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The intrepid adventuring party once again set off to explore the mysterious Tower of Uthathorn. This time, we were sure we would explore deep into the inner tower, using the passwall scroll that we found on a previous visit.

The party included Wesley, Threnody, Kolya, Azura, Inara, Maryan, Berrek and Randy Rednose. R.R., a paladin of Pholtus, was new to our group, and was clearly agitated with the presence of my familiar Ildrik. My ruse that my familiar was actually a benign creature tainted by a foul curse was likely no more than a poor joke, as I’m sure Randy has the ability to see Ildrik for what he is. Perhaps it was in poor taste to suggest Jeyya had anything to do with my evil little friend, but call it silliness, or professional competitive spirit. I shall have to buy her one of those fancy bottles of elven wine she likes so much, I suspect.

Anyways, upon arriving at the tower, we realized our clerics had not prepared the reversed darkness spell with which to banish the magical darkness covering the main floor of the tower. We retreated to the nearby forest where we intended to camp for the evening. Having secured Fooder, our stableboy hireling with the pack animals and cart, we decided to track an old trail we had discovered, perhaps made by those large creatures upon which the orcs rode.

Our rangers were able to discover a cave below the Mesa. I sent Ildrik in to explore, and before too long he was accosted by a foul undead creature. He escaped and the rest of us entered to take on the beast. We were first attacked by a pair of ghouls that jumped down on us from a raised side passage. Defeating these creatures, we moved forward to face Ildriks original assailant. In fact, three more ghouls awaited us. We defeated them, fortunately without any of us suffering their tainted paralysis. Surprisingly, Randy the Paladin was a formidable warrior using his war hammer.

We continued on to a large cavern filled with natural stone pillars. A collared chain lay on the ground, we suspect used to harness the orc beasts. At the end of this cavern was a watery pool with several swirling eddies. I detected magic underwater, far beyond the opposite wall. It seemed the water continued through a passage underneath the stone. We tied a rope around Ildrik and sent him to procure the shiny magical objects. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), Ildrik attracted the attention of an underground underwater denizen. A giant crab followed the unconscious imp as we dragged his limp body back to us. Just as Ildrik cleared the water, the 8 foot creature crawled from the pool to attack.

By combination of lightning strikes, missile and melee attacks and other magicks, we defeated the crab. We procured its antennae and other unusual sensory glands, and then prepared much of its tender meat for storage, travel and future eating.

With rope around his waist, Berek explored the watery passage and discovered the treasure there. We pulled out two golden plated helmets, one of which was magical, and also a mithral chainmail armor and a bejeweled scabbard. Berek also noted that the underwater passages continued, with a much stronger current.

We found a side passage from the large room that looped up to the area where we were first attacked by ghouls. There we found an old mattress that the ghouls used as a nest, as well as a cattle prod and a bull whip. We brought in Fooder and the animas, and made camp for the night. Berek set caltrops at two locations as additional precautions.

We were not asleep more than a few hours when the first watch discovered the approach of several 12 foot tall trolls! The party was quickly awoken and battle ensued. The situation seemed dire, and with just a moments consideration, Wesley decided that the wand of lightning charges were not to be held in reserve. Seconds later, the trolls were accosted by magicks of all sorts, lightning, faery fire, sound bursts and color orbs lit up the caverns. Oil and torches were used to finish off the beasts. Our ferocious attack was well considered, as the monsters were resilient and it took some time to finish off the first two. However, a third troll had entered the fray. Inara created an illusory OwlBear in the outer corridor. The third troll fled deeper into the caverns away from the illusion. The party pursued, but discovered a trail of blood leading to the watery pool. It seems the troll knew of a way out through the water.

Having secured good treasure and taking a few wounds, we chose to leave further exploration of the tower for another time. We rested the night, and headed back to Yggsburgh. Wesley and Inara used a series of prestidigitation spells to add coolness and air seal to the packaged crab meat to help it’s preservation for the trip home. The unnaturally cool weather was a boon as well.

If only we had some butter!

Bloody Hands, Bloody Hirelings and Bloody Adventurers

THAT was a valiant effort.

I thought we were “putting the band back together” and finally heading back to the place where my best clue to my mother lies – Castle Zagyg. And we did. It just didn't work out so well.

We started by speaking with Ulysses from the Swordsman's Brotherhood. Each side had their difficulty: an admittedly distressing number of their members have set out with us without returning and one of our recent hires from their membership disappeared with several horses. Long story short, we bargained and Ulysses agreed to hire out two upstanding members of the Swordsmen in exchange for forgiving the debt of lost horses with the caution that if any more of their members fail to return then we may lose the Brotherhood as a source of cannon fodder. I suppose my attitude is indicative of the problem.

Well, at least our money losing trip didn't also include hireling costs.

Another interesting money happening is that Brother Wesley took out a loan to pay for his training costs! While I must admit I am sorely tempted to go into debt so that I can expand my spell arsenal, given how we lost money on this expedition I am nervous to risk valuable magical items as collateral.

Our departure was further delayed when, on the morning of setting out, we discovered that trouble from Castle Zagyg had followed us home! And they killed a mule! Equine Homicide – this is how they threaten us? Oh, they also molested our new stable boy (I thought I always wanted my own stable boy, but truth is they need to bathe). Should we be quaking in our boots?

Written in mule blood on the stable wall was the insignia of a bloody hand with the ominous motto “Join or Die” - a more effective message than “Join or we'll kill your livestock!”

After reviving our poor stable boy (Sid 'Smiley', a play on his unfortunate deformity – I certainly don't want this stable boy, sorry!) he revealed that his molesters wore rust-colored robes, had pale skin, shaved heads and used strange barbed swords. Also, they told him that we were to stay away from Castle Zagyg. Now I was offended!

So, nobody molests our stable boys without receiving trouble of their own! So we scoured Yggsburgh for clues to the equine murderers. The Striped Mage was less than helpful – some wizard he is. A trip to the library from that sweet old Sulmeith was more constructive; Caelen's opulent spending there seems to have paid off (you'd think the gold and magic we pass on to the Striped Mage would be equally effective but there you go.) The bloody hand print is an insignia of some lost Suel cult from the south east that worships forgotten gods. Interesting – but what are they doing in Zagyg?

I paid a visit to our urchin friend Emma. She needs a bath too, but I suppose that's an occupational hazard for being an unobtrusive beggar/thieves guild “case manager”/mark-finder. She said that she'd seen our pale mule molesters come through the gate. They were distinctive enough that she'd remember them again – especially because I paid her a gold to tell us as soon as she saw them.

Brother Wesley went to the Green Dragon to drag Cormac, ex-Red Gryphon, out of the gutter. Cormac was a knight but was now pursuing a new career lifting ale mugs and had seen the sign of the bloody hand before. He knew that they were in Castle Zagyg and that they were “boogie men” to the Gublinish, the goblins of Castle Zagyg, and that the Crimson Hand was in one of the towers. That was our best information yet – I'd pay Cormac's bar tab for a month for that info, if I had that much gold. Wesley seems impressed by Cormac. I hope he's right. I did my part and tried to welcome Cormac into the group, though I didn't offer him any wine; good elven fermenting magic would be wasted on an ale sot like him.

Our plan then: Castle Zagyg to talk to the Gublinish, and then take on the Crimson Bloody Mule Molesters.

Jane then recalled where we had seen the red hand job before: upon the chest of a gnome, throne from the Hexagonal Tower in the southwest corner of Zagyg. So they don't only kill mules – they kill gnomes, too.

First stop: Gaynoc.

Gaynoc's philosophical inquiries into the nature of law have gotten even more interesting. I have to admit that I couldn't help him. Cuthbertian high horses are lacking in rational. He and Whisper spoke of more important matters.

But Gaynoc did know a bit about the Crimson Hand: he'd seen them traveling the Menhir road south from the Castle to Yggsburgh to retrieve supplies. But they only did so “a few times over as many months.” After our fiasco, I'm tempted to set watch for rust-cloaked vagabonds journeying south to see if we can catch them. Perhaps the gold I spent on Emma will pay off.


Off then, through the portals to Zagyg!

First off, we showed Cormac the symbol of St. Cuthbert upon the Old Oak and related to him our visitation by what we sincerely feel was the avatar of the old drunk himself. It seemed important to him, or at least important enough to poor a drink upon the roots.

It did not take long to encounter vigilant members of the Gublinish tribe. I wasted a fireball intimidating them, but then I'll not waste an excuse to unleash some fire and brimstone. After the silvering of some goblin palms, we were escorted through the Gatehouse (all this time and we've never knocked on the front door!) and through the Outer Bailey to the throne room of ZukZuk, the Chief of the Gublinish. It did not escape our attention (especially Caelens!) that it appeared that the morningstar and the platemail of ZukZuk were both magical. Bogna, now the wife of ZukZuk, was not in attendance. Are the Gublinish sexist, to deny her the council hall?

Inara, who knows the tongue of goblins and other burrowing animals, did most of the talking for us. Apparently goblins are impressed by cute half pints and their fake magic. Who knew? She skillfully (as far as I could tell) negotiated a deal, written by us and signed by ZukZuk with great fanfare and import:

We agreed:
1. Nonaggression with the Gublinish within Castle Zagyg.
2. Stabling and room for a base within the Gublinish territory.
3. A payment of 10 gold to ZukZuk.
4. Their information on the Crimson Hand
5. Guidance to the edge of Gublinish territory.
We need only mention the name of the Great ZukZuk to further Gublinish encounters to remind them of our agreement.

They led us to an old, partially ruined tavern in the Outer Bailey that would be reserved for our use. (But don't go near the inn – there are centipedes, oh my.) We had Sid clean the place up while we rested, memorized spells, and debated what line of attack for the tower. Our choices were either a frontal assault upon the base of the tower, using the pretext of the “Join” choice we were given, or to climb up the 80' to the entrance at the top. The Gublinish did not know of a passage beneath the tower. I would think that there would be – why else would the Crimson Hand be at the Castle, if not for the dungeons?

The Gublinish also informed us that the Crimson Hand were rumored to be lead by a 'priest of death', likely the perpetrator who thought gnomes could fly. Also, they have ballista atop their tower.

After our usual interminable debate, we chose Jane's plan to lie and tell them we were interested in joining – since dying didn't sound like an option (note: investigate Liches). Interesting that a paladin of law could advocate lying, but we talked earlier about the inconsistencies of divine law. My choice was an invisible approach, but apparently that hasn't worked for the party at other towers. Inara used an illusion to make it seem that those of us who were invisible (myself, Cormac and Inara) were still present in the party.

Passing through the Pylon Tower dividing the Outer Bailey from the Inner Bailey, we were told to avoid this place at night since 'the creeper' haunted the place. Beyond was the Great Pagoda, which was of religious significance to the Gublinish.

You'd think I'd have paid attention to the location of the Temple of Boccob, but I didn't mark it on my map. I'll have to rectify that next time – and research what an appropriate offering would be.

But we made this little trek in the day time, so we didn't see the creeper. A pity, since we didn't see any of our enemies – though I think I did burn some of them.

So there we were, crossing the open space in front of the tower, when we were challenged by a shout atop it. We (well, not Brother Wesley or Jane) explained that we were there to “join.” To our surprise, the voices ordered us to drop our weapons and armor! So easy to spoil our devious plans.

Thinking quickly, Brother Wesley decided that the jig was up. Time to go with Plan B – a lightning bolt to the door. It was pretty spectacular, but only opened up a hole large enough for Whisper to fit through. Oh, maybe Inara could to. Sometimes I almost stumble over her and think that she could just ride Whisper instead of a pony.

But the blast! And Explosion! While the lightning bolt didn't quite open the door wide enough for us, it did open the door wide enough for a fireball. Another Blast! And Explosion! I'm fairly certain I crisped a number of them – we'd heard voices from behind the door.

So a number of us charged through the now wide open door, to find not enemies but a different sort of surprise. Some kind of ward or glyph of divine magic protects the doorway, knocking poor Gavis unconscious and putting the hurt on nearly everyone that went through the door. I was afraid that Ildrick had died. Was I really concerned for Ildrick? Maybe I should become a Cuthbertian.

Luckily enough, the glyph/ward/trap/burning fire of hurt didn't effect us on the way out. I foolishly drank a fly potion thinking that I could access a window on the second floor, but by the time I got a rope (and Thurag) up there, the call to retreat was sounded. And I'd been saving that potion for sooooo long!

Unprepared to defeat the glyph and beginning to attract missile fire from the tower, we dragged our unconscious friends out of the tower and beat an ignominious retreat through the Castle.

Arg!

Spent:
Much gold
17 for the library
1 for the urchin bathing fund
10 for the goblin chief on his throne of something
36 for the charge of the lightning bolt brigade
Likely another fortune or two that I've forgotten.

Found:
Zilch, nada.

Oh, yes, knowledge is more precious than gold. Too bad it doesn't purchase spellbook ink.

Hail friends! It is I, Simon, the newest member of our adventuring party, and I will tell you of the heroic exploits of our last encounter!

Heading out north, a party consisting of myself, Threnody, Merchello, Inara, and Caelen, and some various minions set out in search of an Inn known as "The Grinding Gear" - once a safe haven for adventurers such as ourselves, now a place of great sorrow, and mystery. We first headed to Stonewick to uncover clues as to the Inn, and here we encountered a bard named Erotha 'el Hoffa (name ?), an apparent follower of Istus, the goddess of fate. In addition to telling us when last she was there, she also informed us to be wary of the Ork Chieftains Frothgnaw, the chief AND shaman of the Bloody Axes, and Whitepale, the Chief of the Corpses. Of Whitepale, all she said was to not show weakness.

We reached the Inn Compound without incident, and found a small compound surrounded by a stout wooden fence, the gate open, but less than inviting. There were three buildings; a wooden stable, a wooden inn (which was APPARENTLY three stories with a large 'attic'), and a small stone building, which we later discovered to be a chapel to McGuyver (? spelling), the god of tricks or some nonsense.

Inside the stable we found 5 horses, all branded with crossed double swords. We took them, but it might behoove us to uncover the indentity of the brand before we try to sell them and make ourselves a brand new enemy (other than the 5 guys we left horseless underneath the statue).

Ah, the statue. There was a statue, cast in copper (or bronze?), of the Inn's Proprietor, Garvin Richmond, in the middle of the compound, surrounded with corpses. Most were goblins and decaying, but there was also one recently killed human, whose chainmail we looted most honorably. Caelen and Oni discovered that pressing on the plate under the statue opened a secret passage underneath, but also released a gas that rendered non-dwarves who breath in it unconcious, and also signaled to the mosquito bats of the inn's attic that there was easy prey!

Despite my best attempts at sabotage, our group used it's considerable magical power and slew the creatures. It was then we decided to investigate the chapel and were told by our cleric of the nature of the diety it was a shrine to.

The group then shortly argued about the merits of cornstarch as a thickening agent in cooking. This conversation, predictably, went nowhere, but was quite entertaining, and thus worthy of note in the halls of Valhalla (or the Greyhawk equivolent. Take that, forth wall!)

When we entered the Inn, the chairs were on the tables as if the place had been 'put away'. While no one had been here, there was very little of the damage that would come from an all out looting. We found a set of keys in the office (which Simon took, but will loan to someone if he is not around and we go back).

We found two notes behind the bar; one in a mug saying 'the third one is false'

*Note - I believe this is what it said, but I'm not sure if it's the note verbatim

The other note was inside a small safe behind the bar, saying,
'All valuables have been moved from the premises to your designated underground area.'
-Logan, Monroe, Summers - Moneychanging and Merchant House

On the third floor (which appeared to be Richmond's private floor) we found a few things of note, including a journal underneath Richmond's bed. It appeared to be the journal of his daughter, who had previously run away with an adventurer and turned up dead shortly thereafter. The journal said,
' Father's primary architect, Grant Tarkenton, has broken his contract and sold the tomb plans to tomb robbers'
There were also various receipts for the construction of what appeared to be a tomb.

We also found a library, which was devoid of books. However, it was categorized by
-Physical Science
-Construction, Excavation and Engineering
-Riddles, Jokes and Gags
-Feeding and Care of Dragons
-Adventurer Journals.

(Side note-seeing all of those together makes me think this is all a sick way for him to feed his pet dragon).
Also found a sheet of music for "My Bonnie lass, she don't look so good" (how's that for a loot list! aww, I made myself feel bad ; ;)

We then entered the trapdoor to the attic, where we found even more of the mosquito bats. While we easily handled the first wave, the second proved to much, and it was all we could do to escape to save ourselves.

Thus, while we have ascertained much of the Inn's contents, we still do not know where the secret stair leads. Until next time!

Four Large Wolf Pelts. Wolves were killed cleanly with no weapon damage. Jane removed the pelts with a skill check of 17.

We later met some trappers who examined our skinning skills (we preferred their criticism/commentary to that of Illdrik's). They were glad for a light summer of orc encounters, and when they learned that we were to account for this, they offered Jane a very nice badger pelt. They offered to work it into the form of a hat that would fit her helm. We will need to collect this some day.

The trappers mentioned a statue north of Barley Fields of a warrior who fought against the Demon Lords long ago (Mayan Menye?). He fought with an Elven Sword given to him by the fairly queen (elf queen?). Also mentioned was a Redare OakOath, who is in a sacred grove across the river Oerth (Urt?).

We faced a Manticore in the middle of the night. It swooped in hidden in darkness firing darts from its tail (at the time we didn't know what was coming at us). Kenny took three darts to the chest at once and immediately died (with a roaring chorus of You killed Kenny, You Bastard!!!) While everyone struggled to pull on bits of armor, a few bow shots and a lightning bolt were fired at the beast. A glitterdust spell forced it to retreat to the skies, and a few more arrows convinced it to fly away, mortally embarrassed by it's thorough spanking (in truth, we could have been in a world of hurt).

At the tower, all was quiet. We climbed to the top of the lower tower, noting that we could see into some of the arrow slits, indicating that the magical darkness was not throughout the tower. At the smashed trapdoor we could see only darkness, but Illdrik entered through an arrow slit where light could pass and confirmed only the first room or so was in dark, and no spiders could be detected. We entered and descended the stairs to the level just below.

We first went to our right, and found a room with chalk markings noting the tally of some Orc wagering. The next room held poorly crafted orc spears and arrows, as well as orc poop and pee barrels. (orc poop... hee hee) Heading back to the stairs and turning left we find a more narrow passage, with doors to rooms facing outside the tower. The first room was a orc sleeping quarters with rude chalk drawings on the wall. We found a sack:

3gp, 20sp, 13cp, 2 stone basalt figures (that fit together in a certain way...)

The next part of the corridor was all melty warped, with bones embedded in the walls. Then there was a door with a rough orc/elf smiley face drawn on it, with a barrel of oil and unused torches outside. We opened the door and were pelted with darts from fairy types ("go away orcs"). Jane wrote a polite note in Silvain and we moved on.

The next door had a death skull drawn on it. Within were three skeletons hanging on a wall, and to the right a set of barred cells hidden in magical/evil darkness. Caelen went in with rope around his waist and was attacked by shadows from the cells. He was struck with unearthly cold and lost much of his strength. We pulled him out using the rope and fought the shadows in the doorway. Magic spells fizzled in the room. We defeated the shadows with magic stones, magic weapons and Danforth's firey breath (having used a fire breathing potion).

Inside we searched the cells and found loot on a gnomish victim and an elvish victim. Illdrik, who was doing the looting, escaped just before the shadow creatures reformed. On the bodies we found:

Magical whistle, made of ivory inlaid with precious stones
Gold Belt Buckle
Gold Shoe Buckles
Magical feather quill

Back in the fairly room, the creatures were nicer to us, having read Jane's note. Jane did all the talking from the doorway, and learned that within was a single creature, a faey dryiad or woodland creature of sorts named Mr. Green. He was brought here long ago by a Falpold Balderdash. He was now in the form of an acorn, and wanted to be brought back to "the forest". Jane agreed to do this, and was allowed safely into the room, to collect Mr. Green and put him into her pocket. She noted the dead and decayed corpses of orcs and a demon type. (Jane had remembered hearing of a Mr. Green. Previously she had met fairies who were guarding a portal for Mr. Green, who had been away a long time)

Further along the corridors, we found a corridor that stretched behind the shadow cell rooms, with arrow slits facing outside. Beyond that, we found a room with a very well done drawing in pastel chalk on the wall of Grumpsh in battle victory. Hilarity ensued as we speculated on the life and times of a young Orcbrandt, or perhaps a poorly understood and troubled Orc Van Gogh. Continuing, we reached the end of the corridor, which had a final door, and also a stranger circular outcropping of regular stone against the interior tower wall. We could discover nothing of this outcropping, but entered the final room.

Within we found a bed, a large chair with skulls on the arms, two stools facing the chair, an empty and open chest, a desk and a tapestry. Under the bed furs we found a sack with three tiger eyes. The desk surface had a built in map of the menhir hills, with green, white and purple marbles. We could discern the menhir hills road, the towns of Barley Fields and Stonewyck, our tower location and other points of interest. Further in the Menhir hills we could see the shape of a larger tower or castle (perhaps this castle Wesley has learned of). Other orc outposts were noted, with green orc marbles and white slave marbles placed. We made a drawing representation of the map and the marble locations. We took the tapestry, which again was Grumpsh in his glory.

Oni (who we had paid to be returned to the flesh), discovered that the tower corridor did not seem to go fully around the tower circumference. We search the wall within the room and discovered a secret door, which we opened with a knock spell. Within was an old desk and a metal chest. We learned the mechanism to the door (stone pressure plates in the outer room). The desk was falling apart, but within one drawer we found a silver letter opener and 5gp with an old unknown stamp.

We slept the night and Wesley learned extra knock spells the next day. Casting knock on the check immediately unlocked and opened it, and released a noxious gas that filled the secret room and the outer room. Mr. Green, the acorn in Jane's sack, immediately died. While Jane mourned, we found within the chest 3 potions, 2 scrolls and dagger and 10 footlong gold bars with strange runes on them. We went home.

Monster Summary:
Wolves, Manticore, Shadows

Treasure Summary:
Wolf pelts
Badge pelt (Jane will keep as a hat)
Orc spears and arrows, if of any value.
3gp, 20sp, 13cp, 2 stone basalt figures
Magical whistle, made of ivory inlaid with precious stones
Gold Belt Buckle
Gold Shoe Buckles
Magical feather quill
3 Tiger Eyes
Tapestry
Silver Letter Opener
5gp ancient coins
3 potions
2 scrolls
dagger
10 gold bars with runes
metal chest with lock

In the days that follow our return to Yggsburgh, rumors and chatter abound. All the talk was of Byrne, Leader of the infamous Red Griffons, and two of his comrades, Brok Hammerfell, dwarven priest of Moradin and Cormack Mak Bran, errant Knight of the Order of the Citadel, tied, shackled and frog-marched through the city gates like common criminals. The rumors and alley talk escalate to the extreme, as the notoriety of the Red Griffons captors reach ever greater heights. Brother Wesley, holy mage of St Cuthbert, Jane the Halfling enforcer of Yggsburgh, and the renowned adventurers Kolya the Halfling cleric and Desi the fearsome barbarian woman, have all become to some degree the talk of the town. These Red Griffons now lie incarcerated within the city prison, awaiting trial for charges yet unknown to the public. In the Green Dragon, patrons are shocked that fellows they have known well have been arrested. In the Outs Inn, adventurers surround our comrades table, offering drinks in exchange for the true story. Wesley, along with his friends Kolya, Jane and Desi, comply and tell the tale of their most recent adventure to Castle Zagyg.

I shall start, says Brother Wesley, and help me friends if I miss a detail. Our day started early as I and Jane visited the Swordsmen’s Brotherhood, to acquire fighting men from Ulysses to support our endeavor. We not only secured the services of Fenrik, an able crossbowman, but on great insistence we convinced Ulysses to hire out to us the services of the pious Hathaway, a fine warrior with much experience. I led Hathaway in a prayer to St. Cuthbert, and we then began our adventure.

We traveled to our favorite place of passage (location unknown, wink, wink), and readied ourselves for whatever strange price of passage would be requested that day. Our friend Gaynok sat upon a rock plucking unskillfully on a poor and weathered mandolin. The price of passage, he said, was a song played on the mandolin and sung in the human voice. Placing the instrument in my hand, Gaynok bid that I play and sing. It was at that moment I was most grateful for those years as a child singing in the church choir at the Citadel of St. Cuthbert in Greyhawk. As my fingers recalled the chords and strums of the mandolin (again thanks to my mother for those music lessons forced on me at an early age), I then proceeded to sing a song that might please Gaynok, a song called “Your Song”, by the great and flamboyant Greyhawkian bard “Sir Elton John”. While Sir Elton was perhaps not his favorite composer, old Gaynok was quite pleased with my rendition and granted us passage. Oh, and he also returned my magic dagger left with him on our last visit.

Reaching Castle Zagyg, we took a moment to visit St. Cuthbert’s famous tree. Kolya told our friend Hathaway the story of our first visit, where we had met and drank with St. Cuthbert, as he sat visiting our mortal world in the guise of a poor farmer. While I was skeptical on that day, in the months since, I have grown to believe that it truly was our lord who visited us that day, and I remain humbled and ashamed that I did not believe so at first. I shared this with Hathaway, and upon consideration, he fell to his knees in heartfelt prayer before the tree.

We then proceeded to the Castle, secured our mule what we hoped would be a safe passage, and then sought out those strange and poorly garbed high elves that live within the castle. They scoffed at our readiness for our planned visit to the third level o f the Castle, deeming our preparation insufficient for the dungeon designs of the zany Zagyg. They allowed us passage and showed us to a roughly cut circular stairwell that wandered its way deeper into the castle underground. I noted my surprise that this was yet another pathway down to the lower levels, and as we traveled unevenly down roughly 60 feet, I suspected we were at the same depth as our previous adventure when we met the Juggernaut and the snake people.

The granite hewn stairwell ended and opened into worked passages, leading east and west. We first explored the east passages. Opening the first door we came to, we were immediately assaulted by two crossbow wielding human fighters in some sort of bedroom. Barely had the fight ensued when another door within the room opened and a mage in black entered. The battle did not last long, with the wizard falling early and Desi taking care of the rest with an awesome whirlwind attack. Some large rats came upon us after the initial combat, but were quickly vanquished. We discovered a chest under a bed full of silver and copper, and from the defeated wizard I acquired these beautiful bracers (I raise my arms and let the cuffs of my robes fall back to display the ornate bracers with their strange runes). Strangely, we did not find the wizards spellbook, although we were having quite a clumsy day as we endeavored to search for secret doors and hidey-holes.

As the corridors meandered we found other doors further along. Behind the first we were certain there was a warren of rats, as we could hear their scurrying and could see various rat holes along the main corridors. We braced ourselves for rodent slaughter and smashed in the door. The rats scampered towards us, just in time to be blasted by Kolya’s deafening soundblast. A few rats had come out to meet us in the main corridor, but in no time at all we cleared this area of the infestation. Some treasure was found within the rats smelly warren. (Friends… remind me what we found there?)

Further along the corridor, we opened another door to find a room that brought us worry and foreboding. The room glowed with a strange light and a pentagon lay centered on the floor, its lines made of silver filling engraved channels through the granite. We chose not to enter this room, and moved further on. I was left wondering though if this room was used by the wizard we had vanquished and if perhaps his spellbook could be hidden within.

Upon opening the next door, we discovered a barren and empty room. Made wary by the previous room, we scanned this room for magic without entering, and were surprised to discover that the entire room glowed with magic. Kolya threw a copper coin into the room, which promptly disappeared. Whether transported, time travelled or destroyed, we could not tell. Jane put her are in and then out of the doorway, to no harm, although the sight of her arm disappearing from view was unsettling. As we deliberated and delayed further action, Jane impatiently and impetuously walked fully the room and disappeared. We waited precious minutes later, but Jane did not reappear. Desi threw in a length of rope, and as she pulled to retrieve the end, it seemed to be grasped with firm tugs. The rope was then released and Desi was able to fully retrieve it. We wrote a note, hopefully to Jane and attached it to the rope and threw it within. Jane was able to write a reply which we gathered in on the end of the rope. At one point, Desi reached in with her are and was able to grasp Jane’s wrist, however she was unable to pull Jane through the threshold of the doorway. Kolya continued to throw coppers through the doorway. Jane’s final note said that she could hear others in the passageway outside the room she was in (identical to the one we could see) and she was moving on to explore.

While I had been reluctant to use my magic to locate Jane, thinking it unlikely that she was anywhere or anytime near us, I finally relented to the insistence of my comrades, and cast locate object with Jane’s Enforcer’s badge as my focus. Sure enough, I could sense its presence some distance away Northwest of our position. As I maintained focus on this token, we backtracked the way we came, to explore the western and northern passages as quickly as we could. We passed by corridors and doorways, taking no time to investigate, in order to maintain our fast pace. I sensed the location of Jane’s badge turn more to the North Northwest and final due North as we closed in. We reached a point where it seemed we had no choice but to open a door in order to further progress in a Northward direction, and we did. As the door swung open, to our relief we saw a lighted passage ahead with Jane standing before us. Our initial relief quickly turned to alert as we realized Jane was not alone. Standing directly behind her was the loathsome Byrne, leader of the Red Griffons, our hated adventuring nemesis, along with the rest of the Griffon band.

Desi stood up front and I moved to stand behind her. Kolya stood to the front and engaged the band in parley. We quickly understood that Jane had been taken hostage and was being forced to lead the Griffons way through the dungeon. Kolya tried his best to convince the Griffons that we were better off as friends than combatants, and that upon releasing Jane we could perhaps be of some benefit to each other. We pleaded to Cormack, recognizing him as a less than resolved member of the Griffon troup, hoping to stir his sense of honor and justice regarding the wrongness of subjugating Jane, an officer of the law. Instead, they detected magic on us and demanded Kolya’s magic sword in exchange for Jane’s release. He refused, just as I slowly pulled out a scroll and tried to discretely cast a Wall of Stone spell, hoping to separate Jane from the rest of the Griffons behind her. Unfortunately their sharp eyes caught my movement and they jumped into action. Quickly, Byrne, Brok and Cormick charged ahead of Jane and engaged us in combat. Quickly Hathaway fell from their blows, while Kolya and Desi tried to hold them off. Once the shock of their initial foray was overcome, we fell into action, leading off with my spell. Looking at the new positions of our foes, I quickly determined that a diagonal wall was required, leaving Jane on our side and the other Red Griffons, including the one standing beside Jane, trapped behind the wall. Success! We now faced only three of the Griffons.

As combat continued, Jane moved forward and we held our own, insisting between blows that the Griffons stand down from combat, that the day was lost to them. They did not deter and we were forced to fight on. Kolya cast his divine magic and suddenly Byrne was frozen stiff and unmoving, locked in place by a Hold Person spell. In that blink of an eye I saw my opening, the perfect tactical geometry for a blast of lighting from my wand. I backed off several feet, braced my arm, focused my aim, and let loose a long jagged stream of electrical energy. The blast struck through Byrne where he stood on the right side of the corridor, all my comrades safely on the left side. The energy flowed onwards, bouncing from the diagonal wall of stone I had laid across the corridor. The lightning crashed against the side of the corridor, reflect again to the diagonal wall of stone, and straight back towards me. The energy tore through Byrne once again, and flashed towards me, ending just a dozen feet or more in front of me, petering out in a crackle of fading sparks. Byrne fell to the ground, unconscious and perhaps dying. Desi was faced off against Brok, the dwarven cleric, and with a Barbariac roar was completely intimidating her foe. Kolya cast another Hold Person, and intimidated as the dwarf was, he froze unmoving and completely held. Cormack, the fallen Knight and unsteady comrade found himself torn, but in the end still loyal to his leader. He dropped to his Knees in front of Byrne, fed him a potion, and then faced us with sword planted upright in defensive posture. We plead with him to stand down, and that we would speak for him well when the others were brought to trial for the crime of holding hostage and bartering ransom of a lawful enforcement officer of Yggsburgh. He refused, saying his must needs protect his unconscious leader.

With that last stand, Cormack lost his final chance for the leniency we offered. I pointed my wand towards him, the geometry exactly matching the previous blast fired just moments before. I looked Cormack in the eyes and said “Sir, lay down your sword”. Knowing the dire consequence of further refusal, Cormack dropped his blade, and entreated upon our honor to hold to the offer we had made to keep them alive for trial in Yggsburgh and not to murder them on the spot. Although Kolya took some convincing, we did grant them their lives and bound them securely for deliverance to Yggsburgh justice.

It was interesting after the fact to hear the story from Jane’s perspective. The room to which she was transported was affected by strange magic. The rope and Desi’s arm appeared through the doorway as if from thin air, and try as she might, Jane could not pass through the threshold while grasping rope or arm. The details of her capture were surprising, the Red Griffons threatening her life if she did not disarm, and going to some lengths to belittle her position as an officer of the law. She was used as trap bait, marched ahead of their party to test the dungeon flooring for pit traps. Their efforts to ransom her life and freedom showed their complete lack of respect for those who represent the just and the good.

I am not sure what charges may be brought to bear, and I do not doubt that these Griffons have allies who may help them avoid true justice. Their comrades remain free and likely are unhappy with the events that transpired. We have not made friends. But we certainly have taken them down a notch or two. Perhaps their egos may be checked to some degree. More likely, they’ll be spurred towards some sort of revenge. That does not bother me… we now know we are well matched.

Til next time Byrne, til next time…