Summary of Amulet Team #5: The Cradle of Madness
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ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #16--06/27/08

A Little Down Time:
    With their previous mission complete, the team took a little time to
rest and recover while training at the Alpha-Z headquarters in Owari.
    Diggs spent his time in the Alpha-Z library studying up on planar
knowledge.  He really wanted to learn more about demons and how to deal
with them.  Diggs kept the notes on how to free the demon trapped in the
Mornhaven Towers, despite Victor's insistence that they be destroyed
immediately.  Diggs wants to learn from them before destroying them.
    Victor spent his time off scouring the town for signs of Ang Jilad
activity.  The Ang Jilad are an organization his father runs and he'd like
to not be found by them.  He also corresponded with a variety of contacts
that he had made in Owari and elsewhere.
    Moose spent his time catching up on the news and gossip about nobility,
with a particular interest in those that might be down on their luck.
    Grieves spent his time training animals.  He also worked on practicing
his new ability to change into animal form.
    William worked to compose a short work based on what he learned of
Lizard Man music and life.

The Bilge Pump:
    When the team arrived back from their last mission, they found a note
had been left for Grieves.  It simply said, "Meet me at the Bilge Pump at
9pm on ____.  I have answers."  It was signed "J.M.".
    The appointed date arrived and the team made its way to the seedier
part of town, down by the docks.  The Bilge Pump is a two story tavern set
in a warehouse district and frequented by dock workers and sailors.  It
mostly caters to humans, but minotaurs are not uncommon.
    Before going in, Diggs cast Message on everyone so they could speak to
him, then Victor did the same.  This made the team able to communicate more
freely than they otherwise could.
    They went in to find about 15 patrons scattered among the 5 main tables
and 3 bar-height wall-mounted tables.  Everyone in the room looked tired
and dirty except for one man, who was dressed in a nice blue tunic with a
well-made brown cloak.  This man waved to them excitedly when they came in.
Diggs waved back.
    Victor and Diggs made for the bar to order drinks and tried not to look
at the waving man.  Grieves led his dog Doc to the corner and had him stay
there before heading to the table.
    Moose made straight for this man and took a seat.  "You must be J.M.,"
Moose said.  "That's me!  Glad to meet you.  But let's not talk much here.
It's not safe," replied the man with a conspiratorial tone.
    Once everyone was there, J.M. told them to follow him to the back room,
but to be very inconspicuous about it.  J.M. got up and whistled as he
casually made his way to the back of the bar.  He looked so out of place
that everyone in the room watched him go.  Not knowing what else to do,
the others cringed and followed.
    At the rear door, the bouncer blocked J.M.'s way.  J.M. told him
"Get out of my way.  You don't want your wife finding out what you did last
night, do you?"  The bouncer frowned then stepped aside and let J.M. and
the team through.

First Contact:
    They walked through a hall to a small room with no windows and just one
door.  Victor checked the room thoroughly for safety and possible spy 
locations.  Grieves and Doc checked the hall.  Moose and Diggs took a seat 
with J.M., who commented that he liked working with professionals.
    Once everyone was satisfied and sat down, J.M. asked the team to 
introduce themselves.  Each person did so, with J.M. throwing in some odd
comments.  To Victor he said "I'm very sorry about your dog.  Oh, you 
don't have one?  Well, when you do, remember that I was very sorry."  To
Diggs he said "I remember you from the party at the mansion."  Diggs asked
if this party had happened yet, and J.M. wasn't sure, so Diggs suggested it
might be better not to talk about it right now.
    The strange man introduced himself as Jered "Mad Dog" Maddox.  He said
he got the nickname "Mad Dog" on account of how tough he is.  The team
thought he looked more like a lost puppy, and that the "Mad" part certainly
was making more sense all the time!  They also learned that he was a priest
of Zivilyn, the god of time and wisdom.  Zivilyn's priests are rumored to
be a little on the crazy side, but generally harmless.
    He then asked them "So why did I invite you all here?"  Grieves got
upset at this point with the indirect and useless banter so far and 
insisted that things get to the point.  After a little more talking, 
Mad Dog pulled out an amulet that matched theirs.  The team members then
cautiously revealed that they had amulets as well.
    Mad Dog then happily claimed that he would be their contact now with
The Order.

Order and Disorder:
    When asked about The Order, Mad Dog said it's an organization that is
dedicated to protecting the natural order.  It does this by removing 
unnatural influences, such as demons.  He also said that The Order goes 
by many names, but it is mostly simply called The Order.
    When asked about opposition to The Order, they eventually found out
that The Shadow opposes them.  The Shadow is led by someone called 
The Queen, but The Order does not currently have a leader.
    When asked about the amulets, they learned that the amulet is both the
tool and the identity card for members of The Order.  It protects members
from detection and location spells, it responds to signals set up by
The Order (such as the PING sounds they heard when the demon's containment
spells were being deactivated at Mornhaven Towers), and it works to weaken
and control outsiders (both good and evil).
    When asked about the demon named "Ta'zi'nor" that they encountered in
the towers, Mad Dog told them that it was a Babau type demon that 
specializes in spying and assassinations.  That it is a very deadly demon
and they should definitely not try to fight him.  When told that the team
already faced him and won, Mad Dog said that Tazzy must have been weakened
by his long containment in order for them to succeed.  They should not
assume that other demons will be so easy to overcome.
    When asked about the towers, he said that they were a base for 
The Order long ago, but were abandoned.  He doesn't remember why.  He did
say to be careful because there are likely defenses in place there.

Help Wanted:
    During the discussion, Mad Dog mentioned that he probably left them 
the not a month ago because he had a terrible problem last night.  It 
seems that his home was blown up.  A terrible mess.  He blamed the 
senseless attack on his place on his opposition, the Landlord.  As far as
the team could ascertain, this isn't anything more sinister than the 
person he pays rent to.
    When it was suggested that he could avoid having a landlord by owning
a place of his own, he stated that it was impractical because it was too
expensive to keep replacing homes as they were destroyed.  So he has to
deal with landlords.
    In any case, he needed help in finding out who did this terrible 
thing, so they were to meet him first thing in the morning at Sharie's
Bakery.  Diggs said he liked the scones there, and Mad Dog said he liked
meeting there before fights because they had great pastries.  Once they
were fed, they would take the battle to their foes when they least
expect it... in broad daylight!

Saved By the Knock:
    Before the team could back out of this seemingly insane offer, there
was a warning from Doc, then a knock at the door.  A courier from the
Owari Runners guild had arrived with a message for Jered Maddox.  She
said that the bouncer, Gawan, said Mr. Maddox was here.
    Mad Dog took the note and after reading it told the group that they
needed to make haste as something important needed to happen right now.
The note said "I'm out of options and I need your help.  Meet me by the
roanwood tree at 10:30pm."  It was signed by Sir Owen Danwick.  The 
courier was to lead them to the location.
    Moose had knowledge of Sir Danwick already.  Sir Danwick is a shipping
agent in Owari that is rumored to be quite wealthy.  He also had a pretty
daughter named Lyza.  Mad Dog said that Owen had been helping The Order
from time to time but was not a member.  So they should stay quiet about
the amulets and such.
    Moose said he needed to collect his armor on the way, so they stopped
by the Alpha-Z headquarters on the way to the meeting location.  When they
got there, Sir Danwick paid the courier and she departed.
    After the courier left, Sir Danwick led them to a private courtyard
where they could talk without being seen or heard.

A Nightmare Tale:
    Sir Danwick explained that his daughter Lyza had been kidnapped the
previous night.  The ransom note (written in blood) said:
    "Owen, we have taken your beautiful daughter Lyza, but her life will
be spared if you follow our directions and play this game by our rules.
Bring 50,000 gold pieces in gems to the woods outside the Duke's Gate by
midnight tonight.  Find the broken wagon just inside the trees and leave
the gems in the driver's seat.  Bring no one and tell no one, or your
daughter will beg us to release her from the nightmares she will endure.
Play the game by our rules and your daughter will be returned in the 
morning. -- The Nightmare Syndicate"
    William was familiar with the name "Nightmare Syndicate".  He said it
was a name used in some children's tales.  No one had heard of any real
criminal group using that name.
    Sir Danwick explained that he was unable to raise enough money today.
Pulling that much out would raise suspicions with the Merchant's Guild
and the tax collectors.  He could find his family ruined and himself in
prison if he did that.  So he collected some cash to pay for help and
some low quality gems that should pass as expensive until they are 
studied closely.  He went looking for someone to hire but failed to find
anyone available that would work for what he has.  Finally, he remembered
Mr. Maddox and called on him out of desperation.  He's quite happy to
find that he now has a team of real adventurers ready to help.
    Moose showed concern for Lyza and helped calm Sir Danwick.

Planning a Rescue:
    Sir Danwick suggested that the team follow him out, then after he
makes the drop, they can follow the kidnappers back to their lair and
rescue Lyza.
    Victor suggested that he take Sir Danwick's place using disguise 
skills, just in case there's a trap set up.
    Grieves suggested that the gems be moved from the bag Sir Danwick
provided to one that Grieves had been carrying that would be well marked
with his scent, so the dogs could track it if necessary.  Grieves himself
would take an animal form and follow them in a less obvious way.
    With the rough plan in place, the team rode some of Sir Danwick's 
horses and made for the Duke's gate.  They stopped a half mile from the
drop location and got prepared.


ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #17--07/11/08

Prepared for Trouble:
    It was nearing midnight and it was a new moon, so there was only 
starlight and the lanterns several people carried to see by.  Visibility
was going to be poor.
    Grieves cast Longstrider on himself to increase his movement speed.
Then he cast Speak with Animals to explain the plan to Doc.  Doc is to
follow Diggs's commands.  Then Grieves changed himself to a Wolf form and
made off into the night to scout the location.
    Victor used his Disguise Self spell and his skills to impersonate
Sir Danwick.  He also used his Message spell on everyone so he could 
contact them as required.  He then rode up the road toward the drop.
    Mad Dog and Sir Danwick stayed back with the other horses as the
rest of the team moved through.
    Diggs, Moose, and William made their way along the edge of the road
for a bit, then went back into the forest so they could be within yelling
distance if/when Victor needed help.

Scouting Effort:
    Grieves made his way on wolf paws through the thick forest toward the
drop clearing.  He arrived a good 10 minutes before Victor and used the
time to scout around.  He found that there were two groups of three humans
hiding near the clearing, and that they was a trail going away from the 
road that these people arrived on.  He backtracked the trail a bit and
saw that it went on for a while, then he came back and settled in to
watch and wait.
    Grieves planned to stay out of any fight that might happen unless the
team got in big trouble.  His task was to follow anyone that might try to
get away.

Making the Drop:
    Victor arrived at the drop location on time.  It was marked on the 
road by a broken wagon wheel.  He stepped through 10 feet of dense forest
into a clearing where a broken down and rotting wagon was.  He did as
instructed and placed the bag of gems on the driver's seat of the wagon.
He then backed up a few steps, holding his lantern as he looked around.
    A man stepped out of the forest and walked up toward Victor, taunting
him a bit and thinking that he was Owen Danwick (the disguise held in the
poor light).  Victor tried various ways to learn about where Lyza was, but
the man wasn't sharing anything.
    When the man, Yemar, got to the bag of gems, he waved and a companion
came out of the forest with a lantern of his own.  The companion placed the
lantern on a large rock and then caught the bag of gems that was tossed to
him.  The first man drew his sword and challenged Victor.  Victor tried
pretending to be weak like Owen, but yelled out the call sign for help.
    Victor and Yemar then got into a fight.

Combat in Darkness:
    In the forest, William cast Rage on Moose, then Moose made his battle
cry and came running through the forest like a... Moose!  Diggs trailed
behind Moose, ready for a fight.  And William and Doc (Grieves's dog) 
followed both of them.
    The two of them arrived to find Victor engaged with Yemar.  Moose's
first swing hit Victor hard and Victor dropped to the ground nearly dead.
Victor took a quick drink of his Potion of Gaseous Form and floated up off
the ground to safety.
    With the arrival of moose, two other men came out of the forest to join
the fray.  The three thugs converged on Moose as the obvious target.  Diggs
summoned a Huge Centipede and placed it behind Yemar and the thugs so the
four of them could not escape.  William then cast Invisibility on Diggs.
    With Victor's lantern turned to gaseous form, the only light in the
clearing came from the one lantern on a rock.  So visibility was very poor.
    One of the unseen figures in the forest summoned a Swarm of Bats that
went over William and Diggs, then moved over to Moose and the thugs.  By
this time Moose has taken down Yemar and just had the three thugs left.
    Moving invisibly across the clearing, Diggs picked up the bag of gems.
Then he summoned a Spider to assist with the combat.  Victor just drifted 
in gaseous form over the battle.
    Moose hit his stride and rapidly took down the three thugs and 
destroyed the Swarm of Bats.  While doing this, he took a lot of damage,
and William was there to heal him several times during the fight.
    Suddenly it was very quiet.  The battle was over.
    Diggs (still Invisible) had Doc scout around the clearing, and he also
had his Spider scout as well.  They looked around and found no other
enemies.
    Victor returned to normal form and William healed him.

Time for Paws:
    Grieves almost jumped into the battle when he saw that one of the 
humans was a spellcaster, but when nothing worse than the Swarm of Bats
happened, he decided to wait it out.
    When it was clear that the thugs were being wiped, the spellcaster cast
Invisibility on himself and then ran up the trail.  The last human also ran
up the trail.  Grieves followed them.
    They went about 1/2 mile through the forest to a road, where the two
humans stopped to talk.  The spellcaster began running down the road, but
the other human went across the road, climbed up into a tree, and set up
an ambush with his bow in hand.
    Grieves struggled for what to do.  He hated leaving an ambush for his
fellows to walk into, but the spellcaster was moving fast and would be hard
to track on the road at night.  So instead he gave chase.

A Taste of Blood:
    The spellcaster led Grieves for about 2 miles down the road before he
went through a hole in a hedge.  Grieves followed and found that the 
spellcaster was moving across what appeared to be a country estate in poor
repair.  He was headed for some cottage structure a ways downhill.
    Not wanting to let the spellcaster warn his fellows, Grieves charged
him in wolf form and attacked.  He bit into the caster and got his first
taste of human flesh... unwashed human flesh.  Ick!
    The spellcaster was surprised but fought back with a dagger and even
tried a Magic Missile spell.  Grieves kept fighting, though, and in the end
the spellcaster fell to him.
    Grieves dragged the body over next to a tree.  He collected a Potion
(later identified as Darkvision), 34gp, and 2 vials of acid from the body, 
then went out to the road and waited for his companions to arrive.

Bushwhacked:
    With the battle over, Moose made his way back to Mad Dog and Sir Danwick.
Moose told them that the bad guys were waiting in ambush, but they killed
most of them.  They let one go so he could be tracked.  Moose told them to
go back to town and he took horses for the rest of the team back to the
clearing.
    In the meantime, the others got healed up and searched the area.
    When Moose returned, they set off on the trail.  Doc led the way,
following the track that Grieves left for them.
    When they arrived at the road, they got an unpleasant surprise as Diggs
was hit with an arrow from somewhere.  William immediately cast 
Dancing Lights and spread the lights around to reveal the attacker that was
poised in a nearby tree.
    Diggs and William hid behind the horses as Moose charged up the tree.
First he threatened the man, and then he gave a mighty heave and sliced off
the branches the man was standing on, letting him fall to the ground.
    Diggs summoned a Celestial Hawk to help with the fight, but by this
time Moose was subduing the man with a knockout punch.  Victor tied the man
up and they had a prisoner.

Regrouped:
    They put the knocked out man on a horse and made their way along the
road until they met up with Grieves at the hole in the hedge.
    Along the way, they noticed that there was a sign on the wall around
the estate that said it was the property of Lord Talikson.  There were also
keep out signs by order of the Owari Port Authority.
    Moose recalled a scandal related to Lord Talikson about three years ago.
he Lord was short on funds and rented out a guest cottage on one of his
estates to an upcoming merchant, Sir Fallsworth.  It turned out that the
estate was used for a smuggling operation that ended with a huge battle
between the mages of the Port Authority and Sir Fallworth's men.  It was
supposedly quite a fight!
    When they arrived, Grieves healed himself and the other injured team
members, then they swapped information on what they had learned so far.
    Then they woke the prisoner and questioned him.  They learned that his
name is Nathanial and that he is part of a cult of Zydel (god of Hatred 
and Vengeance).  He believed that the "Holy One" would do them in if they
attempted to interfere and that they would not get Lyza back.  They could
not get any more useful information from him.
    So they set about making their plans for what to do next.  Time was
passing and Lyza was not yet safe.


ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #18--08/08/08

The Lay of the Land:
    Lord Talikson's estate was a large, fenced in area with a small guest
house nestled in a valley.  A stream used to run through the property, as
evidenced by the waterway channel, but there was no water in it now.
There was, however, a 10 foot wide moat around the guest house.
    Grieves, Victor, and Doc did some reconnaissance of the area.  They
found that the land appeared unused and unvisited, but that the guest 
house had small signs of activity in it.
    The house area itself included one main structure in the center, a 
short stone wall around a courtyard, and a couple of smaller structures in
against the inner walls.  The whole house area was in disrepair.  It looked
like the damage done in the big battle three years ago was never cleaned
up.  There were holes blasted in the walls and the house, for example.
The moat had a bridge to the main gate, and there was a wooden plank set
to cross the moat in the rear of the house.
    There was a single road leading to the house.  Grieves studied it and
was pretty sure that around 30 people traveled toward the house in the
past few hours and had not left yet.  This was very surprising, as there
was definitely no sign of that many people being there.  Grieves guessed
that there must be something under the house.
    They followed the road up to the gate of the property.  There they
found quite a few horses tied up.  Victor wanted to set them loose, but
Grieves didn't allow it.

Backtracking:
    While the others were gathering information, Moose, William, and Diggs
rode back to the site of the fight earlier in the evening because they had
not taken time to search the bodies of their foes for possible clues.
    The search did not turn up any useful clues, but the team decided to
take the dark cloaks as a possible disguise.  They also found 21 GP in 
cash, a bracelet (10 GP value), and a Potion that was later identified as
a Potion of Invisibility.
    They hid the bodies in the bushes instead of leaving them draped on
the ground as they had earlier.

Assaulting the Compound:
    The two groups met up and decided on a plan.  Moose and William would
make their way out to near the road and be ready to run down the road into
the house.  Grieves, Doc, Victor, and Diggs would try to sneak in via the
plank over the moat in the rear.
    Unfortunately, the team was not very quiet in their movements and the
defenders of the household were ready for them as they came over the plank.
    Victor was in the lead and was hit with an arrow from a sniper on the
roof.  Grieves responded by summoning a Hippogrif and sending it after the
sniper.  The sniper and Hippogrif fought together, with the Hippogrif
winning out shortly before it disappeared.  Victor cast Sleep and dropped
one of the opposition, then stepped forward and engaged another in melee
combat.  Diggs made his way into the compound, dodging opponents.
    So far the fight was being held in the deep darkness of a new moon
night.  The defenders lit a bonfire in the courtyard to throw light on the
fight... and possibly as a signal to someone.  An enemy priest summoned
a minor demon called a Dretch.  The whole team become instantly aware of
this as their amulets went cold.  Diggs responded by summoning a 
Bombbardier Beetle and sending it after the Dretch.  Doc, Grieves, and 
Victor continued in melee combat with a pair of defenders, winning over
them, but slowly.
    As soon as the fire was lit, Moose issued his battle cry to activate
his sword's movement power, then rushed into the compound with William
trailing behind him.  Seeing Moose barreling down on him, the enemy priest
directed the demon to attack Moose.  The demon charged Moose and issued a
20 foot radius Stinking Cloud before engaging in hand-to-hand combat with
Moose.  Diggs, William, and Moose all used their amulets to weaken the
demon.  After this, they traded several blows before the demon finally fell.
The summoned Beetle tried to help but became sick in the Stinking Cloud.
    Once the demon fell, Moose and William advanced on the priest.  William
used a Daze to stop one of his actions, and Moose began cutting him down.
Before he fell, however, he broke open a false tooth and killed himself
with some poison hidden therein.
    As the demon and priest were being dispatched, Victor, Grieves, Doc,
and Diggs cleaned up the last of the defending foes.  All told, the
defeated opponents numbered ten.

Investigating the Ruin:
    With the fight over, and knowing that time was short, the team set out
to explore the compound.  Victor found and searched a small stable.  He
set the two horses there loose.  Grieves searched the priest and found that
he was a half orc priest of Zydel, carrying a holy symbol, 34 SP, and 
wearing Studded Leather Armor (later identified as +2).  William searched
the attic and found that the sniper had been using a Light Crossbow (later
identified as +1).  Diggs searched the grounds and turned up nothing of
interest.  Moose searched the house and found that there were temporary
accommodations for the guards, but no permanent housing.  He then stomped
around a bit looking for a trap door.  He found one in the kitchen.
    The team also took some time to heal up.  Since their healing spells
were nearly gone, they used half of the healing potions they had at this
time to replenish themselves.


ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #19--08/22/08

Descent into Darkness:
    After Victor checked for traps and listened carefully, Moose opened up
the trap door to reveal a ladder down to a wine cellar.  The team climbed
down and had no trouble locating a secret door in one wall.
    After Victor checked for traps and listened carefully, Moose opened up
the door to reveal a landing at the top of a spiral stairway down.  The
walls of the stairway were fashioned of black basalt slabs.  There were
torch sconces along the walls, but only the one at the top had a torch.
This torch was lit and cast some light down the stairs.
    Everyone put on the black cloaks as a disguise.  Victor took the torch
and led the team down the stairs with Moose and Diggs in the back (as the
least easy to disguise).  Part way down, Victor triggered a blade trap
that managed to cut him up badly.
    At the base of the stairs were a pair of evil looking double doors.
After Victor checked for traps and listened carefully, Moose opened the
doors to reveal a hexagonal antechamber with two statues (one each to the
left and right) and an archway in front of them that was filled with an
opaque swirling purple mist.
    Moose tested to see if the mist was harmful but putting his arm into
it.  He was burned by the mist, so he backed out.  The group conferred on
what to do, figuring there must be some way to disarm the mist trap.
    Diggs studied the statues.  He found that the front surfaces had been
polished as if they had been touched many times.  Moose tried moving the
statues with his great strength and failed.  While studying the statues,
Diggs noticed that a section of the wall of the room next to one statue
looked a bit odd.  He found a latch and opened a secret compartment that
held five black robes.  A quick search uncovered a second compartment
with two more robes.
    The team put the robes on.  Victor made sure they also took the other
two robes so no one could follow.  Moose put his robe-covered arm into
the mist and was not burned this time, so the robes proved to be key to
getting through.

Grasping Tentacles:
    Victor and Grieves took point and moved through the mist into another
hexagonal chamber.  This one had four statues in it.  As they moved
through the room to get to the corridor on the far side, twelve black 
tentacles came out of the statues and attempted to grab them.  Victor made
it through the room, but Grieves was grabbed and held fast by one of the
tentacles.
    Moose came in swinging his sword and slicing through the tentacles to
free Grieves, but in the process Moose himself was grasped by a tentacle.
Grieves made a break for it, but he was grabbed by another tentacle.
Moose broke himself free, then made himself busy trying to destroy the
tentacles.
    During the fight, Diggs and William stayed in the previous room
waiting for things to be safe enough for them to come through.  Victor
crept ahead and listened at some doors, and then returned and made a few
attacks on the tentacles.
    Moose finally found his swing and within seconds had destroyed 7 of
the tentacles and freed Grieves.  Victor waded in at this point to help
out and found himself grappled.  Then Moose managed to finish off the last
of the tentacles and freed Victor.
    The destroyed tentacles turned into purple mist as they disappeared.

Kitchen Stadium:
    With the tentacles destroyed, the whole team was able to get through
the room.  Grieves, Victor, and Moose all had to heal up a bit at this
point using most of the remaining healing potions.  There was only one
more potion and William had it.
    Victor looked through one of the three doors in the corridor and found
a dining room with the remains of a big feast on the table.  Victor made
his way through the room to the only other door and opened it to find a
kitchen area.
    The chef, a huge Ogre, turned around and told Victor that he should 
move along.  Victor tossed the torch he was carrying to the Ogre and then
attacked.  The Ogre screamed in anger and started trying to pound Victor
into mush using the torch.  Victor managed to dodge the blows as he backed
into the dining area.
    The rest of the team watched Victor with some surprise and some
amusement as he danced with the Ogre.  Then Moose stepped forward and gave
the chef a solid hit that spun him around.  And Victor stepped in from
behind to finish the Ogre off with a well-placed blow.

Exploring the Temple:
    The group continued to explore the evil temple of Zydel.  The next area
they found was the bed chambers of the acolytes of the temple.  These rooms
were adjacent to a common area with some bookshelves.  Diggs wanted to do
some reading, but the team insisted that they keep moving.
    They finally decided to go through some serious looking double doors
that led into a formal hallway with a pair of shrines along the sides.  They
passed through and down a short set of stairs and found themselves
approaching some armed guards by a doorway.
    The guards pointed to the open door, through which much chanting could
be heard, and told them to move along quickly or they would be too late.
Victor walked right up and used his touch power to paralyze one of them, and
Grieves stabbed the other one, which Victor quickly finished off.
    With the guards dead, the team cautiously peeked into the next room.  It
was the main temple hall.  About 30 people were seated on benches facing the
main altar.  Two guards were at the back of the room and two were at the
front.  Behind the altar the head priest of Zydel was leading a chant and 
making mystic motions.  On the altar was a red-haired woman that fit the
description of Lyza, the one they were supposed to save.  She was obviously
pregnant and was screaming.  At her feet was a woman in black robes playing
the role of midwife.  She was giving birth!
    As the pace of the chant increased, the team dithered on what to do.
Running in was likely going to be dangerous.  But then not doing anything
might be bad too.  Grieves pointed out that "giving birth on the altar in 
front of the high priest of an evil god is a bad idea."
    The chanting stopped and it was silent.  Then the sound of a child crying
could be clearly heard.

Saving the Girl:
    Moose decided that he needed to act, so he gave his battle cry, charged
into the room, and ran straight up to the altar, surprising everyone in the
room.  Grieves had his dog Doc follow Moose.  Victor stepped in behind him 
and used a Sleep spell to fell a few cultists.  William also came in and
threw a Thunder Stone into the crowd, stunning six cultists.
    Moose and Doc were engaged by the two guards at the front of the room,
as the midwife scurried from the room through a drapery behind the altar.
The high priest, Elgoth, summoned a Dretch demon to aid him, and sent it
after Moose.
    Grieves and Diggs used summoning spells to bring creatures to their aid
and were shocked and annoyed to find out that the temple was under the effect
of an Unhallowed spell, so only evil creatures could be summoned within it or
enter it!  Their summoned creatures appeared out in the hall with them but
could not go into the temple.  So they sent the creatures out toward the
temple entrance and gave up on using summonings during the fight.
    By this time the cultists in the room were trying to scatter as Grieves
had predicted.  He claimed they were likely a bunch of bored, low ranking
aristocrats with more time than sense and this seemed to fit the bill.  As
they tried to get out of the room, Victor engaged one of the guards and 
disabled him with a paralyzing touch.  Grieves threw a Smokestick and filled
part of the room filled with smoke.  William threw another Thunderstone, but
missed this time.
    In the front of the room, Moose felled one of the guards and then was 
fighting the demon single-handedly while Doc held the other guard's 
attention.  Moose pulled out his amulet and a beam was emitted from it that
struck the demon and weakened it somewhat.  Victor, Grieves, and Diggs all
tried to run forward to help Moose.  Victor came up the left side of the
room and Grieves came up the right.  Diggs tried to come through the center,
but he was tackled by some riled up cultists, who tried to pummel him on the
floor.  William helped Diggs, but it took some time for him to get free.
    By the time Victor and Grieves added the power of their amulets to 
weaken the demon, Elgoth had summoned a second one in front of Victor.
Victor retreated but held its attention while the rest of the team took the
first demon down.  Then they turned their attention to the second one.
    As this was happening, the last of the cultists was making it out the
read exit, and the high priest decided to make his exit through the curtain
behind the altar.  Before he left, he told them that the Order would fall
before long.  An idle boast, but one that made it clear that he knew who
they were.
    Once Diggs and William joined up with the team, the demon didn't stand
a chance against the five of them and it fell quickly.
    Moose checked on Lyza, who looked up at him hopefully and said "Please
save my baby!"

Showdown with the High Priest:
    The team split into two groups.
    Victor (who was only barely standing after the fight) and William helped 
Lyza to her feet and were backtracking through the temple to get her out to
safety.
    Moose, Grieves, and Diggs set off after the high priest.  Diggs used an
Expeditious Retreat spell on himself to speed himself up.  Behind the curtain
was a small chamber with no obvious exit.  Diggs managed to locate the secret
door, and Moose charged on through to find himself in the priest's bedchamber.
Since no one was there, he continued charging into the next room, which was 
the priest's office.  Since no one was there, he kept going and found himself
in the bed chamber area they had investigated earlier.  Grieves and Diggs
rushed along in Moose's wake.
    Finally, they came to the hallway leading to the temple entrance, and here
they came face to face with Elgoth.  Behind him was the midwife holding the
baby.  And behind her they could see a crowd of cultists fighting they way
through the summoned Centipede an Hippogrif that Diggs and Grieves had 
summoned earlier.  The summoned creatures were just disapating at the end of
the duration of the spell, letting the cultists escape.
    Diggs lept in front of Moose, hoping to cast a spell on Elgoth, but he
was afraid of hurting the child so he held off a moment, and Elgoth touched
him with a Inflict Serious Wounds spell.  Once the midwife had made it out
of the way with the child, Diggs cast Lightning Bolt and seriously injured
the priest.  The priest then cast a Searing Darkness at Moose.  Diggs cast
Bull Strength on Moose, who stepped forward and engaged with Elgoth.  It
didn't take him long to fell the priest, but during this time Diggs summoned
a Spider.
    When the priest died, the temple shook as if an earthquake had occurred,
and it continued to rumble as it began to fall apart.
    At this time Victor and William arrived with Lyza from the other 
direction.
    They found a +1 Heavy Mace, a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds, an onyx
statuette, and a bag with three gems (valued at 100gp, 375gp, and 500gp).

Escaping the Temple:
    The last of the cultists was far ahead at this point, so they were not in
the way as the heroes made their escape from the temple.
    Moose and Diggs ran ahead using their increased speed to try and catch up
with the midwife, Reya.  They caught up to her near the temple exit and took
custody of her as they made their way away from the temple.
    William and Grieves escorted Lyza out at a slightly slower, but still very
hurried pace.
    Victor wasn't about to let the temple fall apart and bury all the 
important information in it, so he risked his life to get what he could.  He
rushed to the priest's office and grabbed everything important-looking that
he could find and stuffed it into his bag (he didn't get to look at these
things until later).  Then he fled after the others, planning to go through
everything when he wasn't about to be buried alive in an evil temple.


ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #20--09/05/08

Fleeing the Grounds:
    The group came above ground to find that the grounds of Lord Talikson's
estate were in a state of near chaos.  Cultists were fleeing up the road
toward the gate.  The dry riverbed was filling rapidly with water, because
the dam that held the water back had failed in the earthquake.  The ground
around the guest house was sinking in chunks as the temple collapsed and
the new river was attempting to fill the ground in.
    Everyone fled back up the hill to the part of the hedge they had come
through earlier that night.  Was it really less than 2 hours ago?

Lyza and the Baby:
    Once out of the temple, Lyza held on tight to Moose, thanking him for
saving her life and pleading with him to give her the baby.  "You were just
in time.  That vile man was going to hurt me and the baby.  Please can I 
have my child?"
    The midwife, Reya, was holding the baby while being questioned by Grieves
and William.  She refused to give up the baby to them.  When they threatened,
she said "It doesn't matter what you do to me now.  Through me, the Dark God's
will has been set in motion."  She was clearly still in a religious fervor.
In the end, William had to Fascinate her to get the baby out of her arms so
Grieves could study it.
    Grieves found nothing wrong with the child.  It was a little bigger than
average, but nothing else.  He was somewhat disappointed, as he expected it
to have hooves or horns or something.  The Amulet didn't react to the child.
Once the baby was examined, he gave the child to Moose, who gave it to Lyza.
Lyza thanked Moose profusely and nuzzled her child.
    At this point, Diggs looked up and noticed that the sky above the guest
house was filled with a swirling mass of dark clouds... perhaps with a hint
of purple.  The clouds were clearly over the guest house and visible for
miles in the otherwise cloudless night sky.  The Amulet didn't react in any
way to the cloud.  The team only knew two things about it: that it meant
something bad likely happened, and that it meant many others would know 
about it soon.

Family Reunion:
    As the team was collecting their things on the road, they heard a horse
drawn cart approaching.  They hid the evil robes in the woods.  Victor also
hid himself.  Grieves and Moose stepped forward to meet the cart.
    They found Sir Owen Danwick driving the cart.  With him were six men at
arms.  "Thank the gods you're all well," he said, then asked if Lyza was
safe.  Moose said she was and asked how Owen knew to come here.  Owen said
that Mr. Maddox (aka Mad Dog) had sent him out.  He said that you would need
a cart, and that he would see you at dawn at the Bilge Pump after he made
some arrangements.
    Grieves then asked why Owen hadn't mentioned that Lyza was pregnant.  Owen
said that he didn't think it was relevant.  Grieves got very mad because it
was extremely relevant in his view.  Owen said that Lyza would not say who
the father was, and since it was unseemly for a woman to be pregnant and
unmarried, he had her confined to the household since she began showing.  He
hadn't really even thought about the pregnancy.  When told that the baby was
born tonight, Owen seemed a bit surprised, as if he hadn't considered that.
    At this point Moose brought Lyza forward.  She greeted her father 
formally and spent some time praising Moose for his bravery in leading the
rescue effort.  She also proudly showed off her child.  Owen was genuinely
happy to have Lyza safe, but showed no interest in the child.
    Owen turned the cart around, then Owen's men helped Lyza and the baby up
onto the cart with the intent to head back to town.
    Moose stopped Owen and let him know that he would be coming by to check
on Lyza.  This was intended as something of a warning that nothing should
happen to her.  He also asked Owen if she would be a prisoner in the household
again once she returned.  Owen said no, but Moose didn't believe him.
    Victor was hiding in the woods all this time.  He had used a Message spell
so he could speak to Lyza, Grieves, and Moose.  Grieves told Victor that he
wanted a message relayed to Lyza, and Victor told her "If you father dies,
you will not live to see your inheritance".  She was very surprised by the
mystery voice, but was not surprised to see Grieves glaring at her with 
suspicion and anger.
    As the cart was readying to go, Owen asked Moose where they were.  Moose
explained that they were on the edge of Lord Talikson's estate, which is where
Lyza was being held.  The mention of Lord Talikson's name sent Owen into a
fit.  "Dear gods no!  If I get tied in any way to this mess, I'll be ruined!"
He explained that Lord Talikson controls a major block in the merchant's
guild and is definitely not someone to cross.
    Owen told Moose that he would have one of his men deliver payment for 
tonight's service, but that he had to leave immediately.  And he did.

Puzzling It Out:
    The party loaded up on their horses and followed Owen's cart far enough
back to not be heard.  They had with them the prisoner they had caught in the
tree earlier that night and the midwife Reya.
    Grieves told the others that he thought that what happened tonight was
something big.  Lord Talikson was probably in on it.  People died there three
years ago, and it's likely they did so to hid the secret temple.  He also
thought it was not accidental that a woman that is pregnant and locked up
gets kidnapped on the night she is due and taken to the temple of the god of
revenge on the estate of a person her father did business with.  Since she was
locked up, someone on the inside planned this, which means Lyza or someone in
the household.  Owen probably is not in on it, given his reactions and how
the opposition had planned to kill him outright in the clearing earlier in the
evening.
    Victor thought that Lyza was out to get revenge on Owen.  The nursery
rhyme name on the ransom note fit with a pregnant woman's thinking.
    When they were nearly back to town, Moose and William rode up next to the
cart to talk to Owen.  Moose told Owen that Lyza was rescued from a temple of
Zydel, and this got Owen even more flustered.  Moose suggested to Owen that
someone was out to ruin him, and that Moose would be willing to help protect
the family.  William suggested that Owen's household may be compromised, and
suggested he take extra precautions.  Lyza said "You should listen to Moose
father," and gave him another of the warm smiles she had been giving him ever
since the rescue.
    At the edge of town, the group parted ways with Owen's cart.  The cart
went toward the Danwick estate and the party made their way to The Bilge Pump.

Confusing Homecoming:
    At the inn, William and Grieves went to sleep with Grieve's dog Blue
keeping watch.  Moose and Victor grabbed about 2 hours of rest before getting
up to meet Mad Dog.  Diggs decided to stay up and watch the swirling black
clouds.  He saw them slowly getting smaller as time passed and wondered how
they came to be and what they meant.  The prisoner, Yemar, and midwife, Reya,
were tied up and kept in a separate room.
    A little after dawn, Mad Dog came in to find Moose, Victor, and Diggs in
the common room.  He told them "You guys look like you got run over by a herd
of Minotaurs on bath day!  Why don't you just leave me the child and you can
go get some rest."  When the three said they didn't have the child, Mad Dog
was upset.  "What?  No Child!?  You let that Squealing Infant of Chaos go?"
    When they admitted they had, he continued.  "Well I hope you brought the
Portal Stone from the priest's altar like I told you."  When they claimed that
he hadn't told them about the stone, he told them to get up and go get it.
When they explained that they couldn't because the temple was buried, Mad Dog
got even more upset.  "It's terribly irresponsible of you to bury it.  I go
through all the trouble to explain the Dead Man's Switch they always use and
you blow it!  First you let the Verminous Rugrat go and now this."  Owen sat
down in a chair and looked quite depressed.
    He explained that he had spent hours negotiating with the high priest of
Talipene to deal with the child on hallowed ground.  Now he would have to
reschedule dealing with the Pestilencial Tyke.
    He asked where the child was, and the team said it was with Lyza and Owen.
Moose wanted to know how dangerous it was.  Mad Dog admitted that he really
didn't know, and probably wouldn't know until he could study it.  There are
certain things he is blind to, and the actions of the Shadow are opaque to
him.  That is why he knows so little about the Doombaby, other than it is
dangerous.
    Diggs asked about the cloud and Mad Dog confirmed that it was formed at
the time of the birth of the child.  It is a dark omen indeed.

Visiting the Temple, Part 1:
    Moose and Victor left Diggs and Mad Dog to guard the prisoner and set off
for the temple of Talipene.  When they got there, Moose joked with Victor and
asked if he was able to enter the temple or would he burst into flames or
something.  Victor laughed.
    Inside they were greeting by a low ranking cleric, Erik Heath, who told 
them they could find healing and a bath in the hospital area.  When they 
explained that they wanted to see the high priest, he tried to patiently get 
rid of them.  Then Moose said that they needed to talk to someone about the 
cloud.  The cleric ran off to fetch a superior.
    They were soon talking with a mid ranking cleric, Paul Reyard.  Moose and
Victor explained that they had a run in with a temple of Zydel and "we caused
that black cloud out there".  They claimed they were the only ones that could
get rid of it and that they needed to see the high priest.  Paul finally went
off to talk to the high priest.
    They were escorted to a meeting room and got to meet with the high priest
of Talipene, Johan Klep.  Again they explained the situation.  They told him
that the baby was evil; that it was born in a temple of Zydel at Lord
Talikson's estate, which is where the cloud was; that Lyza Danwick was the
mother and currently had the child at the Danwick estate; And that during the
rescue the high priest of Zydel was killed, which destroyed the temple.  Moose
also said that he was concerned for Lyza, and volunteered to participate in
order to reassure her that things would work out well.  He hinted that he and
she had something going on.
    After being questioned, the high priest got their contact information.
They gave their address as Alpha-Z headquarters.

Stake-Out and Break-In:
    Moose and Victor went back to The Bilge Pump and woke up the others.  They
decided to go keep watch on Owen's house.  They made their way across town and
found a spot where they could watch the front gate.  Mad Dog stayed behind to
guard the prisoners.
    As they watched, the mid ranking cleric, Paul Reyard, arrived with a few
arms men.  They went through the gate and spent some time at the front door,
then they returned and were heading back to the temple of Talipene.
    The group stopped Paul to ask him what happened.  He said that after
speaking with Mr Wilkins he was not able to meet with Sir Danwick or his
daughter.  He also said that the entire story they told was denied.  Grieves
asked why he didn't barge in and find out for himself, and Paul said that he
was "not willing to break into someone's home like common adventurers."  Then
he left.
    After Paul left, they regrouped and made their own plan to break in like
common adventurers.
    Moose and Grieves went up through the front gate to the front door.  They
were greeted by Brin Wilkins.  Brin explained that they were not able to meet
with Owen or Lyza and should leave.  Moose tried bossing his way through with
accusations, and then he resorted to forcing his way into the entryway of
the home.  Brin blew his whistle and drew his sword, demanding that they exit.
Moose stood his ground, but stayed unarmed.  Grieves cast Call Lightning, but
didn't drop any bolts.  He was ready to do so, however.
    As this was going on, Victor went around the side of the property and
climbed over the tall wall to get into the yard.  He spent some time looking
for a good way to get in.  Then he looked into the back to see eight men at
arms hurrying from a small barracks building, across the yard, and into the
main house.
    Also as this was going on, William and Diggs went around to the back side
of the property.  At the back was a large gate, suitable for horse and cart
entry.  They saw a guard come running out through a small gate, calling for
the town guard to help reinforce the household.  They also saw that the yard
had no cart, and that the stables were open and had no horses.  They guessed
that Owen and Lyza had fled to some other location during the early morning
house, just as William had suggested.
    Victor noticed the lack of cart and horses at roughly the same time and
came to the same conclusion.  With the promise of the town guard coming, the
three of them retreated back to the meeting spot.
    Inside, Moose and Grieves held their ground and demanded to see Owen and
Lyza.  As the men at arms arrived with weapons drawn, Mr Wilkins explained
that neither of them was present so there was no way to fulfill this request.
Moose finally decided to back down.  He and Grieves retreated out the door.
Before leaving Moose told Brin that anything bad that happens will be on his
head.
    The team got together and fled the area before the town guard arrived.
Grieves lamented that "They went to ground.  She probably killed her father
and fed him to the baby."

Flyover Country:
    Grieves used his Animal Shape ability to take the form of an Eagle.  He
then flew off to Lord Talikson's estate, which was marked by the wispy
remains of the shrinking black cloud over it.
    He saw the Owari Guard, renowned for their ability to solve crimes,
studying the scene.  They had dogs tracking scents and a dozen investigators
working there.  A man in fine clothing and wearing Lord Talikson's colors was
there directing the activity.
    The river was flowing and the guest house was partially submerged.  It was
not clear that the investigators had even found any sign of the Zydel temple.
    Grieves then flew back to meet up with the others at The Bilge Pump.

Visiting the Temple, Part 2:
    No knowing what else to do with the two prisoners, they decided to bring
them to the temple of Talipene.  Victor, Grieves, and Moose brought them over.
    This time they had no trouble getting access to the mid level cleric,
Paul Reyard.  He briefly questioned both Yemar and Reya.  Yemar had little to
say, but Reya was happy to brag about her role in bringing the child into the
world.  She said "perhaps even the Queen will know my name."  This didn't seem
to mean anything to the priest, but it did to the team.
    Victor told Paul that Owen was not home.  Paul told them that he knew that
and could have told them if they had asked.  Moose joked that if he had, he
would have saved the city guard a trip.
    This time Victor and Moose took advantage of the free healing.

Deposition:
    Late in the day they were summoned by Lt Bruce Kinson of the Owari Guard.
They decided to be truthful and told everything except the part about the
Amulets.  They hinted that the baby was cursed, and they mentioned Mad Dog
in how they got involved.
    Bruce thanked them for the information and told them not to worry.  That
the Owari Guard would take care of things from here.


ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #21--10/04/08

Divvying the Loot:
    The next morning the team got together at Alpha-Z headquarters to divide 
up the valuables they collected during their adventure.  
    While they were out during the previous day, a member of Sir Owen 
Danwick's staff delivered payment of 1200gp to them for services rendered.
Apparently, Sir Danwick arranged for this before going into hiding.
    Victor also revealed that among the belongings he found in the evil
priest's office, he found an Ivory Scrollcase (80gp), a Scroll of Augury,
and a Scroll of Cure Disease.
    In the end, the team sold off the +1 Heavy Mace, and then divided the 
other valuables equally based on cash value.  In addition to other 
valuables indicated in the story, the bag of gems they were supposed to drop
as ransom was valued at 500gp.
    Moose and Diggs each took 1,748gp in coin.
    William took the +1 Light Crossbow and a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds.
He contributed his remaining cash to help Victor purchase the armor.
    Victor took the +2 Studded Leather armor (with monetary help from
William), the two vials of acid, and the Potion of Darkvision.
    Grieves took the Scroll of Augury, the Scroll of Cure Disease, the 
Potion of Invisibility, and a little coin.

The Token, Part 1:
    They were not sure what to make of the onyx statuette they found on the
body of the evil priest.  Victor and Grieves studied it and were not sure.
Diggs spent some more time with it and found the magic of it to be more
complex than he normally sees.  In fact, the only time he's seen something
similarly complex, it was with the amulet he was wearing.  He guessed that
this might be the Shadow's equivalent of the amulets worn by the Order.
    Diggs wanted to see what would happen when putting the Amulet and 
statuette together, but Grieves would not even let Diggs pull out an Amulet.
He had Doc sit on Diggs to keep him still while he put the statuette away.
    Grieves reluctantly agreed with Diggs that they needed to show it to
Mad Dog.

The Ritual, Part 1:
    Among the papers Victor collected from the evil priest's desk, they
found a hand-written description of a ritual.  Victor couldn't make sense of
it, nor could Grieves.  Digg's deeper arcane knowledge made him think that
the steps described were very odd.  It was like a strange combination between
a priestly ceremony like a wedding, meshed with a summoning spell.
    The notes did not include any details of theory.  It was more like a 
set of reminder steps the priest wrote for himself.
    The team decided to bring this to the high priest of Talipene, since it
was little use to them.

The Roster, Part 1:
    Also among the papers Victor collected from the evil priest's desk was
a membership roster for the cult.  It included names and ranks for the all
the members.  This got the team very excited.
    Moose, William, Victor and Grieves were all combining their knowledge of
Owari and nobility to test out Grieves's theory that the membership was 
mostly filled with minor nobility.  His theory was proved true.
    Then they noticed that Lyza Danwick was on the roster.  And that she was
a high-ranking member of the Zydel cult.
    This cast the entire set of events into a new light.  It now looked as if
Lyza was no victim in the series of events, but was in fact a willing
participant.  Grieves was furious and wanted to get his hands on Lyza.  A lot
of bad things had happened and were still unfolding and it appeared that she
was very much at fault.  
    There was some speculation on who the father of the child could be--the 
high priest or even a demon or evil god.

Accusations:
    By the time the team finished with valuing, selling, and dividing loot,
then completed their study of the various items they collected, it was into
the mid afternoon.
    Lt. Bruce Kinson of the Owari Guard paid them a visit at Alpha-Z.  He
informed them that charges had been filed by the Danwick estate for forced
entry and attempted assault on the occupants of the Danwick household.  There
were many witnesses to Moose and Grieves's breaking in, and Moose even told
the a priest of Talipene that he had "barged in like a bunch of common
adventurers".
    Moose and Grieves both got upset with this accusation, pointing out that
they were there trying to help protect Sir Owen and his family, but that the
doorman, Brin Wilkins, would not cooperate.  Lt. Kinson noted that the
statement from Mr. Wilkins did include this information, but it did not make
it any less of a crime.  He disparaged how vigilante adventurers always make
a mess of things.
    After letting them stew some, Lt. Kinson told them that the Danwick
estate would not be pressing these charges, because Sir Danwick's body had
been discovered.  This is awfully convenient for them, he pointed out,
implying that they might have something to do with the crime.
    After questioning them some, they convinced Lt. Kinson that they really
didn't know anything about the murder.  Then Lt. Kinson shared some of the
case information.
    Sir Owen Danwick's body was found in a shed behind the small cottage he
owned outside of the city.  With him was the headless body of a young lady,
presumed to be his daughter Lyza.
    Grieves informed Lt. Kinson that he could identify the body.  Having
witnessed Lyza giving birth just two days earlier, and helping her recover
in the role of a physician, that he had enough knowledge to confirm or deny
the identity.  Lt. Kinson thought about this and decided to accept the offer.

Body of Evidence:
    The team went with Lt. Kinson across town in the early evening hours to
the morgue where the bodies of Owen and Lyza were being studied.
    Grieves made a detailed study of the woman's body and declared that it
was not Lyza.  He gave a detailed account of his study to the coroner, who
kept detailed notes.  The woman's body was headless and had rope burns on
the wrists and ankles as if she had been tied up.  She was found wearing
the same clothes that Lyza was last seen wearing.
    They then asked to see Owen's body.  Owen's body also had rope burns,
but in addition he was missing his eyes and had a large gash in the stomach.
The coroner believes that his eyes were taken out and then he was cut open
and left to bleed to death.  The coroner also believes both of them were
killed in approximately the same hour.
    Grieves asked if they were going to Speak with Dead to collect more
information.  Lt. Kinson informed him that Paul Reyard from the temple of
Talipene was on his way over.
    By the time Paul arrived, Grieves convinced himself that the Speak with
Dead would uncover no new information.  He believed the situation was
carefully planned.  Owen's eyes were taken out, then he heard rather than
saw Lyza being killed, and got to hold the lifeless body of the person he
thought was his daughter while he bled to death.  Paul's questioning of
Owen pretty much confirmed this.  So there were no new leads.

Family Business:
    Grieves was now completely resolved to finding Lyza and making her pay
for all that she had done.  He referred back to the promise he made to her
when they last parted that if anything happened to Owen, that she would not
live to collect her inheritance.
    Lt. Kinson informed them that Owen's will left everything to a trust to
care for Lyza.  Since she was not proven dead, she had one year to collect on
her father's estate.  After that, the valuables would go to the city.  In
the meantime, Owen's business contracts would become canceled and estate
lawyers would sell off his active interests in businesses.
    Grieves asked for information on these businesses, so he could follow up
and see what he could learn.  Lt. Kinson refused, saying that they should
back off and leave this to professionals.  Moose and Grieves both said that
they were professionals and asked again for the information.  Lt. Kinson
refused.
    Greives resolved to dig this information up on his own.
    Lt. Kinson also mentioned that he had a couple of members of the cult in
custody and was questioning them.  Victor asked who they were so he could
compare with the roster, but Lt. Kinson again refused to share information on
the case.  This did remind the team that some cultists saw them use the
Amulets, and that maybe such would come out in those people's questioning.

The Token, Part 2:
    It was late by the time they got out of morgue, so they set out for the
Bilge Pump to find Mad Dog.  He wasn't there when they arrived, so they
bedded down for the night there.  Mad Dog greeted them in the morning.
    After they had him alone in a room, they showed the onyx statuette to
Mad Dog.  He told them, "So you did get something useful after all.  Why 
didn't you mention this before?"  This riled up Grieves.
    Mad Dog told them that the Shadow uses a Token much like the Order uses
their Amulet.  It provides protection against the enemy.  The Tokens of the
Shadow are a bit more varied than the Amulets, though, in what they do.
He proclaimed that this one was an outmoded style that hasn't been in use
for over 200 years.  The Shadow shifted from these overtly demonic-shaped
statuettes to jewelry and other items easier to explain away if found in
their presence.
    Victor pulled out his Amulet to hold it up in front of the Token.
Grieves ducked thinking that something bad would happen, but nothing did.
Apparently the two items ignored each other.  Mad Dog told them that it 
would be bad to have them touch, however.
    Diggs felt a driving need to test the Token, so he summoned a Celestial
Lady Bug.  The Token emitted a beam of reddish light at the bug, but had no
obvious effect on it.  Diggs guessed that the bug was weakened in some way.
    The team decided to keep the Token for possible future use.  They might
even be able to impersonate a member of the Shadow to gain some information.
Grieves declared himself keeper of the Token.

The Ritual, Part 2:
    They also showed the papers describing the ritual to Mad Dog.  He looked
over them and said that it was very interesting, but it would take time to
study it and understand what it all meant, perhaps a month.
    The team decided to let him have the ritual papers, instead of giving
them to the priests of Talipene.

The Roster, Part 2:
    While the others were talking, Victor took the time to make a copy of
the membership roster.  He kept the original on himself, and gave the copy
to Mad Dog.  This way Mad Dog could use it as information for the Order on
who might be members of the Shadow in town.
    Mad Dog was a little surprised that Lyza was a member, but was not at 
all surprised that Owen was killed off after being in close association with
the Abyssal Spawn.

Called to the Carpet:
    As they wrapped up their conversation, Doc growled to let them know a
visitor was approaching.  It turned out to be the messenger boy, Garth, from
Alpha-Z who had been carrying messages around for them this past week.
    Grieves told Victor to use Sleep and/or William to use Daze before the
boy could speak, but neither of them listened to Grieves.  Garth told them
that they were summoned by Grif Calhoun (the Alpha-Z briefing officer) to
headquarters.  They tipped the boy, then discussed what to do.
    They briefly considered ignoring the call so they could follow up on 
their investigation, but decided to see what was going on at Alpha-Z.
    When they arrived, they were sent into the briefing room.  Grif arrived
a short while later, looking nervous and on edge.  He informed them that
someone wanted to speak with them, and then fled the room.
    In came a strong, serious, deadly-looking man in black leather armor
who walked in with a figurative dark cloud over his head.  Everyone in the
room recognized the man as Marco.  Marco was known to be one of the highest
ranking members of Alpha-Z and one of the harshest disciplinarians in the
guild.  Stories were told about Marco to new recruits to scare them.
    Marco told them, "Not only do you take an off-hours job, but you do it
Owari.  Not only do you do it in Owari, but you make a spectacle out of it.
Not only a spectacle, but a political one that drags Alpha-Z into it.  What
do you have to say for yourself?"
    Grieves proceeded to point out chapter and verse from the Alpha-Z bylaws
on how they are supposed to act and how they are allowed to perform such
jobs.  Moose and Victor defended their position saying that they were doing
a good deed and had no way of knowing that rescuing a kidnapped woman would
cause the guild any problems.  Diggs babbled, but no one is sure what he
really said.  William stayed quiet.
    After letting them try to defend themselves, Marco told them that
regardless of their intentions, they had stirred up the hornet's nest and
now Alpha-Z is involved.  He told them that they were under immediate
suspension until further notice.  They were to get out of Owari and lie low
because they were powerful forces at work.  He told them that he didn't care
much about them personally, but he didn't want to clean up what they left
behind.
    They asked how quickly they had to leave, and Marco told them that they
could collect their belongings and equip themselves, but he expected them
gone within hours.
    Then he stormed out of the room.

Considering Options:
    The team was in disarray at this point.  They had been planning a serious
investigative assault on the Zydel cult membership with the goal of hunting
down Lyza, but now that was not a short term option.
    Victor proposed the plan that they leave as ordered, but that they then
double back via another town and come into Owari by land to continue their
investigation.  The team decided that Marco didn't forbid them from further
investigation.  The suspension gives Alpha-Z deniability in case they screw
up.
    Moose pointed out that Owari was not in a good state to investigate in
any case.  All the people that should be their allies (Alpha-Z, temple of
Talipene, Owari Guard) were pushing them out of the picture, so they would
have to fight against this, which wouldn't likely work well.  The Order
wasn't likely to offer up much help, and Lord Talikson's relationship with
the Zydel cult was unknown.  They were completely on their own.
    Grieves added that the cult members are likely hiding out right now
anyway.  It would be easier to find them in a month or so when they became
convinced that they had escaped notice and returned to normal life.
    So in the end the team decided to go along with the suspension and leave
town.  The destination was agreed on readily.  They would go back to Leilon in
the Melinik barony to follow up on events there.
    Moose was happy with this because it was practical.  Grieves was not happy
to let Lyza go, but was following orders.  Victor was really unhappy to leave
a loose end like that.  Diggs was happy to be going to Leilon.  And William
seemed releived to get out of the complex mess they were in.

An Ambiguous Message:
    When they came out of the conference room, Garth told them that there
were some flowers delivered to Moose and team this morning while they were out.
    There was a large flower arrangement, mostly of white flowers such 
as lilies.  It was from Lord Talikson and everyone refused to touch it.  Garth
gave them the note that came with the flowers.  The note simply said 
"To acknowledge your role in rooting out those on my land."
    This was ambiguous at best and the team didn't dwell on it.  They told the
people at the front desk to "take care of" the flowers, letting them know that
they were from Lord Talikson.  The team assumed someone skilled in handling
poisons would take care of it.

Preparing to Leave:
    Each of the team members went their separate ways in preparation for their
departure.  
    Moose bought himself 16 Healing Potions and collected some books on basic
technology so that he could help educate the Lizard Men into a better way of
life.  He also got a stylish, but useful gift for Mayor Jenna Candell.  He
spent the rest of his time digging up information on Lord Talikson.  He wanted
to know as much as possible about this man.
    Grieves bought a new magic item, a Circlet of Aberent Empathy.  This item
would allow him to use his Druid skills on aberations, such as the 
Cateoblepas in the swamp.  He also got some steel arrowheads to use as gifts
to the Lizard Men, and some books on fortifications that he could use to plan
out upgrading the fort in the swamp.
    Victor bought himself 2 Healing Potions.
    Diggs got a Scroll of Limited Teleport, intended to study and scribe it
while in Leilon.  He was guessing that the pattern found on the top floor of
the tower might be a damaged Telepad, so he also got information on Telepad
construction and repair in hopes that he could figure out how to get it 
working again.  He bought 4 Healing Potions.
    William was mostly ignored during the hustle and bustle of getting ready
to leave.  He bought 2 Healing Potions, but then spent much of his time in
meditation.  He was becoming aware that something was wrong with the world,
but he wasn't sure what to do about it.

Departure:
    That evening they were teleported to Leilon by an Alpha-Z mage named
Jas Tellow.