Varony, Martenin 21st, 838 ID
The heroes manage to pull themselves out of the Mothergorge in Badash, and then they make a brief trek across the Fyreklaw Barrens until they find a defensible outcropping of stone and cactus where they can make rest. Watchful eyes remain directed at Badash, wary of being tracked since the orcs had begun to 'purge' the pits of their slave town.
Verne, Martenin 22nd, 838 ID
Lord Ballyhoo is shaken awake by Lt. Banghorn, who informs him there is an emergency in the city that might require his services. As the bard and cripple emerge from the Seven Floods Inn, Ballyhoo is shocked to see fire raining down from the sky, as a massive red wyrm threatens the Western half of Floivin Keep. They rush off to a temporary operation center where Commander Hoary is trying to put together a defense plan against this new, unexpected threat. Several members of the Arkana Arkiva are present, including the dean (Schnoo) and chancellor (Mistlethroe), who quickly put 2 and 2 together once they make out the invasion force that has captured Castle Floivin, murdered most of the servants and house guards, and who are now holding Regent Velvedine and an unknown number of other public officials captive inside... Hoary asks that the wizards recall the other PCs to send a team in to deal with the threat, while the scant Eidolorn soldiers deal with the dragon.
Thus, Mistlethroe uses scrying and teleport spells to snatch up the unwary Mudgol, as well as Doorjamb, the latter of whom is none too plussed to be pulled off the scent of his own prey. Captain Lesper comes along also. Meanwhile, Schnoo has recovered the rest of the party from the Fyreklaw Barrens, popping in as they broke fast and prepared to move off. The PCs are eventually all gathered at the operations center, where Mistlethroe begins to accost and accuse Mudgol of attracting the githyanki of Takesh're to Floivin Keep! According to the gnome, something on their quest to free the other Arkana Arkiva staff happened where the general location of the Flabbergast Manor's Prime Material location was revealed to the Fell Queen and her minions, who are raging angry at Mistlethroe and Mudgol. So they brought one of their dragon transports to the proper location, and plane shifted to the Prime to exact payback! Mistlethroe believes they found this information out from githzerai refugees who Mudgol and Rumpridge might have prompted to seek safety at Flabbergast...
At any rate, the githyanki have arrived and take over Castle Floivin to provoke their targets to action, and sure enough, it happens. Schnoo takes to the air for a spell duel against the red dragon, supported by all the artillery the Last Eidolorn can muster, and the PCs are ordered into the Castle to retrieve the Regent and eliminate the intruders. Mistlethroe blows through his clerical spells to heal up those PCs that are injured from their recent travails, and the group crosses ground quickly to the side and back of the castle, where Hoary claims there is at least one secret rear entrance disguised as one of the first floor narrow window/murder holes. Doorjamb is placed in command, and orders Ginkwrench and Gruulsh off the walls as they attempt to scale to the top of the Castle (possibly earning the attention of the genocidal dragon circling above). They finally find the secret entrance, and use the bugbear to stealthily scout ahead, while the rest of the party (which includes Mistlethroe and Odd Jon) trails behind. Gruulsh scales to the top of the corner tower but believes it is heading the PCs away from where they want to be.
Eventually, while on the second floor and clueless of much of the Castle (having only been in the Mopp's Welcome foyer and Bartlebuck Hall for their celebratory feast), Mudgol decides to use clairvoyance to find the enemy, setting it down on the first level Bartlebuck Hall where he thinks the astral invaders might have set up their defense. Sure enough, he spies a githyanki champion in there with a flashy, double bladed weapon spouting two forms of energy...along with a squad of mercenary warriors and gish witches, not to mention what appears to be a mind flayer! But then his spell is put out! The PCs now know where to plot their offensive, and so move down to the first floor where they enter a massive pantry area. Gruulsh listens at the doors, but unfortunately a lot of them have been locked by either the staff or the githyanki. So she begins to break them down, triggering a fireball attack from a gish witch awaiting in the Castle kitchens! She quickly dimension doors away in the next round, and the PCs come up with an idea to teleport Mudgol and one squad into the central Hall while the others attack through another door.
So the battle is joined, but once Mudgol and his squad port into the Bartlebuck Hall, they realize they are surrounded by a lot of opponent's the half-orc hadn't yet seen with his spell...including a hulking undead form and a score of aberrations (gricks) that have been molded into combat pets by the Fell Queen's legions. He realizes he has made a mistake, and after a round of combat begins, he uses another teleport spell to get them back out. Unknowing, Gruulsh breaks down the door into the central Hall, and with only Odd Jon and Baro for support, he jumps in, out of the direct path of the mind flayer, who seems to be observing and waiting for a chance opportunity to do something nasty. The monk is pinned down and fights desperately to survive against several casters, grick and other githyanki that assault him. Meanwhile, the githyanki captain and many of his forces have busted into the kitchen where they confront the rest of the group. Spells fly, and a grueling, detailed combat commences...most of the opponents seem less powerful than the PCs, but they have the numbers to compensate, and while Ballyhoo has hasted most of the party, so too have the gith witches hasted a number of the githyanki shock troops and their leader!
Gruulsh is inevitably brought down by a concentrated attack involving a hold spell, a wave of grick attacks and a githyanki assassin who appears in the fight, but she hasn't died and her wounds bind up naturally. In the main melee, Ginkwrench the barbarian engages the githyanki champion...it doesn't end well, as the gnome is obliterated by the massive damage from a series of lightning-speed attacks via the champions double-weapon. Once losing his temporary Constitution, our arm wrestling barbarian is embraced by oblivion, which enrages his companion to fight on harder. Neddyn remains busy healing where he can, while the three mage combo begins to slaughter the opposition, and Doorjamb hacks his way through any comers. Baro does manage to destroy the githyanki champion by penetrating his Spell Resistance, and at that point the mind flayer disappears, while having done nothing at all...!? The battle presses on, and much harm is delivered, but the PCs and their friends eventually wipe the floor with the remainder of the gith invaders. They suspect that several of the githyanki might have escaped out into the Keep, but the immediate threat in the Castle has been ended. They quickly loot the bodies of the enemy mercenaries, gather up Ginkwrench's belongings and set out to find what became of any hostages...
PCs: Ballyhoo, Baro, Doorjamb, Ginkwrench, Gruulsh, Mudgol, Neddyn
