The Lotus and the Dragon.
After a brief engagement outside the taxidermists, the Anaid and Sedric linked up with the rest of the party Bernard was able to get a shot off at one of the ambushers and missed his mark. All went inside and proceeded to ransack the taxidermist’s guildhall. The found a number of items including a secret door leading to a trap door under the building. Among the items were two wands, a masterwork sickle, many small gems and several pounds of coins.
Upon a complete search of the build a small trapdoor was found opening to a ten foot deep whole that opened into the darkness below. Once inside they discovered a small tunnel leading a sea cave at which one end was a door the other, an opening to a larger darker cave filled with sea water. After a short prayer to his deity, Raine received a vision f many armed men and great peril ahead. The warriors girded for battle. The priest blessed all before the fight and cast a bull’s strength spell on the barbarian. Upon forcing the door open the party was fired upon by thieves hiding behind a partially closed door to their north. Ashwynn charged the thieves smashing the door down and inflicting a massive amount of injury to the Lotus Dragon hiding behind it. Bernard followed her, firing arrows at the unconscious man’s companion, killing him.
Surveying the havoc they wrought Bernard listened at the door. Beyond the scuffling of feet and barking orders as men prepared for battle. A sudden stillness was heard and the fighters broke into passage filled with crossfire of poisoned hand crossbow bolts. Bernard shrugged off the bolts as nuisances and aimed his bow at the ambushers. Each took an arrow falling unconscious to the floor. Anaid, Raine, and Ashwynn poured into the passage and established fronts to the left and right. Catching glimpses and their attackers in the shadows of the feeble torchlight, Anaid and Bernard pushed right while the elf and gnome pressed left. Meanwhile, Ix and Sedric held the team’s rear.
Gaining ground the ranger and sorceress continued down the passageway to find more thieves lying in wait. The thieves missed their mark and were quickly silenced with a sleep spell from Anaid. Bernard also took down a thief with his trusty bow. One of the villains in the darkness fired at the sorceress injuring her and causing her to wretch from the poison. Bernard too was struck not by any arrow but a dagger. He too fell victim to the sickening venom. Raine hurried over shortly and administered care. Ashwynn ran past to engage these new assassins. Turning left into the area of the sleeping thieves she spied one fleeing. Running him to ground Ashwynn slew the Lotus Dragon out of hand.
Sedric and Ix soon closed ranks with the rest of the party in the long hallway and pressed the assault. Ix went to the left looking for more assailants and Sedric to the right. Sedric struck one of the Lotus Dragons with an orb of acid but was unable to find out if his victim died from the spell. Ix and Raine again resumed the westward assault.
Ix still watching the flank was attacked from the south by a female in black armor. She casually threw a dagger at the fighter nailing him in the upper chest. Winking she turned and continued south as two thieves took position behind her. The gnome meanwhile was at the west end of the long hallway and was checking bodies and was checking the nearby door. Ix stepped to the south and summarily dispatched the two scoundrels. Moving to assist Raine Ix took the left fork and checked around the corner for enemies. Raine listened at the door on the right and heard nothing; opening the door Raine was stabbed by a waiting thief. Ix ran from his post at the corner to assist the gnome. Pressing his advantage the thief chased the small cleric into the passage and was severed at the waist by the waiting warrior. Ix then advanced into the barracks rooms followed by the barbarian elf woman searching the room for more miscreants. They moved forward wary of the treacherous vandals hiding in the room only to find they had fled the area.
Nodding to Ashwynn, Ix took his leave of her and returned to the passage where the gnome and Bernard had gathered. Ashwynn continued through the doors quickly dispatched the Lotus Dragon lying in ambush. She leveled a second blow at the other cutpurse as he fled severely injuring him. Bloodlust raging the barbarian pursued him and finished the job.
In the hall outside the barracks the black armored female appeared again. Enraged Ix advanced to attack and the woman prepared to receive his him. She avoided his blow with a quick dodge and feint landing her own with razor preciseness Hearing his companions charging down the corridor she faded back in a dazzling display of tumbles and flips. Bernard closed on Ix’s quarter as the barbarian and warmage circled behind the mysteriously deadly cutthroat. For a brief second the party had their quarry. Bernard fired at her with his bow missing her, at the same time Ashwynn closed on her only to find she had evaporated into mist escaping into a ventilation pipe. Ix howled in frustration.
Bernard equally enraged kicked in the nearby door firing blindly at the targets within. At first seeing only training dummies, the arrow struck home piercing the flesh of the thief hiding inside the dummy’s straw covering. The loud grunt from the dummy betrayed the rest of his fellows, and the party poured into the room slaying all without mercy.
Not truly on the warpath, the warriors began kicking in doors; slaying the rhagodessa at its guard post. They then encountered a zombie bugbear, hacking away at it until it was destroyed by the cleric. The momentum carried them into a sort of war room where Sedric took a survey of all the notes and plans. The rest continued, smashing more doors until they found themselves face to face with a wand wielding Rowyn Kellani and her pet. The red-head tried her wand on the fighter and was rewarded with a sword and two arrows. The felldrake attacked Ix only to bite air. Rowyn retreated to her sanctuary has her pet acted as foil. She then downed a potion and vanished into vapors. The Ix knocked the drake out, then soon after it was slain by Ashwynn.
They few remaining thieves were rounded up and any other aberrations were destroyed in short order under the watchful eye of the party.
Two days after their rampage through the lair of the Lotus Dragons the Dawn Council held a banquet in their honor at Castle Teraknian. Each member was awarded the Spire of Sasserine, a high honor. Additionally, Lavinia gave an obsidian spearhead to Ashwynn as a token of thanks and to return a cultural artifact to the culture which it belongs.
 
Treasure:
Guild Treasury:
 200 pp, 8600 gp, 6400 cp.
 Chest (2 gp, 25 lb)
 Chest (2 gp, 25 lb)
 Finely Wrought Small Gold Bracelet (80 gp, 0.1 lb)
 Jewelry Box (150 gp, 0 lb)
 Scrimshaw carving (250 gp, 0.1 lb)
 Tourmaline (80 gp, 0.01 lb)
 Peridot (60 gp, 0.01 lb)
 2 Amethyst (100 gp, 0.01 lb)
 Jet (100 gp, 0.01 lb)
 Gold Locket and Chain (100 gp, 0.01 lb)
 2 Silver Pearl (70 gp, 0.01 lb)
 Earrings, Gold (20 gp, 0 lb)
 Ring, Gold (30 gp, 0 lb)
 Necklace, Gold (50 gp, 0 lb)
 Buckle (large), Fancy (1 gp, 0 lb)
 2 Goblet, golden (100 gp, 0.2 lb)
 Rock Crystal (clear Quartz) (60 gp, 0.01 lb)
 Star Ruby (900 gp, 0.01 lb)
 Carved Bone Statuette (80 gp, 1 lb)
 Obsidian (9 gp, 0.01 lb)
 10 White Pearl (100 gp, 0.01 lb)

Rowyn’s Lounge:
 Alabaster statuette of a succubus (350 gp, 4 lb)
 3 Courtier’s outfit (30 gp, 6 lb)
 Onyx statuette of a displacer beast (100 gp, 2 lb)
 Silver statuette of a rearing unicorn (500 gp, 10 lb)
 Jewelry Box Darkwood (150 gp, 0 lb)
 4 Necklace, Gold (50 gp, 0 lb)
 4 Ring, Gold (30 gp, 0 lb)
 Jewelry Box Iron (150 gp, 0 lb)
 4 Earrings, Gold (20 gp, 0 lb)
 3 Necklace, Gold (50 gp, 0 lb)
 Pendant, Gold (45 gp, 0 lb)
 Ring, Platinum (300 gp, 0 lb)
 2 Ring, Gold (30 gp, 0 lb)
 1 Robe, Silk Lavender (450 gp, 2 lb)
Rowyn’s Bedroom:
 6 Shendilavri (200 gp, 0.1 lb) [identification required]
 3 Perfume, Exotic (200 gp, 0 lb)
 20 Perfume, Fancy (10 gp, 0 lb)

Now that the party has delivered the signet ring to Lavinia. She takes them the family vault under Castle Teraknian were she planned to pay them. Being a suspicious bunch, they all said “what, under the castle?!” Lavinia assured them it was perfectly safe and the vaults were maintained by the castle’s steward. So after a walk through yet another rainstorm (monsoon season) the group reaches the vaults. The caretaker leads them down to the Vanderboren family vault whereupon he lets them in. The setup is similiar to your average modern day safety deposit vault, except that each customers vault has its own separate gate. Upon entering the vault the scratching of iron upon stone is heard as an iron cobra emerges from the shadows. Swords are unsheathed and spells readied as the party gears up for a fight. Then Bernard the Ranger tells Lavinia to use the ring and tell it to stop. As soon as she does the metallic snake halts.

Having successfully stopped the vault’s guardina from attacking Lavinia uses the signet ring on the door to the inner chamber of the vault. Only to reveal empty alcoves where her family’s fortune should be. The vault itself is adorned with fantastic reliefs of strange creatures and the ceiliing with the eight pointed symbol of the Seekers. In the center of the room is an octagonal column, that can be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise. When it is rotated a corresponding point of the Seeeker emblem on the ceiling changes to red.

The party remembers the strange list of monsters found with the signet ring, believing it to be a clue as to the relevence of the reliefs and the rotating column, they puzzle out the “combination” to the vault. After turning the shaft in the proper sequence the alcoves slide up to reveal what remains of the Vanderboren fortune. Lavinia is broken hearted to see that most of the treasure her parents had collected over the years is gone. Yet the last alcove reveals some chests containing what little is left of her inheritance along with many ledgers and IOUs accounting for debts owed to the Vanderboren estate. Her resolve strengthened Lavinia pays the adventures the promised amount.

Exiting the vault, Lavinia asked the caretaker who else had been in the vault. The caretaker responded that Vanthus had visited during the past few weeks and removed some of the contents. Hearing this Lavinia turned to the group and asked if they were willing to take on another job for her. The answer was of course yes.

Date: Moonday, Fireseek 10, 594 03:04 AM 62 F, Light rain, Partial low white clouds, Wind 22 mph

Our heroes invited to the Vanderboren Manor by none other than Lavinia Vanderboren for a business proposition. Lavinia says she needs some hardy souls to go to her ship the Blue Nixie and retrieve her father’s signet ring that she believes is aboard somewhere. The complication is her vessel has been siezed by the harbormaster, Keltar Islaran until she pays the port fees. She explained that she had paid the fees to Keltar’s assistant Soller Vark. Mr. Islaran states unless he is paid she may not board her ship for any reason. Once she has the ring she can get into her familiy vault under Castle Teraknian and pay her overdue taxes and get her ship back.