Alex and I awoke in pitch darkness. We were in some sort of cave. Quickly, I conjured a light, and we checked for our belongings. Strangely enough, they were all there. Alex got suited up, while I explored our current surroundings. It was a small chamber, with a dome-shaped roof. Two stone beds, like sacrificial plinths, rose from the middle. It was on those plinths that we awoke. I didn't like the feel of this place.
With no other options, we began to explore. The cave system ran deep, with several ledges and winding staircases. I owe Alex my life for saving me several times from certain death. It's easy to see that he is an experienced soldier. Even so, each spot we found that looked like a promising way out turned out to be a dead end. What's more, the place had a charming infestation of gnolls. And it gets better. The gnolls were trying to drive out the goblin infestation, and vice versa. We found ourselves accepting work from the goblins in order to find a way out. They wanted us to eradicate the gnoll alpha.
As we continued our wandering, we happened upon a stone door — something that looked fresh and man-made in this hell hole. We listened, and heard gnolls on the other side. And then something else — as we were planning our next move, we heard the familiar voice of Morgrym, shouting and taunting the hyena people. We knocked the door open to see that he had emerged on the other side of the room, had drawn his axe, and was now locked in battle with four of them.
We lent our aid, and felled the beasts quickly. Apparently Morgrym had awoken in a prison cell, and had talked the guard into opening the cell door to deliver his food. Then, he had attacked, knocked the guard out, gathered his gear, and made his escape. The most well-worn path leading out of the secluded building he was being held in led up to a mountain, and more specifically into a cave in the mountain.
He had also taken a map form the guard post, which showed our location, and exactly how to get to the rebel base camp. It even had directions through this maze-like pass. Nadine was in the base camp, we knew, as well as whomever had done this strange deed. Now it was just a matter of getting there.
-Matau Ing'um
