After a long day of searching the flooded tunnels of the Under-Miami, Arthas is finally reunited with his two halfling companions. The paladin brings Lor and Nor up to speed on the party's situation: that Malak has been slain by goblinfolk ninjas, and that Elaryan and Asteris are guarding his body in the lair of the Hinge-heads. However, when the three heroes find their way back to the lair, they discover that their comrades are no longer waiting. The Scinitillians reveal that they took a canoe across the subterranean bay in search of the portal that the hinge-heads had described. Exhausted, Arthas, Lor, and Nor decide to spend one more night in the Scintillian guest quarters before pursuing their friend. In the morning, they are woken by Gurmilius, chief assitant to Section Chief Burtelix, who reveals that the remainder of the party has returned. He leads the paladin and halflings to a richly appointed lounge, where Elaryan and Asteris are enjoying tea with their hinge-headed hosts. Strangely, Malak and Eovan have returned as well! Both Arthas and Xhotl immediately notice that something is different about Malak. The sorcerer's skin has become pale, his eyes are bloodshot, and some of his teeth have grown into needle-sharp points. He speaks slowly and listlessly, and he claims to be able to hear his companion's heartbeats. Xhotl is unwilling to approach him, frantically communicating to Lor that the young sorcerer smells of blood and death. Arthas is of course a little unhappy about these changes in his old friend, and questions Malak about them. Though Malak provides no direct answers, the paladin seems mollified, and the companions agree to continue their search for the portal's key. Lor communes with Daimu once more, asking for help in their quest. He then reveals that Daimu has answered his prayers, and that to find the key, the party must "feed Dagon's treasure to Nimirlan's trinket". According to Gurmilius, the Scinitillian explorer named Nimirlan has traveled to the necromantic midgets in the second level of the dungeon. The party decides to journey there to ask for the explorer's help. The party ascends the waterfall and makes their way back across the fungoid jungle. As they enter the dungeon proper, theyr are waylaid by two painted men, who want to bring them back to Barnabus's Circus. A brief fight ensues, in which the heroes are quickly victorious, thanks in part to Malak's sinister new hybrid form. Leaving Malak alone with the bodies of their vanquished foes, the rest of the party moves a little further down the dungeon hall and waits. A few minutes later, Malak rejoins them, his pallor greatly improved. They continue toward midget territory. Eventually the companions discover the court of Yerximantin, King of the Corpsemongers, a suprisingly large necomrnatic midget with a retinue of nercomantic followers and assorted blade zombies. As expected, the Scinitilian explorer Nimirlan is Yerximantin's guest. He agrees to meet with the party after his negotiations are complete. The heroes retire to Nimirlan's quarters, and a short time later, the hinge-head himself joins them. The adventurers relate their story so far to him, ending with Daimu's cryptic advice to seek "Nimirlan's trinket". The only trinket that Nimirlan currently has in his possession is a small, skull-shaped compass that he found on his travels. He trades the compass to the party for the silvered skeleton that Malak found on the dungeon's first level. The party journeys back to the island of the portal, where they experiment with the compass but are unable to unlock its secrets. Elaryan reveals that Dagon is the Demon Lord of Oceans, a horrible fiend who lives on the Abyssal sea of Ishiar. This reminds Malak of the terrible sea-monster that he and Elaryan encountered the day before, not far from the island, which (he claims) killed Eovan. Eovan has no recollection of this, but the companions agree that it is a good lead. They also agree that they should rest before taking on such a formidable adversary. Malak leads them the cavern's edge, where there are three freshly exhumed graves. Malak climbs into the first, which contains the badly mutilated and dried-out corpse of a cactus-man, and closes his eyes. Elaryan and Eovan manage to both fit into the second, empty grave, which leaves the last resting place of Nigel Unciter for Lor and Nor. Arthas and Xhotl agree to take watch during the night, while Asteris retreats into the shadows to keep a watchful eye over the entire island while the party sleeps. Everyone who played gains 3,000 XP.
