Session begins with the party engaged in battle with a group of guards in the necromancer's tower.  Rhyawdd, Cedric, David MacPherson, and Magnus are in melee with three guards.  Two of the guards are sporting bastard swords and studded leather.  The third is wearing robes and using a battle axe.  Blows are exchanged and Rhyawdd kills the guard attacking him.  Magnus receives a grievous injury from the guard with a battle axe.

Kieren and Brook are searching the storeroom for a naga that attacked Tarl.  Brook casts a spell to seek out the naga, but does not locate it.  Meanwhile Tarl heals his injuries.  Liana decides to assist in the search for the naga and discovers a 2.5' diameter hole in the wall that opens into a shaft descending 12' to the next floor. Apparently the naga has fled down this hole.

Three more guards appear from the end of the hall and join their companions in battle with the party.  One of them is yelling out orders.  He  is wearing chainmail and appears to be a leader.  Blows are exchanged and both Magnus and Cedric are dealt grievous wounds by the robed warrior with the battle axe.  William casts hold person on the leader and freezes him in place.

Tarl enters the storeroom and agrees to pursue the naga down the hole if Liana will make him invisible.  Liana casts invisibility on Tarl and he descends the shaft.  At the bottom of the shaft is an opening covered with a tapestry.  Liana tosses a continual light stone down to Tarl who puts it in the room beyond the tapestry.  Nothing happens so Tarl peers out from under the tapestry to see an armory room (crossbows, swords, bolts, etc.)  There is a single door at the far end of  the room and no one inside.  Tarl tells Liana all is clear and enters the room .  Liana follows him down the shaft.  Meanwhile Kieren and Brook leave the storeroom to assist their comrades who are fighting the guards.

Agate and Rhyawdd check out the tower room where the first guard appeared and find it to be empty.  There are two doors and Rhyawdd opens the far one.  It leads to a descending stairwell, so Rhyawdd tells Agate to hold the stairs to protect the party’s flank.

Kieren arrives at the melee between the party and the guards and casts Pacify to stop the fighting.  All of the guards and David cease combat.  Several wander off and the remainder sit down to nap.  Cedric uses this opportunity to fall back and seek out the priest William for healing.  William uses CLW to heal Cedric.  Magnus takes a swing at the robed figure with the battle axe and does no apparent damage. Unfortunately, the attack rouses the robed warrior who again rises to continue the fight.

At this point four more guards and the dark naga appear from the far end of the hall. .  Liothien moves up to cover the combat with his bow. Liothien is able to fire off a single arrow at the naga and hits it. Brook also moves up to the combat and when he sees the naga he casts 2 magic missiles at it.  The magic missiles impact harmlessly in front of the  naga. William continues to administer healing  to Cedric with another CLW.

Agate decides to descend the stairs and check for guards.  He comes to a landing on the lower level and finds a locked door and a descending stairway.  Agate tries to shoulder open the door but it does not budge.  All is quiet so he decides to return to the party in case they require him for combat.

Kieren casts a second Pacify spell  at the remaining guards causing two of them two wander off, while the two more sit down for a nap.  One of those sitting is the robed warrior with the battle axe.  Magnus considers striking the robed figure, but Kieren warns him against it so that the warrior is not roused. One remaining  guard is unaffected by Kieren's spell.  Brook casts two magic missiles at the guard.

A concussive shock wave rolls over the party and 2 of the guards who are engaged in melee.  The guards are killed instantly by the shock wave.  Liothien and Kieren both take grievous damage (25 HP) from the spell, while Rhyawdd and Magnus are able to avoid its full effects (12 HP).  NOTE: Liothien and Kieren need to make Saving Throws versus Crushing Blow for all of their stuff.  The naga casts 3 magic missiles at the party.  One impacts Kieren, the second Liothien, and the third impacts the sitting robed warrior.  Once again the robed warrior rouses from his lethargy to attack the party.  The naga yells for the remaining guard to kick his pacified companions to rouse them to battle.  The guard complies and kicks two of his fellows in the ribs to get them back into the battle.  Rhyawdd uses this moment to push past the remaining guard and engage the dark naga with a fierce sword attack.  The naga senses its peril and dodges Rhyawdd's blow which smashes into the wall and nearly shatters his magic sword.

At this point Agate hears a battle cry from behind him and reacts just in time to avoid a forceful club blow aimed for his head.  A half-ogre in chain mail has engaged him.  Agate strikes a mighty blow with his two-handed axe and staggers the ogre-kind.  Brook gives Agate a hand and fells the assailant with a single sword stroke.  "That is how you deal with Ogres", Brook chides Agate.

Tarl and Liana determine that there  is no one in the armory so they check the door at the far end of the room.  It is unlocked so Tarl opens the door and checks the hallway beyond.  It is empty so the invisible Tarl proceeds quietly down the hall.  Liana follows some distance behind.   At the end of the hall is a small stairway leading up to the 2nd floor of the main keep.  There is also a side passage to the left, which is a spiraled staircase leading down into the tower. Tarl hears heavy footfalls coming from the side passage so he freezes up against the wall to avoid detection.  Liana falls back out of sight.  A leather-clad guard with bastard sword charges up the spiral stairs and runs up the small staircase into the keep.  Tarl and then Liana slowly follow behind him.

Rhyawdd and the naga are engaged in melee and the naga strikes first after muttering some word of power.  It stings Rhyawdd with its tail and delivers a total of 20 hp damage.  Rhyawdd is instantly overcome from the sting and falls to the floor in a comatose slumber.  Several of the party members in the hall see Rhyawdd fall, but they are unable to get past the guards to assist him.

William casts a hold person spell on the robed warrior and freezes him in place.  Magnus and Lio both attack the held, robed warrior but neither is able to do any injury to him through his robes.  Kieren casts a third pacify on two of the remaining 3 guards and affects them.  One of the guards wanders off, and the other sits down for a nap.  William commands the remaining guard to "flee" and he runs down the hall and past the naga.  As he disappears from view another guard appears and the naga commands it to bind the fallen Rhyawdd.  David and Cedric charge down the hall to engage the guard which is standing over the fallen Rhyawdd.  Kieren, William, and Gawain proceed to the pacified guards and begin to systematically disarm and bind them so they will no longer pose a threat.  The naga retreats from the hall and instructs the remaining guard to stop any pursuers.

Tarl and Liana follow the running guard through a hall in the main keep and up another set of stairs that lead into a circular tower.  The stairs lead to a landing that is blocked with a portcullis.  There is an iron-bound wooden door on the right side of the landing.  The guard ducks through the door and into the tower room. Tarl ascends the stairs to the landing and peers through the portcullis grating.  He hears someone issue commands to the running guard.  Liana ascends the steps partway and uses them for cover lest anyone should pass by the portcullis and notice her on the landing.  Tarl then hears the grating of metal on stone as if a mechanism of some kind is in operation.  He pulls a small mirror from a pouch and uses it to scan the area to the side of the portcullis.  He sees a dark naga there engaged in turning some kind of crank mechanism on the far wall.

Once the naga finishes it proceeds past the portcullis, through the door and on to the steps where it encounters Liana.  Tarl springs to action, drawing his hand axe for a back stab attempt on the naga.  As he approaches the floor gives way beneath him and he falls 20’ into a pitch black cess pit!   He has fallen through a trap door which snaps shut above him.  Liana and the naga exchange attacks and Liana is stung by the naga. Fortunately, she is unaffected by the creatures venom.

Meanwhile Cedric and David attack the guard standing over Rhyawdd.  Cedric injures the guard who throws down his weapon and surrenders.  Another guard shows up and engages David in melee.  William rushes to Rhyawdd’s side and tends to him with a slow poison spell.    Rhyawdd awakens from his slumber and slowly rises.  He indicates to the others that he is OK.  In the interim David strikes a vicious blow on the remaining guard who then throws down his weapon and surrenders.

Tarl slowly lifts himself from the smelly muck in the pit.  His infravision shows nothing so he pulls out the continual light stone.  It reveals 10 skeletal figures rising from the muck around him.  He slogs to the nearest wall and attempts to climb it to avoid the skeletons.  Before he gets very far the nearest skeleton strikes him with a viscous sword blow which knocks him from the wall and back into the muck.

David, Kieren, Gawain, and Rhyawdd continue down the hall where the naga fled.  The remainder of the party hold the surrendering guards at sword point and bind their hands.  William attends to Magnus’ injuries with 2 CLW spells.  Brook wanders off.

David, Kieren, Gawain, and Rhyawdd pass the portcullis and see Liana engaged in combat with the naga.  David is the first to pass through the door to the landing, and he promptly falls through the trapdoor and into the pit with Tarl!  Kieren notes this and stops at the door.  Liana and the Naga trades attacks again only this time the naga utters a command word before attacking.  Liana is stung again only this time she takes additional injury from a strong electric shock.  Fortunately, she resists the effects of the naga venom for a second time.  Kieren attempts to neutralize the naga’s magic by casting a Silence spell  on it.  Gawain and Rhyawdd proceed to the door and leap from the doorway across the landing directly to the stairs behind the naga.  Rhyawdd is able to get a sword blow in on the naga who decides to flee the combat.  Before anyone can react the quick creature slithers down the steps and around the corner.

David falls into the cess pit and lands on one of the skeletons.  Tarl arises from the muck and pulls out his holy symbol to turn the skeletons.  8  of the 10 monsters move away from him.  One of the remaining skeletons slashes Tarl with another wicked sword blow.  David gets back to his feet and smashes the other skeleton to pieces with his sword.  Tarl and David combine efforts to destroy the last skeleton before it does them further injury.

Despite his recent poisoning, Rhyawdd is the first to react to the naga’s hasty departure.  The others are too concerned with their comrades in the pit.  Rhyawdd pursues the naga around the corner and engages it with an ill-placed sword blow that misses.  The naga stops its retreat and turns to face Rhyawdd.

“Why have you come to this keep manling?” queries the naga.

Rhyawdd is taken aback by this change in tactics and blurts out that he is seeking the shard of shielding from  a dragon amulet.

The naga replies, “And if I give this amulet to you will you and your companions spare me and leave this place?”

Rhyawdd agrees whereupon the naga makes a gagging motion and then spits out an amulet shard at his feet.  Rhyawdd bends over to pick up the shard as Gawain, Liana, and Kieren round the corner.

“Hold,”  yells Rhyawdd, “ I have an agreement with the naga and he has given me the amulet that we seek”.  The others are puzzled and confused at this sudden turn of events.  Rhyawdd hands the amulet shard to Kieren who examines it  and says that it is in fact the item that they seek.  Rhyawdd then tells the others that he has given his word to the naga that they will spare it and leave the keep in exchange for the amulet.  The party members discuss retrieving their companions from the pit and the naga tells them there is access to the pit on the first floor on the way out.

Agate, William, and Nicollete hear screams from the largest tower and go to investigate.  William sees Nicollete approaching down the hall and asks if she is OK.  She replies yes so he tells her to stick with him for safety.  William and Nicollete ascend the stairs in the largest tower while Agate descends the far staircase to the dungeon level.

Agate finds the jailer quarters and the prisoners cells.  One of the cells is occupied so he unbars the door and lets the prisoner out.  Agate learns that the prisoner is Malcolm MacDonald of ClanRannald.  He and 4 of his fellows have been held as prisoners for a long time (months probably).  Agate explains to Malcolm that his party has taken the tower and he is free.  Agate and Malcolm leave the dungeon area and ascend the stairs.

William and Nicollete ascend the stairs to find a frantic woman yelling at Brook to leave her parlor. Brook appears unconcerned and is rummaging around a desk and small coffer. William tells the woman that the party means her no harm and explains to her what is going on.   William’s demeanor and soothing words calm the woman.  She reveals that she is Deirdre, the wife of  the necromancer known as Thufur, son of Brude. He is the owner of the keep.  She also relates that she has been a virtual prisoner in the keep for several years as her husband has descended into some madness presumably brought on by his lust for more and greater arcane powers.  Thufur has been gone from the keep for over a month and the despicable naga has been running things in his stead.

Unexpectedly, Deirdre asks if the party will take her to Killilan with them as she no longer wishes to stay at the keep.  William agrees.  She also makes an inquiry on the fate of the guards and asks if there are any still alive.  When she learns there are, she begs William to take her to them.  Agate and the former prisoner Malcolm arrive in the parlor.  Agate introduces the ex-prisoner, Malcolm to the group.  William checks on Malcolm to see if he requires any healing.  While this is going on Agate asks Brook what he is up to.  Brook says he is checking out Deirdre’s things.  Agate decides to help and finds a jewelry box with a valuable necklace and a ring.  Everyone but Brook leaves the parlor to return to the hallway where Liothien is keeping a watch on the guards that are bound.

Kieren, Gawain, and Liana find a way to block open the trapdoor and lower a rope to Tarl and David in the cess pit.  The naga mocks them all the while saying that it would be easier to release them from the first floor access.  Tarl and David climb the rope and rejoin their party members.  Both of them reek from the muck in the cess pit.  The entire group including the naga returns to the hallway where Liothien is keeping watch on the bound guards.  They arrive at about the same time as William, Deirdre, and the others.

Deirdre checks the bound guards and rushes to the leader who is dressed in chainmail. “Ian,  are you OK my love?”  she asks.  Ian responds that he is unhurt but tied up.

“Please release him” Deirdre begs, “we both wish to return to Killilan with you.”

William explains to the rest of the party who Deirdre is and tells Liothien to release Ian.  Once Rhyawdd hears who Deirdre is he breaks the news to her that her husband is dead.  Rather than being mournful she appears relieved.

“Praise Dagda” she says, “ you have come in answer to my prayers.”

The naga chuckles evilly in the background, “So you have killed Thufur. The  fool.  I told him not to go to the Cairn, but would he listen to my advice. No. And he has paid for his poor judgement with his life.  I owe you for this service you have done me.  The tower is now mine.  Take the woman, the prisoner, and any that wish to go, and be gone from this place as you promised.”

While the naga is speaking, Tarl casts Create water  to wash off the muck from the cess pit.  Tarl cleans up and then begins to wonder about what treasure the tower may hold.

The naga looks and Tarl and comments “Forget about looting the wizard’s library half-man.  The library is warded by traps and guardians most deadly.  Even I do not have access to the library.”

Rhyawdd takes count of who is present and notices that Brook is absent.  He inquires about the sidhe and learns that Brook is searching Deirdre’s parlor in the largest tower.  William comments that Brook is acting strangely and refuses to join the rest of the party.

The naga upon hearing this says “Keep your word manling.  I have kept my part of our bargain and been most generous.  Please gather all of your companions and be gone from here.”

Rhyawdd heads off with Kieren and William to speak with Brook.  As they near the entrance to the largest tower they meet up with Brook.  Rhyawdd tells the sidhe that they have recovered the Dragon amulet and it is time to leave the tower.  Brook refuses saying that he intends to stay and that the party should keep the tower and clear the Valley of the Dead of all undead.  Rhyawdd explains that he has made a deal with the dark naga and intends to honor it.  Brook gives Rhyawdd an incredulous look and asks why the naga still lives.  Rhyawdd explains that he has spared the naga’s life in exchange for the amulet and no one is to harm the creature.

“We will see about that”, says Brook as he draws his longsword and advances toward the hall where the naga is.

Rhyawdd moves to intercept Brook who takes a wicked slash at him with his sword.  William sees this and casts a hold person spell at Brook  to immobilize him.  The spell appears to have no effect.  An  instant latter Brook disappears from view.

Treasure:  Dragon amulet – shard of shielding
                 Necklace & ring from Deirdre’s parlor

Liana Ashwood - Fighter/M-U
Total EP      1766
Spell point total:    10 / 22
Hit point total:       11 / 33

Kieren Urquhart – Ranger
Total EP      1316
Spell point total:       0 / 12
Hit point total:     13 / 40

Tarl Tallows – Cleric/Th
Total EP      2216
Spell point total:    9 / 25
Hit point total:   14 / 38

Rhyawdd MacPherson – Rogue
Total EP      1666
Hit  point total: 34/66

Brook – Warrior Sidhe
Total EP      2586
Spell point total:       2 / 13
Hit point total:       55/ 55

Liothien Snowhawk – Fighter
Total EP      1316
Hit point total:   36 / 65

Agate Thorwallen – Fighter
Total EP      1801
Hit point total:  62/62

Cedric – Fighter
Total EP     1316
Hit Point total:  28/29

Nicollete – Thief
Total EP      658
Hit Point total:  12/12