PART I: The hill on the borderlands just east of the Keep and South of the Caves of Chaos has been in the collective conscious of the denizens of the Keep for some centuries. Known colloquially as Jentilak Hill, after a race of giants that are thought to have once inhabited the hill. What was once a place for festivals, sky-watching, and general recreation for long dead nobles, is now inundated by a tribe of Lizardmen. The Lizardmen, who normally live in lowlands inundated by annual flooding, have since been conscripted by the Temple of Set and their Yuan-Ti henchmen who act as overseers to the lowly lizardmen. The Party, wishing to continue in their eradication of the serpent cult, fueled by a desire to help the new found allies the White Apes, made their way to the trail leading up to Lizardman Hill. Along the way they found the scattered bodies of both allies and foe; Lizardmen with crushed bodies and White Apes whose bodies bore the wound of the primitive stone weapons of their enemies. As a precaution, the witch known as FREYA tested out the theory that perhaps the broom she found in the treasure room of the high-priest of Set was indeed magical, and so it was. FREYA flew into the air with what is apparently a BROOM OF FLYING. There she spied the Lizardmen, well dug in, with strategic placemen of both guards and palisades. FREYA was forced to return quickly to her compatriots as she found herself the target of many spear attacks from the reptiloids that now inhabited the hill. ANNIKA thought it would be best to don the emerald robes of the serpent cult to continue up the hill. GORHAM embraced the idea, and he and RAGNA donned the robes themselves and hatched a plan that their White Ape allies would pose as their captives on a death march to their sacrificial demise. Along the path ascending the hill, ANNIKA and RAGNA picked up the Lizardman language further legitimizing their sudden appearance at the hill. As they meandered up the path, more and more Lizardmen joined them. Attending to the new "priests of Set" along the way, failing to mention a surprise PIT TRAP! Without hesitation the magician ANNIKA began to control the weather, creating a small funnel cloud that elevated the fallen members (GORHAM and RAGNA) out of the pit on a cushion of air. PART II As the party neared the summit it realized that the number of Lizardmen attending to them, including some large robust "King" Lizardmen, had grown to a substantial number. GORHAM figuring it best to make short work of them now before reaching the top of the hill where they may find themselves in over their heads, with too many enemies to combat. And so they did, with a surprise attack RAGNA & GORHAM flanked a King Lizardman and with the combined effort of themselves and FREYA they brought the beast down. ATHENA almost died in the initial exchange with a brutal critical attack from above by a waiting Lizardmen who knew never to trust lying humans. ANNIKA climbed over a rocky precipice, navigating around the primitive palisade erected by the Lizardmen. There she exchanged arrow fire with several Lizardmen, until freezing two with her ice-rays. As FREYA continued her aerial assault it became apparent that not only had the Lizardmen a captive in a primitive, bamboo enclosed pit, but they also were ruled over a powerful YUAN TI serpent being, the ultimate henchmen of the Temple of Set! GORHAM & RAGNA worked their way over the steep stone barrier atop the hill, gaining knowledge and confidence by watching their White Ape allies as they too leapt, and strode out of pits and over rocky barriers. The White Apes, ABEBOLGANI and MOWGANI rushed head-long toward their mortal enemies, disregarding their own safety while doing so. The YUAN TI struck them, but not with a sword, but rather with the arcane knowledge of some ancient power and HELD both of them where they stood. To add insult to injury, to King Lizardmen began to beat and strike them mercilessly. FREYA dropped a Wall of Acid on the YUAN TI, viewing it as a grave threat, while not doing maximum damage, the creature took significant damage as it stayed within the wall with its hatred blinding its pain. Wishing to take no more, the YUAN TI became INVISIBLE and snuck off into the hilly wilderness. GORHAM, upon reaching the peak shot blindly into where he thought the YUAN TI resided and he struck the beast who could not be seen. The rest of the Party, sans the injured ATHENA ascended the rickety boardwalk up to the summit and engaged their reptiles enemies, ANNIKA with the help of RAGNA healed her wounds, while FREYA continued her aerial assault of CONTINUOUS MISSILE. ANNIKA used her newly found CRYSTAL BALL and learned that their captive maybe a benign elven prisoner! GORHAM reached the pit and freed a dark skinned Elf, with silver hair. It was unclear whether this being was male or female, but exuded an unearthly charisma. This was ARGENTA, spiritual leader of the ARGENT ELVES who protect the southern forest at the border between it and the Savage Lands. ARGENTA told the tale of being captured by the Lizardmen who intended to use ARGENTA as leverage in allowing the Temple of Set to continue their Green Lotus operation, sickening the human kingdoms with its its sinister narcotic. With FREYA dropping another of WALL of ACID, and the attack of ANNIKA's arrows, and the pummeling APES, the last of the Lizardmen were defeated. The party held the hill. As the party made plans to escort ARGENTA to his elven homeland, where they would receive aid., assistance and supplies... RAGNA heard a creak behind her on the old wooden plank walkway. With a sudden cry and a HISS, the YUAN TI reappeared striking at ABEBOLGANI with a death blow that missed him by mere inches! What will occur now? How powerful is this YUAN TI? Can it be reasoned with and where are the others? TO BE CONTINUED!