We re-enter the teleportation circle, and emerge on the other side where Thanatos is waiting to greet us.  He invites us to stay the night, but we decline so we can be on our way to thwart the evil that comes.  He and Ulric discuss the intricacies of the situation in as much as they know, and we gather provisions and prepare to leave.  Korvinean speaks to their ranger and gets the lay of the land for where we’re headed and the dangers we might face along the way.  With that, we head out.

            As we’re heading out and down the switchback trail, the grade seems to have changed.  About halfway down, Obsidian slips and begins to slide out of control down the hill.  Ulric, thinking fast, manages to lasso the beast and keep us from falling off the side of the mountain.  Obsidian is injured in the episode, but Briggette heals him.  It begins to get dark around the time we get back low enough to hide in the tree line.

            As we begin to make camp, Silas asks who would like to sleep in a real bed for the evening.  We all seem enthusiastic, and he casts, revealing a random door standing alone in the middle of the clearing.  When we open it and go inside, we see a well-appointed mansion, complete with an Unseen Servant to help us however we need assistance.  The beds are fantastic with four posters and full sets of linens, and the rooms remain a constant 72 degrees.  It is comfortable and secure and wonderful, and we soon realize that, barring unforeseen circumstances, our tent days are behind us.

            The next morning, we awake refreshed and renewed.  We haven’t slept that well in some time.  Around 2:30 that afternoon, we hear yelling up ahead.  We gallup up and as we mount the next hill, we see a man on a horse in a set of mithral full plate.  He is surrounded by ghouls and wights attacking him.  A bit further downhill, a man stands on his fallen horse amidst a pile of undead.  Atop another hill a bit further away, there is a skeleton with a flaming scythe, a giant, and another wight who wears a breastplate. 

            Ulric immediately charges into the wights next to the rider.  I shadow jump into the area and take out one of the undead.  Brianna charges in and takes care of another.  Ulric charges up the hill, slamming into the giant, but not seeming to do any major damage as the beast pulls out two flails.  I notice that the creature’s mouth and eyes are sewn shut.  Briggette charges in as well, slamming into one of them and ending its miserable existence.  Korvinean begins to shoot at them, and fells three, also wounding a fourth.  We continue to fight all of these foes until none remain standing, and then take the time to search the bodies once they do fall.

            The man whose horse had fallen looks up at Briggette, “Cuthbertine?”

            “Black Order?” she replies, taking in his matte black armor.

            “What are you doing here?”

            “Saving you,” she replies haughtily.

            Introductions are made all around, and we see that the rider is a household knight of the duke of Fianna.  Two of them turn out to be women.  As we talk to them, we realize the elf has been tasked with escorting us all back to Grozney.  Briggette communes with Cuthbert to seek his advice in the matter, and though a direct answer is not given, the direction seems to say we should not be fighting the dracolich at this time.  He admonishes her to “do what’s right, protect the people, destroy the weak, prevent the old gods from rising.”  She comes out of her trance and tells us that it’s time to go home.