As we last left our heroes, they were faced with three groups of bad guys who represented the Zhentarim, the Red Wizards of Thay, and the Draco-Liches. Each group would be a formidable matchup on its own, all three boded ill for our stalwart heroes. All was not lost, however! Appearing out of nowhere were a band of NPCs to aid our heroes. They were led by Rusty Fireheart (a sometimes uneerily coincidental acquaintance), Holly and Hyacinth Huldane (Heather's slimmer and more attractive sisters) and Stin (Khormack's teacher in the ways of the sword).

Also, unknown to our heroes and most of the villains, there were traitors in the enemy camp. In the Zhentarim camp there was the mid-level wizard who's daughter our heroes had saved some weeks past. He wanted to help the heroes without revealing his treachery to the other Zhentarim in his band. In the Red Wizard camp there was Filbert's girl friend and her white dragon steed, no match for the older wizards, but perhaps an ace up the sleeve of our heroes' collective arms. In the Draco-lich camp was a Lich and his steed Skippy. The Lich was Elsie's friend and was willing to betray the others if it would help him gain Ironfang Keep.

After some inconclusive bargaining, the fight started with a lightning strike from the sky from Karlan's axe. Quickly the groups took action, with the betrayers striking out at their allies. The Red Wizards took flight on their dragons as did the Draco-liches (except for the friendly lich who took the time to dispatch the leader lich). The Zhentarim were planetbound and took heavy damage from a Meteor Swarm as Filbert, Stin and the Huldane sisters charged into them.

Meanwhile, Khormack's goat, Bleaty, started to undergo a remarkable and rather disturbing transformation. Struck by a fireball, it actually caught on fire, something it had never done before. But more was to come, as Bleaty's skin sloughed off his body like a butterfly's cocoon. Lo! This was no butterfly being revealed, but the slathering form of the most powerful creature in Faerun, a dreaded Tarrasque. Although only a baby Tarrasque, it quickly killed and ate one of the Draco-liches who ventured too close to it.

Back in the Zhentarim fight, the Zhents were being hard pressed from multiple sides. Several mages went down quickly, with the leader succumbing to the sword of Stin. High above, Filbert's girl friend was holding off the other three Red Wizards single-handedly. As the Zhentarim decided to run away, Gui appeared at the entrance of Ironfang Keep and yelled out that the magical defenses had been lowered.

Our heroes rushed to the entrance of Ironfang Keep. But they needn't have bothered, for their Lich friend took command of the Draco-liches and ordered them to drive off the Red Wizards, leaving our heroes mostly intact except for Randolph, who had been slain during the fight. Karlan, in a fit of generosity that is all the more poignant because of what happened to him later, used his wish to Resurrect Randolph, as the rest of the party entered the dreaded keep.

At the entrance was Ral, Lord of the Balrogs, a powerful demon lord from another plane. He bade our heroes to enter the inner sanctum, where all their questions would be answered. Eagerly everyone poured in the octagonal room, where the image of Terrorchill Hotsmith appeared before them.

Terrorchill explained that our adventures had been a test. He was agent of Balance, a group so secret, even the Gods did not know of its existence (although some suspected). As one of the original Accursed, his band had reached this same point, and had undergone a similar test. Of the four who had taken that test, three had dropped out and only he had passed through each of the trials.

Balance must be maintained throughout the multiverse, and it was the solemn responsibility of his group to make sure it was maintained. If we were willing to take and pass the test, we could also join this secret society that worked behind the scenes. But before we accepted, he warned us that the test could easily end up killing each and everyone of us. Still, that didn't deter any but Heather and Randolph, who didn't want to be agents of Balance.

Continued tomorrow...