The Bearers of Truth were summoned to the Elven Quarter of Athica by Kalina, the Apprentice of the Prophet.
Once the Bearers were gathered, Kalina told us of a refugee who had just recently entered the Northern Wastes of Tarhyl from Ikisith. According to her, she had received intelligence suggesting this refugee was not only knowledgeable about the operation of the portals between the lands of Kaezul, but he or she had helped build them! Kalina told the Bearers that they should be very wary, as she did not fully trust the source of her information, but did not disclose who her mysterious informant was.
Obviously, this was the chance they had been waiting for. The Bearers immediately put their magic to work to carry themselves across the winds to the Northern Wastes.
They arrived far more confused then they left, for they realized they did not know what this 'portal crafter' looked like. They sought the aid of another Kaezulian refugee in the area, an old Iksar hunter named Zamenth. The Iksar revealed that a dark elf from the lands of Ikisith had indeed come through a portal there recently. The dark elf had spent the night in Zamenth's camp, and left early the next morning. He told the group that the dark elf left in the direction of the tunnel to the Eastern Plaguelands, and had mentioned something about seeing the lands of his people.
The Bearers left Zamenth, in pursuit of the elf. They hid themselves from sight using various means, and stealthily made their way across the inhospitable plaguelands. They entered the darkwoods to find a dark-skinned elf male in a black robe waiting for them. The Bearers, led by a warrior named Darm, surrounded the drow and began to question him. He was not forthcoming about his past or his current objective, but he did reveal that his name was Tethlid. When the Bearers persisted in questioning him, he accused the Bearers of being assassins sent by his 'Great Lord'. Darm immediatlely denied this. Tethlid proceeded to question his questioners to great length in an attempt to devise how they had found him, and how they knew where he would be. Darm steadfastly refused to give any information to Tethlid, to which the dark elf responded by not revealing any information about his past or the portals. This continued for several long minutes of quick conversation.
Eventually, tiring of the exchange of words that seemed to be going nowhere, Tethlid exclaimed that he would have no more of talking to dwarves that could not "use words longer than four letters". At precisely this moment, also tired of the banter, the Iksar monk Ilsos stepped forward and angrily exclaimed, "We know you had a hand in shaping the portals from Iksith to Dalaya, we know you came here from Ikisith. You don't need to know how we know!" Tethlid, appearing happy for some reason, stated that he would talk to no one but Ilsos from that point on. Tethlid then asked why the Bearers had sought him out. Ilsos replied that all of Dalaya was besieged by the Dark Rot, and that he thought Tethlid would know of a way to enter Ikisith to challenge the Heirophant.
Tethlid was very surprised that the citizens of Dalaya knew of the Heirophant and his hand in the creation of the plague. He was more surprised that they knew the cure lay in the Heirophant's defeat. Ilsos offered to Tethlid safety and sanctuary in exchange for help in securing a means to travel to Ikisith. Tethlid said he would consider it if the Bearers would do him a small service.
Tethlid proceeded to describe a necromancer, who was currently within the former dark elven city if Nagthillian. According to Tethlid, this necromancer was raising the honored dead of the dark elves for his own vile purposes. Tethlid had attempting to defeat this necromancer himself, to no avail. The task given to the Bearers was this: Travel to Nagthillian, locate the necromancer, and defeat him. The dark elves of the group, a cleric by the name of Cuwi especially, raised a deafening chorus of dismay at hearing this news and were all too eager to run off in search of the blasphemer.
As the Bearers readied themselves to confront this villian, Tethlid added to their mission. The necromancer had in his possession certain research documents that contained dangerous incantations. The Bearers must return these documents to Tethlid so that they might be destroyed. Several people turned suspicious eyes toward Tethlid at that moment, wondering what stake he had in 'dangerous research', but all agreed to complete the task they were given.
The Bearers finished their preparation and journeyed across the darkwoods, to the foreboding entrance of Nagthillian. Knowing that Nagthillian was filled with a deadly mist, and untold horrors, they gathered their courage and gingerly stepped inside. At the top of a hill overlooking the vast underground wall that guarded the empty city, stood the necromancer. She was obviously female, dressed in bright robes, and alone except for the tome she was holding. The dark elves strode forward as one to confront her. The 'necromancer' turned and demanded to know why the Bearers were in the city. She insisted that none of them belonged there and demanded they leave. The drow angrily insisted that they were in their homeland, and that she should be the one to leave. Several Bearers, the ones untainted by anger, rushed into the fray to attempt to keep the peace, to no avail. The situation quickly degenerated, and the Iksar attacked. The Bearers reacted at once, to protect their comrades, and the Iksar fell before their blades, staves, and magic. Ilsos quickly snatched up the tome that contained the research they were required to retrieve and glanced over it. He sat for a moment in stunned silence. The Bearers raised a cheer for the defeat of the evil necromancer.
Then Ilsos revealed the contents of the tome. It was a very complicated plan to use necromantic energies to destroy the mist within Nagthillian, and render it livable once more. The dark elves cried out in despair, recoiling back from the brutalized body of the 'evil' Iksar. Several Bearers sat agape while others began weeping uncontrollably. As their surprise died down, and remorse faded, several wizards vowed to continue the Iksar's research, and make Nagthillian livable once more. In most, anger replaced regret. Tethlid had well and truly decieved the Bearers, and on him, the blame was placed. The group left Nagthillian with tears on their faces and white knuckles wrapped around the handles of their blades. Ilsos clutched the blessed research to his chest and led the march back to the treacherous drow, Tethlid.
Tethlid waited with a blank expression in the exact spot the Bearers had left him. Ilsos led the group of disheartened adventurers to stand before Tethlid. Angry words flew, and Tethlid, suspecting an imminent assault on his person, used his magic to travel to somewhere safe. He proceeded to shout with a voice amplified by sorcery, that he meant no ill will, he simply did what he had to do to provide the motivation that would allow the bearers to fulfill his wishes. The Bearers were not convinced, but agreed to hear him out. Tethlid reappeared in the midst of the party, and described the effects of that research, well intended, but improperly used. He said the mist that haunts Nagthillian would grow, consuming the surrounding lands, and eventually the whole of Dalaya, and had to be destroyed. Most still were not swayed, and continued to argue that the research would absolutely not be destroyed. The conversation ended in a standoff, with Tethlid agreeing to ally himself with the Bearers, but only if the research on the mist were destroyed. The wizards protested loudly and tried to argue with Tethlid, as Ilsos faded to the back of the group. Ilsos considered the fate of Dalaya, and made his decision for the group by touching his torch to edge of the great tome. It burned quietly while the argument flamed loudly. In mere seconds the book was reduced to ashes. Ilsos stood, pushed his way back to the front, and simply said, "It is done". Many not hearing him continued to yell, some at Tethlid, most at each other. Tethlid stood quietly, contemplating the meaning of Ilsos' actions. Ilsos repeated again, louder, "It is DONE!". At this everyone stopped and looked his way. Tethlid, broke the sudden silence by saying, "Perhaps you are not savages after all...".
Tethlid journeyed with the Bearers across the lands of Dalaya, to the city of Athica. There he was introduced to Kalina, who greeted him warmly, and offered him food and shelter. He graciously accepted, but delayed his home-making to talk more with the group who worked so hard and sacrificed so much to bring him to safety. He said then that he would get right to work, with the wizards of Athica, on building a portal that the Bearers could use to transport an army to the lands of the Heirophant. It should take no more than seven days time.
At this, the exhausted dark elf retired.
Truly more questions were raised than answered. Who is Kalina's mysterious informant? Was Tethlid truly motivated by compassion when he sought to destroy the promising research? Can he be trusted at all?
The only thing that is certain is this: Hope lies just over the horizon for Dalaya, we shall lead our armies through this portal, and take this war first to the Heirophant, than to Kaezul himself!
