In Deaths Dark Shadow

During the hours of restless slumber, both of their dreams haunted by powerful forces, Thoorn and Tara were awoken by a frightened Datari, each woke up possessing an item that was featured within their dreams. Upon inquiring as to what happened, Datari told them that a monster from under the bed had kidnapped Vorkan. Understandably skeptical of the whole affair, Thoorn was persuaded by Tara to give the tiefling girl the benefit of the doubt. After all, she was only a kid and hadn’t harmed them yet. In the room of the two children, after noticing their companions sleep seemed imperturbable, the indeed did found an oddity under the bed, seeming like some sort of portal. With this corroboration on Datari’s explanation, Thoorn and Tara went under the bed together, in search for small Vorkan.

They came into the Shadowfell, a shadowy reflection of the world, where undead linger. Luckily for them, the Shadowfell seemed to mimick the Prime Material, resulting in them appearing in a more decayed and hopeless version of Littlemond, where all joy and emotion had been sucked dry from it’s shadowy denizens.

With Thoorn not even able to find any clues when soaring in the sky, and Thoorn and Tara growing more detached with every passing hour, they decided to go to the manor, in the hopes of finding someone there who could answer some inquiries. At least the skeletal guard, instantly aggressive as they were, provided some sort of interaction, proving their guess could have merit yet.

What they found in the barons room though was not the baron. Instead they found a very much still living Necromancer there, who upon their arrival immediately commanded his minions to attack the intrepid duo. A short and vicious fight later Tara had knocked the necromancer out by dropping a bookshelf on his head, and Thoorn had smitten his undead minions to their final rests. They tied him up, and took for themselves the scrolls and other belongings of the necromancer, in weregild for the unprovoked attack.

When the necromancer awoke, Tara and Thoorn played a game of good cop, bad cop to gain information as to where the little Dragonborn was, and though he couldn’t know for certain, he thought he was at this places equivalent of the Ministry of Truth, erhm, magic license building. Whilst going there the Necromancer, idiot as he was, attacked the duo again out of spite, and this time found himself confronted by the far less merciful Thoorn, who froze the Necromancer before shattering him in little pieces.

Arrived there, they found a couple of things. A scared to death Vorkan, in the middle of what seemed to be a copper dragons hatched egg. A lot of stuff. And oh, a Shadow Dragon.

It’s jealousy and possessiveness was only enhanced by Vorkans shine, and he claimed to never have know colourful life as well, so Thoorn offered to take it along to the material world, in the hope of restoring its colours. Tara objected telepathically to the plan, but was unwilling to push the issue. Thoorn showing mercy and compassion was something to be encouraged, not tossed away. Such a pity he wasted it on a creature like this.

Before returning however, the morning set. And it turned out morning in the Shadowfell is quite probably far worse than night, as the blazing sun brought every flaw and crack in focus, and every imperfection was magnified to grotesque proportions. Deciding to instead take a nap, they went on their trip back to the inn shortly thereafter. Once returned to the Shadowfell equivalent of Vorkans room, featuring, the opposite end of the Shadow Portal, the Shadow Dragon, to no ones real surprise announced it no longer needed them and would go on alone, killing Tara, Thoorn and Vorkan. After a quick brawl in the room, marred by spectacularly bad aim from most everyone present, Thoorn hit the Shadow Dragon with a strong smite, setting the deformed creature free from its misery.

Their mission was an operational succes. But even weary and detached as they were, both couldn’t help to feel a pang of regret at the foolish decision of the necromancer and shadow dragon both to turn on those who granted them a new lease at life. Before they went to sleep, exhausted as they were, Tara yet whispered to Toorn: ‘There should have been a better way.’