• While on watch outside the fortress, Gvados circles the sky in the form of an owl and spots something peculiar. A wagon approaches the front gate of the fortress, driven by their recent companion Largo. When he arrives at the gate Largo reads a scroll and speaks the language of the Duergar. They open the gates and let him in, closing them behind, keeping the wagon contained in the main tower. Two Duergar climb down from the tower house above the entry, and they begin questioning Largo. Although he cannot understand, Gvados can tell things get heated. One of the guards pulls Largo from the wagon, throwing him to the ground. He places his axe at Largo’s throat, yelling. Then Largo says something that gets the guard’s attention. Their gnomish friend speaks, and the Duergar relaxes his posture taking his axe from Largo’s throat. When Largo finishes speaking, they pick him up and let him stand by the wagon while one of the guards enters a side door in the tower.

• Inside the fortress, Landen and the adventurers speak with Rhinn. “I’ve worked hard researching this valuable relic for the guild, I can’t loose all my work. If we can’t find the item now, we at least must take him.” Rhinn gestures toward the lone prisoner. “We’ve all been prisoners since the caravan was attacked and captured by the dark dwarves, but he’s been a captive much longer. The emperor’s men in the caravan were keeping him prisoner. And the more I researched I discovered that as long as the empire of Thaotrem has held this relic, that man has been their prisoner. During their campaign to destroy the Kingdom of Karadahan they had this relic and prisoner with them at every decisive battle; the battles when the Karad people were decimated.” He looks to the lone prisoner. “If we cannot get the relic, then we must take him.”

• Gvados sees three guards emerge on the west tower. They notice the two guards posted there are missing, and see their crushed bodies below when they look over the tower’s edge. They get excited and one of the guards returns into the tower hatch, running into the fortress.

• Hillfort, Landen, and Durgyn work together to free all the prisoners locked in chains. Sapphira goes into the hallway to watch for any approaching Duergar. Suddenly, the fortress rumbles with a loud, low humming sound. Gvados can faintly hear the hum coming from underground as well. The party knows it’s an alarm and look at eachother. Sapphira comes back into the prison, “Are all the prisoners free?” “No,” someone replies. “We’ll hold here ‘til it’s done,” Sapphira commands. The others agree and without a moment lost continue freeing the captives from their chains. Down the hall, at the extent of her vision, Sapphira sees the ranks of Duergar soldiers approaching, formed up in the hallway in two side-by-side lines.

• Outside, Gvados sees a guard run from the gates in the cliffside towards the main entry tower. Gvados swoops down and casts a spell, grasping the guard just outside the main tower’s portcullis. The guard becomes alarmed inside as the ghostly animal jaws hold the other guard, shouting and fighting to get free. The chomping jaws take the guard’s life and fly at the portcullis, its teeth scraping at the bars. The Duergar inside back away, and much to their surprise Gvados swoops down again with fire on his wings. Two darts of fire blast into the gatehouse, striking the wagon and setting it in flames. The Duergar take Largo over to a ladder where they climb up into the tower house above while the livestock inside the wagon scream the beastly cries of animals in distress. As they take refuge in their little tower stronghold Largo spots an owl land in one of the arrow-slits. Largo’s eyes open wide, “you!?” Gvados winks and flies back to the sky as Largo shouts to the Duergar. They run to the arrow-slits and fire crossbow bolts through the air after Gvados.

• With the prisoners free the adventurers run into the hall with Sapphira and see the ranks of soldiers. With a set look of determination, Hillfort steps forward forming a ball of fire in his hands. He throws it down the hall and a blinding explosion envelops the corridor. Although blackened by flame, a few Duergar remain standing, and behind them the party sees another formed rank of soldiers in the hallway ahead. A few form up in the hallway adjacent to them, and a robed figure appears from the doorway to the cleric’s quarters.

• Sapphira casts a spell, sending a magical weapon into the ranks of Duergar, chopping them down. Hillfort throws another fireball, this one with more effect than the first. A wave of hot air from the flames rushes down the hall at the adventurers. When the blaze clears, none of the Duergar are left standing, yet behind those that fell are more forming into the same two line advancing ranks. Although they are falling in large number, their front line gets closer to the party. Franz’s badger rages as the dark dwarves in the side hallway. Bloodies from battle the badger lunges at a Duergar’s throat and rips the life from him. As the group advances with the prisoners in tow, they are startled and think the dwarves begin to attack on another front… then they realize it’s just a group of drunk Duergar emerging from the tavern to see what the commotion is. With his fireballs exhausted, Hillfort launches magic missles at the commanding soldiers, continuing to be the dominating force in this underground battle. As the party slowly advances, Landen notices the cleric cut back into the chapel. The theif breaks off from the party and chases the cleric.

• Outside, Gvados knows the battle has begun underground after hearing the alarm. In his owl form he swoops over to the west tower, casting a spell sending piecing bolts of wood that skewer the two guards on the tower. He flaps his wings, circling higher, and glides over to the west tower. Two guards stand watch there as well. Gvados wants to make sure all possible exits are clear, and he blasts the tower with flamestrike. The tower hatch is blasted open and only charred Duergar remain. As he flies back to the main, central tower, he notices the wagon is fully engulfed in flames. The fire is burning so fiercely, the heat and smoke is invading the guardhouse above the tower. A burning Duergar jumps from an arrow-slit and falls to his death below. As they realize their fate, one of the soldiers points to Largo and yells with rage. Largo backs away, fear in his eyes, and the dark dwarf grabs him, throws him to the ground, and begins hacking with relentless violence with his axe. The other guards crowd at the arrow-slits gasping for air. Two more jump, one survives with broken legs. Inside, the remaining Duergar slowly burn, and even as the flames take them completely Gvados can still see the soldier hacking at the bloody mess that once was Largo.

• Inside the chapel Landen spots the cleric running towards the other exit, trying to gain a surprise flaking position on the party in the corridor outside. As the cleric opens the door, Landen chirps a whistle to grab his attention. The cleric turns and shuts the door, and grins disturbingly at Landen.

“Welcome to the temple,” the cleric says as he slowly approaches the theif. “Where’s the relic,” Landen demands. “I know not of what you speak.” The clerics voice sounds slippery and conniving. “But I will show you something else that will open your eyes.” Landen looks confused, and tauntingly closes his eyes. The cleric’s brow furls in anger and he reaches toward Landen, casting a spell. Suddenly, the rogue is locked in place, unable to move in even the smallest manner. The cleric grabbed Landen by the throat and laughed. He moves the statue-like rogue over to the stone bust of an illithid at the chapel’s alter. Landen wills himself to be free, and he saves himself from the spell’s hold… but he successfully fools the cleric, making him believe the spell is still in effect. The cleric pushes Landen’s head back into the illithid’s maw, open tentacles waiting. To Landen’s surprise, the stone tentacles begin to move and wrap around his head; that’s when he knew it was time to move. Taking the cleric completely unaware, Landen slips from the tentacles and slashes both scimitars at the cleric’s throat, opening a deep channel and the blood flowed. The cleric’s limp body fell backwards off the alter’s stage, and Landen grasps the dead body’s robe, lifting him back to the stage and positioning the body slumped over at the foot of the stone bust.

• In the hallways the Duergar ranks wield crossbows and the front row drops to a knee. In a synchronized attack, all ten dwarves in a unit fire crossbow bolts at the adventurers. Another firing squad forms up behind them at the other end of the corridor. A frightening number of piercing bolts now fly at them from every direction. Durgyn takes a number of the small arrows, like splinters in his furry hide. Gerard looks around, “Where’s Landen!?” “We must keep moving,” Durgyn’s gruff voice commands. Landen comes from the door to the chapel, rejoining with his companions. “Sorry I’m late,” He says sarcastically. “I had to kill the cleric.” Sapphira turns to look to Landen, “he was supposed to be mine,” she jokingly says. Their exit route blocked, Durgyn decides to solve the problem. He charges, horns down, at the formation of Duergar soldiers. He tramples them back, striking one solidly with his gore. Sapphira casts and obscuring mist to fill the hall behind them for protection against the other formation. Durgyn fights with the frontline soldiers while the ones in the rear continue sticking him with crossbow bolts. Falling in battle for a second time, Franz lifts his wounded badger into his backpack to carry him out.

• Durgyn spotted two Duergar in ornate armor standing at the rear of the ranks, watching the battle with their hands rested on their large axes like a cane; it’s apparent these are some of the commanding officers. As the adventurers fight their way through the dwarves closer to the exit to the east tower, the two lieutenants lift their axes into a battle ready position. Hillfort launches magic missles endlessly at them, and Durgyn meets one toe-to-toe. The battle is fierce, Durgyn taking a large, severe gash from the dwarven battleaxe. Durgyn returns the favor with his longsword, driven down straight through the lieutenant’s shoulder.

• For no apparent reason, Landen suddenly dashes in the opposite direction, into the obscuring mist. Gerard yells out, “you fool!” then dashes after him. He runs into Landen in the mist, “we need to stick together and get out of here.” “Grow a pair!” Landen replies. Stepping just to the edge of the mist so he can see the dwarves, with bow drawn, Landen emerges from the mist and lets an arrow fly. Gerard picks up a dead duergar’s crossbow and fires as well. Their small attack wounded a couple of the archers, and they withdrew through the mist to rejoin with the others.

• When Landen and Gerard come out the other side of the mist they see their companions had fought their way to the east tower tunnel. As they’re running to the tunnel, Landen looks down the corridor towards the heart of the fortress where the soldier advanced from, and saw a menacing figure. Approaching their location is a duergar that could be no one less than the commander of this fortress. His armor is golden, his axe writhed in electricity. As he walks toward Landen, the thief is frozen in place by mixed awe and fear. The golden clad Duergar reaches up to his neck, where a necklace hangs with numerous glass spheres glowing like fire. Landen lets an arrow fly and misses. The dark dwarf plucks a sphere from the necklace and holds it in his hand. Landen sees all his companions escaping through the tunnel to the east tower and runs to catch up.

• The fresh night air refreshes each of the adventurers, and even more so the prisoners, as they emerge to the top of the tower. Gvados spots the party on the tower and swoops down, his owl form large enough to carry a normal man. He works flying the prisoners to the top of the cliff one-by-one, and Landen gives Durgyn his slippers of spider climb. The minotaur walks up the cliff face while Landen rides piggy back. To buy time to get everyone off the tower, Sapphira casts a spell, shaping the tower’s stone to seal the opening to the stairs below. Now there’s no way for the soldiers inside to access the tower. Working quickly they manage to get all the prisoners and adventuring companions to the top of the cliff. With Rhinn, the mysterious lone prisoner, and eleven more prisoners in tow, everyone escaped the Duergar fortress alive.

• When the sun begins to set the adventurers track up the side of the canyon. By the time darkness has fully emerged they are in position on the canyon wall over the west tower. Durgyn holds a rope ready to pull up Rhinn in case Landen finds him while inside. Landen perches on the edge of the cliff and drinks a potion of dark vision. After he watches the next shift’s two guards come up to the tower he signals to Hillfort. The two dwarves on watch talk with the two coming to relieve them… and the tower hatch is left open. Hillfort casts a spell of invisibility on Landen and the thief drops over the edge of the cliff. He runs down the rock face using his slippers of spider climb. Landen drops quietly onto the tower and walks down, invisible to the four duergar, into the open tower hatch. As he walks down the stairs he drinks a zone of silence potion. Down the corridor and into the halls of the fortress, Landen climbs onto the ceiling, his slippers allowing him to walk along above the hallways. Landen gets to the door noted by their duergar captive and a metal grate above the closed door, which allows for airflow throughout the fortress, provides the thief a look to the other side. Inside he sees a massive room with thirty duergar training in combat. Movable walls are set up in one section where they are running through tunnel combat scenarios, in another area pairs of warriors practice combat moves together, and in yet another a group practices weapon strikes on wooden dummies. Discovering that the captive dwarf the adventurers hold had lied about the location of prisoners (no surprise there) Landen decides to continue exploring for the short duration of the invisibility spell (7 minutes). He moves through the hallway ceilings, invisible and completely silent. He looks through the grate above another door and observes duergar setting up food in a large dining hall, preparing for the evening meal. He turns the corner and comes to another door, and inside he observes three desks; some sort of office for command staff it appears. Landen attempts to pick the lock upside-down while hanging from the ceiling and is completely baffled. He decides perhaps he can’t pick locks upside-down quite yet and places his feet on the floor. Even with proper orientation, the thief finds the lock beyond his skills, nearly getting a pick stuck in the tumbler. He continues on and observes another office, this one with one large desk and shelves with various trinkets from different cultures and races. Many documents and ledgers are also held in the office… and the door is locked. One item on the desk is some strange alien looking figure which runs a chill through Landen’s spine. It vaguely reminds him of the Reality Wrinkle back in Brindonford. That had been so long ago he had not thought about it, but this reminder brought back old thoughts he’d prefer forgotten.
• Landen decides he’s lost and running out of time on the invisibility spell. The fortress is too large, so he heads back to the tower. He walks up the stairs and opens the hatch on the ceiling, giving no care to doing it quietly because the zone of silence aids him. The two duergar on watch and looking away from the door, leaning against the tower parapet having a mild conversation. Landen walks to the edge and stands between them. He peers over the edge and notes the considerable distance to the ground… then positions himself behind one of the dwarves. He grabs the duergar’s ankles and swiftly flips him over the edge. The dwarf screams as he plummets to his death and his watch companion watches him fall in panic. He draws his weapon and turns around, seeing nothing but the open tower door. He runs and looks inside, then yells out down the stairs. Weapon still in hand he returns to the tower’s edge and looks at the crumpled body of his watch-mate.
• The adventurers above notice the commotion and Durgyn fires and arrow and it bounces off the parapet next to the dwarf. They do not see Landen and are worried they had been found out somehow… but knowing Landen they have an idea he might be involved with the excitement unraveling. Franz also fires an arrow, this one landing firmly in the duergar’s back. The dwarfs gives a harsh cry from the impact and slumps dead, his body draped over the parapet. Landen plants his boot firmly on the duergar’s rump and kicks him off the tower. The invisibility spells wears off and Landen reappears. He waves up to his companions, grabs the rope dangling down from Durgyn and ties it off taught to the tower door. He uses hand signals with Durgyn asking if he is coming down or Landen should go up. Landen climbs to the top and immediately points to their captive, “he lied to us.” Landen describes his findings inside the fortress, and Hillfort questions the duergar.
  “Perhaps they moved the prisoners, changed the use of space?” The dwarf claimed he was unaware of the room being used for combat training. Landen says the room was obviously always intended for training use, and appeared to never be equipped to hold prisoners.
  Hillfort confronts the duergar, “It’s been a training room for a long time. Just stop lying to us.”
  The dwarf becomes agitated. “What do you expect from me!? I’ve given you plenty enough.” The duergar looks at each of the adventurers, and when he notices Franz is nearest the cliff’s edge, he charges. Franz manages to step to the side, but they still become wrapped in a scuffle. Franz breaks free and kicks the dwarf in the chest, towards the cliff, but the duergar charges back. The dwarf grabs Franz and overpowers him, turning him toward the cliff and pushing the ranger back. Sapphira, the party cleric, steps forth and casts a spell, locking the duergar frozen in position. Franz untangles himself from the living statue
  “He is held,” Sapphira says. Franz picks up the immobilized duergar, carries him the 5 feet to the edge and throws him over.
  Their captive guide falls and impacts the tower with a sickening thud. Although his body is still frozen in the same grappling position, half of his body is crushed.
• “Now we must go in,” Landen says. “At the changing of the watch they will notice the dead guards. We strike now or our element of surprise is lost.”
  Franz develops a battle scheme. “We should bottleneck those in the training hall and blast them with a fireball… or something!”
  “We don’t have anything powerful enough,” Hillfort retorts. “Plus there are so many and the area is so large, that might not be effective.”
  “We kill them the old fashioned way,” Landen says with a fierceness. He looks to Gerard, “blood and gold!”
  Largo becomes nervous. The idea of combating a fortress full of dark dwarves seems like suicide to him. “I thought we were going to be more subtle. Isn’t that why we got the wagon? I say we use the front gate.”
  “It’s too late for that,” Landen replies, his blood boiling and ready for a battle.
  “Well we could split up, one team the attack force to find Rhinn and the other a diversion,” one of the adventurers suggests.
  “Yeah, the wagon could be a diversion. Perhaps if there was an explosion to draw the dwarves away…”
  “Wait,” Largo says, “you’re not going to set my wagon on fire again, are you?”
  “That just might happen,” Landen says matter-of-factly.
  Noticing a delay in time, Sapphira interrupts. “Two guards were thrown off the tower. If we do something we better do it now.”
  Hillfort casts spells so everyone can see in complete darkness. Everyone prepares themselves… except Largo. He gives the party a look like they’re all insane. “Screw this plan! I’m not dying here! I’ve got a chance to get back into the merchant business, and this wagon’s the ticket. If it’s not a part of the plan and all you want to do is destroy it, I’m taking the wagon, going in that front gate, and making a bunch of gold. I’m selling the livestock and leaving this place.”
  Largo begins to walk away and turns around to face the party again. “Maybe I’ll get enough to buy a boat back in the city. Then, if any of you survive, you’ll come crawling back to me to sail you home!”
  At the moment of no turning back, none of the adventurer attempt to stop Largo from leaving. Ready for the infiltration of the fortress, Hillfort hands Durgyn a potion. “It would be a difficult climb for you, this should help.” Durgyn drinks and he becomes as light as air, levitating off the ground.
  “Come,” the minotaur says to his companions, “I can carry you all down.” Holding three of his compatriots, Durgyn floats to the tower below. Landen runs down the cliff’s face and Gerard decides to use the rope, climbing his way down with skill despite his heavy armor. Durgyn picks up the dead duergar they traveled with and tosses his corpse off the tower to lie with the other two below. Landen leads the way inside and down the tower stairs.
• Landen’s zone of silence remains in effect and Durgyn drinks the other potion, creating two sources that move with them preventing anyone inside from hearing their movements. With their magical silence, the adventurers are able to run through the fortresses’ corridors unnoticed. They explore a hallway filled with doors; all are guestrooms. Durgyn is tall enough to look through the air circulation grates above each door as they pass by. All the guestrooms are dusty, any bedding or soft furnishings have been removed; it appears they have not been used in a long while.
• They continue their search, and Gerard peeks around a corner. He spots four duergar loudly speaking outside a fancy set of double doors.
  “What are they doing?” Sapphira asks.
  “I think they’re drunk,” Gerard replies with humor in his voice. “If we’re here for blood and gold, here’s our first serving.”
  They quickly decide if they should attack or attempt to sneak past. Deciding stealth is not the best option, they also devise a plan to hide the bodies: Durgyn will carry them into the empty guestrooms. The party charges, and before the duergar even realize the attack they are nearly slaughtered. The zone of silence radiates from Landen and Durgyn in a ten foot radius, so once in combat with the duergar they are included in the silence… so no one else in the fortress can hear their death cries. During the charge Landen runs up the wall and stands on the ceiling, giving him a vantage point to fire his arrows down the corridor over his large minotaur friend. One of the duergar manages to draw his weapon and stumbles drunkenly toward Gerard, swinging his bastard sword and horribly missing (his balance and skills obviously hindered by intoxication). Another grabs Gerard, and with an enhanced, drunken strength, he holds Gerard’s sword-arm against the wall. The dwarves are swiftly finished off. Durgyn carries the four bodies all at once to one of the guestrooms while the party holds their position. Landen climbs up the wall and looks through the grate. On the other side of the doors is a large tavern, where a number of duergar are currently enjoying themselves.
• The party moves across the hall and Durgyn looks through another grate. inside is something that disturbs him: a chapel with tapestries similar to those in the Reality Wrinkle. Alien colors, landscapes, and creatures adorn tapestries that hang on the walls. And at the front of the chapel is an alter with the bust of a strange alien creature coming forth from it. He describes it, and Sapphira asks to be lifted up to see for herself. She recognizes the bust at the alter; it is a creature called an Illithid. The stone statute’s arms hang down, long fingers outstretched, and the tentacles hanging from its jaw are cupped down, perfectly shaped to receive the top of someone’s head. They continue to another hall and find the priest’s office/bedroom connected to the chapel. Durgyn notices a list on the desk, appearing to be a ledger. Hillfort asks to be lifted up and casts mage hand, moving the ledger from the priest’s desk and through the grate. With the large book in his hands, he casts the spell to comprehend languages again. The contents are chilling. Pages and pages of names are listed, all with a box checked beside them. Occasionally there are some without a check, and they are rather crossed out. But on the most recent page there are three names at the bottom of the list, no strike-through and no check mark. One of the names is Rhinn Ch’tishiel. The title at the front of the book: Those to be Sacrificed to the Ones Who Rule Below
  “Well,” Hillfort says to Landen. “Your friend is here. Hopefully he’s alive… but it seems he’s soon to be part of some kind of sacrifice.”
  “Then we better find him quick,” he replied.
• The next door holds a library on the other side. Hillfort gets excited. “Can we spend a moment here?” He notices the urgency and unamused looks on his friends’ faces. “Well… at least come back to it before leaving, after we find Rhinn.”
  Then a duergar turns the corner, walking down the hall towards them. He looks up to see them and stops, his surprise evident on his face. The dark dwarf turns around to run and the party gives chase. With the duergar currently outside their zone of silence they knew they had to catch him quick, but no one was gaining distance on him. Sapphira casts a spell, and a glowing spiritual weapon appeared. The blade darted after the duergar and with one swipe removed his head. Adrenaline pumping they catch up to the now dead dwarf. Durgyn picks up the body and hides it with the others, everyone still successfully avoiding anyone walking the hallways.
• Continuing the search Durgyn looks through another door’s air grate. Inside are 12 duergar, in a large room with organized crates and trays holding various ores. The dwarves appear to be processing and sorting ore. A large door is across the room, presumably to a mine. Turning down another hall, their last to check before venturing into a long corridor more roughly cut and sloping downward, they discover a dark stone door with a grate higher than the others, nearly at the ceiling. Landen climbs up to look through, and inside he sees four duergar standing guard over 13 prisoners. He’s unable to see if Rhinn is inside.
  “This is it. The prison.” Landen says not even at a whisper, as the zone of silence works in their favor. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to open this lock…” he says as he returns to the floor and pulls out his lock picks.
  “You don’t need to,” Sapphira replies. She steps forward and outstretches her hands. With a few words, she moves her hands apart and the stone of the door moves with their directing. What was a solid barrier is now warped open, a hole giving passage into the prison. Landen sheepishly puts his picks back into his pouch, certainly feeling outdone.
  Inside the guards turn in bewilderment as the stone door seemed to turn liquid, and now attackers rushing in at them. A fierce battle erupts inside; the duergar warriors watching the prisoners are skilled and well equipped. Franz animal companion, the badger Hanz, enters the fray. Two guards flank the fierce creature and severely wound it. Hanz slumps bloodied to the ground, motionless and eyes closed. Hillfort fills the room with a flash of light as a bolt strikes from his hands to one of the guards, electrocuting him to death. After the combat is over and the guards are killed, not without difficulty, Franz checks his badger friend. Filled with grief, Franz thought he was surely dead…. but Hanz blinked his eyes and gingerly moved his legs. The badger was alive, but barely.
• The prisoners inside were somewhat separated. The majority of them where chained to the wall in one corner, while three were chained against the wall with the doorway. One lone prisoner was chained into the farther corner of the room. Landen looks to the lone prisoner in the corner. Never meeting Rhinn, he was a little at a loss on how to find him.
  “Rhinn? Are you here?”
  From the group of three prisoners chained to the wall comes a groan. “Uhh? Who…?” The prisoner looks up and Landen walks to him.
  “Are you Rhinn Ch’tishiel?”
  “Who is it that seeks me?” Then it dawns on him. “The guild! My message made it?”
  “Yes,”Landen replies. The prisoners are shackled to the wall low enough that if they stand they must stoup over, and if they sit their arms are stretched above their heads. Most of them appeared poorly taken care of, so all were currently sitting with their arms dangling from the chains over their heads. Landen knelled to speak with Rhinn. “Do you have your coin?” The coin that Landen knew every member of the Night Starlings had to prove their membership.
  “Of course.”
  “You understand… Rhinn could be dead. You could be some other prisoner claiming his rescue.” Landen says jokingly with a grin. He picks the locks of Rhinn’s shackles, and when free Rhinn grasps at something then present an empty hand to Landen. Landen grasps his hand and feels something resting in Rhinn’s palm. He takes the invisible coin and feels for the relief of a starling. It is confirmed. Rhinn has been found.
• Weary, Rhinn needs aid to stand. Sapphira offers some healing, and it helps him regain some energy. “Wait,” Rhinn says. “The relic I was tracking for the guild, it must be here somewhere. He knows of it.” Rhinn points to the lone prisoner in the corner. His hair has grown long, turning grey, and a long beard is grown unkempt from his face. He looked as if he’d been imprisoned here for years, but that couldn’t be true if he was captured with the caravan at the same time as Rhinn.
  “We don’t have time,” Durgyn says.
  “He’s right,” Landen agrees. “We need to get you out of here.”
  “Then let’s take him with us,” Rhinn replies. “I’ve worked too hard to just let it go.”
  With a sense of urgency, Durgyn steps over to the grey haired prisoner. The minotaur grabs the chains locking him to the wall and rips them free. He tosses the prisoner over his shoulder and the party prepares the escape.

• Over the next three days Gvados used his shape shifting abilities to scout out the fortress. In the form of a hawk, he flies over the canyon. At the canyon’s end, a wall closes it off with three towers. The one in the middle is larger, with an enclosed structure on the top over large fortified gates. He notices each tower near the canyon walls have two guards always on watch. Observing them through the day he learns their schedule, and flies low enough to become familiar with one of the guards.
• Gvados lands back at the camp and scrys on the guard he observed, learning a little of the inside areas of the fortress. He observes duergar eating at a dining hall, the guard’s bunk room which is made to house ten soldiers, and an unfortunate view of the privy.
• The next day as Gvados flies in the air he observes two raiding parties, ten duergar warriors each, returning through the canyon to the fortress. They go inside the main gate, then through the courtyard, and into the gate in the canyon’s wall. After some time inside two fresh raiding parties emerge and depart the canyon, splitting up two separate directions, perhaps searching for the missing raid party that never returned. As Gvados does his watching of the fortress the other members of the party discuss plans back at camp. Hidden from the departing raid parties by the large boulders on the hill they’ve made camp, they consider attacking the raid party passing by. “We could ransom them,” someone suggests. “Or we could ransom the livestock wagon,” another says. “Ransom wouldn’t work. From what we’ve learned of them they wouldn’t care enough of the captured warriors to weaken themselves.” Then Durgyn has an idea. “Perhaps we could place the fortress under siege. We kill the two raid parties that have just left, then when more come out we attack them, dwindling their numbers and not having to take on the whole strength of the fortress at once. Then when they have been weakened we take a direct attack on the fortress.” That night Gvados scrys on another guard, observing the hallway leading into the fortress from the other tower. He scrys again and observed the warrior practicing combat in a large room.
• On the third day they lie in wait, they see the wagon approaching. They try to set up an ambush, throwing gold coins in the road and leaving caltrops just before the coins. The merchant is driving the wagon and a man sits next to him. In the rear, main area of the wagon a third man looks out between the two on the drivers bench. As they approach Hillfort is able to hear them speaking in Thaotrese. The man is discussing with the merchant where he should stop before the fortress to let him and his companion off the wagon. He is asking the merchant what a good approach would be to the fortress on foot. The merchant is half dark-elf and the two passengers are human. The man sitting next to the merchant notices the coins in the road and hops off the wagon. The mare pulling the wagon suddenly rears up, frightened by the stinging pain in its hooves from stepping on the caltrops. The party lies hidden in the shrubbery and small hills near the road and Hillfort speaks out in the local language.
  “Stay where you are! You will not be hurt… are you friend or enemy of the dwarves?”
  “We have a profitable relationship,” the merchant replies.
  “Well perhaps I can offer a chance for more profit.” Hillfort pauses. “We need to borrow your wagon.”
  “Preposterous! Show yourself! You present yourself as a highwayman, offering me profit, and expect me to let you borrow my wagon?” He draws a wand from a compartment in the driver’s bench. “Over my dead body!”
  The man in the rear of the wagon jumps out and the two men draw a set of daggers. It now becomes more clear these two are assassins gaining transport from the merchant. One assassin says to the other, “We must’ve been found out…” and they quickly walk to the side of the road searching for Hillfort. Durgyn steps out and reveals himself, towering by the road. The assassins pause, startled, and the merchant is frightened. He whips the mare and the wagon begins to dash off. The whole party of adventurers jump from their hiding places, attacking to try and stop the wagon. Durgyn steps into the road in front of the mare and roars. The mare rears again and stumbles as the wagon stops, pushing against him. The others engage the assassins in combat. One becomes bloodied and yells out, “The mission must succeed!” He runs towards the hills and Hillfort sends a magic missile after him. When it finds its target the result is severe. The assassin was blasted into pieces, and Hillfort’s eyes open wide. “Oops.”
  The other assassin is hard pressed and vanishes; tendrils of shadow envelop him and he’s gone. Someone notices a pouch on the ground that broke from the assassin’s belt in combat. In the pouch and on the remains of the other assassin they find two potions each. Largo identifies them as ‘darkvision’ and ‘widened zone of silence’.
• The merchant yields. Durgyn grabs the reigns of the mare so it cannot run again, but the animal panics. Franz steps up and is able to calm the mare. Landen jumps onto the wagon and pulls the fabric top aside to inspect its cargo: livestock. Goats, chickens, etc. The group ties up the merchant, and Landen hops down to assist. The merchant frantically babbles in Thaotrese, which none of them but Hillfort can understand. The merchant looks up to Landen, and in broken common language he pleads for mercy. Landen replies in simple phrases, “No killing. Just wagon. You could’ve made a profit you know.”
  The duergar captive steps up and examines the merchant. He pats Landen on the shoulder with a look almost expressing pleasure. Landen takes it as a compliment on his skills of tying up the merchant, and in the middle of his gloating the duergar picks up a mace and smashes in the merchant’s head. Everyone stands silent for a short moment.
  “That was the plan this whole time!?” Landen shouts. “I could’ve done that!”
  Largo runs up, “I’ve got dibs on the wagon!”
  Landen turns to Hillfort, “You did burn his… we kinda owe him a wagon.”
• Before the party saw the wagon approaching in the distance, that morning Gvados prepared himself for a deeper examination of the fortress. He flew down the canyon as usual, but this time landed at the top of the canyon walls and changed shape into a monstrous spider, about the size of a cat. During the ambush on the wagon, Gvados was climbing down the canyon wall and squeezed through the gar above the main entrance door to the fortress. Inside he saw the great entryway. Squeezing through the next door, a stone door designed to lock into a groove in the floor, he crawled his way around the fortress halls staying hidden on the ceiling. Being in spider form, Gvados had the senses of a spider. He could feels when duergar were near by the vibrations through the walls. Scurrying around, being sure to avoid any tremors that indicated the presence of dwarves, he was able to scout a decent area of the fortress and a rough count of how many inside he had avoided. He estimated that he came across 40 occupants, and he expected there was still a large amount of the fortress that was yet unexplored. He crawls up the corridor to a tower and changes into his human form just underneath the door in the ceiling that opens onto the tower’s watchpost. With careful timing, he trows open the hatch and changes into the form of a small black bird, flying out of the tower into the sky. The two duergar on watch are startled and don’t know what to make of it. They seem uneasy as Gvados flies away, almost as if he were an ill omen.
• As the evening approached the adventurers began to plan how they would infiltrate the fortress tonight. After some questioning of the duergar captive with Hillfort as their translator, Gvados drew a rough map of what he knew of the fortress and showed it to the dark dwarf. The duergar seems astonished, and asks how they could have such information. He doesn’t believe it possible that one of them could have been inside the fortress. “Tell him we have our ways,” Gvados says to Hillfort. “Now ask where the prisoners are held.” The duergar becomes angered and grasps the map in his first, crupling it into a ball. He tears at it and throws the destroyed paper to the ground. Gvados calmly steps forward, picks up the ball of paper, and says a small incantation. The paper opens up, the tear mends itself and the creases flatten, then held in his hand is the map in its original intact form. He presents it to the dark dwarf again. “Were are the prisoners?” Hesitently the duergar points to a door on Gvados’ map, not far from one of the tower’s corridors. The party is uneasy with the information, but decide they have nothing else to go on. Their plan is to come down from the cliff top onto the nearest tower to that room, using the cover of darkness. On a pitch black night, although the duergar could see in the dark their vision is only good for so far a distance. They expect the dwarves wouldn’t be able to see from one tower to the other on a dark night. After the guards change shift, they decide Landen will go in alone (as he is the most stealthy) and confirm if the room indicated by the duergar is indeed the prison.

• As the party leaves camp a man in the loosely draped clothing of Thaotrem approaches. They do not recognize him as one of the men in the camp. He introduces himself as Franz Mahteze, a guide from the capital city, Kalūtān. He speaks common better than Thaotrese, and the group can tell he is not a native of this land. Franz says he guides merchant parties back and forth across this stretch of road, making a fair amount of money. After guiding a group down to Thaotrem, he was on his way to return to Kalūtān and was hiding outside the camp, sizing up the merchants before he made his proposal to escort them on the road. When he overheard what the adventurer’s were planning to do, he had to be a part of it. He wanted to explore the dark dwarf lands further, but knew it would be foolish to do alone, so this appeared to be a perfect opportunity.
• Now with Franz in their company, the party of adventurers travels into the arid hill country. They find a small cave for shelter to sleep during the day, and while on watch Landen hears a Dragonne in the distance, roaring aggressively. He can tell the sounds are battle cries, but he is unable to spot the creature on the skyline. Soon, he hears the Dragonne give it’s final cry: a screech as it dies. Gvados takes to the sky in vulture form and locates the battleground, spotting bloodstained ground surrounding a Draggone lying on the ground. After their rest, Gvados leads the party toward the slain Dragonne.
• When they find the carcass Sapphira examines its wounds. She discerns that it wasn’t slain by a beast, edged weapons rather: axes and swords. As Durgyn walks the perimeter of the battleground, he’s ambushed by a Duergar warrior. Suddenly, eight of them appear from the nooks in the hills and from behind the shrubs that cover the landscape. It’s an ambush, and the party is thrown into battle.
• The party clashes steel with the dark dwarves they’re seeking, and Gerard cries out “time to get paid!” The battle is fierce. The Duergar launch throwing axes as they charge in from their ambush positions, one landing firmly in Durgyn’s hide. Largo fires his crossbow but it overrun by a pair of the Duergar, and he avoids their attacks by tumbling over the Draggone carcass, using it for cover. Of course, while doing so he tumbles and rolls through its blood, becoming covered in it. Gerard slays the first with his flail, breaking its neck. The Duergar body falls to the ground and Landen’s sell-sword draws his longsword with his offhand and decapitates his slain enemy, shouting the sound of money with joy “ca-ching!” The new member of the group, Franz, sends his animal companion into the fray: a badger. The small beast flies into a rage and jumps onto one of the enemy, grasping into its neck with his sharp teeth. The Duergar fell, and the badger opened his throat. Landen decapitates a foe with one smooth strike and with great dexterity, knees the falling head towards Gerard. Gerard deflects the flying melon with his shield, “I was on my way over there, I could’ve got paid for him!” Gerard falls in by Landen’s side and the two fight together. The minotaur is surrounded by three of the little menaces. Many of the adventurers have their share of wounds, but Durgyn is starting to bleed heavily. With a strength that harkens back to the ages of Voalrikar, Durgyn runs his sword through the dark dwarf before him and rends it out his side, swinging the blade around to sink another savage blow into a second enemy. He hacks the other into death and continues the relentless attack. The third and final Duergar near Durgyn is brought to the minotaur’s mercy. Bloodied and near death, he falls and drops his weapon. Meanwhile, the other adventurers capture the last of the foes attacking them: he drops his weapon and yields. Durgyn looks down at his foe lying on the ground, while the dark dwarf looks up at the minotaur with hatred. His gladiatorial days flash into his mind, and Durgyn is filled with the thrill of battle. Near to loosing consciousness himself, Durgyn tosses his enemy a healing potion and bashes his sword against his shield. The minotaur tastes the hunger to fight til last blood. Durgyn also slides the Duergar’s axe towards him. The dark dwarf just stares at him. Durgyn grunts and spits on one of the other slain Duergar. The dark dwarf’s rage flares, and he downs the potion. The dwarf the reveals another potion from his small pack and pauses, looking to the minotaur’s reaction before placing the vial to his lips. Durgyn gestures for him to drink it, and with an evil grin the Duergar drinks the second potion. Now revitalized, he graps his axe and cautiously rises to his feet. The dark dwarf shouts, attempting to intimidate the minotaur, but Durgyn just roars beastly in return. The Duergar charges and lands his axe into Durgyn’s side, leaving himself exposed. Durgyn chops down with his sword and buries it into his enemy’s shoulder, slicing all the way down into his chest.
• With one of the dark dwarves captive, Sapphira casts comprehend languages to interrogate their captive. Landen provides assistance with the edge of his scimitar at the Duergar’s throat, but the dwarf refuses to talk. Landen wipes the blood of his slain companions on the Duergar’s shirt. Gerard offers his methods of persuasion, yet it still yields no cooperation. Landen suggests they let him live… but horribly disfigure him. “Do you even know what you’re getting yourself into?” The Duergar asks Sapphira. “If you find the fortress you will surely die. How large do you think my clan is? I don’t speak and you will kill me, I tell you and my clan will kill me. I am dead either way and I will not betray my clan.”
  As the others look on not understanding the words spoken, Sapphira turns to them and says, “he wants us to kill him.”
  “Then kill him!” Landen says.
  “No, we keep him alive,” Sapphira replies.
  “Okay,” Landen steps up and lines his scimitar with the dwarf’s thigh. He raises his blade and Sapphira grasps Landen’s arm. “No!”
  The duergar laughs. “You are weak! I am your enemy yet you don’t have the guts to let something so brutal happen. You will surely die by my people.”
  Sapphira whispers in Landen’s ear, and the rogue lowers his blade, grabs a handful of the Duergar’s beard, and slices it from his face. Still in vulture form, Gvados digs his beak into an open wound on the duergar and gnaws on his tendons. The duergar kicks the bird from his leg and looks at his beard on the ground. “I have been shamed… I cannot return to my clan…”
  Landen cuts the ropes that bind him, setting him free. The duergar looks to Sapphira with a concerned face. “If you plan to follow me that will not work. I cannot go back to the fortress or any of our settlements. I will die out here in the hills.”
  Sapphira just replies, “Go, you’re free.”
  The duergar turns to Landen and screams at him, grabbing at his scimitar. Landen stops the duergar’s rage with a firmly planted knee to the groin.
  Sapphira tosses a small potion to the dwarf crumpled on the ground, “good luck out there.” The party begins to leave the area, then Sapphira hears a gruff voice call, “wait.”
  She turns back and the dark dwarf just stares at her with hate and discontent. In that same gruff voice, the duergar tells her “I’ll show you the way.”
• As they travel, Sapphira and Hillfort cast the needed spell to communicate the the duergar’s language. He points off into another direction and tells them there is a decent size settlement of his people that way. Franz is curious, and tries to convince the party that they take him there. The party debates if they should go, but they end up agreeing there would be no purpose, as it is the fortress they seek. In vulture form, Gvados flies off in the direction the dark dwarf pointed. 8-10 miles away he finds a small settlement. There are 8 well hidden, small structures.The party makes camp. When it is time to continue on, Gerard wakes the uneasy to rouse duergar with a boot crushing his finger.
• As the days of travel pass, Hillfort talks with the duergar occasionally. He offers to take him back to his home country, offering a new start at life working for his brewing business. The dark dwarf laughs. On the next day Hillfort mentions his offer again. The duergar replies, “You will not leave this land. You will die here.”
  “Okay,” Hillfort retorts. “In a perfect world, what would you choose?”
  “I would have chosen to kill you and loot your bodies,” the duergar frankly replies.
  Uneasy, Hillfort chuckles, “let me rephrase that.”
  “Not going to happen,” the dwarf says. Hillfort continues to press the matter, and resigned, the duergar tells him, “in this fantasy world of your imagining… sure, I would go to your land.” Hillfort then determines to himself that as long as they are not betrayed by him, he will protect this dark dwarf with his life.
• The party begins to discuss camp, and the duergar suggests against it. He says they’re close to the fortress and should continue on. Landen comes to Hillfort and whispers to him. He requests that the wizard translate a couple questions for him and Hillfort obliges.
  “Is there another way into the fortress?” The duergar pauses, and answers, “Impossible.”
  “Is there treasure inside?” The dark dwarf grins, “great treasure.”
  “Is there a mine?” With pride, he replies, “much, much more than a mine.”
  “Who is your king?” At this the duergar tensed up. “I will not speak of him.”
  Landen pats Hillfort on the shoulder and steps away. Hillfort tells the duergar, “We want to be unseen.”
  “Not possible, the fortress is in a canyon, there are three towers.”
  “Surely there’s another option than walking up to the front gates?”
  “Well,” the duergar says as a thought comes to his mind. “There is another possible way…”
  Hillfort casts a spell to read his thoughts, wanting to know the true intent the dark dwarf has as he shares this information.
  “The fortress is mostly maintained from the inside, but not all supplies can come that way.” Hillfort reads violent thoughts towards him and his companions as the duergar speaks, but his statements are truthful. “There is a supply wagon that comes through the front gate. Fresh meat cannot be obtained underground, so one comes on a schedule to supply the fortress with livestock.”
  Hillfort shares this information with his companions. Largo gets excited, “If I only still had my wagon!”
  One suggests they return to the settlement to steal a wagon, but Gvados says he say no stables or wagons when he observed the settlement from the sky.
  Landen adds to the hatching plan, “Gvados, you’d be the perfect spy! Change into a chicken, or a cow…”
  Gvados becomes unsettled, “I don’t think so.”
  “But it’s perfect! You could scope out the inside, snoop around, and no one would…”
  “No!” Gvados sternly shouts. Thoughts of being eaten by a ravenous band of Duergar did not sell the plan for him.
  “Well I’ll drive the wagon,” Largo says. “I wouldn’t even have to bluff: I am a real merchant.” A grin covers his face. The rest of the party is unamused as they ponder how to find the components for this plan to work.
  “What are you all arguing about?” the duergar asks Hillfort curiously.
  Hillfort explains they’re debating on how to get a wagon and livestock so they can sneak into the fortress.
  The duergar gives Hillfort a dumbfounded look. “Are you stupid?”
  Confused, and taken off-guard by this, Hillfort replies, “umm, no?”
  “There will be a wagon… with livestock, on the way to deliver. Isn’t that what I just told you?”
  Hillfort laughs and mentions this overlooked fact to the group. They decide to wait in ambush and steal the supply wagon. The duergar suggests a hidden, rocky area on a hill just near the entrance to the canyon. He says they could watch the route the merchant takes to approach the canyon and be hidden from raiding parties leaving the fortress. Hillfort detects that he’s telling the truth, and something a little more. He reads in the dark dwarf’s thoughts that he hates this merchant and wishes to kill him. The duergar tells them although the rocky place is very close to the canyon, it will not be checked by duergar parties. His people have become complacent of the land since they have had such a firm grasp on it for years. No one has ventured into their hill country for as long as his clan could remember.
  Hillfort tells his companions what the duergar was thinking about the merchant who brings the livestock and suggests they let him have the opportunity.
  Someone asks why, and Hillfort suggests it could gain them a little favor with their captive, bringing him closer to their side. Hillfort continues to explain that the duergar said he’d come back to Calimshan with him and work in his brewery. “If he does not betray us,” Hillfort tells them with an honest gaze, focusing particularly in Landen and Gerard’s direction, “he is under my protection.”
  Landen asks, “If he betrays us, THEN we can kill him?”

• Hillfort and Hakiy arrive in Rhatram five days after leaving Ardan. The adventures have been on the desert continent for six days. Hillfort sells items (gems for full price to Abu Ghaary and studded leather to the weapon smith he works with, Najy). Hillfort describes his friends and Abu tells him he saw them not far from his stall, asks if one has a pet wolf. Asks about the minotaur, says him and the other merchants have been talking about them since the day they were in the market. Najy said he heard they were headed north to dark dwarf territory. They’re thick in those hills, no one stays longer than necessary. Now with light load from selling items, Hillfort’s ready for covering ground quickly. He casts ‘flight of the dragon’ (SpC96) and takes to the sky, following the road heading northward.
• As the adventurers near the hill country, Landen takes a break to exercise his scimitar skills atop a large rock. Largo watches, Landen tells him to “get up here! You want to learn?” “Naaaa” Durgyn responds with a leap to the top of the rock, looses his balance and falls off. Landen laughs. “Geez Durgyn, I think Largo could’ve done better.” Largo practices with his crossbow. Landen is getting a sunburned head.
  Gvados takes to the sky and spots a dust plume on the road north of the dark dwarf hills, and spots something with dragon wings flying to the south behind them… and Hillfort spots a group of 5 travelers on the ground ahead.
  Durgyn jumps back onto the rock with ease, and keeps his balance with skill. Landen notices he’s more stable this time, sends a fake thrust with his scimitar and flips over him. “that’s a handy move, but try it again back to back.” Landen flips over Durgyn’s back and lands successfully on his opposite side.
  Largo spots Hillfort and identifies him looking through his scope. “Anyone want a beer?”
  “That’s not funny Largo,” Landen says.
  “No, look!” Largo points to the sky and Hillfort lowers himself from the heights on his magical wings.
  Considering the group had no idea what fate Hillfort had found after their ocean travel, Landen’s first words either show his conceitedness or his sense of humor. “Did you bring any wine?”
  Hillfort shares his water. Gvados lands and shifts back into human form. “Ah, hello huntsman.”
  Landen is constantly uncomfortable around Gvados as he changes shape. He then turns his gave from the shapechanger to Hillfort. He draws his scimitar and places its point near Hillfort. “You ARE Hillfort, aren’t you?”
  “Of course he is,” Durgyn states.
  Landen looks to Gvados, “well, you never can tell.” He sheaths his weapon.
• Gvados describes the terrain he saw and the dust cloud of what could be a large group on horse. Landen asks Sapphira if she could do something about his sunburn, Gvados overhears and casts CLW and slaps his head with his hand to deliver the spell.
  “We should start traveling by night and camping during the day” Gvados suggests. “there’s a camp ahead then we’ll be into the hills.” The camp is large, a base camp for groups to assemble together to make the trek through the dangerous pass. Two wagons are already there. Largo approaches a wagon and they grab their sword handles shouting words. “No No,” Largo shows a gold piece and a bolt “I need these.” They understand and let him look. Gvados summons a pig to kill and eat.
• 2 men are with one wagon at the camp, three to the other. All are well armed. Largo buys darkwood crossbow bolts for the first price the travelers ask. Gvados offers them to join in eating the pig and they gladly accept. No one understand them, Hillfort casts comprehend languages and understands them but hides it. They talk somewhat demeaningly about the group, can’t believe Largo didn’t barter. One man from the second wagon comes over and asks if he can join. Gvados says yes, and bring a bucket. The traveler returns with the other two from his wagon, Gvados creates water in the bucket. With the wagons unattended, Landen sneaks around to have a look.
  Hillfort starts singing a lullaby in Thaotrese and walks up to the group of travelers. They notice he’s singing in their language and look angry. “I would like to know about the travels ahead,” Hillfort asks. They stay silent and stare him down for a short while.
  “You speak Thaotrese?”
  “Through magical means, for short periods.”
  “When did you cast the spell?”
  “A few minutes ago. I found it amusing that my friend didn’t barter with you.” Hillfort attempts to remain friendly despite their now hostile attitudes.
  “He is a fool! What do you want to know about the road?”
  “How far until a safe area?”
  “Typically a little over 2 days, but everyone goes faster to get through in one. About 60-70 miles.”
  As this is happening, Landen gets Gerard’s attention as he’s sneaking around their wagons. He signals to kill the two merchants… then jokingly cancels that and just tells him to keep an eye on them.
  When the merchants leave the adventurers’ camp to return to their wagons, they spot Landen’s movement. They think it’s an animal and don’t find him. Landen rolls under the wagon and hides as they mill around. Gerard walks up to the rear of the wagon, creates an opportunity for Landen to get away. Hillfort flies off with his dragon wings, “want company?” Gvados asks as he changes into his bird from. The merchants are suspicious. Durgyn has been reading a book while at camp. Largo goes to sleep. Landen walks to Durgyn as says with a tone of concern, “I think somebody was in their wagon.”
  “I do too,” Durgyn replies with a wink.
• The adventurers rest and prepare to set-out at nightfall. Gvados hands out hearth fire to provide a dim light (item from races of stone), then transforms into a wolf.
  As they’re leaving camp, one of the travelers approaches Hillfort. “It is unwise to leave this camp alone. Although we took offense from you, you should still travel with us through the pass when more merchant teams assemble here.”
  “Well, perhaps we could assist you. We plan to attack the duergar and free a hostage.”
  They laugh historically but see that Hillfort is serious. The traveler looks at him with disbelief of his foolishness. “We want no part of that. Good luck.”
  Hillfort asks for coffee and the traveler replies, “Sure, one pound for 3 tin… you are in the middle of the desert wanting to buy from this merchant.”
  --Encounter with Dragonnes in the valley pass. Durgyn enlarged at start. Wolf approaches, Landen too… ROAR!!! Landen is fatigued. Dragonne pounces on Gvados in wolf form. Durgyn runs up and draws warhammer. Largo snipes the Dragonne in the hill, it charges down to Durgyn and clings on with a bite. Landen gets behind the one attacking Durgyn. Gvados takes another pair of claws and a bite for damage. Largo shoots the one attacking Gvados, Hillfort shocks him with a lighting bolt. One fighting Durg and Landen flies into the air to reposition behind Landen and bites him in the shoulder and ROARS!! Landen is exhausted by the deafening roar, Hillfort and Gerard are fatigued. Gvados changes into a raven, flies to Landen and casts a spell to aid his condition. “Thank you night starling” and Landon’s reinvigorated, attacks the Dragonne. The other dragonne chases Gvados in flight. Gvados lands on Landen’s shoulder and the chasing dragonne bites at the raven, sinking his teeth into both. Durgyn steps up and slams one with his hammer, crushing its head into the ground. Largo double snipes, Hillfort fireballs behind the Dragonne. Fatigued Gerard comes into range and throws his longsword, misses. Gvados flies back from Landen’s shoulder, casts a spell (splinterbolt, 203SpC). Pierces it fiercely: dead.
  --Gvados lands and changes back into a wolf. Landen drops to a knee, “Sapphira…” Gerard comes to Landen’s side. Landen looks up at him, “I’m going to make a hat of these things.” Gerard apologizes his sword missed and he didn’t kill the beast. “The deal was dwarven heads… give me a hand up.” Gvados lays in the dirt and whimpers. Landen is fiercely wounded, near to death.

• The group continues wounded and tired into the desert hills…

• A dark skinned human and two dwarves find Hillfort unconscious on a beach. They lift him and take him to a small settlement, barely even established in the foothills boarding a desert. The settlement is Ardan, and when Hillfort regains his wits he finds himself being cared for by the man and dwarves who speak a strange language. He casts a spell and is able to understand them: he learns where he is, the local currency, and two of their names: the human is Hakiy, and one of the dwarves is Noori ibn Ma’sa.
• Meanwhile the group finds their way into the city of Rhatram. Landen seeks information of his guild-mate Rhynn while shopping in the eastern market. He gets a haircut, skin bald, and the sight of Durgyn seems to distract the barber as he does his job. No one in Rhatram seems to have ever seen a minotaur, and Durgyn can understand why. They certainly aren’t native to the land; all the hair makes the heat unbearable. Landen overpays. When he exits the barber and finds his hired sword Gerard, he asks for an opinion on his new style. “Fearsome m’lord” Gerard jokingly replies.
  Largo finds a bank to learn the common currency and exchange money. He finds the bank is a fancy, large structure. Inside, Largo finds an agent and lays a gold coin on the desk, “ever seen one of these before?” he asks with a wink. The banker replies in common, unamused, “I know the Eastern gold currency… I work at a bank.” He learns the official exchange rate:
  EXCHANGE: 3cp=1tac, 1sp=1tur, 1gp=1gold, 1pp=2tin Tac are small, rounded bits of steel, Tur are larger, finished coins of a metal alloy, gold are hexagonal coins of gold, and Tin are spherical balls of precious metal.
  Sapphira speaks with locals to learn the culture and ways of this foreign place. Gvados changes to bird form and takes a view of the city from the sky. He sees a large ship at port bearing the name ‘Desert Wind’.
  Durgyn discovers coffee… and caffeine.
• Hillfort imagines his friends must have made it as well, but obviously not to the same place as him. He figured if he could find his way to Rhatram, the group would converge there since it’s their destination. He learns from his hosts that Ardan is 9 days travel from Rhatram. Hillfort decides it’s time to leave and offers to pay the men for their aid. “We could not let you die, there is no price for hospitality.” Hillfort asks, “may I set a price?” “If you must” Hillfort gives them 10 platinum pieces in a pouch. Hakiy insists he travel with Hillfort to Rhatram, and Hillfort walks the small settlement while Hakiy prepares the horses. He casts dancing lights for children, and finds life there quaint, peaceful, and completely isolated.
• Gvados lands on Landen’s shirtless shoulder. Landen shakes to get him off, but Gvados grapples to keep his footing with his talons. “Huntsman! Get off! Talking animals freak me out…”
  “But it adds to your mystique,” Gvados replies.
  “Fine…”
  The bird nudges Landen’s head, “What’s with this?”
  “Wha?” Landen touches his bald head. “My hair! Where’s my hair!? It’s hot you fool, I cut it off.”
  Landen finds an extravagant merchant’s stall with all sorts of jewelry and clothing. The merchant’s name is Fa’jy. Landen seeks purple and black fine garments of the local attire to keep him cool. “I want a shirt with one sleeve,” Landen states in his noble voice to the merchant.
  “Two weeks custom order, or I can modify a garment in my inventory,” Fa’jy replies.
  Landen finds a shirt he likes and rips a sleeve off.
  “How dare you profane my merchandise!”
  “You said two weeks!” Landen argues and knocks the bird off his shoulder to try on the shirt. Gvados flies around the stall, but it’s so cramped with merchandise he knocks clothing on the ground and crashes onto his back, feigning injury.
  “Get that bird under control or get out of my shop!” Fa’jy screams. “If any more garments are damaged…” The merchant scrambles over to inspect the condition of the items on the ground.
  Landen grabs Gvados and stuffs him in his backpack. “Knock it off,” he grumbles and he stuffs the bird in.
  “Mine are the finest!” Fa’jy growls. “You owe 9 tin!”
  “Okay!” Landen concedes and pays the requested amount.
  “Now leave so that bird is no more trouble.”
  When Landen leaves the merchant’s stall he opens his backpack. Gvados tumbles out and turns into a wolf, causing a huge scene, destroying Landen’s backpack, and bringing the guards running to the scene. Things are resolved… eventually.
• The group continues to gather information on Rhynn and the emperor’s convoy he spoke of. Gerard seeks information at the taverns, Landen at the docks.
  A ship of the emperor’s, the Firestorm captained by Aan’ha al-Sabui, landed in Rhatram two weeks ago. One day later a caravan left from the ship and traveled northwest: inland to the capital. It is a 17 day journey on foot to take the road to the capital. Over two days travel out from Rhatram there is a long stretch of road that travels through dangerous hill country. A camp is on either end of the road where merchants and travelers wait until they are large enough in number to make the journey through the hills. The road is constantly raided by Duergar that live in the hills. It’s rumored there are so many and they are so established in the hills that settlements litter throughout the hills, hidden in the valleys, and that they even have a large fortress.
  Largo learns that there is no organization of thieves in the area. They cannot survive the harsh punishments in Rhatram and the duergar make it impossible for them to pillage merchants on the roads.
• The adventurers wait a day for any sign of Hillfort. At the end of their second day in Rhatram they leave in the cool of night on the road to the capital.

• Hillfort returns to the Tankard & Gull to lay low for the night. As Durgyn and Landen exit the arena battleground, Largo decides to find a different route and ends up exploring the tunnels underneath… and gets frightened by a lion. Durgyn believes he won the duel in the arena and doesn’t recall how the dwarf was slain. Landen explains to Durgyn he was unconscious, and Largo’s freedom has not been won. The battle was won along with the arena crowd, but the duel was lost and Largo would still be indebted to Serin. A gladiator approaches them.
  “You better leave now if that’s your plan. The lord of the arena will be upset if you’re not staying. With Gamak dead, he’ll be hoping you’ll take the place as the star warrior of the arena.” Landen jokingly shares a thought, “I could be your agent Durgyn… we could make a lot of gold.” The gladiator shows them the back way out, and Durgyn rewards him with a gift: the jeweled brooch given to him as thanks from the Baron of Brindonford’s sister.
• Gvados approaches Landen and Durgyn as they exit the arena undergrounds in the form of a mangy dog. “That was well fought,” the dog speaks.
  Landen jumps back startled. “Am I drunk!? Drugged!?”
  “Drinks are on me,” Gvados replies. “Gamak was a good combatant.”
  “The dog is buying drinks!?” The dog tries to lead them somewhere but the two heroes do not trust it. Instead they head to the Tankard & Gull, finding Hillfort there. Hillfort sees the minotaur with joy, as he believed him dead. Hillfort sneaks a barrel of his ale into the tavern downstairs, hides it under the table and taps it to celebrate Durgyn’s survival. With the arena show over, a rush of customers keeps the barkeep from noticing the adventurers filling their glasses from under the table. Then Landen hears a familiar voice, “You stood me up!!” and recalls a meeting he arranged with Gerard to discuss their quest. Landen fills a new glass and extends it to Gerard, as if he was expecting him. The thief introduces his mercenary to the group and Gerard is well excepted. Who wouldn’t be with phrases like, “I love senseless combat,” or “blood and gold!” As the group discusses their plans for Landen’s task ahead, a commoner spots the minotaur and Landen.
  “The slayers!! It’s them!” Soon, the attention of those customers who came from the arena crowd is focused on the pair they just witnessed in glorious battle. They flocked around them, cheering. As they push their way through the crowd to leave the busy tavern, Hillfort sets his keg on the bar. The barkeep, rushing to fill glasses as the orders are placed, notices this and looks at Hillfort strangely.
  “You neet to get more of this,” Hillfort tells him, “it’s the best I’ve ever had!”
  “What’s it called?” A customer asks. “What are the arena heroes drinking?”
  “Hillfort’s finest,” The wizard says with a smile.
  “Gerard,” Landen calls, “hold these people back.”
  “So I’m hired?” The merc asks. Landon glares at the brazen mercenary. Gerard grins and grabs the nearest fan pressing towards them by the collar of his shirt. “You’d get back if you knew what’s healthy.”
• As the group makes preparations to leave Shiny Cove, they discussed how they might be able to travel across the ocean quickly. “I need my wagon,” Largo recalls. “With what happened in the arena there’s no way Serin will willingly give it back to me.” The groups promises to help Largo steal it back before they leave town.
  “I could help with your travel arrangements,” Gvados offers. “I know someone who can close the distance. A weather-weird.”
• They headed to Serin’s warehouse and found the burnt ashes of the building and it’s contents instead. Largo panics and begins to run, but Durgyn grabs hold of him. “It’s all gone,” Durgyn’s gruff voice says. “Not just your wagon, everything. All of Serin’s wealth. You can start over.” The group returns to the Tankard & Gull to get their packed horses. Hillfort finds a moment to tell Durgyn and Landen something quietly.
  “I thought he got you killed. So… I robbed the place and burnt it down myself.”
  When they leave the Tankard & Gull, Landen leaves an IOU note in his suite.
• “I’ll meet you outside the city,” Gvados says before transforming into a dire hawk and taking to the sky. Because of his large size, he offers to fly the party members over the wall one-by-one, to avoid being seen since they would certainly be in danger if found by Serin’s agents. Most agree, but Gerard and Durgyn decide to leave via the city gate.
• On their trek to find the weather-weird, some wild animals ambush their camp at night. It results in a tasty meal.
• After traveling southward, Gvados brings them to a beach. The waves lap on the sandy shore and a man is in the distance with a long staff, dragging it in the sand. “That’s him,” the shapechanger says. As they approach closer they see that the man is drawing a large, detailed design. A human form swims in a twisted knot-work pattern. “Funny to see you come back here,” the man says, apparently to Gvados. The shapechanger doesn’t reply. The man looks up to the other members of the party. “I am Aleshire. What brings you to my sands?” Gvados explains, speaking in an apologetic tone. The others wonder what past the two have but discern nothing.
  “I can call the waves to carry you.” Landen’s face twists in confusion. He notices the tide has come in and is in the process of washing Aleshire’s sand drawing away.
  “You’ve wasted your time,” he says gesturing towards the erasing waters.
  “It is an offering of praise. It is not waste, because the goddess sees my offerings and cherishes them, so if I wish I may use them to call for a favor.”
  “You’re mad.” Landon believes this journey was a waste of time and offends the weather-weird. They argue about his abilities and Landon calls him a fool. “I’d like to see you prove these magics.”
  “I shall give you proof in three hours if you wish it,” Aleshire says with fury.
  Durgyn senses the weather-weird’s motive and believes he is telling the truth. “Landen, let it rest. I believe he can help us.” The minotaur diffuses the situation, but Landen still doubts. Hillfort’s perspective as a spellcaster however is different. He speaks to Aleshire admiringly, asking to learn more about his magic. Aleshire explains that there is no magic from him, he speaks to his goddess with the drawings in the sand and his devoted service results in granted requests.
  “I know you owe me nothing,” Gvados says, “but we ask that we may save a friend of his.” Gvados gestures to Landen. Aleshire looks at the thief distastefully, but replies.
  “To save a friend, it would be a pleasure. This is a good cause. I must call the weather and the tides properly, and you will need to submit to magical sleep.”
  The party agrees to submit to Aleshire’s magic, and one at a time they step forward to be put to sleep. Aleshire casts the spell on Gvados, but he resists and it had no effect. Aleshire shakes his head at the shapechanger and moves on. Gerard struggles but eventually falls subject to the spell. Landen is last and frankly tells Aleshire, “I am of elven blood. I do not, and cannot sleep.”
  “Well,” Aleshire grins. “the journey will be less pleasant for you.”
  As the group sleeps on the sand lined up like slain bodies, Landen sits next to them watching Aleshire work. He mutters some foreign words and the tide retreats, leaving him a blank canvas. He begins to draw in the sand with his staff, placing rocks in nodes of his design. At the center are the adventurers.
  “How do we get back?” Landen asks.
  “Well I am not going with you. And the spell only works one way. You’ll have to figure that out.”
  The weather begins to change. Storm clouds quickly advance on the shore from the ocean and the water becomes restless farther out at sea. Gvados tries his best to rest but becomes restless and begins to panic. Aleshire offers assistance and casts charm person on Gvados, but the effects are minimal. The weather-weird speaks softly into the shapechanger’s ear, “If the spell fails, I did not wish to kill you.”
• The waves wash over the adventurer’s bodies and pull them out to sea. Gvados and Landen try their hardest to rest, but as they’re pulled out into the ocean and their companions are swallowed by the waves they begin to think they’ve been cruelly tricked. With no shore in sight, they each experience being in a stormy ocean, waves slamming them into the water as they drown and loose consciousness.
• Gradually the adventurers wake one-by-one on a hot, sandy shore. As they walk the beach they find everyone, including Gvados and Landen… everyone but one. Hillfort is missing and no where in sight, but off in the south they see a strange city: buildings with curves and domed rooftops. Gvados recognizes the skyline as that of Rhatram. The spell worked, they arrived except for one, and they decide their only option is to head toward the city. Landen decides the journey would be more pleasant shirtless due to the scouring heat.

• Landen introduces Shadrach to the group.
• The group heads to the arena to inquire about betting odds on the duel. Hillfort places 100gp on Durgyn, while Largo bets 1400gp. Hillfort overhears others standing in the betting line speak about the gladiator Durgyn is set to fight. A dwarf, Gamak Ruhollah, has been fighting in the arena for the last 15 years and has never lost a battle. He fought in the suppression of Baron Gstohl’s uprising and was imprisoned for his crimes, including eating those he killed. Serin arranged for his sentence to be served in the arena, which has resulted in another avenue of profit for his crime organization. He now only fights in duels to the death, and prepares a meal of his losing opponents.
• Landen seeks a blade for hire to aid in his quest for Shadrach, and he finds Gerard. Landen takes to his rough and confident personality and offers him 3gp a week and 5gp per dark dwarf head on their quest. Gerard agrees, “for blood n’ gold.”
• Sapphira speaks with a wizard in a local magic shop called Lanta’s Wands, inquiring about teleportation services for the party to begin Landen’s quest. The price is far too steep.
• As the time draws near for Durgyn’s duel, Landen seeks a spot to sneak onto the tops of the arena to perch. Shadrach looked into Durgyn’s opponent and tells Landen he should be concerned, he hands him an invisible arrow to aid the minotaur if direly needed. Landon spots a rope hanging from the arena wall in some vines and tangled bushes. A pair of kids are arguing who will climb first when Landen surprises them. “Don’t get us in trouble!” One kid plees. “There’s nothin’ but trouble here kid… Scram,” Landen gruffs. The kids run and Landen climbs. At the top he spots a man dressed in animal hides crouched at the edge of the wall and another street kid sitting next to him. The man introduces himself as Gvados, travelling druid. He offers meat from his sack and Landen shares his wine. Gvados offers Landen’s wine to the kid and Landen stops the bottle’s motion in that direction with his hand. “I don’t think so. Not the kid, you know what this costs?”
• The final event is announced in the arena. “For the first time in this arena, witness with your own eyes, a true Minotaur of Torger in mortal combat!”Durgyn is huge in size, but the dwarf commands a fearsome presence in the arena. He certainly holds the crowds’ favor and his armor is custom, blood stained, and gleaming with menace. The battle is fierce, both combatents exchanging life threatening blows, bleeding from horrible wounds. As they expend their last energy, Gamak delivers the final blow to Durgyn. The minotaur drops his weapon and collapses to the ground. Landen fires the invisible arrow from the walltops… And it misses!
  As Hillfort watches from amongst the crowd, he watches in terror as the minotaur loses the duel. He looks to the man next to him and believes everyone’s attention is so involved in the combat no one would notice him. Hillfort disappears with invisibility and takes to the air, flying towards Serin’s warehouse with revenge in mind.
  As Gamak positions for the final blow, Landen perches himself on coiled legs on the wall’s edge.
  “No!” Gvados shouts. “This is a duel, you must not interfere in sacred battle!” The words were powerless as Landen’s eyes were filled with the near death of his friend. The thief’s legs explode and he flies from the wall, falling the long distance to the arena’s dirt battleground, his trajectory lined up with the dwarf. Landen crashes onto Gamak, quickly gains his feet, and as Gamak turns lifting himself from the ground Landen’s scimitar falls. The greart dwarf warrior’s head leaves his body and falls to the ground.
• The crowd falls silent. Landen reaches down and helps Durgyn to his feet. The crowd begins to cheer and chant, “Torger! Torger! Torger!” Landen lifts the dwarf’s head and Durgyn picks him up, raising him up on one arm. Gvados the druid changes shape to a raven and lands on Durgyn’s shoulder, casting a healing spell to offer a little aid.
  The arena announcer observes the entertained crowd and is pleased. He speaks, “Battle is over! What do the champions have to say?”
  Durgyn shouts as the cheering crowd grows quiet to listen. “The foul creatures that attack Brindonford will find defeat at our hands!”
  “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new Lord of the Arena!” Landen and Durgyn take in the cheer of the crowd, and a voice raises from the VIP balcony behind the announcer. “NO!”
  They look to the balcony and see Serin standing at the announcer’s precipice. “I want their blood!” Standing next the Serin the announcer raises his hands in responce, “and what do the people say?” The crowd screams and shouts in hatred toward Serin’s proposition. Hillfort hears the crowd halfway across the city as he flies through the air, imagining grusome things happening to Durgyn’s defeated body.
  Serin yells in rage and strips a crossbow from a nearby guard’s hands. He takes aim for the heroes and the crossbow bolt zips past them. Largo hops from the crowd into the arena pit, revealing his weapon, “this is how you shoot a crossbow.” The bolt stabs into Serin’s chest, the crime lord drops in pain and retreats.
• Meanwhile… Hillfort arrives at Serin’s warehouse. He flies in through a window and finds loads of treasure: jewel crusted dragon skull, mithril horse statue, amongst countless small treasure. The majority of Serin’s wealth that runs his crime organization appears to be held in this very warehouse… And Hillfort blasts the place with fireballs. He walks away unnoticed as the warehouse is engulfed in flames.

• Largo wakes up early to setup shop at the harbor market. He isn’t alone finding a spot to setup at 4am, then when the sun had fully begun its course in the sky at 6am the market was packed with merchants.
• The rest of the party wakes and Durgyn cashes in his spa token, Landen orders room service, and Sapphira invites the others to visit the local temple of Heroneous to satisfy an itch to hunt undead. Hillfort finds a note form Largo inviting him to visit his stall in the market. Hillfort finds a crowd packed at the harbor market as he searches for Largo’s wagon, and a petty thief pitifully attempted to pick his pocket. He finds Largo stressed having never been in the midst of such bustle. To aid in his marketing efforts, Hillfort casts a spell sending dancing balls of light above Largo’s wagon. This must have worked, as a wealthy man eventually purchased two of Largo’s most expensive items: a ring of force shield and cloak of protection… it seemed the man was a little paranoid about his safety, as a body guard who carried his coin came forward from the market crowd shortly behind the man.
• Sapphira, Durgyn, and Landen walk the streets of Shiny Cove in search of an enchanter on the way to the temple and Landen notices someone had been following them since they left the inn. They find an enchantment shop and slip in to negotiate the improvement of Landen’s scimitars. While the party discusses paying for the enchantments Landen sees the man who he suspected following them waiting across the street outside.
• After Largo’s big sell, he packs up his wagon and takes inventory as Hillfort tries to navigate it through the busy marketplace.
• Landen gets concerned of the quality work this enchanter is offering because of his prices, but the gnome introduces himself as Skupnik the enchanter and testifies his abilities, which reassured Landen to trust his scimitars in his hands. After completing the transaction Landen asks if the party may exit through the back door. “Well, that’s outside the customer area,” Skupnik replied. “Why do you ask, are you being followed? You’re not criminals are you?”
  “Would we have paid if we were?” Landen retorts.
  “Fair enough,” Skupnik says, and he leads them through the door to the rear of his shop. The back room is cluttered with the gnome’s work. He opens the alley door and says “The swords will be done this evening. Will you be returning through the back door as well?” The gnome chuckles.
• The entire party rejoins at the temple of Heroneous. Hillfort notices Landen missing something and asks, “where are your scimitars?”
  Landen glances to his empty scabbards and looks back up to Hillfort with shock, “I don’t know!” He pauses then starts laughing, “I’m just kidding.”
  A temple servant greets them as they enter. “Welcome,” he notices Sapphira at the head of the group, “are you all servants of Heroneous?”
  Landen leans to the temple servant and whispers, “secretly.”
  “No,” Sapphira answers. “We seek to honor Heroneous and destroy any undead that trouble Shiny Cove.”
  “Within the city things are well.” The servant explains. “Undead on Ancestor’s Island are rare, it is a sacred kept graveyard well tended by our clerics. The last sign had been about three months ago, and rumor is a necromancer is hidden outside the city walls possibly camped outside the North Gate on an ancient unmarked burial site.”
• Outside the temple Hillfort spots a familiar face. He thinks he saw him at the market, or perhaps when he left the Inn this morning… The party suspects they have all been followed throughout the day, so they split up to meet at Skupnik’s enchantment shop in thirty minutes to see if they are each followed on their way there. Landen spots the same guy he noticed following him outside Skupnik’s shop earlier. Landen slips into an alley and catches the spy by surprise when he comes searching for him in the alley. Landen takes a wound in the scuffle and feels the effects of a poison from the rogue’s blade, but Landen still gets the advantage and questions him at rapier point. “Who do you work for?”
  “Press that point as hard as you like, but I won’t speak.”
  “Then I’ll have to get my friends to make you talk…” Landen replies, and with this threat the rogue attacks again, breaking free to flee down the street.
• When the party regroups at Skupnik’s Landen arrives notably weakened from the poison. “We’re definitely being followed. Who else noticed a tail, you?” Landen looks to each of his companions, and each in turn suspected they were followed. “Largo, was anyone following you?”
  “I… don’t know… maybe?” Largo replies, unsure and seemingly nervous of the question.
  Landen suspects a thieves’ guild is targeting Largo to steal merchandise from his wagon, while Durgyn thinks Landen’s ostentatious behavior is the cause of this targeting. “You had to have the biggest room in the inn,” Durgyn points out.
  “It was pristine,” Landen boasts as he recalls the lavish comfort of the room. “You could have joined me. Regardless of why we’re being targeted, I say we set a trap for them.”
• While Landen retrieves his freshly enchanted scimitars and plans an ambush with Durgyn and Hillfort inside the shop, Largo and Sapphira wait outside.
  “Heroneous be with you,” Sapphira says to each passer, wishing the blessings of her deity upon them. Largo notices one of the men who have been following standing a block down looking at them. He tries to discreetly give him a signal to move away, and both Sapphira and the spy do not pick up on his efforts. Largo exaggerates the motion, shooing with his hands at his waist. The man tailing them notices and moves along down the street, but Sapphira also notices Largo’s behavior. “What are you doing?” She asks.
  “Nothing,” Largo tries to play it off. “Just waiting for the others…”
• The group heads outside the North gate of the city to test if their followers would continue their task past the city walls. Sure enough, they notice a group of six leather armored men leave the North gate shortly after them. “Alright,” Landen says to the group. “There they are. Let’s go up ahead and stage an ambush just off the road.”
  “Ignore them,” Largo replies. “It’s not a big deal… I… I can explain later.”
  Durgyn laughs at the notion. He finds ignoring shady individuals following them around the city a pitiful joke.
  Largo tries to press his point. “If they attack, go ahead and kill them. I can explain why they’re following later, just know that I’m a friend.”
  The party continues walking down the wooded road. “We deserve an explanation,” Landen insists.
  “I don’t think you do,” Largo disagrees, trying to avoid revealing the truth as much as he can.
  “We do,” Durgyn’s voice booms in a forceful, unamused tone.
  Then Largo explains everything: his debt to Serin, his recent meeting, and how Serin insisted if he didn’t get his money soon enough from Largo he would take it from his traveling companions.
  “Why didn’t you just tell us?” Landen asks, finding the secrecy of the matter making things more complicated.
  “You may work for a shady man,” Durgyn adds, “but if your only involvement is a legal contract to owe him money, we see no problem.”
  Sapphira shares a thought. “Perhaps instead of being followed around, how about we have audience with him as a group, discuss arrangements to sort this out.”
  “Haha,” Largo laughs nervously. “Not so easy. I have more money to give him, but they only let people see him who have a sigil.” He shows them the token given to him from the first meeting.
  “Well I see six more coming this way,” Landen says indicating the group following them.
  Largo looks nervous at the prospect of killing their followers and using their sigils to barge into Serin’s office.
  “Okay, let’s just setup camp and see what they do.” Landen suggests, stopping at the side of the road.
  Eventually the group catches up to the party’s stopping point at the side of the road.
  “Evening,” the first man says in a jovial greeting. “Seen any deer about?”
  “Nope,” Landen simply replies.
  “Ah, well we’re out on a hunt. This looks like it could be a good area.”
  “I could help you find some.”
  “Nah, stalking them is a part of the fun. Probably the most fun I’d say.”
  Landen catches a hint of innuendo in the man’s statement, and they look at one another each understanding the underlying conversation.
  “Well good luck, I hear deer in these parts can be real tricky.”
  Another awkward moment passes, as each group stands looking at each other waiting for anyone to make a move. “G’night then,” and the man leads his group off the road into the woods.
• The party heads back into town and returns to their inn: the Tankard & Gull. They discuss what to do and agree to pay a visit to Serin Colmok. Landen doesn’t want to miss his arrangements for Pier 7 at midnight, but his companions assure him there’s plenty of time.
• Largo takes the group to Serin’s warehouse and tells them to wait outside.
  “Listen,” Landen says, “leave your gold out here with us as a bargaining chip. Don’t pay it to him now or else you’ve got no leverage.”
  “No,” Largo replies, “I just want to pay my debt.”
  “But you’re in a position here to change things. We’ll wait outside, and you can…”
  “I’ve got it handled, just let me do it my way.”
  Indifferent, Landen agrees to let him go in as he wishes.
• Inside Serin’s warehouse, Largo is led to the boss’ office. “Ah, my little merchant friend. Come with some good news I hope.”
  “Well, I have some money for you.” Largo produces a pouch of coin.
  “AH! You said the right words. That’s good to hear, good to hear.” Serin opens the pouch and gives the coinage a quick estimate.
  “It’s eight thousand,” Largo states. “I’ve got two thousand more, but I brought something else.”
  “Oh?”
  “The adventurers are outside, and…”
  “What?”
  “Well I thought you’d want to meet them, perhaps they could help you…”
  “I don’t want them here! I wasn’t looking for new friends, I just wanted information about them if you fell through on your debt!” Serin’s temper was starting to show its ugly face. “How about my two thousand gold now without the adventurers.”
  “Well, I kind of need it…”
  “HAH! Funny, it’s my coin. We can do this the hard way.”
  “Okay, I have a propose a gamble.” Largo tries his swindling ways as hard as he can in the hopes to keep some coin in his pouch. “I thought you’d like a good wager?” Serin only replies with a stern look. “Your best fighter against one of my companions. If I win, you forgive my remaining debt and I keep the two thousand gold I have now. If I loose, you can have the two thousand plus an extra ten thousand added to my debt, and I’ll give you all the merchandise back.”
  At first Serin’s annoyed expression turned to confusion, then he grinned. “You’re right, I like a good wager. You’re on. I’ll arrange the event for tomorrow evening. Have your man enlisted for the duel at the arena by tonight. Haha, this should be good.”
  For some odd reason, Largo gave a nod and left Serin’s office with a grin.
• “You did what!?” Landen said to Largo as he returned to them outside. “That’s NOTHING like what we discussed!”
  “I know, but I thought it was a good idea.”
  “Good idea!?” Landen tries to keep himself contained. “What are we going to do, draw straws!?”
  “I won’t let any of you risk your lives,” Sapphira shares as her thought on the matter.
  “Maybe you can hire a brigand to fight for you?” Landen jests, although as he sees it, his odds of finding a willing man would be better that way.
  Durgyn steps forward to add his words. “I have experience fighting in an arena.” The group is silent and they all look to the minotaur. “I will fight for you.”

-Along the road, ambushed by brigands: pay a toll. One escapes them & they take a prisoner. They find a sigil on each body.
-In Shiny Cove Largo splits from group to meet Serin and update him on the status of his debt. The rest of the party goes to guard garrison to turn in their prisoner. Turns out the leader of the group they killed was Spender, an employee of Serin Colmok, 500gp reward. The sigil is his mark for those that work for him that they may gain entry to his properties within the city.
-Shopping: Durgyn finds Gronan, minotaur smith. Durgyn introduces himself with full lineage. Arrange custom full-plate armor set to be crafted, Gronan promises a minotaur enchanter to do the magic work. Also identifies the mark on axe found on gnolls as an item crafted by legendary smith of Iath Savon.
-Largo: Serin, I have 300… I mean 3,000 & info: Brindonford. Largo lies about money, Serin “I can start removing body parts…” Search him and finds 2k more gold. Asks for details of his traveling party. Serin says he wants updates and will be watching them, and will not hesitate to take his money from his companions if he fails to pay. Largo stores his wagon in Serin’s warehouse and Serin gives him a sigil for access.
-Sapphira visits church of Heironious to donate 660gp. Hillfort brings news of Brindonford, specifically about what Landen saw at the church of Pelor to the local temple of Pelor in Shiny Cove. They inform him that they know and brothers went to Eurnox to join army being assembled by Eurnox & Mithrondale.
-Landen visits docks at night and posts the Black Starling note on Pier 7. He leaves a gold piece in a sleeping drunk’s hand.
-The group assembles at Shiny Cove’s largest inn: The Tankard & Gull. They each get the style of room they desire. Landen gets the largest suite “how much? doesn’t matter, I’ll take it” and plays off like Largo’s his servant. “Largo, pay the man” and sneaks away.
-After the rooms are sorted out, Largo goes up to the top floor suite. He unlocks the door with the key and finds Landen kicked back & shirtless (having picked the lock to get in) inside. “Largo!” Landen cries jovially. “Fetch me some elven maidens!” Largo throws the key at Landen and leaves the room to find his bed in the common room.