Into the Gorge

The party sets out on their journey towards the Kineater Gorge and arrives at the mining area located just outside its entrance. Seeking advice and a description of what lies beneath, they learn that the Kineater Gorge can be divided into four distinct underground regions.

1. The Torch Mines: This area falls under the control of Winterport, housing the city's mines. It is a significant source of resources and a place where the city holds the most influence.
2. The Giant Chasms: These deep ravines form a natural barrier, sometimes crossed by poorly maintained bridges. In the depths of some chasms, fires from Giant camps can be seen. Additionally, a rapid river flows through this area, adding to the challenging terrain.
3. The Fungal Groves: A lush and perilous region where the moist air from melted snow meets natural volcanic hot springs. The local mushrooms in this area are exotic and dangerous. It also serves as a border for the Drow realms, showcasing the diverse and hazardous nature of the underground.
4. Drow Territory: The underground lake marks the end of the rapid river and the beginning of the recognized Drow realm. Vast tunnels, illuminated by unnatural glowing fungi, create an oppressive sense of claustrophobia. Visitors are reminded that they have entered the Underdark. Accessible through various tunnels near the lake is the drow city of Zebalsen.

Armed with this knowledge, the party is prepared to venture deeper into the Kineater Gorge, They are asked by a Gnome to see if they can find her husband who have yet not came out of the mines yet. The party starts exploring the intricate and treacherous underground regions of the Kineater gorge.

The Strip-mining has to stop

In their exploration of The Torch Mines, the party encounters a massive magma elemental. After defeating the elemental, they come across a strangely straight and meticulously mined tunnel within the mines. Intrigued, they follow this eerie narrow passage until they reach its end, where they find a Goliath miner diligently working away.

To their surprise, the miner seems entirely engrossed in his task and dismisses the party, refusing to be disturbed. Something seems off, as his pickaxe emits a faint glow and he appears to be communicating with it. Concerned, the party attempts to reason with him, mentioning his wife and trying to convince him to stop with a "Matpakk". However, the miner becomes aggressive, forcing the party to defend themselves. They manage to incapacitate him without causing any lasting harm.

As they investigate further, they discover that a magical metal fragment is attached to the pickaxe. By using magic to reveal its true nature, they identify it as a part of the Skycrown, an artifact said to have the power to make the Dreamkeep Citadel fly once again. This revelation opens up a new world of possibilities for Lamiens Deed and prompts the party to question the significance of their find.

Realizing the importance of this discovery, Karg Stonebreaker, now separated from his pickaxe, agrees to follow the party out of the mines. With the fragment in their possession, the party ponders its connection to the fabled Skycrown and what it could mean for their future endeavors.

Reverse Giant Ambush

Following Karg's directions, the party arrives at the entrance to The Giant Chasms. Leo Feyborn Silverscales keen perception allows them to recognize a group of rocks as an ambush. Reacting swiftly, the party reverses the ambush and surprises the giants hidden within the illusory rocks. Through their quick thinking and skillful tactics, they manage to successfully defeat the ambushers. Unfortunately, one of the Fog Giants escapes by leaping off a cliff, disappearing from their reach.

Taking some time to regroup, the party decides to pursue the fleeing giant. They fly down the cliff, hoping to track its whereabouts, but their efforts prove fruitless as they lose its trail. Disappointed but undeterred, they continue their journey through the Giant Chasms.

However, their path takes an unexpected turn when they encounter a red-robed mage accompanied by two Blackfire guards aligned with The Black Bonfire. The presence of these agents of the enemy poses a new challenge and raises questions about the extent of the Black Bonfire's influence. The party must now confront this mysterious mage and the guards.

Enemy of my enemy is, A wall?

The party is introduced to a mage named Kevlar Cinderhill, who initially appears unaware of their true identity as enemies of The Black Bonfire. Kevlar seeks their assistance in scaling a cliffwall to reach a tunnel. Lamien volunteers to help and, despite the treacherous growths and stinging fungus covering the wall, successfully climbs up and lowers a rope for Kevlar. In gratitude, Kevlar rewards the party with some gold, a scroll of fireballs, and a scroll of Sending. With this unexpected encounter, the party decides to let Kevlar and his minions go and continues on their own path.

As they venture forth, they hear the sounds of giants conversing and stumble upon the front area of a Giant camp. Standing before the stone doors of the camp, they witness a Fog Giant being confronted by a short, young Storm Giant named Chief Varian. The enraged Chief Varian slays the defeated Fog Giant for being bested by "short folk." Seeing an opportunity to prove their worth, the party charges into battle. A tense and intense fight ensues, with the party eventually overcoming Chief Varian.

Upon inspecting the giant's equipment, they find a new Skycrown Shard, a fire giant's helm, and a rusted greatsword that hums with energy. Through identification, they discover that the sword is the powerful relic known as "the holy avenger," a weapon sought after by Lamien.

This victory not only secures their progress but also grants Lamien a weapon of great significance, furthering their cause against the Black Bonfire.

Double teleport, Deed done

Having slain Chief Varian, Lamien and Quincan the Quiet recognize this feat as a significant step towards Lamien's redemption. Needing to return to Winterport swiftly, Arlando Myriil Faehorn comes up with a clever idea and uses the Sending scroll to contact their wizard friend, Zee Baltor Blastwind-Thorne. The wizard agrees to assist and arrives in the dank caves of the Giant Chasms through a portal. Although happy to see the party, Zee reminds them that he isn't a "free taxi service." The party compensates him accordingly with 700gp.

By utilizing an item they had purchased in Winterport, the party is teleported to unexpectedly the backroom of a snowglobe shop upon their arrival. Unfortunately, their abrupt entrance nearly causes the breakage of some globes, leading to an angry shopkeeper chasing after them. The two Goliaths quickly seek out a member of the Rime Wardens to act as a witness while Quincan quckly tattoos a new Deedmark upon Lamien's brow. Before Arlando can settle the payment with the disgruntled shopkeeper, Zee teleports them once again.

This time, they find themselves inside Zee's shop, the Efreetis enchanted eldritch emporium, located on the other side of the continent in Ankh-Morport. There, they are ushered through the same portal that Zee had previously appeared from. Remarkably, they reenter the cave mere minutes after they had initially left, having completed their teleports. Exhausted and in need of rest, the party takes a well-deserved break in the familiar surroundings of the cave.

The Widow and the dead dwarfs

Following the same tunnel that Kevlar Cinderhill had traversed, the party arrives in The Fungal Groves. As they reach an outcrop overlooking the vast, mushroom-infested cave, they stumble upon a pile of dwarven armor and bones. Among the remains, they discover an intact skull belonging to Jarin Stonefist, the brother of Balin Stonefist, the previous keeper of the Holy Avenger. Through magical means, Azrael Owens communicates with the skull and learns that Jarin was part of a party sent 800 years ago to assassinate the Goliath king Tempus the Storm bear during the 2nd Northern war.

Continuing on their path towards the floor of the grove, the party encounters a peculiar sight. They come across a black-clad elven woman named Elysia Dawnswind, dressed in funeral garb. Elysia explains that she is patiently waiting for her beloved husband, Thalion, to return from the Mushroom Forest. As a fellow follower of The Raven Queen, Azrael empathizes with her situation and agrees to search for any signs of Thalion.

As the day ends and the jorney continue the party enters a spore filled area of the forest. Arlando Myriil Faehorn and Quincan the Quiet is seemingly dominated by the spores and starts runing into the forest, luckly they are stoped before they can get to far.

Mycelios is not a Fun-gui

As the new day maybe dawns, the party ventures deeper into the mushroom forest, only to find themselves entering a blue spore-filled area. In a strange turn of events, Arlando Myriil Faehorn and Quincan the Quiet are seemingly dominated by the spores and begin running into the forest. Fortunately, the party manages to intercept and stop them before they can go too far. With Arlando's ability to communicate with local plants, they discover that there are two sides within the forest—one demanding them to join in and the other urging them to resist. Choosing to follow the voices that advocate resistance, they are guided to the presence of two Servants of the Mycanoids.

Escorted to the Mycanoid colony situated on a stagnant lake, the party is granted an audience with the Sovereign. Recognizing their lack of ill intent towards its people, the Sovereign implores them to aid in the fight against the slow advance of "Mycelios," a being created by a Skycrown shard. After some much-needed rest and trade for necessary items, the party sets forth towards Mycelios' lair.

Inside the lair, they encounter an open field littered with decaying mushroom-grown corpses. A colossal fungal being charges toward them. With careful tactics, the party weakens Mycelios by burning its spawn root. They then proceed to cleave off the outer skin of the creature, only to be confronted by a second form—a spore-sack filled entity—emerging from its withered husk. Finally, Leo Feyborn Silverscale delivers the final blow, slaying the last form of Mycelios. Within one of the spore sacks, they discover Thelion's skull and glasses, while the third Skycrown shard is found embedded within the spawn root.

Eager to harness the power of the Skycrown, Arlando attempts to put on the incomplete crown but is rendered unconscious in the process. As the party takes a moment to catch their breath, they witness a distant explosion, potentially a spell cast by Kevlar Cinderhill.

the ladies man, Kevlar and the hole of dankess

Intrigued by the explosion, the party follows the path carved through the vibrant fungal forest, which leads them to the entrance of the Underdark. Tracking the sound of the Blackfire guards' armor, they unexpectedly encounter Kevlar Cinderhill in a predicament. The Black Bonfire has established a camp near a hole in the ground, where a rapid river flows downward. Delighted to see the party again, Kevlar engages them in conversation. He expresses his inability to fly his own party down the hole and asks for their assistance. Leo reveals his ability to transform into a giant eagle, but considering the late hour, Kevlar proposes that they rest in his camp and venture into the Underdark through the hole the following day.

As the conversation winds down, it is revealed that Kevlar had studied under a mage named Telethere Aspenstar, the very same person Obsidian has a ring from. However Obsidian presses Kevlar or Kevin as Telethere knew him as, for information about Telethere, appears saddened and disconnected from his former master's death. Frustrated by Kevlar's ignorance of the Black Bonfire's actions in Ankh-Morport and their connection to Telethere's demise, Obsidian's outburst provokes an aggressive response from the true leader of the Blackfire guards, the Exalted named Kais. A battle ensues, catching the unprepared and resting party off guard. Many members of the group fall, including Leo dying, leaving only Obsidian and Kais standing from both sides.

In a show of battle provess, Obsidian's fiery wrath triumphs over Kais' unnatural fiendish strength, resulting in the defeat of Kais and the Black Bonfire. The she rushes to heal Azrael Owens first, and with the use of a complicated Revivify scroll, is Leo saved from death, though forever changed. As the party loots their fallen enemy, a shocking revelation about the Blackfire guards comes to light—their fiendish essence is bound by their armor, keeping them mortal. Without his armor, Kais pleads for them to put it back on, but before they can react, Kais is consumed by the fiend within him, turning him into black sludge.

Widows rest

After completing their rest, the party leaves the camp and returns to Elysia Dawnswind, the mourning widow. Azrael Owens presents her with the skull of her beloved husband Thalion, and with a somber gratitude, she thanks them for their aid, offering a blessing from The Raven Queen. Elysia then requests to see Azrael's weapon, imbuing it with the memories of his departed family: his wife and his two children. As she bid them farwell she warns them of something lurking in the Underdark, the party leaves for the hole to the Underdark. Peaking over their shoulder they se Elysia's camp now empty, only two skulls resting where her campfire once sat.

Leaving behind the grieving widows resting place, the party proceeds toward the hole leading to the treacherous depths of the Underdark. The anticipation builds as they prepare to descend into the unknown, bracing themselves for the challenges that lie ahead.

Into to the Underdark

The party has successfully entered the treacherous depths of the Underdark and, disguised as Drow, navigated through the dangerous tunnels. They encountered and brutally defeated a group of Kua-toa who attempted to ambush them. Later, they stumbled upon the camp of two lost Drow Scouts . After a brief conversation, the patrol warned the party about a treacherous spider-filled corridor. The two Drow scouts followed the party secretly, unbeknownst to the adventurers.

Undeterred by the warning, the party continued onward, overcoming the maze-like corridors and defeating and repelling the spiders in their path. Their journey brought them to a Slave Convoy traveling down a well maintained tunnel,  the captain in charge tried to ascertain their identity. The party's disguise was momentarily compromised when their House Cambion robes were recognized, a house not native to this region of the Underdark but from Deeptower. The party chose to part ways with the convoy, unwilling to sell their Goliath companions, Lamien and Quincan the Quiet.

As they left the tunnel, they arrived at a vast cavern with a large underground lake, rumored to contain the Drow city of Zebalsen. In the cavern, they stumbled upon an illusion-hidden mining camp and were ordered inside for questioning by the guards, who seemed suspicious of the party's strange arrival in this part of the Underdark: known as the Winterdark.

The mine was populated by slaves, including goblinoids, orcs, ogres, and other humanoids, all digging for strange crystals. The leader of the mine, a "Trusted Consort" named Xhantis, took a particular interest in the Goliaths due to their loyalty to the disguised members of the party. Despite Xhantis' attempts to persuade them, the party refused to sell their companions even for an audience with Housemother Selvana Xhandrill of House Xhandrill and the potential to strenghten their own house. The party managed to deceive Xhantis, claiming they had come to visit the temple to Lolth in Zebalsen. They bid farewell to the consort as he executes a goliath slave and left the slave camp with their two fuming goliath friends.

Continuing their journey, the party approached the lake and passed by a piece of a gargantuan insectoid skeleton. Soon after, they witnessed two Drow engaged in a fierce battle against demons near a pile of dead escaped slaves. The party rushed to their rescue, as one of the Drow fell in the skirmish.

Zebalsen the City of shadows

After successfully defeating the demons, the surviving Drow expresses gratitude to the party for their assistance, albeit with some reservations and suspicion. The Drow quickly questions their motives and what they seek in return for saving him. The party simply requests directions to the Drow City of Zebalsen. The Drow, in return, loots his companion's belongings and investigates the dead slaves and finds a brand, before turning invisible and making his way back to the mining camp. He leaves the party with a final farewell, advising them to stay away from House Xhandrill's schemes and to follow House Valedur's opposition to their goals.

With only 8 hours remaining of the "Seeming" spell and their magical disguises, the party uses a magical folding boat to row across the vast underground lake over the next 3 hours. They manage to pass the magical illusion hiding the Drow city and arrive in Zebalsen. The party explores the city, passing by different members of the society, from goblin slaves to the grandest matron on a Litter escorted by a fancy guard. After a quick stop at the slave bazar they make their way to the grand temple in the city center, maintaining their ruse as Drow travelers.

As they enter the vast plaza in front of the spider-formed temple, they are immediately intercepted by a Drow Inquisitor and her guards. The Inquisitor demands an immediate explanation for the trespassing of "slave filth" on Lolths holy ground. Leo Feyborn Silverscale, disguised as the drow Leylah, tries to extricate the party from the situation, but the Inquisitor can detect lies, making their deception even more difficult. However, Leo manages to explain their ignorance of the city's rules, and they are allowed to leave, though the city's awareness of their presence has been raised.

With half of their disguise time elapsed, the party searches for a magical shop that might carry spell scrolls to extend their disguises. They find "The Hidden Corner" in the higher districts of the city, where they are greeted by the flamboyant male Drow owner, Velstrin Nordanthrill. Leylah charms Velstrin with kind words, and he agrees to sell a scroll of Seeming for 1000gp, asking for a bit more for his discretion. Baltazar Firebolt pays 2500gp for the scroll and Leo/Leylah asks about any rumors or items resembling a Skycrown Shard. With a bribe of a 1000gp emerald gem, Velstrin reveals that a certain Selvana Xhandrill of House Xhandrill possessed a Skycrown Shard some hundred years ago and is currently involved in a recent project related to it.

With 3 hours left on their disguises, the party seeks a place to lay low without attracting attention. They find a mid-level tavern called the Silent Web and rent a secure-enough room to wait for their disguises to fade unnoticed.

Meeting Zebalsens' Beggars, Merchants, Guards and Wizards

After a well-rested long rest and some thorough planning, the party departs from the Silent Web inn. The Hobgoblin Tavernkeep remarks on the length of their rest, hinting that it's unusual for Drow, but the party brushes it off and mentions they might return later.

Planing to use Azrael Owens ability to speak with the dead, the party heads to the dock districts in search of a suitable corpse for information. Along the way, they encounter a drow beggar who provides them with directions to House Xhandrill's location. The party suspects the beggar to be a disguised agent and bribes and threatens him for his silence.

They locate corpses of dead slaves being cleared away near the docks, but decide not to use them for their purpose. Passing by a gem seller in the trading district, they're recognized as members of House Cambion, accused of scamming the merchant on a previous visit. They swiftly leave to avoid further confrontation as the merchant threatens them to be cursed.

Continuing their journey, they head towards the Gate of Bones. They are stopped by the guard at the gate, who recognizes their description as the same outsiders who were unaware of the city's customs and laws. The captain questions them, and though they manage to deceive the guard, the city's suspicion of them increases.

Using the nearby sounds of the arena as an excuse, the party heads to Arena Macabre as they were expected. They meet the arena guards who inform them about a free-for-all competition where the winner will receive an audience with a high priest and a blessing of Lolth. Intrigued, the party seeks to enter the contest and tries to approach House Tenebrae who is responsible for the arena. They find the wizard Maldrin Tenebrae and strike a deal, offering him a magical item and a chance to interview a Lamien for news of the surface.

With their arrangements made, the party returns to the arena to witness the ongoing fights and prepare for their entry into the contest's finale. Their journey through Zebalsen continues, with intrigue and danger lurking at every corner.

Champions of the Arena Macabre

The day of the highly anticipated arena battle arrived, and the party made meticulous preparations in their allocated preparation room. A Heroes' Feast was laid out to fortify their strength and resolve, knowing that they would face formidable opponents within the arena. They were required to don magical, spider-like collars, which would enable the arena's enchantments and challenges to affect them.

As the party where teleported into the Arena Macabre, the competing teams made their dramatic entrances:

1. The Party: Masquerading as drow of House Cambion, the party was driven by their quest to locate the last Skycrown shard.
2. House Xhandrill (A Necromancer and Undeads): A lone drow with dark ambitions, they aimed to showcase their necromantic prowess.
3. House Ben-Rey ( A Armored Warrior and Minotaurs): Fierce and determined, they sought glory and recognition through combat.
4. Emberwall Envoys (The Fire Giant called Mogul and a squad of Duergars): Representatives from Emberwall, they aimed to establish dominance and forge alliances.
5. House Valedur (A Drow Cleric and Chained Driders): Devoted to Lolth, they sought to eliminate heretics and gain her favor.
6. The Mindflayer Bor'kan (Ulitharid and Thralls): Seeking power and control, they sought to dominate weaker minds.
7. Arena Owners (Golden Masked Champions): Operating the arena, they had their own interests and manipulated events for dramatic outcomes.
8. Beast Challengers (Underdark Beasts): Unpredictable and territorial, they aimed to protect their domain.

The party quickly sought an alliance with the Necromancer from House Xhandrill, engaging in a tense battle against her undead minions before convincing her of their worthiness. Later, they encountered Bor'kan, who recognized their brain-waves, though the party was wary of aligning with the untrustworthy mind flayer. After a hard-fought victory against Bor'kan and his thralls leaving Arlando Myriil Faehorn under the effect of Bor'kans  feeblemind Spell, the party gradually climbed the ranks of the competition.

Their strategic brilliance became apparent when they faced the Emberwall Envoys, leveraging one of the arena's magical darkness pillars to gain an advantage and secure a decisive victory. Finally, the two allied teams, 1 and 2, faced off against the formidable champions of the arena.

Using Leo's Sun-blade and their combined might, they displayed their dominance and emerged victorious. The crowd roared in approval as the party solidified House Cambions reputation and might, their quest for the Skycrown shard continuing with newfound prestige and the Arenas prize: AN audience with a high priestess of Lolth.

After their triumphant victory in the arena, the party exited through the main gates, basking in the congratulations of the Arena Mistress. Velstrin Nordanthrill congratulated them,  and a envoy of House Ben-Rey, approached them and cordially invited them to a dinner scheduled around the time of "Green-Jade."

With their monetary reward in hand, they boarded a victory chariot that carried them to the spire where the High Priest resided. During the journey, Lorna Xhandrill, one of their fellow victors, inquired about why they had allied themselves with her. Satisfied with their response, she abruptly leaped from the chariot.

Upon arrival at House Valedur's compound, they were escorted by guards to a platform where five goblins were chained. A ritual transformed the goblins into spider-like appendages that scaled the spire's wall while carrying the platform bearing the party. An Inquisitor led them through richly decorated adamantium doors into the spire's temple dedicated to Lolth, where they met the High Priestess and House Matron Lysandra Valedur.

Matron Valedur inquired about the type of blessing the party desired for their arena victory, given their numerous ailments and injuries. Seeking healing for their physical and mental wounds, the party requested a healing blessing. Acknowledging their request, the High Priestess began a sermon to Lolth, and two captured surface elves were brought forth for sacrifice.

As the sacrificial dagger neared the male elf's neck, Baltazar Firebolt's moral conscience overcame him, and he swiftly cast a Disintegrate spell against the Matron Mother, abruptly ending the ritual. Enraged by this sacrilegious betrayal, the mighty Drow Matron defended herself, and her guards and favored consort rushed to her aid, initiating a fierce combat.

The party found themselves battling a prominent Drow house leader, a formidable foe, especially after their recent arena battle. The Matron summoned a powerful Glabrezu demon, which saw through their strongest illusions, revealing the party as surface dwellers. The demon and consort quickly incapacitated Baltazar.

Isolated and battered, the Matron Mother managed to plane shift herself out of the chamber, leaving her loyal guards to confront the outsiders. In the midst of the battle, both Lamien and Azrael Owens were also incapacitated but clung to life for a brief moment longer.

After healing herself on a different plane, Matron Valedur returned through a Gate spell, finding the party still standing. The party persisted in wearing down the remaining guards until only the Matron Mother and her nearly lifeless consort remained.

However, Drow are known for their cunning and fickleness. In a final act of desperation, the two Drow managed to plane shift away, leaving the party alone in the chamber, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of the fallen guards and a hostile cityscape beyond.

Renting and laying low

After the party rescue the two elfs named Ùlme and Kiräss sacrifices they start to raid the House Valedur, After activating its traps and unlocking the door to the temples Reliquary they take what they can find including a Piwafwi cloak, a +1 dagger and some scrolls. Hey imediatly use the scroll of Greater Restoration to cure Arlando Myriil Faehorn of the feeblemind spell affecting him. They then planned to find a way of getting out of the spires. 

They jumped and flyed out of the temples window. Sucsessfully managing to hide in an alley they droped their disquises and put a new Seeming spell upon themselves. They then tried to find a new safehouse, nearing the Harbor of Suffering where they might find an abondened warehouse the entire citys ambient lights goes out, and a magical projection containing their former disquises and and order to either kill or capture them for their treatchery against Lolth and Zebalsen.

They are directed towards the Dock of Bones and they find a wharehouse up for rent by House Ben-Rey and they pay the deep gnome in charge of managing it 1000gp for a Seasons rent with a promise to pay the required down-payment in the future.
Baltazar Firebolt after contacting contacting his former halfling classmate Tom Highness, he casted a Teleportation Circle and teleported Ùlme and Kiräss all the way to the Chromatic College.

The party spendt the next couple days collecting crates and resources for a smal buisness that they could run out of their new warehouse as an alibi when a knock is heard on the warehouse door.

Mysterious Basement and Hidden Allies

The knocking is revealed to be the deep gnome trying to unlock the wharehouse door while the party rests inside. Lamien hears the distrubance and goes to investigate. The doors are opened and reveals the gnome, a drow labourer and a female Tiefling of drow heritage. The Tiefling tells the party that they where the previous owners of the wharehouse unit and that they left some things behind. Azrael thanks to his Witch sight sees that the tiefling is accualy a normal drow woman disquised and grows wary, the drow manages to convince the party to let her in to look with some gold and with them watching her find her stuff. She finds her "things" and asks the party to turn around, they hear the magical words of the detect magic spell and the movment of stone. When they turn around she is gone. Inspecton shows that a secret door is located within the warehouse, the party waits for the drow to return and after she leaves with some books and a large partchment it seems like she also noticed the magical aura of the partys teleportation circle and the faint hint of magic their disquises had, she didnt make any remarks abuout that and gave the party 15gp as thanks for the trouble. 

Within the gold pouch they find a coin with the mark of the Eilistraeei Cult, remarking that they might find allies within the lolth-sworn city of Zebalsen. The party unlocks the sectret door revealing a hidden staircase leading to a smal basement bellow the warehouse unit. Within they find that the drow had taken most things besides a table and chair, a empty notice board and a suprisingly massive 15ft long femur. Inspecting the log sized bone the party finds it has been carved with strange runes, and Baltazar Firebolt belives it is a single piece of a larger construct. He tries to fuel the enchantments with some of his arcane power and manages to activate the bone, making it spin as it seems like it tries to find its counterpart, it stopps and baltazar things he might have calculated a trajectory the bone points towards. Whats left on the table reveals that the sigl of House Xhandrill has been carved in the desk, the notice board has some nails and read thread hinting it was used to plan something before the drow removed the partchment. 

They also find that the staircase also leads to a hatch on the warehouse roof. And after ensuring the coast is clear they lock the warehouse down and heads to rest.

Their sleep is varied and Lamien is visited by The White Bear, King Solomon in his dream, the king of the goliaths asks about the partys status and informs him that a airship flying the colors of The Black Bonfire has been seen headed to Lonepeak. While Lamiens dream brought news, Azraels was the opposite: He was visited by the silver masked leader of the black bonfire who changed Azraels suroundings to that of the prison cell in the Wintercasm Keep, and tried briefly to reqruit him to his cause. With Azraels "no" the ice in the cell melted and the water seemed to drown Azrael before he woke up. 

With the news and a understanding of needing to hurry, the party sought out The Hidden Corner in search of helpful spells and information. 

Entering the magic shop the flamboyant mage Velstrin Nordanthrill greets them, though something is of. He seems vary of the partys disquises and their identety as the pepole who attacked the housemother Lysandra Valedur is revealed. He reqognizes the champions of the Arena Macabre as now being surface dwellers and is caucus and intrigued. He sees them both as an oppurtunity and a danger. He is a puller of strings and a fixer within the drow city and might be one of the wealthiest and influencial male drows within the female dominated culture. He wish to keep his position and that sudden change is "bad for buissnes", he dont want the structure and power structure to change and he and the queen has an "understanding". He aknowledge that the party is seeking out the last skycrown shard and knowns that Selvana Xhandrill whold be in their crosshair so he offers a mutually beneficial arrangement: he want her knowledge and research for himself as it could give him an edge or that it could ruin the power dynamic of Zebalsen in the wrong hands. In addition he  has a job offer from his contacts in Eilistraeei Cult that the party could do for him, seeing as blaming the surface dwellers is better than shining the light on the rebelious elements of Zebalsen. The anti lolth followers of the moon dancer want to hijack the citys illusion array controled by the queens archmage and use it to showcase Eilistraee propaganda and bring more drows to the light. A cultist of the dark dancer would be escorted by the party, and when asked how a female drow apears revealing to be the drow who visited the warehouse, she introduce herself as Pyrrell Norin revealing that House Xhandrills project is outside of the spider queens will and therefore has gained the intrest of the Eilistraee cult. The pary gaining new allies prepear themselfs for their next mission. 

Dear Diary,

Today was eventful as we ventured through the dark and twisted streets of Zebalsen, the Underdark city that never sleeps. Our mission to infiltrate Queen Spiree for a propaganda operation took some unexpected turns.

I sent an Invisible Stalker to gather intel on Housemother Selvana Xhandrill, hoping to gain valuable insights. Unfortunately, the Stalker failed to return, leaving us in the dark about House Xhandrill's plans.

Retreating to a concealed warehouse in the depths of Zebalsen, Azrael proposed a plan to acquire the Sky Piece Crown fragment, alas to no avail. While resting and strategizing, I took the first watch. However, our respite was short-lived as we were ambushed by Dark Elves loyal to House Valedur. Despite the surprise attack, we managed to fend them off and take refuge in the warehouse's lower levels.

Amidst whispers of potential reinforcements from House Valedur, we made a swift escape through a hidden passage and found solace in The Hidden Corner, a safe haven in the chaos of the Underdark.

Determined to make our mission easier, we decided to search for the remaining bone fragments. Accompanied by Baltazar and Obsidian, we ventured into Silent Web Tavern. With careful navigation and my magnificent acrobatic skills, we stumbled upon a grim scene – the lifeless body of the tavern's receptionist, tortured to death. A detect magic spell warned us of an activated alarm, prompting a quick exit to evade the guards.

Undeterred, we set our sights on a Bone Dock, where we encountered three vessels – a Fire Giant's ship, a Duergar vessel, and a Deep Gnome fleet. Disguised as a House Valendur boat guard, I attempted to infiltrate the Duergar vessel. While we gained access, our search yielded no results.

Turning to the Fire Giant's ship, we faced resistance. Through a combination of charm and persuasion, we gained passage aboard, only to discover a chest containing two dark elf wizards from House Xhandrill and the elusive bone fragment. A skirmish ensued, resulting in one wizard's defeat and the other's escape through a hidden opening in the ship's hull.

As we departed the vessel and returned to The Hidden Corner, I couldn't help but reflect on the challenges we faced in the depths of Zebalsen. The journey ahead promises more danger and uncertainty, but we remain steadfast in our quest.

Until next time,

Arlando Myriil Faehorn

A bone to pick with the hidden island. 

After locating the second enchanted bone on the giant vessel, the party triangulated the directions of both bones using the general layout of Zebalsen. They deduced that the two pieces interlocked somewhere out on the lake surrounding the city. After making their final preparations they quietly, they set out across the murky waters, using Quincan the Quiet’s magical foldable boat to row silently out into the murky lake. Fortunately, their stealthy rowing allowed them to evade detection from any onlookers in the city and any monsters of the Underdark that would lurk bellow.

Reaching the point where they believed the two bones’ directions intersected, the party found nothing but open water. Determined not to give up, they cast spells and scoured the area. It was through detect magic that they finally uncovered the truth: a powerful illusion was concealing a large island making it invisible to the naked eye.

As they approached the island’s coast, they saw it was patrolled by undead sentries. The party swiftly dispatched the patrolling undead and began to creep along the edge of the island, doing their best to remain undetected. They crept closer to a watchtower, but they were soon spotted by its guard who tried to sound the alarm. Acting quickly, Baltazar Firebolt disintegrated the watchtower’s support pillars, causing the structure to collapse, killing the guards within.

Azrael used Speak with Dead to interrogate the fallen guards and their kobold slave, learning that House Xhandrill was creating something dangerous at the island’s center. Armed with this information, the party pressed on. Despite the many guards and traps that littered the island, they managed to remain one step ahead of danger, using their wits, magic and the distraction the destroyed tower caused to avoid detection over the next several hours.

Their progress was slow but steady as they made their way deeper into the island, creeping ever closer to discovering what House Xhandrill had been plotting.

At last, the party reached the center of the island. There, located within a bizarre rock formation dotted with large glowing pink crystals, stood a massive spider silk tent the size of a warehouse. Outside, they saw the wet and wounded drow mage who had previously escaped their grasp on the Fire Giant ship, standing beside a strange one-armed metal golem. Alongside them was House Mother Selvana Xhandrill, discussing the potential infiltration of the island and the possible ruination of her plans.

Her sharp eyes quickly noticed the party's disguised approach, and she immediately recognized the threat. With cold efficiency, she ordered her soldiers and the mage to deal with the intruders while she retreated inside the tent to oversee the final stages of her grand design.

The battle that ensued was intense, but the party managed to prevail. The drow mage fell first, and the mysterious golem despite its formidable resistance to magic was not in good condition. When it was finally defeated, the golem crumbled into fine ruby gemdust. Upon inspection, the golem’s faceplate bore the sigil of the Crimson Shield, the elite bodyguards of the ancient Triarchs of the Triarchy of Terram. How this ancient golem had ended up in the Underdark so far from its place of origin was a mystery, but the party had no time to dwell on it as they pressed on.

Inside the tent, they witnessed the culmination of House Xhandrill’s dark plans. At the center of the tent stood a gargantuan bone construct, a terrifying amalgamation of bones and magic runes, resembling a massive spider with the head of a crow. Embedded within the construct was the final Skycrown shard, powering the creature. Selvana had climbed into a saddle atop the monstrous construct, activating a magical shield around herself that was powered by the nearby pink crystals.

As the tent crumbled and drow guards rushed in to aid their House Mother, the party found themselves locked in a desperate battle for survival. To reach Selvana, they had to destroy the power-infused crystals that protected her, all while keeping the bone construct, the massive Mecha Arachno Corvus at bay.

The fight was long and brutal, but at last, the party succeeded in bringing down both the construct and House Mother Selvana. As they caught their breath and took stock of the situation, they realized that they had been so focused on their own battle that they hadn’t noticed the chaos erupting across the island. With the magic concealing the island destroyed, rival drow houses had descended upon House Xhandrill’s forces. Warriors from multiple houses, seizing the opportunity, began slaughtering the weakened Xhandrill forces that no longer where hidden from their sight.

One of these warriors was the disguised male mage Velstrin Nordanthrill, who approached the party after the battle. Thanking them for destroying Selvana’s plot, he took the plans for the construct as per their agreement and urged them to leave the island before other drow noticed their presence as surface dwellers.

Quickly setting sail once more in Quincan the Quiet’s foldable boat, the party escaped Zebalsen as the drow turned on each other as they usually do. With the final Skycrown shard in hand, they breathed a collective sigh of relief, grateful to have survived the ordeal. They rowed to the lake’s far shore, away from the drow city, and began their preparations to leave the Underdark behind.

The journey up from the depths of the Underdark took nearly 12 days. During the ascent, the party reflected on their descent into the Kineater Gorge and the events that had led them there, recalling the many battles, discoveries, and near-death experiences they faced. Learning from their previous attempt that nearly killed Arlando Myriil Faehorn, they refrained from combining all four Skycrown shards, agreeing to wait until they could present them to the High King.

In the early Morning of the 25th, the party finally emerged from the gorge, greeted by the blinding rays of the sun. Having grown accustomed to the endless night of the Underdark, the sunlight was nearly overwhelming for some of the group. Nonetheless, their spirits were lifted as they breathed the cold surface air once again as the headed into Winterpor. Outside of the city walls they noticed a large tent bearing the banner of the Firetide Conclave, while peaking the interest of the party and especially Obsidian the stern guard outside recommended that they should see the king first. 

Wasting no time, they made their way to Dreamkeep Citadel, the seat of the High King of Soria. Upon gaining an audience with The White Bear, King Solomon, in his grand throne hall, they presented him with the four shards of the Skycrown. The king, with great reverence, reconnected the shards, reforming the Skycrown once more. Placing it upon his head, the entire citadel surged with arcane energy as the long-dormant Flying storm giant Fortress began to awaken.

A deep, rumbling voice spoke out in Old Giant, announcing the status of the fortress. Though the citadel had suffered damage during its ancient crash, some of its systems remained operational, including its formidable self-defense mechanisms. King Solomon, now attuned to the Skycrown, gained control over these systems, binding the once mighty flying fortress to his will.

Stepping out onto the balcony overlooking the city of Winterport, the High King addressed his people with a voice amplified by the power of the Skycrown. He declared that the party called the Champions of the Ankh before him had helped him recover a legendary artifact from the depths of Kineater Gorge, and in gratitude, he proclaimed them "Heroes of the North." He pledged the eternal friendship of the Goliaths and promised that they would always have a trusted ally in battle should they ever need it.

After the public address, King Solomon personally thanked the party for their bravery and selflessness. He offered them whatever they required to recover from their journey, and the party took full advantage of the citadel's resources to heal their wounds and rid themselves of lingering curses, thanks to the skilled shamans of Dreamkeep.

Recognizing that the party needed time to rest and recuperate, the King offered them the use of his private token, granting them exclusive access to his personal bath chambers within the The Neverfrozen Baths.

After seeing the fortress slowly hover up into the air, they reunited with their ally Lyrene, they ventured to the baths. Upon arrival, they discovered a elemental pest infestation within the chambers, likely having taken residence since the King last used the baths. After clearing out the pests, the party took time to relax in the soothing warmth of the pools, letting the weight of their long journey slowly melt away.

That evening, feeling rejuvenated and lighthearted, they ended the night at The Gorgejumper Tavern, where Arlando Myriil Faehorn entertained them and the tavern-goers with a joyful song, celebrating their victory and survival.

They spend the following days preparing for the next leg of their journey, the party stocks up and sells some of their Underdark treassures before heading to Lamiens home: Lonepeak.
While Lamien, Quincan the Quiet and other Goliaths would probably use around ten days to travel there, but without the Flying Ducksman the jorney would be lot slower.
They decide to hire some sleds draged by Blizzard Hounds to make the jorney quicker and easier. The Hounds they lease are named Sneezy, Doc, Spot, Tim-Tam, Sleepy, Dopey and Grumpy