The party was awoken from their watch by Runum in the early hours of the morning by Kobolds come to get some work done on the gatehouse. After some debate, the group decided to take a more active approach to the situation. Instead of watching the kobolds work from above, they descended to the ground floor of the gatehouse and approached. Immediately, the workers retreated. With a bribe of some gold, they spoke with one of them about the Kobold situation in Stonehell. They shortly learned that Trustee Sniv runs Kobold Korners and that all are welcome there. With a bit more gold, the party asked their interlocutor to tell Sniv about them and broker an introduction when they arrived. The kobolds were suspicious, but ultimately agreed to mention the names of their group to Sniv.
In the morning, they set about exploring the canyon. On the southern wall, they found a small outpost constructed some time ago that has been used by other expeditions in the past. Most notably, they found a material called "Flame Chalk," which can be used to leave behind messages only visible with Infravision. The party's elf was not in attendance, leaving them without a method to search for any messages in the area written with the magical chalk. They also found a flame beetle chewing on the corpse of a goat, killed it, and harvested its glow-glands.
When they left the shelter, their eyes quickly were attracted to movement up on the limestone cliffs to their right. A large mountain lion slinked upwards towards a cave they had seen there earlier from the gatehouse rooftop. They prudently chose to avoid that cave for now and to pass to the other side of the canyon. There, they entered the other man-made shelter.
It was a three room complex that filled them with dread. They went left first, discovering a circular cenotaph covered with evil-looking writing. After some investigation of the stone, they are attacked by a group of skeletons! Their eyes glow with blue fire and they attack with their hideous grasping claw-like fingers. The skeletons are dispatched without too much difficulty - the party loses only some arrows, and Novice Muclu brandished his holy symbol and turned the last one, causing it to flee to the last chamber. They followed it, destroyed it, and then returned to the cenotaph. Fayanna the locksmith investigated the plinth more closely and discovered there a secret chamber. But before she opens it, a wave of energy pulsed through her hand, causing her hairs to stand on end. Muclu uttered a somber prayer to the people commemorated by the Cenotaph, but the writings turned red and began to glow ominously. They decided to come back later, perhaps.
The next series of caves on the southern wall was of some interest to them as well. But when they mounted the walls of the canyon the odd 40' up, they discovered some kind of empty nest scattered with bones and debris. Some old adventuring equipment lay about, gnawed upon by large teeth.
From there, they carried on towards the end of the canyon. Before them at its terminus was a tall, wide arch, inscribed with a poem.
"Beware All Who Enter
These Benighted Halls of Stone.
Within Lies No Solace
Nor Any Comforts of Home.
Toiling for our Crimes
We Must Dig Where We Dwell,
With No Freedom or Mercy
In Our Vast Stony Hell."
What lay next for the intrepid adventurers? They must decide whether they will return to town at this juncture (half the day remains, which is enough to head back and spend some of the money they've recovered so far -- meager as it may be) or press on and commit to spending another night on the surface.
In one week's time I hope to have the next session report ready for your reading pleasure! Thanks for reading!
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