Burning Witch Sessions #65 & 67- Return to the Caves of the Night Elves

Fancy Jean Yves Beauvolier, GaWoosh, Journeyman Crannoc, and Phasmo had left Orm to travel north on business unknown to the rest of the regulars of the Burning Witch. While the imaginations of the tavern's adventuring regulars became possessed by wild hypothesizes about what the quartet were up to, events of recent months had been too large to be forgotten. Whether is was talk of the Wolves Den still being over run by the Rashers or talk of the Athenaeum's recently uncovered secret stair or the Eye of Terror's hold on Level 1 of the Complex; it seemed never before had Witch been filled passionate conversations centered around the Complex and its adventurers.

A new party to Orm, the Illustrious Company of Khourau, even delivered news worthy of gossip at the Burning Witch. The group had been hired by GaWoosh (before he left town) to perform surveillance around the Well on the Complex's Level 1. Under the Gnome Hero's instructions, the Illustrious Company shared their findings with any at the Witch that would listen. Gawoosh's cousin, ZaWoosh reports:

Things are grim. The Eye of Terror and its allies seem to have complete control over much of the Level and its inhabitants. Strange, colorless beings called Brothers toil in forced labor on mysterious projects on the Eastside of the Complex. To the north, mutant humanoids work yeast fields and harvest odd fruits to feed the Eye's forces and their captive work force. It seems like only an unsavory crew of kobold thieves and an incredibly sneaky group of my kinfolk seem to escape of heel of these tyrants.

The Illustrious Company's default commander, Esfir, added:

The Eye of Terror's forces seem to be mainly composed of three group main units: mega-vermin riders of a small stature, a standard force of multi-eyed humanoids of unremarkable height, and burly enforcers that look like hairless gorillas with a pale complexion. The Eye seem to have strong ties to brightly armored Cultists that move freely through their territories. To the northwest, where the Imperial Mother's prison once was, two half-woman/half-snake demons now lay claim to there former prison. While known of the eyeball-like creatures suspected of being the Eye of Terror were seen in their reconnaissance,  a dark furred minotaur named 'Tormando' was spotted as a representative of the Eye.

In the end, it was PakPak and Wolfgang's desires to retrieve their magic weapons from the Cave Elves in the Twilight Shores that inspired an adventuring party to form. Late one evening, just as a heavy red sun fell behind the Gloaming Hills, the following party were seen moving towards the an untouched copse of trees west of the heart of Orm:

• Abraxis (Level 4 Fighting Mutant)
• Hate Pit (Level 4 Vat Spawn)
• PakPak (Level 4 Kobold)
• Scamandros (Level 4 Magic-User), deceased
• Kiddo (Level 3 Magic-User retainer)
• Thea Noir (Level 4 Assassin)
• Wolfgang (Level 3 Duelist)

The party did not return from the Twilight Shores for two weeks. When they did, they did exit out the copse of trees like other parties visiting the Twilight Shore. No, they came from the coastline that runs south and east of Orm. They had discovered a ladder that connects the cavern lair of the Cave Elves to the room with the bone altar on Level 1 of the Complex.

Missing from their numbers was the Riverborn Scamandros. The Magician's apprentice, Kiddo, relayed the tragic and very peculiar fate of her mentor. Deep in the Cave Elves lair, the party had discovered a strange well. Within its walls was a dark expanse filled with oddly-hued clouds and a field of stars (yet none were recognizable from the skies above Ur-Dan). The group's elf hostage, Glazpazmar, teased a boon to those that could withstand the test of the well. Scamandros stepped forward to meet the challenge. The magic-user, at first, could resist whatever fell power the pool contained. In the end, though, the pool was greater. In horror, the party watched as Scamandros' body melted into the nothing of the pool.

PakPak also took approached the pool but fared better when he gazed into the pool. All he lost was a black amulet he found under a statue in the Cave Elves lair. The kobold found dark insights in the abyss within the pool.

Treasure

• Healing potion x 4
• A potion of delusion
• A potion of clairvoyance
• A scroll of protection from Elements
• A course black cloak woven from the hair of the dead dyed midnight black with the ashes of the dead known as a Grave Shroud
• Protects against the level draining powers of the undead and the spell drain level. The shroud will eventually lose its magic powers after an unknown number of levels have been drained.
• 1600gp

Experience Points

• 1600xp from treasure
• Cave elf extremists defeated 4 x 19xp
• Undead guardians defeated 7 x 10xp

Player Character Cut

• 266gp, 6sp, 6cp ea.
• 291xp ea.