The Underdark armies had for a long time wanted a stronghold on the surface. After years of scouting the surface, the drow supreme commander, ust'akh sutrinos Clyasy Tir'Makiir Drak'aa and the Grondist tyrant Skeflock choose the bandit hideout near Wharftown as such. An ideal place near a portal, with sufficient supplies and easy to defend behind bluffs and bridges that could be trapped.

Striking in a surprise attack, the Hideout was easily taken by a huge combined drow and outcast army. From the stronghold, the underdarkers blocked the road between Cordor and Wharftown and took numerous prisoners. The surfacers counterattacked with a large army, and forced the underdarkers back into the Hideout itself. Thanks to the fail of organization and leadership, the underdarkers managed to send for reinforcement. A psychological war started, with exchange of prisoners for Briah Fetter.

From the drow side, this was just to win time, and once the Underdark reinforcement ambushed the surfacers, the enclosed drow army broke out. The joined Underdark army returned successfully back to Jhared's with their prisoners.

Azrael Flowers, a Knight of the Abyssal Guard, at the time in a shaky pseudo-alliance with the Ilharess, accompanied the drow into the Underdark, where he discretely slipped a portal lens into Briah Fetter's hands, allowing her to ultimately escape. Kathele Se'Lhane, the other prisoner of this specific event, escaped by her own means. The drow were not aware of this subterfuge, and blamed the orog who was charged with guarding Briah.