After retreating from the Ghostlord's lair, the party returns to the wild elves' camspite. There, they find their Tiri Kitor guides awaiting their return. Relating their desire to return to Vraath Keep, the elves simply nod and begin preparing their great owls for a hasty departure. Apparently, they too have little desire to linger in the Thornwaste for they also noticed the ghostly lions prowling in the distance and would just as soon be gone at once. And just like that, the adventurers are helped onto the great owls and borne aloft, soaring above the Thornwaste as the sun drifts under the distant horizon, the landscape below them cast in shadow.

Soaring high above the ground, the owls glide ever northward, beyond the ruins of Drellin's Ferry and over the darkness of the Witchwood toward Vraath Keep. As the owls swoop in on the ruins of Vraath Keep, one of the elven guides gestures off in the distance. In the light of the waxing moon that hangs overhead, the adventurers see the shadow of a familiar foe, a manticore, alighting quickly away from the keep. Apparently the manticore returned to its lair after the adventurers previous departue and wants no part of a lopsided confrontation with a flight of Tiri Kitor hunters.

One of the wild elves begs to give chase, but is waved off by her flight leader. A chase for another day. The great owls circle the keep for some time in an effort to assess whether any other foes remain within and then, presuming the site to be devoid of threats, they land just outside the keep.

The Tiri Kitor leader says, "We must not tarry here long. Do as you will, but make it quick." As soon as the party has dismounted the owls, the wild elves take flight yet again and begin to circle the area, remaining vigilant for the manticore's potential return.

Eoni had fallen asleep on the flight over from the Thornwaste.  She was tired, but shook it off to explain why she'd chosen this stopover.

"We're looking for Lord Vraath's hidden arsenal," she explained, recalling the map they'd recovered after their battle with the first acid beast.  "That map we found said there was a tunnel beneath the tower somewhere.  I believe we'll need every bit of his legacy in order to save the Vale."

She nodded for Valthur to lead the way through the familiar ruined gates of Vraath Keep.  The circular tower in the southwest corner towering above the ruin was their destination.

"To the hidden vault and final resting place of Emery Vraath!" Valthur brags, leading the team to the southwest tower. "Sounds like some useful items should be here for us. Who's got the map? Taerix?"

OOC: For those of you who (like me) forgot, chapter 10, msg #158 describes the map.

Entering the ruined keep, the party proceeds directly to the southwest tower, the site of Wyrmlord Koth's private quarters and the location where the adventurers first found the map detailing the Red Hand's war campaign.

The tower appears much as it did a month ago during the party's first visit--a circular chamber outfitted with a mixture of furniture, including a large desk, an overstuffed chair, a four-poster bed, and a large easel. A set of stairs leads up to the collapsed second floor and a pile of debris is strewn about the chamber's floors below the section of ceiling that has caved in and now lies heaped up at the base of the stairs.

"Let's try under the bed," Eoni suggested.  "See if you can slide it out of the way."

Valthur dutifully grabs the bed and slides it over the floor to reveal what lies underneath. "Don't worry, Eoni," he boasts. "We Ironhelms are experts at finding secret doors and such. If there is so much as a concealed mouse hole in this room, I'll find it."

With the bed out of the way, he carefully scans the floor for any sign of anything hidden.

Valthur discovers a concealed trap door located in the floorboard, between the four poster bed and the overstuffed chair. Pulling the trapdoor open, the dwarf finds a 5-foot wide vertical shaft fitted with a rusty iron ladder that descends 40 feet straight down.

"Nice work," Taerix compliments the dwarf. He gets ready to take his turn if the group decides to descend.

"There may be traps," Eoni warned the dwarf.  "I don't think we should all go down at once.  Maybe you and Taerix can scout ahead.  You can take my tiara for light."

She held out the magically lighted tiara to Taerix.

"You can let us know if you need anyone else to help out once you've discovered something."

Taerix takes the tiara and asks Valthur, "You first or me?"