After filling the lantern and reading the words of opening the group enters the easternmost door and spends time investigating an old library – and the undead that inhabit it, They slay the undead and journey on to find a bust that gives the power of tongues. Passages are investigated and the group encounters an extraplanar being, While battling the creature, the group enters a cavern of intergalactic entrails that spit forth bloodthirsty raptorsauruses. Raptorsaurii?
Finally, the paladin’s powers become relevant and she dispatches the beasts after a pitched battle while the mages and cleric seal the rift (at least temporarily) with spells. More though produces headaches...

Returning to the Temple of Torm in Impiltur, the group is advised that the Rotting Man might be pulling an elaborate ruse to divert attention to the south while his hired minions seek something to the north that would facilitate his control of the region. In fact, the word is that at least two adventuring parties have already been recruited out of Baytown and sent on a northerly arc to seek out a vault that contains this great treasure.

Leaving Impiltur in haste, the group goes overland until they reach the Great Imphras River. There, they unfold one of their portable boats and use the river to shave three days off the travel time to reach the edge of the foothills near the Giantspire Mountains. Magical mounts courtesy of Malchor speeds the party’s overland progress.

A near miss with a c...

Carrying on the assault, the party quickly scans the inside of the manor house and the surroundings, looking for the presumed occupant of the guarded room. A secret door is found and it is surmised that the occupant has used it to flee. Malchor, Bababobo and Kormier move towards the barracks and catch a glimpse of motion as one of the shuttered windows is pulled shut. While the bemused druid watches from a rooftop, a nightmare bursts forth from the stable and becomes airborne within seconds.
As he decides what to do about it and is busy watching the creature’s flight path, the wounded mountain giant crawls out from the stable building. He hurls a dead horse at the cleric and strikes him, causing him to tumble to the ground...

Deciding that fooling with ghosts is a bad idea, the group takes off on a new tangent. They travel to the southeast to try and make contact with the druid in exile. Along the way, Goldpiece frets over the possibility that the group is carrying an extra traveling companion in the guise of a party member, but is in actuality the ghost. The ghost denies this most vigorously of course and the party things the elf is a ‘bit teched in tha haid’.

While they do not make it to the druid himheritsself, they do meet with druidical followers, rangers and the like. They get further information on the depredations of the Rotting Man and the general attempt to seal off the old forest from interlopers...

Returning to Uthmere, the group gets the lay of the land and decides to do some preliminary investigation of the surrounding areas. Various plans are put forth and dismissed and finally, the druid is dispatched to scout the edge of the region known as the great barrow – a vast accumulation of cairns, tombs, graves and the like. The group ventures further in and finds a gravesite complete with a magical sword. They loot, and the banshee that lives within takes offense. A few moments later, Lad is fleeing the scene in abject terror and the limp bodies of Bababobo and his druid pal adorn the turf. The rest of the group brings the unruly spirit to heel and they unearth the bodies of a pair of elves. When they attempt to strip them of their wealth, the Lad is turned into a ferret...