Letter Home

Sad tidings.  As I write this letter we are momentarily safe.  Ceder has us in his rope trick.  Corellen be praised for this arcane skill, for it has surely saved more than one life today.  Let me explain our peril.

Yesterday, after the death of Kerith, we decided to return to the caravan for its protection.  Oskar and Shane secured Kerith’s lifeless form upon Oskar’s mount for the journey back.  Once there, with Corellen’s grace, I was able to open the way for Kerith’s spirit to return to his body.  With some careful attention, he was soon on his feet again.  Unfortunately, his return was not without cost.  He did not return the same as he left.  Given time, I’m sure he will be himself again.  This was our first brush with death.  The party took it well, confident in my Devine skill.  I am happy not to have let them or Kerith down.

The next morning we were off to retrace our path in the Gap of Skulls.  We soon found ourselves at the grim scene of Kerith’s demise.  We expected to show Kerith the bodies of those whom attacked us the night before, but they were gone.  Xan located the markings of what must have been a large dragon.  He surmised that it must have swooped down, ate the bodies and flew away.  He didn’t have to say it, for we all know that we were fortunate to have sought the safety of the caravan last night!

Not wanting to risk a draconic encounter, we awayed ere long further into the Gap.  Oskar and Shane led the way until we at last came upon a serpentine path ending in a cave some 30 feet above the floor of the Gap.  We cautiously followed the path to the cave.  Along the way I cast some spells to protect the party and myself.  We stopped at the mouth of the cave and Shane bravely scouted the entrance.  The rest of us followed him with our gaze until he disappeared around a corner.  He returned momentarily, and using hand signals, informed us that there were disiens of the Gap waiting in ambush inside of the cave.  Ceder cautiously moved forward to the mouth of the cave.  We braced ourselves for what we were sure would be the fiery death of our unseen foes.  No sooner had Ceder turned the corner to look into the cave than he was struck with two crossbow bolts.  He screamed in unholy terror and his lifeless body fell to the ground!  Shane and Oskar, unwilling to tolerate this tort, charged into the cave to face the unknown threat inside.

Kerith deftly pulled Ceder’s corpse from the mouth of the cave as I ran in.  What I saw sent a cold chill down my spine.  A tall grey humanoid with elongated features was fighting with Oskar and Shane.  At his side, I think it was a he for he was naked and had no obvious gender, were two Drow!  I called upon all that is good in this accursed land to smite this evil.  It must have worked, for no sooner had I done so, than the two Drow and the Bodak were visibly injured and blinded for good measure.  The Drow retreated, stumbling out of sight.  Mercifully, the blinded Bodak was unable to purge any more souls before it died.  Shane, Oskar and I finished off the Drow before they could cause any more mischief. 

With the rest of the Wandsmen standing guard,  Shane searched inside the cave.  He found that the Drow had rigged the passageways with pit traps.  At the bottom were two zombies!  Xan was able to make short work of them.  While Shane and Xan were busy clearing the entrance of the cave, I called upon Corellen to open a door for Ceder’s soul to return.  Fortunately for us they were both willing.

The party decided that it was best to rest before venturing further into the cave.  As soon as Ceder was ready, he cast a rope trick and we all climbed inside.  We chose to do this inside of the cave so as to avoid another encounter at its entrance. 

Two of us have lost our lives in as many days.  Tomorrow we hope to discover the source of Drow and Bodak in the Gap and liberate him or her from the burden of life.

Respectfully,

Primula