Backtracking through the rest of the unexplored passages brings the group into a large (slave-holding) room. Multiple manacles line the walls and several unfortunates are slowly decomposing in chains. Two large piles of refuse brings the party to attention, but a large grating on the other side of the room is more interesting. While crossing the chamber, a profoundly irate basilisk attacks the party, bursting froth from the filth. Lubboch meets its gaze and is protected by his helm. Somewhat befuddled, the basilisk charges and begins to use the Feaster as a chew toy, angered even more by Lubboch’s refusal to get stoned like a good meal. While thus distracted, the beast falls prey to savage beatings from all sides – even FEaster pummels its snout as it chomps upon him.
Searching the filth reveals a clutch of basilisk eggs and the second key needed.
Unlocking the door and proceeding beyond, the party walks for the better part of a half-hour before emerging onto a platform attached to the trunk of a very large tree. Indeed, there are multiple platforms attached to multiple trees and gently swaying rope bridges attach them all together. Far in the distance is a large stone pyramid, with a rope bridge leading to the only apparent entrance.
A trio of nearby snakemen draws the party’s tender mercies and within the space of a10 seconds all three are slain. Taking a moment to survey the scene, the party begins crossing a bridge to engage yet more snakemen and their reptilian panthers. Whackitywhackwhack and so on until all are dead. Naima is poisoned and cured by the Feaster. The group reflects on the magic available to them and decides to avoid the rest of the bridges and conduct a flying assault on the pyramid.
Spells are cast, potions are used and so forth until all the group is airborne. Dalliance softens up the door guards by freezing them solid. The group lands and discovers that the door requires a special key. Key? Who brought a key?
Time to backtrack again. Having seen a snakeman cleric leading a congregation of worshippers, the group decides that either a key or information might be available if they were to engage said worship service. Dalliance once again announces her arrival by slaying all in sight with e well-placed fireball. Although the noise is enough to alert the rest of the treetop occupants, the rope bridges are all severed by the fiery blast. Pausing only to plunder the bodies of everything magic, Barada picks, opens and is poisoned by the lock on a chest. Feaster sets things aright and the group discovers a scroll tube and metal blade shaped like a snake’s head that just might fit in the stubborn temple door.
Door is opened and the group proceeds within. Although they could just fly over the first puzzle/trap – they decide to exercise the grey lumps holding their ears apart and solve it correctly. Proceeding beyond they do battle with a misshaped snake topped with Phyllis Diller’s cackling head. It gets lovey with Reiza, sticking a slithery tongue into his ear. Feaster arrives on the scene, clad in a Globe of Invulnerability which suppresses the charm on Reiza. Repulsed, Reiza reduces the cackling head to pulp. Taking a moment to take stock, the group briefly debates a withdrawal, but decides to press on before the news of their ‘arrival’ spreads further…

Having trekked through jungles dense and steamy, the group begins to explore a little used cave complex. Along the way, they use skeletons to flush out a lurking bulette, Reza solves the riddle of the door ledges, and a handful of snakemen are slain. A slave block is seen and a multiply-armed snake wraith is attacked and sent to the void.. A storeroom is explored as is an old alchemists lab, where some magic potions are plundered. More exploration brings them to along rope bridge that stretches across a vast cavern. While crossing, a duo of four-armed flesh eating monkeys attacks the party, savaging Reza and Lubboch before tossing them off of the bridge. Having had enough monkey business, Dalliance machineguns the one while the other escapes and runs off (to alert the complex, to get reinforcements) and out of sight.
Crossing the remainder of the bridge brings the group to a large room with an open pit in the middle and pathways on either side. Each of the pathways is a 60′ pit trap with poisoned spikes. A Feaster-kabob is generated, but the plucky hobbit survives. He is hauled back out and Reza uses his Gauntlets of climbing to get a rope across to the other side. The hobbit goes hand over hand across the rope and when almost across – the monkey attacks. Springing at Reza from behind, he savages him and hurls him into the spiked pit. While Reza manages to hang on at impact, the hobbit falls into the pit again…and survives again.
It turns out that the pit is covered by some sort of invisible walkway and the monkey uses it to charge the party. Alarmed at last, Dalliance uses her Finger of Death to quell the onrushing simian. Battered and bruised the group retreats and lowers themselves off of the bridge and cold camps amongst the primordial foliage that has sprung up in the rope bridge area. The group suspects an opening to the sky and indeed it can be seen to get somewhat lighter as the days wears on. A trio of monkey reinforcements is seen and carefully avoided when the group departs. Returning to the pit room, the group enters an ornately decorated chamber. Beyond lie three doors and a logic puzzle to find out which one is safe, Puzzled, the group puzzles over the puzzle, finally puzzling out the ‘correct’ response. Safety skeletons are summoned and ordered to open the door while the puzzlers hide at a safe distance. Beyond the door lie two keyholes.
Who found keys? Nobody. Hmm. Despairing of a return to the monkey room, the group finds a secret panel monkey workaround and returns to the ruined alchemist’s lab. They begin a careful search. Nada. Onward to the slave room. Hmm. The podium…something about that podium.
Bud is sent to explore and a chest is found. Within the chest lies an ornately carved key. One down and one to go, the group discusses options and strategy…

After a little bit more dithering, but not too much, the party decides to use a Passwall to bypass the plug and escape the golem factory.
Upon reaching the surface, a slaughtered band of adventurers awaits.
Mules and party have been pummeled to death by very hard blunt instruments. The corpses have been looted and the scene of the slaughter is no more than a few days old. The only clue is a lot of slipper prints that lead away from the scene and out into the badlands.

Naima mentions that the slipper prints bear a distinct similarity to the slippers of the missing ‘rug merchant’ that the group freed in the early hours of the raid. The same ‘rug merchant’ went missing during the first battle with the iron golems, and it was right around that time that the stone plug sealed the group underground. Dalliance asks the heavens what evil the group has loosed _this_ time. Some scouting on the part of Bard and Bud reveals little about the slippery merchant’s whereabouts, but the mysterious mining operation is rediscovered. It is determined that a Beholder runs this operation, or guards it – which might be worse.

Returning to Thudheim, the group travels to Waterdeep where Dalliance stocks up on puissant magic. Surveying the options immediately available to them: Sphinx, Beholder, Undermountain all seem slightly unpalatable. The land is finally starting to stabilize after two decades of strife and mayhem, so the adventuring opportunities lie further and further afield.
Naima takes the opportunity to regale the group with tales of uncut gems, gold nuggets and fantastic wealth that resides in the ruined temples and forgotten cities of her homeland.

Faced with another long cold and boring winter in the north, the group books passage on a merchant vessel to take them to the steamy jungles of Chult. Upon arrival, it is learned that a thriving trade in slaves is carried out, with the various tribes capturing each other and selling the captives to slavers to be taken to Thay. After spending some time and money amongst the nearest native settlements, it is arranged for a guide to lead the group to a remote entrance to a hidden location where – if legend is to be believed – an emerald cobra resides. The group arrives, the guide departs and the adventure begins…