Summary of Amulet Team #3: Dragon's Delve
-----------------------------------------

ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #4--06/15/07

Personal Recommendation:
    The team found itself once again in the briefing room with Grif Calhoun,
Alpha-Z's briefing officer.  Grif congratulated them on a job well done with
their first mission.  Baron Cobbish was quite pleased with the results.  The
fact that they stepped beyond doing the mission to address local issues is
something the Baron appreciated... but they should know that not everyone
will appreciated such gestures.
    In particular, the accountants were unhappy to be unable to collect
additional fees for the extra work.  Grieves pointed out that there was no
way to leave such a situation to do contract negotiations, and Grif nodded
but said that he was asked to let them know and so he did.
    In any case, Baron Cobbish recommended you to our new client.  
Personally, I think this mission would be better served by a more 
experienced team, but Baron Ironstar requested this team specifically.

Underground Background:
    Baron Galvan Ironstar became Baron one year ago, shortly after his 
father passed away while "negotiating" with a tribe of Xorn that moved into
his territory.  Galvan was selected over his twin brother Drull by the 
council based on his father's recommendation.  Drull then left the barony's
main city of Underduin and moved to an abandoned outpost on the edge of the
barony named Thunderdelve.  Some of his loyal followers went with Drull.
    Relations have been poor, but Galvan seeks to unite his Dwarven barony
again.  To this end, he has sent diplomats to meet with Drull.  A group of
such diplomats that went there recently has disappeared.  Baron Ironstar
wants them found and returned if possible.  That's the mission.
    As a secondary goal, we are to locate a young Crystal Dragon named
Glittershard.  This dragon also disappeared and apparently the dragon's
parents are allies of Ironstar.
    Grif pointed out that the mission was obviously a sensitive one.  There
is every possibility of setting off a civil war or of having some angry
dragons get involved.
    The team had no real questions for Grif, so they went off and 
requisitioned a few healing potions before arriving at the tele-pad for
transport.  A human mage was there as sent by the Ironstar clan to 
transport them.  With a few gestures and words they were teleported deep
underground and far away.

Crystal Clear:
    Upon arrival, they were greeted by a young Dwarf named Rig.  Rig
escorted them through some tunnels and into a large cavern where a Dwarven
city had been built.  They passed through the city to a fortress built in
one wall of the cavern where the Baron held court.
    It wasn't long before they were in the presence of Baron Galvan 
Ironstar.  He was a young, healthy Dwarf with a high charisma.  He led
them into an underground rock garden where pieces of crystal, both
natural and shaped, had been laid out to catch light and cause reflections.
The group enjoyed the beauty of the place.
    Galvan informed them that he was happy to see the team.  He was very
worried about the situation at Thunderdelve.  His brother Drull is quite
stubborn and has refused to see the emissaries that have been sent several
times in the past year, but now the most recent set has disappeared!
The diplomats are: Evrik, Ianwulf, Hagar, Kolluth, Arynzorn, and Dharzad.
    On top of that, two allies (Crystal Dragons named Quartz and Facet)
came in claiming that their child, Glittershard, was being held prisoner
in Thunderdelve.  They determined this using a scrying item.  He asked
them to look for the diplomats and they say the diplomats are in dungeon
cells in Thunderdelve.  This outraged him.  They were unable to scry on
his brother Drull.
    He reiterated that the team was to rescue the diplomats and free the
dragon as their mission.  He was trusting them to this because of the
glowing recommendation from Baron Cobbish.

Rig It Up:
    He realized that the mission would not be easy.  He had dug up an old
map of the outpost and provided it to them.  Diggs took the map for study.
    Galvan also provided a written order granting them to rights and 
privileges to negotiate or use force on his behalf.  Grieves took this.
    Next, he gave them a magical horn that when blown would destroy 
whatever was in front of it.  This could be used to open the gates, for 
example.  But they should be careful not to blow it twice in one day as it
was unstable.  William took this.
    And finally he gave them a sealed envelope.  He said that in the 
envelope they would find the directions to a secret entrance to 
Thunderdelve.  This entrance is very secret and not even he knew of it
prior to becoming Baron.  It's possible that his brother Drull is still
ignorant of it.  The envelope and paper inside are set to burst into flames
just 30 seconds after opening to ensure this doesn't get into the wrong
hands, so they should be careful and study it well if it is needed.  He
would prefer, however, if the envelope is returned unopened at the end of
the mission.
    Rig was assigned to give them all the aid the team might need.  He
followed up by pulling together a pair of pack animals with handlers and
a Dwarf named Thrand who has made the trip to Thunderdelve before.  There
have been monthly shipments of good ale to the outpost as a gift.  Thrand
made the trip 4 times, so he was familiar with the route and the Dwarves
at the gates to Thunderdelve.
    Grieves had Rig locate a piece of clothing from several of the
diplomats to use as scent sources.  William also got six "flash stones".
    With everything in place, they began the 3 day journey to Thunderdelve.

Badgers!  We Don't Need No Dire Badgers!:
    The group was making its way through the mountains along with Rig,
Thrand, and two Dwarves that managed the pack beasts, when they suddenly
heard a loud screech.  Then a large creature and a number of smaller ones
came down the hill to attack them.
    The beasts were Dire Badgers.  A large mother and 7 younger ones.
    William cast Rage on Moose and Thrand to make them tougher, Diggs cast
a Magic Missile at one, and Grieves cast Shillelagh to enhance his staff.
The Moose and Thrand moved to attack.  During the battle, Moose took a lot
of damage, but he also dealt with 5 opponents, while Thrand dealt with one,
and Digs and Grieves dealt with one.  Two ran away once the odds were
against them.  It was a quick and decisive battle.
    Some of the team were sorry to have to hurt the badgers, but hungry
animals are hard to convince to leave you alone with logic.

First Contact:
    The team arrived mid-day and set up camp a little ways out of sight of 
the Thunderdelve fortress.  They then set up a watch to see how the patrols
worked through the later day and through the night.  What they learned is
that the Dwarves simply don't come outside for much other than some 
hunting and foraging.
    The next morning, Diggs, William, Moose, and Thrand approached the
main gate to parlay.  Grieves stayed out of sight with his bow handy.
    They said they were there to bring back the diplomats and the dragon.
One Dwarf inside said "Evrik is not here.  Go away."  Then another Dwarf,
one that Thrand identified as Rhorvald, began speaking.  He repeatedly said
that they were not welcome and should go back where they came from.
    The group reminded the Dwarves that the parents of the missing dragon
would likely come soon and cause much damage if their child was not
returned.  But even this didn't move the Dwarves to change their minds.
    So the group promised to return the next morning to see if the Dwarves
will have reconsidered.
    After they left, Thrand pointed out that the Dwarves were acting odd.
Not only were they not clean and proper, but the language was blunt.
Rhorvald was raised in court and should be able to speak well, yet even he
was coarse and simple in his speech.  Something is definitely wrong!

Up In Flames:
    The group discussed the situation and decided that it was likely that
the Dwarves were either low on supplies and getting ragged, or they were
under the sway of some other force.  Perhaps one they encountered when
digging into the mountain?
    Since reason wasn't working, they discussed the envelope with the
directions to the secret entrance to the stronghold.  After much back and
forth, they decided to open the envelope and use the secret entrance for
scouting.
    So Diggs opened it and committed the map and directions to memory.
There was also a single word "Vitroin".  Thirty seconds later the map and 
envelope burst into flames and were gone.
    Moose, Grieves, William, and Diggs set out on the trail, leaving the
others behind in the camp.  They found the crack in the mountainside that
was the start of the entrance and followed it carefully looking for traps
along the way.
    Once they were deep in the mountain, an animated statue came at them.
Moose used the codeword "Vitroin" and it deactivated and let them pass.
    The narrow tunnel ended in a door.


ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #5--06/29/07

Careful Exploration:
    Grieves brought out his dog Blue using a magic rod that he carries.  He
then cast Speak with Animals (so he can clearly communicate with Blue) and 
Pass Without Trace so the group would leave no tracks or scent as they 
moved through the stronghold.  Diggs brought out his familiar, a Horde
Scarab.  It could see in the dark and let him know if trouble was near.
A couple of people also got ready small objects with magic light that they 
could easily cover to hide the light.
    They moved carefully through a pantry that was completely empty.  Then
through what could have been a storeroom or perhaps a servant's room.
Then they came to a long hall with 5 other doors.

Something's in the Kitchen:
    Grieves and Blue did not hear anything behind any of the doors, so the
group opened the first one.  They found a kitchen area with a cold hearth,
some iron utensils on a rack, and a pile of garbage in the middle of the
room.
    Diggs moved up to investigate the garbage and see what he could learn.
It tried to bite him and then spit acid at him!  Diggs backed up and used
Mage Armor on himself.
    The creature, later identified as a Gibbering Mouther, began to scream
semi-sensible words from many mouths as it squirmed and let out pseudopods
like an amoeba.  It began biting at everyone and spitting acid.
    William stepped forward, thinking he heard it say "Help Me" and seeing
the vague resemblance of a beard on it.  He tried a Cure Light Wounds on
it to see if he could heal it, but this didn't work out.  Instead it
latched onto him!
    Diggs used three Magic Missiles during the fight.  Moose whacked at it
hard.  And Grieves summoned a Bear to do battle with it.  Eventually it 
went down, but not before hurting Moose a little, and nearly killing
William twice over (he healed himself during the fight).  William suffered
constitution damage from the fight however, and would be weak for a couple
of days before recovering.

Further Exploration:
    They moved through the kitchen and found a dining hall, partially
blocked off from the kitchen (so the thing couldn't get out).  The dining
hall was a mess and looked as if no one had cleaned up in a while.  Empty
barrels of Ironstar ale were in the corner and a fire was in the hearth.
There was no sign of life, but every sign that the Dwarves had little to
eat.
    They backtracked to the main hall and began looking through the other
doors.
    Behind the first door they found two Dwarves with their faces in the
pillows whimpering.  The team decided to leave them there.
    Behind the second door, they heard the sounds of gambling and assumed
there must be some soldiers.  Again, they left them there.
    Behind the third door, they heard the sound of someone sharpening
metal.  Grieves had opened the door a crack and was about to leave when
the door was yanked open and he found himself face-to-face with one of
the inhabitants, named Jared.
    Thinking quickly, Grieves tried to talk his way past this.  He knew
it would be hard to convince anyone that an Elf had any right being in the
fortress.  So he tried the truth.  He waved the paper Galvan Ironstar had 
given him and said he was from the Baron.  And that he wanted to know if
the prisoners were okay.
    Jared misunderstood Grieves and thought he meant Drull Ironstar, as
those staying here referred to their leader as "Baron".  And so he went
on the defensive saying that of course the prisoners were okay.  He takes
his job seriously.  He even fed them a short while ago.  Jared was the
jailer.
    Once it was clear he wasn't really in trouble, Jared squinted and said
"Hey" as he noticed that Grieves was an Elf.  Grieves distracted him by
asking about the heritage of his fine axe, which Jared went on to discuss
at length.  Then Grieves said bye and closed the door.
    Whew!  They got lucky.  That was one dim-witted Dwarf.

Several Discoveries:
    They then made their way to the dungeon/jail area.  They arrived to
find the front door unlocked.  The three heavy padlocks were on a shelf
next to the door.  It looks like Jared forgot to lock up!
    Moose and William stayed out to make sure they didn't get surprised
while Grieves and Diggs went into the cell area.  There were 8 cells and
6 were occupied by the captured diplomats.  One other had a dessicated 
body.  They didn't check the last one.
    Grieves struck up a conversation with one of the prisoners, who turned
out to be Evrik the diplomat.  Grieves asked where the dragon was, and
Evrik said he was likely in the throne room.  Grieves asked what was up
and Evrik said he thinks that the dragon is controlling Drull and is up
to no good.  
    This surprised Grieves.  Glittershard was controlling Drull?  No.  
Stalagmite, the white dragon was controlling Drull.  Ack!  A second dragon?
Glittershard was likely a prisoner somewhere, but they didn't know where.
    Grieves went on to explain the situation, who they were and what they
were up to.  He was asking them to stay put another day so he could
negotiate them out, but they didn't want to wait.
    Suddenly something moved swiftly from the 8th cell and out the
corridor.  Quiet and fast.  William followed and saw the shape make its 
way toward the throne room.
    They had been discovered!

Escape:
    Getting out was now top priority.  Diggs pulled out a crowbar from his
surprisingly deep pouch and Moose began trying to pry open a door.  Grieves
called up his horse and tried using the horse and rope to get the cell 
doors open.  Neither approach worked and they had used up valuable time.
    Grieves ran to the jailer's room and knocked.  Jared answered and
Grieves told him that the cells were unlocked and that he needed to come.
Jared came running to the jail, where Moose grabbed him, Diggs hit him with
a Daze spell, Grieves grabbed the keys, and then Moose threw Jared into 
one of the cells.  Even more time was spent getting the various cell doors
open.
    While there were about this, the fortress was mobilizing.  A troop was
now stationed outside the door near where William was guarding and another
troop was coming down the hall from the other direction where Blue was
standing guard.
    William used a Ghost Sound spell to make the sound of 16 human troops
getting ready for battle.  This stalled the one group of Dwarves a short
while.  Diggs then summoned a Giant Centipede and then used his Wand of
Web on the hallway to stop the advancing Dwarves.
    Grieves summoned a Hippogrif in the other end of the hall and then
dropped a smoke stick behind it for cover.  The Hippogrif engaged the 
Dwarven troop in combat and bought the team time.
    Even so, it was a close call getting everyone out and back to the
hallway leading to the exit.

Captured:
    They had forgotten the small set of troops in the room off their
escape hall.  Moose encountered them first and tried to block them so
they couldn't get out of their room.  Moose is quite big.  He started
talking about a Bear loose in the fortress and the Dwarves seemed to
be buying this as the diplomats came running by.
    The jailer's partner saw the diplomats and looked confused.
    Then Grieves ran up saying that the fortress was under attack and
that the troops needed to go to the fray.  The sound of those fake 16
human troops was still going on.
    Before the Dwarves made up their mind, the other jailer screamed
that the prisoners were escaping.  With a sigh, Grieves picked up the
call and said it too, urging the Dwarven troops to follow the diplomats
out.  He had to do something to get them out of the hall so the rest of
the group could escape.
    As it turns out, William led the diplomats out first, using the
"Vitroin" codeword to get past the golem.  Grieves came out second.
Moose followed the 2 Dwarven soldiers and the jailer out.  Diggs pulled
up the rear, first doing a second Web to make the hallway impassable,
then sealing the secret door behind them and hoping it would be hard to
find again.
    Outside, William led the diplomats to the camp.  Grieves led the
soldiers and jailer on a more indirect route and into a trap.  The three
of them were captured and held for questioning.


ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #6--07/13/07

The Diplomats:
    The Dwarven diplomats were hungry and tired.  Diggs dug into his 
private food supplies to bring out some bread, salami, and cookies for
them.  Diggs and Moose listened to the diplomats's story while William
and Grieves stood watch in case anything came out of Thunderdelve looking
for them.
    The diplomats were on their way to Thunderdelve when they were
suddenly set upon by some unknown assailant pelting them with objects
they later learned were snowballs.  They put up a defense but could not
identify the attacker quickly.  Eventually, they learned it was a small
Crystal Dragon.  The dragon introduced himself as Glittershard and
apologized for the trouble.  Apparently he thought it was a fun game but
the Dwarves took it seriously.
    It didn't take long for the dragon to befriend the Dwarves and it
learned of their trek to bring peace to their kingdom.  Glittershard
asked to go along with them and perhaps be of help, and seeing no reason
not to, they agreed.
    When the diplomats arrived at the gate, they were turned away without
being even allowed to parlay with anyone important.  Wanting to help out
Glittershard went up to the gates alone and then returned saying to his
Dwarven friends that they could enter.  The surprised diplomats returned
to find that Glittershard was correct and they were allowed into
Thunderdelve.  They wondered what Glittershard must have said to convince
them to open the gates, but never found out.
    They were escorted together to the throne room where they met Drull
Ironstar.  As they were partway through the formal greetings, however, a
White Dragon came in behind Drull, and Drull ordered them to surrender.
Evrik proclaimed that they would not surrender and the dragon used its
breath weapon on them.  They awoke in the jail cells hurt, but with their
wounds tended.  They had no idea what happened to Glittershard.
    Evrik felt that Drull was under the control of Stalagmite and was not
acting normal at all.
    All through this discussion it was clear that the diplomats were not
themselves.  They seemed quite simpleminded.

The Prisoners:
    While the diplomats talked, Victor took the prisoners aside and made
sure they were properly tied up.  He then teased them with promises of food
if they shared answers.  Their leader, the jailer Brunt, kept refusing to
answer and encouraging the other two common soldiers, Rundle and Irk, to
also not talk.  But in the end Irk shared information, and Rundle did some
as well.
    Irk told Victor that the White Dragon, named Stalagmite, showed up about
two months ago, and that the dragon is Drull's pet.  No one saw the dragon
arrive.  It was just there one day.  He only has seen the dragon in the
throne room and it has never spoken while he was there... which was just
fine with him.
    Rundle told Victor that Glittershard was working in the Pit, which is
a part of the crystal mines behind Thunderdelve.  The Dwarves were having
to work the mines these past two months digging, which meant they didn't
have as many available to hunt for food, which meant that food supplies
were lean.  It has been a bit better since Glittershard arrived and picked
up some of the work load.
    Victor got directions on how to get from the throne room to the Pit
area.

An Offer They Can't Refuse:
    With this new information on hand, a couple of Dwarves were put on 
watch while the group got together to make a decision on what to do.
    Grieves put forth the idea that they should take the diplomats and
return to Underduin with half the mission completed.  They had the
diplomats after all, and Glittershard's parents could likely retrieve
the dragon.  Getting back into the fortress was suicide.  But then again
fighting off an attack from Stalagmite while on mountain roads wasn't
fun either.
    Victor guessed from his information that Stalgamite wasn't anything
more than an illusion and that they likely had a more normal threat to
deal with.  That perhaps they can be successful making another run.
    Moose, Diggs, and William all wanted to rescue Glittershard, and ran
through various options on how to get back into Thunderdelve.  They might
use stealth and get in a watch window.  They might use the Horn of Blasting
and blow open the gates.  They might even be successful re-using the 
secret entrance (although no one considered this a likely option).
    As they discussed, one of the Dwarven watchmen returned saying that
someone had left the fortress.  The group went together to see that a lone
Dwarf was waiting in the field 100 yards from the gate.  After a quick 
discussion, William was sent out alone to meet the Dwarf.
    The Dwarf was none other than Rhorvald, the second in command of the
fortress.  He informed William that Drull has offered to meet with them
in his throne room, and asked if and when he should inform Drull that they
would be arriving.
    William said that they would come the following morning, after dawn
(with the plan to be fully prepared for what was likely a trap).
    William informed Rhorvald that freeing Glittershard was important.  They
were here for both the diplomats and Glittershard and did not intend to
leave without both of them.  And that he regretted any damage done in
rescuing innocents.
    Rhorvald asked if destroying Stalagmite was part of their plan, and
William agreed that it would likely be in their mutual interest.  Rhorvald
nodded and said that he would inform Drull of their arrival, and then
said that he would be on guard duty that night... which William took as a
big hint that Rhorvald was willing to help them!

Preparing for the Worst:
    It was about 4pm at this point and the group was exhausted.  They ate
together and made plans.  They informed the diplomats of all they knew
and didn't hide any of it from the prisoners either.  They left orders
that if they did not return from the night raid that the Dwarves should all
make for Underduin on their own first thing in the morning.
    As soon as the sun set they rested and studied and prepared.
    At 2am they set out for the fortress.  When they were close, Grieves
cast Resist Cold on Moose and Victor.  Then Hide from Animals and Pass
Without Trace on everyone except Diggs.  Diggs cast Mage Armor on himself.
As prepared as they could be, then snuck up to the gate.  No alarm was
sounded.
    Grieves tapped on the gate and it was opened by Rhorvald who invited
them in and quickly moved them to a small room.  They questioned him on
layout a bit, and then decided the best plan was to move in immediately
and take out the dragon while Rhorvald keeps the Dwarven guards out of the
way of harm.  Rhorvald liked this plan.  He was in this to free his Lord
from the dragon's clutches.
    Rhorvald did as planned and moved all the guards off the route to the
throne room, then the group made their way in.

Confrontation:
    They moved quickly into the throne room to find Drull there on his
tall crystal throne in the center of the room.  He simply said "You are
early" which echoed around the large, dimly lit hall.  The dragon moved
up out of the shadows to stand behind Drull.
    Rather than talk, the group sprang into action.
    Victor tried a Sleep spell on Drull, but it failed.  Drull in turn
tried a Command spell on Victor and that failed.  William cast Rage on
Moose, then Moose ran forward and used the Horn of Blasting on the dragon.
Diggs noticed that with his magical goggles on that the dragon was 
somewhat transparent and called to his fellows that it was an illusion.
Even so, it took damage from the Horn so he used Magic Missile on it as
well.  The Dragon responded to all this by breathing ice on Moose and
hurting him badly.
    At this point the group noticed that four statues were moving out of
the darkness on Drull's orders to approach them.  Drull tried a Fear spell
on Moose, who resisted.  Victor skulked off into the darkness to find a
way around the room.  Grieves had spent his time summoning a Dire Bat.
He cast Speak with Animals and ordered it to search the room for the
hidden illusionist that must be controlling the dragon.  Moose and the
Dragon squared off in combat, swinging at each other.  
    Drull tried another Command spell, but William had been singing a
Countersong to protect his companions from such spells.  Diggs summoned 
a Giant Scorpion and set it loose to hunt for the spellcaster while
defending himself from the attacking statues.  Moose took a swing at
Drull while Stalagmite continued to pummel him.  William studied the
statues and figured out that the "Vitroin" password made a statue leave
you alone, but each person had to say it to each statue.  He shared this 
with his fellows and one by one they freed themselves of the animated
attackers.
    In the meantime Victor found his way to the back of the room, snuck
up behind Drull, and then hit him with an unusual touch attack that left
Drull paralyzed and raised a terrible stink in the air.  Seeing Drull out
of it Moose re-engaged with the Dragon.  At this point, Grieves's bat
found the spellcaster hiding behind a pillar.  He and Diggs ran in that
direction and so did Diggs's Scorpion.
    William was playing to inspire courage in Victor and Moose as they
fought the dragon, and finally Stalagmite was brought down... only to
dissipate into an inky smoke after it died.
    The mysterious spellcaster found itself engaged with a Bat and Scorpion
with two others coming to their aid.  It decided to flee and made off at
incredible speed through the door in the side of the room.
    Thus all the foes were vanquished just as Rhorvald arrived at the head
of a large squadron of Dwarven troops.

Negotiations on Two Fronts:
    Victor informed Rhorvald that the dragon was dead and that Drull was
safe, but that it would be a while before he recovered.  During this time
the Dwarves should stay clear of him.  Even so, the troops moved forward
to protect their Lord by encircling him.
    Both Victor and William spent time using their diplomatic skills to
convince the Dwarves that they are saviors and not attackers of the
fortress.
    In the meantime, Moose had charged down the hall after the mysterious
spellcaster with Grieves and Diggs in his wake.  The Bat and Scorpion spells
had ended and so they were no longer present.  Moose arrived in what was
plainly Drull Ironstar's room to find a serious looking wizard in full robes
there waiting for him.
    The Wizard offered a truce.  He said that if the group would allow him
to leave that there would be no one else hurt and that he would not return.
Moose didn't believe him.  Grieves and Diggs arrived to back him up, and
a troop of Dwarves was also moving down the hall now behind them.
    Also in the room was a strange apparatus of metal and magic that hummed
and glowed with an eerie light.  Moose could feel the evil from it and so
he smashed it and then made to attack the Wizard.  The Wizard gave one more
offer of truce before he was struck down by Moose.
    As the Wizard fell to the ground it reverted from being human into a 
strange form just like the one they saw in the jails earlier.  And it 
laughed an evil laugh as it died.

Cleaning Up:
    Glittershard came out of the mines on his own and found Victor there
will Drull and the Dwarves.  Glittershard's personality is vivacious and
bubbly.  He chatted and bounced and asked many questions which Victor
tried to answer, but he couldn't keep up.  Diggs arrived shortly and fell
into a happy conversation with Glittershard that was to keep up during
the following day.  In fact they were frequently seen throwing snowballs
at each other.  No one's quite sure where they got the snowballs from.
    In the morning the group asked Glittershard what he was digging for.
He said that he reached it.  Stalagmite wanted him to dig out a crystal
that was buried in a deep pit in the mine under tons of rock.  The crystal
"smelled wrong" or perhaps a better description is that it "sounded bad
when sung to".  Glittershard showed them the crystal, which seemed to house
a smoky cloudy wisp.  Not touching it, the group had the crystal placed in
an iron box using Mage Hand spells.  They later learned that the crystal
was likely buried here 100 years ago, around the time the fortress was
abandoned.  The crystal had glyphs on it that Diggs identified as symbols
of binding.
    While none of the group spoke of this to any other, they were all 
creeped out by the crystal.  They did not know it at this time, but each
of them wore an amulet.   This amulet turned deathly cold when they were 
close to the crystal.  The amulet had not done this before and so they were
unsure what to make of it, but knew it could not be good.
    The group was also not sure what to make of the strange enemy they 
defeated.  Once they were sure it was dead, they had the body preserved in 
some of the little remaining alcohol to bring back to Alpha-Z for study.
    Finally, they looked over the broken device.  They speculated that it
caused the dumbing down of the Dwarves, and it is true that over the 
following week the Dwarves recovered their normal wits.
    They did not share the "Vitroin" keyword with anyone there.  Only they
and Galvan Ironstar know of it.

A Little Diplomacy:
    Drull recovered from the effect of Victor's touch and found himself
confused by all that happened.  With Rhorvalds aid, Drull reclaimed himself.
Once he was well, he agreed to meet with the diplomats and opened up the 
first negotiations of peace between him and his brother in a year.  Given
the Dwarven sense of time it would likely be a month or two to complete
negotiations, but at least they were underway.
    Grieves used an Animal Messenger spell to send Baron Galvan Ironstar
the good news.

Farewell For Now:
    Late the next day, Glittershard went outside and flew up high to do
something.  He landed and a short while later his parents arrived.  These
two dragons were not as interested in talking with the little folk although
they did offer thanks to the group for rescuing their child.
    Glittershard and Diggs parted ways as friends.  Perhaps they will see
each other again some day.

Returning to the Baron:
    After a few days rest, the group made their way back to Underduin to
meet with Galvan Ironstar with Rigs leading the way.
    They filled Galvan in on the whole adventure.  He was not happy to
find out that they used the secret entrance but agreed that it worked out
for the best.  They returned the Horn and the map to him.
    They suggested sending extra food and supplies to Thunderdelve given 
the terrible conditions there now and Galvan agreed.
    Galvan insisted on keeping the crystal that was found in his ancestor's
fortress.  The group said it was dangerous and likely contained a great 
evil, but he said that his team could handle it.  They told him that if
trouble arose that he could contact Alpha-Z for help.  He allowed them to
take the body.

A Job Well Done:
    They returned to Alpha-Z to a warm congratulations from Grif Calhoun.
Word of their success had reached him earlier and he was eager to get to
the real debriefing with each of them for the files.
    Each member of the group received their award of 1000gp each and an
additional bonus of 500gp each was sent by Baron Ironstar given their
results.