Part V. The Champion's Games

Recovering from their trials under the city of Waterdeep, our party goes about a cleanup act using information gained from the doppelgangers and the mind flayer. They investigate a noble family and deal with the lady of the house, who tries to poison them all at dinner. She is revealed to be a doppelganger spy.

More problematic is a dwarf high in the city guard structure. He is more aware of their interference and has arranged for the Order of the Astor (to which Cergus belongs) to be exiled from the city. The group is able to call in a favor with the Temple to arrange a meeting between the dwarf and Khelben ‘Blackstaff’ Arunsun. Their plan is to watch and listen, which unfortunately devolves into a poorly planned assault. They reveal the dwarf as a doppelganger, but not before Blackstaff trounces them with potent spells. The group avoids all but a minor detention and questioning.

The Champion's Games approach, and the heroes wish to be involved. Eligos is able to call in a favor with a mysterious friend named Celeste to get them a spot in the games. She is familiar with the activities of the group, as she later reveals that she is a member of the mystical Order that Corwin belongs to. They make arrangements and soon enter the Arena for their four-day ordeal.

Along with several teams (many unsavory), the party meets Loris Racknian who is an older warrior, obviously a veteran of many scrapes. He is magnanimous, but the party can tell that he knows of them and regards them as threats. Rules are given as to the fights, which are brutal but not lethal. After an extensive meal, the party beds down for the night in preparation for fights to come.

And fights do come. Their first battle involves fighting against a team of female elven archers, a janni and his small cohort, and a ranger accompanied by several bestial gnolls. The group triumphs and encourages the crowd's attention. The following day, they square off against a pair of dwarves called Pitch Blade. It seems like a common battle at first, but the two quickly gang up and slay Jonas with their fearsome axes. The party renews their efforts and takes down the dwarves. The friends quietly take their priest back to the coenoby beneath the arena.

The group has no way to revive their fallen friend, but the Temple of Lathander offers to do so. The problem is that no one who leaves is allowed to return, alive or dead. Through a bit of trickery and teleportation by their manager, Celeste, they are able to secret Jonas back to the temple where he is revived. As he returns to the world of the living, he bears a potent message saying that the Order of the Astor must travel east to face a legion of death. Once revived, Jonas returns to the Arena to fight in the next battle. The group must now square off against a Froghemoth, which they dispatch handily.

While these fights go on, the group has been talking with last year's victors, Auric's Warband, who are the trio of adventurers they encountered back in the Whispering Cairn. Interaction can be a bit tense at times, but they come to realize that the group is a rival, but not bad in their intentions. Tira, the rogue they had played darts with, flirts with Clem and reveals that she is not going to fight in the battles. Instead, she is investigating a missing friend tied to Racknian. While the party tends to Jonas, she disappears to the structure underneath to search for clues.

The evening comes for the final battle, pitting our heroes against Auric's Warband. It is a fitting finale, with both agreeing to fight valiantly, but not lethally. All would be good, except that Racknian calls forth a giant Overworm. He calls forth a prophecy of the Age of Worms, hoping that the worm will either devour Auric, the champion, or Cergus, either of which would fulfill his plans. He is not so lucky; for as the worm is a potent enemy, it cannot beat the combined might of the two teams. Racknian is imprisoned by the city to be questioned as things begin to return to normal.

There are two unfortunate consequences of the arena games. Tira does not return from her investigations, apparently having been captured and spirited away by a cultist of Kyuss. And when the party returns to Eligos, they find agents of Racknian have savagely murdered him. Grim and determined, the heroes return to the Temple to plot their course of action, unaware that more grim news awaits them from Diamond Lake.