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• Calliope Laurelleaf – Halfling Bard (Not Present)
• Ellyjobell – Gnome Ranger
• Phalen – High Elf Cleric
• Talerien – Wood Elf Ranger
• Trogdorr – Dragonborn Barbarian
• Twirpo – Hill Dwarf Wizard
• Alaric Lysane – Human Fighter

Calliope explains that since they’re in unfamiliar territory, that she will stay with the children while the others explore the area and try to determine where they are.

Leaving Calliope with the children, the party heads into the swamp beyond the lake. Ellyjobel notices that once they’re inside the swamp, a 3′ stick figure (with arms, legs, woven together by veins) appears to be following them. She shoves it back 30′ feet and it seems to disappear – only to reappear a few moments later holding Alaric’s axes which he had lost when the Vargoyle creatures vanished in the portal. Unable to communicate with the figure – Trogdorr burns it and the party leaves it.

Traveling deeper into the swamp; the party spots large, unusual tracks and Talerien decides to try and track it – the swamp works against him – and almost immediately, he loses site of the rest of the party (Critical Fail) as fog rolls in and obscures his view. He suddenly comes face to face with a basilisk and fails his savings throw, turning to stone.

The party – unable to spot Talerien who also does not answer any calls out – decides to climb a tree – and see a large, wooden house that looks run down, sitting on top of a hill. The party opts to move towards the house to see if Talerien also may have headed there. When they get to the house, large lights, like swaying lanterns appear just in the dark – and one of them calls to Ellyjobell, promising her a way out – she is unable to resist, but is rendered unconscious by Trogdorr pummeling her to control her.

The party moves inside the barren house through the back door and step into the kitchen; checking the kitchen they find nothing interesting. They open the door leading deeper into the house and see a black hall that seems to devour all forms of light. The party opts to not go into the hall and goes around to the front and enters the front door – where they see a barren living room – with a chimney, couch and nothing else – except a figure in the middle of the room, appearing to be reading. After some cautious moves, they discover it’s a statue – of none other than Talerien! The party takes note that the book in his hand was placed after – and it seems to be a ritualistic book – but an odd page is on top of it with an unusual riddle (Two Ran West, One Ran South, Four Ran East, Thinking It Best, While Watching With Open Mouth).

Suddenly – all but Elly and Twirpo notice – that the outside of the exterior of the house shifts – and North and South no longer seem to be pointing the same way. The party moves the statue of Talerien and finds a secret passage beneath him, but it only fits small sized creatures. Neither Elly (who has now regained consciousness) nor Twirpo are willing to go into the dark, odorous tunnel. They examine the house further and see that the fire in the chimney seems to be souls burning in Hades, and notice an attic door that they open and climb into. Around this time – six wooden figures – similar to what they’d seen before appear in the house. The party figures out that they’re somehow representative of each of them (throwing one may also impact one of the party members).

Elly peers under a sheet and sees a girl, hidden, whose ghostly appearance ages her 90 years! Trogdorr notices a rocking chair moving on it’s own – and is possessed but controls it and allows it to speak through him – and it mentions something about gaze of stone, and breath that seals fate.

When the party goes back down – they notice the house has shifted again. The party waits and times it and notices the house shifts every hour. Elly notices that there’s something in Talerien’s mouth and checks – and finds a skeleton key. The party searches the house and can’t find what the key might fit to. The house shifts again – and this time there is a pentagram on the floor – and sounds of children screaming in the attic.

The house eventually shifts to where it sits on a mountain – and the party notices that the secret passage beneath where Talerien had been positioned is back – but it smells clean. Twirpo goes down and finds Ancient Dwarven Runes that essentially speak of using these tunnels as an escape. Talerien eventually is free of his stone curse and explains he remembers seeing three hags placing him in the center of a pentagram and speaking to one another – but could not understand what they were saying. He remembers one of the hags using magic to open his mouth and place the key there.

Elly and Twirpo head down the hidden floor passage and find an unusual lock – and realize the riddle found in the book that Talerien was holding was the key – and the mouth open – ends up being the keyhole. Entering the key – they’re able to proceed forward when a passage reveals itself. The others, up above, move along and find a hidden passage revealed to them as well. Elly and Twirpo end up on a ledge above three hags and the others end up in a hallway near the three hags. As the party ponders what to do – one of the hags mysteriously teleports away…