i. The party disembarked from the the ship, Knottsman, into the city of Urmlaspyr. Celebrations were evident with the arriving of Highharvestide. Not wanting a good celebration to go to waste, the group found a tavern to their liking and piled in. While enjoying a meal and beverages they witnessed and altercation between two men. Both were carrying near identical message satchels and after colliding and dropping both were arguing over who owned one of the satchels. The argument escalated until the party intervened. Summoning the city guard, they were all escorted to the guard house where after much discussion all were directed to talk to the Merchant Messaging Guild, as this was an internal matter for them. The guild revealed that both men were disgraced members of the guild. One having been dismissed by the High Guild Master in Selgaunt and the other having accepted an assignment from outside the guild and was being censured. To avoid embarrassment to the guild, the party was asked to take the disputed satchel to Daerlun to investigate the claimant's stories. Because of the sensitive matter of this task, the only aid the group could be given was a letter of introduction crafted by the Urmlaspyr Guild Master

ii. Their journey to Daerlun uneventful, the party went to the guild office and after presenting their letter of introduction were well received. Investigating to see if either claimant's story was true, a mystery began to unfold. Two years ago a merchant was murdered in a most gruesome way. Two men were implicated, one convicted and executed, and the other, though disgraced, could not be prosecuted for lack of evidence and was released. That man was one of the claimants the party was investigating. Moving their search to the Daerlun authorities, they were introduced to the chief inspector, who after reviewing the letter of introduction, extended all his cooperation to the group. They read through the case parchments and looked over the remaining evidence, which lead them to a key witness who still resided in the city. Meeting him, the group discussed the case and heard of the extreme measures that were taken when the convicted murderer was buried after his execution: a consecrated grave, magical wards, and the attention of the seats of power in the city. Investigating the grave, the party deduced that the body in the grave was most likely undead and the extraordinary care was to keep it in its grave. With all their leads in Daerlun exhausted, the party decided to follow the clues to Thansala, where the events two years prior may have seeded this mystery.

iii. The two day long journey to Thansala was undertaken straight away, the party tirelessly walked through the second night to arrive at the settlement just after dawn. What greeted them was a ghost town. While all the buildings and outlying structures were sound and in good shape, no people, no animals, no signs of life were evident. The only other oddity was a magically warded building, the town inn. With fatigue catching up to them, the party setup camp in the settlement's warehouse and set their watches and went to sleep. Shortly after dusk, the party was rather rudely given answers to the town's demise when they were attacked by a roving group of zombies. Fighting off the undead horde was difficult for them, but by a slim margin the living dead were defeated. Searching the bodies the group found a magical trinket, a small broach that was stuck into one of the zombies. Putting two and two together, they used the brooch at the warded inn and entered the magically warded structure. Here their search revealed a tunnel under the kitchen. Descending and following the tunnel lead them to several underground rooms. Eventually hearing voices behind a door, our party surprised a group of orc guards, defeating them, and finding a captive held in a cell. The barbarian of the group, trying to tear the cell door from its hinges, instead set off a ward and was engulfed in magical fire. His toughness bore some of the ward's energy, but he was wracked in pain and brought to his knees before the effect abated. The barbarian was then dismayed to see that the ward had branded his wrist with an unknown symbol. The captive was barely conscious, but try as she did, could not speak or utter a sound. If she tried to write, noting but scribbles could she form. The group decided to leave the underground warren and escape to the surface. As they emerged and left the inn, part of the magic effecting the captive was lifted and her voice returned. She thanked the party for rescuing her and then implored them to rush north of the town as Raida, her captor, was trying to summon his “leviathan” to bolster his power and allow him the ability to conquer more lands and threaten the region. With her voice returned, the captive cast helpful spells upon the group and urged them to confront Raida and stop his scheme. The party rushed north through a cornfield, where they burst into a giant crop circle just as Raida appeared to just finish his summoning. Screaming into the heavens and thanking Bane, Raida was rushed by the barbarian, who struck him twice with mighty blows from his sword and laid Raida low. The group was just beginning to relax when the ground began to tremble and Raida's “leviathan”, an immense Purple Worm, burst from the center of the crop circle and reared to an awesome height while turning to face the party. A feeble crossbow bolt missed the new threat. The party steeled itself. The barbarian shouted his war cry and charged the monster...

i. ...closing quickly and swinging his blade with all his might. At the edge of the crop circle a dwarf and a rogue appeared to witness the sight. The barbarian's blade pierced the worm's thick hide and cut deeply, slicing a huge tear in the creature's trunk. Screaming with blood-lust the barbarian readied to swing again but the worm lowered its maw over the half-ogre and cleanly bit him in half! His brother moved forward but the worm was just out of reach. The mage moved back, better to fire from range, the dwarf and rogue moved forward into the crop circle. But as the worm reared back, it did not attack the others, with an unexpected gentleness, it prodded the dead body of its summoner, seemingly waiting for a response. The brother skirted around the worm to reach his fallen sibling's lower body and, grabbing the remains, made for the town. The mage came closer, looking at the carnage but seemingly amazed that the worm was not attacking. The dwarf rushed up to Raida's body, and seeing an opportunity, grabbed it and began to run off. With lightning quickness, the worm struck, enveloping the dwarf and swallowing all but his right foot whole. This caused the rogue and mage to pause... but the lure of knowledge and treasure was too high. For a few turns they visually inspected the body of the worm's summoner, and the worm did not attack. Feeling emboldened the mage touched the holy symbol on Raida's neck... with disastrous results! The worm struck, biting the surprised human in half, once again only leaving the lower half of another victim. The rogue, having enough, grabbed the dwarf's foot and the human's lower body and followed the surviving half-ogre back to the town, leaving the worm standing vigil over its fallen summoner. Gathering back at the village, the group found that the sorceress they had rescued had been locked in the guild hall by the human mage. With the mage half eaten... they chose to break the door down as her magic could not be dispelled. The sorceress implored the group to tell her if they had stopped Raida. The group was more intent on getting their comrades returned to the living. After finally getting the details of what had happened the sorceress brought forth a scroll and the group was teleported to the center of Daerlun. Immediately after arriving in Daerlun, the sorceress began to remember other things and in a fit of panic, stepped back from the group and disappeared.

ii. The half-ogre carried the remains of his brother to the Merchant's Message Guild with the others following with their grizzly cargos. There was much confusion and heightened voices before cooler heads prevailed and an agreement was reached. In exchange for helping the guild and keeping quiet about what had happened, those slain would be brought back. Satisfied the brother and the rogue left to get drunk before returning the next day. While drinking the rogue discovered that to the west villages were paying coin to those who rid their lands of marauding creatures: orcs, goblins, gnolls, etc. After a restful night, our party was reunited. After reequipping and making a deal or two with some of Daerlun's merchants the party set off immediately to seek fortune in the west.

iii. Their journey was uneventful at the start. But soon their scent was tracked by two wolves of unusually large size. Their attack on the party was swift, but the party was stronger and killed them quickly. On through the night they marched. The rogue was the first to sense that something had changed. The cold chill of death did not warn them quickly enough though as two ghostly figures glided into their midst and robbed most of their bodily health. The fight was long and one of the half-ogres was drained to a mere fraction of his full constitution but the party prevailed. Drained and spent, they moved just off the road to a nearby hilltop to bivouac and await the dawn.

i. The long rest helped the party as all who felt the wraith's leeching sting recovered most of what was lost. The group watched the passage of many groups, pilgrims, merchants, and others during their stay. As they joined the flow of travelers to the west, they were soon passed by a large covered wagon travelling to the east. The rogue caught a glimpse of many humans chained and gagged through a tear in the wagon's cover. He mentioned to the group and challenged those travelling around the wagon to what why were about. The men formed a defensive wall between the part and the wagon and tried to intimidate the group to mind their own business and turn away. Their actions failed as the twins took offense and their short tempers flared into battle lust. The battle was short but violent and all but one of the slavers was killed and their wagon destroyed. The party found 8 humans bound and heaped in a cage inside the wagon. While trying to figure out what to do with the captives, the party noticed one group, then another, and another that had been approaching them had stopped a distance away and were watching the party. The rogue approached them and explained that the twins were not at fault, they were the heroes of the battle. After much discussion and with the fading light of day, everyone camped on the road to let the night pass with safety in numbers.

ii. Crossing the river Darkflow, the party came upon a border post manned by two men in purple attire, a fighter and a mage. The group had crossed the frontier into Cormyr, where it was explained that in order to adventure they must have a group charter and pay for a license. After much grumbling, the party purchased a ten-day license and gave themselves a name, Guild of Calamitous Intent (GoCI). The guard bid them well met and directed them to the settlement of Battlerise that was a short walk to the west.

iii. Arriving at Battlerise, there was a bit on commotion concerning the twins, but their adventuring license granted them entrance and the group's charter was added to the settlement's tote board. Many adventuring groups were in the area, eliminating monsters for a bounty. GoCI was not the first to join this fray. Their 1st foray to the north had them encounter an orc band led by a powerful chieftain. The orcs seemed well equipped and though defeated, their abilities in combat were substantial. The group's investigation led them to the conclusion that the orcs had used many potions just prior to their attack, most unusual for orcs. During the fray, one of the twins noticed a goblin on a wolf, which observed the fight from a distance and then vanished into the night. The party could find no tracks and wandered into the swamp looking for more monsters. Just before dawn, they were surprised by a strange cat with six legs and tentacles writhing from its back. Grunk, the barbarian twin, slogged up to the beast and with a single blow shattered its spine and dropped it cold! Weary but victorious, the group returned to Battlerise, claimed their bounties, and rested the day so they could continue their nightly reconnoiter.

i. After a night's rest, the party purchased what potions and scrolls they could find and set out for the Vast Swamp. A lone figure greeted them outside Battlerise, a cloaked figure who asked the group if they needed help. GoCI became one larger. Reaching the swamp’s frontier, they decided to plunge headlong into the bogs and backwaters instead of skirting the swamp's borders. After a difficult three hours of sucking mud, unstable ground, and foul, despoiled water they came across a fairly large pond... with a dark form moving beneath its surface. The new member of the group suggested caution and began to circle around the pond, but the twins slogged up to its edge and the dark form under the surface revealed itself, a black dragon! The fight was brief as the combined weight of the twin’s attacks and the fate of the group's dwarf to absorb attacks from the dragon won the fight. The dragon dead and its head claimed as a prize the group fanned out looking for treasure. The dwarf noticed that the vegetation around the pond was more matted than the general swamp. Grunk decided to search under the water and after swimming a great distance, broke into a subterranean air filled chamber, filled with the dragon's horde! Between the half ogre and the rogue, the loot was secured and the party retreated to Battlerise to claim their bounty and sort through their treasure. They were but an hour from Battlerise, an hour after sunset when Grunk spied a goblin riding a wolf. The goblin bolted, but the half-ogre was not to be denied and with his strong strides ran after the fleeing scout. Grugg also gave chase but his heavy armor slowed him to a crawl. The mage also gave chase but she was not up to matching the hard charging barbarian. As Grunk was about to slow and give up the chase he crested a hill and found that the goblins had set a trap! Goblin bowmen were ready at his flanks to shoot him while warrior cavalry on worgs slashed by him at full gallop stabbing the barbarian with lances! The riders were expert and their blows were powerful and devastating. Grunk fought enraged, charging the nearest rider and with a single blow cutting both them and their vicious mounts down. It was a race as to who would fall first. The mage arrived and threw her magic into the fray, but it was Grunk who survived the onslaught, downing a potion as he kneeled on the ground that saved his life. Although four riders were down and their mounts dead, a single rider escaped, where and to whom the group could not determine. At Battlerise they claimed their bounties. The dragon head caused quite a stir as mages were anxious to procure it for reagents. Grunk bartered the head if the mages would identify some magic items. An agreement reached, the mages would prepare and cast their spells the next morning... and reveal a magic ring, wand, and a sentient magical bow! And Daerlun beckoned as the group had goods to reacquire.

ii. They hired on as caravan guards and their four day journey was without combat as the twin’s presence and bearing dissuaded wolves and a band of orcs from combat. The twins though did slay a bison, planning on having it for dinner once they entered Daerlun. The city guard was not favorable to the twins dragging their carcass through the streets but at last relented and GoCI entered the city. The next morning Grunk and Alex returned to the merchant where their scrolls and armor had been prepared. The others explored and shopped, too. All had things made ready by the start of the 5th day. While relaxing during day two, a messenger greeted them and asked if they would visit the Merchant’s Message Guild as the guild master wanted to see them. Greeted warmly, they were asked if they could be contracted to escort a courier to the Cormyrian city of Wheloon. Though very unusual for the MMG to deliver messages outside of Sembia, the guild master explained that occasionally their guild would do this for matters of great importance. GoCI agreed and after collecting their wares on the morning of the third day, they met Tunaster, their charge to safely see to Wheloon, and began their journey west.

iii. The four day march back to Battlerise was calm. At the frontier they renewed their adventuring charter, not for a ten-day, but for a full year and reached Battlerise a few hours after dark. They bunked down for the night, ready to journey farther west the next day and to eventually deliver Tunaster to Wheloon.

i. As the party spent the night in Battlerise, several of the wizard’s contingent visited the twins to ask if they would be going after the "Purple Basilisk". A few implored the twins to seek out and slay the beast (as they had wagered heavily on them in the many pools that were springing up in Battlerise). Though tempted, the twins agreed that they needed to see Tunaster to Wheloon ASAP and then they would return to seek out the legendary monster. Their journey west soon brought them to Monksblade. The twins, although the group did have a valid adventurer’s charter, found that as they travelled west, they were looked upon with more fear, suspicion and hostility. Monksblade was no different. Travelling on it was another two days to Dreamer's Rock, a community built against the side of a south facing cliff, helping to shield it from the storms blowing south from the Immersea. A 1/2 day west of Dreamer's Rock the group’s good luck finally failed and while resting, their camp was attacked by wraiths. The group had faced them before, but Tunaster was not familiar with their life draining ways and was brought to near death by their ephemeral attacks. The twins turned Grunk’s tower shield into a litter and, carrying Tunaser, they continued the trip west. Their pace slowed by carrying the litter, the two remaining days to Wheloon took the better part of three, but they arrived an hour after dusk and Tunaster had regained enough strength to walk the final hour himself.

ii. The ferryman was stubborn in his refusal to take the group across the Wyvernflow River to the main section of Wheloon but Tunaster was able to convince him that their haste was warranted and after some coin was exchanged the group was moved across the river and on their way to the center of the town. Their late arrival though found the government house closed and Tunaster could not deliver his message. Meeting a member of the town’s council would have to happen the next day. So renting rooms for the night, the party turned in to enjoy a restful night’s sleep.

iii. The next morning they awoke to find that Tunaster was missing from his bed. With his clothes still in the room and other clues, the group reached the conclusion he had been kidnapped while they slept. Grunk became enraged and stormed into the common room to try to intimidate the inn keeper for information. That brought in the constabulary and the group was taken into custody. After in depth questioning and some time (as well as fines) the group was released. The local authorities (Constal Maximanus Tholl) would investigate for Tunaster and the party decided to return to Battlerise to search for the "Purple Basilisk". As they worked their way through the center of Wheloon, Deek was slipped a note by a stranger who quickly vanished into the crowd. The note said if the group wanted to know what happened to Tunaster, they should meet near the docks on the east side of the Wyvernsflow just after dusk. Fearing a trap, Deek reconnoitered the area and created a few dead drops around the address and then rejoined the group. At dusk they walked to 321 Imple Street and knocked on the door. True to their prediction, figures emerged from the shadows and attacked. The assassins worked well as a team, but the party was able to best them. Though GoCI wanted them alive for questioning, both were slain. The group gathered the bodies and returned to the constabulary. With all the clues from the kidnapping and the assassination attempt gathered together, there were two leads: the criminal underworld or, to the Magistrate’s surprise, the local temple to Mystra. Grunk with this realization reached into his tunic and pulled out a medallion, a midnight disk with a sliver stream and seven stars, the holy symbol of Mystra. "We’ll investigate the temple.", he declared.

i. The group entered the temple. Save for small side rooms for boarding the guards and the temple residents, store rooms and a common room for petitioners, the temple consisted of three main chambers, an outer, middle and inner. The outer chamber had statuary and a simple decor. It was here that the clerics and acolytes welcomed visitors. The middle chamber was more lavishly decorated and contained a handsome altar on dark midnight blue colored stones under the magically enhanced ceiling bearing a midnight sky with stars, seven of them twinkling. Here the clergy held their midnight ceremonies to Mystra. The inner sanctum, accessed by two large well embossed doors, was closed. When asked, an acolyte explained that the inner sanctum was only used for special ceremonies, like "Mystra's Sacred Trust". Grunk seized on this opportunity and learned that for a small donation, petitioners would be instructed about the Lady of Mysteries and of her church over three days. The final day consisting of prayer and fasting. A ceremony would then be performed in the inner chamber by one of priests, Lady Arthas, Starweaver Fembrys, or Starweaver Shan Tar. After receiving the sacred trust they would come to know the goddess' blessing upon them and would know their path to best serve the Mother of all Magic. Deek and Kull declined to participate, claiming that they were only hired assistants to the twins, but Alex, Cain, and the twins gave a small donation and were welcomed to stay and become petitioners. The next morning the group was given a tour of the temple, including the inner chamber, which was a much more spectacularly decorated room complete with magical flames, beautifully carved bas-reliefs highlighted in permanent fairy fire, and an altar of midnight blue stone that twinkled as though it contained thousands of stars and gave off a soft magical radiance. After the tour, the twins tried to make a diversion so Deek could take a close, unobserved, look at the inner temple. Their diversion was disruptive but the guards did not fail in their duties and Deek was unable to enter the inner chamber. Starweaver Shan Tar almost evicted the half-ogres, but gave them one more chance to behave "civilized" and follow the rules of their study to receive Mystra's Sacred Trust. The twins relented and behaved the rest of day, listening to the acolytes praise Mystra and talk of the dogma of their religion through to dinner time. That evening they watched the midnight service and then retired for the night. Their second day past uneventfully as again they listened to the teachings of the clergy. They studied and contemplated the statuary, bas-reliefs, and chambers of the temple. The third day they began their fast and prayed in silence at the middle chamber's altar for the entire day until they were called upon to participate in the midnight mass. At its conclusion they were retired knowing that on the morning they would get to receive Mystra's blessing in the inner chamber.

ii. They awoke to find that new robes of midnight blue had been laid out for them. Dressing they were escorted into the inner chamber where Starweaver Shan Tar was clothed in his high vestments and smiled eagerly as the petitioners were brought before him. Deek and Kull were asked to wait outside, as they would not be part of the ceremony. After a long preamble, Shan Tar removed a melon sized crystalline sphere from the altar and approached each petitioner. "Knowledge lies between the stars" he intoned as he presented the sphere to each member. Looking into the dark globe, each watched as stars within danced and moved. As their perception was drawn with the flowing motes, a wave of power washed over them. Each was able to resist the magic, and each tried to reconcile what had happened with what they expected. None could match their thoughts to what could only be called Shan Tar's attack. Again he brought the globe around, but this time all but Grunk did not look. Grunk again felt magic tugging at his mind but he resisted its insinuation a second time. As Shan Tar passed the globe in front of them a third time, Grunk started to protest when the room exploded with action as dark servants exited the shadows and attacked the party!

iii. The surprise attack did strike Alex and Cain. The twins roared, calling for their friends out in the middle chamber, and counterattacked. Shan Tar was well prepared, but the twins' reach and brute strength soon brought him down. The team also felled the chambers dark guards. Deek and Kull attacked the guards in the middle chamber. Though they did not put up a fight, Kull made sure they would not interfere by slaying them all. The commotion summoned Kevrin from the outer chamber. His spells first froze Kull and tried to freeze Grunk, but the twin resisted. A standoff ensued but the group was able to convince Kevrin of Shan Tar's treachery. Deek was able to locate a secret door behind the altar and recover the crystaline orb. They all quickly came up with a plan. Kevrin would summon the Purple Dragons and the group would investigate what lay behind the altar. Decided on by all, GoCI moved through the hidden door to see a short hallways run for 20' before diving down into the earth.

i. The group moved down the stairs, which split to either side and doubled back. Each of the split staircases was headed by a statue, made of a dark stone, of a featureless humanoid female. Descending they came to a landing that was dominated by a glowing statue of Mystra standing in the center of a pile of junk: burned books, torn scrolls, shattered pottery and crushed statuary. As the party moved to look closer, the broken stone and pottery on the floor formed into some kind of creature. It attacked with forceful blows and could move through the stone of the floor and walls as if moving through air. At the same time, two more guards appeared from the shadows and attacked. The fight was quick and violent but the party again proved its metal and won the battle. The surrounding rooms proved to be mere storage areas and so they moved on. Deek studied the door to the next area and found it was trapped with an alarm. He deftly disarmed the trap and opened the lock. The door was opened to reveal a long hallway flanked on either side by more statues, made of the dark stone, of a non-descript female figure. The corridor ended with another iron bound wooden door. This time, Deek was not as deft as his attempt to disarm the alarm triggered it instead. He unlocked the door an opened it. The large room beyond was flanked by doors but ended in a large swirling mass of blackness that was bounded by a circle of purple stones. The twins instantly saw it as the holy symbol of Shar, but as they moved to look at it closer, three serpents emerged from within the swirling blackness and attacked. As the party moved to meet the serpents some of the doors opened and two more dark guards and a female cleric joined the fight.
GoCI recognized the cleric as Lady Arthas, the supposed leader of the Mystran temple. The twins let their anger channel at this now deceiver, and the battle ebbed and flowed as first one side than the other gained small advantages. A second cleric emerged from a door to aid the templites. His spells bringing down doom and bane upon the party. At last a blow was laid that killed Lady Arthas. The following moment, Starweaver Fembrys was brought down. The guards had succumbed earlier but the serpents could not be hit effectively. Their scales shimmered and made attacks against them that would have surely hit others, miss. After many long moments though, the party defeated them.
Studying the swirling black disk the group eventually saw it as an illusion and moved through it into a room beyond. Here they found some sort of magical curtain. Beyond it lay hundreds of bones. Curious they passed one of the dead guards through the curtain. Only bones emerged on the other side! Deek, snooping around the nooks and crannies in the room found a secret passage. Opening the hidden door revealed a long corridor.
The passage led to a port of sorts on the Wyvernflow River carved into the river’s bank. On the cave walls were jail cells and one of them contained Tunaster! Grunk rushed to help him, but as he moved across a small bridge, the water stirred and three huge tentacles grabbed for him and the rest of the group that was in their reach. The commotion brought forth a man armed with a club. The twins and Kull fought the tentacled creature as Alex and Deek fought the man with the club. Cane was almost drowned but the group was able to defeat the monster, lay low the man, and free Tunaster.

ii. The aftermath of the fights and the exposing of the temple as a fraud was Kull being arrested for the murder of four of the temples guards. The dwarf was steadfast that he was within his rights in killing them. A hearing before Wheloon’s leader did not sway him and only the group’s other deeds of exposing and removing the threat from the false temple saved Kull from incarceration. As the group left the court room, Constal Maximanus Tholl approached them to continue the investigation, as clues the party had uncovered pointed to more mysteries to the east, towards the Vast Swamp.

i. With their path defined, the party decided to rest the night and stock up on provisions and items the next morning before following the map. The twins had some issues, but their gold glittered and the merchants eventually relieved them of carrying so much. By noon the group was on the east side of the Wyvernflow and journeying east.

ii. Their trip was uneventful. By dusk they reached a henge temple on a hilltop where they met Nory and Coobert. A halfling and human merchant who claimed to have been evicted by dark goblins from their sanctuary at the Tomb of Chonis. They asked if the group could help them by riding the Tomb of the goblins. The group acceded as they were travelling that way anyway. With Nory and Coobert sticking close, GoCI bed down for the night at the unknown shrine.

iii. It was a five hour journey to the tomb, a large burial mound about 200' long by 100' wide by 40' tall at its apex. The most disturbing thing was the magical darkness just inside the mound's entrance. As the group moved in they were sniped by unseen archers. Their exploration of the tomb revealed that the goblins were not goblins, but were a squat dark skinned creature. Their leader was a tall slender humanoid with pallid skin, expert melee skills, the ability to hide in a dark mist that filled the deepest part of the temple, and used very toxic, poisoned blades. Much cat and mouse tactics occurred but eventually the group cleared the tomb. Deek was interested in the slender humanoid's poison, but discovered the potent toxin rapidly decomposed when exposed to air. With the tomb freed from the dark creatures, GoCI left Nory and Coobert and continued their journey east, resting one more night before they once again reached the edge of the Vast Swamp.

i. Grunk studied the area and found the matted down vegetation leading into the swamp he expected to find. The path was mostly firm and they walked for about an hour until they came to a long peninsula extending out into a large bog. The finger of firm ground ended in a wider circular area dominated by five willow trees. in the center of which was a ten foot high pole topped by a large minotaur skull and surrounded by a pile of skulls ten feet wide and piled five feet up the pole. The skulls contained a mix of both baneful and beneficial races. Human, elven, dwarven, goblin, orc, and more exotic species were evident in the pile. The party was cautious and their fears were realized when after inspecting the staff the trees and bog came alive with lizard folk who swarmed over them with nets and paralyzing poison arrows. Deek and Alex were quickly stopped with Grugg being neutralized a short moment later. Grugg was enraged, but the sheer weight of foes brought him down. All the party subdued or paralyzed, the lizardmen closed in and rendered all unconscious.

ii. The group awoke to find that a lizardman shaman was casting spells and inspecting them. After many long moments, he hissed to the others surrounding the party and they quickly untied them. The shaman apologized in broken common, explaining that those who arrived at the skull-staff were ensorcelled, dominated by dark magic. Those in such a state would arrive, capture his tribe members, and spirit them to an ancient stone keep in the swamp. Later they would return as shadows of themselves, literally, and kidnap more. The party was listening and re-donning their armor and weapons when a shrill screech pierced the air and a large floating brain atop a beak and a dozen tentacles descended on the shaman. Simultaneously, a dozen lizardmen, their scales wrapped in a dark shadow, joined the fray. The aberration was fought by the twins as the rest of GoCI dealt with the lizardmen. Grugg and Grunk sliced and diced the strange creature and Alex immolated the lizardmen with magical fire. Much to Alex's consternation, the lizardmen seemed to drain her spells from her when they were close. After the fight, the shaman rushed off to see to his tribe and the party journeyed to the keep to continue their investigation and to free any lizardmen captives they would find.

iii. Near dusk the following day they approached the keep, known as Cormyr's Lost Refuge. Deek decided to scout ahead and scaling the walls dropped a rope over the side. Although trying to be silent, he suddenly found a glowing ball of green light close to him. He moved cautiously away but the 'creature' struck him with magic and chased him into the swamp. Just as Deek was nearing the rest of the party, he was laid low by an electrical jolt from the creature. The rest of the group moved to his aid and a frantic melee of blades and spells echoed through the swamp for many tense moments. The creature was extremely hard to hit, but magic and the twins were able to kill the creature as it shattered into thousands of motes and slowly dimmed into nothingness.