Glimpse of the Blood War

First retrieving both Tereus and Jack, Anon and Rekk resumed tracking the lost merchant.
The fresh trail was fairly easy to follow and soon it was evident it went straight for the monolith.
Several tracks ended at the clearing, and the monolith was tilted.
Beneath it a 30' tunnel bore straight down.
Entering a long and winding underground corridor, the group pushed on.
Traveling through the Upperdark for hours, with branching dead-ends and false corridors, they finally saw a phosperous lighted cavern.

Tereus, as always, took the lead and cautiously went forward.
With none of them having specific underground Knowledge, the Elf alerted the Shriekers to his presence before he noticed them.
A loud shrieking filled the cavern, most likely alerting any who stood guard.

Preparing for battle, Tereus nocked an arrow, Rekk gripped his axe twohanded, Anon readied his shield and clenched his fist and Jack dual-wielded his daggers.
The group was charged by Grimlock barbarians, who were quickly dispatched.
Sensing more enemies up ahead the heroes ran on, spotting side-passages, torches and a brick wall.
Tereus' forward scouting halted the moment he eyed a six-legged monstrosity behind its petrified-victims remains.
The ninja closed his eyes and shouted a warning to his companions.
Two Grimlock circled around, trying to hit them from behind, while the others charged on.
Relying on his resilience and fortitude the Barbarian roared and leaped the wall between him and the monster.
Behind him Anon did not stop as well; the Basilisk never stood a chance..

Slowly opening his eyes, Tereus was mocked by his two stallwart companions, who were able to shrug off petrification instead of averting their eyes.
After dispatching the two grimlock, they entered the largest cavern whose opposite side was an enormous wall, with a huge stone door set in the middle. The stone gate was slightly ajar.

With the others readying around him, Anon braced himself and pulled with all his might to open the heavy slab.
Wedged between a rock and a hard place, Anon was beset by a swarm of flying heads shrieking and biting.
With their earsplitting screeches paralyzing the Rogue and Ninja, Rekk and Anon did their best to keep the swarm from engulfing them.

A few rounds later Jack and Tereus, able to move once more, turned to the doorway and motioned their companions to go through.
Beyond, a once-magnificent large room loomed. Six massive pillars supported the high stone ceiling, with one pillar collapsed almost crumbling through a wall. An erratically pulsating gray light throbs sickly beyond a large archway framed by a tangle of stone skeletons.
A narrow stream of water flows along the south wall, emptying out through a crack.
Not wanting to lose their momentum, all crashed through and were beset by a group of Grimlock, several Mephits and a new swarm of Vargouilles.
Fighting, and dropping, their enemies one by one, the four leveled the opposition.

Until only the Hag remained. It had hidden in the dark beyond, and sent several blast of weakening Rays and damaging Missiles their way.
With its many minions dead or dying it fled around the corner.
Moving to intercept, Tereus saw three Drow at the edge of his low-light vison escape through the crack.
Knowing, however, that the Hag was the greatest threat and had the means to escape quickly he ran on, shouting for the others to follow.

Turning the corner the Elf entered a room similar to the column-lined outer chamber, only smaller. This room lit by the unhealthy gray glow from a ten-foot disc of swirling colorless clouds.
Several torture implements, like a rack and an iron maiden are spread out.
Seeing no direct way out he assumed the Night Hag to have jumped through this Gate.
With the others turning the corner, Tereus winked at them and then stepped through the semi-solid fog.

His companions waited two rounds before stepping rhrough themselves, giving him the opportunity to return immediately.
Passing through the plane-spanning Portal it felt as if all energy and warmth was drained from his body. An experience not unlike entering the Shadow Plane.
The heroes emerged in acave some thirty feet across. Most of the color had drained from their gear and armor, and sounds were dulled.
The air itself pressed down, growing heavier over time, weakening the will to do anything at all.
The swirling disc of gray clouds fills this cave with a nauseating light.

It was Hades where they confronted the vile Hag for her crimes.
The creature sat astride a flaming black horse, was accompanied by an imp and called out for more help.
But it was all in vain, in the end each fiendish creature was slain and looted. When the others returned to the Prime, Tereus' curiosity got the best of him and he peeked outside..

The cave opens onto a rocky-ledge in the middle of a cliff that overlooks a very wide plain. The skies are overcast and dark, there is no color in the gnarled vegetation and dry, cracked ground below.
A wide, black river cuts through the center of the plain. All around it, massive armies of monstrous creatures battle and scorch the land with colorless fire. Broken banners carrying an arsenal of evil symbols lay amid piled bodies of humanoids, and huge, disfigured demons and devils.
Yet despite the scale of the massive battle, the air itself seems to absorb the sounds of war so that only a faint murmur of chaos can be heard...