[center][@Zool][@Loksfjoer][@Saiyan][@Teyao][@Crusader Lord][@Zapdos][@Jay009][/center]

"How could I be so stupid?" Clarissa Shields muttered.

How could she have ignored the clues?  [i]The WellSprings[/i] temporarily dry up due to Universal Tier, top secret magical rituals being performed in Capitol City.  A few days later, unprecedented, revolutionary technology is delivered to her doorstep by a party whose Ranger outright tells her that she was from another world.  And now she's finding out that the Cleric who leads them is blessed by the entirety of the Quinity and their kin. Not to mention that this same party somehow managed to kill Aurok the Maneater.

"Excuse me?" Areleth asked.  It was he whose instincts had led him to the highly classified library of The Academy to research the possibilities of Second Chance's presence in the city.  The findings were clear.

Clarissa looked at him and shook her head, then turned to the closest subordinate in the office.  "You... go down to the city and find the party; Second Chance.  Take whomever you need.  They must be somewhere in Valhiem.  I want them here as soon as possible."

"At once," the subordinate replied and disappeared.

Mayor Pendlebury frowned.  "Will somebody tell me what in the world is going on?"

Areleth bowed his head.  "I'm afraid this may above all of our stations, Mayor." He then looked at Clarissa.  "Mytheria hangs in the balance."

[Center]_________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/center]

But Second Chance were no longer in the city of Valhiem.

The party had gathered together and were gone before the morning was out.  Joji never did show up at The Mended Drum, but replacing him was Barracker Kassel, the paladin monster hunter.  The vampire had finally been introduced to Lillianna and Second Chance were now headed towards the Temple of Hades in the local region.  They had made good headway during the afternoon, using the well-kept roads of the local region.

The mission sat firmly in all of the adventurers' minds:  Arrive outside the temple on the hill by nightfall, and the full moon's light would reopen the entrance.  Once inside, they would find their way to the main chamber and do battle with the Greater Wraith that had taken control of the temple and enslaved it's followers.  It would not be easy, but success would take them all one step closer to the answers they sought.

Eventually, the party would come across a wagon that was going the opposite way.  The driver recognized the attire of the adventurers and stopped to speak to them.

"Afternoon there, adventurers," he greeted, tipping his hat.  "You ain't, per chance, on business in the area, are you?"  He pointed back the way he came.  "The village of Cherrad's up yonder way.  They're in dire straits, right now, what with Hades' Temple gone rogue 'nd all.  They've been waiting for the Adventurer's Guild to send some help about that."