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Session XXXVI Summary:

Coltaine, Win'tyr and Sorrow descend the chains into an enormous chamber. A yawning, black portal dominates the northern wall. Something strains against the darkness within, as if it were a thin film keeping back a vicious, clawed beast.

Before the black portal stands Kalarel. He holds, by the throat, the underpriest the Drogans had sent down the pit. He is injured, but very much alive. "You have failed me for the last time, Reginald," Kalarel says, then hurls him backwards into the black portal where the claws swallow him up.

In this room can also be found the imp the Drogans previously encountered, a host of undead sentinels, a human woman wielding a maul, and a dwarf wielding a warhammer and holy symbol. Sorrow recognizes these last two as Morgan and Rhekd, minions of Kalerel.

Battle commences.

Coltaine heads West, charging towards Kalarel, as his companions head East, dealing with the undead.

The dwarf calls out to Kalarel from across the room, "We were never with you, Kalarel. We don't worship Orcus." He and Morgan then join the Drogans in their battle against Kalarel.

Kalarel replies, "I find your lack of faith disturbing," then speaks to the tiefling. "Sorrow, you have been at my side all this time. Don't make me destroy you."

Sorrow calls upon her knowledge of magical rituals and begins closing the portal.

Kalarel reduces Coltaine to 4 HP with a shadowy bolt and says, "I have you now."

Coltaine, out of healing surges, says, "I'm not done yet," and with one swing of his sword, chops through two skeletons, then charges up to Kalarel.

Kalarel says, "Impressive." He continues, "Douven Staul has taught you well. Coltaine, you do not yet realize your importance. You've only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I shall complete your training."

Kalarel vanishes in a puff of smoke, and reappears before the portal.

Coltaine replies, "Douven Staul trained me never to bow to the forces of evil. Your reign is over, Kalarel."

With the undead re-dead, Coltaine's companions and new surprise allies come to his aid.

Kalarel says, "Coltaine, if only you knew the power of the dark side."

The imp casts a spell on Coltaine, and the human collapses.

Morgan says, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Kalarel beats Morgan with his rod, taking her down.

As round 8 ends, Coltaine is down, Morgan is down, Sorrow is bloodied. Only Kalarel and the imp remain, but Kalarel seems barely wounded.

Kalarel takes a knee before the portal and asks, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

The Imp reduces Sorrow to 4 HP.

The dwarf joins Sorrow in her efforts to close the portal, then heals Coltaine back up to 5 HP.

Kalarel mutters to the portal, "He will join us or die, my master."

Win'tyr tries to help close the portal, but gets zapped by a bolt of energy that feeds the rift. The portal looks like it's on the verge of stabilizing.

The dwarf completes the penultimate step toward closing the rift. The portal is now teetering on the brink of stabilizing or collapsing.

Sorrow completes the final step, and as the portal begins shrinking, one last claw reaches and grabs Kalarel. It pulls Kalarel through the rift, and as he is being dragged into the Shadowfell, he shouts, "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

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