September 17, 2001

10th day of Wealsun, 591 CY
     It all started in Oakhurst, a small town in north-western Furyondy, about 60 miles NNE of Caronis.  Six human adventurers, unknown to each other and each with their own reasons, had made their way to this close-knit community.  They were Haggar, a rough looking barbarian with a saddle-bag, but no horse; Holten,  a sorcerer; Wyatt, an elementalist wizard with a flair for languages; Rannos, a cleric of Pelor; Xavia, a quiet but effective fighter; and Sunche, a monk with fists of speed.  Some had specific reasons to be in Oakhurst, others found it as good a place as any to start an adventuring career. 
     Whatever their reason for being there, they found themselves in Mayor Vurnor Leng's office at the same time, responding to a call for adventurers.  Mayor Leng was looking for a party to go to a place called "The Sunless Citadel" to find a group of adventurers who had gone there previously, and to solve the riddle that the first group had hoped to solve.  That is, the riddle of the missing saplings.  As Mayor Leng explained, each year at the end of the Richfest Midsummer festival, a small group of goblins would come into Oakhurst and sell a magical fruit.  The fruit had the wondrous property of healing any and all ailments that had been plaguing the one who consumed a portion of it.  The fruit could be divided into four segments without it loosing its efficacy.  Each year, the townspeople would plant the seeds that remained from the fruit, hoping that a tree would grow and produce the same miraculous fruit.   Every time the saplings grown from the seeds reached two feet in height, they would disappear.  According to the Mayor, the townsfolk figure that the goblins come back and steal the saplings so that they can control the trade in the magical fruit.
     The prior team of adventurers is made up of three local folk, including two children of the wealthy Hucrele merchant family.  The three locals are Talgen Hucrele, a fighter, Sharwyn Hucrele, a wizard, and a ranger named Karakas.  The fourth member of the missing group is a paladin of Pelor named Sir Bradford.
     After getting as much information as they could about The Sunless Citadel, the fruit, and the missing party, the adventurers decided to band together for this mission and accept the Mayor's commission.  Mayor Leng explained that the town could not offer much, but that the Hucrele family was offering a reward for the return of the signet rings from the two Hucrele adventurers.
     Upon leaving the Mayor's office, the party stopped at the Hucrele family home and spoke with the Keeper of the House, Karsten Vander.  Karsten explained that the matriarch of the family, Kelantea Hercule fears the "children" dead and is in a period of mourning.  Karsten confirmed Mayor Leng's commission and specified that the reward would be 125 gold pieces for each signet ring returned, double if they group can bring back the Hucreles in good shape.
     Having made their introductions with one another, and excited about the prospects of the quest in front of them, the party stopped at the Ol' Boar Inn to gather their supplies, eat a hot meal, and begin the adventure. 

September 27, 2001

10th day of Wealsun, 591 CY (continued)
     After walking along the Old Road all morning and part of the afternoon, the newly-formed band of adventurers found themselves at a great crevice.  A rope was found tied to a post; the rope hung down in the crevice.  This must be the Sunless Citadel.  Getting to the entrance to the Citadel required the party to climb down the rope, navigate a series of switch-back stairs, and battle a pack of dire rats (the first of many). 
      When they reached the bottom, Rannos decided that priests were better suited to opening doors than those with more of a warrior's background.  Almost immediately, he fell into a pit trap, was attacked by a dire rat (that infected him with disease) and was nearly killed.  Luckily, he retained his clerical abilities and could heal himself.   The group soldiered on, avoiding (or surviving) traps, encountered and defeated skeletons and more dire rats, until finding Meepo.
     What's a Meepo?  Meepo is the "dragon-keeper" of the kobold tribe that calls the Citadel their home.  Unfortunately, as a dragon-less dragon-keeper, Meepo's value to the tribe was very low, and he was ordered to stay in the dragon training room by himself.  The group found him hiding under a pile of filthy blankets.  Wyatt, having the foresight to learn draconic (which is the native language of kobolds), convinced Meepo to introduce the group to the leader of the tribe.
     Meepo, realizing that this might be his salvation, conveyed the party through kobold territory into the Dragon Throne room for an audience with Yusdrayl, the female kobold leader.  After some parley, the party learned that white dragonling that Meepo had been training, Calcryx, had been stolen in one of the goblin raids that are regularly attempted.  In exchange for a key that may fit a door found earlier that the group could not open, they agreed to try to recapture Calcryx.
     Again on the move, and pleased with themselves at the apparent progress they are making, the group begins the trek towards goblin territory to find Calcryx.

November 23, 2001 (Adventure wrap-up, somewhat condensed)

25th day of Wealsun, 591 CY
     The party returned to town, glad to be done with the Citadel.  Wyatt was heard to have muttered "If I never see a door in a dungeon again it'll be too soon for my liking."
     Happy to be back in Oakhurst, not too much worse for the wear, the group had the unenviable task of returning the two Hucrele signet rings back to the deceased's family.  They did not tell Kelantea Hucrele of the final fate that befell Sharwyn or Talgen, other than that they were killed in the Citadel.  Kelantea gave the party the promised reward and expressed her gratitude further by granting a favor to the group.
     The group recounted their adventures to the mayor, and discussed the nature and demise of the Gulthias Tree.  The mayor, although disappointed about the loss of the supply of healing fruit, was gladdened by the destruction of the evil tree and the defeat of the mad druid Belak.  At a feast held in honor of Haggar's Horribles, the mayor realized that all of the "saplings" that had disappeared were roaming were free to roam the countryside.  Who knows what will come of this evil offspring of the Gulthias Tree..
     The next morn, after having a grand time at the feast, the party was planning the next steps for the group.  Some issues still needed to be resolved.  Wyatt's sister needed a portion of the healing fruit that they retrieved from the Gulthias Tree before destroying it;  Rannos wished to find a way to destroy the necromantic dwarven whistle Azun-Gund; and Holten, upset that the group supported Rannos' plans for Azun-Gund, was trying to brew dissent in the group by laying claim to the magical sword Shatterspike.  Futhermore, the next adventure lay down one of the many roads in front of the group.  There was the mystery of the three slightly magical keys found in the Sunless Citadel, and there was the map the group found that lead the way to some dwarven community called Khundrukar (translated from the Dwarven: Glitterhame).  Where would the party go?  How would they deal with the issues facing them?  Will they wait for Wyatt while he goes home to heal his dying sister?  Will Holten allow Rannos to destroy Azun-Gund?  These questions and more await Haggar's Horribles......