potion, and a scroll. Jeremi seems very excited, believing the ring to be a ring of wishes, as he has remembered the note they found that was addressed to someone named Kikanuile.
After securing their treasure, the Company go back down the secret hallway and find another secret door after approxiomately 30 feet. Sebastian uses his skills to open the door, and the Company find themselves on the other side of the invisible wall of force that they found after having discovered the broken trap outside of the large circular room.
To the south of the force-wall appear to be a wall, but further investigation reveals it as a large 20' stone block. The Company deduce that by moving the levers into the proper position back in the circular room, they will be able to raise the stone block, and continue into what they believe is the next section of the Banevault, the Inner Vault.
Given the poor condition of three of the companions, the Company decide to return back to the surface for rest and to resupply before continuing on into the Banevault.
Once again, they are plagued by several unanswered questions:
1) Why was Thakur sher-Ikhtiar trying to destroy the forest, and more importantly, why was he trying to complete the ritual to release the three ancient witches?
2) Why have Jeremi's powers of controlling the undead been so limited lately? Does it have something to do with the raw power of evil contained within the Banevault, or does it stem from a larger theological and philosophical issue?
3) Who was the green hag, and what is the connection of all the creatures wearing the bone rings? Is the rude priest, High Priest Heth, involved in some way?
4) What will the Company do with the wishes contained in the hag's ring, if indeed there are any left to use?
Evening: Some of the Company attend to personal business in town, while others merely retire to their rooms to rest before they continue on into the Banevault in the morning.
The 6th of Darkel
Morning: The Company return to the Banevault where they find the entrance that Jeremi stoneshaped earlier to prevent entry has been breached. The door is no longer stoneshaped, meaning that someone has either entered or escape from the Banevault. The Company decide that someone must have entered the Banevault in their absence, and draw their weapons, expecting trouble inside.
Deftly avoiding the traps they have previously discovered, the Company make their way toward the circular room with the intent of adjusting the levers as per the instructions of the sentient construct guardian, Gerasimos. They believe that by adjusting the levers, they will be able to raise the stone block that plugs the corridor down near the invisible wall of force.
However, while making their way toward the circular lever-room, Orongorg, who has rejoined the Company, notices some disturbances left in the dust on the floor. Stooping down for further examination, he picks up the trail of several sets of footprints, both humanoid and animal-like. He also finds a single coarse, thick silver-colored hair. The Company immediately think of the silver-haired lycanthrope wolf-creatures that attacked them a few days before.
Upon reaching the circular room, the Company are dismayed to find that the iron floor plates have been moved. Someone has clearly been in the room since they left it. They prepare to climb up the stairway into the chambers up in the ceiling to activate the levers, but Cirend has second thoughts - perhaps they should check to see if the plug has already been removed.
Cirend's hunch proves correct, as the plug has been removed. The Company move through the area and find a narrow hallway extending to the west. Along the southern edge of the hallway are three vault doors, inscribed with magical protective runes and sealed with some type of arcane metallic substance. Recalling their bad experiences in the past after having force their way past these types of doors in other sections of the Banevault, the Company make a collective decision to bypass the doors and continue down the hallway.
Sebastian scouts ahead and enters a large room with a rickety wooden staircase leading up to an iron platform suspending from the ceiling by some rusted chains. Upon entering the room, Sebastian is struck by a bolt of arcing lightning that originates from the platform. A series of
