The stairs consume a few hours before someone finally takes the plunge – and one by one they step through a portal into a strangely austere room, Large and featureless aside from a fountain and the script-covered wall behind it. The group decides to rest here, and avail themselves of the cool and refreshing water. The wall is investigated and there are more questions raised than answered. They overnight in the tower and determine there are no exits. So, they planeshift twice to reach Luskan, They immediately teleport back to one of the stilt houses they explored earlier, this one cut off from the other buildings. They hope to have avoided anyone/anything watching them while they chew on the new information they have discovered.

Alas, it seems not, so various party members report disturbin...

The trip up the shaft takes them near the top of this sprawling city-fortress. The group pries open the three doors they find and each leads to a different area of protein production. In one direction, pens with what can charitably be called ‘goats’ are arranged in large rows. There are shacks at the far side of the vast space that are probably used by the gotherds. The entire place is illuminated by crystal spheres set into the ceiling, but upon further examination, it seems they are the ends of cleverly designed ‘light tubes’ that funnel the natural sunlight to these enclosed spaces. As Malchor’s glowing dome floats into the next two areas, he spies a vast grazing range populated by a small herd of musk oxen? Well, whatever they are, they seem hardy...

Descending from the rope, the group decides more scouting is in order…the place is huge and they don’t want to wear out their boots shuffling to and fro – so Malchor’s glowing head graces the cavernous corridors and high-ceiling hallways. The head flits to and fro and eventually the group finds something they deem interesting and wander in that direction. Along the way, they encounter a group of fire giants bearing the livery of King Snurre. King Snurre? Oh yeah, we murdered him on his throne a few months back. Wonder what his peeps are doing here? Oh – that’s right…they’re dying. The chain lightning spells rip through the armored figures and the one that makes it within melee range is felled. The party migrates onward, eventually running into a large group of zombies...

Malchor has memories of the first massive hall that they enter. It was here on their first journey that they were waylaid by devils and were forced to flee for their lives. This time, a concerted effort is made to avoid the pillars that dot the massive room and travel along the perimeter while they are still airborne. The ole ‘once around’ shows multiple ramps leading up and down as well as interesting looking side passages.

The first stair that they pick ends up about 350 feet above the hall, in a rune-covered room complete with palantir and comfy chair. To gain access they had to remove several seals and unlock several locks. Why so locked? Some head scratching is undertaken, but the room is left for later. Off they go...

Much of the group’s latest endeavors have touched – directly or tangentially – on the plots and machinations of the emperor to the east, Coburgn. Perhaps it is time to have a go at the root of all evil so a happy retirement might be undertaken without a cascading crisis interrupting their enjoyment of fine ales and airship rides. Some legend lore is undertaken and there are some additional scraps of data unearthed. The story of the gate captain’s rise to power and some subsequent expansionist hijinks are mulled over. It seems that the arc of history seeks a second meeting ‘twixt Malchor and the conqueror of the east. To the airship!

The airship journey is undertaken with additional paranoid precautions...