Storyline

The elder cleric of Valkur asks Julian, as the head of the party, if they'd be willing to track down the enshrined remains of the fabled saint of Valkur. Julian accepts, tries to dupe the party out of a bulk of the pay. The rest of the party ditches Julian. He entertains himself in the bar, imagining how badly they much be doing without him. He eventually chats with a new arrival to town, a star elf named Luke.

Start of game: at crypt. Ghast rises from broken grave marker. Bloodaxe gets paralyzed by the reaking bite of the ghast and a small fight ensues until Lylla turns the undead creature with the force of her faith. The ghast runs frightened through the temple until killed. The group drags the corpse back to the temple of Valkur, gains their pay. The ranger of Mielikki speaks with Luke and Julian. The rest of the party shows up. The ranger asks Lylla and Luke to track down a druid friend of his, who had gone to recover an urn which could aid the star elves of the Yuirwood in their battle against the Nilshai.

Start of game: in Orlthar, at the temple of Mielikki. The ranger provides Lylla with several scrolls inscribed with healing, as a form of payment for finding the druid, as well as a rough map showing the direction the druid was traveling. The ranger professes worry about the lack of a skilled woodsman in the party, but Bloodaxe scoffs. After a short discussion on travel routes, the party leaves the temple. Azar spends the rest of the evening copying a spell from scroll into his spellbook, while others in the party frantically dash about buying mules and provisions for the trip. Julian decides that adventuring with the group is more profitable, and approaches Lylla with apologies and giftwrapped curatives. The next morning, with mules loaded up with shovels, hammers and other excavation paraphernalis, the group leaves Orlthar and heads southeast, towards the edge of the forest. Despite the ferocious opposition of a few Krenshar laying in wait, they make it to the forest edge, where the river Orl flows. Camped along the river is a small Yuirwood patrol.