The army crashes through the front door, killing the schir guards, and a brutal standoff in the main chamber occurs, as the heroes and their ragtag army of a vrock, barbezu, cornugon, formians, fiendish hawks, an inevitable, and shocker lizards confront uridezu, schir, and dhour.

The tremendous battle leaves one dhour, the cornugon, vrock, and the heroes left standing.

Given the choice to surrender or die, Koro chooses escape with an illusion, and Noc attempts on last attack on the traitor with a Poison spell. The wizard turns Noc to stone, but Koro escapes.

The dwarven shaman reunites with Vyrion, who has made yet another deal with Chuluthon and his devilish cohorts. The scholarly mage has summoned a small platoon of various creatures, all bound to his will and unable to escape because of the curse of Saralinda. Vyrion has effectively created a small army under his control.

Koro takes the initiative and Flys out to where he saw Noc last; being taken by several goat-headed demons into the fungal swamp in the southeast corner of the fallen city.

Meanwhile, Noc is tortured by the demons, called Schir, and interrogated. Unable to bear the pain, he passes out. He wakes in the cell with a flesh and blood Sera, as well as two other prisoners; two elves from before the Fall. They inform Noc that they have been used as gladitorial amusement all this time, and Noc will join them.

Koro Obsures the arena (actually the stage of a theatre) and Teleports Noc away from the drow gladiator. Unfortunately, he brings with them two Schir. The devils, however, makes short work of them.

Noc in turn Wind Walks back to the prison, and convinces the two elves and Sera to help him help them escape. They push their way through the Schir guards, and while Noc Blade/Thorn Barriers the corridor to prevent reinforcements, he Word of Recalls them near the Temple of the Guardians.

All Noc can say is that Jakal and Aleeza command the arena, as well as fifty-some half-elf/demon beings, and a few Schir. Also, he has seen through a Scry that Beledev is imprisoned in a rosy crystal, perhaps as a trophy for the demons.

Lastly, during a Communing in the Bottomless Pit, he heared a divine voice telling him to "Cleanse the pool."

Intent on rescuing Sera, the heroes head back to spy on the wizard from a nearby tower. They rest and recover their magic while Koro keeps watch. Nothing happens during the night.

In the morning, however, the heroes are startled to see a gargantuan earth elemental lumbering toward them. It smashes the tower to pieces, specifically targeting Noc. Koro takes Noc and Dimension Doors them into the courtyard of the wizard.

There, they face various stone trolls, minions of Feirandell. As Vyrion tries to slow the elemental, and Koro holds off a stone troll, Noc tries to find the wizard. The heroes reunite on the roof, having determined that he is somewhere on the top level in one of three secret rooms.

He introduces himself as Feirandell, one of the original inhabitants of Saralinda, and a powerful wizard to boot. However, he has not been able to find a way out, nor to effect change in the Fallen City.

The creature turns out to be a nightshade, as well as its two bat companions. Having already destroyed one, Noc suggests bring the battle on their terms, to ambush the nightshade and free Feirandell from his weekly torment.

The shadow creatures are immune to magic, so the group enchants Beledev with all of the protective magics they can find. The battle leaves the creatures destroyed, the heroes' magic spent, and everyone battered and bruised.