Many Thanks

7 November, 595
Part I

In the morning the group meets at the Drunken Morkoth Inn, where the barkeeper passes them a note, but not before asking them if they have a name yet. Finding them at a loss for words, he hands over the note, which is a request for audience with Terseon Skellerang, the captian of the town guard. They also learn that Keygan has been arrested and is being brought to trial tomorrow to face possible execution.

Deciding that the best thing to do is to continue the search at this point, the party returns to Keygan's shop to find it guarded by soldiers, who are in the process of bricking up the secret entrance to Jzadirune. At this point they decide to venture to the town hall, where they seek an audience with Skellerang. The captain gives them a writ to take to the guards which will allow them entry into the ruins, but he also has something else which he wants to talk to thim about. It seems that the city is being overrun at night by groups of goblins, which wreak general havoc and are terrorizing the populace. He asks the heroes to locate their lair and offers a bounty of 5gp per goblin ear.

The group returns to the ruins and encounters a small kitchen inhabited by a pair of goblins armed with serving spoons, and a captive human which has been forced to cook gods know what for his captors. The goblins are quickly dispatched and the cook provides useful assitance, leading them to the location of the prison cells. In a room obviously used for torture, the party encounters a woman shackled to a chair. She is in bad shape but is still alive. Karnak frees her from her bonds and she is grateful. Fario's body is also found in this room, and Felian attends to the corpse. In the prison cell they find 4 interesting characters locked up.

The first is a rowdy man named Kryslar Endercott who the party takes an immediate dislike to. He is full of empty boasts and challenges the leadership of the party. Salla challenges him to fisticuffs, and Kryslar ends up on his back, after knocking himself out. Salla leaves the laughable character on the ground as they free the other prisoners.

The next to be freed is a male human named Deven Myrzal, who is almost inconsolable, uttering pleas not to eat him, until Alastriel calms him down with her soothing elven voice. After that is a female named Iruth Mercadi, another nervous wreck who is emboldened by her rescue. In the last cell is found an old crotchety gnome named Jasper Dundlesput. His cell is covered with scrawled numbers, figures, and diagrams, and he is constantly mumbling some pseudo-mathematical nonsense. He first refuses to leave because he needs to "finish his work", but later assents if it will shut them up.

Kryslar comes to and instructs the group to follow him to the exit. Exasperated, Baxtor tails him to see what kind of trouble he stirs up. He ends up leading them to a obscenely decorated bedroom, with all sorts of animal skins, skulls, and bones decorating the scene. Alastriel astutely searches behind a wall hanging and discovers a lever, which is thrown to no effect. The group then leaves, returning to the surface and allowing the guards to help the recovered prisoners back to their homes. Before departing, Coryston again extends her thanks and offers to teach her new spells the next time that she comes to visit. At this point Felian says his goodbye and departs with the dead body of his friend.

Back to the malachite fortress, and Salla convinces the group to explore beyond the locked iron doors. Before that, Baxtor casts a spell to detect evil. Nothing is detected beyond the doors, but the statue in the room does have an evil presence about it, and there is a faint indication back beyond the double doors in the opposite side of the room. The locked iron doors are opened to reveal a bridge spanning a chasm to a large cave on the opposite side. The group explores a bit and finds a tunnel that leads downward into the bowls of the earth. After continuing for 15 minutes, it is decided to turn back and search for more prisoners.

They reenter the forge area where they spot a group of goblins and hobgoblins. Kyladrian makes a bungled attempt at a sneak attack and inadvertantly alerts his prey. An interesting battle ensues in which Salla, the axe specialist, never lands a blow, yet Alastriel, the wizard, makes every one of her bow shots find a target, which includes Salla's back. After several blows are traded, the goblinoids are defeated and the group frees 3 more prisoners from their shackles. One of the goblin surrenders and is rendered unconscious by an overzealous blow from Salla. It is late afternoon and the group heads back out. Before they leave the shop, the guards advise them that they are instructed to start bricking up the entrance by sunrise. The goblin is left with them and they attempt to find Skellerang to ask for more time. Unfortunately, the office is closed and everyone has gone home for the day.

A New Arrival

6 November, 595
Part III

That day over lunch a stranger stops by, a spry-looking elf who introduces herself as Alastriel. She explains that she was instructed to meet them by Shensen, the caretaker of a shrine at an inn out of town, and offers her assistance if the group should need it. Felian perks up at the mention of Shensen and is the first to welcome Alastriel to the group.

It is decided to rest for the night to recover spells, then mount another expedition in the morning to recover any remaining prisoners.