Down the lift and into a big alcove that had too many nooks and tunnels to attempt much of a defensible position from the lift. We were barely out in the open before trouble found us again. I was ready to scramble us back up and let Mithinu try one of them fireballs down the lift shaft but Evan and his Selune-guided powers had already gained the upper hand. We poked around a bit, found even more trouble (go figure), and somehow Slyl managed a nice one shot, quick and quiet kill on some gargoyle-like creature that was barking out orders to a small mob to stone Sharisa. Now why exactly we were attacking someone who was attacking a person that only a couple of days ago who was fully intent on blasting Evan to dust was beyond me but I was the last into battle. Afterwards is when I was most confused, Pavel moved forward to heal her lifeless body, while he was wracked with pain the clasped hands on the end of his staff opened up and after a few moments Sharisa apparently returned to life, very docile, complaint and helpful. Evidently in this transition Pavel is now without sight, I don't know for how long or if it is permanent but Lief is acting as his seeing eyes and I occasionally toss small pebbles towards Pavel's chest to try to keep him alert and heighten his battle instincts. Later we learn from Sharisa that his has become what I can only describe as reborn, she was in the act of denouncing Shar and that was the cause of the stoning, Pavel's act of kindness helped seal her convictions that Ilmater, not Shar, is where her true being belonged. We deliberated, rested and returned to the Calishite burial tomb, and against my objections Mithinu cast a spell to open the magically held door. Most of the room filled with sand and we left bad enough alone at that point. I wonder if Mithinu would have been so willing to satisfy curiosity if that had been an elven burial tomb. We did find another way out, another tunnel that was either unsafe and thus barred or a trapped dwarven retreat tunnel. We also found a shaft the went down so far we could never tell how far down the bottom was, our best guess was at least several hundred feet beyond the few hundred feet of rope combined that we had. The only other path evident was a tracked tunnel that sloped downwards into what Slyl calls the underdark. Pavel in his now blind state really put a crimp on our ability to match up his visions with the scenery that the rest of us can plainly see, but he beckoned to Ilmater for guidance and indicated that down the tracks and into the underdark is where our path leads. Pavel also had Lief pen a letter to Animosus that Sharisa is now supposedly someone to be trusted and now she and the letter are on their way back to Kurth. I think I almost miss Animosus, at least he would have had enough respect for the dead to leave some doors alone.

Well now aren't we in a pickle, our only ways out are blocked by a wall of force, or a magically held door. Not that the door is a promise of any way out. Slyl got slammed hard by some polymorphing creature that was willing to part with information in exchange for being let go, it posed no real threat and had little knowledge of any plans bigger than its next lunch. We found an arch that was enveloped in the same kind of darkness that is a signature card for Corim, I went into to search as many of us were pretty banged up. In the darkness I found a camel spider, well, it much more found me. I thought that these were only indigenous to the south, I wonder how and why there is one this far north. I now have a camel spider leg nearly as big as the one that hangs over my grandfather's mantle but we need to travel lightly so this trophy will have to stay here. In the room of darkness we found a secret chamber that was the final resting place of Perhask-akn, who apparently was Caliph of the 7th Realm of Coramshan. I am beginning to wonder if we really ARE in Calimshan. A breathtaking find, one of substantial historical importance, one that may yet prove to be a key bargaining chip is now being held by one of us, I dare not write more of it. In our muddlings back toward the wall of force we got ambushed. Ambushed by some huge ogres, I still don't know what happened but it felt like I got smashed in the brains by an invisible brick, everything tingled beyond my comprehension, even my eyesight felt like it was tingling. Luckily not all of us felt this brain smashing tingling and were able to dispatch one of the ogres while the other one fled. With my head still tingling, the next thing I remember is Pavel walking forward wishing to talk with one of these squidhead looking things, its name is Iathuzach. I was not too comfortable how or why Pavel was now walking down a corridor to talk with this thing but the discussions were going to be done at least where I could see and maybe get off a nice eyeball crossbow shot if anything went sour. Well it would seem that these mindflayers as they are known, have some mind reading skills or something as Pavel let it see his visions and memories of the bungled Banite battle at Kurth Keep. It was by its own admission impressed by our skills and abilities and therefore was already reconsidering its previous alliance with the Banites. We will in the days to come meet another of these illithid and have been given a trigger word to alert a specific one of them as to the dissolved alliance with the Banites. In the meanwhile our options for leaving have possibly opened up, there is an old rusty lift that may be serviceable, and Pavel swears he saw several containers like what the Agony was contained in on it, yet none are there. Down we go and quite possibly down into the living quarters of Sharisa as such is stated in her journal.