There’s no place like home…

Daglan gestured, and the world faded away into the mists.

This time, however, the party wasn’t floating together… each person found themselves flying through a tunnel of mists so thick, they could be clouds.  It was as if they were being hurled somewhere.  Soon, there started to be breaks in the mist, and glimpses of strange… worlds? could be seen in those breaks.  A land seeming of lava, with everything on fire.  A beautiful paradise.  Machines as far as the eye could see.  Dark, desolate lands.  Fertile, lush gardens.  After what seemed like both mere moments yet forever at the same time, the mists started to part for some.  A few even say they thought they saw the entire world below them…



…and, then, each person described that they seemed to be hurling through the clouds. As the clouds broke, those knowledgeable about such things, could tell that they were not heading towards their homeland in the northwest of Faerun, but instead were heading towards the Great Sand Sea of Anauroch.

The clouds were growing fewer, and the land closer. Oddly, there was no sense of gravity pulling our adventurers back to the surface, but they were each hurling towards it nonetheless. There still has been no sign of any other companions. Later, a few would describe having seen what looked like an upside-down mountain, floating in the air, with what looked like a city built on top of its shorn base.



No one has ever quite shared what happened next. While everyone’s stories are similar thus far, it seems to universally vague here. All they seem to agree upon is that, without knowing how, they were suddenly standing on the road to Westhill, not far from their home. Approaching the town, a few of the farms on the outskirts seemed to have grown larger than remembered. As they neared the ruins of the old town wall, a small guard tower stood, with a sentry looking out into the far hills. The road to Daran’s orchard had recently constructed houses that were not there when last this road was walked.

The first stop was the town hall. There, the party learned from a (less than helpful) clerk no one recognized that Daran, Halia, and Gundren were elected to the town council… a year ago; the current date is 3 Tarsakh, in the Year of Three Ships Sailing (1492 DR). Just outside the town hall, a small stone monument had been erected, carved with the names of our party, Sildar, and others that died or disappeared that fateful night. Curiously, Eudora’s name was not on the list. The next stop was the Phandalin Miner’s Exchange, where T’Sai was able to catch up with Halia and get a quick update on their business ventures.

En route to Tresendar Manor, the party continued to note the number of new houses that had been built, a rebuilt Sleeping Giant Tavern (now the Giant’s Awakening), and a new road heading along the hill of the manor to what was once the secret entrance of the Redbrands. As they reached the rebuilt entrance, T’Sai found it curious that no guards were about… and even concerning that the doors were apparently unlocked when he was able to walk right in. The foyer held two statues on either side, one that appeared to be Sir Aldith Tresendar and the other that appeared to be… T’Sai? The nose wasn’t quite right.

Inside the Manor is a great hall, dominated by a sculpture of the Tresendar hawk.  A small inconspicuous door stood in the far right corner, a more ornate one more or less directly ahead, double doors to the left, followed by a hallway and a grand staircase.  Finally, a grand set of double doors stood between the ornate door and the staircase.  Oddly, there were no people about.  T’Sai began calling out for Elsa.  Moments later, a maid entered through the inconspicuous door.  Upon seeing the party, she let out a startled shriek, dropped the pail of cleaning water she had been carrying, and ran back through the door.

A minute later, Zesstra charged through the same door, with two guards in tow.  She skidded to an abrupt stop upon seeing our party—a year later than expected.  After having her companions lower their arms, Zesstra welcomed everyone home, and explained to T’Sai that security was generally not needed here, as the ancient wards placed on the doors prevented them from being opened by one that is not related to the Tresendar family, or otherwise added to the wardpassing… That’s right, related to the Tresendar family.  While he was trapped in the other realm, Elsa Tresendar had given birth to T’Sai’s daughter.

T’Sai introduced Zesstra to Maekon and Molish.  Zesstra led Pix to the library, and left one of the guards to guide him to the laboratory behind the Manor.  Then, Zesstra brought everyone upstairs to Elsa, who was painting in the solarium.  Dropping her palette and brushes, Elsa ran to T’Sai… and promptly slapped him!  Then, she kissed him, and introduced him to his daughter.

Elsa and Zesstra gave the returning party, and their new companions, a tour of the Manor and the Tresendar Talons barracks.  Each person was shown their room, as Sister Garaele’s divinations had told the women that majority of our party was still alive, somewhere.  As night settled, everyone began to retire to their room.