Escaton's Downfall
My companions and I entered Escaton's Crystal and found our way to a strange control panel.  After observing it carefully for some moments we were able to unlock its secrets thus opening a portal to the Plane between Planes. 

The battles were many and often desparate, but finally we came to Escaton's Palace. After we handled his watchdogs and opened all the passageways we finally made it to Excaton in his throne room.  Here he asked of us three riddles.  Strange man, he would destroy a world,  playing about with words.

Upon correctly answering his querries, he handed us a ring of keys and said the oddest thing. He said that he could give us the keys because he could not know if we knew how to use them.  I left there feeling an odd sensation I just could not put my finger on.

We used the keys to open the prison where Escaton had placed the Elemental Lords.  The one thing that stands out most in my mind after visiting each of the Elemental Planes is that the beings in each all felt very strongly that all would be well if their leaders were to return.

Upon freeing the final Lord, It bade us to hurry back through the Crystal as soon it would be impassable.  The Lords were filled with a great wrath over what had befallen them. I couldn't help but think I would not want to be in Escaton's boots when they did what ever it was they intended to do.


We barely escaped the Crystal in time. The four Elemental Lords towering above it began an assault that was awesome in its raw power.  Energies beyond imagining struck the Crystal with incredible force. 


For a few moments the energies revealed clearly within the Crystal the fate of Escaton's Palace. I gaped in open mouthed wonder as their life energies poured into the Plane between Planes magnified tenfold by the Crystal. Escaton had fashioned the means by which he was now doomed.


Suddenly the humming of the Crystal became painful in its intensity and just when I thought I would go mad the Crystal shattered and was utterly destroyed.


I know not which Elemental Lord, or if it was all, but I was granted one final vision.  Escaton, lying broken amidst the ruins of his Palace.  I was so mesmerized by his face, if indeed it was a face, that I almost missed his words, "Tell them I have failed." 

I muse over the events leading up to my becoming the Savior of this world, yes I know what I said on Dagger Wound Island in my journal.  Well how would I have known then that this would be my fate, a simple mercenary.   Even now Escaton's face and final words haunt me.

What was Escaton? Failed?  Whom or what has he failed?