The first thing we should do is kill all the bards

With the help of the gallons of healing potions donated by the monks of Pelor and purchased from your prosperous merchant benefactor the bugbear gang leader Relgore and the bandits of the upper level caves have been slain and stripped of their precious belongings.

The party has recovered 3 keys which apparently grant access to the bandit treasure trove, which still has not been located. Hadron's missing signet ring has not yet been found. Few clues as to what awaits the party in the lower levels of the caves have been uncovered, other than a brief glimpse of an ogre clearing away the corpses from the night before. What could be down there? Why have these bandits taken an interest in the missing prince? Where did the bandits come from? What the heck is the deal with that magical sponge? Too bad the kobold bard, a wealth of information, was killed before he could be questioned.

Worgs, Goblins, and Barghests oh my!

In chapter 5 of the endless story, our heroes left the prince and his guardian at the ruined barn while they went to recover the prince's stolen ring. Traveling overland across the moors they came upon a gruesome scene of slaughtered sheep and rescued a wounded dog from the site,who then joined the party. Soon the cliffs that house the bandit caves loomed into view.

After a brief battle with the worgs, wolves, and goblin sentries guarding the entrance the party proceeded into the caves. They stumbled into the lair of the worg pack leader and his entourage and a grueling battle ensued in which the heroes were tested to their limits. Hildegarde scouted ahead, foiling traps and spotting additional goblin sentries stationed on the far side of the rope bridge spanning a deep cavern. The party rushed and slayed the sentries before they had a chance to warn the others.

The dog, scenting his kidnapped master nearby, plunged on ahead, leading the party to a makeshift prison. The party quickly overpowered a pair of goblin guards and rescued a captured halfling shepherd druid, Eeyore, who healed the party's wounds, told them what he knew of the caves and offered to help them defeat the bandit leaders.

Rejuvenated, the party plunged onward, smashing through barred and trapped doors and decimating the remaining goblins and their wizard commander, Rancid, who were waiting for them in a long forgotten evil temple. The barbarian's cleaving blows splashed fresh goblin blood across the dusty altar, invoking some unknown evil sorcery.

While searching and looting the temple cells the party discovered the first key needed to unlock the bandits' main treasure horde, and also discovered a secret door behind a massive infernal statue. Behind the door lurked the barghest, Skorn, standing at the center of an eerily glowing magic circle.

Digna, the Dwarven fighter, was mentally dominated by the demon and was forced to protect it from the party, and she grappled the paladin and the rogue to the floor. The conflict was resolved with the combined efforts of the party, their new druid companion, and the wizards new wand of magic missiles. Digna came to her senses and discovered a strange necklace after the barghest's body melted away. Putting it on revealed its true form which was that of a disembodied eye, watching her and the rest of the party. At the urging of her friends, she destroyed it. Could it be somehow related to the feeling of being watched earlier?

After looting the barghest's chest and recovering another of the treasure horde keys, the party decided to seal up the secret room with the ominously pulsating circle and barricade the temple doors so they could rest up and prepare to take on the next level of the caves. Sir Andros and Hildegarde got a chance to level up!

In chapter 6 the party will attempt to spend a night in the caves unmolested and then continue further into the caves, killing bandit's as they go.