After killing off the kruthik that were scavenging the wagon, the party notices drag marks in the sand. By them are large, webbed footprints. The party follows the tracks til they see a structure in the distance.

Upon inspection the notice the structure is an old ruin that is mostly underground. Steps and the trail of footprints lead to large set of wooden doors. Kitano listens but hears nothing from the inside.

Otiril bashes the doors open. Inside are several stone sarcophagi and a low cistern with water in it. There are piles of rubble and debris and a strong smell in the room. Standing throughout the room are five silt runners and one ssurran that hisses as the door breaks inward. In an alcove sit two bound men.

The ssurran charges and stabs Meldrick with a dagger. The wound burns and the minotaur knows he has been poisoned. Kitano hits one of larger silt runners with mind thrust as the smaller silt runner creates a wall of force. The all makes movement through the doorway difficult and actually slams Otiril and Kitano with a blast of force.

Meldrick strikes back at the ssurran hitting him with both his weapons. He also feels the poison stop spreading in his body. Otiril charges at the smaller silt runner knocking it down then slicing deep into its side with his great axe.

Two of the larger silt runners attack Otiril, defending their fallen comrade. All miss him. But one of the others engages Kitano and pierces him with its spear. Kitano falls limp.

From a prone position the small silt runner speaks and three of the large silt runners attack Otiril. Two of them hit as he tries to dodge their blows.

Meldrick and the ssurran continue to battle but the ssurran is not fairing well. Meldrick strikes with his sword as the ssurran misses repeatedly with his dagger. Arannis finishes off the small silt runner and inspires the heroes to fight on.

Meanwhile the bound dwarf in the corner slips his bonds and runs into the melee. The human next to him yells for help but the dwarf seems bent on getting revenge on his captors.

Kitano refreshed by Arannis’s healing and is gouged by the silt runner in front of him as he attacks both the silt runner and the ssurran. The beating from Meldrick almost killed the ssurran and Kitano’s attack is too much for him to bear.

Meldrick returns the favor dropping the silt runner opposing Kitano. Arannis teleports into the middle of the room but misses one of the large silt runners. Ignoring Arannis the silt runner slashes at Otiril. The large goliath falls. Arannis heals Otiril who stands up and kills the silt runner.
The bound human gets finally gets free and summons an elemental. It dances about the room looking for a foe to attack. But most of them are dead.

With just two silt runners remaining Arannis and Otiril team up on one. Arannis slides it while Otiril hacks at it. The overwhelmed silt runner falls.

The dwarf grabs a spear, heals the group and moves into position to fight. He stabs at the silt runner and hits. Meldrick lends a hand and finishes the job.

The dwarf introduces himself as Clay and the human says his name is Aram. They tell the adventurers there were driving the wagon when a sandstorm overtook them. They were attacked by the reptiles and brought here. As they talk, they scour the room and find their equipment.

The entire group repairs the wagon and lugs the cargo back to Alturak. There they proceed to Arisphistaneles’ estate. On arrival the dwarf hands a bag to the governor. He is delighted to see them and it. He explains to the party that it is a piece of an amulet that will help the Veiled Alliance and that their next task will to be to retrieve another piece of it.

Kitano decides to return to his home but Clay and Aram are now to join the adventure!

DM Notes:
The PCs were ready to level but I made them wait until after this fight. Tim no longer wanted to play the psion and Jeff had to get a new character after Ittik died. I figured having them be in the Veiled Alliance and just be the wagon drivers was the easiest way to insert them.