The Crows, a Prisoner and the Tower

The RedWater Fellowship watered their horses and looked out around. What looks to be once a well made cobblestone road leads to a broken bridge. On the other side of wide slow moving river, the weed filled road disappears in spots but appears to lead up to the keep or tower. On the far side near the road a tall dead tree, appears to be a withered oak, fairly common to this area, Doc Holliday notes. its barren grey branches the resting place for a flock of large black crows.
A crow’s cage hangs from one large branch, what appears to be a gaunt figure sitting in the prison-cage.

Gothi, on the back of Jawbone, grinned and sprang forward, the monstrous dog-shark easily crossing the river. While the beast hunter crossed, Doc Holliday waded out to the centre area and noted a corner of a box(?) sticking out of the silt and rocks under the ice cold water. Diving down, he tried to move the the long box - man sized in length, possibly a coffin - but even his giant strength was unable to lift. With Cedric and Doc, the box was lifted out to shore. The black wood hardly warped and rotten, it seems this coffin had been in the waters for some time.

Kantiff, using his roguish talents looked for traps, but saw none and cracked open the long box. Inside was looked to be the remains of an elf warrior.. the armour and much rusted. Noting the heaviness of the coffin, the party investigated and found a secret compartment filled with bars of copper.
As Gothi reached the order side, the crows shout down with raspy calls as she approached. Staying a fair distance away, Gothi found some interesting tracks of a bear so decided to follow those.


Packing up the loot, the party dug a grave with the assistance of Graxus' spells and buried the fallen elf, with a ceremony to the Raven Queen.

Crossing over, the party approached the dead oak calling out to the gaunt figure. looking to be an older human male. Scraggly long beard and red hair are streaked with silver. Wearing worn and ragged shirt and pants. His skin and flesh is pecked and torn from the crows. At first thought to be dead, Doc Holliday detected life and the lifeforce of the prisoner was felt.
After some investigation, the party determined that the man was held with both magic and mechanical wards. Using their combined skills, they finally released the prisoner whom turned out to

be Highmage Lukaan Hilfos. A wizard of of the city of Greyhawk and once assistant to Leomund the White. Lukaan was captured by the guild Arcane Lore of Wayberry, for breaking the laws and thought he could escape.. Not having the best spells prepared he killed 2 Maskers - by mistake - and was sentenced to  “drainage”. His power being taken and then finally.. death.Once a 18th level wizard, the man was little more than a novice.. of the 5th rank.
Once released, the crows angrily burst into the air cawing and circling for a minute then fly off to the southwest. Their meal taken. Lukaan stretches first..many cracks and pops heard.. Then he slowly moves one hand mumbling.. And a single shower of sparks will shoot forth from a finger. Grinning, then chuckling then laughing, the wizard will cast the spell a few more times.. Then will rush over to the slow moving river to drink.. Coughing, he will see his face and will look back to the party.. With a smile. He cast prestidigation again and again cleaning himself and clothing. Though ragged, it will look fairly presentable.
He vows to help the party for now, a life debt of sorts. Doc Holliday provides him some makeshift clothing, and the party moves onward.
Gothi, whom had found and lost and found again the tracks to the bear, sadly rejoins the party. Her quarry safe this time..

Heading up to the tower keep, the party determines after recollection by Doc Holliday, the best way to enter was through the top, where once when Holliday had been young and in love, with Gilwin he
had climbed to the top under a dare and met something in the dark..

Starting to climb, the Doctor found some good handholds and footholds. The tower was in disrepair.. Walking by him with a grin again, Gothi walked up the side using her boots of spider climbing.
With ropes and climbing, the party makes it up to the tower heights.
Searching minimal is found, so the party decides to go down though the trapdoor and explore. Finding a mass of webs, and these webs are thick and sticky, the party was attacked by a group of spiders. The largest looking to be a formidable opponent. Doctor Holliday aimed carefully and fired a perfect
shot and it had no affect on the massive arachnid. The creatures smaller allies though were destroyed with non magical weapons. After a tough battle, the party did some scavenging and were able to acquire some body parts, eyes, and a large black rock inside the undead(?) spider.. its heart?

Moving ever downwards, they came to another round room. A amber sphere about 4' across, pulsating in the middle had what looked to be a set of 6 buttons, 4 levers and 2 wheels on a stand/console by it. 3 large tapestries hung on the walls. Words it seems in a row of what was soon to be determined infernal probably advised on what all the various buttons, levers and wheels did.
Doc Holliday started to ponder the implications of this language in a former elf keep..

Gothi.. unable to stop herself, pushed a button and then another! The party
felt a lurch as if an earthquake and then a rumbling hiss came from the stairs and a massive humanoid shape stepped into view.. the resemblance to a human was minimal.. the large form had a number of tentacles and sharp teethed mouths with long tentacle tongues (?) which proceeded to attack the party..
This was one of the toughest battles the RedWater Fellowship had had since the heroes had joined together. Nearly every member went down unconscious, but in the end, they prevailed against the undead/infernal creature.

Taking a breath and binding wounds and bringing others back from the brink of death, the party moved the tapestries and saw these were 3 large windows.. then realized they were now 400 feet in the air and getting higher. The party it seemed were in a cloud castle, a flying tower.. Lukann gasped and advised that this was it appeared to be one of 10 Elf cloud keeps lost  100s of years back.. now what to do next as the keep was flying straight up and quite quickly..

Doc Holliday's face goes a little slack, he then informs the heroes that his mother has been in contact, she - it seems - has some skill in witchery and was able to - using a sending spell - advise him:
"The Black Runes have arrived at the Duress estate!"