A Land Torn Asunder

"We are not in Paridon anymore" declared Ralom as the party found themselves surrounded by a dark forest of gigantic, mossy gray firs.  The whole party was weary as they plodded forward along a narrow path.  The sun was shining brightly high in the sky.  "What terrors are we liable to find here?" wondered Arvien.

The ground seemed solid, and yet Varrid experienced a moment of vertigo, as if it shifted underfoot.  At the same time a deep groan -- a monstrous sound, as though some great thing lay dying, just inside the forest. 
As short time later the ground began to tremble.  Just ahead of Seglun, a rift opened in the earth, about 40 feet wide and 100 feet long.  It was filled with a swirling grey mist that was tainted with the chill of the grave.  All was silent after Seglun gasped a leaped to the rear, and then a tree whose roots had been exposed by the rift tore free of the soil and toppled in the party's direction.  The massive trunk, heavy enough to crush a house, was falling on the group!
Most of the party leapt out of the way of the falling trunk and branches, just a couple of them were hit for minor damage by the branches of the fallen giant.
After checking on all the party, Baru moved up to peer into the rift which appeared to be a bottomless pit.  The walls were jagged as if a great claw had simple torn a whole in the fabric of the earth.  It was easy enough to skirt the rift by passing into the forest.  Of course the party split into two some moving east and other west around the great hole.  Even so they met up on the south side of the rift and knowing nothing of their whereabouts continued to follow the narrow pathway.  As they traveled, Summergale flew over the forest in circles but did not report any evidence of habitation or apparent enemies, but she did say there were several rifts of various sizes in the forest.  Every hour at least the party could hear the monstrous groaning sound off in the distance.  Once a rift opened right alongside the narrow pathway, which was easily skirted.
A shrill scream of terror pierced the air.  A short distance away, in the woods to the east, something moved quickly toward the party, plunging wildly through the branches.
A man burst out into the open.  His hair was a dull silver color and there was a crazed light in his amber eyes.  By his pointed ears, he is clearly revealed to be an elf.  His shirt was torn, and he's was covered in mud.  Gasping, he raced past the party, screaming, "RUN! RUN!  The treants are coming!  They'll crush us all!  Flee for your very lives!"
He ran past the party no more and a few dozen feet into the woods before his shirt caught on a protruding branch.  Screaming about treants, he struggled, then collapsed in a dead faint.  Ralom and Baru moved toward the elf immediately with healing spells and touches at the ready.  Ralom did not detect any evil from the elf or anywhere else.  As the two approached the prone character he started to revive.  On regaining his wits he cried "Aha! I see it now!  You're agents of Baron Kharkov! 
He threw back his head, and shouted for help.  "Lord Soth! Your enemies have entered your lands!  Come out of your keep and fight!  Send forth your warriors to protect the people of your domain!
Arvien quickly pointed out that no treants had actually emerged from the forest.  When the party explained that they had come from Paridon through the mists, the elf began to calm down a little -- he still jumped at every "sentient" movement in the forest.
The elf introduced himself as Quallan, a native of Sithicus.  During an often interrupted discussion with Quallan the party learned that they were in Sithicus.  The High Lord of Sithicus is Lord Soth, a giant of a man completely encased in black plate mail.  He rules Sithicus from Nedragaard Keep, located in a deep chasm that lies between the elven cities of Har-Thelen and Hroth.
Quallan told of Baron Urik von Kharkov of Valachan, he had spent the last two months in Valachan after fleeing from Sithicus but had returned on learning that Sithicus was being invaded by evil treants commanded by Kharkov.  He plans to go to Kartakass as fast as he can.  For some reason Soth has not ventured out of Nedragaard Keep for several months.  Quallan believes that "something must be wrong" with the High Lord.  Otherwise the great warrior would have emerged from his keep to deal with the invasion by Baron Kharkov.  When Quallan was fleeing Sithicus he heard a "terrible singing" that drove his companions back from the border.  Quallan pressed on into Valachan without his companions.  The treants must be singing as part of Baron Kharkov's plan.  The rifts are caused by the treants, who open the chasms with their roots.  Soth's warriors are dead things that rise up out of the ground to fight his battles. 
The party decides to move toward Kartakass with Quallan who falls in next to Drovic.  He inquires about Drovic's dark skin having never seen such an elf before.  When Drovic asks about Quallan's background, home, or family the answers are rather vague on details.  In fact Quallan doesn't seem to recall his childhood or parents at all.   As the party walks along the pathway the groans continue and Quallan flinches at every sound or movement from the forest. 
Just ahead, there was a loud cursing.  A man was shouting over the sound of whimpers and pleas for mercy.  Grunyar also notes a strange rattling sound.
"What do you mean, you don't remember seeing the ghost with the crooked smile?"  When I spoke to you a week ago, you seemed certain enough that you could remember the spot where you saw her.  Now suddenly you've forgotten.  Well maybe this will help jog your memory!"
The group heard the heavy sound of weapons hitting flesh.  At the same moment, a woman begins to scream.
Baru, Ralom, Seglun and Varrid rush forward toward the screams.  Six skeletons were hacking a male elf to death.  A female elf is screaming.  Another male elf, flanked by two more swrod-wielding skeletons, was standing with his fists clenched while blood splattered him.
A dwarf with bone-white sideburns and moustache was directing the actions of the skeletons.  He stepped forward and forces the female elf's head closer to the corpse.
"Do you remember yet, Hethanna?"  he said  "Or do I have to kill your brother, as well as your husband?  Lord Soth is too busy to tend to these matters himself, but he still wants to find his lady."
"All I remember is the howling," the elven woman moaned.  "Nothing else.  None of us remembers anything anymore."  The dwarf gestures to the skeletons, who turned slowly toward the remaining elf and raised their bloody swords.  Baru and Seglun arrive on the scene as the dwarf faced them transforming into a hybrid dwarf/badger form to fight this new enemy.
The battle is intense as Ralom channel divine wrath onto the skeletons, who have moved away from the elf toward the party.  Baru, Seglun and Varrid take turns flanking the dwarf/badger who battles fiercely with an axe.  Drovic stays next to Quallan while calling forth lightning arcs.  Of course piercing weapons do less damage to the skeletons than desired but the channel divine wrath is dropping them one by one.  Arvien moved to Quallan and handed him a dagger, whereupon he waded into the battle, wildly swinging the blade before him.  Grunyar fired arrows into the fray and soon all the skeletons collapsed into a bag of bones.  The dwarf/badger suddenly burrowed away into the earth with terrific speed. 
Ralom and Baru rush to the side of the stricken elf, but he is past revival.  After a quick round of healing on the party.  The group turns to the two surviving elves.  Quallan was already raving to them about the invasion of treants.  Arvien approached and asked the elves and learned their names, Hethanna and Rowhen.  Hethanna turned to Rowhen and asked, "Are you really my brother?" 
He shrugged.  "I am not certain, lady."  At this Arvien became concerned and queried them about the dwarf and why he was assailing them.  Hethanna replied "He is Azrael, the seneschal of Lord Soth.  He believes we know of a dark-haired woman, named ...  What was her name again?"  Rowhen replied "Kitiara, who Lord Soth desires."
Hethanna insisted that Rowhen help her to carry her husband' body back for burial in the family cairn.  But when she looked down at the corpse, a puzzled expression crossed her face.  "Who is this man?"  she asked.  Rowhen shrugged.
"And who are they?"  She stated indicating the party.  At these stunning revelations the party asks Quallan if he can help Hethanna return her husband.  Quallan agreed and three elves started down a path toward Har-Thelen, apparently the home of Hethanna.  The heroes blazed the trail in front of them, while Hethanna and Rowhen took several wrong turns along the way.
The night falls quickly and there is no moon in the sky just cold pinpricks of light.  The group settled down to rest, weary from the battle with the doppelgangers of Paridon and the dwarf/badger.
Arvien closed her eyes and the image of Renee appeared on the insides of her eyelids, Renee's flesh burned away as Arvien watched.  When Arvien opened her eyes she found herself, and her companions, sitting in a Theater, facing an elaborate stage.  An unseen orchestra tuned its instruments, and the packed house waited in silent anticipation for the start of the show.  As they looked around, the heroes saw the audience consisted of corpses in varying states of decay.  The corpses were as animated and mobile as the heroes themselves.  The bodies were all residents of Instosia, people the party recalled from the celebration a "few nights ago."  Slowly every rotting or burned head turned to stare accusingly at the heroes.  Then the lights turned off and the theater was plunged into darkness.

DM's Notes:  The party earned 343XP for the night and now have 23531 XP.  They need 11469 more XP to reach 6th level.