The Strangers and the Conclave of Light prepare for Baugoth's return to the Siege of Níenost. After Baugoth's victory over Ungloloth at Tabor Úngatal, he has refocused his wrath and the full attention of his Duranáukar—Pit Fiends and Balor—to the destruction of the elves and their allies and the ruin of their seat of power. Can the Strangers rally the forces of good to victory? Can they even survive?
Baugoth has regained the upper hand in his battle against Ungloloth. His Pit Fiends and Balors are advancing. But two Sindaerin wizards arrived to aid their dark goddess. They began some sort of ritual that appears to draw the terrifying power of the battle and feed it to Ungloloth, whose hunger has no limit. The Strangers have a choice to make.
Baugoth's aerial scouts are nearly defeated but a party of Sindaeri are making their way to Úngloloth's aid. It seems she may be growing in power and, with the support of her evil worshippers, she might be victorious over Baugoth, and forever change the future that the Strangers call the past.
Baugoth, who is Ahriman, the literal Evil Side of God, once trusted the evil spirit that so hated goodness and light that it took the form of a giant spider-like being, which sought to devour all sources of hope and illumination. And with this vile entity, Baugoth shared a portion of his power and consorted and spawned armies of dark, twisted, wrathful beings and monsters. And, it betrayed him. So, naturally, the Strangers headed towards that to get a good look.
The Rod is safely back in the hands of the Conclave and Baugoth's forces have been beaten back from Níenost, for the moment. Time for everyone to catch some breath and discuss what to do next. Just a nice, quiet, meeting of the minds.
The pit fiend, Ázaruk, cornered the Strangers in his torture chamber and brought them to the threshold of death. The Rod of Law remains suspended in a mysterious cloud of arcane energy, flames dance along the skin of the fiend, and the very essence of magic seems to be fighting itself all around them. It's do or die time.
The Strangers made their way to the lower level of Danith Or, where they found Fingorathar tortured and near death, and the Rod, suspended in some sort of magical energy field. Oh, and they were discovered by Ázaruk, the pit fiend commander of the forsaken stronghold.
All the Strangers need to do is break into a fortress commanded by the Forces of Evil™ and rescue a prisoner in order to recover a powerful artifact. I mean, they've done it before, right?