My sleep is troubled; I try to relax but I cannot... My call has been sent, and they answer; they have no choice. I try to concentrate, I must try to speak, to make them hear me. But they do not notice.

They have arrived in the starting room; but still they sleep, a dream within a dream within a dream. How long? I cannot tell. The meaning of time is lost upon me. They awaken... they see the stark room -- fifteen feet cubed, with a single egress. The only method I can communicate lies upon the first altar, if one could say it was communication.

Again I shout out -- but they do not hear. They seem confused but they are adept, and literate it appears, as they scan through the words of the scroll. They figure out the door quickly enough, perhaps they will succeed? Not likely...

Into the next room, the same as the first save the altar is different. 5 levers and a button appear before them, with a button to the right of them. They are speaking... what do they say? I strain to hear but silence taunts me.

They throw the levers and pass through to the next room. My pain grows, it is hard to see exactly what they do. Do they understand? And again through to the next room. A feeling long lost upon me tickles me. Dare I hope? No... not yet. I will see what they do.

One more room they march. They see the altar, with a button and four pedastals. The button is hit! Skeletons appear and are quickly destroyed. Not too powerful this party is, but, powerful enough? I ignore the pain and concentrate upon the party again. They have found the figurines!

Another enemy, a mindless gargoyle, again dispatched, but they have been wounded. Will they dispair? Ah, I see one is a healer. Maybe there is some hope after all...

Back to the levers, and a different combination. Which did they pick? I strain to see, but it is too hazy, and I have not the strength to try long. Forward again, and mephits... ah how I hate mephits... but they don't seem to hurt the party much.

More levers, yet another combination. My pain grows, along with my fear. I feel my time slipping. I yell at them to hurry, but they pay me no heed. I must close my eyes for a bit.

Back to the levers, another choice made, and forward again. This time a brown bear awaits them. A dead end. Will they understand? Back to the levers, and forward again. An arc of lightning strikes out... did it kill one? I see the party shimmer out; they have figured out one of the pieces, and are back at the beginning, with the dead member alive again! I can feel it now; these are the ones.

But alas, they tarry! What are they thinking? Eventually they set forth again. The pain eats at me; I cannot concentrate much longer, and I sense the party has been considerably weakened. Another figurine is placed; this time an enormous lion appears. Two of the members fall, but they are able to dispatch it.

They start over again, and head back. This time a cone of cold kills one and they must start over. NO! They have lost the momentum. I shake my head in dispair. And back again; they remove all the figurines and place a new one. This time an ettin! It is too strong for them -- they are dying!

Another set of adventurers dead. No hope. My pain intensifies. A moment of reality hits me, this is not real! "Not bad! Not bad at all" I exult. Ah! The pain is unbearable... I must forget! I feel my consciousness slip away from me... the pain is my blanket and now I must sleep again...

March 2

The students awoke from a nightmare, and realized if they didn't hurry they would be late for their appointment with Tera. Checking in with each other, they realized that it had not been a simple nightmare -- they had all dreamt the same dream!

At 9:00AM they filed into Tera's office.

Errol blurted out, "What the hell?!?"

Tera looked at him confusedly. The students described the group dream they had experienced. Tera looked at them each with concern, but the students couldn't tell if that concern stemmed from the nightmare or because she was worried for their mental stability.

"It's been a long time but I do remember something like this happening several thousand years ago. But it has been a long time since I've come across it myself, and I cannot remember from whence it came. I would try and find the reference but I've been very busy these last couple of days, and will be for a while. There are lots of things happening." As she spoke this, the students noticed she did look rather tired, which was very unusual for a belar.

"Anyays, did you have any questions for me?", she asked. Perhaps because of the traumatic experience, the students had few questions. Tera reported that Klaus was third or so in the line of sucession in the Yogar clan. She had talked directly to Nicholas, the ruler of the Yogar clan. According to Nicholas, shortly after Klaus's encoutner with Tera, Nicholas found Klaus in his laboratory dead -- he had killed himself. Upon further research, they determined that Klaus had contacted a rare disease that made him insane.

"I still have no idea why Klaus would have been interested in my sculpture," she said.

"We also sent scouts to check out the cave you reported. It was just a small cave with furnishings for two people. The back of the cave led to a maze whose egress was the other cave complex you found. It looks like the cave had been used for quite a while and have been outfitted to prevent most means of scrying. When we found it, it was also quite abandoned."

Lastly, she reminded the students that graduation was April 1, and that they should just relax until then. Also she noted that as a reward for recovering the statue, they would be have their pick of mentors, so not to worry about their apprentice lists.

The students ran out of questions, and started to leave her office. Vaugner lingered a little and said to Tera, "If you need us to help with anything else, just let us know!"

"Thank you for volunteering yourself... and your group," she replied with just a trace of a smirk.

Outside again, Malif filled the rest of the party in on the cave. After missing out on the opportunity of whatever lay in the cave outside Gront, they decided not to pass it up again and started walking towards the cave. With luck, they would find something to help free Alana.