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...