Dalliance scouts as a crow and spots a group of 30 Hobgoblins, lead by a Shaman, coming out of the fortress on an intercept course. Dalliance lands, changing back to her human form and fireballs them, nearly wiping out the would be attackers. The rest retreat to their walls giving up the chase.

The first night is bitter cold and 3 of the former slaves perish in the night. Tomorrow shall fare better as Dalliance will begin summoning fire wood and creating her Secure Shelter. 6 days later the company comes across a bandit camp. Dalliance and Bud get a little closer and Dalliance casts fireball on the encampment. She follows up with a tripled Magic Missiles delivering 18 strikes of damage. All of the bandits are killed and the road is made safe for the party and other travelers.

Thad is returned and he rewards the party with 10,000GP. Dalliance returns her 2,000 gp share to Thad.

Dalliance identifies the magic items. She determines that the treasure consists of:

* 2,000 gp Gold
* Fine matched sets of Jet (10)
* A Brass chest with:
o 2 crystal Potion Vials ‘
+ Mummy control
+ Diminution (Reza)
o A ring of Fire Resistance (Lubboch)
o Rolled up scroll tube. Wind Walk, Cure Light, Deaths door, Cure Serious, Purify food & Water, Resurrection. (Parker)
o Ravens Feather wrapped in gold wire. Is a feather token. Bury in ground and 60’ Oak grows in one minute. (Bud Feaster)
o Wand of Opening (Dalliance)
o Two Handed Sword of Black Fog is +1 (Reza)
o 10 matched opal and silver bracelets
o 50 in small gems.
o 3,000gp

Dalliance builds a shrine to Selune on her grounds in Thudheim, spending 2,000gp of which the city of Thudheim kicks in 1,000gp.

Barada returns from the Bard’s college. He has a previously obtained Rod of Healing that draws him South-South East. He feels that there are additional pieces that fit into the bottom of the Rod. He attempts to convince the rest of the party to join him on a quest to the south.

Reza and Dalliance travel to Waterdeep looking for Magic. Dalliance buys a “Stone to Flesh” spell, a “Project Image” spell and several Potions of Healing. Reza trades much magic for a pair of “Boots of Striding and Springing” worth 30,000gp. Barada buys a map of the south land.

The party heads off with aerial recon scouting the way. The party learns of a Dragon Sighting in the Forest of the Worm. He is large and green. The group heads for the forest whose edge lies 2 days away. The forest itself is nearly 300 miles across.

The two Druids begin flying about looking for traces of the Dragon. The rest of the party skirts the edges of the forest. The group debates whether or not to continue after the Dragon or follow the summons of Barada’s Rod.

After killing the blind warrior the party hears a woman’s voice screaming from behind a locked door. She yells for someone named “Icar” to let her loose. The party speculates that she might be referring to the sightless fighter. Dalliance (MU 11) converses with her through the door. Dalliance tells her that the party has killed everyone inside. The imprisoned woman says that her name is “Melanadress”. She says that if we release her we should not look at her. The party deduces from this information that Melanadress is a Medusa. Lubboch (F 9) , who is immune to the effects of Medusas due to his Helm of Gazes, enters the room and engages the beast. Her snakes attack but are unable to hit and she soon falls to Lubbocks attacks. The group collects her head and fills two water skins of her blood. Dalliance will cast preserve on the blood and they will see if they can bring the blood to market.
Reza (F 9) breaks loose Thad, protector of Thudheim, pulling his chains from the stone wall.
A search of the blind warriors room reveals a secret trap door beneath his bed and a metal chest that is chained to the floor.
As Dalliance and Bud (M 6/D 6) check the chest, Reza, Lubbock and Parker (C 9) attempt to put out the flames from Dalliance’s fireball that are merrily burning away all the food and supplies stacked about the room. The chest cannot be easily opened so the group goes back to the smithy and gets tools to bust open the lock on the chest. Failing that Parker the Cleric uses his Staff of Opening to magically unlock the chest.
Inside the party finds:
· 2,000 gp Gold
· Fine matched sets of Jet (10)
· A Brass chest with:
o 2 crystal Potion Vials ‘
o A ring
o Rolled up scroll tube
o Ravens Feather wrapped in gold wire
· 10 matched opal and silver bracelets
The trap door beneath the bed opens to a straight 3 x 3 ft shaft dug 45 ft down into earth, with rungs bolted into wall. Thad of Thudheim declares that being without armor or weapons he will not venture down. He will barricade himself in the room and await the parties return. At the bottom of the shaft there is a long hallway which dead ends. Reza uses his Wand of Secret Door Detection and finds a secret door at the end of the passage. Reza investigates the secret door but can’t figure out how to open it. Others try but all fail as well. Dalliance comes down and shows group how to open the portal.
The door rolls straight up and a hallway lies beyond with two alcoves. In each alcove lies a chained Dire Wolf. They both spring at Dalliance but miss as she dances away from them. In response she casts mirror image and two replicas of her appear. As she begins backing away, Parker runs to the front and swipes at the Dire Wolves, and misses. Bud Feaster, the plucky Hobbit Monk/Druid, slaps one of the fowl canines. Bud Feaster then delivers a stunning blow (20) then strikes with his other small hand (20) and yet somehow manages to do almost no damage.
At this point, for some reason, the party begins to laugh about “Choking out the Half-Ogre”.
The rest of the fighters move in to finish off the stunned the creature.
The group decides that they have left Thad of Thudheim too far behind. Dalliance and Parker the Cleric return to him.
While exploring below Reza, Bud and Lubbock are subjected to a mid size lightning bolt coming down the hallway. They rush towards the source of damage but find only a door of iron bars across the passageway. They rush up to it and attempt to break through. Hearing the noise Parker casts haste on himself and climbs back down the trapdoor.
They enter a room that is half lab half bizarre showroom. There is motion on the balcony in the far corner of the room and a “”Frankenstein” like monster begins to rise from a work bench in front of them. Reza uses his gloves of lightning on the creature. Reza is struck by an arrow from the balcony. He then attacks the monster on the work bench with his long sword. As they attack Reza and Lubbock are struck by a volley of Magic Missiles. The Monster is cut down and the three fighters head up a set of stairs with Parker right behind them. A noise like a bottle breaking is heard up the steps and a blue smoke wall begins to form up. They try a side passage around but are ambushed by a volley of arrows fired by six Goblins. A secret door opens and Owl Bears emerge. Parker is bear hugged by the Owlish beast (20) and Bud is also savaged, he runs away as he is close to being killed. Parker joins him but far out paces him with his haste spell in effect. Both Owl Bears chase the near dead Bud. The savage him and bring him to the razor’s edge (1hp). Reza attacks the Owl Bear chasing Bud and strikes a mighty blow into its back. Lubbach kills the other critter. Bud Heals himself and Parker helps too.
Reza is determined to open ONE more door. He believes it to be the lair of the Magic User. That door leads to many, many more doors. Reza tries to convince Dalliance to explore more of the dungeon without Bud. Just the four go on to open ONE more door finding a library beyond. Parker the Cleric casts detect magic but finds nothing.
The party turns back to rejoin Bud, Thad and Dalliance. They head back to the Shadow monster area and kill the beast with Magic Missiles. The group figures out how to feed the captives and begins to figure out a strategy back to Thudheim. The party exits and Dalliance polymorphs into a Crow and begins to scout. The troop heads back to return Thad and the former slave prisoners to Thudheim.

Exiting the well and water storage area, the group sneaks and peeks around, discovering the odd trap, a storeroom or three and the odd assortment of barracks – most without occupants – but a few rooms hold snoozing guards – who are encouraged to snooze for eternity. The group picks up speed as it moves from area to area. Dalliance summons up a trio of ghasts to take the lead, and they gleefully rend and tear all that venture within range. Stopping only to rescue a badger and a halfling (at the insistence of Mr. Feaster), the group tears around the final corner at high speed. Bursting into a large room filled with Hobgoblins, barbarians and a black plate mail clad individual – Dalliance whips up a Rod of Fury tripled Fireball that roasts all within the room to a fine medium rare. All excepts the plate mail man, but he succumbs to a savage beating from Reiza and the Feaster.

Stopping only to extinguish the fiercest blazes, the party members spring into action, smashing doors and taking stock. They find the missing Thad and are engaged in trying to open a stubborn close door when a woman’s voice begins calling them all manner of vile things from beyond the door…