Grey Elves!

The group awoke at the portals entrance, only to be knocked out by some unseen assailants.

Upon awakening again, they noticed they were chained and gagged, their arms and magic items being stripped from them. The assailants were however kind enough to allow them the privilege of their clothing.Those that awoke could see 2/3 dark-skinned elves, their purple hues blending in neatly in the surrounding subterranean area. Their discussion, though in elven, was not a problem for most of the group to understand. Clearly had they not only invaded their minds, they had also tried to erase the information of the future, and with the failure of that wanted to break their minds before putting them as insane beggars out on the streets of Ael’Tas. One of the dark elves then left, (to go get a more senior dark elf to break their minds) and the others had left the party to it’s confinement.

Turns out that leaving an angry dwarf and fire mage locked in only works for so long, for Kromal easily broke his bonds, after which the others could be freed. The manacles were annoying, true, but they were no more than heavy bracelets by the end. After ascertaining that Kevin and Stelmaris were safe and sound (walking in Ael’Tas) Dashawn attempted to open the locked door, only for his cleverly hidden thieves tools to break the lock, forcing the rest to remove the door in a more brutish fashion.

Doing so announced their presence quite thoroughly though, and in no time they found themselves opposed by 4 drow and 2 giant spiders. Though the battle was hard fought. (Flappie leaves the description of it to people that have a better knack for action.) The party ultimately was victorious. In the absence of any immediate threat, the party set out to recover their own belongings. They scouted out the neighborhood, together with the spectral form of Lyuana that spontaneously appeared during the fight after Arthur took down a dark elf.

Any mystical protections and measures surrounding the place were quickly dispelled or otherwise broken, allowing our intrepid heroes to investigate the place further. Apart from quickly reclaiming their belongings, and picking up valuable components and even a Jug of Alchemy (Praise be Mystra, for She knows the party needs a drink after all this.) Nonetheless the most important finding were coded books, containing information over all key figures of Ael’Tas. After taking along several specific examples as evidence (amongst which the tracers on Alruna’s maternal family, the Valyrians, the royal family and the high priest of Moradins tome) the group made its way upwards, back to the city.

Unfortunately, it was hard to convince anyone of the happenings, and they later learned that the dark elves had destroyed their hideout, causing a collapse before it. The books might provide valuable evidence, but they had to be decoded first. The councillor Valyrian had an idea though, by taking on heavy troubles in the realms we personally would rise in favour, unto the point where people would actually believe us, especially in regards to the Giants returning.

So our party took a day to get to their senses, touching base where necessary and attempted to contact Volknar, who was quite disinterested in the affairs. As rumours swelled in from Faykeep, denoting a fiery presence (perhaps related to Alruna’s Phoenician maternal line?) causing havoc. In other words, the perfect excuse for the party to gain favour.