"Is everyone in position?"

Two men sat perched on the outer walls of a large and bustling city of Alvesari, their shadowy forms expertly hidden from the local guardsmen. Both of them heard the voice in their heads, looking at each other with a nod. One, a bow strung across his back, responded. "This is Wake...we're almost ready. Give Lance just a moment."

Lance turned around as he shuffled across one of the turrets adorning the walls, unsheathing a dagger from his belt that appeared without a blade. "It's about time this came to an end...I know we can do it."

"Don't lose sight now, brother. Sariel's here, but so is an entire town. They know we're coming...they might not know when, but Sariel's no fool. This will be our hardest challenge yet. Stay focused."

"You as well, Wake." Lance climbed higher up the battlement, stopping once he heard movement from the guards above him. Silently he hung, bladeless dagger in hand, as he hurled it into the center of town, watching it flip end-over-end, soaring towards the top of the local barracks. Just as it was about to hit the roof the half-elf vanished, reappearing instantly with dagger in-hand on the rooftops. Here, he was hidden from view, the architectural battlements surrounding the building shielding him from the busy streets below.

"This is Lance. I'm here. Shavvir?"

A guardsman slunk off to the corner of the barracks, discreetly unlocking a grate to the city underground before walking out of the barracks, turning back around to look at the rooftops briefly before continuing. "Your cover's good, Wake. Hold while I get ready. Maul, what's your status? Your path's clear, big guy."

Beneath Alvesari, a warforged pushed through the sewer system, grime and filth doing little to the scarred and chipped exterior. "Soon." The machine made a turn, seeing a flicker of light from up above, a singular rope dangling from the grate. "Exit located. I'm position."

"Good. This is Phyrra...I'm starting to get some way looks...leave it to the Elves to despise their own kind. Let's make this quick before they start asking questions." A drow looked around in the marketplace, idly wandering from stall to stall with heavy disinterest, her patience wearing thin as she gazed at the meaningless merchandise. She walked over to one final stall, waiting for the people around the shopkeeper to clear out before looking her in the eye. "Zay...are you ready?"

The shopkeeper nodded, her eyes darting around to the people in the marketplace. "Oh, so many delectable pieces...but now's not the time. Shall I get this started, or are we in need of more time?"

"One moment Zaelynir. I'm almost at the other barracks." Shavvir picked up her pace, the second of the city's two barracks less than a block away. She turned around, looking at the marketplace behind her before continuing on, nearing the building without suspicion. "Alright Zaelynir. Let's show them why they fear us." Shavvir entered the guardhouse, nodding silently at the other members that she'd come to know during her time here.

There was an audible tension across the telepathic link...the silence between the six of them said more than words possibly could. Phyrra turned around, leaving Zaelynir's stall. The drow spoke in hushed tones, only able to hide her voice due to the sounds of the bustling marketplace. "Remember the plan, everyone. This link has ten minutes left on it at most. If they find who cast during the commotion, less. If you don't hear from anyone, continue the mission. Eliminate as many as possible, and advance on the keep once the resistance has been thoroughly stopped."

"Yes yes, dear, I think we're all well aware of the stakes at hand...now, it's showtime." Zaelynir walked out from her stall, the comely elven shopkeeper carrying with her a small pouch of coin. She feigned tripping, the sound of gold clattering to the ground filling the space around her. Several pairs of eyes turned to her as blue eyes turned red, magic filling her immediate space as a smile curled across her lips. "Good...now that I have your attention...riot!"

The spell was cast, nearly a dozen people, predominantly elves, turned on each other as spells began flying through the air. Zaelynir smirked, her form fading away as abyssal wings sprouted from the shopkeeper's back, giving way to the form of an incubus. He walked over to a guard who had previously been focused on the brawl, but whose form was now petrified by the face that he'd seen plastered on wanted posters on every street corner of the city. Zaelynir's eyes lit up again, a hand gripping the guard's wrist. "You weren't supposed to see that...my apologies." Zaleynir pointed upwards as the guard floated into the air, struggling and fighting against the telekinetic powers that kept him trapped in place.

"It has begun, everyone. The tyranny of elves shall hold no longer."

A guard sprinted towards one of the barracks, Shavvir waiting inside. "There's been a riot in the marketplace. We need additional resources quickly!"

Shavvir nodded, turning around to the group behind her. "You heard the man. I want five men rallied immediately!" The guard pointed to five others, each of them grabbing their equipment and preparing at once. As soon as the fifth left, the guard that had delivered the news faded away, Shavvir's disguise fading away as the elven features she had been wearing sharpened even further, the form of a Shadar-kai emerging from what was previously the lieutenant. "As for the rest of you...your services are no longer required. Raven Queen, do with them as you will."

Spears and swords were grabbed and readied as Shavvir sauntered out of the doorway, turning around as a burst of magic erupted behind her. Darkness consumed the barracks as unspeakable horrors erupted from within, claws and tentacles lashing out at the guards as the Shadar-kai closed the door behind her, the wails of the guards nigh indistinguishable from the roars of the horrors that she'd just unleashed. "Zaelynir, Phyrra, you've got five coming your way. Lance, Maul, might want to get busy."

"On it. Maul, let's turn the lights out on 'em". Lance arced the dagger overhead, vanishing from the rooftops and appearing right in front of the doors to the barracks. All eyes turned to him, weapons immediately drawn. Lance smirked, seeing his face nailed to the back wall of the barracks. "I see I'm worth more than I was a week ago." He frowned, looking at the face next to his on the wanted board. "Wake is still beating me though...let's see if I can fix that."

He held his dagger in one hand and a small rod in his other hand. A sword came crashing down from above him as he clicked the button on the rod, holding it in place as the sword harmlessly bounced off of the object. Lance ducked low, avoiding his Immovable Rod as the bladeless dagger plunged into the guard's chest, dropping her instantly. When he pulled it out, blood coated the illusory blade that he quickly wiped off, only stopping when another sword slammed into the Rod. He felled two more before he heard the grate open up behind him. Several guards turned around as Maul rose out of the sewers, the massive warforged rising to stand towering above even the sinuous elven forms before it.

"Orders?"

Lance smiled, stepping inside and closing the door behind him, the Immovable Rod locking it in place. "Kill."

Maul nodded, drawing his weapon as he put a large shield on his back. Maul gripped the handle of the warhammer, extending it until the massive weapon was almost too long for him to wield before slamming it into one of the guards. He swung again, two hands gripping the now-maul as it sent another guard careening into the walls.

One of the guards managed to slip past lance, trying to work the door that had no hope of being opened. Lance killed off one guard before turning his attention back to the one at the door, disappointedly shaking his head.

"We've taken down how many cities, killed how many people? And you think we'd be so careless as to leave the door unlocked? Pathetic." The bladeless dagger ran across the guard's throat, now only a few left that put up a pitiful resistance. Once the barracks were clear Lance unlatched the Rod, opening the door once more. "Barrack's clear, brother. How are things overhead?"

Wake sat on the rooftops, hidden by shadows of his own magical making. Around him, arrows protruded out of all of the nearby guards, leaving him alone on the city walls. He scanned the city, watching for movements, tracking the actions of everything that he could see. The marketplace was in shambles, the few guards Shavvir had let through decimated by Zaelynir and Phyrra. Both barracks had been ruined at this point, causing mass panic to overtake the streets. As he watched, guards were being sent forth from the city keep, two large battalions meeting up in the center as they marched down the elven capital's main street. He shook his head...that wasn't expected. "Everyone, watch out. They're sending double the guards of what we expected...unless they have more guardsmen than we were aware of, they're leaving the keep dangerously empty. Something's amiss...but more importantly, we've got a large group inbound. I'm coming in."

From the marketplace Phyrra nodded, a massive arachnid standing nearly as tall as she was positioned right next to her. "Zaelynir and I are free. We'll meet you there. Shavvir, what's your status?"

"Guards are all dead...I'm just making sure of that. I'll be there soon." A dagger plunged into one of the guards in the second barracks, a similar wound on each of the others. Satisfied, the Shadar-kai walked out, revelling in the terrorized looks of the civilians around her. None dared to approach - creatures of the Shadowfell were innately feared on the Material Plane, moreso when they have a bounty like Shavvir's. The stowed her dagger and retrieved her longsword, casting a spell as her studded leather armor became emblazoned with magical runes and growths, wicked spikes and ethereal plates coating the armor by the time she was done. She walked to the rendezvous point, seeing Zaelynir and Phyrra ahead of her. Phyrra stood next to a massive spider, a token of Lolth's apparent appreciation for her...though Shavvir believed Lolth's blessing to be nothing in comparison to the power the Raven Queen had gifted her. Beside Phyrra, Zaelynir stood with a Shadow Demon beside her, standing and watching ahead of her, facing towards the keep.

Lance and Maul were the next to arrive, the two of them looking nearly unscathed for arguably having had the hardest task up until this point. Neither of them knew any magic...Lance had his dagger, and Maul his maul, but beyond that the only thing keeping them alive was their skill.

Finally Wake arrived...or perhaps he'd been there the whole time. He emerged from the very shadows around the group, the cape he wore granting him such ability. He looked around to the five near him, the sounds of the elven army growing louder as they approached. "I don't know what Sariel is planning...but as soon as we are in the keep, be on your guard."

"And slaughter everyone in front of you on your way there." Phyrra pulled out a javelin in the shape of a lighting bolt, holding it ready as the army neared them. There were at least one hundred marching in file, shield and spears in the front, swords and then swords, archers, and finally the renowned elven mages in the back. They came to a halt, staring down the six beings before them that had terrorized Alvesari with practiced ease. The soldiers feared them...everyone on the continent did, but Elves above all. They'd come through like a reaper, starting with elven outposts and devastating them. Soon, outposts became elven-dominated villages, towns, cities, and finally the capital. They knew this day would come...they'd been preparing for it for months now. Every elf on the continent feared for their lives...wherever this group went, the only casualties were the elves. Dwarves, humans, even half-elves walked free every time, able to tell the stories of what had happened. The group was practiced and deadly...but with so few able to tell the tale of what had happened, preparing a defense was nigh-impossible. They all knew that they had to stop the group here before they reached the keep...for Queen Sariel's sake.

And so, it begun. A rain of fire accompanied a volley of arrows that soared into the night sky, briefly illuminating the city streets as they came crashing down.

"Maul!"

The warforged nodded, drawing out his shield and slamming it onto the ground. As he did it erupted, bending and unfolding into a massive tower shield that stood almost as tall as the towering warforged, a quick thrust forward causing an illusory ring of such shields to encircle the group. Magical protection washed over the party as the fire and arrows rained down upon them, feeling like little more than sticks and matches clattering harmlessly around them. The first line of soldiers ran forward, spears held in front of their own shields, charging the group.

Zaelynir took to the air, wings unfurling and flying into the night sky. "Well, this is always the fun part...I've always enjoyed when they think that they can win. It's so...so earthly, thinking that you can fight against the power of the Abyss." The incubus held out his hand, powerful bolts of electricity arcing from her hand that hit several of the archers, lighting coursing through their bodies as they fell to the ground in a heap. At the same time, Phyrra threw her javelin forward, transforming into a bolt of lightning that erupted in the center of the legion's front line, felling several of them. However, that was several out of dozens and dozens of soldiers...as powerful as the magic was, it did little to turn the tides of the battle.

Lance and Wake both took to the rear ranks of the elves, Lance throwing his dagger into the air before teleporting to it as it hit the ground, Wake dropping down into the shadowy ground, slinking past the front formations before reappearing around the archers. As he appeared he called forth a wall of wind in front of them, sending the front line of archers flying haphazardly into the air, the next volley of arrows from the remaining group turning their allies into pincushions. He looked towards his brother, focusing back on the telepathic link. "Archers are out. Front line has no support." He focused back on Lance, dropping the link. "Time to show you why I've got the higher bounty."

He notched two arrows in his longbow, angling the weapon at two of the mages. He fired one arrow, blinking out of the way as their spells narrowly missed him, firing the other as he felled two at once. Some continued the assault while others prepared more powerful spells, another wave of fireballs flying towards him. Just before they were to land he vanished...to everyone.

Wake stepped through the Ethereal plane, the roaring battle notably quieter here. Everything was softer here, the sounds and the sights most notable. It gave him time to analyze the situation...see what he could do. He stepped around the plane, taking stock of the mages in particular. He watched as Lance fought back, now alone and trapped between the archers and mages. He blinked around as he always did, the dagger he'd carried with him for so long defining everything about how his brother survived on the battlefield. He watched as Lance threw it into an archer's head, reappearing behind the slain archer as he retrieved the dagger. He was elusive, cunning, deadly...and almost impossible to catch. So long as he had that dagger, Lance could go anywhere.

Wake went back to analyzing the mages...he'd spent enough time around elves to know that there was always one in charge. He listened, trying to sift through the dampened sounds of the Ethereal plane to distinguish the leader. His elven heritage served him well, much to his chagrin...he was able to distinguish the one calling the orders soon enough, stepping through the gray world as he notched an arrow. He stood, arrow ready, just behind the leader.

He phased back into the Material plane, launching the arrow through the elf's skull. The head mage dropped to the ground, Wake stepping through the world again to appear behind the remaining cluster of mages, notching another arrow and firing it off. "Mages are scattered. How are the front lines?"

"Not much left of them. I expected better" Phyrra stood in the back of the group, Lolth's magic ready to aid those that needed it. Maul waded through the swordsman nigh-unscathed, the warforged a terror against non-magical adversaries. What his massive tower shield couldn't block, the warforged's iron-infused skin almost assuredly absorbed. His weapon slammed down on the soldiers one-by-one, pulverizing them as he turned his attention to the next one that tried to be the hero to fell the iron beast.

Beside Maul, Shavvir fought back against the front line, her abyssal armor sustaining the brunt of the damage. However, there was something terrifying about her sword...the way it sucked the life force out of those that were unfortunate enough to meet its tip seemed to sustain Shavvir's magical augmentations far longer than expected. Though Phyrra's devotion to Lolth was unerring, she had to admit...the Raven Queen certainly looked out for her followers. Shavvir took to the air, merging with the raven that sat perched on her shoulder silently, three more joining it as she soared higher. Phyrra smiled...she'd seen this trick before.

The flock of ravens dove down in a tight formation, scattering just before they hit the ground, Shavvir materialized from one of them, sword in hand as she stepped forward, blade sapping the life from her prey as she turned around, the runic sigils growing stronger as the blade revitalized her. A solder managed to catch her off-guard, spear striking her side. As it did the armor lashed back, sigils flaring with power as they struck the guard. Shavvir spun about, hilting her blade in the soldier's chest.

High above the battle, Zaelynir continued to barrage the soldiers with bolts of fire. He watched with sadistic glee as his shadow demon rampaged through them, shadowy talons raking across a soldier as it cried in agony. The incubus fired several more spells, powerful rays scorching the soldiers, creating heaps of charred bodies on the grounds. Most of the opposition was dead at this point...normally they started to try to run at this point, but he knew Alvesari would be different...they were protecting royalty. Lance and Wake's mother, from what he knew...but also knew never to repeat that in front of either of them. They'd disowned their mother much earlier in their life, the seed from which bore what was coming to fruition today.

"Enough demon...as much as they elves fear you, they hate this even more." He dispelled the demon, lowering himself to the ground as the Incubus focused on the corpses, willing them to life. Four bodies rose from the ground, hideous mockeries of the elves that had been alive just moments ago. The horde leaped onto the nearest bodies that they could find, ignoring the spears and swords that they had been carrying, instead simply clawing at the soldiers around them.

The battlefield quickly dissolved into utter chaos, but it was clear that the elves stood no hope against the elite group in front of them. Lance and Wake continued to surgically eliminate the backline, both of them teleporting and jumping about, making it almost impossible to hit them without endangering one of their allies. Phyrra, Maul, and Shavvir all carved their way forward, aided by Zaelynir from above as he took out the more pesky of the bunch. Slowly but inexorably, the elves began to fall, slain bodies joining their companions on the ground. Eventually, there was nothing left...the six of them had been victorious. The only casualties had been the reanimated bodies Zaelynir had summoned, something of little consequence to the Incubus as he flew down to join the rest of the group.

Wake looked back, seeing the massacre behind them...in the past, that might have affected him. Now, however, it was simply a means to an end. "Remember everyone, the keep is essentially unguarded if we got our numbers right. They have something planned...we just need to figure out just what that is before they spring it on us."

"And you want Sariel dead, right?" Phyrra dismissed the massive spider beside her...it was heavily injured from the battle, and she would be remiss if she let one of Lolth's prized creatures die at her hand.

"Yes." Lance and Wake responded in unison, the archer continuing. "She's far too crafty to be kept alive. The best cells in Carceri could only hold her for so long before she managed to squirm free of them. We're doing this world a favor by getting rid of her."

"Agreed. Elves killed the warforged." Maul walked in front of the rest, thinking back to his kin. The elves had managed to cause two conflicts between Mechanus' modron and the Material plan's warforged at the same time. Expertly they managed to remove themselves from the situation, sparking an unending war between the two mechanical races that had lasted for hundreds of years.

"We're all here because elves have made us, or those we care about, suffer in some way or another." Phyrra remembered back to her childhood, before she'd passed Lolth's trial and lived expectedly in Guallidurth, deep in the bowels of the Underdark. The elves had launched an invasion, their distrust and fear of the drow risen to new levels. All the drow had tried to do was to assimilate themselves into the upper world's societies, and yet the mere presence of more drow in the streets sparked enough fear that a rogue coalition of elves had decided to fight back. They invaded Guallidurth, one of Lolth's most devoted cities, and ransacked it.

"Well...most of us. Some of us are just here for the show." Zaelynir kept to the back of the party, walking across the keep's lowered drawbridge. The demonic powers he served wanted nothing more than to see the Material plane in turmoil...it was practically a hobby. He'd found the other five operating like an expert strike force, raising havoc nearly undetected while always managing to accomplish their goals. He'd been the last to join...there was no hatred of elves within him, but he knew that the demons were watching him, and would have to be pleased by the progress that they'd made.

"I, too, harbor no hatred for elves. I am here because the Raven Queen wills it. Should she not...I would have no purpose here." Shavvir had been a devout follower of the Raven Queen her whole life, but even after all of that she still struggled to understand her deities goals. All she knew was that she'd been sent here to see this crusade out to its conclusion...which she hoped would end shortly. It had been so long since she'd been able to return to the Shadowfell that she was starting to grow accustomed to the trees and sun of the Material plane. During her extended time her, however, she started to understand why the others carried the resentment they did...the wary looks, the disapproving glances. It was clear that Shadar-kai weren't welcome here, and the elves were the ones that seemed to disapprove of her the most.

"Whatever the case is, it's too late to quit now. Let's go." Wake walked forward with bow in hand, the keep eerily quiet. As they walked, he heard the sounds of chains grinding nearby. He turned around, seeing the drawbridge raising up behind the group. He shook his head...this was bad. Sariel wanted them here...and she didn't want her guards here. He needed to know what was going to happen, and soon.

"Sariel?"

The group walked forward, the keep now only dimly lit by candles. From further inside, they heard the sounds of a woman. "Oh, I'm here dearie. Just like you wanted."

Wake followed the voice, the group following after him as he hunted down his birth mother. She wasn't hard to find...her throne room was the most elaborate thus far, and Sariel was the only one in it. All her guards, her court...they were all gone. Lance looked around, searching for where the strike would come from. They wouldn't target Sariel...it would have to be from somewhere else. Perhaps she'd imbibed a potion that would save her from the effects? His mind raced...he wasn't about to be outwitted by her. Still, as much as he searched, he couldn't find anything. The walls contained nothing unusual, he heard no movements from the other rooms of the keep...they were alone, the six of them and Sariel the only lifeforms in the building.

"I knew you'd come, Wake. You too, Lance. I've wanted to see you for so long...ever since you ran away, nothing was ever the same. I've missed you...but you didn't have to meet like this."

Lance shook his head. "Save it witch. We ran away because you hated us...both of us. You made that clear when the village had dad killed." Their father had been the only human in the village, and he was only there because Sariel had taken a fancy to him. Lance and Wake had never met their father...as soon as they were conceived, their father had been slain, elven distrust reaching out even to spouses of their own kin. It didn't take long for the half-elven brothers to piece together what had happened...as soon as they did they ran away...but never forgot.

"Your father...he was a cruel man. The village had to put him out. He was a threat to us all. Certainly you understand that."

"No, Sariel. You're the threat." Wake readed an arrow, his longbow angled at her forehead. "We were outcasts from birth. We were the only half-elves in the village. You knew from the very beginning we wouldn't be trusted. I can't remember a single person that bothered to look at me twice except Lance." He looked at his brother, a nod of understanding between the two. "We were all the other had. You didn't even love us...you never did."

"And so what? I admit I wasn't the best mother, but - "

"You aren't my mother." Lance grabbed his dagger, taking a step forward. "What? You think this is our fault? Look behind us. The elves are a scourge. You don't trust anyone that's not your own. You find reasons to hate. There are no redeeming qualities...and for that, you need to be eliminated. Everyone here...they're aren't because we forced them to be."

Sariel's expression hardened. "You blame me for actions I have no control over? Honey...you're better than that. I did you wrong...I blame myself for this."

Wake's eyes narrowed. "No...you don't. You haven't."

Phyrra was quick to reply. "What do you mean?"

Wake looked back, trying to keep one eye on Sariel at all times. "We've spoken since we left...she's never blamed herself for anything, always putting it on us."

The drow clutcher her holy symbol, casting a spell. As it ended, she saw the world through a different lens, one where illusions held no sway. She looked towards Sariel...or rather, the doppelganger that was impersonating Zariel.

"It's a fake. She's not here!" Phyrra brought down a ray of holy light from above, burning at the doppleganger. As soon as he heard the words, Lance let loose his arrow, landing it straight in the doppleganger's skull. That was enough to kill it, the visage of Sariel fading away to the gray and alien body that had been impersonating her.

As soon as it died, a red light started blinking within its stomach. Immediately, Zaelynir looked at the rest of the group. "We need to run. Demons use this spell to terrorize people...it can level this entire city.

The six started running, all semblance of camaraderie gone as soon as their life was at risk. Zaelynir took to the air, abyssal wings propelling him through the air far ahead of the rest. Phyrra and Shavvir both opened a portal, teleporting themselves several hundred feet forward, back out into the antechamber. Maul, Lance, and Wake all ran as fast as they could, the blinking of the light speeding up as time went on. As they all made it, Phyrra was working the drawbridge crank, desperately trying to lower it as they all could tell that time was running out.

As the drawbridge slammed into the ground, Zaelynir looked back, shaking his head. "Someone has to raise it back up...it'll kill us all if we don't block the explosion's path with something. The drawbridge might be enough...it's all we have."

Six sets of eyes stared back at each other, nobody walking to the crank. Shavvir was the first to respond. "Phyrra should do it. You can use Dimension Door again. It's low risk."

Phyrra raised an eyebrow, looking to the incubus. "Zaelynir can shrug off death like it's nothing. If someone has to stay behind, it should be the one that is easiest for me to resurrect. Because if something goes wrong, I'd like to come back alive, and I know none of you can resurrect the dead." She immediately followed up, seeing Zaelynir raise a finger in objection. "You are not turning me into a zombie, you beguiling filth." Phyrra

Zaelynir shook his head. "I can't survive that, it's too powerful. We're running out of time...if nobody steps up, we're all dead."

"Shut up, all of you, and start running! I'll throw the dagger as the door's closing. I should be able to slip out fine." Lance started walking towards the crank, getting one hand on it before Wake interjected, casting a spell."

"No, start going. I've hasted myself...I'll be much faster closing it. Run, brother."

Lance didn't budge, the other four already starting to run beyond the gate. "And how do you propose you escape? You've already entered the Ethereal plane today, and we both know you can only pull that trick once. There's a non-zero chance that I survive, but there's no chance that you do. Start running, brother. No sense in us both getting killed by Sariel." Lance started raising it, the drawbridge angling back towards the sky.

Wake shook his head, walking back towards the climbing wood walkway. "Damnit Lance, fine. I'll see you on the other side." Wake ran up the sloped drawbridge, leaping from the end and back out. The other four had already cleared out, scattering to the winds.

Back inside, Lance furiously turned the crank, watching it close. He couldn't see the blinking light anymore, causing him to worry...it could erupt at any moment, and he'd never know. He had to stick to the plan...close the door, throw the dagger, and get out. It was something he'd pulled off in the past...but the risk had never been nearly this high. As the drawbridge neared closing he threw the dagger, watching it soar perfectly through the air, slipping out of the small crack he'd left. He closed the drawbridge the rest of the way, letting go as he felt himself get pulled towards the dagger.

The explosion happened while he was in transit, his ethereal body being shredded by the searing-hot flames that wholly consumed him. His essence was eviscerated while his material body remained untouched, reappearing with a limp hand on the dagger as he plummeted into the ground.

The explosion destroyed the castle, stone flying through the air in a massive pyroclasm that decimated the surrounding town. Wake was the only one that watched, his eyes tracking his brother. Immediately, he knew something was wrong...Lance wasn't moving.

The archer ran through the devastated city, diving into the moat that Lance had fallen into. He grabbed his brother and the dagger, pulling them out of the moat and back onto the ground. Wake sprawled Lance out, any semblance of life gone within his brother's eyes.

"Not like this...not like this. We were supposed to make it out of this together...we were supposed to beat her together.

SIX MONTHS LATER

"Lance?"

The half-elf's eyes opened for the first time in half a year. Five pairs of eyes were looking at him expectantly...as if they'd all been building up to this moment.

"Oh Lance...you're back."

The half-elf sat up from his resting position on a cold stone table, looking around. "What...what happened?"

"We've been searching for a way to bring you back to life, boy. I couldn't do it...your soul was destroyed by the explosion. We've been looking for someone that could fix that unique case...looks like we've finally done it." Phyrra didn't look pleased by that. Lance's eyes slid over to Wake's.

"What did you do?"

"I...pulled some strings. Talked to some demons...it's a steep price, but I don't care. You're alive, that - "

"Brother. What did you do?"

Wake sighed...he knew he'd have to explain sooner or later. He took a dagger, making a small cut on his forearm. Lance winced, an identical cut appearing on his forearm in the same spot. "They couldn't recover the whole soul...so I split up part of mine. It'll be like this forever now...but that's a price I was willing to pay."

Lance shook his head disappointedly. "We'll talk about this later. Someone fill me in. How long has it been, and what's happened? Shavvir's still here...which makes me thing there's still more to be done."

The Shadar-kai nodded. "Until the Elven scourge has been eliminated, the Raven Queen wants me here."

Maul gestured towards Lance, letting him off the table. "Elves control Empyria. It's a problem."

Lance looked around at the room, faces sinking to the floor. "Empyria? Somebody better start talking now."

Wake nodded. "We've been branded 'The Syndicate' now...enough people survived that saw what happened that they know almost everything there is to know about us. The Material plane's formed a supercity where everyone lives - Empyria. You can guess who's in charge...she had eyes on us the whole time I bet."

Phyrra interjected. "We're being hunted. The world saw what we were capable of, and for the first time we weren't able to finish the job due to Sariel's surprise. It's only a matter of time before they find us...the illusions hiding this place aren't going to keep us hidden for long. We can't run from this one...and we certainly can't fight it either, at least not right now. That's why we need you...we need to know if you've got a contact that can help."

Lance furrowed his brow. "I don't follow."

The drow continued. "We need a way to fight back...we're not just facing cities this time, we've managed to anger an entire plane, a plane that's now banded together to kill us because they're afraid that we can kill them...which at one point we might have been able to. We need an army of our own, something that can fight back. The only person that really has a hope of finding refuge somewhere else is Zaelynir…"

"But until I'm certain it's not going to pan out, I don't see a reason to leave just yet. It's quite the treat getting to watch what's happened so far...and if we're looking to fight back, that should make it all the more fun."

Phyrra rolled her eyes, continuing. "Anyways...is there someone you know. Even if it's only twenty men, that's twenty more than we have now. Anybody? We have some plans...but we need everything. If they finish building Empyria, we're doomed. Right now it's still getting stood up. I don't want to imagine what sort of death machines get constructed when you've got a world's worth of gnomes, dwarves, and elves in the same place."

Lance looked around the room. "You said you've got plans? What are we working with...I've already died once, and I'm not keen on doing it again. Why not just go hide in the lower planes? It might not be the best life, but it's better than being hunted for eternity."

Wake shook his head. "Lance...you haven't seen the bounties. They'll find us wherever we go and hide. There's only two ways out of this. We fight back, or we die trying. Trust me on this one."

"I do." Lance once again scanned the five other faces. "So what do we have. Who do we have to talk to?"

Wake was the first to respond. "I've got some intel that there's a devils in Dispater, Zariel. She's looking to usurp Bel as Lord of the First. I figure we go and forge a contract with him beforehand, see what he's willing to offer us in exchange for dispatching Zariel. Devils like their power...I think he'd react favorably to us securing that further."

Maul responded next. "The warforged are in Acheron. They've been fighting the Modron for hundreds of years. We free them, and they will help us. Warforged are a race of loyalty...I know the leader of the army trapped there, Bulwark. He pays his debts."

"I'm far from happy about it...but the Raven Queen has told me that Strahd von Zarovich can help. The Shadowfell emulates the Material plane...Strahd's domain stands where Empyria is now. If there's anyone in the Shadowfell with more power than he needs, it's Strahd." Shavvir shook her head. "I just wish it was anyone else, but I will not disobey Her influence."

Phyrra was next. "I know Lolth. She is a harsh mistress, but she takes care of her own, especially those loyal to her. I have served her faithfully for several centuries now, never once erring from Lolth's direction. She will provide for me...of that I am sure."

Lance looked towards Zaelynir...the incubus was the only one not to have spoken up. "I'm doubting it'll come to it, given that we're already consorting with devils. However, I'm close to some very powerful demons, namely Orcus. He would love nothing more than to see a shining city like Empyria fall...but I doubt we'll have control over whatever army he might send us, and that's not even considering that we're trying to make demons and devils fight on the same side. Still...it's a resource."

Wake looked imploringly at Lance. "Please tell me you know someone else...I know we've been separated at times. Is there anyone I don't know about that might be able to help. I tried to think through who we've met...but nobody came to mind."

Lance nodded. "Perhaps...Molag."

Wake's eyes went wide. "Wait...the Molag in Carceri...that Molag?"

The rogue nodded. "That Molag. I trained under him for a time...I was the only one with him when he was abducted and taken to Carceri. Normally I'd never suggest walking into Carceri, but it sounds like everything's well and truly desperate at this point. I know it's only one man...but it's Molag."

Everyone but the half-elves seemed confused, and so Lance continued. "He was probably the greatest criminal to ever walk the Material Plane...perhaps any plane. More assassinations, thefts, and deception than someone could do in a hundred lifetimes. He only got caught because he got set up...like us. He'll help us for setting free, I know. But we'd be suicidal to walk into Carceri. It's a prison."

Phyrra shook her head. "Doesn't matter...we'll consider it, if nothing else."

Lance scanned the table once more, dour expressions all around. "So, six people...and no two people know someone from the same plane it sounds like. We've got, what...the Material plane, the Shadowfell, Acheron, the Nine Hells, the Abyss, and Carceri. Since it sounds like everything's appropriately terrible, let's go ahead and ask the hard question...where to first?"

Word Count: 6814

Hello all! This fanfiction is being written for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) 2019. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to put 50,000 words towards a new piece of literature over the course of November. This is my fourth year doing it, and I'm as excited as always to get started. I ran this concept as the DM for the campaign earlier this year and while my players said they enjoyed it, I felt like there were some elements of the story that I struggled to tell from the DM perspective. That being said I'm by no means simply retelling that campaign, but rather taking the overall 'Fall of Empyria' concept and re-imagining it with new characters and new locations to visit.

As this is a NaNoWriMo story, I expect I'll be putting out a new chapter every two to three days at worst until I've hit that elusive 50k. Feel free to message me or leave a review if you've got any feedback - I'm always trying to get better as a writer.