Their trip was relatively uneventful. They travelled down the Rhone until they found a small tributary leading Northwest. They followed that until a certain rock formation indicated the canyon that they should ascend. They progressed up the canyon, eventually discovering a waterfall and a flight of stone stairs beside it. At the top, they found themselves in a cut in the stone, perhaps one hundred feet deep and three hundred feet long, varying in width from forty to eighty feet. The stream sprang from a source at the far end.
Closer examination showed that the spring was beneath a well house, but that both entrances of the well house were marked as a Sanctum, doubtless that of Rillion. After some debate, and peeking through windows at the laboratory beyond, it was decided not to risk violating the Sanctum.
No such qualms prevented them from entering the cave which served as living quarters for the magus - and for a servant or friend, it would seem, since there were two beds. Some hair was gathered from each bed, but little else of interest was discovered, although the cave was opulently furnished. As the Magi began to sketch a rough map upon some parchment found in the cave, Narryn and Caerwissan made camp as Lyper went to hunt.
Anna cast the Inexorable Search utilizing some of the hair found in the larger and more sumptuous of the two beds. There was no twitch whatsoever, disappointing the magi. A second casting indicated that the target of the spell was down the valley some small distance. Laurel took her owl shape to fly down the valley and join Lyper, hunting in that direction, in order to investigate.
Alas, Lyper would not be joining anyone ever again. Laurel found him dead, mauled by a wolf it seems. Returning to the others she shared her knowledge. Umberto summoned the winds to fly down and retrieve the body. While there he noticed a wolf hiding in the brush nearby, as though in ambush. After some time, he managed to raise the body of the dead grog with his magics without exposing himself to the wolf, and then returned to the camp. Lyper was buried, a watch was established and the fire built up.
At midnight, the guard of Umberto and Narryn felt a chill, and then saw coming towards them from the end of the valley (the end with the sheer 100 foot high cliff), a strange figure dressed like a Gaulish warrior of ancient days. The moon suddenly glinted off of raw bone in his face, and the alarum was given.
As the magi prepared for battle, a hot, overpowering, unnatural rage overtook them and they were hard pressed to restrain themselves from charging the creature. Narryn, calmly hefted his sword and went forth to purchase the Magi time to cast their spells. The price was nearly his left arm. His attack was brushed aside and the counter stroke from the antique shortsword of the ghoul left him clutching a half-severed arm in shock.
But he had succeeded! Even as Umberto and Laurel grabbed the creature with their magics to lift him from the earth, Anna caused entwining vines to spring from the earth and trap his legs.
As they did so, though, a wolf broke from cover and charged Narryn! They struck and rolled on the ground for a moment, before Anna turned and sent a Pilum of Fire into the flank of the beast. With an inarticulate cry, the wolf fled, leaving Narryn shaken but unharmed.
After some debate, the undead creature was dismembered, but it was not until the red crystal was removed from where his heart should be that he stopped moving. His remains were buried, and the crystal was investigated magically and found to contain Corporem Vis.
Laurel bandaged Narryn's wounds, and in order to save the arm, Umberto used his magical arts to further aid the wounded man. It would be necessary for him to aid the man each morning and evening in this fashion until they returned to the Covenant and more natural methods could be used.
The next morning the wolf was tracked to his lair and found to be not a wolf, but a man! He called himself Karl Rittenvald, and claimed to be Rillion's companion of several years. After much discussion, he explained that he felt Rillion had met with foul play, and that Karl was certain that the villains would return to loot his Sanctum. Against that day, Karl kept watch and when the magi arrived, he was sure he had found his killers. The magi convinced him of their good will and a truce was reached.
The magi then returned to the Covenant, where they made use of the maps there to again attempt to locate Rillion. After several fruitless days, they came to the conclusion that he was dead, farther away than their magic could reach, or behind some form of mystic shield that they could not penetrate. Some voiced suspicions about Pandrin, since a powerful enough Aegis would prevent the spell from detecting the missing mage.