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18 Ardan
Puliko, Vidan and Keja had just returned to the village after a hideous visit to the manor house on a hill above town. The manor house was revealed to be Extremely Haunted, and hopefully had nothing to do with the ghast.
Meanwhile, Aldak and Hasama (the Bane dancer) had decided to try and track the ghast, and suspected it had temporarily left town in "disguise". Lord Cabbadon arrived and told Aldak to use guile in destroying the ghast; he provided a magical needle, which (if thrust into the ghast's ear) would deprive it of some of its powers.
The party rejoined, and decided to see what Lotte had been up to. She had visited a peasant's backyard shed, so Our Heroes investigated there; an axe had been sabotaged, with the apparent intent of causing an accident the next time it was used. After warning the peasant, Our Heroes went to investigate Lotte's house.
There were secret entrances to an underground tunnel network; traps, a giant spider, a zombie karakhan giant, a ghost with a "frost sword", and a horde of insects all menaced Our Heroes as they explored the tunnels. Eventually a highly-warded chamber, home to a dozen necromancers in their individual tomb/sarcophagi, was found; a powerfully-sealed door on the far side of the tomb chamber promised to be of interest -- some other day!
Aldak encountered and spoke with a necrophage, named Lore, in the tunnels; Lore claimed that "The Master" summoned and directed the ghast (named Gorge). Our Heroes decided to return to Lotte's house and destroy Gorge.
The cunning plan was to have Keja transform into the shape of Lotte, while the other members of the party held the drugged and tied-up Lotte in a curtained alcove. The plan more or less worked, too: when Gorge came by, calling for his little accomplice, Keja was huddled in the girl's bed, holding the pin. Gorge got close, Keja whacked the pin into his ear, and the rest of Our Heroes jumped out from hiding. Even without his various magical powers, Gorge was very tough, but he eventually succumbed.
The villagers (perhaps released from some magical influence) showed up in a mob soon afterwards; Keja continued to use the form of Lotte, and gave a speech before the crowd. Meanwhile, Hasama took the real Lotte down to the Necros River and drowned her in the mill-race!
Finally, Our Heroes got some much-needed sleep at the inn.
Aldak dreamed that night of cowled cultists conducting a human sacrifice; "come to me" said their leader. The leader offered him a bone-handled dagger with a soulstone on the hilt, but he refused to stab the victim.
Onwards to Millhaven - Amano Zimar's Strange Fate