A bit of retcon clean-up. The former cultist escorted the freed elves to Hommlet, and will be returning to wait for us by the cart.

Picking up again, we're faced with a room with a couple of werewolves. We charge in while they still gather their wits. Theldin, Diren, and Elmo cut one down before he acts - it makes a last futile attempt to hurt Diren and falls. Moth engages the other with his electric aura, hurting it and getting bitten and scratched in return.

Moth attempts to disengage and gets bitten savagely (and gets the lycanthropy curse). He falls, but Pire dashes up and heals him.

Elmo is having trouble with his sword - nearly critical fumble each time. We get the last one surrounded in the corner and cut him down with a bit more damage on Diren. But Diren isn't infected.

Checking out the room - it stinks of feral animal, There's a heap of bones. And a heap of weapons. We find some magic and silver weapons. We loot, then ascend. Moth and Diren bicker about Tenser's Floating Disk on the way up, when we carry up the lead lined box at Diren's request.

It's night when we ascend, but no wraiths are around. But the hirelings are there with the former cultist, Thomas Blackheart. The elves were escorted safely - Blackheart and a swordsman handled some highwaymen. Otis passed word through them that the pirates passed through briefly but aren't around right now. The pirates are rumored to be fighting other pirates.

We set watches and sleep. The next day, everyone heads into Nulb. Elmo visits Otis - to fill him in on events, and to show off his Frostbrand. Some minor purchasing happens. Magic items are identified - a shortsword +1 shapechanger-bane, and a necklace of adaptation. These are handed out and we head back into the temple. We have a clever plan and leave the dog with Jason Axeman.

We head down and split up. Moth and Diren head down the well, while Elmo, Pire, and Theldin head to a big bronze door we think opens into that room. On they way the trio encounter five gnolls. The gnolls seem confused by them and their fire robes. Elmo attempts to intimidate them but isn't so convincing - but one look at Theldin is scary and the gnolls back down. The Frostbrand figures it's not a big deal as they aren't powerfully evil.

The trio proceed to the doors as planned. The elves climb down the well - the room below is lit by a milky radiance illuminating a thin mist. The floor is 40' below. Elmo pounds on the door calling for parley while Diren hammers in a spike above. They open the doors and gaze into the room - noting an altar and braziers. Elmo starts in and Diren drops the end of the rope.

We slowly enter and explore. We plan to extinguish the brazier, and Elmo draws his Frostbrand which extinguishes normal fires. Big clouds of smoke roil out of the braziers and start to fill the room. Diren and Theldin fall back from the room coughing. Pire grabs the braziers and puts them out of the room where they stop smoking. The smoke clears.

Moth summons a mephit. On command it grabs a knife from the altar. A whirlwind erupts from the pit, flinging the mephit about. Simultaneously, a door in the wall slides open and a belker comes through. Diren charges it, then Pire dismisses it from this plane. We dash across room and Diren sees there's a secret door. Elmo joins him and the mephit grabs stuff from the altar - but nothing more happens besides chimes.

We also find a secret trap door in the belker - it hides a censer of air elemental control. We check the other secret door out - there's a stairway down. Diren heads down, but it gets dark and clearly opens into more space so he retreats.

Pire gathers up the braziers then steps out into the southern hall. Great winds strike him - it's cold and has a foul odor. He's blown back into the room - falling down the stairs and coming to rest by the altar and on the edge of the pit.

Diren hops into the pit and sweeps a quarterstaff around to look for invisible stuff, but doesn't find anything. We move on through the western bronze doors.

We find more big bronze doors to the south as well as a secret door. We explore the secret door - a fountain and a stairway down. We close it up and go around a different way - finding a kitchen full of bugbears.

We charge in following Theldin. A few are really tired, probably came off guard duty or something. It's a slaughter.

Four goblins cower in the corner. We agree to free them if they help us deal with the Nulb pirates. We have to get them some weapons.