Courynn and Nymara stood outside the two rings of concentric standing stones, the outer more than twice the height of the inner, watching Talice shimmer out of focus and then vanish, leaving them in the midst of the broad beautiful meadow. Then a low moan drew their attention to one of the outer stones. Rounding it they froze in their tracks at the sight before them… hung by her arms was an exotically beautiful naked woman who gasped desperately in Untheric, the native tongue of the Wizards’ Reach; “Please… help me!” Rushing to her aid, Nymara sliced the rope suspending her and Courynn caught her as she collapsed, unable to support her own weight as the star elf gasped, barely able to comprehend the cruelty inflicted upon her; “What happened to you?” “They turned on me when I couldn’t get us into the ‘Underglade’,” she breathed hoarsely still speaking Untheric, obviously dehydrated from hanging there for hours… if not days. Courynn had to translate for Nymara, who was unfamiliar with the language, they always conversed in elven which was almost universal spoken in the Yuirwood, while she helped the woman drink deep drafts from a waterskin and he covered her naked body with his enchanted weather cloak, inquiring with a concerned tone in elven; “Who turned on you… and where are they?” “My companions… we came from Delthuntle to explore what’s rumored to lie beneath the glade,” the strange woman replied weakly switching to elven. “They blamed me because I couldn’t make the portal work. When they got bored tormenting me, they left… heading south… yesterday. They’re probably slinking back home like the dogs they are.” Courynn and Nymara exchanged looks of mild relief, having worried that the Ancient was the one to leave her there like that, which wouldn’t have bode well for Calastra, then he asked; “Please… its’s important that we know… have you seen a pair of star elves… a wizardly old man and young woman?” “No,” she responded in a stronger voice, clearly regaining her strength. “We were here for three days while I tried to find a way past the portal’s provisions… and they spent three more having their ‘fun’ with me… before they left yesterday… I haven’t seen another soul in all that time.” Relieved that they hadn’t missed them, Courynn and Nymara where now concerned that the Ancient and her sister might arrive at any time, so he carried the strange woman, who was still unfit to walk, a safe distance away from the menhir circle before setting up camp to await their arrive. Once settled, Nymara inquired; “Who are you and why did you want to get into this ‘Underglade’?” “My name is Lynneth,” the woman disclosed. “I found references to a sanctuary or vault of some kind deep beneath this glade in an ancient text. Such places are typically ripe with treasures. So, I organized this expedition, recruiting men experienced in facing unknown dangers… I suppose I should’ve spent more care to find ones of better character… obviously. I purchased a scroll of a spell I was promised would reveal all the secrets of the portal… which it did… but not the secret to work it. I should have known it couldn’t be that easy.”