In which Badger...
- Continues to explore wreckage and finds lair of the rust monsters, filled with gems and jewels.
- Discovers a group of rust monsters and group of werewolves deeper in the wreckage.
- Recovers Eyesore, a magic sword with a detachable pommel that works as Wizard's Eye spell, and a Broom of Flying that allows him to soar in the air.
- Flies over the rust monsters and uses a two handed sword he bought as bait to lure them deeper into the dungeon to face off against a set of werewolves, as they attack each other while he loots the wreckage and flees.
- Receives word from Ameiko Kaijitsu that she has found Xin Shalast, and directions there.
- Flies off on his new broom, only to see a flood wipe out the town of Turtleback's Ferry from the sky.
- Follows the water upriver to discover a dam destroyed by some stone giants, and then follows the giants via an aerial route to their home in Fort Rannick.
- Travels to the north of the Fort to find the lost city of Xin Shalast - and discovers a group of skulks waiting to ambush him there.
- Avoids the skulks thanks to a purple worm that bursts from the ground scattering all.
- Manages to flee into the skies as the worm follows Badger.
- Uses himself as bait for the worm to lead it to Fort Rannick, where a fierce battle in which the lamias Lucretia and Xanesha, and leader of the stone giants Mokmurian fall to the purple worm before it is slain by some ogres.
- Lets the ogres flee back to Xin Shalast, and watches as they enter the city through a secret underground entrance.
- Plants his wizard's eye pommel on one of the ogres, and completes reconnaissance of the city remotely, discovering:
- Skulks are subservient to one Hated Pretender, a demon like creature, but also seem to hate him.
- One warrior Vitoria stands guard of Khalib, an archmage who seeks to open a demon portal; the warrior is mind controlled by her blade, the Blade of Greed.
- Behind both of these obstacles lies the entrance to the Eye of Avarice, a chamber even the wizard's eye cannot breach.
- Breeches the stronghold which is guarded and overrun by skulks, and first flies down to their lair.
- Is immediately captured by some and taken before the Hated Pretender for judgement.
- Manages to convince some of the skulks to rebel, and in the chaos beheads the Hated Pretender - causing the leaderless skulks to flee into the dark depths, leaving the remainder of the city unguarded.
- Waits until nightfall, and heads to Khalib's portal, where Vitoria is keeping watch.
- Manages to sneak above her and use his rope to take the sword out of her possession - as she succeeds in a save and is broken free from her mind control.
- Slits the ogres throats with Vitoria's help - but unfortunately awakens the archmage, who vanishes.
- Fights alongside Vitoria against the archmage, barely defeating him, but not before he casts a permanent Feeblemind spell on her, virtually lobotomizing the warrior.
- Is forced to put Vitoria out of her misery, given her helpless state.
- Finally heads to the Eye of Avarice - only to discover one high lamia priestess sacrificing Ameiko's heart in a ritual to raise Karzoug the runelord!
- Fails to stop the ritual, as Ameiko dies and the priestess's form turns into the growing host of the wraithlike Karzoug, who continuously gains power slowly arriving at immortal form.
- Manages to fight head to head with wraithlike Karzoug, stopping the spell from continuing and slaying the wraith of the runelord before it gains full power - while having the wraith take much lifeforce, the equivalent of 3 levels, from him in the process.
- Much weakened, flies back to Magnimar, where he pays tens of thousands of gold to restore his vitality (and levels) back to him, having stopped the rise of the runelord!
- Returns back to Kebi village to rest before his next adventure.
Current Level: Badger 13
