Waaaaannnng!

After plundering the room of all its secrets, the party hurries upstairs and starts systematically emptying rooms of all that they can find that retains any value, while keeping an eye out for any guards or forces of the Baneites. A few hours later they conclude that any remaining forces must have fled along with the priest – probably to raise the alarm. Nonetheless, for the moment – their work at Castle Krag is done. Rounding up the locals, they set off on a day’s march to the nearest thorp in the shadow of the Krag. There they tell their tales, try to inspire the populace a bit, set tongues-a-wagging, and redistribute 1000 gold coins to the elders, This prompts a small celebration, and the group (except for Bud, because he is still stone) enjoys themselves.

The following day, the castle plunder is marked for identification and the more memorable items are investigated. Bud is returned to flesh and the group stumbles across a personal diary of the high priest.
Within they find information that – when combined with what they already know – sets them on a course to find the likely temple of Shar, whose clerics are involved in weakening the weave of magic in the area.

They seek and find and enter, battling a behir, discovering secret doors and corridors, fighting enchanted suits of armor and being sniped by screaming crossbow bolts before finally entering a vast chasm full of floating boulders. Perhaps this is the ‘Grinding Gulf’
they have been seeking…perhaps not. Time will tell…