I knew that bastard mage was no good.

After their most recent adventure into the northern wilds, the Company of the Black spent a few days recuperating in the keep before heading off to the capital, Harrowgate. While conducting some personal business, the party received an urgent summons from King Kandarian. They immediately proceeded to the castle for an audience with the king and Fistandilus, one of the head mages on the College council.

Since the initial attack by the drow, the Mages College has been researching ways to help defend the realm. One of the ways the mages discovered was the creation of Stones of Speaking, a communication system to quickly allow the king's armies to muster a defense. Holders of the stones could communicate instantly over long distances. The only problem is that the stones need to be powered and the last known crystal with that power was last in the possession of the Mage of the Forgotten Vale. He is presumed dead (but who knows) but the crystal never resurfaced so the College believes that the talisman still lies somewhere within the ruins. The king and Fistandilus asked the party to travel to the Vale and search for the crystal.

Fistandilus also shared with the party the troubling news that it appeared Naugrim their friend was the traitorous mage that has allied with the drow. Fistandilus interrogated the party as to Naugrim's whereabouts and they had to admit that he hasn't been seen for some time. The king asked that if the party ran into Naugrim again, that they bring him to the capital for questioning.

As the Vale was some distance away, the party called upon Zazzo and his awesome carriage. Given the remote locale of the Vale, the party appeared to be stuck with some less than pleasing accommodations on the Vale's border. But once again, Zazzo came to the rescue and thanks to his incredible hunting and cooking skills, the party was well-fed for its sojourn into the Vale.

After defeating some minor undead, the party entered the dungeons under the ruined keep. While the initial exploration did not go well for the company (more specifically for the new rogue who got possessed by a ghost then soundly pounded by the party, the company stopped to catch its breath before heading further into the dark denizen of the Forgotten Mage.