June 30, 1989:

Tending to our wounds first, we then questioned the captive, and did not learn much of value from him. Setting Steven to keep watch over him, we set on through the room with the zombies, only to have him overpower Steven and attempt to escape. The rest of the party made mincemeat of him, and although I-na’Queh and Sarmad berated him for it, there was really nothing else that Steven could have done to prevent it. I-na’Queh then renamed Steven as “mole eyes” and the rest of the party, save Giulio, began calling him that as well.

Making a pincushion of the flunky, we renewed our search for Gregory and Angelica. Opening the door carefully, we entered, only to bump into a large pane of mirrored glass, set in the form of a maze. While Qan and Sarmad tried to pick a path through it, I-na’Queh rose to the challenge, and led us through the maze by her power of flight.

Examining the doorway, we determined the correct path to follow, and in brief time, we heard the sounds of what seemed to be a Shuggoth. Looked like Shuggoth, sounded like Shuggoth, must be Shuggoth. Moving rapidly through the corridors, we came to an entryway that was both suspiciously large and suspiciously unguarded. Halting, the sound of the Shuggoth came ever closer, and as we entered the next chamber, we were met by ambush. It was Gregory this time, with his knight and two henchmen!

The Shuggoth, meanwhile, kept coming closer, and finally Steven caught a glimpse of it. The Shuggoth hit I-na’Queh and Steven in a fit of rage yelled, “You leave my mistress alone”, and he attacked the Shuggoth causing it to emit yelps of pain. I-na’Queh hearing the yelps, decided that it could not be a Shuggoth Sarmad who moved back from the fight with Gregory hurled fireballs at it, and between he and Steven, killed it. Upon its death, it was discovered that it was not a Shuggoth, but one of Gregory’s magicians, using a disguise spell and cloak-spell Lucky us.

With his men killed, Gregory gave up He surrendered to us, and began to beg, especially when confronted by a “member” of the Order of the Risen Lord, demanding to know what he had done to bring down the wrath of the Order on himself, as he had always followed their orders. We tried in vain to obtain the names of who his superiors were in the order, but to no avail. In the end, we killed him, and took his heads, along with those of all of the others we had killed; after all, no one has really ever explained to me just which head it is that is needed for resurrection, though I suppose if you think about it, it must be the one on the shoulders. Oh well, that’s not for me to worry about.

After the battle, we scattered rice and beans from the stores down the hallway to give us warning if anyone came from that direction. Giulio and Angelica took the first watch, during which Giulio asked her if she knew what Gregory had done with the map to the Elven city; she replied that Thomas had taken it and she did not know what he had done with it. There had been a magical library in the city which belonged to the Elven Queen of Keriseth

We rested the night in the storage area, and the Contessa Angelica and Giulio talked for a while about what her plans were. She wants to go back home to Hollyfell, which was about a week’s journey NE of the Barrowfells. She had to take her grandfather’s place now, as she was the Contessa, and get her lands in order. She would like the party to go with her, offering Giulio a place in her household, if he came, though, and that is appealing, except that after Gundred the slaver, he is not too sure he wants to commit to being in anyone’s household for a while. Besides, she insulted my friends, heathens and pagans that they are, like the priest in Byford said, they are basically good people.

Much as Giulio would like to help, the party does have a prior promise to aid I-na’Queh in her search for her people, which he realizes has to take priority.