The party got up early for their trip to the Moathouse. As they were assembling, Chatrilon Unosh approached and proposed accompanying the party. His reason was "adventure and treasure", and the hope that if he missed something on his last trip to the Moathouse, there was safety in numbers and an increased chance of finding something. The group, especially Larian, were not particularly interested in his company.

To further complicate matters, just after Chatrilon, Redithidor Halfmoon (the wannabe Bard) also asked to accompany the group. Chatrilon did not seem particularly keen on his company, but Larian had an idea.

They all went off to the old abandoned Town Hall, where Larian drew a small circle on one wall and asked each of them to shoot at it. Redithidor fired three arrows. Each one hit the target, but just barely. Chatrilon, however, fired a group which hit the target dead-centre. Suddenly The Shadow appeared in their midst, apparently out of nowhere. Larian, saying that he was not the leader of the group, threw open the question. Marbo replied "yeah, whatever" and they group of eight adventurers set off in their hired cart pulled by borrowed donkeys.

The Moathouse was about ten miles away. Partway along the road they met an old trapper, who called himself "Old Del". Larian had a conversation with him, during which Del advised them not to go to the Moathouse, because he saw a dragon there yesterday. The Shadow had scouted the moathouse in the week before the rest of the group arrived, and she had not seen any dragon. During the conversation, Chatrilon vanished. Larian, suspicious as always, declared Chatrilon to be a target from that moment on.

The first thing that spring into Marbo's mind when he saw the ruined Moathouse was "why the heck would anyone build a defensive structure here?"

The ruined fortress was in a valley. A river running through the valley formed the moat. There was a drawbridge over the river, which had been shorn up very recently by the addition of new planks. The Shadow vanished to scout the approach. She saw signs of something big moving in the swampy reeds. Tor and Marbo headed down, while The Shadow threw a rock at whatever it was.

With a great croak, the enormous frog leapt into view, lashing out with its sticky tongue at Marbo. Fortunately he was not caught, and he and Tor pounded the thing to death, but not before it had inflicted a serious bite on Marbo. A quick healing spell from Larian, and they considered how to enter the Moathouse.

Carefully they approached the drawbridge. The moment The Shadow moved from cover, a lighning bolt lashed out from the entrance opposite the courtyard, narrowly missing her. A pony-sized blue dragon emerged confidently.

Marbo immediately charged into battle, but was gravely wounded. Tor cast a Spiritual Weapon spell, and the ghostly replica of Moradin's warhammer attacked, leaving Tor to move into range and cast a healing spell on Marbo. Thyla missed with several magic arrows but hit with an ordinary one. The Shadow threw two daggers which embedded themselves in the beast's scaly hide. Telnash used her wand of Fireballs, cleverly aiming the blast to avoid hitting Marbo.

However, when Chatrilon Unosh appeared and sent an arrow into the dragon's eye, it decided that it had had enough and took to the air. Marbo with renewed vigor struck at it again, but was unable to hit it. Telnash cast an Acid Arrow spell, which further wounded it.

At that moment Larian started taunting it in Draconic. The dragon noticed and flew directly at him, raking him with a claw as it went past. Now some distance away, Telnash cast a Magic Missile which struck inerringly and sent the dragon crashing to the ridge, dead.

The Shadow wanted to recover her daggers, but Tor and Telnash had cast a couple of spells that were going to expire soon, so they decided to explore the Moathouse first.

In the great hall of the keep, there were two dead bodies. The male was wearing ochre-coloured robes, the female was wearing studded leather armour, dyed black. Each was carrying a magic weapon - a mace and a short bow, respectively. Each also was wearing an amulet - an upside-down black triangle with a yellow Y inscribed within it. Tor only knew that this was a symbol of a great and ancient evil, but Telnash recognised it as the sign of an obsure god known only as the Elder Elemental Eye. She deduced some connection with the Temple of Elemental Evil.

They found nothing else except a grey ooze which tried to dissolve Marbo. Tor crushed it with Moradin's Finger.

There appeared to be only one way to the lower levels - a dark and ruined staircase leading down from the main hall. What will they find in the depths of the dungeon below the Moathouse? Will they find the missing Spugnoir? Or something far older, darker and more sinister?

Show me Episode 3!