<br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 24pt;"><em>-- End of chapter 2 --</em></span></div><br/><hr/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC information</div><div class="spoiler_body"><br/>These are the following rewards you’ve earned during chapter 2, just to recap to make sure you have it all up to date:<br/><br/>First of all, level your character up to level 7.  Any and all level up benefits apply as normal.  If you have already leveled him, I need a link to an updated character sheet.  Contact me and let me know if you think he should gain level 8 already.  But I feel like since you started at level 4, level 7 would be a good place for 3rd chapter.<br/><br/>Next, for studying Alher’s spell book, you may gain an additional 5 spell levels worth of spells (cantrips count as 1/2 a level).  For example, this could be a single 4th level spell and a 1st level spell, it could be three 1st level spells and a 2nd level spell, or it could be six cantrips and two 1st level spells.   In the future you may have the chance to learn new spells from the spell book and add them to your own spell book as 'known' spells this way but this will be something we work out in story.  Alher's spellbook has ANY and ALL primal spells up to 6th level spells, Nirael may add these to his own spell book with no problem whenever he has time to make the copies.  These five spell levels worth of spells do not count against the two spells that he gains as a class feature for leveling up.<br/><br/>Finally, as for items, note that Nirael has gained a few items during chapter two.<br/>Obviously the “Key” is now reforged into a single artifact.  The powers of this item are not yet known to you.<br/>Lirialla, the magical staff.  Currently, it appears to be only a +1 quarterstaff.<br/>The magical robes that were given to Nirael are simple +1 robes.  There are three different robes, all bearing this minor defensive enchantment.  In addition there are several articles of clothing of a mundane nature that would thematically in keeping with a wizard’s wardrobe.</div></div><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 24pt;"><em>-- Start of chapter 3 --</em></span></div><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/AcORXXB.jpg)</div><br/><br/><strong>“It’s best if you dismount and we walk from here commander.  The ground becomes uneven not too far ahead, don’t want to risk your horse breaking a leg,” </strong>the scout said in a loud voice that belied his station as one of the stealthiest in the attack force.<br/><br/>Commander Vanoran nodded once and slid from the saddle of his armored steed to land firmly on the forest floor.<strong>“There’s no need for stealth then, are you sure?”</strong>he asked the scout.<br/><br/>The man nodded once, and again Vanoran noted that the scout’s face was pale and drawn.  Whatever the young man had seen had spooked him, frightened him, his report made no sense and Vanoran left the main encampment to ride all throughout the night with only a small detail to confirm what all of his scouts were saying.<strong>“Yes commander, every recon team has returned.  Other than one engagement with the kobolds, there’s no sign.  There’s… there’s…. just nothing.”</strong><br/><br/>Commander Vanoran’s lips sealed to a thin line as he grimaced.  He had heard this same vagueness several times over the last few hours since his scouts returned from the elven village, and he would finally see it for himself.  His forces were less than a day’s hard march from the outer boundaries of what the elves claimed as their land, yet they hadn’t been stopped by a single sentry.  They hadn’t lost a single man since the encounter with the undead in the ancient ruins.  Their force was poised to sweep over the elven defenders like a mighty wave and claim the healing fountain once and for all.<br/><br/>But then the commander and his small force pushed through the trees and surveyed the area that should have been deep forest, should have been the outermost buildings of the elven village.<strong> “What…”  </strong>The commander said, his mouth not able to form the words to ask what he was seeing.<strong> “What am I looking at?”</strong><br/><br/>The scout pointed down into the crater below,<strong>“the cliff face drops down about fifty to sixty feet down to the bare bedrock below.  You can see where some of the trees have tumbled down the cliff face.  That small lake in the middle, as near as we can figure, that’s about where the spring was, in the center of the village.”</strong><br/><br/><strong>“It’s gone?  The whole thing?  All of the people?  Just gone?  How is that possible?”</strong>The commander pushed through a bit more foliage to get closer to the edge of the cliff and survey the barren crater below him.<br/><br/><strong>“We don’t know sir, but it’s not a trick.  Several of my scouts have been down there, it’s no illusion, they’re gone.”</strong><br/><br/><strong>“You said that lake… it’s the fountain?” </strong>The commander asked, his eyes wide as he surveyed the unbelievable sight in front of him.<strong>“Does it… is it….Have you tested it?”</strong><br/><br/>The scout nodded and swallowed nervously,<strong>“Whatever magical healing powers those waters had, they went along with the village.”</strong><br/><br/>The commander had no response to that, but continued to stare at the gigantic crater where the elven village was.  There was no response he could give.  Finally after a very long period of silence he simply muttered, mostly to himself,<strong> “What in the hells happened here?”</strong><br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><br/>Nirael awoke some time later, how long he could not say.  The last thing he knew was entering the portal, willing the village and all it’s people through.  He woke slowly, as if clawing his way up from slumber with great difficulty.  But he thought he felt a light touch on his face, he thought he felt a presence calling him to leave behind his slumber .  But when his eyes opened, there was no one awake around him.  He was still in the center of the temple, his head resting on the matriarch’s bosom.  Though she too was sleeping, and rather soundly, it was apparent that she had not roused him.  The cool grass beneath their bodies seemed the same, and all about the temple everyone lay where they had been.  The massive orgy halted as all about bodies lay in slumber.  One or two light snores even reached his ears.  Even Mara, still in her demonic form, defeated by his merciful spells lay apparently unconscious nearby where she had fallen.<br/><br/>One of Nirael’s hands gripped the chain which held the artifact, the key, the other held the wooden staff that had once belonged to Lunari’s father.  Both objects felt right in his hands for some reason.<br/><br/>Nirael became aware of the light in the temple.  It was daylight and the open roof shone up to a bright blue sky.  Hadn’t it been midnight when he’d come to the temple?  How much time had passed?  Also, why did he feel so completely at peace?  Every wound suffered from his battle with the succubus had healed, and he felt fantastic.  Slightly horny, but that was probably just the effects of the spell that had been cast.<br/><br/>The spell!  He had meant to bring everyone away from the village and take them home.  Had it failed?  He was still in the temple in the village!  That thought brought him fully back to wakefulness.