After you assassinated the high priest of the Mockery, the battle quickly turned to your side's favour, and Thurizan's army retreated. Horde Commander Koll said that you had proved your loyalty to the Daughters of Sora Kell and released you from the army's service.
A winged succubus appeared and delivered a letter to Verschoyle from Tharrad Katarn. It contained an invitation to the next gathering of the Society of the Shadow Art, the wizards' circle to which Katarn belonged. It also had a request: Tharrad Katarn had heard that the Trumpet of Jubarex, an artefact belonging to a powerful outsider, was somewhere beneath the temple, and he asked if Verschoyle could retrieve it.
Verschoyle, Grim, Zurga, Hurgadar and Primrose the flesh golem explored the forgotten dungeon beneath the Temple of the Cleansing Blade. They defeated an undead high priest and several undead zombie torturors, and then (barely) defeated the stone golem that was guarding the trumpet. However they also found Jubarex herself, the owner of the trumpet, so they did the decent thing and returned it.
Meanwhile, Zumm helped the priests to re-dedicate the Temple of the Cleansing Blade. Later, while meditating in the hills, he had a vision of a powerful outsider called a Trumpet Archon who told him to turn from his evil ways.
The party travelled back to Graywall, sold their loot, and met up with Tharrad Katarn, who teleported them to the gathering of the Society of the Shadow Art.
The Society of the Shadow Art consists of:
Tharrad Katarn, a tiefling conjurer who likes to summon extraplanar creatures. He introduced Verschoyle to the Society.
Vurdak 'Deathlord', a goblin fleshwarper who performs obscene experiments such as grafting undead limbs onto his living ogre slave. He introduced Mavik to the society.
'Archmage' Vardis Kelor, a human wizard who founded the Society and is its most powerful member.
Eradon Thrisk, a human mystic theurge who is fanatical in his devotion to the Shadow, god of dark magic.
Valanthe Galadonel, an elf wizard who seems interested in history.
Borruk, an elderly bugbear loremaster who collects knowledge for its own sake.
The party met Mavik Hilford, another wizard who was applying for membership in the Society. Verschoyle and Mavik both narrowly passed the test and were accepted into the Society.
Verschoyle left Primrose the flesh golem with Vurdak Deathlord, and commissioned him to graft a
+1 longsword in place of the golem's hand, making it more effective against some foes. Vurdak will bring the modified flesh golem to the next meeting in about three months' time.
Mavik told the party that his familiar was lost, and enlisted their help to get it back. He led them to a goblin village within the territory of the warlord adjacent to Grim's territory. This village worshipped a strange god called Zilkloog, actually a mind flayer posing as a god, and offered sacrifices to him every month.
The party convinced the high priest of Zilkloog to let them into the main hall of the temple, then killed the high priest and won the ensuing battle against the temple guards and their trained umber hulks. The story will pick up with them exploring the rest of the temple and meeting Zilkloog in person!
The party now consists of:
Grim (Greg's character), warforged fighter 6/warforged juggernaut 4
Mavik Hilford (Henrique's character), human wizard (necromancer) 9
Verschoyle (Matt's character), human wizard 9/human paragon 1
Zumm (Imre's character), goblin monk 9
Zurga (NPC), Verschoyle's apprentice, goblin wizard 3
Hurgadar (NPC), Grim's cohort gained through the leadership feat, mongrelfolk barbarin 8
Umber hulk zombie (NPC), Mavik's newly raised undead minion.
