After falling throught the Mists, each member of the newly re-forged party found themselves alone in a dark wood. They quickly gathered their possessions and their wits and reunited. It was soon discovered that something terrible was affecting the forest, for large, mist filled rifts were, without warning, opening right beneath their very feet. The land seemed to be tearing itself apart, but no cause could be found.
Having camped, the party picked an arbitrary direction and started to head through the woods. After several hours of dodging the deadly rifts, they came across the first sign of inhabitation they had seen - an elf named Quallen. Quallen, however, soon proved to be most unhelpful, for it was clear that he was borderline insane. Farid used his psionic talents to calm the panicked elf, and the party learned of the existance of a nearby elven city. Cutting eastwards, the party headed for the road which would take them to the city, and hopefully to some answers.
Having travelled for the better part of two days, the party finally met up with the road, but they found they were not alone. Ahead, three elves were being interrogated and attacked by a small group of sword weilding skeletons, commanded by an unusual looking dwarf. The dwarf was apparantly inquiring after a ghost, but the elves had no information for him. Disgusted, the dwarf ordered the skeletons to slay one of them, just to "jog" their memory. As the first elf fell to the skeleton's blades, the dwarf turned on an elven woman. Just then, Leif, Thomasin, and Farid burst into the clearing, raising their weapons in defense of the helpless elves. Delban, from the trees, attacked the dwarrf with a barrage of magic. As the skeletons were steadily defeated, the dwarf hurled his great axe, severely wounding the mage. Yoshi rushed to intercept as the dwarf, undergoing some strange transformation, moved in for the kill. With the aid of Farid's magic, Yoshi turned the dwarf-beast aside, and the creature retreated, burrowing into the ground and disappearing from view.
Bandaging their wounds, the party tried to question the elves, but they seemed forgetful and unfocused. They seemed concerned about their fallen comrade, but could not seem to remember who he was. A strecher was built for the wounded mage, and the party, in the company of the elves and guided by Quallen, headed south along the road, destined for the city of Hroth. After two days of travelling, the company arrived in the city - or what was left of it. The strange rifts that were tearing apart the forests had not spared the city, for it was lying in near ruins. Fires burned out of control, and buildings and streets had all but completely collapsed into the mists. Worse yet, the elves inhabiting the city seemed to be attempting to go about their daily lives as if nothing was wrong. Shop keepers did not seem to notice if their wares were missing, clerics did not seem to care that their temples had fallen, and even the leader of the town - a man called the "Speaker" by Quallen - did not seem concerned that his land was in ruins and his people were dying. It became clear that there was nothing to learn in Hroth.
Just as the party was giving up hope, they spotted a gypsy woman moving through the town, her tanned arms heavily laden with supplies and merchandise. It became quickly clear that this woman was taken full advantage of both the elves and their ruined state, as she would add items to her pile and glibly inform the forgetful elf that she had, indeed paid good money for them. After Lief (unsuccessfully and painfully) confronted her, Fair dmanaged to win her trust by conversing in the gypsy tongue. The woman identified herself as Raina, one of a group of Vistani called the "Wanderers." She invited the party back to her camp after it became clear that they were not effected by the strange malady that gripped the rest of the people of this land.
The Vistani camp sat at the edge of town. After brief introductions, the party learned that their leader was the former Seeker named Magda, once beloved of the now late Ekel. Magda welcomed the strangers into her camp, and listened with a heavy heart as they related their story of how they had arrived in Sithicus and how Ekel had died. Then it was the Vistani's turn, and she related the tale of the Sithicus and it's ruler, a death knight by the name of Lord Soth. Lord Soth had wandered into the Mists long ago from a distant world, and the realm of Sithicus had formed around him. She told of Lord Soth's desire for the spirit of a woman named Kitiara, who eluded him, and of his desire to escape the Mists and return home. She also spoke of a prophecy that went:
In the year of destruction, Strangers will come Bearing the scars From hard battles won, Within the icy grip of Hate… From life and through death And through life again, Forging their swords On the anvil of sins, In Evil's crypt, where Death awaits… Through history askew Dark passion consumes, Salvation, at last, When the black rose blooms, Upon the Dark Lord's armored plate… The dark orbs of three, The black fire within, Stolen, lost, then found, To be rekindled again, Seek the stones and seal your fate…
Suggesting that the party's arrival in Sithicus, and their search for the last Ba'alstone, was auguried by the prophecy, Magda concluded that the time of "salvation" was drawing near. She suggested that the party seek further answers in the fortress of Lord Soth - Nedraagard Keep.