Chapter VIII

Cast of Characters
Inigo, Human Bravo (Swashbuckling) played by Jeremy
Gwydion, Human mercenary fighter (henchman of Inigo)
Loralask, Human Elementalist (Geourgy), played by Mike
Morpheus, Human Ecclesiastic (Theurgy), played by Carl
Phylus, Unordered Gnome (Physique), played by Chad

Thursday, 11 October - Dusk
The Avatars emerged in a lightly wooded area. They started marching in a southwesterly direction and it wasn't long, perhaps a half-hour or so, before they came across an east-west road. Unsure of which direction to travel, Morpheus attempted a divination: "Are we east of the Keep?" Unfortunately the divination failed. The Avatars then decided to break the "safe haven" so that Loralask could use his flying ability to determine their location. It turned out that the Keep lay several miles to the east of their current location, and on the same road. (The Old March Road.) The Avatars then packed up their gear as best as they could (Phylus, though conscious, was too weak to carry his own equipment), lit their torches, and started on their way home.

After an hour or two of walking, the party saw torches in the distance ahead (perhaps 300 yards). These torches were almost immediately extinguished, however, and the party was able to continue along the road unmolested. Except possibly for a few tracks, no sign of the other party could be found, and the Avatars returned safely to the Keep.

The guards at the gate were curious (especially about Phylus' missing arm), but not belligerent. Morpheus and Phylus returned to the party's apartment while Inigo, Gwydion, and Loralask descended on the Tavern for a night of revelry (celebrating the party's first amputation, perhaps?). The place was full of regulars this evening and no one seemed out of place.

When the next morning dawned, Morpheus and Loralask took the small green gem they had found in the Caves to be appraised. Kris, the jeweler, told them that he would give them 5 gold sovereigns ($600) for the gem, which turned out to be a beryl. Thinking they could get a better deal, Morpheus and Loralask left and made for the apartment. One of the acolytes from the Keep's small church was already at the door waiting for them. "Morpheus!" he called out. "Morpheus!"

"Yes?" Morpheus responded.

"Melchior would like to see you at your earliest convenience."

Figuring that no time would be more convenient than the present time, Morpheus (he took Loralask along with him to do the talking) went to see Melchior.

Melchior greeted the two Avatars, then immediately apologized to Morpheus. It turned out that Friar Simon had indeed been nothing so much as a charlatan -- Melchior, being a bit suspicious because of Morpheus' warnings, had taken the chalice he received from Friar Simon to be appraised. It turned out to be a cheap piece of work with gold plating and fake gems, worth perhaps 5 shillings ($50) (the real chalice was clearly worth much more). Melchior then handed Morpheus an envelope containing some letters and asked him to take them to the bishop (His Supernal Devotion Victor Oldham) in Yggsburgh -- about 200 miles to the west of the Keep. Morpheus and Loralask both agreed to undertake this task. Melchior thanked them and they both left the Keep by the gate.

Once they had gone about a mile or so down the road, Loralask inscribed a protection circle and command circle and summoned a Devati (air elemental). The elemental creature whisked them away and in short order (about an hour) set them down on Dunfalcon Pike near the entrance to Yggsburgh Town. They crossed the bridge over the River Nemo and each paid the four-penny toll ($2). The guards at the gate gave them directions to the Grand Temple or Cathedral where the Supernal Oldham could be found -- Crossgates Ave. to the Market Plaza to Citadel Ave. They found the great church and attached monastery with no difficulty (passing another smaller church on their way) and pulled the rope next to the nearest entrance. A porter dressed in a monk's habit (tunic, scapular, and cowl) answered the door. He took one look at their travel-stained garments and asked, "Weary travelers, how may I be of assistance to you?" The two Avatars replied that they had letters for the His Supernal Devotion and asked if they could have an audience with him. The porter explained that His Devotion is a very busy man; in addition to his duties here at the temple he is also a member of the town's Council of Eight. He told the two that he would take the letters for them and deliver them to His Devotion. Morpheus was suspicious and decided to question him on the subject of religion in order to prove his (the porter's) integrity. He asked an obscure question about the nature of angels and the monk, though a bit taken aback, answered it without difficulty. Morpheus gave him the letters and asked about Friar Simon. The porter averred that he had never heard of them, but referred the Avatars to the Priory of the Gray Friars.

The two Avatars then traveled down Friars' Lane to the Priory and rang the bell at the door. A piebald half-orc, dressed the habit of a friar, answered the door and asked what he could do for them. "I am Dutiful Brother Hrodmund," he said, speaking slowly in a deep, low voice. "What help might I (an unworthy sinner) offer to ye?" Morpheus explained about Friar Simon. Br. Hrodmund replied that he had never heard of him, but told them of a traitorous friar known as Br. Beanis, who was known as the "Black Friar" and who had been thrown from the top of one of the towers to die on the rocky bank of the river below, all many years ago. Br. Hrodmund also explained that the Gray Friars currently were lodging a wandering exorcist named Br. Stephen. The mention of the word "exorcist" set off alarm bells in the Avatars' heads, and they asked Br. Hrodmund if they might speak to Br. Stephen. Br. Hrodmund showed them to a small waiting area and left.

When Br. Stephen appeared less than 10 minutes later, Morpheus and Loralask knew immediately that he was not Friar Simon. Br. Stephen was shorter, older, balder, and wore the black robes of a desert hermit rather than the brown habit worn by Friar Simon. Br. Stephen apologized for his lack of social graces, noting that he had lived the eremitic life for many years and was not used to receiving visitors. Morpheus and Loralask cut right to the chase and asked the old hermit if he had ever heard of Friar Simon or seen anyone matching his description. He averred that he had not, but that if he had seen such a person he almost certainly would not remember, as he meets many friars, monks, and the like. The Avatars then asked him if he, being an exorcist of some renown, would travel to the Keep in order to exorcise the spirit now inhabiting the old graveyard. Br. Stephen replied that he would, and asked them to consider making a donation to the Priory in return for his service. He then asked the two Avatars' names so that he might ask for them upon getting to the Keep. "Morpheus," said Morpheus. "Loralask," said Loralask, forgetting temporarily that he had used a fake name at the Keep itself. But he covered his mistake quickly by telling Br. Stephen that he ought to ask for Melchior once he got to the Keep. Loralask then asked Br. Stephen if he might arrange for magical means to bring him to the Keep. Br. Stephen demurred, stating that he only travels on his feet, and pointed down to his aged feet in their well-worn sandals. Morpheus and Loralask thanked Br. Stephen and took their leave.

Friday, October 12 - 10:00 a.m.
Not trusting the price offered to them for the beryl by the jeweller at the Keep, Morpheus and Loralask decided to find a jeweller or gemner in Yggsburgh to whom they could sell the gemstone. They walked east on Citadel Ave. until they got to the Market Plaza, where a jewelry shop was easily recognized by the cluster of diamonds on its sign. Ranolf Marks, the jeweller, offered the same price for the gem as did Kris, the Keep jeweller, but recommended that the Avatars approach a jewel merchant named Edward Bloomer, who was particularly interested in emeralds and beryls, back on Friars' Lane. They would recognize the house by the armorial bearings displayed at the gate: an anchor or on a field purpure. And, indeed, when Morpheus and Loralask approached Master Bloomer he offered them 7 sovereigns and two crowns ($900). The two gladly made the exchange. They then returned to the Grand Temple to see if the Supernal Oldham had returned. Upon hearing that he had not, they asked the porter some further questions: Has he ever heard of any clerics with the ability to regenerate limbs? is it possible that His Supernal Devotion has this ability? etc. But the porter, Br. Lithos, was not very helpful in this regard, and the two Avatars decided to return to the Keep.

(Meanwhile, Inigo, ostensibly keeping an eye on Phylus, was silently stewing over the party's plan, revealed the prior evening, to "renegotiate" his contract. The party had initially agreed to give him 1/3 of all the treasure recovered on an expedition, mindful of the fact that he was paying Gwydion out of his own pocket; but now Morpheus and Loralask wanted to reduce his share to 1/4 to make for a more "equitable" distribution.)

The two travelers returned to the Keep around noon. They immediately went to Melchior and informed him that they had delivered the letters. "Already?" he asked. Morpheus nodded toward Loralask, who started launching into an explanation of how they had managed to travel so far (and back!) so quickly. Melchior put up his hand. "I don't even want to know." But he also told them that he had arranged for them to be introduced to the Castellan the following morning.

Saturday, October 13 - 8:00 a.m.
The party (minus Phylus) went to the gate of the Inner Bailey accompanied by Melchior. The gatehouse stood here, virtually a small fortress, with heavy gates double-bound in iron and spiked. Two guards stood in front of the gate, two on the lower battlement of the gatehouse, and two more on the upper battlement. The party was admitted to the Inner Bailey, a grassy area on which some dozen soldiers were engaged in jousting and weapons practice, and brought (by the two gatehouse guards) to the Fortress. In turn, they were admitted to this structure and brought into a long (50' long) audience hall. The Castellan, Sir Maldwyn, stood at the far end of the audience hall, flanked by Ben-adar on his right and another soldier, unknown to the Avatars, on his left. Sir Maldwyn spoke first: "Salvete! I thank you for coming to this audience. After hearing of your deeds from the Pious Melchior, my two advisors, Ben-adar" -- here he gestured to his right -- "and Albrecht" -- here to his left -- "thought it best that you be brought before me."

The Avatars began the audience by wondering, since they were now in the employ of the Church, whether they might be excused from paying the 10% tax levied on all booty brought into the Keep. Sir Maldwyn looked at Melchior, who shrugged his shoulders. "Employed by the Church?"

"Well," replied Loralask, "we are undertaking a certain mission for them," and then he explained about the haunted graveyard.

"Very well," responded Sir Maldwyn. "Any booty you recover while on your mission for the Church will not be subject to the levy. Still, any other booty you might bring into the Keep will be subject to it. I cannot set aside our law based on your deeds alone; it would not be fair to the others whose deeds have been even greater and who paid out the tithe without complaint." The party agreed to these terms. "You are not in my employ, and if you were, you would certainly not be permitted to keep 90% of the treasure you recovered!" Here he smiled and gestured for the Avatars to come before him. "Melchior?" The three Avatars then knelt while Melchior stretched out his hands and said a blessing over them.

Chapter VII

Cast of Characters
Inigo, Human Bravo (Swashbuckling) played by Jeremy
Gwydion, Human mercenary fighter (henchman of Inigo)
Loralask, Human Elementalist (Geourgy), played by Mike
Morpheus, Human Ecclesiastic (Theurgy), played by Carl
Phylus, Unordered Gnome (Physique), played by Chad

Thursday, 11 October - 9:00 a.m.
The Avatars returned to the Caves, arriving at about 11:00 a.m. Before they came to the Caves proper, but after they entered the woods, Morpheus built an altar and summoned another Destroyer. At the same time, Loralask inscribed both a command circle and a protection circle and summoned a Devati.

The Avatars' first task upon arriving at the Caves was to try and dig away through the rock and debris blocking the South Cave. But the blockage was far too extensive, and they succeeded only in making a lot of noise. They ignored the other nearby cave on this level (the Troll Cave), as it had already been explored, and clambered up to the next level (another 25') and entered the nearest cave there.

Here they found the entrance guarded by a stout door. Skulls of various humanoids (and perhaps even humans?) lined the walls of the entrance cave, some being affixed to the door itself. As the Avatars came closer to the door, they saw runes burned into it: "Come in -- we'd like to have you for dinner!" They pushed and tugged on the door but to no avail. Morpheus directed the destroying minion to try and break down the door. This latter attacked the door with his axe, striking three sharp blows, without much to show for it except a horrible racket: "BONG! BONG! BONG!" Finally Inigo stepped forward and examined the door, and located the hidden mechanism that would allow him to slide the bar back and open the door.

Gwydion and Phylus then moved up and the three pushed the door to. It opened with a creak, and as soon as their torches shed some light in the cave these three were caught in a hail of arrows. Six large goblins stood in the cave beyond; the Avatars could see them drop their crossbows and draw their curved swords.

The three fighters rushed headlong into the cave, followed by the Destroyer and the air elemental. The goblins fought wildly but mostly ineffectually and the Destroyer was able to cut them down one by one. As the fifth one fell, the last cried: "BREE-YARK!" Four more goblins ran up to replace the ones that had fallen. The Avatars torches suddenly went out and they were blinded. When they managed to get them re-lit, there were now 10 goblins standing before them.

Phylus struck with his sword. Two goblins fell back before him, each with the same wound in his side. Then the goblins took their turn. Most of their attacks were errant, but one struck Phylus' unarmored sword-arm and drew blood. Morpheus and the destroying minion then fell on the goblins. Two were struck down in a single blow from the Destroyer. Inigo and Gwydion struck at the others, but missed. As the battle wore on, the Avatars started to gain the upper hand. Just when it seemed that they would be able to overcome the goblins, they heard the hiss of arrows behind them! Some of them were hit by crossbow bolts. Turning around toward the cave mouth, they saw three ranks of goblins -- three crawling on the floor with swords in their hands, three crouching down and firing crossbows, and three more standing behind these, also firing crossbows.

The Avatars slammed the door and wedged it with a dagger. Loralask began preparing a spell, thinking that they could open the door and surprise the goblins with a magical attack. The two remaining goblins in the hall were slain by the destroying minion, but just as they fell, eight more goblins ran up, three of them uncommonly large and strong. They fell upon the party immediately, but the Avatars still had the upper hand. Still, one of the larger ones struck Phylus again in his sword arm, this time severing it below the elbow! Phylus cried out in the gnomish tongue as his hand, still bearing his sword, dropped to the floor. Loralask's air elemental defended him as he continued with his spell preparations. But alas! the spell fizzled, and the Avatars were sorely put to the test. Phylus picked up his weapon and attacked with his off hand. When most of the goblins had fallen, three of them turned and fled. The party ran after them, stopping only to tie a tourniquet on Phylus' arm, but the goblins were faster and better knew the ways of the cave.

Still, the Avatars were able to track them through the footprints they left in the dust on the floor. The trail led to a wall. Morpheus suspected a secret door, and some time later was able to find the mechanism for opening it. A hidden lever was pulled, and the door opened quickly with a grinding noise. But the trail led only 20 feet further before it ended in a wall again! A second secret door was revealed, and the party was able to press on. They followed the trail through a series of common rooms, each of which showed signs of a hurried packing and evacuation. A set of stairs led them down deeper into the caves, and they continued following the tracks (now much more numerous) through a storeroom and then to a passageway leading east. Here again the tracks ended at a wall. The party suspected a secret door, but they were not able to discover the mechanism for opening it. They doubled back, hoping perhaps to find some treasure left behind by the fleeing goblins.

They returned to the common area and opened a door leading west. Here was a chamber clearly belonging to a goblin of some importance; it held more "stuff" than any of the others -- junk furniture and the like. A box containing a number of animal skins was found to have a secret compartment containing some mixed coin, a small green gem, and a vial of a cloudy yellow liquid. When a pile of kindling near the fireplace was searched, a magical wand of some sort was revealed. Loralask took a moment and subjected the wand to magical analysis. He learned that its command word was "freeze," that it would work to stop an enemy from approaching, and that a "moderate" number of charges were remaining in it.

The party began to hear the muffled shouts and cries of more goblins. Morpheus attempted a safe haven but failed. But even after the failure he still had the energy remaining for another attempt. The party started to hear approaching footsteps when they were swept up into the safe haven and the caves suddenly disappeared. They found themselves in the midst of a copse of pine trees.

People and Places II

Allan - A mercenary fighter once employed by the party.
Ben-adar - The Castellan's advisor and chief tax enforcer. An Ilf.
The Blue Fairy Tavern - The Keep's lone tavern.
The Caves of Chaos - A series of caves located in a wooded area about two hours' travel to the northeast of the Keep.
Friar Simon - A wandering holy man and renowned exorcist.
Gwydion - A mercenary fighter once employed by the party, now a henchman of Inigo.
Inigo - A swashbuckler or Bravo the party encountered in the Keep.
Johann - A mercenary fighter once employed by the party.
Kris - A jewel merchant currently staying in the Keep.
Leo Reximilian - The taverner.
Melchior - A Curate or Under-priest. The highest-ranking clergyman in the Keep.
Mercy's Fortune Mine - A mine located somewhere to the north of the Keep.
Wilhelmina - A waitress at the tavern. A pixie.

Comments, anyone?

Chapter VI

Cast of Characters
Inigo, Human Bravo (Swashbuckling) played by Jeremy
Gwydion, Human mercenary fighter (henchman of Inigo)
Loralask, Human Elementalist (Geourgy), played by Mike
Morpheus, Human Ecclesiastic (Theurgy), played by Carl
Phylus, Unordered Gnome (Physique), played by Chad

Saturday, 6 October - 3:00 p.m.
We begin this chapter with the Avatars in the same place where we left off the last session. The Avatars had entered the most westerly of the caves on this level of the ravine (about 25' elevation) and were accosted by a powerful stench. The floor of this small cave complex was covered with bones, sticks, fallen leaves, and whole and partial corpses. Upon closer examination, the Avatars saw that the remains were those of humanoid creatures (goblins and the like). Poking around the trash on the floor for a few minutes, however, uncovered only 3 large copper pieces (each about 1 ounce in weight and each worth $1). They entered a passage running more or less northeast-southwest.

They tried the southwest passage first. Two cave entrances could be seen on the western wall of the cave, but the Avatars ignored these and continued down the passage until it terminated in another cave. This cave was about 20' x 20', and as the party crept into the room they saw the large figure of a sleeping bear atop a mound of bones against the southern wall. Inigo stepped forward and aimed a sword thrust at the back of the beast's neck. The sword barely pierced the creatures hide, and it was roused from its slumber and on its feet in seconds. It was an owlbear, with cruel claws and a hooked beak! The other party members immediately raced forward to engage the beast -- Phylus, the two air elementals (Devati) conjured by Loralask, and the Destroyer summoned by Morpheus. These four and Inigo had little trouble in dispatching the monster, but not before Phylus suffered a moderate amount of Harm from the creature's claws and beak! Once the creature was dead, the party searched through the mass of bones upon which it made its bed. Morpheus found a sealed tube made of bone. He broke the wax and pulled out the stopper to reveal a piece of rolled-up parchment. It was a plaque of Protection against the Living Dead.

There were no other ways of egress from the cave, so the party returned to the northeasterly passage. The two caves to the west revealed nothing but the same reek of decay. They continued northeast along the passage for another 20' or so until it turned to the northwest. Another 10' and the passage opened up into another small cave, perhaps 20' x 20' in size. The cave was very damp and the walls dripping with moisture; in the center of the cave was a shallow pool with a few blind fish. In the center of the pool, however, was a gleaming chalice set with precious stones! Loralask thrust his staff into the pool. Immediately some sort of ooze snaked up the staff and lashed at the geourge with a pseudopod. Loralask dropped his staff into the pool before the ooze could strike him. The staff was dissolved almost immediately; then the ooze and two similar creatures started to move out of the pool at the Avatars. Phylus rushed forward to attack and found his arm enveloped by one of them. The Destroyer and the two Devati made quick work of the other two, but by the time the one on Phylus was slain, the gnome was unconscious, with severe acid burns on his arm and all of the armor protecting that arm dissolved. In the midst of the battle Inigo leapt into the pool, lost his footing and fell face-first into the shallow water. He managed to keep his wits about him, though, and picked up the chalice and put it into his pack.

Morpheus laid hands on Phylus, and he was brought back to consciousness -- barely. He then activated his "safe haven" once more and pulled all of the Avatars inside.

The Avatars, now safely in their haven, decided to do a bit of scouting. Unfortunately they found that they cave entrance they had hoped to explore was now blocked. They could not "touch" anything from their haven, but neither were they able to walk through the rock choking the passage. The party decided to return to the Keep, and reached the gates around 5:00 p.m.

Once back at the Keep, Phylus returned to the party's apartment while the others returned to the Chapel to talk with Melchior, the resident priest. They showed him the chalice they had found at the caves. Melchior said that although the chalice had not been stolen from the Chapel, he would be happy to accept it as a donation. The party demurred. Morpheus angrily muttered something about Friar Simon. Melchior asked Morpheus what had happened with Friar Simon, but the ecclesiastic would not reply. Melchior then ordered Morpheus to tell him what was going on, but Morpheus still refused to respond. Finally, Melchior reminded Morpheus that it was within his power to excommunicate him, and that if he didn't respond to his questions then he would be forced to take action. Morpheus, still angry, told Melchior that Friar Simon had stolen a gem from them worth 200 gold ($2000) and had only pretended to perform the ritual of exorcism. Then he reminded Melchior how highly the latter had recommended Friar Simon to the party, insinuating that Melchior and Friar Simon were in cahoots! Morpheus told Melchior about Friar Simon's "disappearing act," but Melchior averred that he had seen Friar Simon that afternoon, and that if the party wanted to see him they could go to his apartment. Then he bade the hot-headed Morpheus and his companions to leave the Chapel.

Inigo went out with the chalice to see if he could get it appraised. First he went to the jeweler, who offered him 800 gold ($8,000) for it. He then went to Paul, the banker, who offered him only 500 gold ($5,000) for it. Both offers were refused.

Morpheus, Loralask, and Inigo then went to the friar's apartment. The priest opened the door and welcomed them inside. Melchior openly accused him of stealing the gem from them, and it wasn't long before a sword was drawn. At this point Loralask started moving back toward the door. Friar Simon insisted that he had done nothing wrong, that sometimes the exorcism ritual doesn't "take," and that the gem was consumed in the ritual. He told the Avatars that if they wanted it, they could have all the money (50 gold - $500) he had collected for the poor. The Avatars wavered, but ultimately refused. But Friar Simon was adamant. He walked over to his lockbox, opened it, and pulled out a bag full of coins. He threw the bag in the general direction of the party; it hit the wall and its contents (gold and silver coins) spilled on the floor. Morpheus then rudely attempted a divination to see if the friar was telling the truth. Twice he tried, but no answer was given either time. The cleric then stormed out in a huff, but Inigo, in an act of magnaminity, opened his pack and presented Friar Simon with the chalice they had found in the caves, asking him to give it to the Chapel! Friar Simon accepted the chalice gratefully, and gave Inigo his blessing.

The party returned to their apartment and tended to Phylus. They decided to wait until he was fully healed before setting out again for the Caves of Chaos. In the meantime, Inigo paid a quick visit to the Chapel to ensure that the chalice had been delivered into Melchior's hands. It had been. On Thursday, 11 October the party set out from the Keep again.

(The goblin battle will be detailed fully in the next chapter.)

Chapter V - Part 1

Cast of Characters

Inigo, Human Bravo (Swashbuckling), played by Jeremy
Gwydion, Human mercenary fighter (henchman of Inigo)
Loralask, Human Elementalist (Geourgy), played by Mike

Morpheus, Human Ecclesiastic (Theurgy), played by Carl

Phylus, Unordered Gnome (Physique), played by Chad

Thursday, 4 October
The Avatars debated what to do from the safety of their haven. In the end they decided to return to the Keep -- the kobolds had even managed to slay the Destroyer summoned by Morpheus (not, of course, before he cut down many of them) -- by surrounding him and pulling him to the ground. Rhys' untimely death made the decision easier. They returned to the Keep area with his body in tow, and buried him at the foot of the Flat Rock. They entered the Keep at dusk, not long before the gates closed; Phylus returned to their apartment, while Morpheus and Loralask returned to the Tavern.

One man stood out from the rest of the Tavern's patrons -- a garishly-dressed dandy arrayed for what can only be described as "swashbuckling." He sat at a table in a dark corner of the Tavern's common room -- along with a companion whose back was turned to the Avatars. As Morpheus and Loralask approached the young bravo, they recognized his companion as Gwydion, one of the mercenary fighters they had hired to explore the Caves while Phylus was ill. Morpheus was not pleased.

Chapter IV

Cast of Characters

Loralask, Human Elementalist (Geourgy), played by Mike

Morpheus, Human Ecclesiastic (Theurgy), played by Carl

Phylus, Unordered Gnome (Physique), played by Chad

Rhys, Human Warrior-Monk (Unarmed Combat), played by Jeremy

Wednesday 3 October - 12:00 p.m.
The Avatars stood outside the cave for a short while debating what to do. While they stood undecided, six more kobolds came out of the cave mouth and started hurling spears at them. Phylus rushed forward to attack them and cut one down almost immediately. But he took damage from the spears of two others, and some of his fellows sustained further injuries, too. Morpheus then activated a "safe haven" and drew them all -- Loralask, Phylus, and Rhys -- into a pocket dimension for rest and healing. They could still see the material world from their haven, though it appeared dim and shadowy, and they watched the five kobolds drag the bodies of their comrades back into the cave mouth.

Wednesday 3 October - 5:00 p.m.
The Avatars rested for the night. The next morning (Thursday 4 October), they traveled to the eastern border of the Wood. Morpheus built an altar there by the main road and summoned a Destroyer. The party then traveled back to the kobalts' cave and went in. There was no sign of the previous day's battle at all. They had gone only 30 feet down a passageway when suddenly the ground opened before them. The Destroyer fell into a pit and the floor closed on him. As the party struggled to pull him out, the kobolds (kobalts) became aware of them and mustered a huge force to attack them.

Phylus, Rhys, and the Destroyer stepped carefully around the pit to engage the kobolds, while Morpheus and Loralask stayed on the other side and fought with spells. The three warriors cut down many of their foes, but the kobolds were too numerous and both Phylus and Rhys suffered grievous wounds. Rhys fell under the crush of the attack. Morpheus was able to activate another "safe haven" for the Avatars, but it was too late to save Rhys. The remaining Avatars watched from their sanctuary as the kobolds slew the Destroyer through sheer force of numbers.