High in the Shelding Mountains, Friar Sidrach and St. James turn back toward the Pentian lands while Purer and Dominic arrive on the scene, fresh from their escapades at Derwich. Valerius then conjures up several spirits of elemental earth to reconnoiter the area around Hecatesseus's lair. The spirits provide detailed information regarding the layout of the stronghold, including the probable location of a secret passage. Armed with this new knowledge, the consortes sally forth. Another elemental spirit is dispatched to distract the waiting swarm of copper dragonflies, which Valerius then imprisons behind a conjured wall of iron.

The band finds a secret passage as described by the hill bairn, which leads to an alcove with a statue of Miramis, the Tynan goddess of wisdom. Closer inspection suggests that the statue may resemble the mysterious Lady of the Keep.

The group soon finds two chambers that appear to be magical traps. One seems to have a teleportation effect, while the other room -- filled with junk -- appears to transform the unwary into bric-a-brac. After identifying another cunning illusion, the group discovers stairs down into Hecatesseus's laboratory.

The laboratory is a mammoth vaulted chamber where the magician's constructs were fashioned. At one end of the room is a large brick furnace; in the center of the room sits a huge marble table with a partially assembled body made of gleaming metal, as well as a large oaken cabinet filled with tools, and a great stone crane on rollers. Along the walls are lined worktables with half-finished creations, including a large serpent, a colossal foot nearly fifteen feet long, and molds for casting bronze eagles, lions, dragonflies, and centurions, as well as a series of small clay models for all of these figures plus several more, including an elephant.

Upon entering the chamber, a figure dressed as Hecatesseus begins casting spells from the other end of the workroom. Waves of strange magic ripple across the chamber, and soon the stone crane, the furnace, the marble table, the cabinet, a heavy chain, and a massive metal crucible all spring to life and give battle to the intruders.

The consortes quickly recover from this surprise and mount a counterattack. Although his conjured creatures seem unable to directly attack the enemy magician, Valerius uses a sorcerous force to pin the hapless spellbinder to the ground while the rest of the consortes advance into the room. Mendelor, shrouded in an aura of silence, charges directly at the magician, which prevents him from casting spells. The overwhelmed magician is forced to draw a magic wand and fire bolts of eldritch power at the intruders.

The animated objects prove to be extremely tough foes, and the furnace lets loose a blast of fire from its gaping door that burns and singes all who are caught in the blast. Vandoren responds with a magical burst of sound while Renton and Hamral hack at the animated objects. Meanwhile Dominic moves into position and casts a cone of cold on the pinned magician, slaying him instantly. Soon the animating magic appears to wear off and the objects cease their movements.

After the fight the frozen corpse of the magician swiftly thaws out, melting into a puddle and revealing its true nature as a simulacrum of Hecatesseus. Further examination reveals a nearby storeroom of raw materials, including bins of tin, bronze, clay, and sand. Heaped in one corner of the workroom are the broken remains of one of the resplendent eagles. The figure on the marble table is found to be shaped as a tall, heavily-muscled warrior with a face like Hecatesseus. The figure is made out of a strange, shining metal that is almost impervious to harm.

A side passage out of the workroom leads to an odd chamber with a bronze head mounted on a cabinet. Valerius sends in a spirit of elemental water to destroy the feature, which was evidently some sort of magical device.

An adjoining room appears to have been a library, with a fireplace, an empty table, and rows of empty shelves. Evidently the contents of the room had been quickly gathered up and removed within the last day or so; anything that could not be carried off was destroyed in the fireplace. In the ashes, though, Valerius finds a partially-burnt scrap of parchment detailing a magical procedure that would allow Hecatesseus to transfer his consciousness into the body of a construct.

Their suspicions aroused by not having found any sleeping quarters, the group searches the workroom again and now finds a secret door leading to what appears to have been Hecatesseus's personal apartment. As with the library, many contents of this room appear to have been hastily removed within the last day or so. Curiously, all furniture in the apartment has an identical but half-sized copy sitting next to it, so that the bed is accompanied by a tiny bed, the writing desk is paired with a tiny writing desk, and so on.

From the apartment is a side passage opening into a strange room. The domed ceiling is painted like the night sky, while the floor is painted like a map of the Frounter, with several notable features identified. The room radiates magic and likely contains some sort of magical transportation device.

The weary group retreats to the workroom and the safety of Valerius's magnificent mansion. There Purer prays to the Five and is granted a guiding vision of St. Iseltis. She confirms that the map room is a teleportation device and that the device is also trapped. She also reveals that King Tereus already knows Hecatesseus plans to betray him.

After some debate, Valerius decides to conjure up the spirit known as the Lord of the Thirty-First Smithy and offer the spirit the entire contents of Hecatesseus's workroom in exchange for assistance in defeating the magician. The Lord eagerly accepts the gifts, providing Valerius with a ring that grants one wish in exchange for everything in the workroom, including the partially assembled metal figure. The Lord takes all of these materials and removes them from the visible world.

After another debate, the group decides to wish themselves to be brought into the presence of Hecatesseus, whom they hope to take by surprise and slay. The consortes wait until early in the morning so as to catch him sleeping and defenseless.

At the appointed time the group gets in a circle, Valerius makes the wish, and the mountain fortress disappears. The group emerges in a new place that is cold and dark; screams can be heard and fires burn all around. The party members find themselves standing in the middle of Upchurch, where Hecatesseus is leading a band of Cataphracts on a raid of terrible revenge.

The consortes quickly grasp the nature and gravity of their predicament, and each man concentrates his energy on slaying Hecatesseus. Unfortunately, the wizard is prepared for battle and has already activated several protective spells. He wears a robe of shifting, scintillating colors, such that any man who carelessly views the robes is struck dazed.

Surprised by the arrival of the consortes, Hecatesseus casts a spell that emits a mighty burst like sunlight, blinding several onlookers. Owen strikes hard with his ruckblade Furlgrim, and the wizard is badly wounded. However, several other attempts to hinder him fail, and the badly-wounded wizard disappears in a flash, leaving the consortes to deal with the raiders.

Ahead, the great house of Upchurch is ablaze, with Sir Will Garnfellow fighting several Cataphracts in the doorway. Valerius summons up three earthen elephants and the rest of the consortes press into the fight.

Within a couple of hours the rucks are driven off, but the raid has proven costly for Sir Hamral. Several farmhouses have been burned and at least four farmers killed. The great hall was partially gutted and several of Hamral's men have fallen in defense of the manor, including Oswald's eldest son, Leofric, and Sir Will Garnfellow, the Lion of Upchurch.

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