Theldin moves back to guard the rear (Jeff is out today)

Elmo (re: fishee incense) - "It reminds me of the ocean, which I've never seen."

Planning on how to deal with an umberhulk in the pit. Air elemental is summoned. Ordered to go through the loot. It starts to come back with a wand and the umber hulk notices and charges the air elemental. Elmo throws his javelin of returning and misses - when it returns, he gets it tangled with his gear.

The umber hulk heads toward us as we plink at it with ranged weapons. Eventually the confusing gaze affects us all until Pire, in a moment of lucidity, casts circle of protection to ward off the effect. Then it's quickly killed.

It did have some loot in its trash, including a wand of lightning bolt. We proceed forward, heading toward the statuary room. On the way we see a hazy daylight corridor.

We head in, it's a pastoral scene but with jackals and rats menacing victims chained on slabs. And four harpies around. The harpies start to sing, but it doesn't sound like harpy song we heard before. They fly to attack...

Combat is joined, and the harpies are quickly taking losses. Once one is killed, the illusion on it fades and we realize they are gargoyles. They are cut down as we move forward and the jackals turn on us. Soon the captives break free and say they'll help us. We don't trust them though. Moth casts a web, locking up the captives and some of the jackals. As they struggle forward, Diren backs out and hurls alchemist's fire, burning up many of the jackals.

Combat continues and it turns out the captives were jackalweres. We finish them off - Diren's shortsword of shapechanger bane is finally really handy. After combat, we find no loot and want to rest. We head the nicest of the nearby bugbear rooms to rest. Pass the night in safety.

In the morning, after breakfast, we head to the trapdoor to the mezzanine. Down the tight spiral stairs. Diren is scouting ahead and notices a basilisk around the corner. He turns back to warn the party. Plans are laid. Moth casts a fog cloud around the beast. Diren tries to sneak around it, but is narrating all his actions to himself. Still the beast does nothing til he ends up behind it. Then he sees it looking over it's shoulder at him. He's not turned to stone, but combat begins.

There's chaos and confusion in the fog. A centipede scuttles out touches Diren's foot, but whatever spell it carried fails to discharge. Eventually Diren realizes it's an illusion. There's a bunch more chaos as a rogue attacks us. Once she's driven back (turns invisible, is closeed in room), the fog is cleared by our elemental and a wizard attacks us. Diren has disarmed the trap that made the illusionary basilisk. We deal with the wizard - his familiar escapes.

We loot his room. We will loot the rogue's room next time - for real time reasons.