The party more or less began to follow Menka’s insect path in reverse. We reached the wall we had previously taken down with Gonchar’s hammer and, passing through, headed north. The tunnel was supported in makeshift fashion with hastily erected wooden beams. Ahead, in the distance we heard a loud, barking scream. A cross between a human and an animal.

An annotated map of Markheim is saved here.

We entered Markheim from the southeast, following a road that crossed through a village of huts (1). The village seemed of recent construction. Fields and groves lie just south of the village. Men and women of the same racial stock as the worshippers of the ice god worked the fields and populated the village though the overt, undead evil was not apparent. An ancient-looking elven woman worked the groves among the people. Kyril recognized her as Auntie T and acknowledged her all-seeing glance. He dismounted, handed off his horse and walked out into the fields to speak with the elven druid. We would not see him again for a week or so.

Upon entering Farthis and checking the environs, the party visited the local gin mill looking for, of course, information. Working on this information the party visited The Kleb for an entertaining dinner party. After our interview with The Kleb, Kyril and Flint hopped the wall at the Kleen’s complex in an attempt to reconnoiter the hops gardens with explosive consequences, ending with the party taking shelter inside the Kleen’s house. While hiding the party found a trap door and a hatch among the hops bines and headed below ground. Currently the party is exploring the complex beneath Farthis.

Having dispatched the troll, Arkadios poured a flask of oil on the troll’s body and the party destroyed it in purifying flame. While the chamber filled with the reek of burning troll the party noticed a writhing form tied up in a corner.

“He will help us if we help him”, quoth the creature.

Menka returned from his interview with the demon wench at (9) unscathed. Apparently demonic, the woman was a creature of surpassing beauty. She stated quite clearly that if we could get Guldar Heel to free her she would aid the party in its quest to find Melios and the brooch and would be willing to hand over “Hraelock’s” treasure.

Standing outside the door to Guldar Heel’s tower, the party gazed out across a bridge over a moat filled with a liquid which emitted a dull, red glow (similar to the pools in the basement of the tower?) in the late afternoon light. As they scanned the bridge a gate in the curtain wall on the far side creaked open. The party crossed the bridge and this external door closed securely behind them. Even the repeated application of Gonchar’s skull could not cause it to shatter or re-open.

The adventure at Arm continues; it is morning. The Arm is actually more of a keep than an inn, but I digress.

Upon entering the party encountered a huge central staircase “up” flanked by two smaller staircases going down. Flint observed that the 3rd floor (where the party currently maintains its bivouac) is significantly younger than the rest of the building - probably less than 30 years old. The servants on the first floor of the Inn are mainly gnomish females, with a few human women in the mix.

As the panicked party members returned to their senses, they also returned to the manor house. Gonchar and Kyril had remained behind and once light returned and the darkness was dispelled they realized the woman lying in bed had been dead for at least a day. Somehow the woman was made to look alive when we entered; the murder we heard in the dark was an illusion. Why?

With 10 pearls left for identify spells6 the party is now looking at a 2 day ride to The Friendly Arm. Menka cast cure light wounds on Kyril and Lycovyne and will heal Gonchar in the morning when the spells are again available.

The party slept for 4 hours without event. Menka planned to sleep through the second watch to get his spells back. Near dawn at the end of the second watch the party was attacked by 4 Minions of Set (hereafter referred to simply as minions). 2 failed initiative attempts later and the party was overrun.

Initiative rolls started poorly and remained that way for some time. Having won initiative, 2 of the poleaxe wielding insectavoids closed to within melee range, while the remaining 3 held their ground in a 20’ semi-circle.

• First initiative loss
• Flint is hit by a poleaxe for 8 HP
• Ranged attack on Lycovyne misses
• Ditto for Gonchar
• Ranged attack on Arkadios hits for 6 HP
• Menka cast bless, but it will not be in effect til next round (initiative loss).
• Lycovyne attacks with sword, hits for 10 HP
• Gonchar attacks, hitting for 13 HP
• Arkadios rolls a 1, nearly impaling Kyril and everyone in between
• Kyril rolls a 2
• Arkadios gets hit again for 4 HP, loses second shot w/ bow
• Second initiative loss
• Arkadios gets hit for 8 HP and is nearing death
• Lycovyne gets attacked with a bear-claw donut for 2 HP
• Gonchar gets hit for 3 HP (ranged?)
• Kyril gets hit twice for 7 HP total, death by 1,000 cuts, not sure what happened to the poleaxes..
• Flint gets hit thrice for 6 HP total
• Menka cures light wounds on Arkadios for 7 HP from within the meat shield
• Lycovyne hits with his sword for 7 HP
• These creatures are really lusting after the death of the elves in the party but, then, aren’t we all
• Gonchar hits for 10 HP
• Flint and Kyril both miss with valor
• Kyril gets hit for 4 HP
• Lycovyne successfully dodges an attack, helped by the blessing of Thoth!
• Arkadios gets hit for 4 HP, again
• Flint gets hit for 5 HP
• Menka cures light wounds on Arkadios for 8 HP
• Gonchar hits for 17 HP, cleaving his enemy’s skull in twain
• Kyril gets hit for 3 HP but dodges another blow thanks to the bless
• Lycovyne gets hit for 3 HP
• Arkadios gets hit for 4 HP
• Flint gets hit for 9 HP
• Kyril gets hit for 5 HP
• The blessing of Thoth saves Lycovyne, again
• Arkadios gets hit for 2 HP
• Flint gets hit for 3 HP
• Menka attacks, misses
• Lycovyne attacks, hits for 9 HP
• Gonchar hits for 13 HP
• Arkadios hits for 4 HP
• Flint hits for 5 HP
• initiative tie, speed factor
• Kyril hits for 9 HP and then gets hit, himself, for 5 HP
• Gonchar gets hit by 2 claws for 6 HP
• Gonchar hits (2) for 11 HP, decapitating another foe
• “Arkadios gets hit by (2), hits back”
• Flint hits (5) twice, for (4 + 6) = 10 HP total - ouch
• Flint gets hit by (5) for 5 HP
• Lycovyne hits (1) for 11 HP
• Kyril gets hit for 3 HP, is down to 5 HP
• Arkadios gets hit for 1 HP, hits back for 4 HP
• Gonchar kills (4) in what can be only be imagined was a very bloody fashion
• Menka misses, badly, and gets hit for 5 HP in return
• Lycovyne hits (1) for 5 HP
• Gonchar hits (1) for 11 HP, kills
• Menka hits (5) for 6 HP, killing the last insectavoid, praise Thoth!
• Insectavoids: 42, 33, 28, 21, 17 HP ( 1 - 5 above )

Arkadios immediately quaffed a potion of healing, gaining 8 HP. The insectavoids carried no other belongings than their weapons. Having survived the crappy initiative rolls pitched battle the party took stock of their surroundings. Broiling in the desert, with little hope of reaching the cliffs by nightfall - the journey looks to be 3-4 miles. Light/reversed would work as usual but would be clearly visible as a black half-orb approaching anyone watching from the ruins in the cliffs.