* The party continues east to the town of Moonstair.

* As the PCs are getting acclimated to town, Ionoa notices a pair of winter sparrows watching them from atop a trader’s stall.

* On being noticed, both birds take flight. One sparrow alights on Ionoa’s shoulder, while the other flies down the street a way.

* When the PCs follow, the sparrows eventually lead them down an alley to a doorway. Outside the door sits a small human girl, dressed in rags. The girl looks up and says, “Finally! I’m starving! Well? He said you pay for my lunch.” She holds out a hand. Upon payment, she says “Go on, he’s inside.”

* Beyond the door, there is what appears to be a storage room. Six simple wooden chairs are arranged in a circle. Seated directly across from the door is Irel. He is dressed quite stylishly for the hot, humid weather. Seeing the party arrive, he smiles and invites them in.

Irel has information on these topics:

How he got here – “A young man we’re all acquainted with” came to him in a dream and said the party would be coming to Moonstair. Lenina owed him a favor, and arranged for the mages of Saruun to teleport him. He’s been here for a few days.

Winterhaven – Lord Pendraig has returned from Fallcrest with a priest to speak with Sir Keegan and allow them to rebuild the Keep. The Indistels have all disappeared, no one has seen them.

Etheran Turol – Irel knows all about Etheran and Sunwrath. Irel will point out that Etheran was the nephew of the Queen of a powerful nation, and the party (as well as House Azaer) could benefit greatly through such an ally. A dragonborn named Bax was with Etheran, the party may want to speak with him.

Kelana Dhoram – Irel will offer to introduce the party to Kelana Dhoram, the mayor of Moonstair. He has already offered her their assistance in the current troubles. “What else are you going to do between now and the next clear night with a full moon?”

Full moon / the Moon Door – It’s a door to the Feywild which opens when the full moon is clear in the sky. With the recent storms, it is not expected to open again this month. Irel has met someone, the eladrin emissary Rualiss, who may know how to force the door open.

He also has more personal information for the group:

Pype – (1) Irel has discovered that Zirithian has killed Krista and a man she lived with – Golden. Krista refused to divulge the whereabouts of her son Rayndn and his child. (2) Yes, Rayndn fathered a child, a half-elven son, who is now 8 years old. His name is Pyv’nashe, called Piven. Whereabouts unknown, Rayndn had him sent away with his wife after Krista’s murder. (3) Rayndn also took to the cloth, and is now a priest of Erathis. He’s now with Brynnan somewhere in Alwhar.

Peren – (1) Zirithian is currently in a Drow city called Phaervorul meeting with the leaders of House Oramis. (2) His blade, Nightbringer, drinks the blood of its victims, and has turned Zirithian into a vampire.

Phaean and Ionoa – (1) Brynnan is in Alwhar with Rayndn. From what Irel has heard, they are both living the lives of petty criminals. That, however, could just be a cover for whatever they are up to. They were both working for House Azaer, but have not checked in with their contacts for months.

Ramor – (1) Hello, it’s nice to meet you. (2) The barbarian Roamilack is dead. His clan, Frostbeard, had been enemies of the Iceblood clan for ages. The Icebloods unknowingly made a deal with agents of Orami – weapons and magic used to slaughter their enemies. These items carried a curse, and caused those that wield them to suffer a wasting disease, and the Icebloods were soon all dead as well. (3) The most powerful of those weapons was used to slay Roamilack – an intelligent sword which calls itself Nightbringer.

Irel lets them know he’ll be leaving in a few days – when the sparrow leaves the party, he will be gone. He has arranged rooms for them at the Inn.

* They recover several magical items, including a strange rod infused with portal magic.

* The party reaches the highest cave in the mountain, where a dark portal is guarded by the Ichyrot and its minions.

* The PCs defeat the Ichyrot, his minions, and the “well-dressed man” from their dreams.

* The Portal Rod’s magic changes the portal somehow, and the PCs leap through just as the cavern collapses.

* The party finds itself facing east on a road through a lightly wooded area, at night, in a fierce rainstorm.

* They decide to head east.

* They defeat an owlbear and flameskulls, and disable fire traps

* In another cave, they defeat an Oni, several demons, and human cultists

* The party retreats a few caves back and rests

* They make it about 10 feet out the door before they are set upon by Lt. Stymers and his followers. Stymers wants to place the PCs under arrest for “oh, let’s say … disturbing the peace maybe?” He implies they’ll be freed after the PCs are relieved of all their “dangerous implements”.

* This proves to be poor judgement on Stymers’ part, as the PCs handily slaughter the entire gang.

* Put off, the PCs decide to try again tomorrow.

* The next day, the part heads out “to the hag”.

* The party arrives at a ramshackle hut built against the side of the mountain. Inside, a shriveled old woman lures them deeper into her hut and exposes a secret door into the mountain.

* The group hesitates, sensing the trap just as it is sprung.

* Cultist archers appear from side rooms and within the mountain cave, screaming praises to “the Ichyrot!” A huge ogre emerges from the cave, while the old woman reveals herself as a monstrous hag. A fierce battle ensues with the party trapped between the hag and her allies.

* Ramor comes very close to being killed, but manages to summon his strength and return to the fight. The PCs emerge victorious.

* In the hut, the party finds notes on old parchment, written in elven, describing the mountains as containing many dark secrets, including a portal to a place of great evil. The notes say that the blood of a mortal being can open the portal, which lies in a series of caves where the dragon used to live.

* The PCs arrive at Fort Dolor, a depressive, barely manned outpost.

* The party meets the Cjarl, the dwarven owner of the Avalance Inn.

* The party hears the story of the crazy dwarven hermit woman who came to town making dire prophecies that now seem to be coming true.

* The group decides to split up (!!!) and explore the small fort. Some of them head to the barracks and are rebuffed and insulted by the commanding officer, Lt. Stymers. The others visit the general store and meet Trujy (and surreptitiously read complaints about the warehouse manager in her ledger).

* The party discovers that the town’s leader, Captain Revince, has been missing for some time.

* The group visits Phlen, the town’s herbalist. He tells them about he treated Xeriope, a young woman survivor of an attack in the woods.

* The party heads off into the woods and visits the scenes of several attacks. They also visit a horse rancher, and eladrin named Aestirol, and Ionoa helps him deliver a foal. He informs the PCs that he saw Captain Revince at the herbalists’ shop.

* The party returns to the fort and beds down in one of the abandoned houses outside.

* The next day, the PCs are approached by Private Zanphist, a tiefling member of the guard who has decided to leave town for a while. He informs them about Lt. Stymers’ corruption. He also tells of how he witnessed Captain Revince kissing Xeriope, and overheard her telling the Captain to send undermanned patrols into the woods.

* The party returns to Phlen’s shop, and muscle their way into the back rooms. There, they are set upon by Xeriope, a succubus, and her devilish minions. A magically beguiled Captain Revince also attacks the party.

* The PCs kill Xeriope and her minions, and subdue Captain Revince.

* Among Xeriope’s possesions they find a crudely drawn map giving directions to a location near an old dragon’s lair. Phaean’s familiar translates the writing on the map: “To the hag”.