The EFK arrives back at Gurdy’s with the young and vital “old cud” now addressed as Clarindon of the Singing Sword. Gurdy is pleased that the group has been kind to Clarindon and informs them that the recovered crystal is the shard of Finding. It does not radiate magic as it’s dwoemer has been hidden. Clarindon decides to join the party out of admiration and appreciation. Gurdy warns the group that others can detect the shard of writing. One of the two shards in the group’s possession. She sends the group to the great swamp along the mountains to the south to find another shard.
The group sets out on horses called into existence with the mount spell and then hasted for speed. When the hasted mount spells expire, Greenleaf casts Chariot of Sustar and the group is carried into the swamp lands. Suddenly a group of gryphons attack. From the back of the chariot, Daliance uses his new wand of fireballs to blast the gryphons. A few magic missiles later and the group is back on track over the swamp. As the Chariot spell expires, the party lands near a large stone manner house. The house is surrounded with what appears to be hangman trees. As the party approaches, they are attacked by a group of skeletons. Fireball, lightening and ice storm are cast by the magic users and the skeletons are devastated. Entering the manner house, the group is immediately attacked by another group of skeletons. The skeletons are quickly killed the old fashioned way. Crash, boom, Bash….
A stairway is discovered leading down to a basement. Investigation reveals the basement to be occupied by forty zombies. Daliance uses his hand wand of fireballs to fill the basement with explosive flame. All of the zombies are purified with fire. The group investigates the basement and are attacked by several wights. Clifford attacks killing several of them. A ghost then appears and the entire group ages by ten years instantly. Max uses his helm of brilliance to hold the ghost at bay while the rest of the group searches for the shard. When it is found is is used to release all of the undead from the house.
The party returns to Gurdy’s. She instructs the group to now seek the shard of shielding. The group departs using hasted mounts and then the chariot. Flying through an ornately carved box canyon the group lands in front of an massive archway. The party enters a massive banquet hall through a large set of double doors. Many skeletons are killed by Thud and Clifford. A secret door is discovered by Greenleaf and the group continues into a room with two wights and twenty skeletons. Clifford and Thud kill the wights and skeletons as they have protection from level drain.
Onward into a dressing room where a specter is encountered. The specter is killed by Thud and Daliance. After a brief search the group continues on to a bedroom chamber. There is an armored figure surrounded by skeletons. A vampire suddenly rises up from the bed. The magicians begin a massive onslaught of magic missiles. The vampire is overwhelmed by the more than twenty missiles in two rounds. The vampire turns to gas and a shard of crystal falls to the bed. The shard is quickly recovered by the group. They then uncovers the bed to find the vampires coffin. The coffin is pryed open and the vampire is stabbed through the heart with a wooden stake.
The group returns to Gurdy’s place in the village.
Vampires…*yawn*…