“What have you gotten yourself into this time?” asked Qhesha as she looked over the infected, peeling, swollen and rotten form of Alaketh as he removed his armour.

Alaketh winced as piece by piece he removed the plate mail exposing more and more of the swamp rot, “Seems some Drow wizards were…are creating mutations and when they are done playing with them or not happy with the outcome, they set them free in the swamp where some of my brothers and I dwell. It also seems they just wouldn’t die like the wizards expected and instead found a way to survive by robbing travelers and merchants. This affected one of Quifas’s businesses so we took it upon ourselves to see what was going on and long story short, I went into some infected water and here I am.”

“Yes here you are buck naked with puss oozing out of cysts, fungal infections covering your body and you want me to do what? Heal you?” asked Qhesha with some snark in her voice.

“The thought did cross my mind” offered Alaketh “ but it’s not the reason why I came” he replied as he pulled a soul crystal out of a pouch by his armour. Qhesha gives a ‘big deal’ glance at the gem as she has seen thousands in her time as a broker. “This is from one of the mutations we slew. The wizards were merging lizardmen and other mortal creatures with demons or devils. Either way I thought you should know if Demons have made deals with the Drow wizards something might have to be done, if it was a Devil and not one in his service, the Cold One should know someone else is trying to make inroads on Faerun.

Qhesha took the crystal and pondered for a moment “Sit and try not to touch anything. I’ll be back in a moment.” Alaketh watched as Qhesha left the room. He remained standing at attention despite the itching and pain he experienced. Some minutes later Qhesha returned “Interesting little gifts, seems your arrogant wizards are playing with a multitude of things to create their creatures. This one…” She held up a crystal. “…contains a tormented soul that has been twisted by both demonic and infernal castings. Now whether this was their magics or the soul’s they twisted I do not know as of yet, but I intend to find out. You Alaketh have earned your cure and more, follow me.” she lauded with a wry grin.

Alaketh followed Qhesha through her home to an unadorned wall in the back of her library. She spoke a few words as runes formed a doorway before finally dissolving to reveal a hidden chamber. Neon blue glowing runes in the form of a pentagram covered the floor and the four walls of the room were scorched and blackened.

“Kneel in the center” Qhesha commanded as the armour and weaponry belonging to Alaketh floated in behind him on a disk of energy. Alaketh only just noticed as he made his way into the room. “The Cold One has many gifts to offer you and I have been charged with bestowing your next, should you survive the cleansing that is. The sickness you have is not life threatening but for you to go any further along this journey he must know if you have the fortitude to claim your prize.” She smiled as her eyes twinkled with malevolence. “Now lets begin!”

Qesha exited through the portal she created into the room then sealed the wall. “Soon” she thought to herself. She cast the ritual of cleansing into the space as the glyphs on the wall grew bright with blue hellfire. Alaketh screamed. The sound of his agony shook the entire structure. Qesha waited until they finally died down. Once more she created the portal and the wall opened. She half expected to find not but ash. As Qhesha entered the room, the neon blue pentagon flickered and went to dusk. She looked to where the body of Alaketh should be but all that remained was a piece of charcoal like rock. “So far so good.” she thought to herself and retired to the parlor.

Hours seemed to go by with nothing happening. Qesha waited patiently to secretly hoping the  ritual would be a success. Finally, the sound of an egg hatching broke the silence as the charcoal like rock began to split emitting a neon blue light from the fissures. The sound caught her attention and she hurried back to the chamber. She could see something was happening as she approached the room but did not enter. She stood outside beyond the portal observing until finally an arm broke through, then the other. Next a leg. More cracks in the rock formed until finally the charcoal brick shattered. Her eyes examined the form emerging… not the ebony skinned Drow who went in but a charcoal scaled humanoid with pointy ears, a bald head and neon blue eyes rising from underneath the cracks. Where once was smooth flesh, scales now covered the body of the transformed Alaketh.

“And a gift has been bestowed” announced Qhesha. She sniffed the air make that two.” she smiles “Come Alaketh we need to get you to bed. You have had a long day.”

Alaketh followed Qhesha to the bedroom and flopped onto the bed. His body was aching from the ordeal he just endured. He began to mumble about fire… blue fire as he began to pass out.

Qhesha walked over to a bowl set on a night stand across the room and grabbed a knife set on the table. Looking at the bowl she leaned her forearm over it and slashed it with the knife spilling her own blood into the bowl. Speaking some arcane words she watched as the blood began to boil. As Alaketh fought to remain conscious, Qhesha could be heard saying. “Yes master he passed another test. He is resting, he has received your gift. Yes, the crystal has been sent to Haarken. If the devils are involved I will have Alaketh investigate. Yes, if these Drow wizards are trying to mix Demonic and Infernal together into some abomination I will look into it personally. Yes, I will have Alaketh speak to the Orc Warlocks again. Yes, I believe he is almost ready. Thank you master.”

The blood in the bowl burst into blue flame before fading out. Alaketh finally drifted off letting the fatigue take him as Qhesha began to undress and walk towards the bed.