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In attendance:

The party settles in to a routine at the commune and three uneventful weeks pass.

On October 28th, Pavo arrives at the commune, having just traveled from the elven city of Farflen. Along with him is a half-elven woman named Bria. She has come to learn more about her psionic abilities, while Pavo is seeking out Arundel on some arcane matters.

The next day is Creation Day, and a celebration feast is planned for the evening. However, Sorgul has urgent business with Cale and must teleport away shortly after breakfast. While he expects to be back in time for the feast, he makes no promises.

Elsa, the commune's liason with the elves (and Vincent's Hippogriff trainer) receives an urgent message from the rangers. One of their two-man aerial patrols has gone missing only about a mile from the commune. She convinces the party to investigate, though Pavo remains behind.

At the specified location, they find a pair of Abyssal Greater Basilisks that unfortunately turned one of the Hippogriffs to stone in mid-air. The rider survived the fall for a short time, but died soon thereafter. The other rider (and mount) were turned to stone after they landed. After careful planning, the party manages to defeat one of the evil beasts without being similarly affected.

Before they hunt down the second one, though, they send word back to the commune requesting that Pavo join them. He does so, and also reports that there was some unusual activity in the upper, guest rooms and that Lashmere has vanished.

With Pavo's help, the second Basilisk is dealt with swiftly and nobody is turned to stone (although Bigby briefly succumbs while in his Magma form - and finds that the crystal provides a limited defense against the effect).

The party then investigates the appearance of the Basilisks and comes to suspect that they were plane shifted in by somebody riding a Nightmare (as they spot a quartet of scorch marks on the ground that resemble horse hooves).

When the party learns of Lashmere's disappearance, they begin to suspect that the Basilisks were just a ruse and that the whole point was the abduction of the young man from Etenaî.

That evening, Sorgul returns and is told of the day's events. The group sets down to the (already planned) feast in a somber mood - but before they can even get started, the magical lights in the building dim and a booming voice comes from the courtyard, “Solgar!”

Everybody heads outside into a field of shadowy darkness. Sitting on a flaming mount in the center of the courtyard, and flanked on all sides by ghostly creatures sits an undead rider. He emits an unholy evil that sends magical shivers of fear down the spines of those caught off guard. He then announces that he is here to see “Solgar”. When Sorgul steps forward, the creature explains that he has been sent by our “Lord” and delivers a “scroll” of still bloody human flesh, tattooed with the following contract:

   In the presence of witnesses, I beseech the Unseen Lord of the Underworld
   and Host of Many to anoint this contract with His assent and seal.

   Upon delivery, a binding contract shall exist between Sl'engeld, the
   Governor Warden of Prison Plane 121 and the mortal-bound soul of the Great
   Lord's servant, known as Solgar, as well as any creatures who witness its
   delivery.

   Whereas the Prison Planes numbered from 366 and below are under the
   jurisdiction of the Great Host of Many, and

   Whereas Solgar is known to be an expert in matters of Chaos and of the
   denizens of the plane of Limbo, and

   Whereas in the year 1093, Solgar swore fealty to the Unseen Lord and
   remains bound by that oath despite his more recent transgression back to
   the mortal existence, and

   Whereas the primary (and only) prisoner of Prison Plane 121 requires an
   extensive level of security and secrecy which could be compromised by
   relying on the normal investigative resources available to the Governor
   Warden,

   We therefore request (and the Unseen Lord demands) that Solgar or his
   competent second(s) travel to Prison Plane 121 in order to investigate the
   recent occupation of said plane by exodus forces, ostensibly from Limbo.

   Due to the nature of our request and the expected unwillingness of the
   subject to assent to the orders of the Unseen Lord, we have been
   authorized to provide suitable payment upon successful completion of the
   required task.

   This payment shall consist of the following: 1) An invitation to travel to
   Prison Plane 121 in the form of a tuned fork to be used in Plane Shifting
   (attached); 2) A bound promise (for up to thirteen souls) of freedom from
   harm by the duly and criminally enforced prison guards while on Prison
   Plane 121 and executing the terms of this contract; and 3) The safe return
   of the soul and mortal body of a marker which has already been chosen and
   secured by the messenger of this contract.

   Payment items 1) and 2) shall be provided immediately upon delivery and
   acceptance of this contract.  Payment item 3) shall be provided upon
   presentation of a detailed verbal report to the Governor Warden.  Said
   report shall include the reasons for the occupation by Limbo of Prison
   Plane 121, as well as reasonable recommendations for the removal of said
   occupying forces.  Validity and Acceptance of this report is left to the
   sole discretion of Governor Warden Sl'engeld or his successor(s).

   To the blessed hoard of the dead and to the endless deep of the
   underworld, we pledge our consent to this contract.

      Signed: <Sl'engeld>

      Witnessed: <I'ildmos> <Malila> <Shyrothack>

XP awarded: 2,100 to Vincent, Pavo, and Bria; 1,500 to Roderick, Aramil, and Bigby.