Gods and Their Priests

After fighting Darneska and watching Bane leave, we took a moment to assess the room. There were several large chests on the far side, in which we found a good many useful items, including several sets of armor, some gems, a magic wand, magic boots, a headband, and some gold coins. We made sure to pack everything with us, then began searching for another way out. Dru found a lever and pulled it, revealing a staircase leading up. As we were about to ascend a dark elf entered the room carrying a bound imp. The elf introduced himself as Po, and said that he had been paid to find us. He did not reveal why he had been sent to find us or who had paid him, but apparently killing us was not on the agenda so we allowed him to join. The imp was the same one that had been following us since we entered this cursed dungeon, and Dru decided to dispatch it back to hell in the most expedient way possible. We then quickly began to climb the stairs.
The further up the stairs we went, the colder things became. We almost thought we heard whispers in our minds, and my vision started to swim. I heard a voice inside my mind, a voice I had begun to hear more regularly, and something began to wrestle for control of my consciousness. Exhausted from the fight and the revelation we had just faced, I was in no condition to withstand such a struggle and this alternate identity took control. Egert was evidently in much the same state, as he suddenly ran screaming up the stairs. We all followed him, eventually entering a room at the top.
We found ourselves in a large room full of pews. Mordecai and Tobor were in the room and around them the floor was littered with bodies. They had managed to escape Wolfrest and make it to Barad Ellion, and had then caught up with Father Briar in the House of Ataraxia. They had fought and killed his associates and captured the father himself. I realized looking around us that the dungeon stairs had led us right back into the heart of that black temple. Egert collapsed on one of the pews, completely exhausted. Three other figures entered the room. One was Myria. Apparently she had helped them once they arrived in town and apprised them of what had transpired with the well. One of the other figures was a human clad in armor who introduced himself as Gareth. The other was a red skinned Tiefling called Nyrax. Apparently they had helped Tabor and Mordecai in the fight. Lastly Descartes entered, and explained that he had been the one that sent Po to search for us.
We then explained as best we could what had happened in the dungeon, and that Bevil was actually Bane and had betrayed them. Elodin was dead. One small consolation to me was being able to tell them that that bastard Descartes was also slain, but it seemed to hardly matter now. As I thought back on everything that had happened, all the lies that we had been fed and how much blood had already been spilled by that treasonous scum, I felt rage building up inside me. Then someone reminded us that Father Briar had been capture and was being held in the courtyard at the back of the temple. We all headed out to question him, but with those memories still in my mind I was only seeing red.
Briar managed to fill in some of the blanks for us, doing so in the most condescending way possible. Barad Ellion had been built on an ancient fortress which had once been the home of Merkyl, the god Briar served. Merkyl was set on reclaiming his stronghold and building his strength. The god apparently feeds on the blood of mortals, which explains the strange viscous liquid we found in several places in the dungeon; blood flowing through the fortress to feed its owner. Briar was reluctant to share more, so I cut of an ear to get his attention. He then babbled that Merkyl was bringing an of darkness to destroy Barad Ellion in three days, and that Lillith Lovelock was his chosen queen. We attempted to squeeze any last meaningful information out of the villain, Dru going so far as to gouge one of his eyes out. But it seemed his sanity was failing as he fell into rambling about how he lived to serve his god and all blood that is spilled in the city only makes Merkyl stronger, and how we were all destined for failure and death. I grew sick of listening to the man, and after discussing with the rest we all agreed death was too quick and easy for Briar. So I blinded his remaining eye and cut out his tongue, and told him to go find another way to pray to his precious god as I kicked him towards the road. It did not make anything we had been through any less painful, but it felt good to take one more final stab at the trio of gods that had lead us into this mess.
Myria urged us to return to the Gray Mare Inn and speak to Amara. We began heading that way, Dru and Po staying behind to retrieve Egert. On the road to the inn I talked to Tabor. His wife had been killed by the Blue Flame, and he wept and raged at everything, wanting desperately to get her back. I could sympathize with that feeling. It is a goal similar to my own after all. I told him I too have loved ones I am seeking to have returned, and swore to him that if I ever found the way to bring them back, I would bring his wife back as well.
Po and Dru eventually rejoined us, but when they had gone back into the temple Egert and all of the bodies had disappeared without a trace. We were unsure what that could mean, but continued to our meeting with the innkeeper. We met with Amara and she revealed that Fen was her brother, the Fey prince that we met back in Wolfrest. They are both Fey royalty. Upon learning of Bane and Merkyl's plan to attack the city, they assured us that they would be able to summon an army from the Feywild to defend Barad Ellion. They had brought this city to life; it is not native to this plane, and was built above the fortress as a sort of Seal of Atonement. Amara then told Mirielle that her mother has been looking for her (apparently her mother is Fey), and Amara also had a letter for Zarruk from an uncle. In it his uncle asked him to meet him at the Wrong Elf Inn in Stiljabyr on Mastiff's Way. He said we could contact someone named Tharcar and they would put us in touch with Zarruk's uncle.
Then, just as we thought that we had had all the surprises we could handle for one lifetime, none other than Silvanus and Chauntea entered the room.
**PS** It was not until much later that we realized...Nyrax, the red skinned Tiefling, had not returned to the inn with us and was no where to be found.