Unfortunately, it was guarded by the undead.  Fortunately, it was simple work for Lee Zhardmon to control or rebuke the skeletons that fought his companions.  Eventually, within the house he found a bag holding a grimoire belonging to the ancient mage.  Upon touching the book, more skeletons, even stronger than those before appeared, and all would have died if not for the skills of the reptillian.  Soon enough all were back again at the grotto, toasting a battle well fought.

THIEVING THIEVES!

The heroes had learned from the great dragon just where the breach was within the prison, but apparently, only the pieces that came from it could close it once again.  It was said that a man named Leroy, who lived in the shanty near the grotto, knew where the entrance to an area that held the pieces could be found.  Looking for this information, the group headed for the shanty and for Leroy.

People living a shanty, especially one located in a prison of darkness, are not known for being exceptionally bright.  So perhaps we shouldn't judge them for trying to relieve the heroes of their hard won goods as they passed through.  It seemed all the thieves in the shanty followed the heroes in the darkened shadows.  Pickpockets and waylayers were everywhere!  It took some work, but Leroy was dug out of his hiding place to give the information needed.  And one newer member to the heroes, a resident of the prison dressed in white, even convinced a few thieves to quit their low down ways.

DINNER HIJINKS

Henstrom, the befuddled old mage, met with his trainer whilst the others ate.  Apparently training the man had become more dangerous than anyone had guessed.  As he learned new skills and spells, those around him were blasted by eldritch bolts of energy.

Blind beggars, most likely from the shanty, appeared and asked for money to buy food, which some of the noble heroes offered.  And some of the ratty looking men serving the stew tried their best to get the noble heroes to grab a rats tail hidden within the bowls of snacks.

PIECES OF BREACHES

With their bellies full and the information on the missing shards, the heroes set off once again to get the breach in the prison closed.  What they hadn't counted on was the cave branching off in two directions as it did.  The decision was quickly made to split up and search both directions at once and find their shards faster.

What they didn't know what that each branch was a mirror of the other and certain death waited down both paths.  A series of rooms with heavy doors slamming down behind them met the heroes.  The first room had hand prints on the wall and began filling up with poisonous gas.  One member had to place their hands in the prints to open the door.  In Darr's group, he tried to put his hands on the prints, but it turned out his magical resistance rendered his attempt innert, and an other had to sacrifice themselves to free the others.

Next was a hungry vampire who would not let any pass without feeding upon one, draining them of life.

The final trial was a room with a lever in it.  When one entered the room, a door slammed shut behind them again, when one pulled the lever the room was engulfed in flame.  This room was handled very differently by the two groups.  In one group, the dwarf who had gone in screamed in firey pain and was gone.  In the other, Henstrom tried his best to escape the flames, but eventually was engulfed.  His companions however were able to obtain all his ashes and, placing them in his hat in a feat of heroic proportions they resurrected him with great strain to the healer.

At last, the two trails met up and the companions were reunited.

Leaving behind the maze of death, the group headed to the breach to close it and finally finish their mission within the prison.

FILL YOUR BREACHES

The two pieces of stone fit perfectly into the breach, with only one problem.  Where two veins of promethium met, there was a sizable gap.  The breach could not be properly healed if the gap was not filled.  In that moment everyone's mind went to the same though, if only Henstrom had not given Isbel that large piece of promethium!

Meanwhile, a man rushed into the chamber and fled trough the gap.  Stunned, no one amongst the heroes had moved to stop him.  Soon, another showed up and made the same move.  The third however, did not survive his headlong rush.

A few stayed behind to guard the breach, and the rest rushed back to the grotto to confront Isbel.  One man approached calmly and offered his assistance to repair the breach, when asked for credentials by Henstrom, he reached into his vest and pulled forth a quick stab stab stab for the wizard, who crumpled.

Meanwhile, after several hot minutes of negotiation with Isbel, her new necklace was simply pulled over her head and tossed to someone to run it to the gap.  But Hell hath no fury like a woman denied her jewelry!  The tiefling known as Lust flew into a rage and attacked.  The warriors quickly stepped in, but their blades made no headway.  Then Fina hurled a bolt of magic at her and not only did it get her attention, it hurt her.  Soon, Fina found herself surrounded by a wall of steel, holding off the angered Isbel as the air caster hurled as many cantrips as she could muster.  Of course, it was obvious once it was discovered, men could do no damage to Lust, but women could.  Soon even Nima was given a weapon and sent into battle.

Eventually, Isbel was defeated, the breach was sealed permanently and the adventurers were back at the grotto resting.  Nima seemed particularly tired and slept deeply.  When grog shook her to offer a drink, he found she had been so ashamed at having broken her oath to never harm another that she had taken her life.  She was soon restored, and reconciled her actions against having helped save the rest of the group.

Fill your breaches – closing the gap would have been much easier had not Henstrom given the large

MR. CLEAN

The next morning found Darr talking with a man curiously dressed in grungy white clothing that covered him from neck to foot.  It turned out he was the man responsible for cleaning and maintaining the prison, and he needed some help.  Due to the size of the prison, there are parts that had not been cleaned in a century, and they were beyond his ability to get into safely alone.

Following the man into the foul stench of stagnant goo, the team headed into the troubled area of the prison.  The man could go no further past a certain point, it was caved in and only the strong could dig it out.  Fighting cave ins and falling rocks, the heroes made their way into an area holding a demon of some sort held within an incomplete ritual.  The demon was surrounded in candles, most of which were lit, and could be put out by normal means.

Lan made a pact with the demon and he was set loose.  Immediately it was obvious it had been a bad idea to set him free and the heroes struggled to put an end to the red devil.

When he did fall, so too did the ceiling in the room.  In a mad dash, the titans of glory ran headlong back out the way they had come.  It seemed that Lan and Gators had been lost in the shuffle, but they appeared shortly behind the others right out of the stoned blocking the way back!  When they could see they wouldn't make it, Lan made then incorporeal and they made their way back to the others.  Lan may have risked much making that pact, but his clever magics had saved himself and another.

However, now they could not get back to the grotto, at least, not the way they came.

NO WAY HOME

In their attempts to get back to the grotto, the group had to traverese a nest swarming with giant snakes.  Their very gaze could turn a warrior, no matter how brave, to stone.  There was no obvious way out, but a series of puzzle pieces, mirrors and a narrow beam of light gave a hint that there could be a way out yet.

Many were the adventurers who were turned to stone, and eventually salvation came from an unexpected source.  Sachi who had somehow found and was using the Lady, hammer formerly belonging to the clerics and to Derigan in particular, used the powers it granted to rescue those who had been turned to stone.  Unfortunately, her aid came too late to save Kyle who had been crushed by the coils of  a snake.

Once the puzzles had been solved, the group found themselves in a room with no obvious way out.  The way behind was sealed and a message on the wall read “four must perish if the rest would survive”.

Alexander selflessly offered his life, and Darr took it.  Another offered and another was taken.  Silence came over the group now, so Darr offered Henstrom's life and took it.  His upset some of the others, Kyle restored Henstrom and the sparks flew.  While others dealt with the situation, Sachi made quick work of what was needed to free everyone.

REMEMBER YOUR ROOTS

The tremors that had shakent eh far wing of the prison had not subsided.  In fact, they had gotten worse, and now they seemed to threaten the entire prison.  Some of the heroes hurriedly traded whatever they could for their remaining blood gems, knowing they would be worthless on the surface.

But Darr and Henstrom had finally come to blows.  The wizard removed the warriors limbs one at a time between bouts of disappearing.  Sachi restored the warriors limbs and Darr removed the offenting blade from the wizards hand, but before the battle could come to a more final conclusion, the rest of the heroes convinced the two it was time to vace the prison.

The only way out was through the roots of the great Gia Tree.  The root system could deliver tham to freedom, but time worked differently in the magic of the tree.  Although they entered all together, they found themselves scattered throughout time and space.  There were many dangers within the roots of the tree.  Among them were combat, poison even and drowning.  Beings in the tree were capable of sending the heroes through a time warp that re-scrambled them somewhere else in time and space.

The way was not simple and far from free of bloodshed.  But the stalwart heroes pushed aside fear and made it though.  Again, the group was in a hollow with no obvious exit, but one wall was lined in runes.  Many of the group began translating, while the more action-oriented kept an eye on the portal in the floor.  Soon monsters emerged from the portal, and the companions had to defend their vulnerable partners as they continued translating the runes.  Finally, good won the day and the creatures were defeated.  The runes were translated and our heroes emerged into the light of day.  A light they had not seen for far too long.  How splendid must have the sun seemed after so long in the dark.

If only they had known what lay ahead.