Roll call:

Trevor – Memnoch the Shibboleth and Brandenberg the 0-level dwarf
Clint – Zobol the Halfling, BIzo the Yeti Warrior, Jordek the Thief
Jon – Knut the Beekeeper Warrior, Lenora the Priestess of Starburst, Mindas the Elf

Memnoch & co. gathered together to take up their search for the Seven Songs, as they had promised Szymandia at the earlier session.

Various clues were assembled: The parchment that Narva had found in the wall was an ancient Elven map to a strange pond near the Black Lake; her baby was a wizened Elf, who told them to seek out the Songs and change the World. (Jordek the thief joined the group, had been a scullery boy who had found the parchment because he was throwing some rolls at one of the other cooks and had reached into the wall to get the roll, only to get the parchment.)

The party figured out that the map but wanted to hire an expert Swamp Man lake guide to take them, so went to Cynda’s bar and hired Mad Madlin to be their guide. (Though blind, Madlin is the expert on Swamp-man history, usually accompanied by one of his sons or grandsons, in this case, his grandson Ringo.) Madlin informed them that he had heard of the “7 Singers” that were to be found in this area.

Making their way to the pond on the ancient map, they saw something big lurking in the water and tried to lure it with a fishing lure. The creature burst out of the water, up-ending their skiff and tossing them to and fro. Knut executed a daring rope-swing maneuver to hurt it first, but the giant Salamander Autarch was unable to hit them (FUMBLE) and Memnoch critical’d his Rope Work spell, hauling the thing into the air and rendering it somewhat ineffective. It used its hallucinatory gas on them but still the group easily slaughtered it once Memnoch had dragged it up 50-60 feet and dropped it.

The “7 Singers” turned out to be frog-figurines mounted on poles all around the pond. When their mouths were filled with insects, they made a loud droning— and when all were activated thus at the same time, the Hidden Palace of the Muck Prince rose from the mucky, weed-entagled depths. Ignoring its jewel-capped spires for the moment, the bold adventurers braved the the Hidden Palace and made short work of the alligator mutants whose ambush failed.

They advanced to the throne room where they found a skeleton upside down upon a throne, a crown on the ground a few feet away. The skeleton was wearing an amulet palmed by Jordek the thief. The adventurers inspected the crown which was engraved with To my loving husband, may it see you always in health and prosperity.** They took the crown but no one placed it on their head. Next they journeyed into the room beyond, where they found the corpse of an elven woman in a glasss case, clutching a mithril dagger.

(When Jordek tried to abscond with the big hunk of gold amulet, Memnoch charmed him for up to 2 weeks.)

They spoke the name of her people (the Dothde) as the dagger suggested, and she woke- though still with a gaping neck-wound. Memnoch, Mindas and Jordek spoke with her, desiring the Seven Songs and indicating that they served Szymandia. The elf woman, who gave her name as Kanander, pointed them to the secret vault where her songs, 7 mithril plates of priceless origin, were stored. (along with some necklaces, and fine metalwork veils.) The told them to continue her work, to serve her sister(!) and to use the 7 Songs. Racking his brains, Memnoch vaguely remembered seeing a portrait of Szymandia that included a likeness of this woman.

Then she lay back down in her case. The mithril plates appear to be the 7 songs, not only priceless in magical power, but in timeless craftsmanship and Elven calligraphy.

The PCs took the loot and made their way quickly from the Hidden Palace- (they did not molest or defile the corpse, nor did they take her dagger.) As they left, the Palace sank behind them, obscuring the jewels set into its spires forever. Having satisfied their geas, they plan return to Loch Nwar and return the 7 songs on the plates to Szymandia, but not before making some copies for themselves.

XP – 13
Luck +1 point