Sturges sturges everywhere and plenty of blood to drink.

After resting the party presses on. Shortly thereafter they find a stone door with the symbols of Comedy and Tragedy impressed unto the surface. They proceed past the unlocked door into a large auditorium. The intrepid explores decide to head for the stage area. After traveling about half the distance to the front of the amphitheatre the group is attacked by a swarm of 50+ Sturges. The creatures’ attack in mass and much blood is sucked. The party retreats back into the hallway trying to escape the main body of the swarm so they can put the beat down on the ones attached to their bodies. The fighters switch to using their hands rather than their weapons so that they can swat at the giant bugs quicker. The creatures bring down the Bard Zappa and his unconscious body is carried away.
The group heads back to the room with the healing tub and once again rests up until fully healed and spells charged. The Bard uses his Magic mandolin to summon monsters and comes up with two bugbears. The party sends the Bugbears back the amphitheatre and wait for the insects to attack them. When the bugs swarm they fireball the entire group. Although they do not kill all the blood suckers, the remaining are not strong enough to mount an attack.
The group then investigates the stage and finds two doors leading off exit stage right and left. The door to the left has stairs going up. The group then opens door to the right. Inside they find a prop room with many items used in the production of plays. Further on they find a “green” room where actors might stay before going on. The furniture of this room was all of the highest quality in its day but has been degraded by time to near worthlessness. A little further on the group finds a costume room. A magic detection spell is cast and it finds a magic cap and a magic Noble Man’s cloak. In an unusual burst of impulsiveness the Cleric Ralik tries on the cap first and then the cloak. The cap is a magic cap of alteration that allows you to change your appearance just by thinking how you want to look. You can appear to be up to two feet smaller or taller and up to fifty percent bigger or smaller. You can also change your race, sex and comeliness. The cloak is a cloak of death and the Cleric dies as soon as he puts it on. Although the cloak no longer radiates magic it will not come off the hapless priest. The group decides to cut off Ralik’s finger and transport it back to his Church and see if they can resurrect him. They decide it would best if they held all his magic in trust for him just in case his Church decides he is worth more dead than alive.
The adventurers decide that enough is enough. With the Cleric dead and Thud without armor the party seems too weak to go on. It is decided that the party will head back to Thudheim and regroup. The only encounter on the way home is a Red Dragon flying overhead with a basket on its back carrying some sort of passengers. Everyone hides.
The group identifies then divides the treasure. Max the Druid Magic User gets the main prize of a Ring of Regeneration. Thud gets the Disguise Cap so that he may change his half-ogery mug into something more appealing. Ronj the Monk takes a Blink ring. Greenleaf Longbranch the Druid takes a +4 Elf sized suit of Platemail and Zappa gets a Ring of Protection +3. Da’Nog takes the mage of the tower’s Spell Book and throws it into a bonfire. The fire freezes into immobility and Da’Nog saves vs Death Magic. He receives a nice experience bonus for his trouble.
Greenleaf Longbranch prepares to fight for his right to become 12th level. He must fight the reigning Druid for his position. The challenged Druid sets the contest rules to be a fight using only mammal forms and a club. On his way he searches for Ralik’s Church in the woods. After several weeks he finds it and drops off the finger of his fallen comrade. It is unknown whether the sect will resurrect him or not.
Ronj and Thud travel to the swamps to find the crazy Magic User who believes he is the Mage of Oralbar. Da’Nog offers to go but only if they are going to kill the Wizard. Apparently that is not the plan. On their way Thud stops of in Daggerford to order up a new set of chain mail that will fit a Half-Ogre. It will take over four months for the project to be complete.
Da’Nog enjoys the hospitality of Thud’s manor house and considers setting up a house in Thudheim but figures it is too much trouble and doesn’t want to be tied down. Zappa continues to develop his spy network in Thudheim and contemplates trying to reform the Mothers of Invention. While it may not be too hard this time, he will find it increasingly difficult to find band mates when the previous ones keep getting killed on their first tour.