Date: 02/18/09

XP Awarded: none

Start: Thistletop, about three and a half weeks after the goblin raid.

The party spends time resting, training, and studying in Sandpoint as the weather gradually turns cooler and the fogs that roll of the Gulf of Varisia grow denser and last longer into the mornings. The leaves of a few trees start to turn color, and a series of rainstorms lashes the coast. While the party is in Sandpoint, it becomes common knowledge in town that Nualia was the organizing force behind the goblin raid, and that she has been captured by the party. Sheriff Hemlock ships Nualia off to a prison in Magnimar under heavy guard, and soon the atmosphere in town seems to return to normal.

Reading through the journals and notes captured from Nualia, the party discoveres the details of her sordid history, including information about the subterranean cathedral located under Sandpoint, and her plans for the town.

Gob spends almost the entire time holed up in his room in the Rusty Dragon inn, studying the spellbook the party recovered from the wizard they defeated under Thistletop. Kiria spends most of his time with Shalelu in the Tickwood learning about wilderness survival, tracking, and stealth. During one of these outings, Shalelu tells Kiria that she must travel north on some business soon, to the notorious pirate haven of Riddleport, though she won't say why. She spends more and more time by herself in the wilds around Sandpoint, and Kiria returns to the Sandpoint Theatre, rehearsing for his upcoming role in the production of The Bewitched Bachelor.

Deivon spends most of his time sleeping, drinking, and practicing his weapon drills. Signore isn't seen very often by the other adventurers, though he shows up for dinner from time to time. Also during this time, the group talks about what comes next. Signore is interested in exploring the rest of Thistletop, and the rest of the adventurers agree to return to the site with him. After a few days of shopping for equipment, the party manages to sell some of their found magical items for a nice profit, and one rainy morning set off on the Lost Coast road to return to Thistletop.

After a walk through the dripping wet Nettlewood, the party reaches the thorny maze on the shore next to Thistletop. As they arrive, they can hear the faint sound of a group of goblins moving off into the depths of the Nettlewood, and find the thorny maze to be empty of goblins. The wooden stockade is likewise empty, though it looks as if it has been looted while the party was in Sandpoint. Moving down into the levels below Thistletop, the tunnels are all empty, and the party comes to the trapped hallway in which they battled Nualia.

Opening a stone door they had not yet explored, the adventurers find a hallway with a pair of stone doors carved with skeletal images on one end, and at the other end, a circular carving of a stack of immense gold coins covered in spiky runes. The party opens the doors with grinning skeletons to find a large crypt supported by stone columns, the walls lined with alcoves containing sarcophoguses. At the far end of the chamber is a statue of a stern man holding a book and a glaive.

The group enters the room and begins investigating the statue and the sarcophoguses in the alcoves. As the flickering torchlight sends dancing shadows skittering across the walls, the party is spooked by one shadow that doesn't appear to be moving like the others, and a shadowy claw reaches out from one of the sarcophoguses to grasp at Deivon...