They looked up and saw an adult blue dragon circling around in the air above their heads. It was looking right at them.
"Spread out, and don't be in a line!" screamed Borovik. "And don't use lightning against it!"
"Wait!" called Talis. "Let me cast Bless on the party first."
She cast Bless on the party and then they spread out so the blue dragon would have a harder time hitting more than 1 or 2 of them at a time with its breath weapon. They prepared to respond in case the dragon made an aggressive move.
Before long the dragon swooped down low over the party, getting to within about 100 ft. of them. People in the village screamed and ran for cover as they saw it flying down out of the sky.
Bree fired her shortbow, but the dragon was far enough away that the arrow began to lose speed and drop before reaching the dragon. The shot went wide. Neega fired her longbow twice and one arrow embedded itself in the dragon's shoulder. Borovik cast Phantasmal Killer at the dragon, attempting to do psychic damage, but the dragon had the presence of mind to shrug off the spell. Likewise, the dragon resisted Kellen's Hold Monster spell. Neither Mara nor Frostbite were close enough to the dragon to do their prepared attacks. Preston launched his Fire Bolt spell and hit, burning the dragon.
At its closest approach, the dragon did a Frightful Presence action, then flew back up into the air without getting into melee range. Borovik, Kellen and Preston succumbed to the Frightened affect. The dragon continued to circle high above their heads.
"Thieves!" it bellowed at them. "Return to me the Blue Dragon Mask that you stole!"
The dragon flew around above, waiting for an answer from the party. It was now far enough away so that none of the spells could reach it. However, there was still a possibility that arrows could reach it, although with reduced probability of hitting. Bree hit, despite being so far away from the dragon. Neega missed with both her shots. The magic users prepared to cast spells if the dragon returned. Kellen moved over next to Borovik and cast Heroism on him, making him immune to the Frightened condition, and Borovik was freed from the dragon's Frightful Presence effect. Preston managed to shake off the Frightened condition by himself. Meanwhile, Talis watched carefully to tend to wounds as the party suffered them.
As the dragon continued to circle overhead, both Bree and Neega fired their bows again. More arrows lodged in its hide. Once it realized the party was not going to give up the Blue Dragon Mask, the dragon once again swooped low over the party, intending to use its Lightning Breath weapon against them to further intimidate them. It came down low to the ground and found a position from which it could target 3 of the party members with its breath. The party let loose with their prepared spells as it got close. Borovik cast Magic Missiles at the maximum amount of magical energy he could put into it. Eight darts of force damage slammed into the dragon, and it roared loudly from pain. What looked like an enormous bruise spread across its chest. Mara cast her Sunbeam spell, and because the dragon was in the air, she avoided hitting teammates with the beam. Although the dragon dodged and avoided the worst of the injury, it was still scorched by radiant energy. However, it was not blinded. Preston used 3 charges of his Wand of Magic Missiles and threw 5 darts of force at the dragon.
Although Preston's attack had put the dragon in serious danger, it released its lightning breath. Mara. Neega and Borovik were all hit.
"Mara!" shrieked Talis, as she saw her lover stiffen at the lightning blast and nearly fall to her knees.
Borovik likewise received the full blast. Neega's dodge combined with her Barbarian resistance, prevented her from taking much damage. Talis cast Mass Cure Wounds on the affected party members and relieved a good deal of their injuries.
The severely injured dragon realized that it needed to flee. However, it had used up a good deal of time getting itself into position and didn't have time to fly very far away. Neega and Bree fired their bows and more blood flowed from the new arrow wounds. Borovik did another Magic Missiles spell, this time throwing 7 magical darts. This finally did in the dragon, and it fell to earth with a loud thud.
Talis ran over and embraced Mara, tears running down her face. The other injured party members gathered around, and Talis cast Cure Wounds on them to finish their healing.
The townsfolk rushed out to see the dead dragon and marveled that the party had entered the magic maze and returned alive. They peppered the heroes with questions about what happened.
Borovik answered, "We retrieved the mask, but the man we were trying to rescue was killed by the cultists before we could reach him."
"Are there any cultists left in the tower?" asked one person.
"No. We killed them all."
"Did you see any sign of Xonthal?" asked another.
"No, it doesn't look like he's been there in many years, if not decades."
"How did you make it through the maze?" asked yet another.
"There were many puzzles that had to be solved while advancing through the maze. I will write down he solutions to the puzzles, in case you want to go there yourselves. But beware. The dungeon below the tower is extremely dangerous, and you shouldn't go there."
The party decided to spend the night in the Xonthal Tower Village, rather than immediately teleport back to Waterdeep. They needed to consult with the townsfolk about tower access and about ways of keeping the Cult of the Dragon from re-occupying it. Besides that, they were weary from the daylong search of the tower.
Town furriers cut the hide off the dragon, which they knew they could sell to a dragonhide armorer for a good price. Town butchers cut up the body of the dragon to extract the meat. The entire town salivated at the thought of a dragon meat feast the next day.
After answering the questions of the townsfolk, Borovik contacted Laeral Silverhand through the Sending spell and told her, "Blue Mask recovered. Iskander dead. Tower cleared of cultists. Council must decide how to secure tower form further cult occupation."
Laeral responded, "Good job. Will consult with Lords' Alliance and Order of the Gauntlet about securing tower."
The party met with the town council and explained how the maze could be navigated to get to the tower, as well as how to use the teleportation circles inside the tower to move from floor to floor. They handed over the key that allowed access to the dungeon but explained that the dangers there were sufficiently dire that no one should go into it.
The townsfolk asked that the heroes stay an extra day so they could attend the feast and celebrate the defeat of the dragon and the liberation of the tower. The party agreed.
Back in their room, Talis and Mara removed their armor and all but their tunics. Talis lay down in the bed next to Mara. Tears formed in her eyes.
"Baby," she said, "I was so scared when I saw that dragon's lightning breath hit you."
"But you took care of me, dear," responded Mara.
She rolled over and stroked Talis' face. The smell of sweat on Talis' skin was alluring. She kissed Talis' lips gently, savoring the saltiness, then kissed with more urgency. Talis moaned softly and gently stroked Mara's lips with her tongue.
Talis pulled Mara over on top of her. The feel of bare flesh against hers sent shivers through her entire body. Mara began to kiss her neck and slipped a hand underneath Talis' tunic, fondling her breast.
"Your tunic is in the way," whispered Mara.
"Then help me take it off," grinned Talis.
Talis sat up and Mara pulled the tunic over her head, following up by removing her own tunic. Talis lay back down and moaned as Mara kissed her breast. Mara lightly ran her fingers over Talis' belly and down to her thighs.
As Talis' desire rose, she gripped Mara's shoulders and arched her back. Her breathing became heavier.
"Oh, Mara!" she cried.
Mara stroked Talis' leg more firmly and moved to kiss Talis' belly. Her own desire rose as she felt the rise and fall of Talis' breathing. She moved her hand to the inside of Talis' thigh and tickled the soft flesh there.
Talis moaned again and spread her legs.
"Now, Mara! Now!" she cried.
Mara shifted to get between Talis' legs and applied her tongue to bring Talis to a fever pitch. Talis breathed faster and groaned several times. Then her entire body tensed, and she cried out loudly as she released. Mara laid her head on Talis' chest and listened to her heart beating furiously as the passion maintained its hold on her for a short time. Talis finally began to breathe more slowly and come back to awareness of her surroundings.
"Baby, you were in a hurry tonight!" Mara cooed.
"I guess I was," laughed Talis, stroking Mara's hair. "So, how would you like it?"
Mara grinned. "Tease me," she said. "I want a slow build up."
"You got it. Roll over. I'll start with a back rub."
Mara did so, and Talis straddled her hips to start massaging her back. Mara felt the heat of Talis' body, still wet from passion, against her buttocks. Her own passion rose in response.
After a short massage, Talis rolled her over and began to lightly stroke her breasts and belly occasionally straying lower. She placed kisses over Mara's chest and midsection, tickling with her tongue. The occasional nip at her breast caused Mara to groan with pleasure.
Talis now moved her ministrations lower, and covered Mara's thighs with kisses. Slowly she began to concentrate on the sensitive inner thigh, noting Mara's increased rate of breathing. Inching upward, she neared the center of Mara's passion and blew lightly.
"Hahhhhh!" Mara cried out as desire coursed through her brain.
But Talis then backed off and went back to kissing her thighs.
"Oh, Talis! You are wicked!" cried Mara.
"It's what you said you wanted," Talis giggled.
She continued kissing the inside of Mara's thighs, occasionally reaching up with her hand to tease her further.
At last, Mara could stand it no longer.
"Talis! Do it!" she cried.
Talis complied and Mara groaned loudly as she fell under the power of pleasure. Several grunts later she began to relax, and dreamily looked down at Talis, still between her legs.
"Baby," she whispered. "Come up here and lie beside me."
Talis rose from her kneeling position and lay down next to Mara. They kissed and chatted briefly, then fell asleep in each other's arms.
That night Talis had a dream about a dragon. A huge dragon. Larger than Ralazrad. Larger than Otaaryliakkarnos. It was about 180 ft. long, covered with platinum covered scales. Its blue eyes twinkled as it gazed at her
"Bahumut?" Talis whispered fearfully.
"Yes, Talis, my child," said the dragon. "I have messages for you."
"I'm listening, My Lord," said Talis, bowing her head.
Bahamut approached Talis and softly nuzzled her with his enormous snout. Talis was stunned at now gentle one so large could be.
He then began his messages, "You have proven yourself worthy, and I am convinced of your commitment to Good. From now on, you'll be one of my full clerics. You'll have access to all cleric spells, including offensive battle spells."
"Thank you, My Lord," responded Talis, tears forming in her eyes and her heart nearly bursting with joy.
"The second message is that you are preparing to face enemies that are far stronger than those you've already faced. In particular, you may have to face Tiamat herself in battle. Be assured that she will be very dangerous. And be aware that she now especially hates you for your betrayal of her. She may target you specifically. In upcoming battles be flexible. Sometimes the group will need you to heal, sometimes your offensive spells will be needed."
"My Lord, I'm frightened."
"I know. But I'll be watching over you. Remember, as a full cleric, you will now have access to the Divine Intervention ability. So, you can request help in dire situations. And don't forget, you now have permission to use the Turn Undead ability. And you may use the Divine Strike ability to deal extra radiant energy if you hit an opponent with your weapon."
"Thank you, My Lord," Talis said humbly.
"I will let you return to sleep now. You need your rest after the battles of yesterday. Be strong, my child."
Bahamut nuzzled her face once more and vanished. The dream ended and she slept peacefully for the rest of the night.
The entire town awoke at daybreak and began building fires in the town square to cook the dragon meat. Large pots and pans were brought out to brown the meat and boil it into stew. Tables were brought out and dozens of potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables were cut up to add to the pots. Some folks baked loaves of bread. Others prepared sweet desserts. Tavern owners rolled out casks of ale. The entire morning was spent in preparing the feast. By midday, it was ready, and tables were set for the town to sit down and eat. They asked Kellen to sing some of his ballads about their previous exploits. He also threw in bawdy songs and dance tunes. It was nearly sundown by the time the celebration wrapped up.
The next morning, Kellen prepared a teleportation circle to return them to a corresponding circle in the Hall of the Wizards Guild in Waterdeep. They reported to Laeral Silverhand and handed over the Blue Dragon Mask so that it could be examined. They described their adventures in Xonthal's Tower, and Borovik explained to Laeral how to navigate the maze and the tower.
Back in their quarters on the ship in the harbor at Mistshore, they divided up the spoils from the latest quest. The Belt of Hill Giant Strength went to Frostbite for his hoard, as well as did most of the gems. One of the gems was 500 gp diamond and Talis claimed that as a consumable material component for the Raise Dead spell. Kellen got the Helm of Teleportation, and the Cloak of Protection went to Bree. Dividing the up coins gave each of them an additional 160pp and 235gp.
The party felt as if their experiences had led to increases in their power. All characters felt that the amount of injury they could suffer before falling unconscious had increased. Bree got a boost in her chances to make successful attacks, apply her rogue skills, avoid spells cast at her and to avoid getting hit in battle. Neega got the ability to take an additional melee attack if one of her strikes knocked an enemy unconscious. In addition, she got the ability to take some increased chance of missing on a hit in exchange for more damage done upon hitting. Preston saw an increase in the chance of his spells hitting and swapped out the See Invisibility spell for the Scorching Ray spell. Kellen learned a ritual to inspire his comrades for battle and give the entire group additional maximum health. Borovik got an increase in the ability of his ranged spells, doubling their range and making him able to ignore all but full cover. He learned the Chill Touch cantrip, the Chain Lightning spell and the Otiluke's Freezing Sphere spell. Mara gained greater probability that she would maintain concentration on a spell even when injured during battle. She gained the ability to perform required motions of a spell even if she didn't have a free hand. She could now use a spell for an attack of opportunity, rather than just a melee attack. Talis got access to level higher level spells and saw an increase in the total amount of magical energy she had to spend per day.
As they sat around discussing their increased abilities, Laeral Silverhand sent a courier to deliver a message to the heroes' quarters to the derelict ship. It informed them that they should prepare for the trip to Thay within a tenday. The Thayan wizards would teleport them to the meeting and back to Waterdeep, so there would be no need for a long journey. They were glad of the reprieve from another trip of several tendays, but this did not decrease their anxiety about the trip to negotiate with the Thayans.
The next morning, Frostbite left the ship and flew toward the Castle Ward. Curiously, he had a pouch on a lanyard around his neck.
"Where are you going?" asked Talis.
"Just flying around to stretch my wings" he said. "I shouldn't be gone more than a couple of hours."
He returned before lunch. Seeking out Talis, he announced, "I bought a present for you."
He handed her the pouch he was carrying. Inside she found 5 small packages, each of which contained a collection of small diamonds.
"Each package contains 300gp worth of diamonds, enough for one casting of the Revivify spell," he informed her.
"Oh, Frostbite," Talis cried. "Thank you! You didn't have to buy this for me!"
"I didn't have to, but I wanted to," he responded.
Talis hugged him and he nuzzled her face.
The party realized that they also needed to go shopping with their newfound wealth and upgrade their equipment in preparation for the upcoming battle at the Well of the Dragons. They set out for the large Market in the Castle Ward.
The first stop was the magical supply stall, where Mara was informed that the gem encrusted bowl for the Heroes Feast had arrived. She handed over the fee and received the bowl, carefully padded and wrapped up to keep it safe from breakage.
"That is an expensive spell," commented the shopkeeper. "What in the world do you need it for?"
Mara replied, "In short order the Phandalin Heroes will have to go do battle with the Cult of the Dragon at the Well of Dragons to stop the ritual to summon Tiamat. On that day, I will cast the spell for our group to give them increased battle prowess for 8 hours."
The shop keeper grimaced at the reminder of the grave danger currently facing all of Faerûn.
"May Amaunator give you courage and success," he said.
Kellen then made purchase of 4 more sets of the special gem infused chalks and inks for the Teleportation Circle spell.
Next, they went to the armorer shop, where Bree, and Kellen purchased studded leather armor. Mara and Talis both ordered +1 shields, which would be ready in 2 tendays. Then, to the weapons dealer. Bree ordered a +1 shortsword, Kellen ordered a +1 rapier, and Talis ordered a +1 spear. Again, these would be available in 2 tendays. Finally, they visited the gem merchant, where Kellen and Talis both purchased 500 gp diamonds for the Raise Dead spell. Talis got 4 of them, and Kellen bought 1.
A couple of nights later, the whole group had gone to sleep. Frostbite had decided to sleep in the cargo hold with his hoard. A little after midnight, Talis and Mara were awakened by a horrible shriek.
"It sounds like Frostbite!" Talis cried.
Mara responded, "Let's get down to the hold and see if he's alright!"
Without bothering to get dressed, they ran out of their cabin and headed to the hatch leading to the hold. On the way, they were met by the other party members, also coming to investigate the noise. Once in the hold, they found Frostbite huddled next to his hoard, sobbing.
"Frostbite! What's wrong?" cried Talis, running over and stroking his head.
"Oh, Talis!" he wailed. "I dreamed that we were having a battle with Tiamat, and she killed you!"
"It was just a bad dream, Frostbite," Talis comforted him. "I'm here and still alive."
The other party members likewise gathered near to comfort him. He gradually calmed, and his outburst was reduced to whimpering and sniffling. After he settled down a bit, he decided to spend the rest of the night sleeping in the cabin with Talis and Mara.
In preparation for their journey to Thay, a contingent of Harper agents came to see them at their ship. Harper agents were everywhere, and they were uniquely suited to give the party intelligence on the Red Wizards.
"How much do you folks know about Thay and the Thayan wizards?" their leader asked the group.
"I know a little," said Borovik. "I know the Thayans are some of the most powerful wizards in Faerûn, and are led by the lich, Szass Tam."
"That's correct. Their land is atop a windswept plateau about 2500 miles east of Waterdeep. It's a dreary land, whose skies are continually clouded by volcanic ash. And the place is full of undead. Anyone of consequence is a spell caster. Necromancy is especially popular."
"What do we need to know to negotiate with them?" asked Kellen.
"Whomever you will be dealing with, you must show them proper deference. Call them by their proper titles at all times, never by their names. Never say anything negative about arcane spell casting, and especially not about necromancy. If you step out of line, you will be in great danger. They are a suspicious lot, and the kingdom is rife with intrigue. It's a very hierarchical society, and everyone is closely watched. Watch what you say and don't go anywhere you aren't given specific permission to go."
"Do we have any way of ensuring they won't harm us while we're there?" Mara asked.
"We have only their word. We will arrange for you to have sealed orders signed by both the Lords of Waterdeep and the head of the Lords' Alliance that say you are acting on their behalf. But in the event of a betrayal, there is no guarantee that they could successfully come to your aid. Once you are in Thay, you will be on your own."
The heroes nodded and thanked the Harper agents for information. They made the rest of their preparations without speaking much about the upcoming mission.
On the appointed day, they met Laeral Silverhand at the Palace. The Thayan delegate, Nyh Ilmichh, was there, as well. Laeral handed each of them their sealed orders. Nyh then teleported them to the meeting place in Thay. They found themselves in a well-appointed keep. Nyh explained to them that they were in the Nethwatch Keep, in the Tharch of Lapendrar. They would be given an audience with the leader of the Tharch, Eseldra Yeth.
"Always refer to her as Tharchion Yeth," explained Nyh. "It's the proper way of addressing a leader of Thay."
They were shown to their quarters, which were quire luxurious rooms, and told they could freshen up prior to the audience with Tharchion Yeth.
"Will we be safe here?" worried Preston.
"Of course," responded Nyh. "Our security is superb. Even the Cult of the Dragon would be afraid to attack you here. Your audience with Tharchion Yeth will be in a couple of hours. I will come fetch you at the appointed time."
They had three rooms assigned to them, but they gathered together in one room to discuss their situation.
"Did any of you notice that every one of the servants is undead?" shuddered Bree. "I didn't see a living person aside from Nyh."
"Yeah," responded Talis. "They really are into necromancy here."
"Is anyone else scared?" asked Frostbite, timidly.
"Yeah, we all are," confirmed Borovik.
They tried to chat to distract themselves from their anxieties but had little success. After a while, Nyh returned and collected the heroes.
"Tharchion Yeth will see you now," she announced, and led them to the audience hall.
Once in the hall, they saw that Tharchion Yeth was a human female vampire. Standing around her were 10 Red Wizards and she was guarded by 5 wights. She sat down at the head of a large table and bid the heroes to sit down at the table, as well. Nyh handed her the sealed orders given to the party members and she briefly scanned them. Then she began to speak.
"We find ourselves bound in common cause against common enemies. Those who sought to destroy us in ages past now seek to destroy you. Our thirst for vengeance is strong, as is your thirst for continued life.
"Our enemy has become your enemy. We know their weaknesses and the ways of destroying them forever, without destroying their usefulness. You have the opportunity to discover their hiding places in your struggle against their cult allies. Together, we can remove them as a threat to us both.
"Our agent, Nyh Ilmichh, will return with you to your city of Waterdeep, there to serve as our liaison to your council. What you learn of the enemy, she will relay to us by means of our own. You need only find the enemy. We will deal with them, as is our custom.
"I am authorized by our eternal master, Szass Tam, to say these things, for I act in his name."
Looking around, Tharchion Yeth carefully studied the party members. She directed her first question to Borovik.
"Borovik Stayanoga, what do you know of the activities of the exiled Red Wizards to help summon Tiamat?"
"Tharchion Yeth, we recovered some letters between Rath Modar and Cult of the Dragon leaders that laid out the plans for Modar's group of exiled wizards to perform the actual summoning ritual for the cult. Once Tiamat is in the material plane, he plans to ask her to help overthrow Szass Tam."
Addressing Kellen, Tharchion Yeth asked, "Kellen of Clan Daergal, has your party actually observed Red Wizards in the company of Cult of the Dragon members?"
"We have, Tharchion Yeth. On two occasions. While we were tracking the treasure stolen from the town of Phandalin, we observed a Red Wizard at Castle Naerytar, which was a way point on the path to get the treasure to the Well of Dragons. We also observed 2 Red Wizards on board the Flying Castle, which was being used to ferry the treasure on the last leg of its journey to the ritual site. One of those two wizards was Rath Modar. We engaged them in battle, but Rath Modar managed to flee before we killed him."
Tharchion Yeth nodded, then turned to Talis, "Talis Kasterel, up until recently, you were a Cleric of Tiamat, and a high-level officer in the Cult of the Dragon. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Tharchion Yeth. That is correct."
"What do you know of the plans to summon Tiamat."
"Tharchion, I know that the cult will conduct the ritual at the Well of Dragons. They are amassing a large hoard to present to her when she arrives. They have also kidnapped hundreds of people to be sacrificed for the ritual. They have found some powerful magical artifacts that will be used in the ritual. And, because the cult members do not have sufficient arcane knowledge to conduct the ritual, they are using the exiled Red Wizards to do this. At this point, they are nearly ready to begin the ritual, and I expect that most of the cultists are currently at the Well of Dragons. I expect that the Red Wizards are there, as well."
"I do notice that you are no longer carrying a holy symbol of Tiamat, but rather one of a different deity. Who do you follow now?"
"I am now a Cleric of Bahamut, Tharchion."
Tharchion Yeth now addressed Bree, "Bree Thorngage, does your party possess a map of the Well of Dragons?"
"No, we do not, Tharchion," responded Bree. "Once we get there, we will have to find our way around. We hope to get some help from renegade white dragons who oppose the attempt to summon Tiamat and who are infiltrating the site."
It was now Mara's turn to be questioned. "Mara Evenwood, I perceive that you are a Druid. You have a holy symbol inscribed on your yew wand. Do you worship any deity in particular?"
"Yes, Tharchion, I worship Mother Moon," Mara responded.
Finally, the tharchion turned to Neega, "Neega the Sword Bearer, what do you know of the battle methods of the exiled Red Wizards?"
Neega replied, "Tharchion, we have only had one battle with them. In the battle, they exclusively employed magic, never melee or ranged weapons. I suspect that they are not the sorts to fight to the death but would attempt to flee if the battle was going against them."
Tharchion Yeth had no more questions to ask and dismissed the party. Nyh led them back to their rooms and told them the servants would serve them a fine meal. She would meet with them in the morning. After eating, they retired to their rooms and went to bed.
That night Neega had a dream. She was in the presence of 3 Red Wizards, with a dozen more standing around as observers. Clad only in the tunic she wore to bed, she found herself bound in place. Tentacles rising from the floor bound her feet and legs. Animated chains hanging from the ceiling grasped her wrists and held her hands above her head.
"What's going on?" she demanded.
"We have further questions for you," said one of the wizards, who seemed to be in charge.
"Where is Preston?"
"We will ask the questions, and you will answer them."
Neega panicked at the thought that Preston might be in danger, and she was determined to escape and go find him. She went into a rage and struggled mightily to get free of her bonds. All in vain. The bonds held tight. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she realized she wouldn't be able to help Preston, wherever he might be.
The wizard lifted his hand, made a gesture and spoke an arcane phrase. Immediately, Neega felt an intense pain course through her entire body, as if her blood were boiling. She sagged against the bonds, panting heavily.
"Don't try to escape," said the wizard. "You will be released once the interrogation is finished."
After consulting with the 2 wizards beside him, the interrogator turned back to Neega and asked," Tell me why your party came to Thay."
Gathering her strength, Neega answered, "We came at the request of the Thayans. We're here to negotiate for your participation in the alliance with the Council of Waterdeep in our efforts to stop Tiamat from being summoned to the Material Plane."
One of the wizards next to the interrogator called out, "One false answer!"
The interrogator again cast a spell, and Neega was rocked as a lightning spell hit her. The pain wasn't as intense as the first spell, but still left her shaken.
"Why did you do that?" she complained. "I told you the truth."
"We will be the judge of that," replied the interrogator. "Now, what do you know of Rath Modar?"
Sighing, Neega answered, "Only that he is a Red Wizard who has been exiled from Thay. He has offered to conduct the summoning ritual for the Cult of the Dragon in the hopes that Tiamat will help him overthrow Szass Tam."
Again, the tally counter called out, "Two false answers!"
Neega was once again subjected to the lightning spell. She began to think the interrogation was merely an excuse to torment her. She wondered if her companions were undergoing the same treatment. Her heart ached at the thought that the Red Wizards might also be interrogating Preston.
"What do you know of the plans of the Cult of the Dragon?" continued the interrogator.
With little enthusiasm and growing anger, Neega responded, "They intend to conduct a ritual at the Well of Dragons to summon Tiamat to the Material Plane. They have amassed a huge hoard to present to her. They have kidnapped hundreds of people to serve as sacrifices. They are summoning chromatic dragons to the site for the event. They are having Rath Modar lead the actual ritual."
Once again, the announcement was made, "Three false answers!" Neega was once again hit by the lightning spell. By now she had had enough. She determined to answer any question very briefly, in the hope that the wizards would tire of the game and release her.
"Tell me about your background," the interrogator said.
"I'm a Barbarian," Neega responded.
The interrogator raised his eyebrows at her short answer, then turned to the tally counter. The question was judged to be falsely answered and Neega received another electric jolt. She hung her head in discouragement. How long would this go on? Did they intend to kill her? The party had made a big mistake agreeing to come here.
"Tell me about your companions' backgrounds," said the interrogator.
"Kellen is a Bard. Mara is a Druid. Talis is a Cleric and Frostbite is her dragon companion. Bree is a Rogue. Preston is a Mage. Borovik is a Wizard."
Again, the wizards judged the answer to be false and Neega received the electric punishment. The interrogator asked 3 more questions, to each of which Neega gave curt, but truthful, answers. The wizards judged all 3 of the questions to have been answered falsely and she was shocked 3 more times.
Finally, the interrogator announced, "The interrogation is finished. You are released now."
She woke up in her bed, screaming and drenched in sweat. It had been a nightmare. A terrible nightmare! Neega noticed blood stains on the sheet where she had been sleeping. However, she wasn't able to find any wounds on her body that might explain that.
She looked over to make sure Preston was okay. He was asleep but cried out in his sleep. She tried to awaken him, since it seemed he was also having a bad dream. But she couldn't wake him up. It was almost as if he were in a coma. She lay back down dispiritedly and tried to figure out what to do. Suddenly Preston sat bolt upright, his face twisted in pain and fear.
"Preston!" she called. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, Neega" he said, burying his face in his hands and beginning to cry. "I had the most horrible dream I have ever had in my life!"
"You, too?" she asked. "What was yours about?"
"The Red Wizards were interrogating me, and they didn't believe a word I said, even though I spoke the truth. Every time they didn't like my answer, they cast a spell on me that caused intense pain. I thought they were going to kill me!"
"I had the same dream. They must have cast spells on us and invaded out dreams. They didn't believe a word I said, either. It almost seems they were using the interrogation as an excuse to torture us."
They embraced and cried in each other's arms. Lying back down, they comforted each other and tried to get some sleep. But sleep did not come easily for the 2 traumatized people.
The next morning, they arose from bed, felling little refreshment from the long rest. Their weary eyes sported dark circles and their faces were deathly pale. Meeting with the rest of the party, they noticed that Bree, Borovik and Kellen also appeared to be exhausted, despite just having taken a rest. Talis and Mara looked much better rested.
They traded stories of the dream interrogation among themselves. Talis and Mara seemed to have been spared the ordeal. Everyone else experienced the same bondage as Neega and Preston, along with the same painful punishment for any answer that didn't satisfy the wizards. Bree and Kellen had much better luck convincing the Red Wizards of the truthfulness of their answers, so they received far fewer punishments.
"Mara, Talis, how did you avoid the horrible interrogations the rest of us had?" asked Neega.
Mara shook her head, then said, "I don't know, but I had the strange sensation as I was falling asleep that someone was trying to enter my thoughts. I resisted it and the attempt stopped."
"Same here," Talis said. "I do remember having frightening dream snippets where various ones of our party were crying out in pain. But no interrogation."
Shaking their heads at the senselessness of their treatment, they wearily gathered their belongings in preparation for being teleported back to Waterdeep. They were served a fine breakfast and led into the audience chamber. Nyh Ilmichh and one of the other wizards present at the meeting the day before met them there.
Nyh addressed them, "Tharchion Yeth thanks you for coming to an audience with her and for the information you have provided us. However, we will not be able to ally ourselves with the Council of Waterdeep to fight the ritual to summon Tiamat. We have other, more pressing matters to attend to within our own borders."
The heroes looked at each other in disbelief. However, before they could ask any questions, the wizard accompanying Nyh made an arcane gesture and a previously invisible teleportation circle flared into life around them. They found themselves and their gear instantly transported to an abandoned, ruined farmhouse. The teleportation circle into which they had been sent faded out of view as they stood there.