16 Marpenoth, 1371

Dear Master Zorthaster,

We finally appear to be taking a rest under the Dordrien Crypts, so again, I will scribble a few notes about our explorations and our first terrible encounters with dark elves. We are going very slowly, remaining cautious, and holding our own for now. The creatures we have faced thus far lead me to believe that something far more sinister than routine drow raiding of the surface world is going on here. In addition to the drow, we have encountered demons and monsters with what appear to be demonic traits.

In my last letter I wrote that we were faced with a set of stairs descending deeper into the earth. We followed those steps, with Xan and Shane scouting ahead. The passage led to a chamber that was largely formed of natural rock. Many niches were carved into the stone of the walls. Ancient corpses filled these dusty recesses. The next large cavern was much the same except it was adorned with a huge brooding statue of stone in the center of the room. The giant figure was gaunt and alien looking with bulbous eyes and insect-like mandibles set in an elongated head. It looked somewhat like an ultaroth of the lower planes, but we suspect that this statue is meant to represent Jergal. We carefully avoided disturbing any of the Dordrien dead and crept quietly past the silent guardian.

In the corridor outside the cavern, Xan and Shane encountered a roper. There was a brief struggle, but the creature was quickly dispatched. Just a little way on, Xan discovered a hidden passage. The entrance was cloaked by an illusionary wall. Inside the large room beyond the illusion we battled two fiendish spider-like monstrosities. They were huge and powerful. One speared through Oskar's plate mail with a sharp, powerful limb and shredded the metal as though it were decorative paper wrapping a present. I believe these creatures were bebeliths. I know they were immune to lightning as I sent a powerful bolt at one only to have it completely ignored.

This room also led on to another chamber. It too was hidden by illusionary wall. The next room was guarded by a web trap and held two shapeshifting spider/warriors. They polymorphed into drow once they dropped from the webbing into battle. I used the last of my magic missile spells on these creatures. I will need to prepare more of these spells as soon as possible. Often, in these close quarters, with the dark pressing in from all sides, these magical bolts are the only thing I can use without endangering my friends.

Again we discovered an illusionary wall hiding yet another room. Beyond were four well-prepared drow. One hit us with an ice storm as we bunched in the narrow passage leading into the room. Ciercie was hit by the effects of this spell as well as I. Oskar has been very kind to me and has been protecting me with a shield other spell much of the time we have been in danger lately. I did not take much damage from the spell as a consequence of both this and the magical winter boots I recently acquired. When I purchased those I also picked up a beautiful little bauble for Ciercie. It is an amulet of Laeral's tears. It was well that I did and that I fixed it up to hang on Ciercie's neck, for the ice storm would have hurt her badly otherwise.

It was clear that the drow had heard us battling in the other room and were prepared for us. We walked into a nasty ambush. Their spells flew freely and they had the advantage of a much greater range of vision in the darkness. Between Xan, Shane and Oskar, though, we outmatched them in straight-up combat punch. The trick was to be able to pinpoint their locations and see them out in the darkness. The battle gave me an opportunity to analyze some of the ways the dark elves use their advantages. As I see it, my job now is to figure out how to support my companions better as we encounter more of the drow. Drow magic resistance is legendary. Many of my spells are useless against the demons and incorporeal undead we have been encountering. I believe my abilities can be best put to our advantage by supporting my friends rather than trying to penetrate the magical defenses of our enemies. Even so, I will keep a few offensive spells ready in the event that we meet something more vulnerable to the Art.

We salvaged what we could from the dead drow and with Primula's guidance, we arranged the bodies of the drow, shapeshifters and bebeliths so that they appeared to be fighting each other I don't know if this ruse will fool any dark elf that might view it, but perhaps it cause some confusion or at least make it harder for them to determine just who is creeping around the tomb.

We backtracked out of the dead-end passage and continued to explore new territory. In the next room to be explored we discovered a master at sowing confusion and destruction. Again Xan and Shane were scouting and ran into danger before the rest of the group. I first heard a quiet, but urgent warning about an invisible danger. The warning came with a call for the gifts of the paladin and he and Moradin's Breath bounded round the corner. I heard his reaction before I could see the danger. His voice was thick with disgust and loathing as he said that he could not see source but there was tremendous evil present. The warriors charged in and the creature was dead before I entered the room. I had a see invisibility spell active so I could investigate the corpse. Xan said that he had seen the creature transform from a ghoulish looking thing into an elf. It appeared to me to be one of the maurezhi, a demon who feeds on corpses and that can assume the forms of humanoids. I have heard that these monsters can consume the essence of a living creature and then assume his form. I shudder to think of the terrible fate that could have befallen us had we not had Oskar aiding our mission. Xan told us all that the creature, after taking the shape of an elf, pleaded with him to show a poor, lost soul a way out. The elf held his arrow long enough for Oskar to come up and reveal the danger. It must have been a powerful evil, for even now, as we are resting and discussing what to do next, the dwarf shows signs of the powerful revulsion he felt when sensing the creature. I admire his bravery. I can only guess at the depths of evil that such a creature represents. He feels the darkness and yet he pushes deeper toward the source from which it sprang.

Once again I end my letter with praise and admiration for all my companions. I will try, as best I can, to emulate their bravery and skill. I will do what I can to help them survive this dark well of endless night until we can, once more, walk in the sunlight. Until then, I remain

Your faithful student,

Cedar