Vela plays a cruel joke.

It was early evening, an unusually large gathering of adventurers were near the fountain in Tanamerah. When suddenly a women comes running up to them screaming "Help it is coming for me, please help". Before anyone could even ask what was wrong she bust into flames and died right before their eyes. Leaving behind a pile of ash, teeth, and a few bones. The ash billowed in the evening breeze revealing a holy symbol laying in the spot where she once stood.

The Holy Symbol was left on the ground as they stared on in disbelief. It was identified as being of the deity Vela. As evening gave way to the night th sky clouded up, a sharp crack startles many of the adventures as lightning strikes the holy symbol were it laid.

Curiosity was getting the better of some of the group, but none so much as Elrow. Before anyone could stop her she bent down a plucked the holy symbol from the ashes. She instantly felt a strange weakness for a few moments. Then a great flash of light and suddenly everyone with in a few feet of Elrow was transported to another plane. Salara Scarlet had just stepped out of The Market to see the spectacle of them all disappearing. She shrugs and moves on with her life, some of who went she was glad to see go.

The group finds themselves and a cave of sorts with tunnels criss crossing in every imaginable direction. A horrible twisting maze of earth and stone. Elrow begins casting all her defensive spells expecting a fight. The others follow suit, once most the casting was over a discussion about where they are and what they should do is floating about. Suddenly Elrows magic fails all of her protections are gone. She feels weak and diseased, she falls to the ground, several rush to her aid. After a few moments she gets up like nothing is wrong, and says she had a vision. A large statue of a face and a portal behind it guarded by several large figures, it appeared to be in a cave much like this one.

The group begins searching for this portal in the hopes it will lead somewhere other than here and maybe closer to home. It becomes obvious they are on the elemental plane of earth. They have traveled to the inner planes. They are confronted by many earth elementals while trying to find the cavern with the statue. Eventually they find it, guarded by the Captains of Nor. An intense melee breaks out, so of the party falls in combat. The last remaining few heroes bravely confront the giants and golems sent against them. Once the mighty foes have been defeated the group comes together and pick up their fallen companions and brings them back to life with prayers and carefully prepared scrolls. They take a short rest to heal up and regain their strength, not knowing what they may walk into by using the portal to the unknown.

The group stands around the portal hesitant to enter the unknown. Kia leaps forward the suspense was to much for her, in a blinding flash of light she is gone. Then one by one the rest of the group takes that fateful leap.

The group finds themselves in a deep river valley, some have been there before, it is the ancient platform near Long River. Suddenly they hear a strange and twisted laughter and cries for help. Then three witches appear and with out words begin to attack the group. All three witches summon up a wailing spirit, many die instantly. The few who are left jump on the witches and begin pounding them trying to prevent more spells from being cast. In the end the three witches bodies decay and vanish before their eyes. After the witches were dispatched Elrow notices the Holy Symbol has vanished.

Again the group resurrects the fallen and moves on, headed north. They meet the army of the Red Hand they fight bravely and win a brief liberation for the mining camp. A scout is seen escaping into the woods, he takes with him warning of the attack and soon returns with an army of Red Hand. The fighting is fierce and long, the group fights through the rest of the night and as morning dawns it seems they have won. It was as if a curse was lifted from them all.

Somewhere Vela is chuckling to her self, oh she does enjoy playing with those silly mortals.