23 Tarsakh
The glass orb we uncovered was an Elven Star Stone. It should prove useful illuminating the dark places of the world in our future ventures. Najila had some connection to it, so we entrusted it to her care.
After resting up and buying some potions following our close call, we got a summons from the council. Four of the ten members were present. They charged us with clearing out Thorn Island and its accompanying keep. The island itself was the last holdout of the defenders of Old Phlan. It never officially fell… but it gave everybody the creeps. Four previous parties had attempted the task before us and have all failed.
The island is sheathed in a permanent fog. My owl friend was uncomfortable flying over it, and the fog obscured our attempts to scout. We landed on the pier and circumnavigated the island. Daer'ys searched the shore line and I searched the shallows around the island which were oddly devoid of life. Finding no secret passages, we scaled the castle wall.
We quickly determined there was some sort of garrison patrolling the battlements as there was a recent wear pattern in the stonework. Before long a patrol of skeletons showed the trail's origin. We dispatched the patrol with minimal difficulty, hopefully sending them to a more restful slumber than the curse of undeath.
This triggered some… intelligence in the fog. It roiled and reacted to encountering us. We prepared ourselves in a tower along the wall and were forced to fend off three more squads of skeletal infantry.
We searched down to the bailey after no more squads appeared and found a still intact body with what may be an archaic holy symbol of Tyr… or not, we couldn't decide. Regardless, it was interesting as he had pieces of a journal that we didn't understand. Also, this was the only body we've found despite clear signs of a battle. The journal did hold an ominous warning to the effect that the dead did not stay dead. Does this mean that the skeletons we defeated will return, or merely that the men patrolling the walls have not been able to discharge their duty yet?
Time will tell.