The group sits in the common room of the Duck and Bucket at Crossroads Keep, deciding what to do next. Their plans are overheard by an unlikely pair, a tiefling Fighter named Maximus (Max for short), and an Aasimar sorcerer named Ramas. They are eager to join up and help exterminate the gnoll problem in the area. Once introductions are made and it becomes clear that these new folk are on the up and up, the group decides to try and make for the ruins of the Wolves Den before Midnight.

Taking the Trade Way and riding east, they arrive at the ruins of the inn late that night, only to find a trio of horsemen checking out the ruins for themselves. The party approaches in a non-threatening manner, and find out that the three men were investigating the area, trying to ascertain exactly what happened. Of course, as the conversation continues, several party members let slip that they know what happened here. Kudzu notices that the trio is mercenaries, and in fact are ThunderBlades. He discreetly informs his friends about his discovery.

Kendrick excuses himself and slips off to the barn, but ends up circling back discreetly behind the trio. Kudzu begins talking to the horses and the mercenaries are getting suspicious. Laurus has seen and heard enough; he attacks the trio, backed up by a Hail of Stones from Sendar. Battle is joined!

Kendrick crits one mercenary, and Max does the same after charging into battle. Laurus gets another hit, Josey casts Burning Hands, and commands his dire rat companion Stinkpaw to attack. Sendar keeps things going with a Shocking Grasp, Kendrick gets another critical hit, and Laurus finishes off the last mercenary. After looting the bodies and quickly hiding them, the group hunkers down for the night in the still intact barn.

The group awakens to a cold crisp clear day. They head to the gnoll cave, planning along the way. When they arrive at the cave, Maximus sneaks in, but runs afoul of a gnoll squad coming out in order to start their normal patrol. The battle starts sooner than anyone expects.

Maximus drops a gnoll, while Laurus charges in and kills two. The last gnoll screams and runs full-bore down the tunnel, back to his fellows, yapping a warning. Maximus chases the last gnoll deep into the gnoll lair, and arrives at the bridge that spans the deep dark chasm. The party begins to regroup just inside the cave. The plan is modified, with the intent of luring the gnolls out for another ambush outside.

Kendrick sets up a tripwire, and everyone gets into position. Sure enough, in a few minutes, two waves of gnolls (six in each wave) emerge from the underground lair. A combination of Color Spray and readied attacks takes out the entire first wave. The second wave charges in, and the trip wire trap proves ineffective. Behind the second waves stands the gnoll Ranger (leader??), and the gnoll cleric of Yeenoghu.

Draelic casts Moonlust and fascinates the Ranger. Ramas does another Color Spray and down one. Josey and Kendrick team up and drop another. Sendar, who hit the ground, crawls away to heal himself. The cleric of Yeenoghu manages to get a critical hit on Laurus, and drops him. As other heroes begin closing with the cleric, the gnoll backs down the tunnel. The rest of the gnolls, fighting for the life of their priest, are cut down by Max and Kudzu. The Ranger is downed by Laurus, but not before the gnoll downs Kendrick.

With the battle over (and the cleric fleeing back down the tunnels), the party regroups and administers healing. Once the party is reorganized and revitalized, they head down the tunnels, and come to the chasm, with the bridge drawn up. This is when Maximus unleashes his surprise and deploys his bat-wings, a sign of his Outsider heritage. He grabs a very surprised Laurus and begins flying across the chasm.

A trio of gnolls on the other side begins firing arrows at the flying folks. Sendar weakens all three with a Hail of Stones. Kendrick drops one with his own bow, and once the duo arrive safely on the other side of the chasm quickly dispatch the already wounded gnoll archers.

The drawbridge is deployed so that everyone else can cross the chasm, and with the party all across, they press onward. The group finds a series of empty living quarters until they at last find a large central one with stairs heading down. Josey lobs a Molotov cocktail down the stairs, and apparently hits some gnolls. Laurus follows suit but gets no results. The group looks around and sees a large keg of booze. They hatch a plan to set it on fire, roll it down the stairs, and charge in after it.

However, as this allegedly clever plan is being hatched, the gnolls come around from behind, using a side passage, and attack the party. Then a second gnoll attack comes from the stairs, making a sort of hammer-and-anvil attack. Ramas takes out three with his Color Spray, while Laurus takes care of the cleric, killing him (he had been itching to kill this cleric for some time now).

And right about here is where the party finds the true leader of the tribe, a flind. Using his flind bars to clobber for great effect, he is nevertheless outnumbered and attempts to escape, finding this particular gnoll tribe “unworthy” of his “leadership”. Laurus, Kudzu, and Maximus take off after him. Josey and Stinkpaw keep two gnolls at bay before Kendrick and Ramas come in to help. Ramas charges out, running after the flind, and manages to score the final blow.

The group forms up in the large sleeping chamber, to take items and decide what to do. Josey does some quick recon and finds that the chamber beyond has some gnoll pups and a few female non-combatants. He leaves them alone, returns to the chamber, and engages in the already progressing discussion.

What the party doesn’t know is that these helpless pups and nurses take the second exit out of their chamber, go to the chasm, cross the bridge, then set it on fire, fleeing to the surface once they’re done! Sneaky little buggers!

The party, meanwhile, is searching the various cave chambers, and they find some treasure and an odd map with bizarre runes on it. As Max and Kendrick search for more loot, Draelic goes up the stairs and hears the crackling sound of wood burning. The party puts two and two together and rushes out to the chasm in time to see the burning remains of the drawbridge tumble into the dark chasm. The heroes actually have a good chuckle over the situation. They were going to let the young and helpless go anyway; this makes it a bit easier. Fortunately, the Maximus Flying Tiefling Air Cargo Service is in operation! The party hunkers down to rest.

The following day, the party frees the remaining hyenas (the gnolls’ pets) from their pens and let them go. The party goes back to the ruined inn, then head west to the Keep. They roll into “town” in late evening.

So the local gnoll menace has been dealt with. But does anyone out there wonder if perhaps the ThunderBlades, who are not idiots, are getting a bit suspicious at all of these sudden losses?