Music in the Deep

Arnogall, Balderich and Skonn returned to the final room of the tomb to face the flying swords. Having found nothing of value or note in the tomb, they hoped that defeating the swords would lead to some sort of discovery. Sorin waited in the antechamber while Baphomet, Drowyn, Kilnaar and Jarlier waited quietly outside.  Smiley limped back to Feathergale Spire after being hurt in the previous encounter.

The three adventurers, later joined by Sorin, defeated the flying swords but nothing else happened. They examined the tomb and coffin but found nothing interesting. Balderich examined the iron chest they had found earlier but did not notice anything unusual about it. In desperation they piled up everything they had found in the tomb on the stone pedestal in the anteroom. The tomb looked much tidier but nothing happened. Unable to find the gold mentioned in the mysterious note, the party left and headed for Tricklerock cave where a different letter had talked of defeating a creature in the cave.

The four warriors entered the cave but after seeing streams leading to a pool in the cave, Skonn decided to wait outside. Arnogall picked up a stone and threw it into the pool. The surface rippled and the water began to surge and split in two. From the water rose two snake like columns of water with monstrous heads. Battle commenced and as they fought the water creatures Sorin blocked up one of the small streams. This slowed the water weirds down as they could only appear where there was water. Unfortunately for Balderich, he stood next to the pool and was grappled. The creatures were eventually defeated but not before Sorin managed to moronically stab himself whilst also grappled. With the water weirds defeated the pool lay empty. In the middle of the drained pool, the party discover a metal box containing some gold pieces and a signet ring with a crown insignia. Arnogall identified this as the symbol of the Lords Alliance. They decided to return to Feathergale Spire to rest and ask the Lord Commander if he knew of this group. Skonn rejoined the group and they returned to the spire. 

Lord Commander Thurl was found in the great hall attending to business. He had heard of the Lords Alliance and described it as a loose coalition of established political powers concerned with mutual security and prosperity. The organization is aggressive, militant, and political.  He expected the Lords Alliance would have an overt presence in any local city, Yartar being the best place to look for them. He said he would look into the matter and see if one of their agents could be found in a closer settlement. The party stayed the night finding Smiley in the dormitory already soundly sleeping.

They next day they found Thurl in his office and he told them that his contacts had identified Helvur Tarnlar, clothier in Red Larch as an agent if the Lords Alliance. This was also the person who sent the letter about Trickle Lock cave to Jarlier and Balderich. With over two days until the full moon (and possible werewolf appearance in Red Larch). The group decided to explore the hidden doorway seen through a spyglass when they first visited the pinnacle of the spire. Flying there on their hippogriffs the party had to leave them as the passageway was too narrow for such beasts. 

The passageway went into the side of the valley and opened out after several hundred meters.  The party saw an enormous chasm split the earth as far as the eye can see.  A crude, narrow stairway hugged the rock alongside the chasm, twisting madly in hairpin turns around sharp outcroppings. After several treacherous miles, the stairway terminated on a broad, flat landing that jutted out over the immense black chasm. In the gloom, a lost dwarven city lay in ruins beneath the glittering cavern vault. Broken statues stood in the midst of empty plazas, staring sightlessly into the darkness. A huge step pyramid rose at the edge of the precipice, and from the moat that surrounded it a misty waterfall whispered over the chasm’s ledge.  Drowyn knew that the long-lost dwarven kingdom of Besilmer was probably somewhere in the valley, but he did not think this was it.  

The screams of someone in great pain could be heard from beyond the gatehouse. Sorin and Skonn decided to sprint through the murderous looking corridor to the open gate. They made it unharmed, relieved that no arrows had been fired through the many arrow slits set into the thick gatehouse walls. The others followed. Arnogall attempted to stealthy creep through a door to the left and disappeared through. Skonn, Sorin and Balderich followed with the rest of the party waiting outside. Those that did not enter heard flutes being played terribly, followed by muffled voices then the sweetest flute music ever to be heard by mortal ears echoed in the stone corridors. More muffled voices then the four adventurers emerged, Balderich without the skeleton arm he'd been carrying for the last few days and Arnogall with a flute made from bone.  They began to explain to their companions what had just happened.