The battle against the insectoid horror raged as the town guards arrived, witnessing the heroes dispatch the creature with practiced ease. As the dust settled, the adventurers discussed the possibility of a reward. The guards promised to inquire about compensation and directed them to visit the garrison the following day. They also offered to reimburse the cost of their stay, suggesting the Rowdy Rockfish as a suitable place to rest.
At the inn, they roused the dwarven innkeeper, Brelda Venkervale, who quickly took a liking to Derek. Intrigued, she hinted at a favor she wished to ask in the morning. True to her word, Brelda shared a troubling tale—her son had disappeared without a trace, last seen leaving town with a hooded figure carrying a lantern. The heroes negotiated possession of her family shield, promising to return it should they fail in their search but insisting it could prove useful.
Their next stop was the garrison, where they met Oseph Menhemes, the mayor and descendant of a member of the Roseguard—the very heroes who once defeated Belcorra. He tasked them with investigating the Gauntlight ruins and ensuring its eerie disturbances did not spread further.
Returning to the ruins, the party ventured deeper, choosing to explore the right passage instead of the previously traveled left. They stumbled upon a strange laboratory, where a goblin lay trapped within a container. In their search, they found a goblin doll bearing a familiar indentation. Placing the gem they had previously recovered into the doll, it sprang to life, sobbing uncontrollably.
Introducing itself as Borbo, the doll revealed a dark history—it had once served Master Volluk, only to be transformed into its current pitiful state. Borbo spoke of Volluk’s connection to a mysterious bookkeeper deeper within the ruins and his allegiance to Mistress Belcorra. Furthermore, Borbo disclosed the location of a hidden door and a stairway descending further into the depths.
Descending, the heroes faced eerie mist swirling in one corridor and a door in another. Choosing the door, they found themselves in a library where ghouls conducted gruesome tasks. The creatures offered the heroes an unsettling bargain—donate flesh to feed the Canker. When the group refused, combat ensued, but the undead stood little chance against their combined strength.
Further exploration led them to a chamber bathed in blue light, where ghouls gathered. Opting to avoid a direct confrontation, the party searched nearby rooms, discovering a book repair station and a locked door containing a sorrowful spirit. The ghostly woman shared her tragic end—she had chosen poison over being devoured by her fellow librarians, now turned ravenous ghouls. Unable to pass on, she lingered in torment. Moved by her plight, the heroes restored the books in the room, granting her the release she desperately sought.
Their journey pressed on as they discovered a ghoul tattooing flesh in another room—a sight they quickly and silently abandoned. However, their next encounter proved unavoidable: a chamber of gathered ghouls that turned to attack as the heroes entered.
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