Back from stone... My name is Vangar and 150 years have passed since my party & I were caught by the medusas. I've been revived by a strange group who have ventured into this prison too. Regretfully they could only revive one of us.

It seems my saviours have become stuck in this now decrepit place and were keen to move on. I have said good bye to my comrades and now wonder whether the Demon Lord Krasveshk is still imprisoned.

The place has changed since I last remember. It seems darker.

My new companions are an unexpected collection. The halfing girl, Rosia, is friendly but doesn't appear to be that confident in her skills. The druid, Ran, seems impatient with the rest of the party but has shown an impressive powers of shape changing and summoning the like of which I have never seen. I'm yet to work out the cleric Quercus. I'm surprised that he has survived this long with a wooden leg; maybe this shows how powerful he is. The final member is an armor plated, canine riding halfing called Bingley.

Somehow the party had become embroiled in a minotaur war. It seems the other side have been defeated and the victorious leader showed us a passage deeper into the prison. The tunnel went on for ever... well not for ever but quite a while. Finally two towers of wind approach at speed; air elementals and big ones too. Rosia and Quercus were riding a flying carpet and tried to fly between them while the rest of us ran for the shelter of a side tunnel. We all thought we were done for when one tried to squeeze down after us.

Fortunately Rosia managed to communicate with the other. Rather than smashing us to a pulp they asked us to retrieve an artifact that was down a tunnel too small for them to pass.

True to the elemental's description the tunnel opened into the floor of a huge cavern; it was almost like being outside. Climbing out we could see the glow of a lava flow in the distance.

It wasn't long before we were attacked by some plumes of smoke trying to suffocate us. My blades made them short work. While we decided which way to travel next a flock of tall birds surrounded us. Expecting an easy battle I was suprised by their speed and strength. Ran summoned a large grey horned monster; a rhino apparently. This began ramming the feathered beasts with great effect. The birds had another trick up their sleeve; they spewed a plume of black smoke. Quercus was hit by this and started to behave more erratically than normal. I was looking for a way out when the birds all disappeared - turned to dust. Before we could ponder on that Quercus, still under the effects of the smoke, charged and grappled the rhino. Fortunately Ran just banished the creature before the cleric could damage himself.

With no enemies left we traveled south towards the lava flow. Travelling by carpet we crossed towards a dark tunnel. Ran and Rosia took a detour to an island in the lava. They quickly disturbed two huge creatures which appeared like brambles and vines. Wisely they beat a hasty retreat.

We faced the darkness knowing there are Drow within. We discussed a variety of plans but we know that they know we're here. It's only a matter of time before we're fighting for our lives again. At least going deeper into the prison means I have a slim chance of completing my orignal quest - to destroy Krasveshk.

Your fight with the smoke elementals (the Belkers) and their horrible
Smoke Claws attack, seemed to attract the attention of the hideous and
huge wingless birds from the bottom of the crater.

These flightless birds attacked in a spreadout formation and upon
contact seemed to cause huge damage, the massive beaks wreaking damage
and their breath weapon of a black noxious vapour seeming to cause
insanity on all those who failed to resist. Quercus, the Rhino and
Dusty the dog all suffered its effects.

The situation soon turned desperate even with the aid of a summoned
Rhino, which eviscerated one of the beasts.

Suddenly just prior to their next attacks, the creatures disappeared
in a swirl of sparkling sand, an odd piping music could be heard
fading to the cavern roof, the damage sustained disappeared but the
insanity remained. Quercus in a grand display of madness attempted to
wrestle the rhino to the ground, whilst everyone else pummelled him
into unconciousness.

After normality returned the party headed south to the river of lava
burning on the horizon, to the south a structure could also be seen.
This turned out to be a ruined tower and a thorough search revealed
nothing of interest.

The river of lava slowly rolled pass, some 200-300 yards wide. Sat in
the middle at one point was a tall steeply sided island topped with
tangly vegetation.

The party flew across via Ran's eagle shape and the flying carpet, Ran
and Rosia spotted the outline of a building below the tangled plants
on the island. They flew down to investigate and found a strange
glass-like structure covered with runes. As they began a search 2
Shambling Mounds appeared from the ground, only quick reactions and
flight saved them.

'Safely' on the other side of the lava they set off southwards, the
glittering sand faded and a they walked into a darkening gloom the
terrain changed and become more rock like and bumpy.

Soon darkness surrounded them, huge cavern mouths could just be seen.
Noises of clicking could be heard, like the tapping of fingernails on
a stone table. The party soon realised their light sources made them
easily spotted in the darkness and covered them all up bar one, which
they left as a decoy.

They headed NW along the undulating cavern floor with ground rising
rapidly on their west side to form hills. They found a tunnel heading
into the hills and investigated.

Rosia found a large square room with a central pillar, from the south
came 2 spider-like creatures, driders, dragging a dark elf towards the
pillar.

A fight ensued as the party attempted a rescue, upon entering a room
the were attacked by invisible assailants. Rosia managed to fly the
carpet between the pillar and the driders.

As the fight continued the pillar started to spin, the dark elf
captive screamed in elvish something about the 'Wheel of Sorrow' and
that they must all get out.

With one drider killed the second, and the second though invisible was
being grappled the party had to leave the room as glowing runes
started spreading out from the faster rotating pillar.

With moments to spare they all got out through the southern exit as
the room filled with a searing light and the door was sealed...

So you have finally left the minotaur region and now heading into new
unchartered territory.

The party revived a warrior, Vangar, from the Medusa's trophy hall,
who it seemed had ventured down here some 150 years previously.

Markuli showed a way to the North West through through a deep tunnel
called the 'Proving Tunnel' where young minotaurs would test their
courage and prowess.

The party had a fairly uneventful time of it until they encountered 2
Elder Air Elementals, when things went a little pear-shaped.

Rosia and Quercus, who were upon the magic carpet, tried flying in
between these two huge whirling columns of air, whilst the rest of the
party fled to a nearby passage.

Rosia and Quercus were grabbed and sucked into the vortex of air and
pummelled by rocks and high speed winds. Only Rosia's frantic cries
elicited a response from the Air elemental, the other tried to squeeze
itself into the passage the rest where hiding. The hideous screeching
of grinding rocks could be heard as it compressed itself, luckily
though it proved too big and gave up.

The elemental holding Rosia and Quercus set them down when it realised
they were not minotaurs and actually asked them for help. The
elementals it appeared we're trying to recover an ancient artifact
from the Cavern of Light and Dark where this passage led to,
unfortunately they were too big to fit into the narrow gap the tunnel
tapers too.

The party, glad from not been turned into paste, said they would do
this. They were informed that the Cavern was split into 2 halves by a
river of lava.

On the northside, where they would come out, was the light side. A
huge area so big it would seem like they were outside, south of the
lava was the Drow settlement and the location of the ancient artifact.

The party pressed onto until the end of the tunnel, negotiated its
narrow tunnel chute and came up into a small cave which seemed to be
situated inside a large crater.

Strange animals were seen and dust devils, they used the carpet to fly
to the top of the crater. Where they could see the vast plain in which
they stood, to the south they could see a red horizon created by the
lava river.

Just as they were getting their bearings three smoke-like elementals
appeared intent on trouble, fighting smoke is going to prove
difficult...