Some newcomers had taken residence at the Inn the night before and eventually some of them introduced themselves. First there was a Chultean called Samson Umtata, the son of the Warrior Chieftain of his tribe, who had come to Calimport to investigate the evil slave trade. Next there was Lucy, a female priestess of Umberlee. She was cold and distant, but became involved with the group anyway.
Crompton decided to day was the day he would go to see the Gnome Mines and accompanied by a couple of others, headed to the eastern part of the city to find the high cliff face which was Gnome Mines. It was explained to him that in the early days of Calimport, this had been a huge quarry for the stones which built the city and the Gnomes had been brought in as slaves. As the city grew, it swallowed the quarry and it ceased to be active. The Gnomes were freed, but asked to take possession of the cliffs and turn them into their city within a city. Gnome Mines was an extensive burrowing going deep into the hill the cliff was cut into.
Crompton met Arbuthnot Clawhand, High Priest of Garl Glittergold and offered his assistance in combating the vampires which infested the region at the foot of the cliff called Shadowland. Arbuthnot was grateful for the offer but explained that they had the situation in hand at present.
Lucy took it upon herself to pay a visit to the Slave Market and ended up buying an attractive female slave. She also discovered that there were elves for sale. Corrie took it upon herself to buy these elves herself and then take them directly to the Elven Quarter and release them. There, she discovered that an ancient elven priestess of Elistraee was cared for within the temple of Corellon Larethian. She was the oldest elf any of them had ever seen and she explained that she refused to listen to the call to retreat until drow Elistraeean worshippers were allowed upon Evermeet.
Plans were afoot for later that night to investigate the ship mentioned in the GOLEMIC SCRIBES , The Sea Crane. After dark, the party equipped itself with sufficient fly spells and swooped down upon the apparently deserted ship. It was not however and a number of apparently innocuous shapes in the rigging revealed themselves to be enormous Watch Spiders which attacked along with a number of human guards, a powerful mage and 5 Dark Nagas. The battle was ferocious and closely fought, but the party were able to overpower all the guardians of the great treasure they believed stored in the ship. They found it in the hold - but it was not what they expected. The thing was a huge many tentacled monstrosity, which was identified as a Deepspawn - a creature which could 'grow' other monsters from itself. This was the great treasure! They quickly decided to destroy the creature and so doused it in oil and set it alight. The creature screamed in pain and the whole ship started to burn. The party took to a rowboat, while some of the mages took to the air to return to shore. The Sea Crane sank in a spectacular fire which many watched from other wrecks and from the shore. The party rowed the small boat back into the harbour, waving at the spectators on the wharves. Tying up, they climbed to the quay, whereupon they were arrested by a contingent of City Watch who had watched them row away from the burning ship.