OK, so lets recap.
Llewellyn's tower was in a sorry state, with monstrous half-finished experiments running wild. Most pitiful of these was the deranged human named Schmendrick, whose mind was broken and his body altered. Fortunately, the party was able to establish long-term care for him at the Temple of Odin, and while he might never recover sanity, at least he was able to find some modicum of peace.
The other hybrid creatures inhabiting the tower all had to be destroyed, but once the tower was tamed, the party found some treasure, including a stash of healing potions and a stash of gold. More importantly, the party found out more about the Soul Gems, including the fact that in addition to the Dragon Stones and the ones that transformed the characters, several others seem to have gone missing.
Soon thereafter, the Paramswarm, speaking for the Overlord (who, according to Euwin's superiors in the Order of the Key, had fallen ill), gives the party their first job. Accompany the elf Teldyr to his village to find the source of the unnatural events in the Dearthwood, where animals and plants seem to have turned against the elves. After warding off an attack from Dire Wolves, the party learned that even the orcs led by the Red Queen were suffering those attacks. After an initial confrontation, the party was led to the Red Queen's presence. They are disarmed, and blood was taken by the shaman to ensure their good behavior. The Red Queen offers the location of the blight on the Dearthwood in exchange for recognition of her boundaries by the elves and the Overlord. The party offers to plead her case, but cannot offer guarantees about the Overlord's response.
The source of the troubles is a corrupted pool, tainted by the presence of a demonic tree-spirit. Local dryads have been warped into evil spirits. After a mighty struggle, the glade is cleansed of evil, but Crimsea decides to remain behind and help the wood to heal. She undergoes an apotheosis, making her a virtual goddess in the wood. The rest of the party returns to the Red Queen, who against the advice of some of the more aggressive orcs, offers them safe passage back to the City-state.
The party returns to find the city under partial quarantine. The disease which afflicted the Overlord has spread to the poor district of the city (which abuts the party's tower), and squadrons of guardsmen restrict access to the neighborhood. Even worse, the city is in conflict, awaiting the immanent death of the Overlord. Few want to back the rightful heir, as the Overlord's son is only two years old. His wife is little more than a child herself, and her recent marriage to the Overlord leaves little support for the foreign-born woman. Many nobles back the Baron Heldan, the leader of the Order of the Key, but his tough law-and-order policies are not popular among the city dwellers, who have grown accustomed to the Overlord's laissez-faire approach. In that vein, guildmasters support Viscount DoUrden, who sees the flow of gold into the city as his most important priority.
To prevent all-out civil war, the party knows it must find a cure quickly, hopefully saving the Overlord's life. Believing an answer lies in Llewellyn's library, they bluff their way into the quarantined neighborhood, using a wagon of hams as their cover. While Alma stays outside to tend the afflicted, the others sneak into the tower. Before they can find any information that might resolve the situation, everyone is wracked by intense pain as the next stage of their transformations occur. Before they can recover, they hear the words of a Sending Spell from Paramswarm: "Come to the palace at once. The Queen demands an audience."
The Overlord's wife has never used that title before, so Paramswarm's words can only mean one thing: the Overlord is dead.
