We the noble heroes are invited to go to the castle for a festive meal (mouth waters).

In the castle courtyard, I see a shard and pick it up - it's from the sphere.

In the feasting hall, a floating table with chairs and throne is suspended twenty feet from the ground. We are led to table, joining 5 other elves; people are conversing particularly politely with Krog (!). Our table mates include: Swafa, Shee, Efee, Lonee, Mulfee Gohal (I see a pattern here).

Lorian Habishar, a primitivist from the Feral Isles, speaks of problems in the north as piles of veggies, fruit and copious amounts of wine and ale are placed before us, as soft music pipes.

Upon the triumphal blast of the horn, people float down from the ceiling, robes flowing (none of us would be so rude as to peep) - the emperor and his nobles.

In the midst of the genteel clapping, Trax makes a rude noise, but fortunately no one hears her.

And so the music plays on - military marches - the heaping mounds of meat are brought around (the usual, stag, goat, cattle), and the gorging begins.

At some point, music dies down, and the Emperor stands and floats over us, and speechifies: we'd just defeated the largest orc host ever, says he, and then he asks us all to go and harry the orcs some more, further afield. He does manage to insult humans, which results in some shouting and chest beating and general carrying on.

A huge voice rings out: "Silence!" And the emperor continues, telling us that the humans at the Northern Borders of Karroch are our enemies. Goes on about the nasty, short-lived, over-fertile humans, and that neither orcs nor humans are welcome in Karroch.

A lively debate ensues at our table - most agree with the emperor's characterization.

Aldurin, the great and glorious bard (whom some passing elves had mentioned before the seige of the city) starts playing again.

One of the women at our table - Lonee - drools in Aldurin's direction; saying he's the most wonderful musician. Indiscretely (she's a fanatic groupie after all) I mutter he's probably a spy. Lonee asks me to take it back, I don't, she approaches with a knife, ready to skewer me to protect her beloved's honour. Bingle intervenes (I forget how now), and we avoid the cat fight. I even back down and apologize. Ugh.

Finally the party ends, we leave, and just as we're about to depart, Trax mentions out loud our thoughts about potential collusion with Orcs before the seige. In an instant we're surrounded. Led to a small dark room. Left alone.

Trax is somewhat sheepish (although hard to tell with a dwarf). As I try to kill time by memorizing a spell, some of the guards come in, including the sergeant, demanding we repeat the whole story.

Trax does so, and we are released, and return to the Prancing Slug, debating our options. Personally I'm not keen on heading east to mindlessly harry orcs at the Emperor's bidding, and I'm not keen either on this anti-human bigotism.

I suggest we try and figure out what the magic sphere shard is or does, Stib suggests we try to do it ourselves, since if we took it to the local mages, they'd probably take it away. (Too true alas)

Stib and I study the sphere for a while, to no avail, as the rest go to the weapons shop. [used read magic spell]. I even try a magic missile spell on the shard (in an abandoned town square of course) , but nothing happens - other than a big bang and lost clay.

Somewhat later, as Trax and I look for a magic store, a desperate elvish woman runs up, presses something - a gem! - in my hand and keeps going. We watch incredulously (but with relief it's not us) as Imperial trackers grab her and haul her off. Wow. The excitement just keeps mounting, what can this all mean? A little too much vrata, that's for sure.

[Add to my supplies - 5 pieces of rune clay, oil of levitation, oil of slipperiness. 5111 gps left. I've got money to burn but nowhere to burn it, the magic shop was almost empty]

So, back at the inn, we check out the gem. Trax grabs it from me. I fight and grab it back. Or, that's sort of what I think happened. I do detect magic spell - SUPER magical object, this large red gem, with vines all around it. We each then do various magical - and other - tests on it, but not much happens. Bingle smashes himself on the head (oh yes) to see if the gem will protect him, but not.

At one point I look into it, and for a moment, I have an image of the full moon. The gem also seems to trap light. Stib suggests we do a test by the full moon (it was hinting, perhaps) - hold the gem to the ground and watch the moonrays go through it. I'm the only one to see anything: a shadowy figure walking about as if pulling scrolls from shelves in a study. Perhaps me in the future?

It's curiously reminiscent of 'mind gems' of which I'd once heard rumours, and yeah, when I get a chance, I will go to a library.

Well, since the moon was up and we were wide awake with nothing to do, we decided to go orc hunting anyway. We found a couple of orcs guarding a cavern somewhat east of the city; Rangers and Stib check this out, and end up killing the orces; in we go, and find 4 orcs dicing.

We all attack. I throw a dagger and miss, hitting poor Trax by accident (sigh), and the others are far more successful; Bingle even manages to lift 38 copper pieces offf the orcs, offering to share (but we don't care).

There's a metal door in the cavern, & Stib tries to pick the lock. Something hurls itself against the door, we pry it open, and - omigods!!! spheres of absolute evil guard some (doubtless) invaluable thing…

What are we going to do?