Session 2 - The House of Gnurfaris

As the party approached the house of Gnurfaris, there was a sound like wind blowing a door closed, and suddenly Shiv had vanished. A second later, a confused halfling appeared in his underwear, bearing the same red tattoo as the others. The party explained to him what had happened and he agreed to accompany them.

The party climbed the fence surrounding Gnurfaris' house and crept to the windows. Jeddak made too much noise and the party was attacked by dogs (mastiffs and some bizarre clockwork dogs). Nedra tamed one of the dogs and named her Mitsi. The party defeated the remaining dogs and Jeddak threw one of the clockwork dogs through the window into the dining room of the house. Nedra had gone around to the back where she encountered Gnurfaris' butler, Fenrick. Fenrick was terrified, but Nedra and Jeddak were able to calm him down with charisma, psionics, and alcohol. He described the layout of the house but didn't have much more useful information.

The party searched the house and found two clues in Gnurfaris' desk in his private study. They discovered that one of the clues related to taxidermied animals in a menagerie on the ground floor. They were able to solve the puzzle and one of the animals slid aside to reveal a spiral staircase going down. Nedra figuratively smelled a trap and so carefully examined the steps. Some of them were pressure plates. The party safely descended the staircase, marking the pressure plates with candles.

At the bottom, they found a door with a puzzle lock. Using the other hint they had found in the study, they solved the puzzle and opened the door. Inside was a strange room made of smooth black stone which seemed to faintly show scenes of other worlds in its reflections. In the center was the Black Atlas the party had been sent to retrieve. They took it and ascended the stairs. On the ascent, Jeddak stumbled spectacularly and triggered the trap. The party began to be pummeled by elemental magic, but were able to reach the trap door at the top and escape.

They took Fenrick and Mitsi with them and returned towards the destroyed Bridge of Martyrs. On the way, they encountered a patrol of hobgoblins, but dispatched them and took one prisoner. They successfully crossed the Ditch and returned to Zyndar.

Zyndar was overjoyed to see the Black Atlas and hurried off to study it. The party took their prisoner to Xentax for interrogation and learned that the Army of Revolt was planning an attack in two days over the Ditch Bridge. Xentax was appreciative and drew the party a map of the clockwise side of the Ditch with the locations of the various militias and their commanders. Then he sent the party off to a blacksmith named Kilmah that was supplying his unit. She agreed to construct some specialty items for the party: hide armor for Mitsi, thri-kreen weapons for Jeddak, and metal-free studded leather armor for Nedra.