The party spend the week helping the Orcs in Ironhold appreciate the finer points of life elsewhere. Only the
tougher clans in the gatehouse complex refuse to run away. At the end of the week a dwarven army turn up
intent on retaking Ironhold and the party are given the job of taking the two gate towers so that the huge doors
of the dwarf hold can be opened.
The party divide into two groups of four and Hawk, Dia, Dwain and Medalric get to take the left hand tower. They
favour the 'roast 'em, toast 'em then stick 'em on a fork' approach which succeeds quite well. Dove's party
(which also contains Gale, Rumpkin, Firmon) then goes for the 'fill the room with snakes and fog then have the giant crocodile wait outside' approach. This more esoteric method also works well and the two towers are taken and held
by the party (who also clear the catapaults off the roof). Once the dwarven army are inside the orcs stand no chance and swiftly retreat.
Once the citadel is taken the party leave for Greenost via Pell's Hold and
The Rift. Lord Fairchild outlines his plan for taking the capital. His army will camp
outside while his agents encourage the regular army defending the walls to surrender. Other agents including
Dove and Hawk will encourage the civilian population to resist the
Geogoths. Meanwhile a party led by Isky will clear the demons from the
Nobles' Quarter and then confront Count Draku in his palace.
Isky is well aware she will be walking into a trap since one of Draku's main objectives will be to kill her. Isky
is, however, quite happy to take on Draku one on one since she has the
Sword of Erin. All she asks is for the party supporting her
keep whatever allies Count Draku has from attacking her.
Accompanying Isky to the Nobles' Quarter the party (bolstered by the return of Freya and Daelhaelin) find and
defeat the many Vrocks and Nalfeshnees that now patrol the area. The party then take a short rest before
entering the palace which is eerily silent. It is not until they get to the very doors of the Throne Room that
they see other creatures. The two Nalfeshnees guarding the doors are quickly brushed aside and the party enter
the throne room. On seeing Count Draku lounging on the throne 100' away Medalric and Firmon advance down the hall
only to halted half way by an invisible wall of force. For some reason Medalric's powers over stone don't allow him to shape the stone in the Throne Room.
Count Draku then gives his supervillain 'Haven't I been Clever and By the Way You're All Doomed' speech mostly
aimed at draining any hope of success from the party. He claims that his powers over the fate of mortals meant that he had foreseen that the raid on the Black Unicorn in Retford would lead to the formation of a group heroes and
they would be sent to bring his main enemy, Isky, to him. He tells the party that his plans went even further back
and that he had arranged for Isky's father, Prince Penda, to be sent to
Sankhar, where he suspected Isky's mother was hiding, because 'she could never resist a
pretty royal princeling'. Since he planned to kill King Burdred he knew Isky
would be forced to come to Cambria to claim the throne 'thus dooming both
yourself and your mother'.
Count Draku then taunts Isky telling her that the Sword of Erin which she bears is in fact a fake that cannot harm him. He tells her that if she wants to run away he will let her go free but the price for bringing her friends to face him is their deaths. When she makes no move to go Draku says he will face her in single combat if she
wishes and he will let her through the forcewall. As Isky moves up to the wall of force, however, suddenly everything changes.
The party find themselves in a dark hall of immense proportions ill-lit by torches. Before them on a black throne
sits a gigantic figure. The party can only see the lower half of his body and they can't look up because every
muscle in their bodies is frozen but fear would have been sufficent reason to prevent them attempting to look at his face.
The figure speaks in a voice like thunder 'Iskerthos of the accursed House of Auraxgorthis hear the judgement
of the Lord of Fates. You will never sit on the Throne of Cambria. Neither will you bear children. You will have no descendents that sit on the Throne of Cambria. Neither will your mother ever bear children again. You will be
her last child, a thrice cursed child. Neither magic, nor steel, nor the divine powers of the Gods may break this
judgement. So decrees the Lord of Fates.'
Before the party can process what terrible event has occurred they are back in the Cambrian Throne Room. Count Draku still sits upon the throne, now smiling. The wall of force has been removed and four huge Balors, holding flaming whips and swords, block the
way up the hall. Isky walks forward to confront Draku but Medalric is even quicker avoiding the Balors by nimbly
climbing the walls and once again attempts to manipulate the stone floor, this time around Draku. Draku responds
with a raking attack with clawed hands.
There follows a fight that the Balors might well have won but for the party's magical healing and the fire
resistance potions they all took before entering the throne room. Isky's first strike brings a yell of pain and despair from Draku. He call for the Balors to defend him but for some reason they ignore him. The battle rages
all around the Throne Room but gradually the party gains the upper hand. First one Balor falls in an explosion of fire and then another. Count Draku turns to flee but is cut down by Isky. A third Balor is slain and then
Isky finishes the last with her longbow.
Despite the terrible curses that rained down on her Isky looks overjoyed and relieved. She mentions that she
never was the heir to the throne of Cambria, that title belonging to her elder sister Eleanor who has been
in Cambria sometime masquerading as the 'ward' of Lord Fairchild.