And welcome to another episode of 'Scions of Nathas'
Note: This is a summary of 3 or for game sessions, due to the desire for some old fashioned 'dungeoncrawling' in the player group 
The hints previously received from the Drake (a long time ago) about the possible loot and information available in the Ruby Fortress has left our heroes preparing an expedition...
The exploration party is made up of: Ser Florus, Aed, Haygar, Eleanor, Sorel, Brennan, Yaanin, Festos, Geeorg and, as a first run, Sasuke, one of the new arrivals from the first gate group.
The Ruby Fortress is situated on the top of a medium sized steep hill close to the northern mountain range and is reached via Ellotis.... Dual concentric fortified walls encircle a small town on the first circle wall, and two keeps as well as some military installations such as stables, etc. The outer town is completely razed to the ground, with the occasional corpse and skeleton not having completely decomposed. The inner keeps are heavily damaged, with one keep being partly damaged with about 7 levels still standing, while the second keep has suffered significantly worse damage with only about 2 levels left standing.
Eleanor switched to her bird form and takes an extensive recon flight, discerning that there appears no elf/human/hominid movement in the two courtyards and the keeps. However, when switching to second sight, she notices hundreds of elven ghosts, of both Kaelbrach and Linisfarn origin, fighting each other. The group makes its way through the grounds into the first (less damaged) keep. It is empty, with the exception of a number of ghosts. Like in the outer perimeter, the ghosts appear to be locked in opposing combat with each other. The small basement holds a number of storerooms with very little content. The entire keep is clearly a military installation and was overrun and demolished.
The 'Ferals'
The second keep is of similar design, but more substantially damaged and nothing of interest above ground. The first floor of the basement holds little of interest, apart from a wide set of stairs leading down. Interestingly, the stairs and the area around it seem to be free of corpses/skeletons. Upon descending the stairs, a number of (already sprung) traps are discovered, although they are lacking victims... After moving down the adjoining corridor for a few paces, the group is set upon by a 'gang' of nine elves, who storm the group from the front and two side corridors... They are fierce, but not particularly resilient and it quickly becomes clear that they are no credible threat. After a couple of rounds, 6 of them are incapacitated or dead, and two are blindfolded and Brennan had captured another one. Haygar, in his usual unnecessary bloodlust finishes off the two blindfolded ones.
The captured survivor, after a little while of interrogation, turns out to be a teenager equivalent 'feral' elf, who appears to be from a tribe hiding under the fortress. Apparently the leader is currently out hunting and will return within two days. The stairs are sealed with a WoT (again) and camp is made in the entrance hall, with a watch posted outside. During discussion with the captive (named 'Mili') Eleanor notes that he seems to be using primarily simple language patterns and a limited vocabulary. There is apparently a flourishing 'tribe' in the basement that assume that they are the only survivors of the Kaelbrach war.
When the hunting party arrives back, with the leader Barrow in charge, after some discussion they can be convinced that the explorers are allied with "The House of Finsuran" and they are invited into the tribe's home. Finsuran's Name seems to inspire a degree of awe in them.
After some further discussion, it transpires that Barrow and ten other children were hidden in the cellars during the War. Afterwards they assumed they were the only survivors, especially since, after a trip down to Eshnunna (which is an extremely long distance!!) and, after finding it destroyed, they returned and set up in the fortress, killing the occasional treasure hunters and Woodland Elf Rangers who came across them. They are socially not particularly advanced, and are very much a society where the stronger dominate the weaker. They also have, for elves, a very high birth rate and very young mothers. In fact, intercourse appears to be forming a large part of the tribal bonding.
Sorel takes a quick trip back to Dragmos, and brings back Illium and Nethus to decide upon a sensible course of action. Speculation is that the younger ones can probably be integrated into the Kaelbrach society, while the older ones may find this difficult. Sorel offers the support of Dragmos, if it becomes necessary. Plans are made for the tribe to be brought to Ellotis, from where Nethus will contact Finsuraneth.
There is some concern over political power games that may occur amongst the elves who might be using the tribe as political capital. Sorel advises Barrow that there are other options, if he feels his people are not doing well in Finsuran, and he can contact Dragmos or Ellotis if necessary. However, before the tribe is moved, it is decided that the lower basement levels will be examined.
The usual suspects proceed into the deeper basement where they find mainly sprung traps, as well as a number of dead elves and dwarves, who had become the victims of those traps. Given the age of some of the corpses found, it is likely that there is at least one further endrance to the basement somewhere, although is is not noticed by the explorers....
Burning Man
Two further levels down, passing through numerous looted labs, a 9' tall "burning man" is encountered who is clearly not happy at their presence. The ensuing combat is difficult, forcing Haygar back into standard lion form since his enhanced attacks do not penetrate the creature's magical resistance. He is eventually overcome primarily with mundane attacks, but not before causing some heavy fire damage to Sorel. After some basic healing magic (bind wounds and the usual recovery bonus spell), Sasuke and Yaanin transport Sorel upstairs (to see if Illium or Nethus have any suitable healing spells available). In the meantime the rest of the group presses on.
The burning man seemed to protect a number of laboratories which seem to be spotless, and, after some second sight, it appears are 'staffed' by enslaved ghosts who are working through some basic lab scripts. They seem not interested in interfering with the group passing through.
Not Quite Dead Yet
The next lab, in addition to some 'lab ghosts, does contain what appears to be an undead spellcaster who appears to be turning aggressive upon entry. Viscious combat ensues, where it quickly transpires that the undead mage is protected by a Terram Ward, deflecting all incoming metal weaponry. Geeorg is unfortunately vanquished early on via 'Crushed Heart'. Eleanor tries to catch the mage in a 'Trap of Entwining Vines' but only manages to catch Brennan in them... Sasuke fortunately manages to rip Brennan out of the vines by brute force, and (after grabbing his quarterstaff) tosses him into cover. Through the use of various table legs and other wood implements the mage is battered down by Aed and Sasuke, and, rather anticlimactically, killed by Eleanor's tree form with a Wardrobe... (a rather unceremonious end for a formerly great elven mage)
Afterwards, those with 2nd sight notice the enslaved elven ghosts clapping before they begin to fade. Eleanor manages to have a quick convrsation with them about elven death rituals.
Through the Rabbit Hole
In the possession of the Mage, there is, amongst other items, a red topped sceptre, which, once someone grasps it, opens up a section of the wall, revealing another portal. Passing through it, the explorers arrive in a clearly artificial magical dimension/regio/pocket universe/etc. The landing platform contains three columns, with a Ruby, an Emerald and a Sapphire on top. The area (and most subsequent areas) consists of a thin (10mm) metal floor magically floating inside a slightly swirling red mist. On the opposite side, a further portal leads onwards, leading into a series of regios, connected by numerous portals. The regios contain gardens (complete with artificial suns), living quarters, servant quarters, barracks, armouries, and lab spaces. All encountered areas show signs of fierce combat, the later areas revealing numerous corpses of both, Kaelbrach and Linisfarne Elves. Overall, it appears to be a similar stronghold/retreat to Finsuran's Rock.
In some areas, items can be found floating off the walkways and floors in the red mist, apparently for storage. It appears that quite some stock of foodstuffs, etc. were kept and they seem to be still edible(!). THe storage areas gontain long boathook like poles, that can be used to pull in barrels and chests.
Moving on, an area which holds numerous civilian Kaelbrach Elves floating off the walkways in the Red mist are discovered, all bearing severe/quickly fatal wounds on them. After some debate, the least injured, a young female elf, is roped in with some difficulty. As soon as her woulds begin to bleed, "Bind Wounds' and a recovery spell are applied. After some discussion, it becomes clear that the area was likely used as a prison by the resident archmagus [Ollie, can you please fill in the name?]. Anyone or anything off the platforms or walkways apparently enters a form of stasis. It is subsequently surmised that the wounds were applied by the Linisfarne troops by attaching a weapon to a long boathook.
After discussion, it transpires that not all was apparently well in the Kaelbrach state and there seemed to be quite a bit of 'forceful politics' going on over the years. THe young lady is left to recuperate in one of the bedrooms, while the rest of the area is examined. Given the worrying approach that Nethus is taking with the 'Ferals' she is offered to come back to Dragmos or Ellotis in secret for her to recover, while plans are made to retrieve the rest of the Elves in stasis (one by one) and heal them. This would allow them to return as a single unit with significantly more clout than if their existence was revealed to the inhabitants of Finsuran directly....
Further aread discovered are more storage areas, a specimen store of some of the sentient species encountered (about 40 LGMotF, 15 Orks, and some Dwarves), as well as an animal store, containing numerous animals, some already encountered, some not encountered so far. Most interesting are a set of horses, which would finally allow for a breeding programme and some useful riding animals, which so far has been sorely lacking...
The final gate transports the explorers into a large room with a large fountain in the centre and 12 portals/gates distributed around the edge of the room.....
Upon entry, a multi tentacled, somewhat translucent 'monster' emerges from the fountain and starts attacking. Plain physical weapons appear somewhat ineffective, however an InVi spell reveals that the monster is linked to the central fountain, which prompts some of the explorers to begin trashing the fountain, while others keep the monster busy. The damage reveals a large red jewel contained in the fountain which is quickly destroyed, banishing the monster as well...
The portal doors around the hall reveal a number of barracks, living quarters and storage areas, some mothballed labs, large amounts of stores lab equipment, a small library, and some supporting grog quarters. The more noteable areas include a massive lab, containing a Dragon's Skeleton, held together with leather and chains, ready to be animated, and a large lab with a Trireme inside. Both labs seem to lack a method to removing the oversized objects, the assumption being that some form of portal would have been put in place when the objects were ready. Further there is a large lab to summon/create magical beasts. One of the portals can not be opened, and just glows silver upon approach, while a second portal has the same reaction but turning silver. A silver key found on one of the corpses resolvers this and reveals a great hall, containing some bedrooms and a library on some siderooms, as well as a large Vis store (150 pawns; Yay!!!). There is also a large, magically secured (?) vault door of the type that we have failed to open before....
The loot is transferred over a few weeks, first to Elottis, then further on to Dragmos. The elves are sent to Elottis as well to allow the Kaelbrach to receive them. The Elven Noble is transported directly to Dragmos, while not being revealed to Nethus for the moment....
Note:
There is another interesting follow on in a further area but this we leave for another day....
There is currently a lot of wound licking and recovering going on, and there is the need to come to terms with losing one of the long standing and quite popular grogs, so the future will be interesting...
He is certainly out for Winter, and likely also Spring.