A Violent End

5 November, 595
Part One

Heading back into the ruins, the group decides to explore more of the tunnel in the same area they had left. Jimmy, moving stealthily down the hallways, comes upon a pair of snoozing "tall ones." He jumps into the room and attempts to hypnotize the pair. One apparently succombs to the trance, but the other rushes at the magician with rapier raised. Nodonn charges into the room and prompty runs into a wall. Jimmy casts a spell which stuns the two foes for several vital seconds, during which time Nodonn and Bruinor wrestle with them on the ground. Finding the situation hopeless, the two creatures throw down their weapons and surrender to the group.

This time our heroes are more merciful, attempting to communicate with the beings. They can not speak nor understand their language, but when Bruinor speaks in Gnomish, one seems to understand. He indicates that he would lead the group to the children if they would let them go.

Following the two creatures, the group is taken to the wooden barricade they had discovered previously. Bruinor cuts down the makeshift wall with his axe, and the two creatures bolt, attempting to flee. One is felled by a few arrows in the back, but the other escapes into the darkness.

Enterring the room, they discover a large workshop, with two large balconies and a huge gear suspended from a high vaulted ceiling. Lyra decides to explore one of the balconies, and Jimmy scrambles up the other. As he looks around, Jimmy is attacked by a large brain-shaped creature with dangling tentacles hovering in the air. Attempting to flee down the stairs, he is struck by one of the arms and paralyzed in place. While the creature wraps its tentacles about Jimmy, other members of the group attempt to get in position to attack. Lyra and Plenty hurl daggers while Nodonn shoots arrows at the beast. With a lack of ranged weapons, the group is unable to save Jimmy from becoming the breakfast of the creature. Getting greedy and with the taste of blood in its beak, it makes a run at Nodonn. Lyra heroically leaps from the balcony in an attempt to land on the back of the creature. Unfortunately, she misjudges her jump, and ends up with a splat on the ground. Throck's healing spell returns her to form. Bruinor's axe and Plenty's scimitar prove to be the bane of the creature as it drops to the ground in a heap of quivering membrane.

Nodonn attempts to cut the great beast open and the foul creature makes him wretch, but alas, poor Jimmy has been devoured in the most gruesome way, and only pieces of him are found in the belly. After saying a touching prayer for Jimmy's soul, the group searches the room and finds an expertly made dagger set with a compartment in its hilt, along with a few potions.

The remains of Jimmy's corpse are brought up for the final time, and he is taken to the Church of Wee Jas for burial. However, on the way out, Bruinor spots a well-hidden door on the stairway up to Keygan's shop. So obscured is this portal that the group had passed it numerous times before it was noticed. As the sun continues its ascent into the sky, the group ponders on what to do next, and how to proceed in this search that has now claimed one of their lives.