The Underdark … “Xhiss… Xhiss… Xhiss… Xhiss” the dark elven word for help, repeated itself over and over again at the broken gates to House Zinn’Delour. It was a security glyph, intended to warn the house guards of intruders; those very guards lay dead and dismembered nearby. Escaped slaves were trickling out; fleeing past the gates and far away from the cold, ice encrusted ruins of the house compound. In the distance a scream is heard from deep within the household walls. It is a female scream, loud, laced with agony, and after a few moments, the screaming ends. The silence that follows is only slightly broken by the soft footfalls of many, stealthy and well armed dark elves entering the compound, pausing only to lethally stab the fallen bodies that still moved. It is only the first of many, but the bestial inhabitants of the underdark can sense the oncoming storm that has started; and like all beasts, their sense of survival drives them to flee as far from the carnage as possible…

Castle Nostrove in Loez … Lord Inverness was being escorted down the hall of Castle Nostrove in chains. He knew that he could break free, but he was grossly outnumbered at the moment. Less than a week ago, the Castle was his, the last of the demons destroyed, he and only one of his men survived the successful but costly campaign. He was in the middle of penning a letter to the King to inform of his victory, when the castle started flooding with men, women and children. When he attempted to offer them aid, he realized that they were not asking for aid, but instead they were there to inhabit the castle. A man stood forth and introduced himself as Donovan Stonewall, King of Avondale. It did not take long for him to realize and then learn that a very large conclave of survivors from the war had banded together, decided that Kormyre was destroyed, and had decidedly formed their own Kingdom. He tried to explain to them that King Aleric was in fact still alive and would return with aid, but they argued that the castle was abandoned and that they did not need help. When Inverness insisted that they cease their treason, King Donovan ordered him to be placed in confinement, where he was being taken now. A single glimmer of hope had come to him as he realized that his ignorant captors where taking him to the shadow tower, were the ravens are kept. After being locked away, he walked over to the cages and saw that all the ravens had died for lack of care… by the grace of Valos, all accept for one. He sat down and began what would probably be the most important letter of his life. It began, “Travance, …”

Sphere of the New Dawn … Eight strong people worked fervently to hoist up the spikes. Eight for each of the twelve spikes around the whole encampment; forged of iron, and skewered with demon bodies, usually six to ten each, depending on size of the demons. They were doing this every week, as they moved along their path. Last week was a town named Drien, and now they were setting up just outside a settlement their scouts told them is named Faillen. The captains told them that they had entered the ruins of the “Olde Kingdom of Kormyre”, where there were whispers of it being the site of one of the New Dawns major targets, although the specifics of the mission was not known. An important announcement was planned for the near future, and the loyal followers and workers of the cause anticipated to hear it…