The climb to the cave entrance shown on the map Nori gave them is slow, but uneventful. Once they near the entrance, they can see how it has stayed undiscovered for so many years, as a large rock outcropping shields the entrance, preventing it from being seen until you are right upon it. From further down, it appears as if the trail merely dead-ends high in the mountains. As the group steps inside the cavern and moves in deeper they begin to see the glyphs and wards Marlos mentioned when he detailed the events of 30 years ago. As they move further in, they find the secret door at the rear of the cave with no problem. It’s wide open, and the sounds of a skirmish can be heard echoing throughout the cavern from up ahead.

As the party steps through the door, they see the polished black walls glimmering with reflected light. It almost looks as if the crystal itself is emitting the light from deep within. A sudden shout snaps the group out of their collective awe. The primary source of light is directly ahead, and as they move forward the group spies a huge spider engaged in a battle with three hobgoblins. Suddenly they hear footsteps to their right and two more hobgoblins charge into the intersection. Ignoring the group, the hobgoblins immediately join the battle with the spider. Sensing that the spider is a bigger threat than the hobgoblins, the group joins the attack from a distance, staying out of reach of the monster’s venomous bite. One by one the hobgoblins succumb to the deadly bite, but eventually the battle is won.

Only one of the hobgoblins remains alive, and he’s hurt pretty badly. Like the others, he bears the standard of the Bonesnappers. He promises to answer any questions the group has in exchange for help. He tells them that he and the rest were sent here to clear out any books or items they could find in the city. Gris, another hobgoblin who leads his division of the Bonesnappers, issued the orders. He doesn’t know who’s uniting all the humanoids under the Bonesnappers’ banner for he and his fellows, including Gris, have only been a part of the band for a few weeks. Relating the story of how a strange man came to see Gris as he led their small raiding party in the Rakers, the hobgoblin explains that normally any man who approached their camp would be killed on sight. However, this man was different, and Gris knew it, telling them to let him live. None of them know exactly what this man said to Gris, but they packed up and headed south, joining the Bonesnappers the next day. Now they were living the high life with lots of gold and drink in their down time, with plenty of battle and bloodshed while at work.

“I went to see Gris in his tent just before this job. That man was there, only, I can swear he wasn’t a man at all. Before he knew I was there, I know I saw him as some kind of catman creature. It was strange, for the instant he realized I was there, he became the man I saw that day in camp. I think Gris called him Vazeras,” the hobgoblin tells them as they mend his wounds. Unsure if their healing will help with the poison coursing through his veins, the groups decides to let the hobgoblin live and they begin to search the city. Many areas have caved in throughout the years, but most of it is still intact. Amazingly enough, most of the furnishings are carved right out of the same crystal the walls are. Another oddity is there are no signs of children’s quarters or toys and the like.

It’s soon apparent that the Bonesnappers have taken almost anything of value, as all the group can recover is a handful of books. Once they reach the mausoleum however, they realize that the Bonesnappers avoided this section of the city altogether. As they enter, things are just as Marlos described them, with row upon row of crypts built into the walls extending all the way to the ceiling of the cavern. Some appear to have been opened at some time in the past, while most are still completely sealed, with their contents still intact one would assume. In the center lies the large sarcophagus where Marlos and Nori found the amulet. Investigating further, the group begins to realize that the further back and up the crypt is, the more tattooed the bodies become. They also wear more and more elaborate jewelry, with fine rings connecting to jeweled bracelets with fine silver chains. Some of the bracelets extend up the arms and themselves connect to highly stylized armbands at the bicep. Strangely enough, the designs of the tattoos echo those of the jewelry. It also seems odd that Marlos did not mention anything about either when describing the creature wearing the amulet in the sarcophagus.

Taking the books, while making a few drawings of the tattoos and jewelry, and even a perfectly preserved body found in an unopened crypt, they begin the journey home. Halfway down the mountain they suddenly realize that a large contingent of Bonesnappers is on the way up the mountain. If they can only reach the split in the trail before the orcs, they may be able to escape before they are spotted. Moving as fast as they can safely navigate the treacherous path, they manage to just barely avoid the Bonesnappers and get off the mountain safely and start to head home.

^ back to top ^

Main - Back to main page/menu.

Chapters - Find out what's happened so far.

Chapter One – Shapeshifters in Our Midst

Chapter Two – A Prophecy Fulfilled?

Chapter Three – The City of Black Crystal

Chapter Four – Poachers? No, Murderers!

Chapter Five – The Vast Swamp

Chapter Six – Delivery for Quarion

Chapter Seven – Evil Afoot in the Menowood

Chapter Eight – An Item in Naerie

Chapter Nine – Back in Malwander…

Chapter Ten – A Journey Into Madness

Chapter Eleven - Serpent Isle

Chapter Twelve – The Return of Maj

Chapter Thirteen – The Hestmark Highlands

Chapter Fourteen – A Spy Among Us?

Chapter Fifteen – The Bonewood

Chapter Sixteen – Return to Rook's Roost