During a brief council in Antace, Renton argues that the company should forgo another expedition to Lorn Abbey, and instead work to defeat the armies of Tereus. Valerius and Friar Sidrach maintain that the evil beneath the Abbey must be destroyed first. In the end Hamral casts the deciding vote, his only words being, “Let’s go.”

The next morning the group takes two boats across the Pond. As the fogged-in ruins draw near, St. James spies suspicious disturbances in the dark water: something—perhaps several things—lurking just below the surface. Since few among the consortes can swim, and many are wearing heavy armor, this development is met with great concern. Valerius responds by summoning up Sushool the water elemental, which appears as a great, roaring wave. At Valerius's command, Sushool easily propels the boats onto dry land, and then makes quick work of the unclean things that were in the Pond.

Once on land the magic-wielders cast several protective spells. The evil strength of the abbey has continued to increase, and most of the party members feel a sharp pang of fear upon returning. Only Renton, wearing the Helm of Resolve, appears immune. As the group approaches the ruined priory, they come upon a band of roaming necrophages. In the battle that follows, Friar Sidrach calls upon the might of the Five to blast these abominations into oblivion.

Soon after descending beneath the ruined abbey, the company finds a pack of four ghouls near the root cellar. Renton springs forward and kills all four of the unliving things before the rest of the group can react. Trying to retrace the route back to Bened's chambers, the expedition discovers that several passages have been collapsed, blocking the path—and forcing the group to travel unexplored ways.

St. James scouts out a large, dirt filled room when he is suddenly and inexplicably stricken. He rolls on the ground, screams, and tries to stab Friar Sidrach. Renton and Dirk restrain their friend, who struggles like a wild man. Marcus offers a prayer that momentarily soothes the thief.

St. James does not appear to recognize his friends or to remember where he is. He asks to be let loose, asks to see the prior, and promises revenge to all involved. It is soon apparent that St. James has been possessed by the spirit of Adso, a Bergenian monk who had been tricked by Bened and then locked up beneath the ground, where he died. The spirit of Adso does not realize that he is dead, the abbey destroyed, or that years have passed. He is extremely disoriented, but when he is shown a mirror he goes mad, screaming and struggling with redoubled fury. Friar Sidrach offers a powerful prayer that expels the wretched spirit, restoring St. James, who promptly begins vomiting up dirt and stones. Although badly shaken, St. James appears otherwise fine.

Continuing on, the group finds yet another path blocked: this one by a hideous wall made up of dismembered, rotting corpses. The wall moves and moans when approached. The Friar attempts to dispel the barrier, to no avail, and the power of the Five is not enough to destroy this wicked handiwork. Vandoren throws the stone of dispelling into the wall, but the stone is swallowed up and lost. Valerius conjures a swarm of maggots that quickly strip the foul wall to bone; he then calls up a gout of flame, but the denuded wall still stands. Dirk steps forward with his mace, and swings mightily. Shards of bone explode with each blow, but then the wall lurches forward and seizes the surprised Dirk by the head and draws him in. The wall begins crushing the hapless warrior, and Sir Hamral has to step in and help pull his friend out.

Giving up on destroying the grotesque wall, the party attempts another unexplored passage, which opens into a cold room, its floor completely paved with cobblestones. As the group enters, a charnel stench arises—at this, an overwhelming terror overtakes Friar Sidrach, Hamral, Mot, and St. James, who all take flight. In the meantime, Valerius discerns the presence of an invisible force in the center of the room. Suddenly, the remaining members of the group are subject to a barrage of large floorstones, which are mysteriously lifted up in the air and then hurled with great force.

The unseen foe proves to be extremely formidable. It can only be struck by magic or enchanted weapons, so Marcus blesses Dirk's mace and Valerius conjures some Lestrygonians and Shaggy Men. Dirk alone stands his ground, swinging again and again at the air while dodging tumbling rocks—occasionally striking something of substance. Vandoren sings up a magical wall of wind that deflects many of the stones. After a long, hard battle, Dirk takes one last swing and the thing dissipates with a shriek, leaving the stones of the room slick with a dark blood that slowly begins to seep back into the earth.

The victorious group then locates their comrades who had fled. The company is battered, shaken and has expended much of its magic for the day. Reluctantly, the group returns to Antace. Once there Valerius sends Noxumbra on a scouting mission to the camps of Tereus, and discovers that the rucks have been secretly preparing siege equipment. But strangely, the raven is unable to spot Prince Busirane.

The next morning most of the group returns to the Abbey. Valerius leaves a shaken Mot behind in the castle. Once underground the Friar casts a prayer that locates the presence of undead things. Using this insight, the Friar guides the group deeper and deeper into the warrens. They find that the passages leading toward Bened's chambers appear to be blocked by collapsed ceilings or more corpse-walls.

In the large chamber where they first met Bened, the company encounters a pack of ghouls. Renton charges before anyone else, succumbs to the necrophages's paralyzing touch, and is almost killed before his friends are able to save him. Between Marcus and the Friar, the abominations are driven back to the Pits, and the group then reluctantly approaches the room with the eerie cistern.

A further search suggests that the cistern was once covered with a stone cap that has been shattered. Valerius believes writing had been placed on the cap. The Friar detects powerful magic at the bottom of the cistern, as well as some weaker magic on the cistern itself. The cistern is stone-lined and about sixty feet deep.

Valerius conjures up two Aoxians—mischievous spirits of the air—to investigate. One flies down the shaft and reports that there is a great marble hall with columns and statues below, as well as a warded entrance that it could not breach. Intrigued, Valerius, Friar Sidrach, Vandoren, St. James, and Renton descend the shaft.

The bottom of the cistern opens into a small, stone cavern. A single passage leads to an astonishing site: carved into the living rock is the facade of a columned building, resembling the Tynan Temple of the Medusae in design. Two great statues flank the entrance steps. The figures are robed and bearing oars, and both stone faces have been broken off. Further, the inscriptions on the front of the building have been chiseled out.

Inside the entrance is an enormous columned hall, with a gigantic statue enthroned upon a dais on the far end. The figure is of a loathsomely fat, naked figure. The statue's head has been completely destroyed, and its right arm, which once held a mighty sceptre, has been broken off and lies in the rubble on the floor. What might have been wings or a cloak have also been broken off and smashed. To Valerius, this wicked statue resembles the blasphemous figure found on the altar of the desecrated chapel above. The great hall is lined with detailed marble friezes, many of which have been defaced. What little remains appears to depict scenes of dark rivers, caverns, crowds of naked figures, asphodels, and three-headed dogs. There are two great open portals off this main hall.

A smaller room contains more statuary, depicting many horrific acts of murder, torture, and debauchery. The other portal appears to be warded by powerful prayers to the Five. Valerius speculates that the Seekers had penetrated further into the complex than he had formerly imagined.

The portal, it turns out, is warded from within and without to prevent evil creatures from passing either into or out of the hall. Beyond the portal, a passage twists and turns before opening up into another stone cavern. The most distant edge of the cave drops off into an enormous fissure. And in the middle of the cavern floor is carved a pentagram encircled with sorcerous glyphs, and within the confines of the pentagram lies a great black shape. As the adventurers enter, the black shape begin to stir. Haltingly it stands, its horrid form resembling a gigantic, horse-like abomination, skeletally gaunt, its black and rotting flesh covered with open sores. The thing stands on its hind legs like a man and regards the interlopers with red, baleful eyes that roll madly in its deep sockets.

All except Renton are overcome with a sense of fear and revulsion, but Valerius steels himself to examine the bindings that confine the abomination. Valerius is startled to discover that the bindings are sealed by five wards, four of which are broken, while the fifth is failing. Valerius estimates that it may have taken years for the first four wards to erode. Meanwhile, the group investigates the fissure, which drops several hundred feet down into an enormous cavern that swarms with hundreds—if not thousands—of skeletal and corpselike figures.

The weary and frightened group withdraws entirely from the ruined abbey, intending to find in Antace some information as to the name or origin of the entrapped abomination, in the hope that this information may be used to send the horror back to hell. After searching amongst King Weremach's extensive collection of apocalyptic literature, Valerius discovers an obscure commentary on the scriptural Book of Reckoning. Within the commentary is the description of a terrifying horselike monster from classical times, a servant to an underworld deity so wicked that its veneration was forbidden even by the decadent Tynans. The name of the horselike servant was Hacamuli.

Armed with this knowledge, the company makes a last trek into the abbey, after being shriven by Father Theodore. They proceed unmolested throughout the warrens until they reach the great chamber before the cistern. Standing in their way is Bened.

The battle begins with Bened conjuring another deadly cloud that engulfs the consortes. Amidst the roiling, noxious gases, the heroic Dirk is slain almost immediately. In answer, Hamral and Renton charge Bened and lay on with their swords. Friar Sidrach prays and a field of silence encircles Sir Hamral, which effectively prevents Bened from casting any more spells. Valerius then calls up two Shaggy Men to block Bened's retreat.

Without his sorcery, the undead horror reverts to claws and teeth—but Renton and Hamral deal out deadly blows to the nigromauncer. St. James follows up by firing an arrow straight into Bened's eye, which destroys the thing's last remaining bit of unlife. Vandoren quickly searches the remains of Bened and finds some bracers, a cloak, and a scroll.

The group again descends into the cistern, and once below Friar Sidrach calls up a powerful prayer that dismisses Hacamuli from the visible world. Once the abomination has been banished, the entire underground begins to shudder and shake. The company flees at once, bearing the body of fallen Dirk.

As the obscene shrine begins to implode, Friar Sidrach—the last one in line—is nearly caught and buried beneath the cistern. At the last moment he uses the Unguent of the Sparrow to soar up to safety, narrowly avoiding death.

Once above ground, the consortes watch as the warrens and buildings of the ruined abbey begin to collapse. Valerius calls again upon Sushool, who carries the boats safely back to Antace in the blink of an eye.

The Roleplaying Award (RP) includes PBM responses, as well as participation in the live session.