The Caliginous Dyad's Prison

The Crimson Fist reform in a darkened room full of strange machinery. Slowly they began to advance across the room. They haven't got far when the great machines stir into life and water spews into the room behind them.

They continue the length of the room until they reach the southern chamber (5).

There coiled on the steps they find the Caliginous Dyad in all his draconic glory. And behind him a glowing crystal that can only be the Claw of Yshtamar.

As it uncoils itself a wave of dragonfear hits the Crimson Fist. They are shaken but none of them are adversely affected (not even Ajax whose decision to hide behind one of the pillars is purely tactical).

The Dragon demands to know why they are here and before anybody can give a sensible answer Lorric yells out "Dragon-Scale armour".

Fortunately the Dragon seems to take this as a joke. The Dragon is intrigued by the knowledge that the group can leave the building and tries to negotiate. However it isn't prepared to hand over the Claw and the Crimson Fist are really not feeling in the mood to trust anything even vaguely lizard-looking at the moment.

It rapidly becomes obvious that the talking is going nowhere (and Ajax is feeling more tactically secure) the Crimson Fist rush the black dragon.

However as they strike at the Dragon, ANOTHER Black Dragon sweeps down from above and breathes acid at the Crimson Fist. Acid that not only burns but that clings to their bodies and continues to burn at them as the combat goes on.

The first Dragon flies away towards a platform positioned high in the northern end of the room.

A few short moments later, circular section of the floor retract to reveal pools of water beneath.

Anvil infuses Ajax and Lorric's armour and clothing with the "Whirlwind" property. Ajax in the grip of rage charges the second Dragon alone (and completely misses it).

Anvil picks up Kapek and flies into battle.

*Kapek comments
With Anvil's assistance, Kapek climbs up onto the warforged's broad adamantine shoulders in order to wield the deadly Desert Blade effectively.

In a vicious aerial battle the first Dragon is slain, the body crashing into an open pool of water.

The second Dragon flies into one of the pools and vanishes into its depths.

Lorric flies up to the platform the Dragon had fled to and finds two empty potion bottles, three full ones and a chest. Also a lever splashed with Draconic ichor.

One of the machines (4) begins to power down in a shower of sparks. A huge water elemental flows out from underneath it.

The other machine (2) begins to smoke and spark as well.

A second elemental begins to form as Ajax, Kapek and Anvil charges the first Elemental.

Lorric pulls the lever (naturally) and the floor slides out to cover over the pool of water the dragon fled into. He then flies over to aid his comrades in the fight with the Elementals.

As the Crimson Fist fight the two Elementals the sound of hammering grows ever louder as the Dragon tries to smash its way out of the pool.

Finally the two Elementals are destroyed. Anvil rushes over and grabs the Claw from out of the steam.

*Ajax comments

Ajax is happy with how the group fought. He and Kapek were the solid wall on the which the enemy battered themselves, Lorric whipped around the battlefield like a drunken dervish ripping into the rear of their distracted opponents and inflicting hideous damage and Katerina's healing magic kept them all standing long after they should have fallen.
But it was Anvil, in his opinion, who really saved the day. When the Dragons floated fifty feet above the group, breathing acid down on them it seemed an unwinnable fight. Without Anvil empowering them to fly Ajax is sure the battle would ahve had a very different outcome.

The Crimson Fist gather at the overflow pipes (5), one of them is wedged half open, creating a space barely big enough for Kapek to fit. As the sound of hammering grows ever loudly and the metal covering the pool begins to groan alarmingly the Crimson Fist quickly down a combination of Reduce Person potions and mushrooms and shrunk to the right size. Quickly they dive into the overflow pipes and slide out of the Caliginous Dyad's prison.

1. Entering the Chamber
As you feel your form beginning to solidify once more you emerge into a chamber. It is utterly dark save for the dimmest of glows emanating from far to the south of the cavern accompanied by a gentle sound of rushing gas.
The air is warm and damp and underfoot three inches of water cover the floor. To each side of the room, behind great support pillars, you can see several great machines, they stand silent. Behind you to the north a giant bulkhead seals the passage, it is flanked by two 10 foot diameter pipes that slowly drip water into the dark silence.
In the centre of this current chamber you see a great machine, some 30 feet long and 20 feet wide, it stands about 7 feet tall and has several large green crystalline domes upon it.
Ahead the room narrows to 50 feet wide with a semicircular arch to the walls and ceiling before opening out again some 100 foot to the south. From this 50 foot wide “corridor”, you can see side passages, two on each side about 20 feet wide and 20 feet apart. In the far chamber you can just make out another great machine sitting silent in the dark.

After a several minutes the machines stir into life. The green orbs begin to glow gently and a beam of green crackling energy shoots between the two creating a jagged path of green light that dances erratically, spitting occasional sparks into the water with a hiss.
The water recedes slightly from around your feet and from the dark recesses ahead the sound of rushing water begins to get stronger and louder. Moments after the machines whir into life the sound of groaning metal gives way to the sudden rush of water as the pipes at the room’s northern end begin to spew water at an alarming rate.

2. The Mezzanine
This area overlooks the water chambers. On the eastern and western walls are panels and levers that seem to regulate water flow, steam pressures and water levels. All are functional but it is unclear as to what they do.

3. The Water Chambers
These are huge circular chambers, when activated water is sent spinning around them at great speed, the walkway goes through the middle of these chambers and it can be quite an unnerving sight to see the water swelling in the chamber above you. A grate crosses these chambers at the central 30 foot of the semicircular tunnel. The chambers have a radius of roughly 90 feet.

4. The Southern Chamber
The southern chamber opens out into an area similar to the northern chamber. A great machine sits in the centre of the room and several other machines stand against the eastern and western walls. Great pillars support the ceiling some 100 foot above. To the south a platform can be seen with a set of steep stairs leading upwards 30 feet. Around the face of this platform are 8 small pipes, 2 in each face. They appear to be blocked with heavy steel plates.

5. The Steam Pipe
At the far end of the room you can see an area that is elevated some 30 feet above the chamber floor. On this raised area stands a pipe that has been broken and had a section removed. Vaporous gas blasts upwards and most of it continues up the section of pipe beyond the missing section, however some is blown out into the room creating a light mist over the entire southern end of the chamber.

Hanging within this flow of gas you can make out a pale white light that seems to be emanating from something suspended there, a crystal perhaps?

Around the base of the pipe you can make out a dark form, coiled serpentine features are wreathed in scales of the blackest night, an occasional twitch reveals leathery wings that lay flat against the great lizards sides, an almost skeletal draconic face turns to look at you with eyes as white as driven snow, horns curve down framing the terrifying visage. A forked tongue licks as sickly green viscous saliva spills from its wicked maw and the creatures form begins to slither from it’s slumbering position. Stretching it huge wings wide it stands before you in all its draconic glory and speaks.

The Blackscale Community

As the huge cavern opens before you, some 200 feet wide, you can see several massive light emitting crystals in the ceiling over 100 feet above you, they are growing dim as though they are reflecting the daylight on the surface world. A humid heat permeates the air and the sounds of buzzing insects and occasional birdsong drifts on the warm air. Ahead of you, you can see several pipes spewing water from high in the walls of the cavern, their flow splashes into the shallow waters that cover the entire floor. Along the edges and to some degree dotted about the walls and floor of this place are thick shrubs and plants, creating what seems to be some kind of unnatural swamp.

Further into the area you can see signs of civilisation, structures cling to the walls at varying heights, accessing the ground via crude ladders and ropes. The ground rises somewhat, creating an island of sorts and upon this island a series of huts are clustered around an open fire. Even further beyond this island the floor rises and more huts can be seen filling the entire far end of the cavern some 500 feet away.

The group is amazed to discover the swamp that exists under their city. As they advance down the corridor to this lush environment Kapek identifies the bird calls as being from animals native to Q’barra, a land thousands of miles away.
As they examine this lush environment Lorric notices a lone blackscale trying to sneak away. The Crimson Fists open fire but despite being hit the creature escapes.
The Crimson Fists debate what they should do next, more than a little worried by the number of huts they can see and how many lizardfolk this implies there are.
From the buildings at the end of the swamp eight flying half-dragons emerge as do twenty riders mounted on giant draconic monitor lizards. They approach the group slowly.

Short of the Crimson Fist one of the half-dragons hails them. He asks them to move to the platform in the middle and surrender their weapons so they can parley. Needless to say the Crimson Fist are not keen on giving up their weapons and try to persuade the half-dragon to allow them to keep their weapons but he won’t be moved. He demands they either give up their weapons or leave.
The Crimson Fist asks him to swear to their safety and he swears by his god, Rhashaak.
Somewhat convinced of his sincerity the Crimson Fist agree.
In the platform in the centre of the swamp the Crimson Fists reluctantly give up their weapons.

They are taken to the cluster of buildings at the end of the swamp. There they are taken into a building which contains four furnaces and are informed that they must be locked in these until the lizardfolk’s leader is ready to see them. The Crimson Fist are not happy at this at all but as Kapek points out, it’s too late to back out now and they are locked up.

The Crimson Fist are left in boredom for several hours, or as they realize until all spells on them have worn off. Finally one by one they are taken out to meet the leader of the community.

The community is lead by a Blackscale Half-dragon sorcerer known as Ssythlaar, a cunning and devious leader with a great strategic mind. His second in command is a mighty creature, called Kethrek, a barbaric Blackscale Half-dragon.

One by one the group are brought before Ssythlaar for questioning.

He will ask the following questions of each:

What is your name?

What is your chosen path in life?

Who sent you?

Who do you worship?

When did you become aware of the claw?

How much are you being paid?

Are you aware of The Cult of the Crawler Below?

What do you know of the claw?

What do you know of the Ashen Covenant?

The Crimson Fists answer the questions of the leader honestly but refuse to tell Ssythlaar what he really wants to know: Who employed them to recover the claw ?

Though the eagle-eyed Lorric notices Kalesh ir’Semhal (last seen by the group at the Street-Kind Charity Ball and believed dead) lurking at the back of the room in which they are being interrogated and in his drunkenly cheerful manner points this out. To which Kalesh hisses loudly and a very reptilian tongue flickers from his mouth.
After they have been interrogated the Crimson Fists are returned to the furnaces and given food and water (and alcohol in Loric’s case).

Time passes and again the group is brought out to see Ssythlaar one by one. He offers to each of them to answer one question in a spirit of co-operation. He also tries once again to get them to reveal their employer.
Again they all refuse and are returned to their cells.

Kapek asked about the "Claw" and was told that it was a key of sorts integral to the imprisonment of an enemy of Rhashaak.

Katerina asked where the "Claw" is, she was told that it lies around 500 feet due south of their current location.

Lorric asked about the Caliginous Dyad and the reply was vague, he was told that they were their elders but Ssythlaar would not give any more detail as he was bound by the same ties as the group are to their employer.

*Ajax Comments

Ajax considers the question he has as carefully as he he can (so not very much).
Finally he asks why the lizardfolk are talking with them. He is told it is because they want to know who hired the Crimson Fist to recover the claw. There are hints that their employer is in league with dark forces but Ajax still refuses to reveal thier employer.


Escaping the Lizards

Time passes slowly, the Crimson Fist discuss escape plans in Elvish so the guards will not understand them but come up with none that are very good.
Then they hear the guards turning away the lizardfolk bringing them food and water. Apparently they are to receive no more sustenance. Things look bleak.

Night falls and the Sar the 7th becomes Sul the 8th of Dravago.
From outside the chamber, beyond the doors to the furnace room you hear gentle song rising slightly above the sound of the night-time insects, you hear the furnace room door open, a short pause then the door closes, a slight humming carries the same melody that could be heard outside.

A moment later you see a female human figure shrouded in a hooded robe carrying a lantern on a pole that emits almost no light. She approaches each chamber in turn looking through the hatch and gesturing to be quiet.

As you peer into almost unearthly beauty of the woman’s face you are sure that you see something move across her cheek.

(Anvil also sees)

At first you think it is a trick of the light but then you realise there are more of them moving in the shadows of her hooded robe. As you peer deeper into the shadows of her robe you see myriad vermin crawling over her skin, centipedes, cockroaches, spiders etc..

Once she reaches the person she deems to be most responsible she speaks.

“Please listen very carefully, I do not have long, you must follow my instructions to the letter if you wish to attain your goal.”

“Tomorrow night, at approximately midnight these doors will be opened, you must work to achieve separate goals. You will have approximately five minutes before the guard notice that something is amiss”

“Firstly, your belongings are within the chieftain’s hut, you will need these to defeat the Dyad.”

“Secondly, one of you must make you way to the southern exit, seventy-five feet above this exit on the wall is a broken pipe, it has been marked with a red rune. Above this rune you will find a valve, this valve must be activated as quietly as possible.”

“Thirdly, the northern door must be sealed shut; a control panel just within the tunnel must be adjusted so that the safety mechanisms become active preventing passage through this tunnel.”

“Fourth, outside the largest hut in the centre of the chamber there is a large set of chimes. Should these sound then the guard will be alerted. Silence them and you will buy yourself at least three more minutes. Otherwise if anyone makes a mistake then expect the full force of the creatures here to come down upon you like the fist of Dol Dorn….”

“….And lastly, there will be a package hidden at the base of the third southern pillar from the east wall. This will contain five potions, one for each of you, when each of you has achieved your goal these potions must be drank and you must all make your way to the broken pipe where valve has been activated. From there head upwards along the pipe following it with all speed for you will not have long.”

“You will emerge where the Dyad are trapped, and there you will find what you seek. In order to escape their prison you will find an open pipeline in the far wall, however it is too small for all but your halfling companion to squeeze through. This overflow pipe is the only exit from the chamber.” “I must leave you now. Good luck”

Sul 8th Dravago, 998 Y.K.

The following day there is a stir in the lizardman camp. The doors to the furnace room are left open, allowing you to watch as the lizardfolk go about their business. They are obviously at work for something out of the ordinary as you see them gathering plants and debris from the swampy undergrowth outside. The sickly sweet smell of foodstuffs being cooked drifts on the air and the sounds of what you assume must be amusement accompanies the sound of hammering and breaking of wood. It is difficult to tell what they are doing….

But none of the Crimson Fist feel it's going to be very nice for them !
Once again the Crimson Fist are brought in to face Ssythlaar.
Ajax is brought in first and offered a drink, he tastes it and decides it's drugged (but drinks it anyway). Ssythlaar offers him anything he wants if he will reveal the name of his employer. But Ajax has no faith in the lizardfolk by now and refuses.
One-by-one the Crimson Fist are brought in. All refuse to speak.
Loric accepts the drink and is unaffected like Ajax.

*Kapek comments
Kapek will accept no "hospitality" from those who have acted so dishonourably. He also intends to drink no poison.

Katerina accepts and is brought back to their prison convulsed in pain.

The day slowly passes and the mysterious structure grows. First a huge bonfire, then four pillars surrounding it, then a nest of ropes connecting the pillars. When large pots start to be hung from the pillars the Crimson Fist get a horrible feeling as to what their hosts intend their final fate to be.
At mid-day they are brought poor food and murky water. They eat it to keep their strength up but can't help feeling they are being fattened up.

*Kapek comments
Parched, Kapek grudgingly takes the water but will not touch the suspicious meat.

*Ajax comments
The group, assuming their guards will be rendered unconcious, debate whether to kill them. Ajax votes against partially because he feels it unecessary but mainly because he hopes it will impress Katerina.
It does...

Midnight...
Out in the darkness beyond the doors to the furnace you see a flickering light which soon grows into what could possibly be the light from a huge fire. The sound of steady drum beats drift on the air along with the sickly sweet smell of burning vegetable matter. Sounds of what could be described as revelry soon follow.
As promised, just before midnight on the 8th Dravago, a gently song can just be discerned under the din of the lizardfolk. The two guards tilt their heads slightly and leave the furnace room, a moment later the hooded woman enters with quiet caution.
She heads to one of the cells and quietly opens the latch. Without a word she simply vanishes leaving you alone in the furnace room with the hectic sounds of activity outside.

The Crimson Fist swing swiftly in to action. Ajax uses his boots to give everybody water-walking then hands the boots to Kapek. Anvil renders Ajax invisible, then casts 'Silence' on the group.

Carefully they enter the Chief's hut. They suprise Lord Kalesh there, he desperately attempts to raise the alarm but is foiled by the 'Silence' spell. With their bare hands the Crimson Fist bludgeon Kalesh to death. His human skin splitting under the assault to reveal Lizard scales beneath.

Re-equipped the Crimson Fist seperate to accomplish the tasks they've been assigned.

Lorric stealthily heads off to disable the alarm chimes.

Kapek moves off to the pillar to recover the potion bottles they'd been told were buried there.

Anvil moved off to secure the Northern door.

Ajax started to climb the wall to reach the valve.

While Loric and Anvil quickly accomplish their tasks. Kapek and Ajax find they can't find the potions or the valve.

Lorric joins Kapek and together they find the potions.

Anvil has rejoined the group and they have all gathered under the Southern exit before Ajax finally finds the valve.

Ajax lowers a rope but embarrasingly it comes loose so Anvil has to infuse his composite plating with the  'Whirlwind' property and fly it back up. Ajax succeds the second time and the rest of the Crimson Fist climb up.

As Ssythlaar begins a speech to honour their recent fallen the Crimson Fist quaff the potions and turn to gas and seep through the pipe into the Caliginous Dyad's prison.

Anvil opens the chest where their gear is hidden while Kapek leaves a message for Ssythlaar in Draconic (roughly translated as "you lied, bitch" - literally translated as "You have failed to act with honour, broodmother").

*Ajax comments

Ajax also takes the opportunity to 'mark' the throne as his territory.

Looking outside they see the lizardfolk have gathered around the bonfire and are chanting and dancing in its light. Their attention seems occupied for now.

The Drawbridge

Sar 7th Dravago

The Drawbridge

The group open the bulkhead and move forward to be faced with a pair of Blackscales, as they fight a pair of lizardfolk emerge from the water ahead and move to flanking positions. As the fight progresses several poison dusk rangers begin to launch arrows from platforms across the water.

The Crimson Fists having quickly, if painfully, defeated the Blackscales on their side of the bridge come under heavy fire from the poison dusk rangers on the other side of the waters. With a speed born of combat experience they gather around Anvil to take full protection from his enchanted shield. Ajax uses his sandals to give everyone water-walking and still in formation they charge across the water to engage the war-forged. (5)
Well in formation apart from Lorric who bounds off to engage the archers in the tower on their right. (4)

The main group charge straight into the war-forged tower shields and with mighty blows reduce one to kindling and begin attacking the war-forged behind.
Lorric quickly dispatches the two poison dusk rangers, somehow managing to knock one into the lever in the tower and activating it. He quickly moves through the corridors to engage the enemy his comrades are fighting. However just as Lorric charges into the rear of the Lizardmen the rest of the Crimson Fists are also attacked from behind. With a might roar a huge half-dragon bursts from the waters behind the rest of the group. It slashes Katerina with its claws in a fly-by attack and then pulls back and unleashes a stream of black acidic bile. This badly burns Ajax but also finishes off two of the half-dragon’s allies who are in the path of this
attack.
The creature hovers over the water assuming it can't be reached its therefore very surprised when the Crimson Fist bounce lightly on the water towards it and engage it in combat. It is swiftly slain

Katerina sees to the group's wounds and they begin to explore the rest of the complex. They quickly check the two defunct control rooms (6 and 7)

In the room that houses the bridge's controls (8) they encounter two more draconic lizard folk. As these two seem in no hurry to fight Ajax demands that if they wish to live they must say were the Caliginous Dyad is and, much to his surprise, they inform him that they are beyond the iron double doors .

This sudden honesty stops the groups in their tracks and there seems an unspoken feeling it would be unfair to attack the creatures now. Lorric breaks the impasse by demanding if the two lizard folk eat people. Their answer of "no" is such an obvious lie that Lorric launches himself at them. He quickly pays for his impulsiveness as he takes a blast of acid to the chest that nearly finishes him. 

Quickly the two creatures are dispatched before they can do any more harm. While Lorric is first curiously poked in his most burnt and tender area and then finally healed by Katerina, Anvil brings the bridge up so the group can make a quick escape.

1. Approach to the Bridge

Ahead you can see a chasm in the floor, some 20 feet down the sheer sides you can hear the gentle lapping of water. With great roars a huge lizardman on each side of you prepare to attack.

There are two Blackscales here, one barbarian and one adept. And hidden in the water are two lizardfolk fighters.

2. The Water

Twenty feet below your present position you can see that dark water laps gently at the walls of the tunnel. It is unfathomably deep and there is the occasional sign of movement in the periphery of your vision. The other side of this expanse of water is about 25 feet away.

3. The Bridge

Steps lead down five feet to a slightly rusted metal bridge that crosses this watery obstacle. A visible mechanism raises and lowers the bridge into a position whereupon you can use it to cross, or down into the dark waters where it is unusable. There are no signs of how to operate the bridge from your current location.

4. Guard Posts

Beyond the door a set of stairs lead steeply up 10 feet. The room that is at the top of the stairs is 10 feet above the water line.

There are 2 poison dusk rangers positioned each of these areas. The guards here will fire at any opportune target that comes into sight.

5. The Last Defence

Positioned here watching the drawbridge and ready to attack intruders should they try to cross are several guards including two Warforged Juggernauts each bearing a tower shield and two poison dusk rangers and finally there is a Blackscale Elite (Half-Dragon) that will erupt from the water once the combat ensues. The Warforged will provide cover for the rangers with their shields as they attempt to repel intruders, once the intruders are within range the warforged will drop their shields and attack. These living constructs are loyal to their “owners” and will fight to the death.

6. Defunct Control Room 1

A lifeless control panel sits along the northern wall of this room, the dials and gauges all sit at zero and the gentle hum that you have come to associate with this type of panel is not present.

A door leads off to the west.

7. Defunct Control Room 2

This room houses a lifeless control panel, devoid of the hum of energy that seems to infuse these when they are operational. Now the room is a rough dormitory. Several straw “beds” line the southern wall, although to the untrained eye they could easily pass for a single compost heap.

8. The Bridge Control Panel

The door to this room is firmly locked.

The control panel on the northern wall of this room gently hums with energy. Levers seem to be present to regulate steam and water flow to various valves. There seems to be some correlation with the mechanism that controls the movement of the bridge.

Although the bridge can not be controlled from here, it can be disabled and even broken. Two Black half-dragon Lizardfolk watch and monitor the status of these functions. It is their sole duty and they will not leave this room under any circumstance.

9. Control Room

This room has a control panel humming with power. Gauges and dials measure unknown quantities and levers and switches operate things beyond your understanding.

Further study of this panel may reveal that it is designed to measure and regulate water pressures in various pipes. There are temperature gauges that seem to indicate steam pressures and flow rates.

Beyond the far doors…

Huge double doors block your path, they are painted with the same claw marked motif as you found in the room where the Blackscale adepts were meditating.

The Water Station

Far 6th Dravago

As the group emerge from the closing corridor one by one they gather outside the door that stands at the end. Anvil, after his rudimentary checks as the doors safety, opens it with caution. Blocking the way ahead, five feet away he is faced with a formidable looking warfoged, his adamantine plating is embelished with large spikes and his unemotional face deamnds that they leave. A large blackscale can be seen in the room behind him. After a few moments of parley it becomes clear that the warforgesd wants them to leave or they will be attacked, the group prepare for combat and as they are becoming more irrate the blackscale leans over and pulls a lever causing a huge 2 foot thick steel door to silde closed, sealing the room. Anvil notices that there is a sliding switch on the outside of the room that he determines is a mechanism for opening the door.

After a few minutes of buffing and a quick scout ahead the party are ready to face the rooms occupants.

Ajax is designated to be the one to open the door and the rest of the party take their places to back him up. As the great steel door slides open Ajax is faced with a Warforged Juggernaut charging towards him at full steam, he is slammed back with great force, taking superficial damage from the spikes that cover his foe. the rest of the group move to attack. As the blackscale moves into action it casts a Heat Metal spell, targeting Ajax and Anvil, luckily Anvil shrugs off the effects but Ajax soon begins to feel his sword and chain shirt begin to heat up uncomforatbly. Lorric tumbles his way past the assailants and into the room where he begins to pummel the blackscale, its wounds make it clear that it won't be casting any more spells for a while.

*Anvil comments
Anvil feels unhappy to have to be fighting what he feels to be his kins men, but on the other hand he fully understands that both he and his enemy have they own duties to perform. Once the battle is over Anvil careful makes note of the Ghulra so that its passing can be remembered.

The combat is soon over as Ajax follows Lorric's lead and tumbles into the room, albeit with less grace, and brings the blackscale down leaving all attention to be focused on the warforged. It is Lorric's fists that land the final blows and the construct collapses to the floor.

Lorric feels the urge to begin pulling levers but is kept in check by Anvil's level head, although he threatens to break the padlock on the "System Flush" lever to see what it does. Meanwhile Ajax feels his chain shirt getting hotter and hotter so he decides to run to the slipway (area 3), where he leaps into the water to try and douse the burning. As the water sizzles and steams about him the burning subsides and he feels a little respite.

As Ajax is cooling off in the waters they begin to move and swirl around him, as the shifter slowly tries to back out of the slipway a huge creature composed entirely of the dark waters here rises to attack him.

*Ajax comments

Ajax KNEW bathing was bad for you.

*Anvil comments
Lorric's mood is one that often lightens the spirits of the party, however given the nature of the dangers they have faced so far in the way of traps, Anvil feels that Lorric antics are foolish and for once wishes the drunken master would be a touch more responible.

Taking serious wounds, Ajax calls for help and begins to run back towards the party. Katerina and Kapek head towards the sounds of anguish leaving Lorric and Anvil to continue their arguement about the sanity of pulling random levers. As Ajax heads towards Katerina she is shocked at the wounds he has sustained and immediately begins to cast healing magics upon him.

*Ajax comments

Indeed only the temporary vitality of his Shifted form is keeping Ajax on his feet.

*Anvil comments
Anvil is angry that he wasn't ready to fight and defend his friends sooner due to being delayed by Lorric.

By this time Anvil and Lorric have come to appreciate the severity of the situation and quickly they head out to help their comrades. As Kapek holds position to prevent the huge elemental from advancing, Lorric races past him to begin pummeling the creature, taking massive injuries in the process.

The battle with the elemental is a long and painful affair for all involved, before the thing is defeated Kapek is beaten to close the point of death and Katerina burns through all but one of her healing spells.

*Anvil comments
Anvil is pleased that he was able to help Kapek from taking a number of heavy blows by thrusting Guardian over the head of Kapek are deflecting the blow.

The group then decide to head back to the control room and figure out what things in there are for. The group soon determine, after Lorric decides to randomly pull a lever and the red crystals on the wall fizzle slightly, that the levers are there to open and close the huge steel bulkheads, and that the diagram is a basic plan of the area. They close the door to the slipway as Ajax has noticed many lizardmen tracks in the slick algae that has grown at the waterline. They think that the red crystals are the mechanism to the door that blocked their way earlier. The group press on, investigating the areas closest to them before heading north, up the stairs to the crossroads.

The group speak with the warforged down the western corridor, it seems that as long as they group do not attempt to pass, then they will not be attacked.

*Anvil comments
After careful talks with the warforged guards and the party, Anvil hopes that they will not have to go that way and that he will not have to defeat two more of his kin. He believes that they will also be true to their word and not fight unless the group heads their way. With that in mind the party leaves them alone and tries to check all other ways first.

They decide to press on north up the stairs where they can hear the sound of rushing water and the dim red light that infuses the area grows a little stronger.

The group enter the main source (area 9) with some trepidation. After a few moments taking in their surroundings they see a pair of blackscale lizardfolk and a pair of poison dusk rangers moving out of the shadows and into attack positions. The fight is quick, but not without injury as Kapek sustains a great deal of damage from one of the raging creatures huge greatclubs. Once the threat is eliminated they take a few minutes to search through the wet refuse pile at the eastern side of the room. Rummaging through wet branches, refuse, dirt and the like they find a suprising amount of wealth in the form of coins, jewels, potions and the occasional weapon.

*Anvil comments
The battle is hard fought, Anvil is glad to have Crafted a potent shield crystal to aid he and those close by once again Kapek in this case from any hails of arrow fire that the poison dusk lizards send his way.

Anvil recognises the glowing mist coming from high in the wall of the northern end of the room as an effect known as Slow-light.

*Anvil comments

Anvil makes note of the slow-light and hopes that he can try to bottle some up that could then be released in the future.

The group defeat two brass golems that guard the blue crystals on the platform above them by lassooing them and pulling them to the ground, after several humourous attempts and the unfortunate moment where one landed upon Ajax they are victorious and manage to depress the crystals thus lowering the wall of force that seperates the aqueduct from the platform.
The Warforged Juggernauts that stand guard outside the doors to the west are duped by means of Lorric eating several mushrooms (that were acquired from the Dhamoril Woods) that make him larger and the use of his hat of disguise. He takes the form of a Blackscale adept and orders them to take the place of the destroyed brass golems on the platform, thus allowing the party to investigate the rooms that they were guarding.

To the east they manage to subdue a Blackscale, killing his comrade as they are playing cards. Once subdued they tie him up and question him.

After searching the entirety of this area the group return to the power sources, whereupon Anvil repairs the broken one. The red lights on the door status panel become yellow and the door can now be opened.

The group rest in the control room for the night after securing all the bulkheads.

1. Control Room

 A lever by the entrance, both inside and outside the room, allows a steel bulkhead to slide into place.

Inside, levers and dials cover a control panel of some sort. There are gauges that seem to indicate some kind of fluid levels, dials that seem to measure pressure and levers that are linked to a series of glowing crystals

A panel on one wall, labeled “Door Status” has several glowing lights at various points.

There is also a rather important looking lever that is padlocked into place with a crystal at each of the lever’s two positions. Running along the slit that the lever moves down are the words “System Flush”, in cracked and chipped paint. A crystal lies at each position, both have a dim red glow.

2. Store Room

Mechanical components, oil, tools, faded (and now worthless) crystals etc…

A dismantled warforged hangs here from a series of chains attached to the ceiling. It looks as though he has been stripped down for parts, or for further study. Either way whatever was the spark that gave him life, it is now faded.

3. Slipway

Steps lead down 20 feet here and a slipway gradually slopes into still, dark waters.

4. The Panic Room

This room has a 100 foot ladder leading up to it. Once inside an occupant can close the steel bulkhead by way of a lever on one wall. A spiral staircase heads upwards over 100 feet.

The Crossroads

The great steel doors that stand to the west of the crossroads have a series of four crystals above them, the centre all are illuminated and the great steel doors stand open.

The corridor to the west has a pair of Warforged Juggernaut guards, one stands outside each door at the end of the corridor.

5. The Steam Pipes
As you enter this room you are immediately struck with a wave of heat. This room is filled with hot pipes and a thick veil of burning steam.

6. Observation Room 2
A railed-off area over-looks a deep cylindrical shaft. At regular intervals up the length of this tunnel are clearly defined measurement markers. In the darkness below, some 70 feet down, you can make out what looks like water.
Two Blackscales are playing cards in this room.

7. The Stairs to the Bilge Flush
A sturdy hatch set into the floor here dominates the room.
By cranking the huge wheel-like locking mechanism it can be opened to reveal a set of spiral stairs leading down some 150 feet. They end in a long tunnel, with a diameter of perhaps 25 feet, that heads off to the west and into utter darkness.
Directly to the east is a huge bulkhead from which flows a tiny rivulet of water that trickles down the large pipe. By the door are a series of four indentations that appear to have had objects forcibly removed from them.

The tunnel heads west for well over 1500 feet before it drops down to a grate, below can be seen boiling lava, a vertical shaft rises into darkness above.

8. Observation Room 1
A railed-off area over-looks a deep cylindrical shaft. At regular intervals up the length of this tunnel are clearly defined measurement markers. In the darkness below, some 50 feet down, you can make out what looks like water.

9. The Main Source

The thick steel double-doors open out into a large chamber. The sound of crashing water comes from somewhere above you and the red light that suffuses everything here is much brighter. Directly ahead is a single square-cut pillar that rises up some 100 feet, a ladder clings precariously to this pillar that meets a steel platform far above. A gentle blue glow can be seen from the ends of this platform that curve round to point just above the entrance.

A little further beyond this platform is a stone bridge-like construction, still roughly 100 feet up, it seems to be the source of the sound of water, and a little further beyond that seems to be the source of the red light. A thick red mist drifts down from the westerly side of the room carrying light, the mist seems to have the ability to drift through solid matter as though it were air.

Two Blackscale barbarians and two poison dusk Rangers in here attack on sight. The rangers attack from behind the great pillar in the centre of the room while the barbarians go into a rage and charge.
Beneath the eastern end of the bridge-like structure is quite a large pile of what looks like wet refuse.

10. Steel Access Platform
At each end of the platform is a glowing blue crystal, guarding each of these crystals is a Brass Golem.
From here a shimmering blue field can faintly be seen along the southern edge of the aqueduct.

11. The Aqueduct
Water rushes along this 15 foot wide channel at great speed, the force drives four water wheels at great speed, the shafts of these wheels protrude from just below four recesses on the far side of the aqueduct. To the east the water-course heads through a steel grate and continues into darkness, the sound of crashing water seems to be emanating from there.
The water here is 10 feet deep and appears to be quite murky and filled with pieces of waste and refuse.

The water rushes down from a tunnel at 45 degrees, at the top of the slope, some 50 feet or so from the aqueduct, a huge screw seems to be forcing water up from below.

12. The Power Sources
Four recesses are set in the far wall, each is five feet deep and ten feet wide. Each recess has a large box like item etched with runes, intricate pipelines and plugs cover the surface of the box and each emits a faint red glow and hums gently with a low drone.
The box in the far western recess has been moved from it’s mounting on the wall and a thick plume of glowing red mist gently pours gently from pipes that run into the wall. This box is silent.

Slow-Light

This substance is known as Slow-Light.  In small doses Slow-Light is not harmful. As it diffuses throughout an area it creates a “source less” form of lighting. It can occur in many and varied colours, some is a simple mist, other sources may produce tiny stars or myriad sparkles. It is a common by product of arcane experimentation, malfunctioning arcane power sources, or in milder manifestations, the cause of glowing magical items.

CHAPTER TWO - The Claw of Yshtamar

Far, 6th Dravago

After a brief discussion about where they can find lizardmen in the city, the group set out into the dark streets of Khybersgate hoping to find any word amongst the monsterous races. Lorric suggests that a good starting point would be the most popular place here, the tavern known as “Shamukaar”. This is the regular haunt of many monstrous races including, minotaurs, ogres, ogre mages, goblinoids, orcs, harpies gnolls and ogre magi.

Khybersgate

This is an actual city beneath the city, with homes and shops carved into the walls of the Cogs. It is still a maze of passages, but the “streets” are a little wider and the ceilings rise higher. The heat is far less intense that in the industrial district, but the air is still filled with the stench of smoke and garbage.

Khyber’s Gate covers the distance between Ashblack and Blackbones. Due to the lack of lava streams, it does not have any of the heavy industry found to the east or west. For the most part, Khyber’s Gate is a tenement district, filled with tiny houses carved into the tunnel walls. A great many of the monstrous immigrants from Droaam have settled in Khyber’s Gate, using strength or supernatural abilities to drive the original residents away. Beyond these monsters, the vast majority of the inhabitants are goblins. The other inhabitants of the Gate are drawn from all races, though they share a common desperation; an elf resident of Khyber’s Gate has little in common with one of the haughty inhabitants of Shae Lias. Many of the nongoblin inhabitants of the region are criminals who have fled from justice. Some people have established businesses in the depths, while others travel up to the surface and make a living by begging or stealing. While the vast majority of the trades and services offered in Khyber’s Gate are illegal, there are a few people who practice useful mundane trades. Khyber’s Gate is a community of sorts, and brewers, tailors, and cooks are just as valuable as burglars and assassins.

Khyber’s Gate is an extremely disorganized region. There is no central authority—it is simply a question of who has the power to enforce their desires.

Shamukaar

This is the largest and most successful tavern in the region. Shamukaar is simultaneously a slaughterhouse, a butcher shop, a restaurant, and a tavern. It caters to Droaam immigrants, a category that includes many different species; ogres, gnolls, harpies, minotaurs, and even medusas can be found at the bar. The goblin chefs can prepare an astonishing assortment of meals, all of which share one thing in common: they are disgusting to humans.

Despite the monstrous nature of its patrons, Shamukaar is one of the safest places in Khyber’s Gate. Unless provoked beyond measure, a resident of Khyber’s Gate will not start a fight in Shamukaar. And if anyone does start a fight, all other patrons unite together to subdue the aggressor.

The group arrive at the strange tavern and enter with caution, unfamiliar with most of the resident races here, but it does not take long for Lorric to integrate himself with the locals.

*Ajax comments
Ajax mingles but learns little , although he does get offered a very good price for Katerina.

Taking great joy in speaking with gnolls, harpies, ogre-magi and the like Lorric gradually pieces together bits and bobs of information, mainly that the lizardfolk are reclusive and untrusted, but it is his final conversation with a medusa calling herself "Lady Viper" that holds the most information. She informs Lorric of a broken steam-pipe near the southern-most point of Khybersgate, in a side alley by a goblin grocers shop. The medusa tells Lorric of the mysterious force behind the lizardmen, known as the "Caliginous Dyad". She explains that there are several species of lizardmen, the Poison Dusk - a smaller species that prefers to attack from hiding, the Blackscale - a species of large bulky brutes, and finally the Cold Sun tribes lizardfolk - the most common species. Lorric is also informed that the lizardfolk outside the city are of a species known as the Dark Talons, they loathe cities and prefer to remain at the borders.

The party head back out into the dark streets, heading south. Following the medusas instructions the group come across the area that was described to them. The area that the party are directed to is a dead end alley, thick with warm fog. There are signs of regular passage through this alley and a ten foot wide pipe stands with a large opening smashed into one side. Steam continually drifts up from this opening and into the alley.

After a few moments of trying to determine whether or not the steam will scald them the party decide that it is safe to travel down the pipe. Looking down they can see a ladder affixed to the inside wall, heading down, looking up the pipe narrows leading Anvil to begin a rather one-sided discussion with Kapek about steam pressure differences as the carrier pipe narrows. Kapek stares blankly at the artificer in response. They soon realise that this is where they need to be and Anvil and Kapek have to return their mounts to the upper levels of the city so they are not stolen or injured, the rest of the group take this time to head to Morgrave University to study more about lizardfolk.

2.00 p.m.

The group return to the ruptured steam-pipe and decide to head on down, unsure of what they will encounter. they descend down the pipe.

The sturdy ladder leads down some 100 feet before it once more opens into a ten foot wide corridor/ledge. The pipe continues down but the ladder stops at this opening.

The ledge is about 10 feet wide and 20 feet long before ladders head down another 50 feet or so and a corridor extends ahead.
The corridor is dimly lit with a ruddy glow that has no discernable source. As they move ahead figures can be seen moving in the dim light, the group comes to a halt and they make their presence known, in response a voice, obviously unfamiliar with speaking common, responds to their every comment with "Get out!". And in short order the corridor is filled with arrows flying towards the intruders. Anvil's mighty shield blocks this assault and the group decide it is time to move forward. Anvil charges forward. His first few steps towards the assailants are interrupted as a magical rune in the floor flares into life filling the corridor with a burst of electricity, Anvil takes the brunt of the force but the rest of the group are injured as it arcs from his metallic body. As the rune on the floor fades the rest of the group charge past it before it resets, they are faced with a small group of lizardmen, most of which fall quickly to their attack.
Anvil decides to head back to the trap once the guards are dead, in order to clear their escape route of any obstacles. Unfortunately by this time the trap has reset and he once more triggers the electrical burst, injuring the group once again. He takes a few moments and renders the trap inert.

The group move on, following the main corridor east, past the pool of fresh water and around the wall that blocks the way ahead. Anvil comes across a wooden figure set into a recess in the wall behind the pool of water. He studies it with intent and soon comes to realise that it could be some kind of wood golem, it is however, inactive at the moment. Meanwhile, Kapek notices that in a room to the north there are two large Blackscale lizardmen in some kind of meditative state and once more the alarm is raised. Lorric, Ajax and Kapek move into the room where the Blackscales are meditating and begin to attack, as they do so their opponents begin casting spells, Lorric succumbs to a Command to lie prone and the others are subjected to offensive spells such as Burning Hands. The adepts soon fall to the blades of the warriors. Meanwhile, as Anvil decides to join the fray with the Blackscales, the golem before him stirs into life kepping him more than busy for the duration of the battle.

As the party are regrouping, doors on each side of the corridor open and more lizardfolk emerge, but these are no match for the might of the Crimson Fist and once more the party are surrounded by the corpses of their foes. They begin to investigate their surroundings.

They head down the main corridor to the east to find great metal double doors that seem to slide into the walls when they open. There are no hinges or locking mechanisms that are visible, infact the point where the doors meet in the middle is so perfect that the group assume that they are water, if not gas, tight. Four crystals are embedded into the wall above the doors, some 20 feet up, all seem dull and lifeless. Ajax takes some time to expertly climb the walls to further examine these crystals. He can find no clue here as to their purpose.

The group decide to return here once they have investigated the rest of their immediate surroundings.

After some uneventful searching they finally end up in the room where the guards appear to have been recently eating. A corridor heads north from here but Anvil determines that the entire fifty feet of this corridor has walls that close in on any intruders, a door stands closed at the far end, a discussion commences about how to get through. Ajax suggests running as fast as he can but the others warn against this course of action until they have further investigated. Heading back to grab a lizardman corpse they first hack a leg off and toss it down the corridor, several body-parts later they figure out that the trigger is halfway along its length. The group are shocked at the speed and power of the trap as the entire length of corridor slams together with a deep resonating boom before opening once more as quickly as the clapping of hands. Lorric finds this highly entertaining and quickly starts gathering lizardmen corpses to throw down the corridor until there is a thick viscous coating of blood and ichor at the centre point of the trap.

*Ajax comments
Ajax finds Lorric's entertainment gruesome and the glee with which he goes about it rather disturbing. Particularly he finds it difficult to concentrate on the problem at hand with the disturbing squelches and crashes it causes.

*Lorric comments
Lorric kept throwing the corpses down the corridor, as he thought it likely the trap would run out of charges or whatever at some point! (He really doesn't know very much about traps!)
"I'm not saying there wasn't a certain fascination with watching such a formidable trap going off (without injuring us!) and a certain delight in watching the beasties being squished by their own trap!".
But Lorric did think the trap would wear out in a bit!

Despite their best efforts the group can not find a way to diarm this trap and so they begin to search for another way through the huge metal doors. They spend nearly an hour searching in vain for any levers or mechanisms that would open them before once more turning their attention to the trapped corridor.

With a moment of insight, Anvil decides to once more investigate the draconic statue (area 3), and with utmost concentration he studies the figure. As he does so he realises that the head turns slightly, he moves it to face north and the head gradually clicks back into place over the next couple of seconds. He does this again and as he does so Lorric throws another corpse down the corridor, this time the walls do not slam together until the dragons head is back in its original position.

Ajax offers to run the gauntlet and with trepidation he waits for Anvil to give him the signal that it is safe. He charges down the corridor to the door at the far end and finds that the the corridor turns sharply to the east and safety. He finds a lever on the wall here that seems to move in unison with the dragons head at the far side of the corridor, allowing the group to travel safely in either direction.

1. The Trapped Hallway

A rune in the floor is infused with some kind of electrical spell, but further investigation does not reveal which spell. the knowledge is beyond Anvil's expertise.

2. The Guards Sleeping Quarters

These quarters are geared up for two medium-sized lizardmen to rest in. Damp straw beds show recent signs of only one in each. Two lizardmen came to attack from this area.

3. The Draconic Statue

This statue is in the likeness of some kind of dragon, it is coiled around a pillar that has been carved with ivy leaves. The joints of this statue seem to articulate, there are definite hinged points although it seems as though it has not moved in many years.

4. Guards Rest Room

This room has signs of recent occupation. Half eaten "food" still lies on the table and chairs are overturned as though the table was left in a hurry. Four lizardfolk came from this room.

The entire stretch of this 50 foot long corridor has walls that rapidly move inwards, crushing anyone that would wish to head along it.

5. The Lure

A shallow pool of reasonably clean fresh water stands at the base of a wall painted with draconic images. Many seem to relate to Q’barra and the flora and fauna that dwells there.

There are four guards here whose job it is to lure unwelcome visitors through the trap in area 1. This guard unit is composed of 2 lizardmen, 1 poison dusk ranger and 1 Blackscale.

6. The Adept Room

Two Blackscale Adepts are meditating in this room. They rely on the guards to combat any intruders, but will attempt to fend off any threat that comes their way.

7. The Sunken Golem

This wall is finely carved with the relief of a Wood Golem, painted to appear as though it were a part of the wall. It is humaniod in form but has several physical similarities to a reptile.

Further down the corridor…..

The 10 foot wide corridor continues some 60 feet before it is blocked by a door. Four crystals are deeply embedded in the wall above the door, all dull and lifeless. There is no key or opening mechanism present on the door itself, and there are no visible hinges.

8. The Prison
This is where the reptiles keep their prisoners, also known as potential meals. There are only half eaten corpses in here at the present moment.

9. The Guard Captain
This room is filled with hot air and infused with steam. A large chair sits opposite a furnace where hot coals are continually dripped upon by a slightly leaking water pipe in the ceiling..
This is where the Lizardman Captain dwells. This uncharacteristically powerful lizardman is arrogant and believes that he can overcome any threat posed.

10. The Well
This well descends 20 feet before it reaches the dark waters below. A tunnel connects it to the pool in area 11.

11. Natural Cave
This "natural" cave has an open pool of dark water in one corner. The pools water level is 20 feet below the cave floor and there are signs of clawed hands and footprints that would indicate reptilian passage through the water.

12. The Stores
This room has several barrels and crates containing traditional Q’barran spices, dried fish and insects and the occasional bag of dried plant matter.

Downtime

Sul, 22nd Eyre - Far, 6th Dravago

Brief Synopsis

The Deathsgate Guild are happy to accept the group as guild members. There were two who stepped forward anonymously to praise the party's work at Bluescar, and a "Lost" member has returned to Sharn. Saeloth the sorceress offers her thanks for slaying her captives (the guild will not reveal anything about her.)

Corven Sahlmer has been looking for the group for the past few days, her inquisitives tracked the group down to Oakbridge but have been "deterred" from further investigations.. There have been several parties interested in hiring their services.

1. Paxor's family want to know his whereabouts.
2. The Aundarian Embassy has heard of your exploits and wishes to speak with you.
3. Malaren Dexel is still looking for help.

Ajax contacts Yulunga and speaks with her about taking the tribe away from Fallen to the Eldeen Reaches.

He then speaks with House Orien about the tribe accompanying them to the great forests, they are always on the look-out for mercenaries on this particular route.

"After a vigil of several days you see Yulunga slowly ascending the exterior stair to the tree at the top of the tower, some 75 feet over the ruins of Fallen. After a few moments of studying the tree and most likely retrieving the note from the leg of the tiny bird, she looks to the towers far above scouring the city above for a sign of your presence."

Kapek directs Hurricane, his new Glidewing, down from the lofty heights of Kenton into the shadowy world that is Fallen, coming to perch on the edge of the broken tower. You quickly leap off as the glidewing takes to the air once more with a few powerful beats of its huge leathery wings.

With a sorrowful smile Yulunga looks into your eyes, "It appears that you are doing well for yourself Ajax. The world above suits you. Why do you wish to speak with me? This place holds only danger for you."

"When last we meet you kindly said you would try to work for my re-admittance to the tribe. I am to guess you have had little success? ", asks Ajax.

Sorrow spreads across Yulunga's face.

"Things are not good in the shadows. The other tribes know we are weakened and we spend each day hiding and each night running. Carvos curses you in his prayers each morning along with the wish that his beloved Frenya rests peacefully. Each day he further plots his vengeance. There has been recent talk of our leaving Fallen to find better lives above, but this is all we know and many are reluctant to leave this place we call 'home'."

"I hoped your arrival here was to fill us with the confidence that there are answers to our predicament...."

"Perhaps it is. I feared that this would happen. That weakened as we were the other tribes would come for our territory. So I say let them have it !"

"The Fallen is a desolate patch of rubble. The world outside is greater and more wonderful than we could dream of. The city is rich and full of life and I have heard tales of the Eldeen Reaches where our kind live, where a man can walk from tree to tree and not touch ground for weeks. Think of such abundance of beauty not this one stunted remnant." He points towards the scraggly tree that struggles to survive atop the broken tower.

"Let us leave the Fallen and not look back." pleads Ajax.
"That is a most interesting proposition. But how would we survive the journey, nevermind the trials of a life so unfamiliar? Forgive my negativity, it.... well..... it's just more than i could hope to imagine." You watch as her face flushes with mixed emotions of sadness and hope. "Please Ajax don't toy with me, this could never be more than a dream..."

"If you can help us Ajax, I will speak with the others. I know that Carvos will never leave but the rest are lacking hope. They haven't really had time to mourn the fallen since that fateful night."

"I'm not saying it will be easy, there will be hard work and sacrifice but I have friends and contacts who perhaps can help." Ajax says reassuringly.

"I will speak with the others when i get chance. Meet me here as the sun sets on the 3rd [Dravago], I will have an answer." comes Yulunga's reply.

You see a rat rapidly scurry up Yulunga's leg, her clothing ripples momentarily as it finds its way to her shoulder. Once there it sniffs at her ear, "You have to go, NOW", she whispers loudly, "I have been followed, it is one of my...our tribe."

Without a backward glance she heads down the exterior stair of the broken tower. The sun moves across the sky leaving you and the struggling tree to the shadows once more.

In a moment Kapek circles down to the tower, Hurricane clumsily landing on the small platform.

He informs you that there are many figures moving below, coming from the south, Blood-drinker territory.

As you mount the glidewing you see a lone figure heading from the north, Yulunga quickly heads for this figure and the pair head back north with speed, leaping from shadow to shadow.

You gradually ascend through the strata of the city until you once more feel the warm sun on your skin.

An Inquisitive has located Trom Casurs for Ajax.

Ajax wrings some memories out of his capacity impaired brain as to the location of the elven sisters who were looking for their father. The pair now live in a side-alley by Hythan's Smithy in Downstairs.

*Ajax comments
And it say's something about Ajax's brain that it takes him so long to remember where two hot elven sisters lived.

He also blows some hard-earned cash at the Gaze.

He manages to find Trom Casurs and compels him to guide the savages from Fallen on their path to a new way of life far from civilisation in the Eldeen Reaches.

*Ajax comments
Ajax had only met Trom once but had been impressed by his strength and dedication. He feels strange approaching a practical stranger with so important a responsibility but Trom despite never meeting the Black Claws is prepared to put himself out to help fellow Shifters.
Ajax promises to help Trom if he ever requires it.

 Ajax manages to persuade the Black-Claws to leave for the Eldeen Reaches, but Carvos, the tribal leader refuses to travel anywhere with the cursed Ajax, and so the two have to go their separate ways.

*Ajax comments
Ajax leaves the Black Claws with decidedly mixed feelings. On one hand he has faith in Trom and Carvos and is glad his tribe will be moving on to a safer and better place.
On the other he realises he is losing his tribe. The people who he spent the vast majority of his life with. He will miss them all, particualrly Yulunga who has blossomed into a wise and beatiful woman.
Still he has a new tribe with the Crimson Fists now and so leaves his old tribe to start their new journey.

Lorric spends time looking for and getting s**t-faced with the drunken masters for, perhaps, longer than he anticipated. He informs the Long Arm of his chosen path and although Sorewyn finds it all a bit distasteful and undisciplined he lets Lorric know that he always has a place in the Hostel and he hopes that he will continue his work alongside and within the Long Arm.

At first Sorewyn seems disappointed at the fact that you have stepped upon a new path, but he sees no reason why this should force you to leave the Long Arm, after all the order is particularly diverse. He seems to think that their fighting style is a little undisciplined and even thuggish, but after a few bouts with him in the studio he seems quite impressed at your new talents.
He will always consider Lorric to be one of his best students and wishes him all the best in his future exploits.

Lorric also heads to Morgrave University to find more information on Aundair to see if it is worth listening to what the embassy has to offer.

Anvil crafts like crazy and heads to Cannith Tower to make some contacts, and to try and locate any Spellcarved Soldiers, in specific his old friend Graven. He also checks up on some of the people that group have helped in the past. He also gets his new mount, a clockwork stallion.

On the night of the 3rd/morning of the 4th, Anvil is disturbed by the child creeping into his workshop whilst he is busy. He can get no response from the child, but as he bends to cover it with a blanket, the child looks at his Ghulra and says, "Dream......".

The Jorasco carer is found in the childs room unconscious by the bed and so Anvil raises the alarm. It seems that the halfling is asleep and there are a set of footprints in the milk that she (Herenvar d'Jorasco) spilled. Although there is no further sgn of intrusion the group remain alert.

*Ajax comments
Ajax carefully examines the tracks left by the intruder. He can tell that the creature was an Aberration but not what type. Also the creature's tracks show it appeared in the middle of the room, walked over to the child and then disapeared.
Ajax heads outside and reports the details of the intrusion to one of the elves watching the house for Martell.

The following day Ajax decides to teach the child to defend himself, playing swords with sticks he swings gently at the child, in a flash of green light the stick falls to ash and Ajax reels as the light tries to eat his flesh.

*Ajax comments
The light has a good try at eating his flesh, burning him painfully. He is not amused by the child's response to his attempt to help him. He is even less amused by Katerina's refusal to heal him 'because he deserved it'.

Kapek manages to find and speak with Zametiro ir'Dheren, (via Corven Sahlmer) his daughter is safe and well and the group are offered 500 gold for their help. He spends time crafting his Sharrash and teaching Anvil how to ride.

Kapek also heads to the Aundarian Embassy to enquire about an offer of work, a message that had been left with Corven Sahlmer. He accepts the job but then later cancels it as the group were expecting to be escorting the Black Claws to the Eldeen Reaches (Ajax - "Oops").With their plans foiled Kapek and Anvil have to apologetically return to the Aundairian ambassador and ask if they could reconsider doing the job. They are hired, although at substantially less than they were first offered.

*Kapek comments
Kapek in particular feels acutely humiliated by this turn of events, and was prepared to be easily out-negotiated had Anvil not accompanied him on the third visit.

The mission itself was explained at the first meeting.

Halais ir'Lantar, the Ambassador, is concerned about the fate of the tiara given away in the Seventh Street-Kind Ball. More specifically he is concerned about the diamond that was its centrepiece, a gem he refers to as the "Claw of Yshtamar". This was brought back from Q'barra in 914 YK by an expedition from the ir'Semhel family. The wizards of the Arcanix believe it to be a powerful lizardman relic, infused with demonic energy, that was once held by the black dragon Rhashaak.
Rhashaak is the guardian of Haka'Torvhak, the "Throne of Holy Dragons", appointed by the dragons of Argonessen to guard over it and ensure that the demons imprisoned beneath never escape. It is believed that over the ages, Rhashaak has become corrupted by the foul energies of the place.
Lord ir'Lantar blames the recent rash of lizardman attacks on caravans around Sharn to be prompted by their desire to recover the gem. He refered to them as "Black Talon" lizardmen, born of corrupted black dragon eggs. He further believes that a faction of lizardmen within the city are the ones who currently possess the Claw of Yshtamar, but that they have been prevented from leaving the city by a force, the nature of which he is unaware. He wishes the gem to be destroyed, and suggested immersion in molten rock as one possible method.