Raid on the Lair of the Big Cheese

Starting in Telero, Llaun makes some last minute preparations for the town's infrastructure and walks the towns defenses. The party decides that they should determine the amount of traffic between Pueblo Alto and what is suspected to be Gene Parmesian's lair by scouting the area between them. They decide to go to the end of the valley closest to the suspected lair, but keep behind local land rises and forestation to prevent observation.

Taking advantage of Massaquoit Barkeater's extensive knowledge of Sinepaxian back-country, the party approaches it's first base-camp, behind a local small peak roughly equidistant from Pueblo Alto and the suspected lair. In the morning the party approaches the presumed location of the den of the Big Cheese, Gene Parmesian. A half-mile from the den Massaquoit spots a rat, which he kills with his spear. (i.e. Two amazingly good rolls.) The tracks seem to suggest that this rat is part of a circle of warning surrounding the den. Gene will not have any warning from this defense about their approach.

Finding the entrance "marked" by a sprig of acacia, something that jogs Lars Duncannsen's memory, the party descends into the depths of the mountain. After disabling or avoiding what is thought to be some minor traps, they encounter a were-rat guard patrol and dispatch them relatively easily. After moving further into the complex, the party ambushes several sleeping or resting wererats they find in a barracks of sorts. The party defeats dozens of wererats and their large rat pets. Faelon and Lars bag the most scalps. Faelon chases down some escaping rats before they can warn Gene of the party's approach. Sandy sniffs the garments of the wererats but finds nothing of import, but does get strange looks from the rest of the party.

In a hidden room, the party discovers a pit filled with clacking stag beetles of various sizes and ferocity. After discussion, they leave the stag beetles with the intentions of returning. The party then advances into a trap of sorts: a baffling maze where they find gold indeed falls from the ceiling. Many party members are battered by falling rocks in the maze. Faelon and Massaquiot are almost killed. Blood pours from Faelons orifices and out onto his armor.

Beyond the maze, the party finds a strange brass grip of some sort on the doors of a room filled with spider webs. They close the door and advance to a troll who claims he is "full" but will let them pass if they let him eat Massaquoit's wolf.

Having none of that, Prince Faelon fearlessly charges the seven-foot tall toll-troll and the fight is on. The party unloads everything they have on the regenerating troll. Massaquoit tosses oil on the troll and summons a fire elemental. Llaun fires his magic missiles. The troll clobbers Faelon, but chips a tooth on Faelon's armor. The troll is angered by the fire and wails on Massaquoit. Sandy jerks Massaquoit out of harm's way and engages the troll as well. After the party pounds on him a bit more, the trolls wobbles and falls. Once he's down, the party burns the body.

With the smell of burnt flesh still in the air they advance into the luxurious abode of Gene Parmesian. Wererats leap down from hiding places in the rafters and Gene uses his Cape of the Mountebank to get some distance. The party dispatches the wererats as Gene casts mirror image. Faelon grabs Gene's cape just as his wererat companions fall. There is no choice but to retreat. Gene quaffs a gaseous form potion and retreats to a puzzling array of tubes escaping into the wall.

Faelon finds a gaseous potion and attempt pursuit, but there is no telling which hole Gene escaped through. In a nearby room, the party finds the emaciated form of Baron Robert Telero.