Gawyn the 1^st-level human fighter (Paul) -- 541 EXP

Gwalchavad the 1^st-level human fighter (Paul) -- 541 EXP

Shain the 1^st-level dwarf barbarian (Hugo) -- 541 EXP

Peter the 1^st-level elf sorceror (Amy) -- 541 EXP

Lola the 2^nd-level human cleric (Amy) -- 541 EXP

The Adventure:

Mostly new characters this time. This time, Bartholemew asks if the party is willing to do a favor for the Church of Cwthane. They say, "sure, what the hell," and get directions to the secret Temple of Cwthane deep in the Shambles. The High Priest of the temple asks the party to escort the temple's eagle (an animal sacred to Cwthane) to the open air to fly, as is required by the rituals of the church. The route they take must be secret, and different from ones used by other parties in the past. They agree to do so.

Following a route that leads them deeper into the Shambles, they first encounter an impromptu "toll booth" erected by three young brigands. The party blows through them like tissue paper. Next, they encounter a strange old man who's looking for something on the floor of the corridor. He insists they go back, but all the routes forward lead through "his" section. Gawyn the archer threatens him and shoos him off with his bow. However, the old man just hides, uses a potion of invisibility, and then casts sleep on the party from behind them. It doesn't work all that well, and Gawyn fells him with a single arrow. Later, near the end of their journey, they defeat a pair of giant centipedes, and come across a scene of attempted murder. Lola bandages the victim while Gawyn, Gwalchavad, and Shain track down and kill the culprit.

Finally, they emerge from the labyrinth at the northern docks of T'Regnor, very late at night. They let the eagle loose, and it flies into the night sky--but it is attacked by a fast, dark shape. The eagle hurries back to its protectors as its foe--an iron raven of weird magics--tries to rip it open. Peter flings magic missiles, Gawyn fires arrows, all to little effect. The eagle and the iron raven swoop back over the docks. The iron raven is distracted by Peter's missiles, and begins casting magic missiles back at Peter! Shain, in a rage, hurls himself off the dock at the raven, but splashes into the harbor. Then the mighty archer Gawyn looses a single arrow, straight and true, that even Talos' ward cannot stop. Piercing the raven's brain, it falls into the harbor, dead. The eagle is saved by Lola's healing magic.

They return to the Church without incident, and the High Priest is happy.