We last left our heroes facing down a creature that seemed to be from somewhere else. Though roughly humanoid in shape, it seemed to flicker into and out of reality. Some attacks seemed to partially pass through it while others seemed to hit solidly. It seemed drawn to Kyrsta and her magic, and as it assailed her, she continually held her head as her memorized spells seemed to slip away. After her spells failing her, or when she did manage to cast a spell properly, it seemingly not affecting the creature, she decided to flee from the creature, but to no avail. She eventually fell to its onslaught. As she fell, Albrecht rushed to her aid and found her still alive, though unconscious.
The heroes continued their brave stand against this creature from elsewhere, and at one point, in a daring maneuver, Kordan activated his spring boots and tried to assault the creature bodily (this while it was still attacking Kyrsta), and flew through it. After Kyrsta fell, it turned its attentions to the other magical being in the group – Moonshadow. It hit her once and she lost all of her innate magical abilities. Alarmed at her lack of magic abilities, Moonshadow was at a loss and began buzzing around it in an erratic fashion, hoping to strike the creature down in a panic. Luckily, it worked, and it fell to her frantic attacks as the others aided her in the assault. The creature left the world in a similar manner in which it came, with a hissing wail and imploding into a singularity that seemed to lead into non-reality.
Albrecht revived Kyrsta and the group gathered their wits after the rough combat. As they rested, Kyrsta explained that the creature was a Void Splinter, a remnant of the dark goddess that slept in the crystal core of the world, imprisoned due to her madness. They were one of many things that could happen when a wizard cast spells by drawing power from the ley-lines rather than from an eldritch crystal. The group then turned their attention to the cavern across the lake. Moonshadow managed to see a shallow land-bridge under the lake that led straight to the cave. The group took it and entered the mysterious cavern. Within they found that the water formed a horseshoe shape around a small island and ended at a larger piece of land that eventually dropped off into nothingness. On the island was a small sapling, about 3 feet tall that seemed to glow with an inner radiance. The group stopped and marveled at the tree as Moonshadow flew over to the ledge and looked down. With her superior infravision she was able to see something glowing at the bottom, some 1500 feet down. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she went invisible and headed downwards.
She found a HUGE treasure hoard and an equally huge silver body laying on top of it. As she made to leave the very large dragon (twice the size of the largest red dragons), she heard a voice in her head, informing her that he knew she was there, and that she was not alone. He traveled back up to the rest of the group with her and the group saw a sight that none of them could believe. The Silver Dragon Emperor was before them in all its majesty. He spoke with them, warning them of the dark times ahead, and the personal trials that each must face to become the champions that destiny had marked them to become. He also warned them against trusting anyone too easily, then left them to return to its slumber.
Still in awe of the great dragon, the group left the next morning and continued their quest. they made it back to the grove and Celise asked one last favor of them – to take the water and pour it on the roots of the great oak in the center of the grove. They traveled once more into the grove and made their way to the great oak. In the process they avoided spiders, fought an owlbear and two headed death dogs, and avoided two dryads playing at court with ten enthralled human males.
Once at the center Albrecht poured the water onto the oak, which seemed to have an almost immediate effect. The oak sprang back to life, its bark becoming a rich brown again, and the leaves changing back to their normal green color. The forest around them seemed to spring back to life as Barlas, the corrupted druid charged into the clearing demanding to know what the group was doing to his grove. though Moonshadow tried to reason with him, he was too maddened by the corruption and he moved to attack the group. After a short but intense fight, they managed to knock the druid unconscious before he could do any real harm to the group.
A few minutes later a much better looking Celise and Terathas entered the clearing. They thanked the heroes and told them that since they did not kill any of the natural creatures of the grove that they may take a share of the treasure that the dryads had collected over time.
That accomplished the Drakenblades left and began the almost week long trek to Knightswatch Keep which was said to be assaulted by the undead in larger than normal numbers. Little did they know that fate and the spirits of a distant land would need their aid first…