied, cemetery. A glowing barrier shields the entryway except for a Mokon created large hole in the nearby wall that Nom is currently filling with stones and debris as a means to hide access to her friends.
Mokon and Nom venture downward together with torch in hand. Spiral after spiral the two make their way downward in the enclosed stairwell until it eventually opens to a huge cavern. A thin stone walkway turns to the left while bottomless pits line both sides. (Nom knows this because, thinking ahead she grabbed two torches, one of which she tosses into the chasm and watches as the light disappears into the darkness -- never reaching a bottom.) They inch forward. Nom, who is the most prone to instant gratification in the group, stops in her tracks. And in a very un-Nomlike manner tells Mokon they should wait for the group. Until she sees a dim red light at the end of the path. Like a moth to a flame she goes toward the light while Mokon waits behind. When she reaches her destination she sees the dim red light coming from an ominous gold laden viper sculpture with fangs outstretched -- a statue she has seen on the first floor of the tower above and similar to the Malaak’s cauldron. As she approaches the red light brightens. In front of her stands a wall of gold and brass with a massive golden door in its center. Nom, using all the willpower she possesses, takes a deep breath and walks back to Mokon telling him in detail what she had seen. Concluding they should have the rest of their group, they venture upward to regroup with their party.
Meanwhile, Alora has awoken. Fay takes the time to describe in detail their last months in Grimshackle, the friends she’s forgotten, her death and resurrection, and why there is a vampiric elephant man in a grave beside her amongst other intricacies that a ten year old would understand. Alora seems to understand although it is almost surreal. Just then the rocks in Mokon made hole in the wall begin to crumble. Kicking their way through, Mokon and Nom rejoin the group. Nom feels a wriggle on her back as Chester, realizing who Alora is for the first time, jumps off her back and rushes toward the youngster -- all six legs, six eyes, large teeth, bulbous tongue, and a lot of slobber. Alora recoils and closes her eyes expecting the worst. Until, she feels a slimy tongue on her arm and a heaviness resting against her. Alora opens her eyes once more to a very happy and thankful Chester blinking wildly up at her. Alora falls in love with Chester once again. (This is the point that Mokon wanders off once more and finds the gem-laiden regal staff.)
The crew decides a long rest is in order, and why not? They seem to be in a pretty safe underground cemetery known to have fleshy beasts and vampire spawn running amok. Fay takes watch as the others sleep. Alora shivers from the damp earth trying her best to sleep. She feels Chester begin to wriggle then a thick soft covering lays over her body. She opens her eyes to what appears to be a fur-like pelt complete with six eyes and a pot belly covering her body. Her hand pets Chester as they all drift off to sleep.
Hours later the group is refreshed and ready to face Huther. When Alora stands everyone realizes she is just a bit taller and her face is not quite as round as it was before. Alora has memories up to 15. She remembers being smaller before going to sleep, but her memories feel as though they had always been there. They make their way upward -- out of the dungeon with the 4th floor of the tower as their destination. They stop briefly at the top of the second floor stairway to briefly investigate a Torin created portal to another… place. A warm light beams from within. Brightly colored flora and fauna speckle a lush forest with towering trees -- the exact opposite of the place they are currently. They move on, stopping only briefly to talk to Echo and Torin. Torin is very excited to see a young Alora spreading his charm as thick as he can. Alora is not impressed. With a little encouragement he tries his hand at magic once more. Reciting some garbled words and making spastic hand movements the group watches as the 8 year old halfling’s pants shorten ever so slightly as he grows slightly taller. Torin's voice cracks “Did it work?” Torin can almost feel the pimples beginning to form as he flirts with Alora once more. Alora is still not interested. The group asks Echo to come with them, but he is bound to protect Torin in duty, but also because being in close proximity to Torin is the only place he feels like himself… and he has no idea why. Torin, still trying to impress begins to relay Echo’s stories of his past where he fought an evil Lich who controlled a death dragon and that he and his family had beaten the lich with their own dragons which was made possible by four necklaces of powerful magic. And that Echo had taken the four necklaces to protect his family. Torin can talk pretty fast so it took a second for Echo to shut him down saying,”Please remember Torin some stories are best kept between you and I.” A strong stare is the initiated by the tattooed dwarf. Torin respectfully agrees. Realizing once more they have a Huther-centric mission they continue upwards.
Once on the fourth floor they see Huther once more. Humming and fiddling with various containers of liquids and reagents. “Oh, hi guys, what’s the good word? I’m just doing some 'speriments. Want to help?” The group sees three small children floating in a vat of red liquid. Mokon brother Nordrum still waits motionless in an adjacent vat of green. Mokon walks forward, but is stopped by Huther once more. “None of that now. He is one of Huther’s prized subjects. Most of them die or go really wonky, but not him. He’s pretty great.” The group has had enough of Huther and begins to rush forward. “Hold on one second. Before you go all choppy choppy magic magic on Huther look at what he has.” Huther produces a vial of silvery liquid. This right here can fix old Dorry to be his old self, but only for a little bit. You’ll need old Huther to make more or Dorry stays all vamped up. You don’t think Huther would be in a den of vamps without having a backup plan. Do you?” Dorus, feeling his humanity crawl to the surface, sees an opportunity to reverse his vampirism quickly approaches the abomination of tendrils and bone. Dorus opens his mouth wide as Huther tips the vial. “Just one drop.” Nom tries to grab the vial from Huther’s hands, but it is dropped and shatters across the floor just as a single drop lands on Dorus' tongue. Dorus feels a strange sensation in his chest. Then another. And another. His heart begins to beat for the first time in a long time. He feels his ideals and personality return. And for an instant, his first reaction is to kill Huther. And as quickly as his humanity returned, it recedes. The group begins to attack once more. As Huther produces another vial from an unknown location, but this time it does not stop the onslaught. “Dorus, think you could help out a pal? Your friends are crazy.” Dorus, knowing Huther has a cure and his so-called friends have been somewhat against him lately, decides to help Huther. Alora, never having been in a battle before, begins to sneak around trying to locate the silver vials. Nom and Mokon are in full on attack mode. And Fay has a little surprise for Huther as she transforms into a giant tyrannosaurus rex of which she had seen for a brief moment in the time dilation bubble many moons ago. While Dorus does his best to defend the savior of his future, Huther, in a small alchemist room on the fourth floor of a tower located somewhere in the Shadowfell.