The adventurers pressed forward, opening a door to the east and weighing their options—stairs to the north leading up, and stairs to the south descending. Suspecting that the downward path would only return them to the pavilion, they opted to ascend.
During their exploration, Shadow Bell uncovered a hidden illusory wall. Passing through it, the group found themselves in a peculiar chamber. Within, ghostly illusions of Belcorra and Volluk appeared, seemingly engaged in silent conversation. Though their words remained unheard, their spectral presence lingered momentarily before vanishing into the ether.
Undeterred, they entered another room, where Belcorra appeared once more—this time reading from a book titled The Whispering Reed—before once again fading into nothingness. Their final discovery in this mysterious section was far more dangerous—a wispy black sphere with glowing eyes attacked them without hesitation. Realizing they were outmatched, they made a hasty retreat.
Their escape brought them to the staircase once more, but the door they had previously passed through was now inexplicably closed. With no explanation for how it had shut, the party chose to press onward, descending the stairs and opening another door—only to emerge at the familiar pavilion. Once again, rather than confront the man and his wolf, they plunged into the water and avoided the confrontation.
Back in the depths, their explorations led them upstairs and through a back room, where they uncovered a secret door. Beyond it, they encountered an unlikely ally—a friendly morlock ghoul who chose not to attack. Instead, he shared useful information and allowed the group passage.
Not long after, they were stopped by a devil named Korlok, who—unenthusiastically—declared them under arrest. A tense conversation ensued, but they soon negotiated a deal. If they could locate his contract and return it, he would not throw them in whatever grim prison awaited.
Their search led them to a furnace room, oppressively hot and filled with restless spirits. When investigating the area, ghosts emerged, engaging the party in battle. Despite their efforts, the heroes struggled to overcome them, prompting a desperate attempt at an exorcism and intimidation. Their gamble paid off—the ghosts were successfully banished.
Further exploration led them to a peculiar small creature engrossed in a book. Irritated at being interrupted, it lashed out violently. Though things turned dire for a moment, the adventurers emerged victorious, sending their attacker to an unfortunate end.
Finally, the group encountered ghouls worshiping a grotesque mound of eyes and mouths. Though unsettling, these undead posed little threat, and they were swiftly defeated. However, with resources dwindling and exhaustion setting in, the adventurers decided to return to town.
The Gauntlight’s mysteries deepened with each discovery, but unanswered questions loomed—Belcorra’s illusions hinted at unseen truths, Korlok’s contract remained lost, and a great threat still lurked beyond the shadows. Though their journey had led to temporary retreat, the heroes knew their work was far from finished.