The quartet of adventurers strides through the streets of Shadowfurst. Word has travelled fast about the fight in the shop district. Passersby avoid eye contact and seem to nervously edge away as they draw near. Every so often they catch a surly glare from a young man lurking in a doorway.

The Church of St. Terragnis is in a small square in the inner city. Mishok, who has spent some time there, is used to the sight of speechmakers standing on soapboxes, and religious adherents pontificating to small groups of citizens. Today, one is railing against the royal guards in town:

“This is suppression of our freedom. What does the Queen do for us overseas in Tethyr? Nothing! They take our tax money and offer no support, except for now these arrogant guards are left here to keep us unruly Provincial types in line!”

Near the steps of the church is a woman in a white robe. She too preaches to the crowd, “Lawlessness! That’s what we have in our streets! Lawlessness and godlessness! A man – one of our own – imperfect, but just a man was brutally cut down on a street corner, and his friend, come to his aid was butchered as well! For what? A simple fisticuffs altercation, escalated to wanton murder! And what do our city guards do? Nothing! We need the Royal Army more than ever! We should be grateful for these guests from the Royal garrison! We have scant few standing forces of our own. Poorly-trained militias of country bumpkins with pitchforks. You’ve all heard about the demon roaming the hills – who’s going to protect this city when a real threat rears its ugly head!?”

At that moment, Brother Tibault Throgsden opens the wooden double doors of the Church of St. Terragnis, and beckons the party inside. He leads them up the stone stairs, through the doors, and into the church. Lamps and candles fill the church with a flickering yellow glow. Seven or eight acolytes bustle about preparing for services, lighting candles, placing prayer books on pews, sweeping floors, and so forth. The aroma of incense floats in the air.

Tibault welcomes the group, but speaks most directly to Mishok. He is glad to see them, because he needs their help. He has not seen Father Baird in a couple of days. He tells them that some days ago Baird had gone down the well in undercroft of the church to investigate the fouling of their water supply. He had seemed rather “off” since then. And now he has gone missing. He is worried that he perhaps went back down the well and met some kind of misfortune. He does not know what to do without Father Baird, but he is doing his best to keep things running and keep the other acolytes from worrying. Sartan thinks he hears a muffled crash… it is unclear from where. Tibault leads them down the center aisle towards a door to the right of the altar, when the door suddenly bursts open. Ghouls and ghasts with glinting blue-green eyes pour into the room. The acolytes are mostly frozen with terror, and a couple of the ghouls immediately set upon them. Two acolytes are brought down by the the ferocious creatures. The adventurers spring into action and meet the assailants in combat. The undead horrors carry with them a reek of death and rot that is nearly unbearable. One of the large ghasts lunges for Davros, raking his skin with its diseased claws. He falls to the ground, stricken with paralysis. Cycek casts a cloud of fog in one corner of the room, leaving many of the ghouls blinded and confused. Mishok casts a “bane” spell upon a number of them, and then channels the divinity of Divoc, driving more of the ghasts away from him, and into the fog cloud. Concentrating the enemy in the fog allows Sartan and Cycek to slay several of the other foul creatures who are loose in the church, but not before another acolyte is savaged by a terrible ghast. These creatures prove to be possessed of an unholy strength, and the warriors have to hack and slash before the monsters are finally felled. Cycek leaps from pew to pew, and shoves one of the creature away, knocking it and its nearest ally to the floor. Eventually, all the creatures who had been driven from Mishok stagger, hidden by fog, out the door from whence they came. By the time the last of the guttural cries from the horrific undead throats have diminished into the distance, Brother Tibault and the four adventurers have moved into rescue mode. Davros uses his healers kit to bring one of the acolytes from the brink of death. To Tibault’s dismay, however, he finds that one has been killed, and another dragged away. The surviving acolytes are traumatized, but Tibault instructs them to attend to the dead. He then leads the others in pursuit of the retreating ghouls and the taken acolyte. He leads them through Father Baird’s sleeping quarters, through a storeroom, and down a spiral stairway to the undercroft. There, he takes his leave, bidding the companions to be careful, to bring back the abducted acolyte, and to discover the fate of Father Baird. He must go and attend to his flock in their time of fear and grief.

There in the dark undercroft is a well leading down into darkness. Very obvious fresh tracks and drag marks lead to the well. Mishok casts a “light” spell on Fuzzidong, and they lower the weasel down the well. In the glow of the magical light, they can see that about 40 feet down, the shaft opens into a larger chamber before reaching the pool of dirty water below. They pull Fuzzidong back up and discuss their next move. Cycek is eager to pursue their quarry.

Following their discussion with Skids and Shaggi, the two travelers squatting on the 2nd floor of the Yur Inn, the group spends some more time exploring their new property. Davros inspects the bottles behind the bar, discovering among them, a bottle of healing postion, and a bottle of urine. They decide to approach their acquaintence, Lolly Oxcart, with an opportunity to have her manage the bar. They set off toward her place of employment, the grocery store in the shopping district. 

Bontelan Wright meets them in the street. He reasserts his eagerness to have them accept the mission of infiltrating and exploring Khundrukkar, the lost stronghold of the fabled crafter of weapons, Durgeddin the Black. He tells them of the business arrangement he has made with the countess, wherein he acts as an agent, providing skilled individuals for jobs requiring special capabilities. He insists that the four explorers are the best he has available for this job, and that the countess is compensating him for his efforts in enlisting the team. He will share his earnings with them, in the form of an advance of 50gp each if they accept the job. He asks in return, that they not only perform the mission of finding out what the hobgoblins are up to, and identifying the presence of Durgeddin’s weaponry, but also discovering what they can about the fate of his mission of 20 years ago. He had sent a team of five, led by a dwarven guide named Krago of the Mountains. Sartan inquires about the identities of the others and learns that among the team were his former companions, Lefto and Ahura-Mazda, as well as an elf and a wizard. This piques Sartan’s interest, for he too would like to know the fate of his friends, who have not been seen 20 years hence. Mr. Wright then bestows a gift upon Sartan – the blessed shield that Sartan had unsuccessfully bargained for at the armory. He tells him that it was crafted by the monks of Tyr at their island monastery in the south. The careful smithing of fine armor is a sacred act to the monks, and that the blessing upon this shield is sure to protect the bearer, should they be good and just, from harm. With a parting bit of encouragement to consider the journey, Bontelan bids the group farewell, until their meeting the day after the morrow.

They continue on their way, and soon approach a small plaza lined with shops and carts with wares for sale. A coarse shout catches their attention, and they are soon aware of a number of thuggish blokes approaching them from the intersecting street. The lead one approaches the group and shouts at them, berating them for taking over the Yur Inn while Yuri rots in the dungeon.

Davros returns the hostility, swearing at man. The thug draws back a fist to punch Davros, who immediately draws his rapier and delivers a critical wound to the thug. The bleeding man pulls his mace and hits Davros, before being decapitated by a second rapier stroke. Cycek steps forward and cuts down another of the thugs. The rest flee down the street.

Davros and Cycek loot the bodies that lie in pools of blood in the street, as horrified shoppers in the plaza look on. The thugs are shabbily dressed in mis-matched leather armor and carrying makeshift weapons. Shortly, a pair of town guards arrive. They ask, “What happened here?” Davros and Cycek reply with hostile retorts. They are lucky that these particular officers are no fans of the deceased thugs, and they decide not to immediately arrest the antagonistic pair. They let the group go on their way, and wait for a cart to come and carry off the bodies to the morgue.

The group makes their way through the shocked citizens in the shopping plaza, and find Lolly Oxcart standing outside the front door of the grocery where she works as a clerk. She greets the group, and states that trouble seems to follow them wherever they go, for the last time she had seen them was on the morning of the riot in the city square. They exchange a few pleasantries and tidbits of news. For instance, Sartan inquires about Carver. She tells him that Carver and Wendella have parted ways and Carver has gone north in search of his brother Harven (Hack.)

They offer her employment as manager of the Yur Inn. They will pay her 2 silver pieces per day. Mishok tells her that they may be traveling for awhile, and that while they are gone, she should gather estimates on repairs to the inn, so that they can fix it up and hopefully restore it to operaration. She gleefully agrees.

Having accomplished that, they set off to the 3 Javelins. While there, they talk to the owner, Randall Roanstoll. In the course of their discussion, the hit upon the idea of making the Yur Inn a joint venture of some kind. They part ways agreeing to consider different arrangements, and to discuss it further at a later date.

Interlude: After the battle in the Shadowfurst Guard Tower, and the rescue of the Strongbows, the “guest” troops that have arrived with Countess Velnarian’s entourage have worked with the mayor’s administration to keep the peace in the city, and root out the corrupt guards. Spring turns into summer, and summer carries on toward autumn. During this time there are no further incidents of major unrest, but there is a simmering sense of unease. The people of Shadowfurst have mixed feelings about the monarchy overseas. There are those who decry that the crown has lost interest in these provinces, and neither invest in them nor vigorously defend them. There are others, sometimes the same people, who enjoy the relative independence of the provinces and resent any interference from the crown. Either way, the presence of Royal soldiers in the streets, not to mention the Countesses troops, is deeply unsettling to many citizens. There are rumors afoot of broader issues that are keeping the soldiers here. The four adventurers become enlightened on these matters in the mid-summer when they are called to a meeting that is to include the mayor, the Countess, and Bontelan Wright.

In the summer months following the Shadowfurst Four’s defeat of Donwald and the suppression of the unrest by Countess Velnarion’s guards and the royal garrison, the Four have taken up temporary residence at the Three Javelins Inn. On the morning of their scheduled meeting with the mayor and the countess, they find that they are overstaying their welcome at the inn. The owner, Randall Roanstoll, is the mayor’s brother-in-law and has been doing him the favor of putting a roof over the heads of the Four while the Yur Inn is being investigated by the authorities. He is growing weary of the drain on his resources and has begun to imply that he would like them to soon move on or begin paying for their room and board.

During this time, the adventurers have been honing their skills and getting to know the City of Shadowfurst.

Sartan has been perfecting his swordsmanship. Demonsbane has been growing restless and insists that there are very likely still some demons roaming the countryside who have slipped through the random portals that had opened last spring. The sword is eager to pursue the demons.

Mishok has gotten to know Father Baird at the Church of St. Terragnis as well as his chief acolyte Tibalt Throgsden, a dwarf who knows some of the dwarven lore of the region. He tells Mishok of the legend of Durgeddin the Black and his bladeworks in the western foothills. Furthermore, in his interest in pursuing his craft, Mishok has received several leads. He has learned of a co-op of craftspeople on the north side of town where, for a fee, he can lease a portion of a shop, where he can have the space and many of the tools he will need to pursue his work. Alternately, the foreman of the Stoneyard has offered Mishok a full-time job, with the promise that he will be permitted to use their facilities for his own work after-hours.

Cycek has been exploring the blufflands to the west of town. He has encountered a set of large reptilian tracks along with numerous booted humanoid tracks. The reptilian tracks were difficult to decipher. There was something odd about them, as if there were several creatures walking in close proximity, or more legs than a quadruped would have. As he followed these track, he happened upon a strange statue. The area is generally littered with the ruins of an ancient culture: bits of walls, old sections or road, even decrepit, crumbling sculptures. But this statue was unusual in its realistic detail and its relatively good condition. It was a life-sized sculpture of a crouching hunter with a drawn bow. Nearby he found an unremarkable intact arrow. There was no evidence of it having been dragged or otherwise moved there.

Davros has spent his downtime womanizing. He has been having relations with as many women as he could seduce. In fact, as the party explores the town on this particular morning, a woman that he scarcely recognizes rushed up to him. She wears the garb of a wealthy woman, yet she is gushing over Davros is a highly emotional manner, exclaiming “Oh Davros, I’ve missed you! I’ve been hoping I’d see you again. I brought you this gift!” She reaches out and places a ruby jeweled necklace around his neck. She continues, “It looks so good on you! My husband is out of town on business tonight. Come, meet me at our special place!”

Davros brushes her off, and she shortly leaves. But he is very suspicious of the jewelry she has given him. He takes it off and stows it in his pack.

The four explorers visit R. Morey’s Blades and Bows, a shop run by a man named Rumpah J. Morey. They don’t care for his prices, and they haggle with him. In fact, Sartan has his eye on a special shield. Rumpah describes it as having been made and blessed by the monks from the Monastery of Tyr in the south. His asking price is 150gp and Sartan is outraged. They haggle but come to no agreement. Rumpah expresses interest in purchasing the swords carried by Mishok and Sartan, but again come to no agreement. The party leaves having purchased a number of arrows.

Next they visit an establishment known as “The Fieldhouse.” This store is an outfitter carrying all sorts of items for travel, for outdoor activities, as well as tools and light building materials for farms, etc. The owner, Bruna Buckskin rebuffs all attempts to haggle with her, insisting that her prices are fair and honest. She takes particular offense to attempts to persuade her with sexual innuendo. They leave after making a few minor purchases.

The morning passes and soon the times comes when they are to meet with the mayor and countess. They return to the town square and the site of the guard tower.

 The group is met at the grand stairway by a quartet of heavily armored royal soldiers along with two of Mayor Strongbow’s personal guards. They escort the party up to the mayor’s meeting hall, just one floor down from where they had battled Councilman Donnwald’s corrupt town guards just a few months before.

The four are greeted cordially by the mayor, and led to chairs at a long table across from Bontelan Wright, Wendella, and Elchor Grafton (the old man who was beaten by Donnwalds thugs in attempt to wrest from him the password to activate the stone guardian). At the head of the table is Countess Velnarion. She is a tall regal woman with a shaved head but wearing a silver tiara studded with red gemstones.

She is all business.

“We have asked you to attend this council, to discuss the events in which you were involved this past spring, and how they may relate to the challenges that now face us as summer turns to autumn. The seasons are changing for this part of the world in more ways than the usual.”

The mayor takes up the story

“Before you came, there were rumors of goblin raids in the farmland. Something that few, including myself took seriously. But, after you returned from your… “explorations” in the blufflands. After you returned with my daughter, we learned that there were not only goblins in the areas, but more disturbingly, hobgoblins.

Elchor chimes in, adding his historical expertise to the conversation:

“During the height of the hobgoblin wars more than a century ago, as history and legend tell it, the provincial and royal armies had an alliance with a Dwarven tribe in the mountains. A reknowned dwarven smith known as Durgeddin the Black supplied the provincial forces with weapons of unsurpassed craftsmanship and power. He and his clan were fierce enemies of the hobgoblins.

They dwelt in a great cavern system beneath the Stone Tooth: a rugged, forested hill  crowned by a bare rocky crag. There Durgeddin and his followers founded the stronghold of Khundrukar.

But things turned ill for The Dwarves of Khundrukar. A member of Durgeddin’s clan was captured by a powerful hobgoblin tribe during a raid, and the hobgoblin horde learned of the hidden stronghold. The hobgoblin chieftains redeployed their forces and marched on Khundrukar. In a hard-fought siege lasting months, the hobgoblin tunneled around the dwarven defenses. When they finally stormed the place, they put all within to the sword, then carried off wagonloads of loot.

But the war in the east was by then lost by the goblinoid horde. They were driven back into the mountains by the combined royal and provincial forces. It was believed that the hobgoblins occupying Durgeddin were driven away in the ensuing purge.

In the years since, Khundrukar has fallen into legend. It is unknown if the caverns have remained abandoned, or if creatures from the mountains have slunk into them to make their abode there. Either way, local lore has often speculated at the presence of stores of the dwarves’ magnificent weaponry. There is a belief that the hobgoblins never made their way to the Dwarven Forge – almost a sacred space to the dwarves, and one that would have been well protected. Does Khundrukar still hold a cache of powerful weapons?”

The countess adds:

“Given your recent encounters with hobgoblins, and further reports from the south, it can be fairly concluded that the hobgoblins are seeking a new stronghold, to establish a new presence nearer to these lands that they would undoubtedly like to re-conquer. Your rogue wizard’s little “achaeological site” may have served as a just such a stronghold. But, our fear is that they may have their sights on Khundrukar again. We’d like to prevent that from happening. And moreso, the discovery of the weapons forged by Durgeddin the Black, could help turn the tides in the conflict that will almost certainly come. We want those weapons in our hands, not in the hands of our enemies.”

Bontelan Wright gets to the point:

We are asking you to investigate the lost caverns of Khandrukar. We want:

• Information. Are hobgoblins taking root there?
• If so, we want to keep both the weapons and the stronghold itself out of their hands
• If any weapons bearing Durggedin’s mark: swords can be retrived, they will be valuable assets to the protection of our lands
• This exploratory venture weapons could also prove lucrative to you. We will pay handsomely for any such weapons you retrieve, however, we insist that we have the first right of purchase of these weapons. Additionally, you are welcome to claim any other discoveries or treasure for your own.”

The countess interjects:

“Most importantly, this is for the safety of our lands. The cities are rife with barely supressed unrest, the royal government is providing little support or security, our economic independence is shaky, and our fear is that there is more going on in the mountains, in the unpopulated lands than we know. If fear we have been complacent too long and that disaster looms on the horizon.”

She tells them of the death of Count Fortuno Moldavia in the south. She was journeying to Moldavia from her home in Stihlport to attend the funereal services for the departed count when they arrived in Shadowfurst. Obviously, there was a full-scale riot in progress upon their arrival. So she, as the regional authority, has remained to deal with the situation in Shadowfurst, but now there is also a troubling power vacuum in County Moldavia. She would have preferred to keep the unpopular royal garrison from becoming involved – but that has proven impossible. They became a necessary asset in taking control of the situation in Shdowfurst. “We are on the one hand left unprotected by lax commitment from the crown in terms of force of arms, but on the other hand, we’re free. Now, we have cases of unrest and corruption to deal with, but we are concerned about the threat of hobgoblins.”

Davros brazenly expresses his skepticism of this plan, asking “Why would we go on this dangerous mission for you? We could do that on our own if we wanted and keep everything for ourselves anyway!”

The countess is angry at this, calling upon them to remember that these are their homelands at risk here. “Throughout history, heros have risen to selflessly protect what is good in our society. I had hoped that you four, being so highly regarded by Mr. Wright and Mayor Strongbow, would possess these heroic qualities.”

Bontelan is conciliatory. He says, “of course, you should be able to take some time to think about this. It is an undertaking with some risk, but one with great rewards, and one that I have confidence is well within you capabilities.” He goes on to explain that he wants this group of operatives because of their resourcefulness, their skills, their experience with exploration and infiltration. Mere soldiery may be good in face to face combat on a battlefield, or to provide urban security. But this task requires specialists. He continues, “I have other operatives in the field in other places. But you are my best at this time and in this place. And again, this could be lucrative. You may keep whatever treasures you may find, but we want first rights to purchase any weapons with Durgeddin’s mark.” He also mentions that decades ago, he had sent an exploratory team for purely commercial reasons – obtaining antiquities that he could sell. He never heard from that team again, and he has no way of knowing if they simply took what they found and absconded, or if they met their end in Khundrukar. “Nevertheless, this is a different time, our goals are much more noble, and you are a more skilled and more seasoned team.”

The meeting come to an end, and the party is asked to return with their answer two days hence.

They decide that they should go investigate their newly-acquired property across town, the dive bar known as the Yur Inn. On their way, they encounter a shady man who has some wares he’d like to sell. He identifies himself as Smenga and tries to interest them a several unusual items. He recognizes Davros as a man who gets with the ladies. He has for sale a vial of a substance known as “Oil of Slipperiness.” He touts its virtues in lovemaking, but further asserts that if used all at once, it can get you out of some very tight situations. The price is steep and his salesmanship fails him and no one in the party takes an interest. Next, he tries to interest them in an item known as a “Wand of Scowls.” He waves it at some passers-by, cries “howlo scowlo!” and the hapless citizens faces immediately take on angry, scowling expressions. Again the party has no interest. Nor do they take an interest in the useful, but very expensive, “Potion of Extra Healing.” Smenga is disappointed and incredulous, insisting, “Man, this could save your life some day! And it’s not worth it to you!?” Mishok tells him that he is in the market for a specific item if he can find it, an item known as a “Belt of Dwarvenkind.” Smenga has never heard of such a thing, but he has some contacts among Dwarves and he will see what he can do. He tells Mishok to meet him in in this very spot in two days and he will have an answer as to whether this item is available or not.

They part ways with Smenga and proceed to the Yur Inn. They had only seen the place in the dark previously, and it is certainly no better looking in the daylight. The name of the establishment is sloppily painted above the door with an unprofessional hand. There is rubbish in the street and a pair of stinky outhouses behind the place, where it seems many users did not even bother going inside to do their business. Mishok pushes open the door and the group enters. They see a dusty room filled with shabby barroom furniture. Cycek crosses behind the bar and examines a variety of half-filled bottles. It’s unclear what each bottle holds… most likely low-grade liquor. Seems as if any better spirit either never had a home here or were spirited away be perhaps the guards during their investigations.

Cycek finds behind the bottles a strange creature. It appears to be an animated greasy rag. In fact, it introduces itself to him as “Greasy Rag” or “GR” for short. This strange creature apparently sprung into sentience by having absorbed all manner of substances ranging from the blood of strange creatures, liquor, potions, urine, poison, and who knows what. GR is quite friendly and overly garrulous, going on and on about all manner of things, but most notably the fact that there a couple of blokes squatting upstairs. He also informs them of some of the background of the establishment. Yuri Rattal, the previous owner, had run the place as the hub of criminal activity in the city. It was an open secret that this was the place where stolen goods could exchange hands, and all sorts of nefarious planning would take place. Yuri was arrested following the death of Donnwald, and the authorities were in and out of the place for weeks. Now, the gregarious bit of filthy fabric has sadly been left alone behind the bar with no one to talk to, except for the two upstairs who have simply chosen to ignore him.

While Cycek has this strange conversation, Mishok checks out a hatch in the floor of the kitchen. It opens into a cellar that at one time stored beer barrels. Those barrels are now gone, removed, he assumes, by the guards, judging by the drag marks toward the cellar door. There are a few chairs and work surfaces, and also evidence of a crumbling wall, but no sign of current occupants. Satisfied, he closes the hatch.

Mishok, Cycek, and Sartan decide to investigate these supposed “squatters” upstairs. They ascend the staircase as quietly as they can, which is virtually impossible given the rickety state of the wood. They squeak loudly. They find themselves in a narrow hallway with squeaky wooden floors. They listen at several doors. Sartan opens the nearest one and finds a tiny squalid room with dirty bed linens and cheap furnishings. He thinks he hear sounds coming from one of the doors down the hall. Mishok joins him to investigate. They throw open the door and are confronted by two people standing upon the beds flanking the door. They have weapons drawn and are poised to attack as soon as the door opens. They yell, but check their blows. One is a large, hairy, barbarous looking man wielding a huge sword, and the other is a Halfling with a pointed rapier. The halfling yells “Yaaaahhhh!!! Oh, wait! Wait! Wait! It’s you! We know you guys! Oh man, we thought it was the guards here to throw us out! Oh what a relief!”

The party recognizes these two as a pair they had met months ago at the the Duskhaven Den. This is the pair of travelers who refused to help Avita Ploughman, and who in fact had roughly shoved her away. They had also shared a drink or two with the party the following morning before parting ways.

The halfling, who does nearly all the talking, reintroduces them as Shaggi snd Skids. Cycek insists that they explain their presence on private property. Skids gives him a story about being travelers trying to make a living in a tough world, and that they just needed a place to stay, and seeing as no one was using the place, they figured there was no harm in taking a room.

In the ensuing conversation, Skids admits that the pairs’ activities have not always been strictly legal, for instance they may have stolen a horse or two, or maybe been involved in some smuggling, but they haven’t done anything seriously bad. But, he says, if they have to leave they understand. They are used to being on the road.

The party asks them if they know anything about a place known as the Stone Tooth. Skids says he knows of it, but he has never been there. He has never been farther west than Moose Maynard’s encampment out on the Bandit’s Highway in the blufflands. He describes Moose Maynard as a father figure among the underground society of bandits, smugglers, and others who live outside the law. His place is one of respite for those who have been traveling outside the realm of the official provincial boundaries. Skids goes on to say that he has met people at Moose Maynard’s who have travelled in the western wilderness, and says that it sounds much too perilous for his taste. But there may be individuals there who could help you find the Stone Tooth.

After more conversation an agreement is reached that Skids and Shaggi can stay as caretakers for the property while the Four are gone. They expect that the place will be well cared-for and that no illegal activities will take place there. In essence, Skids and Shaggi can stay as long as they make sure no damage or misdeeds take place in the absence of the Shadowfurst Four, the new rightful owners of the Yur Inn.

Sartan and Cycek find their opponents to be tough and determined fighters. Although Sartan has slain one of the pair occupying the Strongbows’ living room, and has thrown the decapitated head of their boss onto the floor, the remaining guard continues to fight. Soon reinforcements arrive. Two more elite guards run up the stairs and push their way into the room. Cycek finds himself getting bested in the melee, taking several serious wounds. He retreats temporarily behind the door leading into the Strongbow’s sleeping quarters, only to burst out again in an aggressive attempt to take one of the combatants by surprise. He fails in this. However, Sartan quickly dispatches one of the new arrivals, skewering him with Demonsbane and slamming him backwards with his shield. The guard crashes against the stone wall and falls lifeless to the ground. Sartan then leaps onto a table to gain a high-ground advantage over the other combatants. He trades blows with one of the remaining guards while Cycek struggles to get the upper hand on the other one.

Down in the plaza, Mishok has found himself in an open area, as the crowd thins around him. He sees no immediate threats, so he runs toward the back entrance to the tower, which he knows will bring him to the Guards’ headquarters. He finds the door unlocked and enters the building. The lobby and office space appear to be deserted. He sees a couple of desks and filing cabinets. Crossing to the captain’s desk, he sees some paperwork on the desk pertaining to mundane petty crime citations: public drunkenness, domestic disputes, and the like. Pulling open a drawer, he finds more interesting paperwork. One in particular catches his attention. There is a dossier containing information about an individual named “Ouphanglott” or “The Fang.” He is described as a foreigner from “the north” and a member of the assassin’s guild. He specializes in stealth attacks and poisons. A work order attached to the dossier indicates that this individual was hired by Donnwald to eliminate “the mayor’s four merceneries.” Mishok finds this interesting, and takes it with him and heads up the staircase.

Meanwhile, Davros and Wendella confront the remaining jailer who has just thrown down his sword. Wendella, having just killed the other jailer, approaches him with a yell. Davros commands the subdued guard to release the mayor and his wife. The guard peers up at Davros, meets his gaze with a steely glare, and pulls a small item from his pocket. He holds it out and threatens, “I have a device here that can bring down this tower. Do as I say or I will activate a detonation. The tower will fall with you, me, and your precious mayor. Now – YOU throw down your weapons and surrender.” Davros, startled but skeptical, asks Wendella, “Is that even possible?” Wendella, shaken, replies, “Yes… yes… I suppose it is.” But Davros calls the guard’s bluff and thrusts his rapier into the man’s neck. Before dropping dead, he smashes the item onto the floor. It is in fact a glass vial of a noxious poison with which Davros is familiar. He quickly holds his breath, to avoid inhaling any of the deadly fumes. Wendella is not so fast. She chokes, gasp, and falls to her knees. Davros grabs her and drags her across the room, away from the concentration of toxic fumes. Anton and Willa Strongbow cry out in distress when they see their prodigal daughter in such obvious peril. But Davros is able to provide a healing potion to the stricken girl and revive her before her condition becomes grave.

He crosses back to the fallen guard and searches the body for keys. He finds none and moves on to the other guard. The body has been mangled by the magical force of Wendella’s fury, but he finds a set of keys among the torn, scorched remnants of the guard’s livery. He hurries to the cell gate, where Wendella and her parents are having a tearful reunion through the bars. He swings the gates open and Anton and Willa rush to pull their daughter into an embrace. Anton grabs Davros by the shoulder and pulls him into the group hugs. Through tears of relief, the mayoral couple express their gratitude to the mercenary who brought them back together.

Anton soon regains his composure after the emotional outpouring, and remembers his duty to the city. He asks Davros, “Tell me… what’s happening to my city? What has Donnwald done? What is the state of things? You told the guard that the tower is surrounded.”

Davros replies, “Donnwald is dead. The people are in a state of revolt. There are crowds in the street. I think most of the city is on your side and there has been an uprising. But the guards are fighting with them. They have used the ballistas on the roof, and a captured ogre against us, and against the citizens. People were injured, and things are getting out of control.”

Anton replies, “I must address my people. If what you say is true and the people stand with me, then maybe I can bring this situation under control. Let’s go to the rooftop!”

Davros agrees, but advises caution. He does not know how many guards might be up there. Anton insists that Wendella stay back with her mother. The mayor and the rogue head up the stairs to the roof.

When Mishok arrives at the landing outside the Strongbow’s living quarters, he finds Sartan and Cycek still engaged with a pair of guards. Sartan is standing on a table trading blows with one guard. He tries in vain to convince the guard to give up.  “It’s over!” he says, “Can’t you see that you’re not going to win? Give up!” The guard is insistent and continues to fight… that is, until Sartan finally cuts him down. The defeated guard’s head joins Donnwald’s on the floor of the mayor’s living room. Mishok then sees Cycek suddenly run forward, leap on a chair, hurdle the table, and spring off a second chair. His target, the second guard, steps aside. The acrobatic ranger misses his mark and flops onto the stone floor with a loud “smack!” There, the prone (and embarrassed) elf takes a bloody wound from a spear thrust. Wincing in pain, he pulls his magical “immovable rod” from his pocket and slams the tip of it down on the foot of his assailant and locks it in place. The guard howls in pain, and finds himself pinned to the spot. Cycek gets up, moves to the far side of the room and readies another flying leap at the now-immobile guard. Just as the elf leaves the ground, Mishok asks Divoc to help him end this melee. He calls upon the sacred flame, and the pinned guard goes up in a column of fire. It’s too late for Cycek to change his trajectory, and he smashes into the flaming guard in an explosion of sparks, smoke, and burning human wreckage. It is a spectacular but disgusting end to this battle. The once tranquil living room is strewn with blood, broken furniture, and burning flesh and fabric. They leave the mess behind and head upstairs. Passing the open window which looks out to the north, they hear trumpets blaring, and they see mounted soldiers moving into the city. Grey and red banners blow in the morning breeze.

Unaware of the carnage in his living quarters, Anton has turned his attention to the masses in the streets around the tower. He and Davros arrive on the roof, to find three severely injured guards, hunkering down on the floor attending to wounds ranging from terrible burns, to crushed bones and bleeding lacerations: the fruits of Mishok’s sacred flames and spiritual weapons. Davros secures them with their own shackles. Anton climbs on top of one of the ballistas and looks out over the battlements to the crowds below. A man blessed with a commanding voice, the mayor hollers down to the crowds below. It takes some time to gain their attention, but once he does it is like fire moving through a forest of dry wood. One citizen grabs the next and points toward the top of the tower, and soon a hush has spread across the plaza.

By now, the rest of the party, along with Willa and Wendella have arrived on the rooftop. They stand gazing out at the crowd and they listen to what Anton does best: reach the hearts of his people. “People of Shadowfurst! Heed the words of your mayor!,” he commands, “The tide has turned against the forces of lawlessness. The corrupt Councilman Donnwald has been vanquished! As you can see, the countess and the royal guards has come to assist. We must have order in this city, so we can go back to striving for our goals. We have a beautiful city and we have hope for the future. We must not give up! Go back to your homes. Cooperate with these good soldiers. Justice will be served and things will be put right!” He repeats his message several time to make sure all can hear, repeating. “Good people! This is your mayor! I am safe and the situation is in-hand! Thank you for your loyalty! Now go back to your homes and let us bring order back to our streets!”

The sun has risen in a cloudless sky and golden spring light glints of the armor of soldiers in the plaza. Many of the people have melted away, back into their neighborhoods. Several skirmishes between soldiers and town guards can be seen. In other places, soldiers are pushing back against still-unruly knots of protestors. A rank of soldiers stands before the front entrance to the tower. They part and a cohort of well-dressed dignitaries stride through them to arrive at the grand staircase. They stop and seem to gaze with either expectation or apprehension at the doors which Sartan had smashed earlier that morning.

Anton turns to the four adventurers. He says, “It’s time for me to go welcome our new guests. I see the Countess Velnarian awaits my presence. But before we go, allow me to express my deepest gratitude for bringing my daughter back to us. I cannot imagine what you have gone through to arrive here in the company of my dear Wendella. Be assured that I will honor the terms of your employment. You will receive 500 gold pieces to share as you see fit. But I know this is not enough. Let us convene again soon. I believe I can provide a bonus befitting your service above and beyond our original agreement. Now, let’s go meet the Countess.”

The entire group heads down the stairs. All are weary, some are bloody, some are wounded. But the mayor presents himself and his companions with great dignity to the Countess. At her side is none other than Bontelan Wright, the employer who had first set the four companions on this journey. Niceties are exchanged, but the mayor and this contingent of guests, newly arrived from Stihlport have a lot to discuss. The team is dismissed to the 3 Javelins Inn, where they are given lodging for no cost by Willa strongbow’s brother, the innkeeper. Anton informs them they they will be summoned within three days to discuss the conclusion of their business.

They are summoned just two days later. They are awarded their 500 gold pieces. Additionally, they are informed that the Yur Inn has been seized by the city. That shabby tavern of ill repute had been serving as a barracks for the new “recruits” into the town guard. Yuri Rattal, the owner, has been arrested, and stripped of his assets. The property has been offered to the four adventurers as an additional reward for their good work. What’s more, the mayor has invited the four to take employment with him as part of his own elite guard. There is still much work to do putting things right in the city. Members of his loyal guard are still missing. Many corrupt guards have yet to be rooted out and arrested. And there is disturbing news from both Countess Velnarian and Bontelan Wright. There will be a summit of concerned parties one week hence. He would like them all to attend.

The face off in the Guard Tower Plaza continues. The crowd is moving like a surging wave before the frightful rampage of the flailing, roaring ogre. Davros bellows at it, “Go! Get out of here! You’re free! Get outta here before they kill you!” This seems to finally get through to its dim intellect. It looks to the north and runs off in that direction, scattering protestors, and knocking some to the ground with its flailing chains. The ballistas on the roof fire two more bolts at Mishok. They miss their mark and shatter instead on the cobblestones, sending jagged shards of wood and metal into the crowd. The screams of the injured add to the chaos, as does the sudden emergence of Wendella, Carver, and Ursula’s contingent from around the back of the tower. They have subdued some of the guards, and others are being driven before them. Their flight becomes more desperate as before their eyes, the already fierce Ursula transforms into an enormous brown bear. She drops to all fours and charges with a roar towards the ogre. The two hulking figures – the pursued and pursuer pass beyond a crowd that has now lost cohesion. They disappear as they run toward the Champion Square. 

The guards are distracted by the growing chaos in the plaza, and Sartan takes the opportunity to run up the staircase to the doors of the Mayor’s quarters. They are locked, but with a kick, Sartan splinters them off their hinges, and forces his way in. He finds himself in the empty, marble-floored lobby where they had first been escorted into the mayor’s presence some days ago. It seems to be deserted. He heads up the central staircase to the balcony level where he is confronted with another door – one he knows will lead into the Mayor’s office. He pushes this open with ease and enters the office where the Strongbows had first presented his team with the problem of finding their daughter. This room too is unoccupied. But there are stairways curving around the perimeter, one heading up and one heading down. Contemplating which way to go, he is shortly joined by Cycek, who has followed him into the tower.

Outside, the pressing mob surges aimlessly. Mishok finds himself shoved apart from Davros who has positioned himself in a defensive crouch at the top of the stairs. The Dwarven cleric tries to keep his feet while turning his attention to the antagonists atop the tower. He asks Divoc for the power to neutralize those guards who would so wantonly risk injury to the citizens they are sworn to protect. He calls down divine fire upon the one of the three guards manning the ballistas, and with a shriek the man is laid low. He is pushed farther from the tower, barely keeping upright, but he manages to also conjure a spectral morning star at the top of the tower. At his direction it clubs the other two guards into submission. They disappear behind the battlements, just as Mishok is pushed to the ground and trampled.

Inside the tower, Sartan heads up the stairs while Cycek heads down. Sartan comes to a landing with a door on his right, and a barred window on his left. The window looks out over the river to the north. The sun is coming up and starting to illuminate the interior of the stairwell. He hears the peals of a horn. But his attention is elsewhere, listening at the door for any sound of occupancy. Meanwhile, Cycek heads downward, finding himself at a dead end. He too is near a window. It is barred and glazed with opaque glass. He smashes the glass with the hilt of his sword. Cold air rushes in. He sees that his face, and the window are just at ground level. He can see feet rushing back and forth, trampling the landscaping around the base of the tower. Frustrated with the inability to explore further, he turns around and heads back up.

Davros, from his position on the stairs, catches sight of Wendella and calls to her. “We have the door open! Help us find your father!” She runs to him, and together they run into the lobby. “I don’t know for sure, but they are probably holding him in the cell at the top of the tower!”

Sartan thinks he hears movement behind the door. He opens it and peers inside. There he sees what what appears to be a living room. There is a fireplace, and a variety of chairs and tables. There are also two heavily armored guards across the room. He orders them to stand down. “It’s over! Donnwald is dead! Throw down your weapons, and you won’t get hurt!” They refuse. One of them throws a spear. Sartan moves his head aside just in time. It sails past and out the window behind him. Sartan yanks the door closed and listens. He hears the guards scrambling forward. He shoves the door open again, smashing it into one of the guards and knocking him to the floor, and sweeps Demonsbane at the other, delivering a wicked wound. He again declares, “I don’t want to have to kill you! Stand down! Your boss is dead!” He throws Donnwald’s head to the floor. The guards recoil momentarily in horror, giving Cycek the opportunity to push his way into the room. He crosses the room and fires and arrow at the second guard who has just climbed to his feet. Sartan continues to battle with the first guard. He takes a bloody slash from the guard’s dagger, but manages to fell his fearless foe.

Davros and Wendella barrel up the stairs, passing by the combat in the living room. Wendella directs Davros to keep going up. He does, but comes up short against a blank wall. He is confused, and turns to go back. But Wendella catches up to him and shouts, “What kind of a rogue are you? It’s a secret door you fool!” She shoves it hard and runs into a stone chamber. Davros follows and the two are confronted by another pair of heavily armored guards. They can see a walled-off portion of the room to their left. There are iron bars, and they hear a voice weakly calling “Help us!”

Back in the tower square, Mishok is able to get back to his feet. The crowd thins enough for him to move toward the front of the tower. As he runs toward the front door, he consider the possibility of entering via the guards entrance around at the southeast face of the tower. This is where they had taken the body of the fallen assassin their first night in Shadowfurst, and also where they went on a follow up visit the next morning before heading to the blufflands.

In the top chamber of the tower, Davros and Wendella realize that they have found her parents. She rushes forward, raging with emotion, and hurls an eldritch blast at one of the oncoming guards. Green light and shards of pure celestial energy splash off his heavy armor, and he staggers back a step. Davros commands the other guard, “It’s all over! You’re beaten! Throw down your weapons!” The guard refuses, yelling back, “We have authority here! Not you! You are intruders and you will submit to arrest, or die!” Davros steps forward and finds an unarmored place to thrust his rapier. The guard bellows with pain. Wendella throws another bolt of energy at the other guard, crumpling him to the ground. Davros demands again, “Give up! It’s over!” The guard sighs, looks down, throws his sword with a clatter, and drops to his knees. “I submit,” he says.

The fire on the roof of the Stoneyard’s headquarter building is spreading. The adventurers discuss their plans to free the Mayor, and they decide to pay a visit to the home of Carver’s mother. Wendella agrees that this is a good idea – she may very well provide them a safe place to stay and plot their next move. This place is clearly not a good place to linger. They hear a bell clanging from the south, and Wendella informs her companions that the fire brigade is based not far from the south gate. They head toward the north gate, with their three conscripted guards. Once outside of the Stoneyard, they discover city streets that are mostly empty. Mostly, but not completely. There is broken glass and litter strewn about. Raised voices can be heard from down alleyways, and furtive figures duck into doorways. The pillar of smoke rising from the Stoneyard roof is not the only one. Other smaller fires flicker their orange light down the streets of the West End, and send their own smaller columns of light skyward. Clearly there are pockets of unrest and petty vandalism – angry residents lashing out, however, they encounter no resistance in their journey to Lolly’s house. When they arrive there, they see a curtain move in the second-floor window above Lolly’s doorway. They knock and are greeted with silence. They shout and call for Lolly, but again receive no response. Davros attempts to pick the lock, but is unsuccessful. In frustration, Sartan kicks the door, and it immediately flies open. They see a one-room first floor, consisting of a common living space and a kitchen, and a narrow wooden staircase leading to the second floor. They think they hear a low growl coming from above. Cycek decides to go up the stairs, staying in the deep shadows cast by the street lamps. He moves silently, and when he reaches the second storey, the growling guardian there is startled by his sudden appearance. Cycek finds himself face-to-face with Ursula the werebear, in her human form. She rears back with a huge great axe, but stops herself just as she begins her swing. Her nose tells her the the truth more quickly than her eyes. She sniffs and realizes that this is Cycek. She remembers the kindness he had shown her, and their brief time fighting alongside each other. She motions to unseen others in the darkened room behind her and whispers, “It’s Cycek!” Then turning back to him, she asks, “And the others?” Cycek replies that yes, the others are waiting outside. Ursula urges, “tell them to get up here and off the street, quick! We thought you were guards, and we cannot have guards finding us here!” Cycek beckons his companions up the stairs, but alas, during this time, one of the guards has abandoned the team… first sidling away, and then turning and bolting. Now, one guard remains in their company. The rest of the team quickly moves into the house and up the stairs, leaving Davros and the guard out in front to keep their eyes out for trouble.

Upstairs, the team finds that the other occupants of the room include Lolly Oxcart and her son Carver. Wendella and Carver are absolutely delighted to see each other, and embrace each other, weeping in an outpouring of emotion. Wendella profusely apologizes to Carver and even more so to his mother for all the trouble she has caused. Both are very receptive to her overtures, and express that they are just so relieved that she is OK. Lolly asks if she has seen Harven (Hack) and Wendella does her best to reassure Lolly that the last she saw Hack, he was as well as he could be. He was unhurt, and had come upon great riches, and she can only hope that he is able to find happiness and direction in his life with his newfound wealth.

The two groups share their tales of the past few days, and Sartan reveals the death of Donnwald. Lolly, Carver, and Ursula express their relief that the evil Donnwald has been dispatched, but also their fear that their hiding place here in Lolly’s home would be discovered. The guards know of Lolly’s connection to the Strongbow family through Carver and Wendella’s relationships. She fears that they will discover that Carver has returned. This fear becomes more acute when Davros reveals that the other guard has fled. Mishok asks if there is anyplace else where they can hide, if their location in compromised. Lolly suggests that they call on her friends Findelis and Brit, a couple who lives a few blocks away with their three children. They agree to abandon Lolly’s house. They successfully sneak through the streets and find themselves on the doorstep of a single-storey wooden home. Lolly raps a coded knock on the door, and a corresponding knock responds from within. Lolly explains that many of her neighbors have been talking about raising the people of this city to throw down Donnwald and his thugs. But they are keeping it as quiet as possible, because not everyone is like-minded. The door is partially opened, and Lolly has a whispered exchange with the occupant. She turns to the party and says, “Findelis has agreed to have us stay here. He is taking a huge risk here, but he and his wife a good people. Come in quickly and quietly. We need to keep a low profile.”

This temporary safe house is just a couple of blocks away, and around a corner. They discuss placing lookouts on both Lolly’s home and that of Findelis and Brit. They identify a taller house midway between the two, where a lookout can see both sites from the roof. Cycek takes first watch, and successfully climbs the building without being seen. He does however set a dog barking. Thankfully this does not draw wanted attention. 

The rest of the group devises a plan for the morning. Lolly and her friends are heartened by Donnwald’s death, eager to reinstate the mayor, and enthusiastic to oust the thugs among the city guard. Mishok suggests that perhaps they could rouse a good mob of citizens to march on the guard tower, demanding Strongbow’s release. They could use the mob either to directly force the corrupt guards to relinquish control, or as cover for the team to free the mayor. Lolly’s friends set things in motion, quietly spreading the word throughout the neighborhood, that a crowd should be assembled in the West End before daylight. They should arm themselves and be ready to fight if necessary, but they will go to the guard tower and demand that the city be released from martial law and the mayor exonerated.

The night passes without confrontation, and before daylight, the streets around the safe house begin to fill with people. Some are uncertain, some are reluctant, others are merely curious, but many carry a sense of purpose. This can no longer escape the notice of the guards, no matter how corrupt or incompetent they may be, and as the crowd begins to move out, guards are seen warily keeping pace on the perimeter of the crowd. They decide to split into two separate groups. Wendella, Carver, and Ursula lead one group along the south riverfront, while the “Shadowfurst Four” lead the rest of the crowd down the central thoroughfare.

Traveling through town, the mob grows in size. They leave the impoverished West End and move into the heart of the city, where the crowd is joined by members of the middle class, and even some of the wealthy elites. This unity among different elements of society against a clear injustice seems to strengthen mob’s determination. They stream into Guardtower Square and form a circle of chanting protestors. There is a strong guard presence here, which is augmented by those who have accompanied the mob through the pre-dawn streets of Shadowfurst. More alarming is the presence of a frightful creature looming over crowd and guards alike. An enormous ogre blocks the entrance to the mayoral quarters. It’s wrists are bound in manacles from which heavy chains lead to iron cleats in the stone facade. It grunts and moans and struggles against the chains, becoming more agitated as people stream into the square chanting, “Free An-ton! Free An-ton!” The four adventurers lead the mob, coming as close to the front of the tower as they dare. They yell to the guards, “We demand the release of the mayor!” while the guards yell back, “Disperse or be arrested! This is an unlawful gathering!”

Before any headway can be made in negotiations, two guards step up to the cleats and pull the lynchpins, releasing the chains, and thus the ogre. The ogre roars and surges forward. The crowd shies away, pulling back out of reach, but the brave adventurers stand their ground. In doing so, they present targets for two ballistas on the roof of the tower. Guards manning the powerful weapons let fly a pair of wicked bolts, which narrowly miss their marks and splinter on the cobblestone streets, flinging shards of wood and metal into the crowd. More guards fling spears at the adventurers. One glances off Sartan’s shield, but he grabs it and returns it in kind, injuring the guard who first threw it. The ogre flails his chains. One whips past Davros’ face by a hairs breadth while the other one rustles Mishok’s beard. They recognize this ogre. It is the one who assaulted them atop the bluff where the stone labyrinth gave them entry into Xodar’s lair. Davros yells at him, “Hey! Ogre! Get out of here! You’re free! Go! Run! Get away from these people! We won’t stop you!”

Mishok tries another tactic. He exhorts the crowd to rise up and drive the ogre away. “Come on, people! Divoc is on our side! Let’s take them down!” But the crowd is frightened… uncertain. They look at each other, and instead shrink back from the ogre, whose thrashing continues to whip the chains in deadly arcs, perilously close to the front rank of protestors. The beast lurches back and forth, equally uncertain, but enraged. Cycek and Davros put a couple of arrows into it, as well as into a couple of guards, neutralizing a couple of them. But the situation is tilting into chaos… no longer a binary equation of force vs. force, but rather an unhealthy brew of rage, fear, aggression, and confusion. The four leaders of this mob begin to wonder how they can manage the situation and accomplish their goals.

Mishok, playing his assumed role of “Dan Pemic” the rookie town guard, suggests to “Buddy” the friendly veteran guard, that one of them should stand watch in front of stable, where the “radical” Cycek is tied up. Buddy agrees to assume that responsibility, while “Dan” goes on his rounds with “Herb” the angry guard. Herb is bitterly complaining and sucking on the wound that Fuzzidohng had inflicted upon the back of his hand. Mishok recommends that Herb get some medical attention, and Herb agrees. The wounded guard splits off from Mishok and heads toward the office near the entrance of the Stoneyard, where he can clean and bandage his hand.

Mishok heads north along the perimeter of the Stoneyard where he rejoins Sartan, Davros, and Wendella. They agree that the guard whom Sartan had knocked out, should be tied up and hidden. They drag his inert form into another crevasse at the far northeast portion of the cliff wall.

Meanwhile, Cycek, free from his bonds, and still hidden in the stable begins to raise a commotion. He induces the horses to whinny, stomp, and bang around within their stalls. Before long, Buddy comes in to take a look. It is dark inside the stable, so he is at a disadvantage compared to the elf with his natural night vision. Cycek capitalizes on this. He lies in wait and then jumps out and tackles the surprised guard. Buddy thrashes but Cycek is able to keep control of him and tie him up. Cycek offers assurances that he does not want to hurt him, but ultimately has to gag the skeptical guard to keep him quiet. With Buddy finally neutralized, Cycek hatches an idea. He gathers up some burlap sacks, stuffs them with hay, and creates a makeshift mannequin. He accessorizes the decoy with the tunic and shield of the town guard, and props it up against the exterior wall of the stable, just outside the lamplight. In the dim light, and at a distance, it bears a passing resemblance of a lazy guard loafing at his post. Cycek then climbs the wall and lies hidden on the roof of the stable.

Davros dresses himself in the garb of the unconscious guard, and he sets off with Mishok around the north perimeter of the yard, following around to the east gate. As they come around the main building, they hear voices. Donnwald has returned with his guards, and an unfortunate old man. The handle him roughly as they pass by the front of the building and go around the back as they had before. The guards threaten the old man, repeatedly barking, “Tell us! We know, you know!” Mishok and Davros let this group pass by and then follow their general direction back toward the entrance to the main building. Donnwald and company pass out of view back behind the building. Mishok and Davros enter the building and their they find the guard Herb bandaging his hand. He leaves the building muttering about that damn elf and his rat. Davors and Mishok let him go by, but stay to exchange some words with the foreman. They ask him some questions about his dealing with Donnwald. The foreman reveals that he is no fan of the Councilman, and that the city is seething with unrest since the Mayor was taken prisoner. The two reveal themselves to be in opposition to Donnwald, and they gain an ally in the foreman. He agrees to go with them to stop Donnwald’s thugs from beating the old man.

Herb storms toward the stables where he would like to have an uninterrupted word with Cycek. As he approaches, he sees what he takes to be the reclining figure of Buddy in the shadows of the stable wall. This, of course, is Cycek’s mannequin. He approaches the dummy, accusing his coworker of loafing on the job, then cocks his head quizzically as he draws near. Cycek takes this opportunity to leap down on him from the roof of the stable. He knocks Herb to the ground, tussles with him, and is soon able to restrain him. He ties him up, gags him, and drags him into the stable alongside Buddy. He then heads out toward a growing commotion behind the main building.

While Cycek was dealing with Herb, and the Davros/Mishok duet were talking with the foreman, Sartan and Wendella hid behind a stone slab to see what was happening with Donnwald. He and his guards mercilessly beat the helpless old man. Wendella, horrified, realized that this is her friend and instructor, Professor Elchor Grafton. Grafton is the keeper of the Shadowfurst Visitors’ Center and Historical Society. His facility is where Wendella and Xodar had first met and bonded over a common interest in the arcane history of this region. She is enraged at the treatment of this well-meaning man, and she realizes that the Councilman is surely trying to pry the password for the City Champion out of the scholar. To create a distraction, Sartan fires a flaming arrow onto the roof of the Stoneyard main building, and the pitch-covered roof catches fire. Two of the guards run toward the outbreak, while the others investigate the source of the arrow flight. A fight ensues. Wendella hurls Eldritch blasts at the Councilman, who is caught by surprise and unable to respond with his own spells. Sartan engages in swordplay with two of the guards, dealing wounds severe enough to entice them to surrender. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an arrow strikes Donnwald in the back and he pitches forward to the ground, stone dead. Cycek, running from across the yard, had fired a single flawless shot and brought down the evil man.

The party members all convene at the site of this sudden twist of fate. They convince the surrendered guard to swear their allegiance to them. To convince them that they mean business, Sartan swings his axe and lops of the deceased councilman’s head. He deposits the head in the burlap sack. The guards pale, and nod their acquiescence. 

The fire on the roof of the building spreads and sends a column of smoke into the darkening sky.

The band of adventurers hides out in a crevasse that opens onto the west side of the Shadowfurst Stoneyard. They plan to wait until nightfall to sneak into the city under the cover of darkness, possibly to seek out Lolly Oxcart, Carver’s mother, as a safe haven and ally in their quest to free the Strongbows and reunite Wendella with her parents. They maintain a watch on the goings on of the Stoneyard. A bell sounds, signaling the end of the lunch hour, and workers reluctantly pick up their tools and return to their labors. A handful of men shovel gravel into carts, others chisel slabs of stone from large standing blocks of granite and marble, while yet others bore holes into the bedrock at the bottom of open pits. Every so often they catch sight of a town guard patrolling among the piles of stone. The guards appear lackadaisical and not particularly alert.

Hours pass. In the late afternoon, a group of men enters the Stoneyard through the main gate. The party of newcomers consists of six town guards led by a tall man with black hair bound by a silver circlet. He is dressed in a long white coat with a high collar, along with a shiny silver belt and high black boots. The guards follow in the wake of his brisk, confident stride. He leads them to the entrance of the main business office. Several of the guards enter the building and soon emerge with another agitated man. Sartan asks Wendella if she recognizes any of those men. She replies, “Yes. Yes, that’s Donnwald. Councilman Donnwald. What’s he doing here? And that other man, that’s Carver’s boss. Carver worked here, you know. That’s his boss, the foreman. What are they up to?” 

Sartan, seeking clarification asks, “He’s the guy that’s in charge of the guards?” Wendella replies, “Yes. My father has his own personal guard, but the chairman of the city council is officially in charge of the guards. Back on the road, that fisherman said that martial law had been imposed. That must be Donnwald’s doing. He does not legally have that authority, but with his influence over the guards, who are corrupt anyway, he could make it happen. After all, it was he and his guards who have enabled the smuggling and racketeering in this town. They didn’t just turn a blind eye, but also took part in the profits. They made sure the law never interfered with the activities of the gangs, and people like Hack, and well, frankly my friends, and me.”

Donnwald, the foreman, and the guards move around to the back of the main building and are obscured from view by the large standing stones occupying the northern end of the Stoneyard. In their preoccupation with Donnwald, the party has let down their guard. They notice a bit too late that a pair of guards is approaching and so they scramble to hide themselves in the crevasse. Mishok, unfortunately knocks loose some stones, and the sound draws the guards’ attention. They rush forward, demanding “Who’s there? Show yourself!” They move into the opening in the cliff wall and catch sight of Mishok, still clad in town guard apparel. They question him immediately, “Oy, who are you, then!? One of the new recruits, are you?” Mishok plays along, replying, “Oh, yeah, yeah. First day on the job. And they assigned me here to the Stoneyard.” One of the guards laughs, “Of course, they send a dwarf to be among the rocks. Is that what you’re doing back there? Having a little fun with the rocks?” Mishok laughs along and says, “Well, you know, I had to pee, and this seemed like a good out-of-the-way spot.” The trio banter a bit more, and the guards warm up to him. They ask him to come along on their rounds, and they can go get a drink later at the Yur Inn. Mishok agrees, and heads off with his newfound “friends.” As they walk, the more talkative guard mentions that there are lots of new recruits to the town guard. “Ever since they locked down the city, Donnwald has signed up every bandit, smuggler, and gangster he could put a uniform on. Not a lot of training, so it’s a good thing you met a couple veterans like us. We can show you the ropes.” He goes on to mention the mysterious “Shadowfurst Four” that Donnwald seeks, scoffing at the notion, but disclosing that, “they did supposedly spot some mysterious guys lurking around the North Gate this morning,” but that “sighting” amounted to nothing.

Mishok and the guard pass among the standing stones and come upon a curious sight. Donnwald’s contingent of guards are clustered around a twenty-five foot tall statue, closely resembling the one in the town square. Two workers are pulling away ropes and a tarp that lie tangled around its stony feet. Donnwald stands atop a metal stairway that has been wheeled up to the back of the granite figure. Mishok and his two companions move to join Donnwald’s guards, who shuffle their feet and gaze about them in boredom and impatience. Donnwald is cursing and shouting seemingly random statements, such as “Donnwald! Strongbow! Champion! Shadowfurst!” The guards chat in hushed tones. “What’s he doing?” asks one of Mishok’s friends. One of Donnwald’s guards replies “I don’t know, but he’s pissed! he came all the way out here expecting that he could wake up this lump of rock, I guess. But it’s sure not working.”

Shortly, Donnwald has had enough. He gives up on whatever he is attempting, and storms down the stairs. He orders two of the guards to stay and watch the “Champion” and he marches off with four of the others. The foreman eyes Mishok with curiosity and strikes up a conversation. He acknowledges the legendary aptitude for stonework so prevalent in the dwarven race. The Stoneyard recently lost their previous gem cutting specialist, a dwarf named Berniece, who was an unpleasant sort but extremely talented. He invites Mishok to stop by the office after his shift to fill out a job application, and discuss the possibility of coming to work for the Stoneyard. Mishok agrees that he would like to learn more about the opportunity. Satisfied, the foreman takes his leave and heads back his office. Mishok and his guard companions decide the time has come for them to continue on their own rounds. They part ways to cover more ground, but agree to meet later for a drink.

The end of the work day draws near and the light begins to fade. A worker ignites oil lamps in strategic locations, and most of the other weary workers shuffle away through the gates and out into the streets.

Cycek takes the opportunity to move stealthily closer to the statue for a better look. He throws a stone as far as he can, and the two bored guards, eager for something to do, move off to investigate. Cycek silently climbs the metal stairs and finds a metal hatch left standing open in the broad back of the statue. Inside is a stone chair, upon which rests a silver helmet attached to a cable. Cycek takes a seat and places the helmet upon his head. The helmet covers his eyes completely, and after a moment he hears a deep voice in the darkness, “Password.” Cycek ascertains the meaning of this statement, and immediately begins speaking a litany of random words and statements, “ABC, 123, change password,” hoping to hit upon one that might fulfill the request and yield some result. He is so engrossed in what he is doing, that he does not hear the footsteps climbing the metal stairs behind him. A rough hand grasps him by the shoulder and an angry voice demands, “Get out of there, you! You are under arrest!” The guard drags him out of the opening and down the stairs. Before the other guard can assist, Cycek commands his loyal weasel companion to attack. Fuzzidohng leaps at the the startled guard and delivers a painful bite to his grasping hand. The guard lets go, and Cycek makes a break for it. Mishok sees this from across the yard, and eager to maintain his cover, runs at Cycek at full bore. The sturdy dwarf collides with the fleeing elf and tackles him to the ground. He whispers to him desperately, “Play along, just play along!” Cycek does so, thrashing about as Mishok shouts in mock triumph, “I got him! I got it handled, guys!” The pursuing guard, Herb, assists in the apprehension of Cycek, while the other returns to guard the “Champion.” Herb suggests they take Cycek and lock him up in the stable. Mishok agrees and as they begin to drag him to the makeshift jail, Cycek lashes out at Herb, physically and verbally. His kicks fail to connect, but his taunting words sting, earning Cycek a hard slap across the face.

During this fracas, Davros has moved to a hidden location, and Sartan has moved into the open with Wendella. The two other patrolling guards see the commotion from across the yard and break into a dead run. One charges to confront Sartan, while the other guard, Mishok’s talkative friend, runs to assist with Cycek. The “friend” excitedly says, “Wow! You got him! good job! I knew you had what it takes!” Mishok plays along, “Yeah, I caught one of these radicals trying to sabotage the ‘Champion’ statue.” The guard expounds on this, “Yeah, this is crazy what’s going on in the city. People are rebelling, wanting to defend Strongbow. I’ve never had anything against the mayor, but the boss says he was involved in killing some guys, and even his daughter. So the boss arrests him and locks down the city while they try to find his accomplices, and people don’t like it. But the boss is the boss and we gotta do what he says right? But, we have ‘radicals’ like this who just can’t accept it. Good job, Mishok, stopping this guy!”

The other guard approaches Sartan, and yells at him, “Stop right there! Who do you think you are? You don’t belong here! You’re gonna have to come with me!” Sartan puts on an act, pretending that he is drunk and that he and Wendella were engaging in some hanky-panky back behind the Stoneyard. Wendella plays along with the ruse. The guard couldn’t care less, and moves to grab Sartan. The two grapple at each other and it looks like blood will be spilled, but at that moment Wendella casts a Charm spell. The guard falls under the enchantment and looks at her with recognition and benevolence. He says “Wendella! Hi, how are you! Wow, it’s so good to see you! Who’s your friend?” She passes Sartan off as her boyfriend, and the guard is fully accepting of this pretense. Davros comes over to join the group, and the guard placidly accepts his presence as well. The guard agrees to knock off early, play hooky from his rounds, so they can all go to the Yur Inn for a drink. They turn to saunter away together across the Stoneyard, and Sartan suddenly throws a punch that drops the guard in an unconscious heap. Wendella, Sartan, and Davros drag the guard away into the shadows of the standing blocks of stone at the north end of the yard.

Mishok and the two guards drag Cycek into the stable. They find an empty stall. Mishok whispers to Cycek as he ties him up, “Listen, these knots are meant to be loosened easily. Give us a little time to get out of sight, but then work at these knots and you should be able to get free.” He and the guards bolt the stall door and leave through the main barn door, shutting it behind them.

In the dim light of the stable, Cycek, with the help of Fuzzindohng, quickly gets free from his bonds. He is in a large building divided into about a dozen stalls, eight of which are occupied by horses. A couple of empty wagons are parked here, and on the walls hang ropes, harnesses, and other implements used in the upkeep of horses and their use as draft animals. He is surprised to see a familiar face among his equine cellmates. Most of the horses stabled here are heavy draft horses employed in the hauling of stone wagons. But one is a riding mare that looks familiar. It is none other than Sylvester, the horse lent to them by Bontelan Wright, and which was subsequently stolen from Avita Plouman’s barn more than a week ago.

The four adventurers, with their companion Wendella, rest peacefully in the beautiful realm of Celestia. They bask in the sense of accomplishment and relief at having ended the threat of demonic incursions, and having escaped with their lives. Satisfying as the rest period is, they realize, and are in fact reminded by Adara, that the time is nigh when they must return home and meet their obligation to return Wendella to her home.

Adara explains that the potential location of any new portal is subject to a complex arcane geometry. She can use the control orb to rotate or expand the position of the portals relative to a central hub, but they cannot escape the fact that at any given time, there are only certain places where they may emerge. Thus, she cannot guarantee the exact proximity of the emergent portal to their desired destination. The group expressed concern that the portal could deposit them in sold stone, or in the sky, or many many miles away. She reassures them that their emergence into solid stone is impossible, but cannot deny that there is a possibility that the resulting exit into the material plane, may not be conveniently located. She offers an alternative. “There is another path you may take. It is what you may call an inter-planar wormhole. It will without fail bring you where you want to go. However, it is no easy road, and not for the faint of heart. It will test your mettle.”

The companions consider this. Sartan speaks up, “So, we could die on the journey through the wormhole?”

Adara replies, “It has happened before.”

Cycek is ready to take the dangerous road, but his companions prefer the opposite approach. Davros expresses their point of view “If we take the guaranteed road, we are also guaranteed to have a dangerous road. But if we take the other way, we might have a longer road, and we might have a dangerous road, but we also might not encounter danger. So our choice is guaranteed danger, or merely probable danger.”

“Very well then,” says Adara, “Prepare yourselves. I will ready the portal.” She holds forth the glowing control orb, and slowly rotates it, a look of deep concentration on her angelic face.

Sartan meanwhile says his farewells to Eve, giving her a big hug, and telling her that she has been a great companion. She beams with delight at Sartan’s kind words. She says, “I will miss you Sartan, but my work must take me elsewhere. May we meet again someday.” She removes a dozen arrows from her quiver and gives six of them to Sartan and six to Cycek.

A green glows pours over the scene, and they turn to see that Adara has completed her preparation. The green, glowing portal has opened. Adara bids them step through. She says, “The time has come. Make haste. Return to your world, and bring this young lady home to her parents. You have done well. But just like Eve, your work is not done. Go forth and continue to fight on the side of good.”

The companions step into the portal and feel that now-familiar sense of weightlessness. Green light gives way to grey nothingness which slowly coalesces into a point of a blue so deep it is almost black. The weight of reality takes hold and they fall, tumbling like scattered dice onto the cold, stony ground of the dark wilderness. 

It is cold. It is dark, and it takes some time for their eyes to make sense of their surroundings. A bright half moon hangs halfway to the horizon, and stars sparkle overhead. Pale blue moonlight picks out the edges of stones and stunted trees. Cycek gazes up at the sky, and recognizing the constellations, is able to gain a sense of direction. They pull out Carver’s map and examine it in the moonlight. Looking around, they think they can see the outlines of distant bluffs to the north, west, and south. They begin hiking, moving slowly east through dark, rugged outback. The world is still. They encounter no creatures, natural or otherwise. As the night wears on and the dim glow of pre-dawn awakens in the east, they find themselves on a narrow trail. Cycek detects the tracks of booted feet on the dusty ground, so he concludes that this no mere game trail. Again consulting the map, they guess that they are on the so-called “Thieves Highway” in the bluff lands northwest of the city.

The trail gradually veers northeast and they find themselves on familiar terrain. The sky has begun to lighten, and they see a billowing cloud of orange-brown smoke and dust silhouetted against the pale glow of dawn in the east. They realize they are approaching the smoking ruins of the Xodar’s lair. The dust and smoke of the collapse is surely venting from the collapsed cavern and out the open pit in the labyrinth at the top of the bluff. They follow the trail past the back entry to the lair, through a series of ancient archways, and down the stone stairway where they had encountered the hobgoblin stone-rollers several days ago. Retracing their route, they find their way back to the location where they, in the company of Carver and Ursula, had been confronted by Hack and his minions. There is no longer any sign of a battle having taken place, as if the scene has been cleaned up. As the morning progresses, they find their way back to the road and the begin heading south. Within an hour they hear the sound of an approaching horse cart. They greet the farming couple driving the cart. The wife is wary, but the husband is open to conversation. He tells them of a situation that has emerged in Shadowfurst. The mayor has been arrested, and the guards are searching for “the Shadowfurst Four.” The gates are shut, and the guards are searching every cart in and out of the city. They had come to the city yesterday with a load of goats for market, only to wait in line so long, they ended up staying the night. Now they are heading back to their farm. The man says that he has never seen anything like it. When asked why the mayor has been arrested, the man replies that he’s not sure, but it has something to do with the disappearance of his daughter, and his implication in someone being murdered. Wendella becomes upset during this conversation and interjects that there is no way her father should be held responsible for the things she had done. The farmer, upon hearing this, recognizes Wendella. He says that he has always liked the mayor and doesn’t believe the rumors. He gives the rest of the group an appraising look, and concludes the obvious: this is the “Shadowfurst Five.” He looks around furtively, and speaks in a  hushed tone. “You seem like good folks. Be careful approaching the city. They’re looking for you. They have guards at the gate, searching people. Questioning people. And they have some kind of huge creature behind the door, intimidating people. Be careful.” And turning to Wendella he says, “I’m glad to see you’re OK. I knew what they said couldn’t be true.”

They says their farewells to the couple, but before they continue on their way, they decide that Wendella will be much too easy to identify if they are seen by city guards. Davros happens to have a makeup kit, so they decide to improvise a disguise. They make up her face as if she is some kind of traveling performer

They are still an hour north of the city, and it is mid-morning, when they come upon a man in distress. He is awkwardly rolling a hand cart, in which a boy, apparently his son, is curled up, motionless. He calls to the group for help. “My son is hurt! Please help.” Mishok moves to help while the others hang back, readying themselves in case of a trap. The man tells the story of a fishing trip gone wrong. They always come fishing in the spring, but today his son caught an unusual, aggressive fish. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It had a stinger in it’s tail. It jabbed my son, Skip. He began to shake, then fell unconscious. And my luck is not with me today… this cart is broken and will barely roll. I’ll never make it to town for help. Can you help me!”

Mishok calls upon Divoc to provide a blessing of protection against poison. The merciful deity bestows the blessing and the boy comes out of his paralysis. Furthermore, Mishok extends his hand and miraculously repairs the broken cart. The fisherman is overjoyed! In his gratitude he offers Mishok some silver pieces as well as a wand. The wand, he explains, has provided him and his son protection from bad weather, such as cold, and lightning. The wand, in fact, is a wand of Protection from Energy, and Mishok is certain it will be useful some day. Before they part ways, Mishok asks what the man might know about what is happening in Shadowfurst. The man is not sure, but he heard from some travelers that the city is in a state of martial law. The city is locked down and no one is allowed out on the streets.

They experience the Shadowfurst situation for themselves before long. It is mid-morning when they approach a long backlog of farm and merchant carts queued up outside the North Gate. Disgruntled, impatient rural folks mill about, glancing at the five travelers with some interest. The adventurers survey the scene and see guards with crossbows keeping watch upon the walls. Other guards inspect the carts at the head of the line. They discuss options to get in the gate, considering various schemes such as posing as guards, or sneaking in along the riverbank, or simply confronting the guards. Finally, they decide to slink away before they are seen. They backtrack a good distance up the road, and find a place to cross the river that is somewhat less treacherous. The river here passes over a relatively shallow shoal of rocks. Cycek leads the way and leaps from rock to rock, picking his way across. Sartan and Davros follow his route and are soon across the river as well. Mishok, however, in less lucky. He slips off a stone and plunges into the cold, rushing water. Luckily, he is able to grab a rock just ten feet downstream, and hold on for dear life. Cycek uses his immovable rod to swing over to Mishok and grab him. He manages to drag him ashore, wet, cold, and embarrassed, but safe.

Using Carver’s map, they find their way to another segment of the “Thieves’ Highway.” They take it around the west side of the city, where it winds its way down  into a crevasse before emerging at the back of the Shadowfurst Stoneyard. Wendella explains that this is where many of the smugglers and gang members in town would access the trails to move their loot discretely into or out of town. They wait in the shadows of the cliff wall and observe the activities in the Stoneyard. It is lunchtime, and the few workers they see appear to be on break, idly strolling around. They decide to wait here until nightfall, so they can move with a reduced chance of detection.

Solid stone cracks and tumbles over the edge of a widening pit at the hub of a swirling, frothing moat. A towering vortex of glowing orange gas whirls upward and out the shaft in the cavern ceiling. Hunks of rock fall smashing among frenzied combatants. Demons emerge roaring and cackling from another emergent abyssal portal, and close in on the embattled Duergar soldiers. Those very-same Duergar bellow in fury at the hated Dwarf, Mishok, who desperately hangs onto his paralyzed Elf companion, as the rushing waters threaten to pull them over the edge and into the horrifying hellscape below. They exhort their ogre companion, Thud, to seize Mishok. “Thud! Get that damned dwarf! He sabotaged the spell! This is his fault! Get him!” Davros tries to confuse the stupid creature, yelling “Hey! Those guys are the dwarves! Look at them! Those are the bad guys! Get them!” Thud, dim though he is, does not fall for Davros’ ruse. He wades into the rushing waters and tries to seize the struggling dwarf – to no avail! The slippery dwarf squirms out of the bulky arms of the ogre, quickly grabs at the metal supports of the spiral staircase, and begins to climb.

The looming presence of the ogre thrashing in the water seems to be exactly what Cycek requires to jolt him out of his paralysis. He abruptly regains the use of his limbs, just as his companion Sartan reaches out and pulls him away from the brink of the pit. The two cling to the metal framework as water churns around them. Thud turns his attention toward them.

Davros finds himself confronted by a small squadron of Duergar. The Duergar in turn find themselves menaced by Cackler demons who rush forth to attack. Davros takes his foes’ momentary distraction as an opportunity to help Cycek. He leaps onto the wall of the moat and attacks the ogre, stabbing into his bulk with his rapier. The wound has little effect on the massive creature, so Davros sheathes his blade and scrambles up the metal structure and out of the fray.

All four of the companions now look down at the fray from their perch atop the staircase. The entire structure shakes and all of its occupants struggle to stay upright. The clamor of cracking stones, shouting Duergar, and cackling demons is nearly deafening. But Wendella’s voice rises above the din. “I have to resume the incantation. Goerth corrupted the ritual! He interjected words that altered the spell. I need to try and fix it!” She picks up the fallen spell book, raises the golden skull, and commences her arcane chanting. A sudden blow to the spiral staircase sends them all reeling. Thud, still in the moat, has grabbed the metal structure and begun shaking it violently. The underlying stone begins to give way. The metal uprights buckle and bend, and several of the party are thrown to their knees. Davros and Cycek see the immediate need to remove the ogre from the battlefield. They rain down arrows from above, ultimately delivering a lethal blow. The muscular creature utters a guttural cry, goes limps and falls to the slimy, stone floor of the moat with a wet slap. The remaining current slowly pushes his inert, bleeding form over the lip of the pit and into oblivion. 

The companions’ relief is short-lived. Their attention is soon given to the sound of boots on the metal stairway. Five of the Duergar are hustling up as quickly as they can, with malice in their eyes. Rocks are falling all around them and the platform is tilting inexorably toward the brink. A horrific winged head flies out of the billowing cloud of orange fumes and dives at Sartan. Its fanged teeth snap on empty air as Sartan deftly ducks aside. Cycek whips out his sword and chops the fiend into two pieces. But he has had enough. Realizing that this platform is soon to collapse, he takes off running along the catwalk toward the opposite staircase. Davros follows. But Mishok is knocked down by a blow from falling rocks, and Sartan comes under attack by the first Duergar who has gained the top of the staircase. Davros, seeing the dire situation returns to the failing platform to help his companions to safety. Two Duergar are slain in the melee. Sartan grabs Wendella by the hand saying, “Forget the spell! We need to get out of here!” She is in no position to argue. She replies, “I think its too late anyway. Whatever was begun… whatever process was started… there’s no stopping it now. I just don’t know how it will turn out, for good or ill. It could go either way. We just have to hope and pray.”  The companions leave the platform just as it snaps off the end of the catwalk and crashes down into the yawning pit, taking the remaining Duergar with it. They feel a great swell of relief and a moment of hope. Their eyes detect a flicker of green light among the flashes of angry orange illuminating the cavern. They glance downward and see a tall, silver-clad figure stride forth from a glowing green portal. This mighty warrior dashes into the fray, hewing down demons with a long two-handed sword. It could only be Eve! She moves closer to the center of chaos, and is soon lost in the haze of orange arcane energy and the dust of collapsing stone.

The companions continue fleeing the expanding pit. Cycek, far outpacing the rest, has descended to the cavern floor and has begun investigating the now drying river that winds its way from the moat. A slimy stone riverbed now has a bare trickle of water running indolently over slippery stone and deposits of mud and slime. It disappears through a hole in the wall. Peering into the hole, Cycek sees a slick, wet cavern that soon twists out of sight. The rest of the party debate which way to go – up to Xodar’s room or down to the cavern floor. They elect to go down. They meet up with Cycek and they make the dangerous decision to run back toward the collapsing pit, and the hopeful safety of the still-glowing green portal.

Crossing the riverbed on a plank bridge, they see movement in an adjacent drying pond. There are shapes writhing in a deposit of thick mud left behind as the water drains away. They pause long enough to consider investigating, but then realize that this distraction could prove to be grave error. They turn their backs to leave at the moment a large clot of mud is flung toward them. It lands with a splat behind their retreating steps. Sartan says, “We don’t have time to deal with any damn mud monsters, or some kind of magical mud elemental, or whatever. Let’s get out of here!” They near the welcoming green light, and Eve steps back into view, silhouetted by orange smoke and dust. Several bodies lie around her feet. She walks toward the adventurers with a slight limp, and she clutches at her side, but as she arrives alongside the portal, she gathers herself upright, smiles and gestures as if inviting guests into the front door to her home.

They all rush into the orb and experience that same sense of weightlessness they did before. They float for a few moments within a formless grey space, before falling again toward a coalescence of warm green. They tumble gently out onto a green lawn. They have been here before. Their hearts surge with relief and an immediate sense of well-being. There before them is Adara. The heretofore stoic deva is almost exuberant. “You did it! It worked! The portals have closed! The gate to the abyss has collapsed into itself and is sealed! The spell was corrupted, but it was you! Your participation that held it together. It was your faith.” And nodding at Mishok, she adds, “And perhaps assistance of the great deity, Divoc, who of course supported the good work of his faithful cleric. But it was your willingness to trust in a young woman who had given you no reason to trust her. Your willingness to put yourselves in harm’s way for the greater good. Your ability to put aside your doubts, fears, and innate mortal selfishness has turned the tide and perhaps saved your world from torment at the hands of demonic hordes! There is still work to do. The creatures that have already found their way into your world will still be there, and will need to be dealt with. But for now, there should be no further demonic incursions, at least not from this source. You are truly heroes! Now, be at rest. You have earned a moment of peace and healing. Alas, it must be a brief rest, for the world continues on, and you still have an obligation to bring this young woman home. Once you have recovered, I will use the orb to open one more gateway, and will try my best to place it as near as I can to your destination.”

Sartan asks the deva several questions. She appears slightly amused, despite the somewhat flippant nature of the queries, and she replies kindly. He asks if she could give them the glowing orb they had pitched into the portal earlier. She declines, saying that it is far too powerful of an item, and they will safeguard it here in Celestia. She instead offers Sartan a magical torch. It will glow on command without requiring a source of flame, producing illumination like that of a traditional torch. He also inquires about the nature of the blessed water she had provided during their previous visit. She replies that it carries healing properties from which they will benefit upon drinking it. Finally, he inquires about the properties of the arm band that he wears. Adara senses that there is a curse upon it. The evil it bears cannot stay in Celestia, and as such, he cannot leave it behind. She recommends that he destroy it upon reaching the material world, and furthermore asserts that the responsible course of action is to ensure that it does not fall into the hands of some other unwitting soul.

With that, she bids them rest, but suggests that they think well upon where they would like to re-enter the material world. She will need to send them on their way soon.