Erastus 3, 4711
In the morning, the Coopers search the rest of the room. Roscoe seizes two bone priests outfits, while Gerald grabs a black ritual candle.
Aidan decides to explore the room next door, and gets smashed when the ceiling drops on him. The chest he tried to open was a trap. Aidan repeats the process several times, while Gerald also becomes a victim of the roof trap.
Feeling slightly refreshed, the Coopers decide to finish exploring this level of the Emerald Spire. They head towards one of the rooms left behind. Upon opening the door, they discover the moon spiders' nest. Roscoe comes up with a clever plan to incinerate the babies that rush at them, and after setting it up with Darelle and Daryle, the spiders die in a fiery inferno. Looting the room, they discover several cocoons of small spiders. Gerald grabs some of the webbing for spell components, while Daryle fills a small jar of moon spider eggs. Gerald decides to do the same, but he adds a ray of frost to freeze them inside his jar.
Returning towards the northeast corner of the dungeon, they enter a crypt with eight sarcophagi placed at equal distance from each other. Each one is inscribed in Azlani. Gerald carefully copies the name in passable Azlani: Valeros, Codwin, Kreedis, Jamus, Teedum, Carmoth, Delduin, and Aylsande. All but Aylsande are male. Upon touching one of the sarcophagi, the lids slide open and six skeletons emerge, charging the Coopers. Gerald manages to delay Aylsande by appealing to her mercy but the skeleton has been dead too long to recall its former life, and in the end she joins the fray.
Gerald is incapacitated, but Roscoe manages to turn the tide and slay the last skeleton in an epic battle. As a result, they get their hands on a crown, two bracers, a silken ceremonial armor, and a short sword for each skeleton. In the remaining two sarcophagi they discover two intact skeletons and also remove their equipment.
They also discover that one of the sarcophagi actually covers a staircase leading to the third level of the Emerald Spire. Having cleared the second level of the Spire, the Coopers decide to return to Fort Inevitable to rest and stock up on healing potions.
As payment for exiting the Spire, Daryle gives Greenhide one of the silken armor that had been badly damaged in the fight against the skeleton, but the goblin appears either not to notice or not to care and he thanks them.
Back at Fort Inevitable, Gerald presents the map of the 2nd level to Abernard Royst, and also inquires if the old sage knows the names Gerald discovered. Abernard tells him that he does not, but he will conduct some research and let the sorcerer know what he finds out.
Daryle sells one of the Azlani bracers to Tom Braddon, Thorn's employer at the General Store.
Roscoe reports on his mission to the Spire with Lady Commander Audara Drovust. She informs him that about two years ago, a large party of Hellknights led by Chaid DiViri entered the Spire and went as far as the 8th level of the dungeon. Upon their last trip outside the Spire, DiViri had reported there was a strange level below rumored to be connected to the plane of fire, with powerful lawful magic. So DiViri returned to the Spire with twenty-eight Hellknights. They were never seen again. Drovust entrusts Roscoe with finding any remains or items so that a proper chronicle can be written.
Erastus 6, 4711
After three days of rest, the Coopers purchase several scrolls and potions of healing. They head back to the Emerald Spire, and travel down to the 3rd level. There, they discover that a stair case leads down to the 4th level, but that the rest of this level has been barricaded by humans. After several conversations, they realize that these brigands know their brother Thorn, but they will not grant them passage through the 3rd level.
Gerald comes up with a clever plan. They are here to deliver the "magical" head of a skeletal cat to Klarkosh, the overlord of the first six levels, and they must take the head down personally.
Eventually, after several back and forth, the brigands agree to let one of the Coopers through the gate and take him down to see Klarkosh. The party agrees that it's a good idea, and Gerald volunteers for the courrier duty. So, of course, Gerald goes through the gate ...
After a few hours, with Gerald not returning, Roscoe, Darelle and Daryle return to Fort Inevitable, with a Cooper missing.
