Wrin Sivinxi, a half-elf nephilim known for selling odd items in Otari, noticed a mysterious glow at the top of the Gauntlight Ruins with her special eyes. Sensing something amiss, she enlisted the help of a few brave locals: Bags, a daring hobgoblin Swashbuckler; Torren, a stoic gargoyle cleric of Alglenweis; Thumper, an enigmatic automaton bard; and Asterion, a formidable minotaur magus. They decided to venture to the ruins during the day, wary of what might lurk there at night.
As they approached, the ruins loomed ominously, with most of the second floor collapsed over time. The lighthouse, however, still stood tall, casting eerie shadows. Suddenly, a high-pitched, pixie-like voice called out, urging them to enter. The voice spoke in Sakvroth, understood only by Torren and Bags. It promised magic pixie mud that would grant them strength if consumed. Bags and Torren cautiously entered through the front, while Thumper and Asterion circled to the back. Disaster struck as Asterion’s massive frame caused the bridge to collapse, plunging him into the swamp below. Miraculously, he emerged unscathed.
Inside, Torren picked up the mud but hesitated to eat it. Glancing upward, he spotted blue creatures resembling goblins. A fierce battle erupted, but the creatures were no match for our heroes. Victorious, they pressed on, with Asterion encountering a menacing slurk in the swamp. The group surrounded and defeated the beast, discovering a kobold corpse nearby.
They stumbled upon a section with a broken wall and saw more blue creatures and a human-sized larvae. The creatures fled at the sight of the heroes. Burn marks on the walls hinted at a long-ago battle. Outside, they continued around the building, reaching the lighthouse. Asterion noticed the lighthouse wall seemed unnaturally new, despite its ancient origins.
A bridge led to a building on an island north of the keep, and to the south, a small house with a dock and boats. Crossing the bridge, they found the doors locked. Bags, Torren, and Thumper circled the building while Asterion investigated the boat and the small building, finding evidence of a recent fire. The others found a second door and entered a room filled with shattered items and glass-covered floors. A strange doll with a beak and wings attacked them after asking about “Master Azrinae.”
Asterion charged to their aid, smashing through locked doors and past a tiny humanoid. He reached the room just as his companions defeated the doll, which dropped an odd soul gem. Bags discovered a sparkling spyglass. They examined several portraits, including one of Absalom in flames, Gauntlight Keep with a ghostly light, a shredded painting, and a smirking woman in a red gown identified as Belcorra.
Returning to the entrance, they encountered a strange speaking light named Spookywisp, who desired the sparkling item from the other room but was thwarted by “Mister Beak.” They convinced the tiny humanoid, Tangletop, to reveal himself. Tangletop used magic to produce the light and voice. In exchange for the sparkly item, he divulged information about the building’s former owner, Volluk Azrinae, and his dangerous mentor, Belcorra. The spooky lighthouse could also shoot a beam full of ghosts.
Descending a set of stairs, they found a locked door and an open bedroom. They discovered a stash of magical items in a closet. Finally, they encountered a massive worm-like creature. Torren was knocked out again, but the group managed to slay the beast. They examined a machine in the room, took the gem, and returned to Otari for some much-needed rest.