- As the rasping growling continued issuing from the new gash in the earth, a black mist began to rise from it, lit from within by flashes of white light and accompanied by a listless voice 

- The party attempted to flee the area, but the ground beneath them began to break and collapse and it was only by some incredible good fortune that they survived.

- After some recovery, the party continued on their recon mission.  The camp on the plateau seemed to be composed of several hundred hobgoblins, gnolls, some kobolds and even a few giants - all being directed by some jackal-like humanoids.  

- They also found some oddities within the encampment - most notably a strange and supernatural form near the back of the camp.  It hovered motionless above the ground, oozing a thick, black liquid from its eyes and down the long bird's beak which protruded from its head.  Light seemed actively surpressed in the area, yet the being cast several unnatural shadows and seemed covered with subtlely shifting runes.  It reminded Tisroc of some kind of avatar of a deity called Thoth, but Alina was quite certain it could not be an avatar - or, if it was, it was severely cursed or distorted by something.

- After gathering their information, the set out for Belurn once more.  When they arrived, however, they found the city cavern sealed off by a prismatic force wall.

- Using Glitch's innate teleporting abilities and some of Tisroc's magic, they were able to get back inside where they discovered the city had been sealed and all but taken over by a man called Perol - a local tailor who, apparently, had some rather impressive magical talent as well.