Trudging through the marsh it soon became obvious that everything was out to get them: sharks, behemoth, marsh leopard, distant howling drawing closer.  Finding the causeway was a relief, and finding a 'bog hobbit' cottage on a dry rise was truely a blessing.  Holly, Timmy and their aged parents agreed to let you camp safely in their yard.  Holly was a ray of sunshine, especially to Thymas.  She spoke of a sorcerer named Sheelba of the Eyeless Face who traded with her on occasion.  She and Timmy peeked into his hut one night and both were rewarded with mystical powers.  Holly can take the form of a cat and Timmy can see invisible things, although both gifts seem troublesome at times: Holly behaves as a cat (only changing back to hobbit form when Timmy taps a tin), and Timmy sometimes wishes he didn't have to see the lost souls wandering the marsh.

Against Thymas better judgement, the party all decided to peek when Sheelba's hut walked out of the swamp and set its stilts down beside the old water barrel.  "Peekers!  Be humbled until the sands run out, then pry no more into wizard's business!"  That should have been an hour spent as a caterpillar, tadpole and bean, but Holly the Cat playfully turned the hourglass and that hour became three months!

The party learned from the hobbits that Lord Rannarsh's men had been searching the swamp for their master, and for three scoundrels matching their description.  She had told them that you'd passed this way but left suddenly.  The party were cross with Holly, words were spoken in anger and the comfortable cottage was left behind.  Frustrations were taken out on Russell and Hilda, two crafty werewolves, then on salt spiders and lizardmen.  They really let rip when Sheelba returned in her(?) walking hut, but their arrows and fire bombs only amused the wizard.  Sheelba was interested in trading for the cursed diamond that was attracting so many monsters.  Eventually a price was agreed: enchanted gloves and armour for Thymas, the gift of Tongues for Valor and Mirror Image for Nyx.  Sheelba advised that the 12 rubies should fetch 1000 gold rilks each, but that they were known as the Teeth of Mog and others would be interested in them.  Sheelba left without another word, making sport of the unfortunate monsters drawn to the cursed diamond.

Valour then had no trouble reading the mysterious diagram found in the treasure house: a map of the tunnels and sewers beneath the city of Ilthmar.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:12, Mon 28 Jan 2019.