Alaketh BAMFD into existence in the swamps outside of Hosuth a place he now called home. As he sludged his way through the swamp he thought about the loss of Mistress Freth, returning to Menzoberanzen and the attack on his former family, the destruction of House Freth and all that means for his brothers and him. He also thought about Qhesha in the City of Brass and how a chance encounter with her caused him to turn his back on his chaotic lifestyle and embrace a more orderly approach to life, one he was passing on to his protege Xhayte and his dragon companion Hurex. Alaketh approached the cave entrance with trepidation not knowing if it was trapped.  He sent out an empathic signal to Hurex letting him know he was back. Within moments Xhayte arrived at the mouth and with some words and the wave of his hands bid Alaketh entrance to the home of the Indigo-Singer.

“Good to see Hurex has you using your spells to ward the place, keeps you sharp.” said Alaketh to Xhayte.

“Thanks.” the young tiefling replied, “I’ve been practicing alone much of the time you’ve been gone. Hurex has been spending a lot of time in the sunken city retrieving treasures and gaining followers.”

“Followers you say?” The Blackguard asked asked with interest.

“Indeed. Perhaps it’s best though if the dragon explained it.”

The two walked through the dank cave for a few minutes following its twists and turns before opening into a huge room with a huge water hole in the back left corner. Paintings, statues and other works of art littered the room, all suffering from various water damage.

“Hurex has been busy.” Alaketh thought to himself, “This place was empty when I left.”

Just then, water bubbles emerged from the pool and out sprang two lizard men carrying a small statue of a drow priestess. Looking up toward the sound of voices, they dropped the statue and drew scimitars. They charged through the water closing in on the unknown drow that was in their master’s lair.

Xhayte commanded the lizardmen to stop but they either didn’t understand or were more concerned with the drow standing there since they were looting a sunken drow city and they rushed past Xhayte. They were about to strike Alaketh who had been standing there with a quizzical look on his face when a huge object burst out of the water and landed on his hoard. Hurex roared freezing the lizardmen in their tracks. After a brief exchange in a language unknown to Alaketh, the lizardmen put their swords away and dove back into the water. Hurex welcomed Alkaeth home.

“Good to be back. I’m glad you have made yourself at home. I told you there was much unclaimed treasure down in the city..”

“Yesss. Fine arts and statuary.” The dragon moved his head toward a pile he had recently collected.

“But I’m curious. What’s up with the lizardmen? asked Alaketh.

Hurex put the two statues down that were in his claws and explained that on his first foray into the sunken city he ran into some lizardmen that were slaves to drow from Hosuth, “Seems they are trying to dredge up their old home but the lizardmen are dragging their feet. They appear to be on the verge of a revolution. So after some discussions it seems their shamans have declared me an avatar of one of their long dead gods.” Hurex smiled at this, as acid dripped from one of his incisors into the pool of water. Those kobolds you encountered are still about and are making more of a menace of themselves since you’ve been away. I ate a few but that only emboldened them. Finally their lord and master flew by. This Eomyrosis the Black is an ancient if I ever saw one. She was searching for something…probably me,.. or us, either way we have a problem. An ancient will not allow another dragon to lair here  in this swamp so either we move or…” he paused. “We kill her, take her hoard and become lords of this swamp, so what do you say companion?

Alaketh thought for a moment then grinned. “I think I have just the brothers to help us out.”