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Meeting     Into the Crypt     Umber Hulks    Stone Heart    Vampire    Beryn     Keep     Sand Giant
City-Between-Places     Beryn's Farm     Bog Serpent     Stronghold     2 Parties     Dog & Horn     The Cells
Escape!     Calrhuvianne     Souls     Hawker Bag     Kin's Tale     Mayor & Shopping     Dhunok Grael
Karubiat Elesis     Underground Sun     Lizardmen     The Boat     Akkenophon     Shurudien!     Ghurzak!
To Karnak     Dice     Oracle     Mogradjinn     Battle     The Hilt     Exit     Strange Allies     Ghorak Lan
Farigon     Calrhuvianne2     Wraithking     Columns     Last Column     Galent     Zeres-kai     Eyrie
Elementals!     Golem

The route back out is unhampered: past the alcoves where flesh golems had waited, up the spiral staircase and through the various doors to the bright light of a sunny afternoon and the impossible jungle outside - although bearing in mind the experience of Karubiat Elesis, this is not such a grand league of impossible!

Karnak is still here with his two comrades: they failed to find Ghurzak and Hahkht but did come across a large boar-like beast, whose carcass still smokes lightly on a spit, plenty of meat left for anyone who is hungry.

Carrying an air of victory, Karnak seems to sense what you may want of him. Absently, perhaps as if to hide from himself the use of magic, he twists the thin iron ring on his finger as he has before; his eyes glaze and shoulders sag. There is a long pause and his companions eye the events suspiciously. Finally, though - quietly and with Beryn's words - Karnak speaks.

"My friends.......? Apologies for my delay. An awkward moment. What transpires? It has been a while. Has there been success in Dhunok Grael?"

“Success of sorts,” is the reply and after a concerned Beryn has indicated that it is safe to talk, Morin adds, “OK, Dhunok Grael is one name for that place, there is another. Karubiat Elesis! We encountered strange creatures, and the last remnant of the group, for which the name Dhunok Grael was born, but we also encountered Ghurzak and crew, and many creatures of darkness."

He pauses a moment.

"Oh, before I forget, did you know what Shuriden was, and the danger that that represented?"

There is a long pause and you can almost hear tapping of fingers, it seems.

"Karubiat Elesis.........Now we start to have some sense made. I see now...........Baltharak was a genius: hide one secret place by spreading rumours of another place that is truly only a name. And this is why I could not get to Dhunok Grael via the City-Between-Places.

"I'm not sure what you mean about Shurudien Dragonslayer. He disappeared long ago and you found his body beneath the mines, we assumed.

"But, Morin, for goodness, sake" - Beryn's voice sounds a little strained - "is everyone OK and did you get the hilt?"

Morin continues to Karnak/Beryn, “Yes, Beryn, we retrieved the hilt, but it seems that each time we go for part of this artefact, we also release something undesirable on the world."

"Shuridien's spirit was released inside Karubiat Elesis - it was bound to the items that we carried. He seamed more than happy to be released in Dragon Lands. Also, as I mentioned, the place was filled with darkness, Mogria's shadow occupies the place, and although we battled and defeated her minnions, we have only weakened the evil, and it will grow again. The Mogradjinn is a awake and filled with spite, Beryn, I don't now what binds it to the place, but we may have opened certain doors that let it out.
There were three chests, one with the symbol of the claw, one the eye, and the third, the feathered wing. We opened the one with the claw symbol, according to Dal, that would be Yandroth, right? Energy was released, and now all three chests are gone."

There is a pause in reply and Suva takes the chance to request a personal moment – Morin is initially not keen but then leads the rest of the party away for a moment to give Suva a little time to deal with something personal.

Having exchanged a few quiet words, Suva, looking serious and troubled drops himself into heartfelt prayer.

Meanwhile, Karnak, still a conduit, begins to drool slightly from the corner of his uncontrolled mouth as his companions sharpen their weapons and look on with distaste. It would be thoughtful, polite and probably wise to not take too long about filling in Beryn with the events in Karubiat Elesis as he awaits more detail.

After the pause as Suva steps away, the blind voice of Beryn speaks:

"Morin, are you there? You have a cautious interpretation of victory! It seems to me that much has happened and you are keeping a large part of it to yourselves. So be it; you are the questors, after all.

"Shurudien was obsessed with dragons after the loss of his family. Unfortunately, he was also insane: all dragons became his prey, not just the guilty beast, if dragon it was. There are many paths combining here - Shurudien was desperately searching for some unheard of undead dragon when he was last seen. And I have heard of the Mogradjinn but never thought it real. Damn it. They must be the same beast – the Mogradjinn is this supposed undead dragon. And that would mean the Mogradjinn was released long ago.

"If Shurudien's released spirit has any power on the mortal plane, I will hope that it may aid us, although it will no doubt be unpredictable.

"I would not worry about the chests; you have failed a test and lost some treasure, that is all. Yes: Yandroth the claw, Mogria the eye and Serestius the wing - I have a communication approaching from Serestius himself that will cast light on many things, I am sure, when it finally arrives. We will discuss it when I see you. I am puzzled though - how did you get close enough to these chests? Was there no warding around them?

"And what of the werewolf? Is the wonder of Karubiat Elesis truly poisoned?"

For Karnak’s sake, Morin rattles off a reply briefly outlining the events below ground..

"Hmm, there is much to ponder - and best to do it face to face,” Beryn replies.

"As to getting to me, such arrangements are not so easy - I had intended to be with you or outside with Karnak all this time but for the problem with Azal Magrothir and the old dwarves that you brought to my attention. And I forgot to leave you a scroll, of course.

"In your present position, I'm not sure what to do - I think you have earned some rest and we could all do with time to properly plan our next move, so perhaps you should come downriver back to Galent and stay at my farm. I am in Galent.

"Later, we can use a gate to get quickly to Rin Duras, where I think we may need to go.

"Yes, that seems best - I should find the river and follow it back to Galent. It should take four or five days, I suppose, assuming no problems."

Jiriki moves towards Karnak but Kin suddenly interjects. "Hold on - before you go there is more. We can afford a few minutes if it might clear things up. I don't want to have to come back here again."

Suva looks on with no sign of listening but Morin is alert and poised as Kin blurts out quickly a few snatched details about the Pasha of Oracles, the plaques, moon mirrors and the Wayfarer's Gate. It is the last part that catches Beryn's interest.

"We can talk more of this and other things soon. Clearly there are details that I would like to know but for now stop there, Kin. If there is a Wayfarer's Gate, then we can meet quickly - it is a Wayfarer's Gate scroll that I had meant to leave you. All gates lead to the City-Between-Places - did I not mention that before? If you go there and make quickly for the Town Hall, you can be at the farm in a few hours rather than days. Excellent!

"I suggest you take that route but I must end this now before it becomes dangerous for Karnak.

"I hope few of you spoke to the Pasha of Oracles - legend has it his information is traded at a high price. See you soon."

With that, the party are left to ponder their new option.

At least most of the party are - Jiriki finds himself tossed playfully against a tree. Karnak, having come out of his reverie face to face with a grinning, recently dead dragon head, is exacting humorous fraternal revenge upon his brother.

Jarek wishes to speak to the oracle but Morin is warily against it and most of the rest of the party simply want to get going and get back to Galent for rest and answers to some questions.

The Wayfarer’s Gate is the next port of call.

Karnak and his companions stay where they are; they will make their own way to Beryn and have other tasks besides.

There is a stutter at first as the party don’t know how to activate the gate but after what seems a long while, a neatly scratched phrase, “Canrhulle Harn” is discovered on the underside of the bed and touching the orb whilst uttering this activates the Wayfarer’s Gate.

One by one the party leap through to the eerie sight that is the ring of mountains floating in space about the City-Between-Places. The arrival point is not the same as before but bearings are gained from the bridge leading to the city and soon enough the party are heading to it.

Nilfract the half orc is at the camp and recognises most of the party (Suva of course, looked different the last time he was here!). But there is no time to chat – the party move directly onwards and respectfully past the guardian of the bridge. Through the gates, the city bustles as ever but the party ignore all temptations to pause, remembering that time spent here is double the time back in Dhurghumlund.

Yomping down the road, the journey is soon made to the Town Hall and transaction is completed to travel again to Galent and a magical doorway found to lead the way towards Beryn’s farm.