Dhamoril Woods

Therendor 22nd, Sul, 998 Y.K.

As the night passed the group decided it was best to make camp in the clearing where there had been obvious revelry the previous night, and despite the strange lights and sounds off in the woods they managed to get a good nights sleep.

11 a.m.

The group are up and ready to travel again. Marshal was sent back to Turvin armed with his wood axe, and the group chose to press on into the woods, following the tracks they found last night which headed along the deer trail they had been following.

2 miles further north and 2 hours later through thick and unforgiving undergrowth the group came across a river.

The trail ends abruptly, revealing an opening in the trees. A fast-moving river flows from the west, and a scattering of ancient willow trees and cattails line both banks.

Small rocks cause the water to gurgle and sputter with froth, spraying the air with a fine mist. A fifteen-foot-wide, horizontal bridge of sturdy gossamer webbing hangs from two willow trees, one on each bank. The web sparkles with an incandescant dew five feet above the water, and as the light hits it, the entire expanse shimmers with multicoloured hues.

Anvil steps forward to try and determine whether or not the bridge is magical. As he places his hands upon it Kapek and Ajax spot something 10 feet up in the tree on the far side of the river that is supporting the bridge.

A slightly larger than human sized creature with bright purple skin adorned with yellow stripes, two gossamer wings fanning either side of his chubby frame. Its multi-faceted, hypnotic eyes stare impassively as its head constantly cocks itself from side to side.

Kapek and Ajax prepare to defend or attack should this thing make a move, the rest are unable to see it. As Ajax moves towards the bridge the creature spits web at him pinning him to the ground, this also has the unfortunate effect of blocking the bridge for the rest of the party.

As Lorric prepares to leap across the river, Kapek launches his mount into a run and clears the river with relative ease, also managing to get a hit at the thing with his sharrash.

As it launched into the air on gossamer wings a lucky strike knocked the thing to the ground, dead.

Upon further inspection the group determined that the creature was some kind of fey infused ettercap, although much debate ensued as to whether or not it could still be considered an aberration....

Kapek and Ajax search the area for tracks, they are specifically interested in finding the goat-like hoof prints that they are assuming to be made by a satyr.

As they search they fnd that the human-like tracks simply fade to nothing as they enter the northern woods, however the hoof-prints continue in a north-eastery direction.

1 p.m.

They pushed on across the river.

The forest thickens considerably. The sound of the river fades away, as does the natural chirping of forest creatures. The canopy completely obscures the sky, leaving only a gloomy half-light.

No plant life grows on the forest floor, except for small patches of clourful mushrooms and toadstools.

Following the tracks that they can make out the group head north into the forest. after an hour of tracking Ajax realises that he has lost the trail, the group head back to the point where they last had tracks and start again, this is repeated twice before they feel that they are heading in the right direction.

As they are travelling, some 50 feet ahead through the trees, a howl of rage fills the quiet air as a huge blood-soaked troll emerges from the trees.

As Ajax charges forward the ground beneath the feet of the group begins to writhe with plant life. Vines, roots and grasses grab at the feet of the group trying to pin them in one place as tiny arrows begin to fly from unseen assailants.

As Anvil heads forward he reaklises that something is not right with the troll they are facing, it is not moving and he is sure that one of his arrows simply passed through it. Will a force of will he disbelieves the existence of the giant and as it fades to a silhouette before his eyes he yells to the others that it is an illusion.

The group move out of the area covered by the entangling plant growth and try to determine where the tiny arrows are being fired from, each time they are hit by one of these arrows they are overwhelmed with tiredness, but manage to resist falling asleep. Until Ajax succumbs and Katerina is hit with an arrow that removes all of her memory, she simply hides in shock.

Eventually Lorric manages to hear the rough location of where one of their attackers is, at this point realising that they are invisible. Anvil manages to land a faerie fire spell at its location after one failed attempt and finally the group can see something to aim for. Ajax is awoken and uses a scroll to cast Embrace the Wild on himself, thus giving him the ability to sense what he can not see.

Although they seem to be hitting the creatures, they are not injuring them as they are flying 20-30 feet up and the groups missile weapons are not powerful enough, in a final moment of clarity Anvil turns a quiver of arrows into fey-bane weapons and the combat soon ends with two of the pixies dead and one fleeing into the forest leaving a sparkling trail of faerie dust behind it.

The group decide that their best bet is to head back to Turvin as Katerina has no memory of anything.

10 p.m.

The group arrive back in Turvin and after a meal of rabbit stew provided by Marius Redhare, the proprietor of the Blue Oak Inn the settle down for a good nights sleep, with hope that by morning Katerina will have regained her memory.

The Journey to Turvin

Therendor 19th - 21st, 998 Y.K.

The company arrive in Turvin at around 10 in the morning after two days of uneventful travel.

Therendor 21st, Sar, 998 Y.K.

The group find the hamlet's residents looking tired and lethargic, wandering between the buildings with little sense of purpose. They approach one of the villagers and ask him about the hamlet's problems, he mutters about ghosts and monsters in the woods at night before directing the group to the mayors house. The mayor lives in a house adjoining the hamlet's stables, six horses are stabled here. After tethering Reaver (Kapek's Clawfoot mount) to a nearby post the group knock on the door and in moments Mayor Barnabas Revland answers. His nervous demeanour fades as he realises the group are here to help and they are soon invited in for herbal tea.

Revland describes the current situation to the group.

"No one sleeps well these days and the hamlet's craft is beginning to suffer. Merchants are withdrawing their contracts which is damaging the hamlet's economy."

"It's all to do with the lights in the forest, and the sounds of crazed yells, screams and hollering deep in the darkness, the residents fear their village is cursed."

The group ask if there is any reward for their help but the most that the mayor can do is offer them free lodgings at the local inn, "The Blue Oak Inn". Once they have finished their drinks they decide to head over there and see if there is anything welse they can find out.

As they leave the mayors house they find a large group of children gathered around Reaver, keeping a safe distance. They become awed at the sight of Anvil, asking all sorts of questions a few of the braver children daring to poke at him with sticks.

One of the children mentions that they were playing with a bunch of pretty butterflies that glowed different colours, they chased them further into the woods before one of the older boys got scared and pulled the rest of the children back into town.

The Blue Oak Inn - Proprietor, Marius Redhare.

Due to the fact that there are no trade routes running through Turvin, the Blue Oak Inn is empty of overnighters. In fact at this time of the morning it is void of any patrons. The barman looks up as the group enter and introduces himself with a tired smile.

He offers the group the common room and explains that dinner is served one hour before sundown. They also get the following information from him:

"Two travellers, a human and a dark-skinned halfling, stayed at the inn last night. They wore dark cloaks and slept in shifts in the common room. When morning came they followed a deer trail into the woods, pulling a heavy handcart behind them. They kept to themselves and paid double to be left alone.

"A local woodsman named Marshal Ternsval was out foraging for firewood a couple of evenings ago and he has not come back. His wife is worried, but the initial forays into the wood have turned up nothing.

Into the Dhamoril Woods

The group decide to investigate while there is still daylight so they ask one of the villagers to direct them to the deer trail and head into the forest.

The sun is high in the mid-afternoon sky, but little of the light penetrates the canopy. After about two hours of tracking the cart it leaves the deer trail and heads into the woods, and after another couple of hours the group stumble across a clearing some 30 feet ahead.

"The trail ends abruptly, and an uncovered cart can be seen ahead. It is overgrown with thorny brambles, with strange vines growing out of the wooden frame. A remarkably large thorn bush grows at the foot of the cart, a pile of torn clothing wrapped around it's base and hanging from it's lower branches."

Lorric spots movement in the woods ahead, but he can not quite make out what he is seeing, with a light spitting sound, two inch long thorns begin to fly out of the undergrowth hitting the groups vital spots causing painful wounds.

There are four of the spiny human-sized creatures.

After a frustrating battle, due to the camouflaged nature of the creatures and the fact that the undergrowth did not hamper their movement, the group finally kill the last one.

Katerina identifies them as Splinterwaifs, an evil breed of fey.

The group decide that the skins of these evil critters could be useful as they appear to shift colour to match their environment, so they begin to skin the creatures.

Meanwhile, those who don't have the skill to skin a creature search the cart. The most obvious feature is the body of a dark-skinned halfling in the cart, it bears a holy symbol of the Keeper.

Also within the cart they find some coin, a few pieces of travelling gear, plenty of trail rations and a chest that contains 100lb of raw cold iron.

They head back to the village, arriving as the sun grows low in the western sky. Anvil heads to the tanners house to see about curing the skins they have procured while the rest of the group head to the inn for the evening meal.

As the sun sets the group have finished their meal and they decide to head out into the woods once more.

As they leave the hamlet they can see lights dancing in the dark woods and far off in the distance they can hear the raucous sounds of a party to the north.

They head deep into the woods, this time following the sounds of the party, following the deer trail far to the north, after some four hours or more of pushing through dene undergrowth and low tree branches in the dead of night, sounds of party come to a crescendo before gradually fading out to silence.

"The deer trail opens into a forty-foot diameter clearing. Empty wineskins and rotten, half-eaten fruit litter the area. The air is sour with the stink of spilled wine. A large twisted tree stands in the centre of the clearing, tatters of festive ribbon and dimly glowing beehives clinging to it."

Nestled agianst the trunk of the central tree is the naked form of a male human, his feet and legs caked with dirt and moss. This turns out to be Marshal Ternsval, he remembers nothing specific, but seems to think that he was involved in a wild party. He reports a painful headache as well as a few fingernail scratches on his torso. He gathers what he can find of his clothes before declaring that he has lost his wedding ring, and begins to frantically search before giving up with woe.

Kapek and Ajax search the area for tracks and they find that there are many human-like tracks and one set of cloven hoof prints. They all head north-westerly. Ajax in his infinite wisdom decides to have a drink from one of the wine-skins and finds himself in love with the first person he sees, which just happens to be Kapek.....

Zilspar

Therendor 19th, Zor, 998 Y.K.

1. Zilspar Keep Walls

2. Zilspar Keep

3. Boalin’s Bakery

4. Kedoiwynn Manor

5. Vayldric’s General store

6. The Nymph and Unicorn (Inn)

7. Brigg’s End Farmstead

8. Garrison Houses

9. Blacksmiths

10. The Temple to Arawai

11. House Sivis Message Station

12. House Orien depot

13. Ghallanda Inn (The Prince’s Nose)

14. Denieth Outpost.

15. The Wolf and Horses Tavern

16. Jorasco Healing House

17. Slum District

18. Temple of Dol Dorn

19. Temple of Kol Korran

On a table in the Nymph and Unicorn, this weeks Sharn Inquisitive has been left.

Sharn Inquisitive - Sul, 15th Therendor

Noble Kalesh ir'Semhel Found Dead

In the early hours of Zol, 10th of Therendor, the notably titled Kalesh ir'Semhal was found dead in his home by his night watch guard.

The renowned importer of Q'Barran antiquities and other regional goods had reportedly been flayed of his skin whilst alive, the guard found him trying to reach the door to his room when he died.

A privately hired inquisitive from the S.P.I.R.E. company has insinuated draconic connections, claiming to have found what he describes as "The entire shed skin of a humanoid lizard, yet strangely no sign of ir'Semhel's skin was present".

His death is thought to be connected with a heated argument with a rival noble, Paxor ir'Somera, at the Street-Kind Charity Ball two days earlier. The city watch are currently searching for the noble in question but his whereabouts are unknown.

Although reports are hazy it is thought that several hours after his death, Kalesh ir'Semhel was seen to be withdrawing from his Kundarak account in Korranath.

It is also a reputed fact that much of Khorvaires Dream Lily is imported from Sarlona through the tiny inlets on the Q'Barran coat, and if the gossip is to be believed then ir'Semhel may have had his fingers in that pie.

Vermin Problems Escalate in Skyreach Tower

A constant stream of insects, arachnids, bugs, beetles and other critters of all varieties has become a huge problem to residents of Skyreach Tower on the Menthis Plateau. For those of you unfamiliar with the tower, it is one of the largest in the quarter, it grows from Downstairs, through Cassan Bridge and into the Seventh Tower district.

Reports have gradually been growing over the past few months of pest control agencies being inundated with reports of creepy crawlies running amok in the vicinity of the tower.

One resident reports, "I don't know where they're coming from, we've got no cracks in the walls that we can see and we don't leave the place in a state that would attract them. It's about time the coucil listened to us and did something about it."

Another concerned resident states, "Well about a week ago old Gerard got chased out of his stables by a huge great spider, no one can say where it came from, it was lucky for him that the watch were patrolling the street nearby when it happened."

Residents of Downstairs are voicing their concerns about the number of scavenging and carrion birds that are gathering in the volcanic land at the base of the plateau, "It's just not healthy," says one resident, "All that muck those horrid birds are creating, when the wind changes the smell is indescribable".

The council representatives of Middle Menthis have made the following statements:

Savia Potellas - Lower Menthis Plateau

"Something has to be done. The residents of Skyreach Tower are suffering, whether this is a refuse or waste issue i'm not yet sure, but one thing i am certain of is that these people can't all afford to hire extermination services and it is a certainty that disease will follow."

Caskar Halavik - Middle Menthis Plateau

"As the problem is growing we have to take a long hard look at the hygiene of the lower wards. This is obviously a problem, that is growing from the ground up. It is an issue that Potellas should be facing head on."

Thurik Davandi - Upper Menthis Plateau

"There have been several reports of larger vermin reaching the streets of the upper levels of Skyreach Tower, but thus far there have been no casualties and there has been no source of this incursion found, all we can assume is that they are find their way up the tower from the lower levels, perhaps following the streets or up the outer walls."

After a hearty breakfast Chalit and the group part ways. The newly named "Crimson Fist" company head out to Turvin and Chalit continues his journey to Korranberg.

Levin's Gorge Bridge

Therendor 10th - 18th, 998 Y.K.

The group decide on the company name of "Crimson Fist" and have put a deposit down on an old metal-smith's house in Oakbridge, realising that Anvil's workshop in the cogs is not really suitable for all of them to live together.

After loading up with several casks of ale and bottles of wine the group are ready to go.

It is expected that the Journey will take 9 days. The wagon is empty and drawn by 2 horses so it is light enough to travel 30 miles/day.

The roads are in good condition and travel is easy for the first few days.

The road moves west, away from the coast towards the King’s Forest, and as the heights of Sharn fade into the distance you see fewer and fewer people with each passing mile. Farmland stretches away to the south-east and the road gently ambles through the low hills of the region.

The Zilspar Road is wide and well kept, obviously as the main trade route to Zilargo it has to be.

The occasional inn or Wayhouse sits by the roadside serving freshly caught game and farm produce. Most have a smithy for repairs and can sell trail rations and other travelling goods.

Day 1 – 3. (10th - 12th Therendor)

Wet and rainy, grey skies.

Easy travel. Occasional merchant passing. No untoward activity.

Kapek and Ajax head out regularly to catch food and collect edible plants. They do remarkably well, returning with small game and even a young deer.

Night 3

A heavy mist rolls in from the south as night falls. (vision is reduced to 120 ft.)

1 a.m.

The sound of loud buzzing off in the distance can be heard to the north. The alarm is raised but the sound stops shortly after. Everyone goes back to sleep leaving Anvil and Kapek on watch.

4.15 a.m.

The sounds of hushed whispers in the dark and the occasional sound of footfall emanate from within the fog. Anvil hears these and once more raises the alarm. They keep a check on their borders and Kapek hears voices in Draconic, "I think they are aware of us, lets head back". Kapek steers his Clawfoot in the direction of the voice, he can vaguely make out a humanoid shape dragging a heavy tail, he throws a boomerang but the combination of the darkness and the fog make it difficult for him to hit. The creature, now aware of Kapek's presence bolts for the forest. The group on high alert awaken Chalit and urge him to sleep under the cart for safety, offering him extra blankets to keep the chill air off him. The rest of the group remain awake for fear of assault in the night.

6 a.m.

The sky begin to lighten slightly, a slight chill fills the air. The camp is damp from the night's mist, covering everything in heavy dew. The sound of loud buzzing once more begins in the north, this time it gets louder and louder until the buzzing becomes a roar. Keeping out of view in the fog above the camp they do not reveal themselves to the group.

As they watch, the company see specks of light falling through the fog above them and with a smash of ceramic Kapek's tent erupts in a ball of flame, them a moment late the same happens to Ajax's tent. They return fire blindly shooting at the sounds in the fog.

The final flask is dropped from the sky and can be seen to be heading for the cart, this is where chalit and Katerina are taking refuge. Loric with the fear that he will lose all his ale and wine (oh, and for the well-being of his employer and his friend) performs a truly spectacular leap and catches the flask before it strikes the cart, he quickly removes the burning wick rendering the flask inert, before offering it to Anvil to study.

With a final gesture Anvil summons a celestial owl from a wand and sets it upon the assailants. The buzzing sound retreats back into the woods to the north.

The group feel it is time to move on and so they pack up camp and after a hasty breakfast they move out.

Day 4

Another foggy day.

Travel is easy and uneventful.

Day 5

The fog clears as the day progresses. Once more travel is easy.

3 p.m.

You pass a sign post by the roadside that states “Gullsnest – 154 miles” with an arrow pointing down a not so well kept road heading south.

4 p.m.

A single column of black smoke rises from the road ahead – it is estimated that it is about 10 miles (just over 2 hours) away. This smoke gradually peters out within half an hour.

6 p.m. 
Levin’s Gorge Bridge.

Ahead you see the land drop into a shallow valley, the road crosses a bridge over a deep gorge at the lowest point. The sun is getting low in the sky behind you and the evening is air is growing chill once more.

The sounds of someone screaming for help on the other side of the gorge can be heard and a light plume of smoke rises from behind a copse of trees.

From the road behind them, out of the setting sun the sound of buzzing can be heard and two specks can be seen in the distance flying low to the ground.

The bridge crossing the river has 2 foot high walls to each side and is made of stone. It is 15 feet wide and 30 feet long.

The gorge is 40 feet deep with steep rocky sides. At the bottom is a fast flowing beck, swollen with the waters from the spring rains.

As the situation is being surveyed they decide it is best to take the wagon into a nearby copse of trees to keep it out of sight, and they also take refuge there as the specks grow in the sky and reveal themselves to be lizard-men riding giant wasps.

After the group have taken a few pot-shots at the incoming wasp-riders they finally approach, one of the riders seriously injuring Lorric with his lance. Meanwhile the rear of the group is attacked by 2 foot-soldiers that were hiding in the same woods that the group decided to hide in, after several serious injuries, and some particularly good wand strikes, the group finally kill their assailants. Ajax, still filled with ferocity charges to the bridge, looking to help those in distress that were heard on the other side, Kapek follows to help when things invariably go wrong.

The rest of the group move the cart back out onto the road and proceed to the bridge where Kapek has convinced Ajax that it would be best to wait. Within moments a magical fog rises from the ground around the bridge making it almost impossible to see. Whilst Lorric and Katerina reamin with the cart, Ajax, Anvil and Kapek move forward to face whatever may be ahead of them in the fog. Just over half-way across they meet a pair of lizard-men who have sneaked into the fog from nearby undergrowth.

As battle commences, Lorric and Katerina make out another wasp-rider moving towards the bridge from the south and they watch as a lizard-man shaman teases the plants in the area into life, within moments the bridge and the cart are writhing with grasping plant life trying to grab hold of anyone who moves.

The two foot-soldiers are quickly despatched and their bodies have not even hit the floor when the front-line can hear Katerina yelling, "Troll!!!".

As Anvil and Ajax move in to do battle with the forest troll, the Shaman calls lightning down into the fog cloud, unfortunately for him the first strike hits the troll, and combined with Anvil's liberal use of his wand of shocking grasp the pair make short work of the troll.

Meanwhile, the third wasp rider barrles into the cloud, happening across Kapek the lizard-man rider takes the opportunity to bull-rush the diminuative rider off the bridge and into the water, just as Ajax turn and kills the wasp mount, thus having the lizard-man closely follow Kapek into the fast flowing icy waters.

With a sharp eye, Lorric spots the halfling fall and hurriedly fashions a make-shift lasso and in short order the halfling is hoisted to safety as the lizard-man rider is washed away. The shaman casts and obscuring mist and makes a hasty retreat, the ambush is defeated.

The party head to investigate the caravans and the smouldering fire.

Behind the copse of trees are four ambushed wagons. The corpses of the merchants and their entourages lie in a smouldering heap, it is apparent that they have been partially eaten, as have their horses.

The wagons bear House Orien detailing and have been looted. Most of their more mundane goods have been spilled onto the ground around them, however a pile of items has been set aside.

Kapek scouts the area and finds no tracks other than those left by the lizard-men and troll, and of course those left by the wagons as they were brought off the road.

Meanwhile, Lorric collects what goods are salvagable and to the bemoaning of Chalit, complaining that the extra weight will slow them down, he loads the mundane goods onto the wagon.

The rest of the journey is uneventful, save for the occasional Merchant caravan travelling from Zilspar.

Day 8

Rains spoils the day but travel is relatively easy.

By midday you reach a simple sign the points to a track leading north it reads “Turvin 10 miles”.

The rain only stops briefly allowing you a glimpse of the small keep on the hill that is surrounded by the town of Zilspar far in the distance.

Farms become apparent through the rain and wild landscape makes way for cultivated fields being worked by labourers off in the distance. Lightly wooded areas dot the landscape and as you approach you pass several inns by the roadside.

Day 9

As the sun begins to fall behind you, lights blink into life in the town ahead, with a last push the horses are spurred into a lively trot and within the hour you find yourselves passing the House Deneith outpost denoting the entry to Zilspar. The cobbled streets are slick with rain and are all but empty. Smells of home-cooking fill your nostrils, Chalit seems to know where he is going and before long you find yourselves outside an inn called “The Nymph and Unicorn” at the foot of the hill that is overlooked by the sturdy walls of Zilspar Keep.

Chalit offers to pay for the group to stay here for the night, explaining that he has to head to the Temple of Kol Korran to pay his respects before he retires for the night.

He tells them that they have performed their duty impeccably and pays them their 9 gold each.

Lorric returns the goods he salvaged to House Orien's depot in the town, with many thanks.

Downtime

Therendor 8th-9th, 998 Y.K.

The group spend the next couple of days trading goods.

Anvil spends some time making sure that the couple who won the raffle are safe and do not feel any threat along with their new found wealth. He then heads to Everbright district to have his composite plating enchanted.

Ajax hires a wizard to cast animal messenger on a small bird and asks that it is sent to Fallen to contact his tribe's shaman, Yulunga. His message asks that she looks up to a bridge high above her in one months time, there Ajax will be waiting to contact her (Zol, 10th Eyre).
He also begins asking questions about the gargoyle known as 'Scrimshaw'. From what he can determine, this albino gargoyle is a sociopathic killer, sniping at his victims from balconies and ledges. He is indiscriminate and seems to kill for the sheer pleasure. Currently it is said that he is under the watchful investigation of Viktor Saint-Demain, perhaps the best inquisitive that Sharn has ever seen.

Meanwhile the rest of the group head to Lyrander Tower to see about the details of the expedition to Bluescar lighthouse.

They are informed that the light itself is a large dragonshard that is highly polished and imbued with extraordinary light magics. The dragonshard would normally sit in a mounting behind several strong lenses that slowly revolve around the lightsource. However, on the night of 6th Olarune 998 Y.K. the light at Bluescar vanished and has not been sighted since.....

House Lyrander's shipping routes on the south-eastern shores, specifically to and from Valenar and Q'Barra, have been plagued by pirates driving the ships ashore in the shallow waters around the headland. Many of these vessels were carrying valuable cargos of Valenar horses,  commisioned by House Vadalis, and due to the current state of the Mournland, overland routes are impractical. They are informed that the road from Sharn heads south through the Silln Highlands to Gullsnest, a reasonably large fishing village, and from there a trail heads east to the tiny village of Bluescar.

They are informed that there have been two parties sent to inquire about the situation already but neither have returned. The House is putting up a 3000 gold reward for either the reinstatement of the shard into the lighthouse or if that is not possible the return of the shard to Sharn, both require a full statement of events so that preventative measures can be taken in future.

They agree to the contract and give their details to the clerk, Aleal d'Lyrander - Shipping co-ordinator for the south-east coast.

They then head to House Vadalis to see if they can double up their reward by completeing the task for both Houses. Unfortunately they quickly come to realise that the coin being provided by both Houses is coming from the same coffers.

Sharn Inquisitive - Sul, 8th Therendor

Street-Kind Heroes

Red Blade Gang Brought to Justice

The annual Street-Kind Charity Ball was held last night with dignitaries and nobility travelling from across Sharn to Crystal Springs, the beautiful home of Lady Corven Sahlmer in the Mithral Towers district of the Upper Central Plateau. As the skycoaches flew in the crowds gathered to see the rich and sequestered draped in all their finery, hoping to catch a glimpse of their heroes.

Guests included folk from all walks of life, from the most the distingushed nobility to the most humble of street-folk. Actors, musicians, politicians and socialites rubbed shoulders with traders, blacksmiths, cogs-workers and the homeless in this wonderful event that reminds us that we are part of this great city and that we should help each other as bet as we can.

It has, however, come to the attention of this reporter that all did not run smoothly at the function. Apparently as the party was in full swing there was an attempted robbery, one of the guests had their hippogriff stolen.

As the thieves returned for a second time, reportedly for another hippogriff, they butchered the guards posted there and would have got away with the prized mount were it not for a group of unknown individuals who had the courage to stand up to the gang.

The Red Blades have been fugitives from the law for some time now and their leader, Drem Lamor, was described by Yric Oureson of the City Watch as "a criminal master-mind in the making". After a series of bloody heists the gang got their name as a force to be reckoned with and with reputed ties to some of Sharn's largest criminal syndicates the have-a-go heroes who stood up to villainy and unlawful behaviour had best watch their backs for fear of revenge.
All five members were killed in the altercation.

The Sharn Inquisitive says:
Let the heroes who brought down such a vile group of villains be decorated and recognised by the city.
There are too many good folk suffering at the hands of criminals.

With an estimated 80,000 gold pieces raised for the charity it was hailed as a huge success.

Therendor 9th, 998 Y.K. - 7 p.m. - The Meeting with Chalit Morranal

The group head to the Deathsgate Guildhouse to meet with the brother of Erunn, one of their sponsors to join the organisation.
He explains that they are to be travelling to Zilspar, a journey he anticipates to be about 9 days. The roads are starting to dry out from the heavy spring rains and as a result the bandits will be heading for the roads in search of merchants. He explains that he is taking his cart to Zilspar, drawn by 2 horses, so should anyone wish to ride the wagon they are more than welcome. The wagon will be empty on the outward journey.
Aside from bandits the only other prevalent source of trouble at moment is the reported attacks of lizardmen. These lizardmen are of a tribe called the Dark Talons, they are bulkier than most lizardmen and are for some reason heading out of their normal habitats. The King's rangers are scouring the forest for traces of them but so far have found nothing. Merchants are being warned to be extra vigilant.
The group agree to meet with Chalit tomorrow morning at 8.30 outside the House Vadalis hostelry and satbles in Terminus District.

CHAPTER ONE - The Ball

Therendor 7th, Sar, 998 Y.K.

The Seventh Street-Kind Charity Ball

Hosted by Corven Sahlmer

The Sahlmer Residence, Crystal Springs, Mithral Tower, Upper Central Plateau.

The building is a beautiful example of understated opulence, bathed in Mithral filigree. A large garden surrounds the building filled with rare and exotic flowers and trees, songbirds and the centrepiece, surrounded by topiary animals, is a great fountain of crystal that seems to sing as the water splashes over it.

People of all classes are moving towards the great gates and on along the winding pathway to the main entrance. Somewhere over the edge of the tower there must be a landing balcony for those who have flown in, as an assortment of flying steeds and skycoaches slowly circle under the watchful eye of mounted guards. Reporters from the “Sharn Inquisitive” are present taking notes and asking for stories as people pass through the grand gates, occasionally being buffeted back by the gate guard.

Those who are carrying weapons of any kind are politely asked to leave them at the reception along with coats and bags that people wish to store safely. Of course weapons can be hidden, people are not frisked upon entry, but etiquette does not smile on such activity.

The crowds are politely herded to a vast banqueting hall in the centre of the building; huge crystal chandeliers hang from the high vaulted ceiling; several long buffet tables piled high with exquisite culinary delights run adjacent to the walls, a small twelve man orchestra fills the blossom fragranced air with dulcet tones, and a fleet of warforged servants meander through the throng with trays of drinks and orderves.

A well dressed servant asks for your tickets as you enter the ballroom, he quickly scans over them and directs you to a large table on the far side of the room.

Once you are seated a warforged waiter heads over with a 2 bottles of wine (one red, one white) and a tray of glasses.

“My name is Tend; I will be your waiter for the evening. Please do not hesitate to ask of my services”. He serves everyone a drink and asks if there is anything else they require.

The group are not confined to their chairs, they are free and indeed encouraged to mingle and pick at the buffet, play at the gambling tables or head to the bar for a drink. There are numerous servants wandering around selling raffle tickets, for 2 silver pieces a ticket.

The group mingle with the guests meeting several interesting people.

Kalen and Temasi E’ressar – elven siblings seeking help to find their father, Hathmarri, either practical or financial. Used to be wealthier but the absence of their father’s income forced them to the lower wards. They last saw their father in Downstairs but he ran when they saw him. The pair now live in a side-alley by Hythan's Smithy in Downstairs.

Hervall Gen – human, ex-adventurer. Owner of an adventurer's mart in Deathsgate.

Wingnut – a severely damaged warforged. He is studying a lifestyle he has never experienced.

Manora and Seph Cambert – Female human exotic dancers that love to be the centre of attention.

Satok Perep – a human Silver Flame adept. A very pious man who speaks loudly of the benefits of the purging of lycanthropy.

Trom Casurs – a male shifter. An old retired inquisitive that wishes to return to the land of his childhood – the Eldeen Reaches – but is oathbound to remain. He swore he would not return home until the albino gargoyle Scrimshaw was behind bars.

Malaren Dexel – Male human. A businessman who has discovered that a watch captain has been wrongly charged with narcotic supply and he has concerns about a corrupt watch captain that has replaced him.

The big story of the evening that most people seem to be talking about is the situation with a lighthouse at a southerly point between Flint Keep and Yarkuun Draal, near a tiny village known as Bluescar. It is said that the lighthouse is out of commision and House Lyrander are puting up a 3000 gp reward for any who can resolve the situation as they are losing trade to pirates who are forcing their ships aground on the rocks.

The lighthouse is on one of the main shipping routes from Valenar and there have already been many Valenar horses lost to the waves, incurring huge losses to the Lyrander coffers, House Vadalis are also feeling the effects of this particular area of lost trade. Th group express an interest as they will be in the area when they head out to Zilspar and Turvin in a few days.

Zametiro ir’Dheren a wealthy merchant noble asks any who are heading to the lighthouse if they could keep their eyes open for any sign of his daughter who was a part of a merchant caravan carrying silks that never made it to Gullsnest. He can pay well for any information.

9.30 Dinner is served

At 9.15 sharp a bell is rung and the servants begin encouraging guests to their tables explaining that dinner is to be served shortly.

At 9.30 fleets of waiters move through the tables with platters of various foods placing them on each for the guests to feast upon. The meal has five courses and takes about 2 ½ hours from beginning to end. Guests are in no way confined to their tables during the meal, nobles have their servants running messages as part of the course.

11.30 The Hippogriff is stolen

Just as the waiters begin to serve dessert, the stable hand races into the ball with a message for a noble sitting at the table next to the group. They overhear that the gentleman's hippogriff has been stolen before he storms out of the banquet hall to the stables. Kapek, accompanied by Anvil, follows the man and his two guards with concern for the safety of Fareye, his dinosaur mount that is stabled there. The situation is now over, it turns out that the Hippogriff that was stolen was not the gentleman's and he heads back to the ball obviously relieved, however the stable-hands now have to give the bad news to the right owner and are a little nervous as they return to the dining hall. Meanwhile Anvil and Kapek look around the scene, there was one casualty in the theft, a Vadalis stable-boy who has a blow to the head, he claims he detected a pungent smell that made his head swim before he fell into unconsciousness, it is determined that this was probably the result of an oil known as Aroma of Dreams.

With nothing else that can be done here the group return to the banquet.

12.00 The Proposition

The tables are cleared from the dance floor and the band begins to play. Gradually couples leave their tables to dance.

Paxor ir’Somera approaches the PCs enlisting their aid. He only brought two of his personal guard this evening and they have been posted in the stables. He feels threatened by the evening’s events and is sure that they are not over. They are offered 30 gold to guard his hippogriff, Kapek, Katerina and Anvil accept the deal and head down to the stables.

As they enter the stables they realise that all is not right here, the lights have been doused and the stable is silent save for the gentle sounds of what could be someone coaxing an animal to do their bidding. Katerina rushes back to fetch the other two who are busy socialising and dancing as Kapek and Anvil head further into the stables to investigate.
Battle commences. Through the fog cloud that was cast in the area the group eventually defeat the thieves, a fighter, a ranger, a pair of rogues and a wizard that seem particularly well organised. It becomes apparent that the first hippogriff has been returned and they are in the process of stealing the second, their plans are thwarted in bloody combat.
As the fight ends the house guard arrive with Paxor, he checks over his mount and tells his new employees they are free to return to the party should they wish. Anvil and Kapek, both men of honour, remain in the stables as they have been paid.

12.30 Speeches from the sponsors
Various nobles and representatives of charities and groups spend some time giving details of how they contributed to the event, and special awards for outstanding contributions to society are given to ordinary people for extraordinary acts.
These speeches and awards continue until the drawing of the raffle at 2.00 am.

2.00 The Raffle is Drawn
As the raffle is drawn the tension in the room mounts, curious gamblers wonder what this years first prize will be. As the winning ticket is drawn a working class couple jump with joy as their prize is revealed as a diamond tiara.
It becomes clear that one party-goer is not pleased with this result and with a flushed face and agitated gait he storms directly towards Paxor accusing him of stealing what is rightfully his and questioning his nerve at giving such a priceless heirloom away. Paxor takes the high-road and decides that it is time to leave.

The red faced noble notices Ajax and demands that he and his group make amends for such a public humiliation. This demand obviously is not something that Ajax responds to particularly well but after a few heated words he heads down to the stables to fetch the others.
The noble, known as Kalesh ir'Semhel, claims that the tiara is a family heirloom and that it was stolen from his estate several weeks ago. The tiara was crafted for his grandmother some 60 years ago from an original piece found in a lizardman temple in Q’barra. It was prized by the lizardfolk of the area and his grandmother managed to acquire it and had the crude ornament crafted into a tiara. Upon his mother's recent death the tiara passed to Kalesh.
He want it back....

He demands that the group find out where the winners live and from there he can retrieve it, but Anvil has other, more law abiding ideas. Through careful negotiation he gets the winners to agree to a price of 2000 gold in exchange for the return of the heirloom, meanwhile continually preventing Kalesh from finding out where they live as he has suspicions about the nobles integrity.
By the end of the evening Kalesh has his tiara back and the poor couple are 2000 gold richer.

3.00 The Party's End
A bell rings and servants hurry into the banqueting hall and begin to clear the tables. Guests gradually leave and Corven Sahlmer meets with each guest as they leave, her ettiquette is impecable and it becomes clear that she is well versed in many languages, cultures and customs.
The guests are harrassed as they leave the grounds by several Sharn Inquisitive reporters eager for a story but they ignore the throngs, head to a waiting skycoach and return to Anvils workshop in the cogs.

Downtime

Therendor 3rd - 7th, 998 Y.K.

Upon returning to Anvil's home in the Cogs they tried to make the child more comfortable but it was totally unresponsive, to the point where he had to be encouraged to eat. As the group layed to get some rest Anvil watched over the youngster whilst drawing up plans for a figurine that Lorric asked him to make.

The following day (Therendor 4th) at about midday a knock at the door disturbed the groups conversations and Kapek opened the door to find a House Sivis emblazoned gnome bearing a message and a bag of gold for the group.

They graciously accepted the invites (to the Street-Kind Charity Ball) and the gold that was owed to them. Shortly after the visit of the gnome there was a second visitor, a halfling of House Jorasco, she had come to care for the child.

She examines the child and surmises that he is under the influence of a drug known commonly as Helmsbane. She describes the effects of this plant to the group.

Helmsbane
A subterranean root plant similar to the potato only it grows downward from the ceilings of caverns, draping its leaves downward to extract nutrients from the various gases present deep underground. The tubers are difficult to extract from the fine rock fractures from which it grows.
When ground and dried it becomes a cakey yellow powder which upon ingestion removes all higher thought from its victim, they would not eat if they were not told to. The eyes turn milky white and the victim is highly susceptible to suggestion, some have even taken their own life at the request of their poisoner.
This drug is particularly employed by evil denizens of Khyber who like to keep their food fresh, it is worth noting that those who eat the flesh of a poisoned victim experience no effects of secondary poisoning.
This poison is particularly difficult to purge from the system, its effects lasting days or even weeks to wear off, and many of those poisoned actually die from their “cold turkey”. There is no known antidote.

The group had several days to heal their wounds, polish their weapons and armour, and there was time to head to the market to trade. Buying and selling weapons and goods and aquiring new outfits for the Ball they are to be attending on the 7th.

Some of the group decide that it is time to find their own accomodation rather than bunking down on the floor of Anvils workshop, especially Katerina who thinks of it as unseemly for a young woman to be in this situation. Ajax finds a small appartment in Kenton, meanwhile Kapek opts for the other option and formally leaves his accomodation in Little Plains to move into the workshop with Anvil.

Lorric spends much of his time in the studio of the Joy Street Hostel practicing his katas and meditating.

Therendor 5th - The Meeting with Erunn
The party head to Deathsgate to speak with Erunn of the Deathsgate guild as he requested. Sure enough he is awaiting their arrival by the fire, he offers them drinks as they enter the lounge.

Erunn’s brother, Chalit Morannal, is a merchant. Specifically he imports wood crafts from the hamlet of Turvin, some 50 or so miles west of Zilspar.

Turvin is famous for its masterful wood crafts and has been an important resource for merchant houses looking to distribute these goods. Lately the quality of the craftsmanship has declined causing many distributors to look elsewhere.
Erunn can see his brother, and indeed the hamlet, are on the road to ruin as a result. He asks them to travel to Turvin and speak with the mayor directly.

As part of the deal Erunn wishes the group to escort his brother to Zilspar on the way, for this he will pay them a standard mercenary fee of 1 gp/day (i.e. 9 gp each).
Chalit leaves town on Zol, 10th of Therendor, the roads are still treacherous from the early spring rains before this time, unfortunately as the merchants begin to once more travel the roads the bandits come from their camps deep in the forest to prey on the unwary travellers.

As far as rewards go, Erunn simply states that his sponsorship is reward enough.

As the meeting draws to a close the group begin to ask of the benefits of membership to the guild and this invariably draws the subject matter to the land of Xen'drik where the group learn a little of the giant empire that once ruled the continent and the quori invasion that brought this empire to an end. Anvil seems more than a little concerned of the fact that the quori could invade the dreams of his companions at any time and has some trouble in understanding what a dream actually is.

A little later Vaenya enters the lounge and informs the PCs that due to their success in helping Pearl escape the clutches of the Amber Eye, she will grant them her patronage in joining the guild.

A Little later - Return to Fallen
Ajax feels a compulsion to contact his old tribe, the Black Claws. The shaman, Yulunga, told him she would try to smooth the situation and help his re-integration with the tribe. His thoughts were to leave a message for her upon a crumbling tower where a single small tree catches a shaft of daylight for a few minutes each day, at this location she is known to meditate on a regular basis.
Against the advice of all his companions he will not change his mind and so rather than let him go alone they all decide to stand by him.

As the cliffside towers and the fading afternoon sun fall behind them they enter the darkened shadowy streets of Fallen. A silence that is found nowhere else in the city surrounds them and the deep shadows are not cast aside by everbright lanterns here. After some 15 minutes of travel they are only half way to the site that Ajax has in mind when Lorric spots a movement in the ruins ahead. Kapek instigates combat by hurling a boomerang at the spot where there is a shadowy figure and then the sounds of alert can be heard followed by the silent approach of a large number of barbarians of the Nightstalker Tribe that attack the group, severly injuring Ajax. Gradually they are fought off and the group decide that the best plan of action is to retreat rather than press on, so once more they flee Fallen....

F-413

Therendor 3rd, Zol, 998 Y.K.

Into the Sewers

1.30 a.m.

Fezzal Informs the group of several facts that Martell did not.

1. He saw that it was shipped into the Sewers by goblinoids, he believes they are of the Skullgnawer tribe.
2. The people who now have the consignment are likely to be Khyber Cultists.
3. He feels that whatever is in the consignment it is particularly important. Leading him to believe that there is a greater power behind this group of dumb goblinoids.
4. He is sure glad his contract with Martell is over, too many late night calls…
5. It came in on the Silverwind which sailed from Vralkek in Droaam.

He leads you out of the taverns side entrance into a narrow alley and heads east into Precarious District. After a few twists and turns he heads down a darkened passageway and hoists up a storm drain cover.“Once we’re down there we’d all better pray it don’t rain or we’ll end up in the bay somewhere.” With a loud laugh, he looks at the groups faces, "only messin' with yer...."

He climbs down and beckons for you all to follow. He leads you on a winding trail through the sewers, going down several levels, the path back is practically impossible to remember. After an hour or so he stops.

“I will wait for you here to guide your return. If there is no sign of you by daybreak I will leave you assuming the worst. That gives you around 3 hours, head along this tunnel and take the first right and just keep going, good luck.”

The group followed the tunnel as instructed, travelling several hundred yards before coming across any sign of habitation. It was Ajax who found the trip wire and Anvil who triggered the alarm whilst trying to disarm it..... Whatever element of surprise they should have had was gone.

Some 2o feet up the narrow tunnel 2 hobgoblin guards were alerted and sprang into action before being swiftly despatched.

Guard Post

Debris has fallen from the tunnel’s sides as the structure has cracked, the way forward seems blocked at first but as you get closer there seems to be a path.
Passing through the debris you can see a large wooden door ahead bearing a crudely painted image, it appears to be a skull lying on it’s side with a bite taken from it – the symbol of the Skullgnawer tribe.

Ahead the locked door's lock was too complex for Anvil to deal with, at least with any kind of finesse, so he resorted to the warforged way of opening locked doors.

The Tunnel drops off to either side here, the smell of sewage is particularly pungent. Below a gushing river of effluence is carried toward the sea. The slight sound of whirring emanates from an extraction vent in the ceiling. Ahead steps lead up several feet to the left and periodically a flash followed by a sharp crack emanates from the recess at the top.

As the door splintered off its hinges with the force of the blow, the cracks and sparks of light could be detected ahead. Also the tunnel appeared to be blocked off by a heavy steel bulkhead.

Bulkhead

This heavy steel door seems to be some kind of bulkhead that has seized into place. Originally designed to roll aside, the edges have rusted into it’s runners. As a precaution it has also been barricaded from the other side, it cannot be opened by normal means.

Vermin Deterrant

At the top of the steps is a room that is basically a huge alcove. It seems to have been initially designed to keep unwanted guests from entering the complex beyond, today its purpose remains unchanged, only the unwanted guests are no longer the vermin or strange monsters that dwell in the sewers.
The first thing You notice about this room are the 4 contraptions down each side, a hemisphere of brightly polished metal on a thick shaft that appears to be coiled with copper. A spike protrudes from the centre of the hemisphere and the shaft is connected to a rune marked metal case that is set into the wall. On further investigation the floor seems to be made of sheets of steel that have obviously been regularly cleaned.As you watch one of the devices shoots a small bolt of lightning into the floor with a flash and a sharp crack. 20 feet across the other side of the room is a door, there is a semicircle cut out of the metal floor in front of the door so the floor there is stone.

This room was the first real problem for the group to come up against. The floor sent electricity through anything that it came into contact with, they (in rather macabre taste) threw one of the hobgoblin corpses onto the floor to see what would happen, and watched with concern as it cooked. Their eventual plan was simple, throw the broken door to cover the first 5 feet or so, and rubble to cover the next 5 feet. Although something in the rubble was conductive they were given enough cover for Ajax to leap across to the safety of the ground surrounding the door.

As he opened the door he was instantly assaulted by another hobgoblin, which was despatched in short order.

Generator

This room has an elaborate “pedestal” in the centre. Upon the “pedestal” is a glass dome which houses a metal rod that is inserted into the “pedestal”, electricity dances over the surface of the rod. A slot similar to a keyhole sits next to the dome.

Once Anvil was in this room he disabled the electrical floor and the others could cross in safety. One by one the rest of the group headed into the small room. Goblinoid voices could be heard ahead, and peering into the dark corridor they could see the small disfigured shape of a Dolgrim ahead. There was a corridor running off this one to the right and a set of stairs straight ahead that led to another door.

They headed down the corridor, eventually defeating the two guards, as they did so the door at the top of the stairs slowly began to open.

Anvil headed up the stairs slamming the door open to be faced with 6 hobgoblins and 4 more Dolgrim, a longer battle ensued but the group were eventually victorious. They appeared to be in some sort of sleeping quarters with two doors exiting the room. Both led into small utility rooms with no other exits.

Armoury
This is a poorly equipped armoury, several cheap or damaged pieces of armour and weapons lie scattered about the room in no particular order.

Store

Dried foodstuffs, old and decaying meats (some of which are of particularly dubious origin), sacks of dried fish and a few jars of pickles are scattered about the sparse shelving in this room.

As the room is being searched Anvil locates a secret door in one wall which he follows down a short tunnel to a strange looking shrine.

The Shrine to the Dragon Below

Six crudely carved pillars support the ceiling; they seem to be trying to emulate some kind of viscid, organic sinew, but the craftsmanship is poor. At the far side of the room flanked by curtains is a blasphemous altar, etchings of the symbol of the Dragon below adorn the altar upon which stands three gold candle-stick holders. The curtains have a crudely painted symbol upon them, probably painted in blood. The symbol appears to be some kind of star.

Within the room Anvil could see 2 hobgoblins worshipping at the altar and a strange looking priest flanked by a pair of eqaully strange cohorts, he is spotted as he closes the door.

Meanwhile.....

Lorric and Kapek decide that with the threat ahead they should keep an eye at the back of the group and so head to the corridor they passed. They take a hobgoblin rogue, that is trying to out flank them, unawares and remove him. The door ahead is just ajar and Kapek can make out another hobgoblin hiding in the shadows beyond. He is quickly killed by Lorric.

The room they are in seems to be some kind of makeshift brewery.

Brewery

This room has a strong smell of yeast and a close humidity. A network of pipes fills half the room, most are warm or hot to the touch. Among the pipes are barrels of fermenting liquids, it is unclear what the liquor is made of, but it is strong. Two doors leave this room to the south.

Anvil has the idea of turning one of these barrels of liquor into a rolloing bomb, so he rigs up a makeshift fuse, checks the flamability of the contents and rolls the barrel into the shrine. A good plan......

As the door is opened it becomes clear that the opponents inside have cast an obscuring mist spell and the shrine is all but invisible, also as the door is opened one of the adepts tries to drop a sleep spell on the party, but all make their saves.

Unbeknown to the group a simple create water spell dowses the fuse on the barrel.

Lorric drops a handful of caltrops to cover their rear and the group move into the thick mist of the shrine, leaving Katerina and Kapek to watch the rear, and wisely so. The two Dolgaunt cohorts of the priest had left the shrine through a side entrance and were seeking to surprise the groups rear, but they failed, although they did concern Kapek and Katerina by their very visage.

One by one the Khyber cultists are defeated and the group continue thier exploration of the complex.

They travel through the side door to the shrine, carefully deactivating a trap on the way and find their way to the Priest's quarters.

High Priest's Quarters

This room is filled with items of comfort and relative opulence. Fur rugs are adorned with feather pillows, a small furnace glows in one corner keeping the room warm. Several small chests are located around the pillows. There is a door in each wall of this room.

Most of the chests are filled with stones, cut glass and various other items that look as though they could be worth something, but aren't, and only a scattering of coins on the surface to make them appear more full.

The Three doors....
High Priest's Chamber

This room is filled with large feather cushions, silk sheets and the aromatic scent of incense (Heathrush - A herb which grows mainly in Darguun’s Torlaac Moors, commonly used in Goblinoid religious ceremonies).
Tattered old tapestries hang from the walls and several valuables lie about the room.

The Prison Cells

Stairs lead down 10 feet to a series of six barred iron doors.

6 cells line the walls here, 2 of which are locked with emaciated corpses slumped in them where they have been left to starve to death.

Slave’s room

Rough straw bedding is accompanied by the stench of stale urine and excrement. Manacles on the wall hold 3 slaves, 2 human women and 1 male Halfling. A set of keys hang on a hook by the door.

The prisoners names are Merena and Selfarn Wistman (human sisters) and Helfan Arl (Halfling) of House Ghallanda

Helfan Arl offers the group gold in exchange for his release and the retrieval of the barrel of Gatherhold Honey wine he was transporting when he was abducted.

The two girls have no idea why they were abducted, they assume they were to be some kind of sacrifice but have so far been either manacled on the wall or used as slaves.

Upon realising that was no further way ahead the group returned to the brewery and tried the other door. Asking the freed prisoners to wait in the brewery until further notice they head on.

Beyond the door the tunnel wound its way left and right with 2 sets of stairs along its path and ended in a door which was neither locked nor trapped. As the room was entered it became apparent that there were occupants in the form of 2 Dolgrims.

The Broken Pipe

An extraction pipe gently draws air through this room, the pipe has been torn open and a ladder leads down to the tunnel below.

One of the cratures managed to flee down the shaft after minor injuries, the other was not so lucky. Upon searching the dead dolgrim Lorric found a strange whistle on a chain around its neck. Anvil studied it realising that this golden whistle, shaped almost like a sinuous tentacle, radiated faint magics.

Lorric in a moment of impetuousness decided to simply blow the whistle to see what it did, with a strange gurgling squeal the thing seemed to writhe in his hand and from the shaft in the room he could hear soft thuding movement heading up the pipe.

Kapek took a look to see what was there but could see nothing, however as he leant into the pipe a crossbow bolt was fired from below, luckily missing him.

Once Anvil had made the hole in the pipe large enough to fit comfotably through it was time to move on.

Heading down the ladder first Anvil glanced up the pipe to see a shadowy shape crawling down at speed on strange suckered hands, the light glinting off two black eyes and the gradual baring of a row of pointed needle-like teeth. It headed past him with speed and into the tunnel below.

Once down Anvil could see the dolgrim that had fled here and he charged towards it, one by one the others followed.

Combat ensued an there were two of these strange shadowy creatures darting out of the darkness to attack the group, it seemed that their method of attack was to try and strangle their opponents, as Ajax found to his discontent.

To the north is a heavy steel bulkhead, you assume it is the other side of the one you came across earlier. Debris piled up against it houses the remains of many creatures.

To the south is an identical bulkhead, only this one is in working order, it bears the same star like symbol as was present on the curtains in the Shrine.

The Warehouse

As the bulkhead rolls open you realise that you have at last reached your destination, the air is heavy with the smell of spices, livestock and effluence. As you look into the warehouse to your left you can see stacks of crates piled high, some have burst open spilling their contents to the floor, they seem to be foodstuffs. Directly facing you is another bulkhead similar to the one you have just come through with a score or more barrels stacked to the left of it. To the right are stacks of crates and cages, most seem to be holding livestock of some kind, chickens, goats and lambs. As you peer into the darkness it seems that the crates get bigger as they reach the other side of the room.

There were several occupants of this room that the group could initially see, two dolgrims were tormenting the livestock in cages and on the other side of the room a dolgaunt was tentatively "tasting" spices from a spilled crate with his tentacles. As Anvil charged the closest, and the only one he had actually noticed, the battle began. Kapek used his preferred method of keeping just out of range and attacking with his reach weapon the Talenta Sharrash. Ajax charged in with reckless abandon and was soon surrounded by 2 dolgaunts which were significantly more adept at fighting than the previous ones the group had met, this led to a simple result, continued and repeated grappling by the aberrations which then gradually drained his constitution bringing him to the brink of death on more than one occasion. Lorric took great glee in the fact that Ajax was in this position as it meant that he could apply his sneak attack to the grappling dolgaunt. Another of Lorrics hare-brained ideas was to begin pushing crates onto the enemies, it worked to some degree but had more of an effect in slowing down everyones advances and freeing goats and chickens into the melee.

Eventually the battle was won and the group began to search for the crate, Loric found among the larger crates at the back of the warehouse.

Within the crate labelled F-413 sits a human child of about 10 years. His milky white eyes stare into nothing, He makes no response as you approach. The crate is locked with a heavy padlock; although you get the feeling that even if it were open the child would remain where he is.

The child is freed and the group decide to push on rather than returning the way they came, so they open the next bulkhead.

The bulkhead rolls aside to reveal a short passage with an extraction vent in the ceiling, several feet ahead the passage narrows and drops away to the sides where a torrent of raw sewage flows beneath, just over the bridge is another door.

The Laboratory

This room has the scent of death and evil clinging to it, even the censer burning pungent herbs in the corner cannot mask the vile stench of corruption. In the rooms centre is a wooden table with leather straps at the corners and the rusty hues of dried blood on and around it. To the side walls are benches with strange apparatus and brewing liquids that emit pungent gases.

Anvil quickly collects a crate from the warehouse and begins filling it with the alchemists laboratory equipment while the others anxiously watch the shadows. They then try the far door to see where that leads, hoping to find and easier way out......

The Chambers

Upon opening this door you get the feeling that the entire ambience has changed. Directly ahead about 15 feet is an ornate semicircular balcony and beyond that a large crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling glowing with a dim light. To either side hang heavy vermillion velvet curtains each emblazoned with the star design found in the Shrine.

As the group begin to peer over the blacony a figure rises from the level below, the tentacles around its mouth seemingly tasting the air. Levitating in mid-air the slow realisation of what this creature is creeps across Anvil's thought centre, "MIND-FLAYER!!!", he yells and slams the door, the party flee barring the bulkheads as best they can on their retreat, but this does not stop them noticing the strutts they place across the opening mechanisms taking the strain of something on the other side trying to force them open.

They head back as quickly as possible following the route they came by and collecting the freed prisoners on the way, they meet with Fezzal and continue at a brisk pace, not stopping until they feel the cool night air of the surface upon their faces.

The group head to the "Painted Heart" to retrieve their animals and bidding farewell to Fezzal they head across Sharn to take the child somewhere safe.

The Skullgnawer Temple Map

1. Entrance

2. Guardpost

3. Wooden Door

4. Effluent River

5. Bulkhead

6. Vermin Deterrant

7. Lightning Generator

8. Dolgrim Guards and Sleeping Quarters

9. Armoury

10. Store

11. Brewery

12. Shrine to the Dragon Below

13. High Priest's Quarters

14. Slaves

15. Prison Cells

16. High Priest's Chamber

17. Extraction Pipe

18. Continuation of the main tunnel

19. The Warehouse

20. Effluent River

21. The Laboratory

22. The Illithid's Chambers