After a hard fought battle at the feet of Luminos the Mighty, we have been transported to our ultimate destination, the Primordial Graveyard. Here, I have witnessed an act unimaginable. Balagos has been slain; a victim of his own greed. In his place stands Maurghoros, whose spirit has emerged from a phylactery and taken possession of Balagos’ corpse as if it were his own body. As the battle begins, his fire breath engulfs several of my compatriots and I have to stay on the move in order to keep the flames from searing me. It is obvious that this evil foe is as much of a destroyer in death as he likely was in life. Maurghoros’ paralyzing touch has made several of our force easy targets for the rest of the Cult of the Dragon. My heart beats faster as I watch them stand stock still, unable to fend off their impending destruction, destined to see their fate sealed while they are powerless to defend themselves.

Ah, the exuberance of youth. While the massive adamantine doors in the courtyard of Luminos the Mighty seem barred by some mystical force, we have discovered a secret passage that seems to be leading us into the ancient hall of the cloud giant. We are joined by Eyruaad, the young offspring of Quelindritar. The young bronze dragon has enlightened us to all of the many tricks he has in his repertoire that will help in the upcoming skirmish. Like all bronze dragons, he has told us of the far-reaching effects of his lightning breath as well as his repulsion breath, which can severely hamper the combat effectiveness of opponents nearby him.

With all three mechanisms now activated, Pacatus has dispatched us to the courtyard of Luminos the Mighty where we are supposed to meet up with an ally he has sent ahead of us. As we race into the courtyard, I can hardly believe my eyes: Drizzt Do’Urden. He stands prepared for combat with his twin scimitars, Twinkle and Icingdeath, at the ready. Guenhwyvar, a huge and powerful-looking black panther, comes into view from behind one of the beautiful statues and I feel elated at the chance of seeing the duo perform in the upcoming battle. Though this chamber seems to be penned in by some invisible barrier overhead, I still hope for the opportunity to watch Drizzt wield the beautifully crafted Taulmaril in combat.

With the Gale Force Gate opened, we have taken it upon ourselves to venture forth to the Gate of Whispers to reinforce our companions. Considering our encounter with the awakened guardians of the last gate, I feel our help will be needed. Word has traveled through our troops that the final gate is guarded by Ancoram, a stone giant elder. My concern is well founded, as a dispatched elf sails over our heads, victim of his awesome blow. Another elf is unceremoniously slammed to the ground and dazed by a direct hit from a large, hurled rock. It would seem attempts to avoid the giant’s attacks as well as the shadowfell energy emanating from the Gate of Whispers may be too much for us to overcome.

With the Pulsating Gate opened and safeguarded from the Cult of the Dragon, Pacatus has sent several of us on to the Gale Force Gate in hopes of thwarting our enemy’s advance upon that entryway. As we came within view of the gate, it became painfully obvious that the cult members were not having as easy of a time as they had hoped. Standing guard over the gate was Malebolge, a gargoyle, and two magical basilisk statues. Though able to take flight, Malebolge seemed to grow more powerful when in contact with the ground, as if he were drawing strength from the floor beneath him. When he would freeze, his armor was nigh impenetrable, and being a creature of living stone, his armor was already formidable. Even while in flight, his inhuman toughness seemed to cancel even the most accurate attacks.

We have finally reached the Palace of Luminos the Mighty, but we still find ourselves at odds with the Cult of the Dragon. I’ve been dispatched with a group to stand guard at the Pulsating Gate alongside Pacatus, a mighty gold dragon who is rumored to be one of the original architects of the path I’ve recently found myself upon. His ability to cure wounds will be much appreciated by those of us of lesser strength than he. His fire breath is said to be capable of penetrating even the most hardened of armor but I am more amazed by his weakening breath, which can cause the stoutest warrior to wither in strength. Having a few feeble opponents to deal with will be a nice change from all of the action we’ve seen as of late.