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After we recovered the heart of fire, our employer was very pleased.  I had thought that he would return home and consolidate his gains, but he pushed us to all enter the ruins again with him again. The ruins, outside the fog, are more than ten miles to a side.  It is a huge area, well over a hundred and twenty square miles.  The fog covers an area that is even larger, though how much larger depends on who is looking at it. It is very dangerous to find the dream realms in the city.  Not only are they confused, but the fog is some sort of dreaming construct, and the revenaunt reigns within it. To do more than sleep the normal dreams of mortal men is to enter into the realm of that fell creature and to draw its attention. Elves, especially, must be careful, and the second sight is not as useful as it might seem. Much to our surprise, the realm that the mage wanted to find was Ice. Possession of the artifact would allow him to sustain and use fire spells at full force, even there.  I suspect he had other goals as well. He had a guide, one I did not trust, and one who led us astray.  Once we had entered the portal, the betrayal was made known.  As the mage struck the traitor down, the traitor left a curse on us and our party was sundered into parts. I was forced to seek acclimatization to survive.  It made me fear for my ability to leave the place, as my blood ran as frozen ice inside of me.  There were fell things in that place, but I was more dire and the ylearned to fear me.  Eventually I caught the track of the others, and at a ruined arcade, at the top of an ancient ring fortress, I found them, and especially Indigo. Amazingly, that is when the part of the curse aligned to me finally caught up with me. It stripped me of acclimation, which, all things considered was a gift. Free of that contagion, I kissed Indigo (tenderly), still carefully, as my fur bristled with spikes and everyone was watching. I was emotional, calm, restrained, overjoyed -- too many things all at once. Within the columns we found what we needed to create a gate back and return to the city. The mage never suggested that we return. Either he found what he was seeking or learned wisdom.

More for those who are interested. More critters common to the City skittles stone ghouls na balor Common in city Uncommon appearing 2d6+2/60+2d0 in lair Common: 2d6 Armor Class 7 Armor Class -2 Armor Class -4 Move  3"/6" running Move 6" Move 8" Hit dice  3d4+3 Hit Dice 7+7 Hit Dice 4d6+d6d6 %lair 0 %lair 35 %lair 25 Treasure Type 2d20 copper each Treasure Type Treasure Type Attack d4+1 claw Attack 2d6 claw, turn to crystal Attack  spell or element Intelligence: low to none (mechanical)   Intelligence: low   Intelligence: medium to high   Alignment : lawful Alignment: lawful/neutral-evil Alignment:  elemental/evil  Size: small Size: medium to large Size:  small to medium one out of ten acts as a rust monster one out of ten has infravision one out of ten moves x2 speed In RQ they turn a location to crystal, in D&D save or crystalize. Reversed with stone to flesh.  No howl. cast spells as illusionist of level = dice and attack with elemental aura 2d6+6 for 2" area or projected to a 6" range skittles are copper crabs that are remnants of the city's repair and restoration magic.  they clean things up and repair minor damage.  Will usually not attack those who aren't breaking or damaging the city unless they have a lot of copper or steel on them and the skittles are hungry.  the rust monster ability does not harm enchanted metal.   stone ghouls are creatures of law that seek to stop the moving (and they can be fooled by those who are absolutely rock still.  They repair damaged stone and cement parts of the city and sometimes merge with the parts they have repaired (so that they can attack almost out of thin air).  They can be summoned and used like golems by mages.  The ones in the city are ones that are still about once the enchantments that controlled them have partially worn off.   na balor are a warped tainted off-spring of dwarves and goblins -- elemental creatures, each clan bound to an element and able to project that element, but they wear no armor, their skins having absorbed an armoring enchantment that replaces armor (and that is antagonistic to it).  They range from 5d6 to 10d6, schemers and plotters.  They often try to harness individual kjjtthi.  The creature seen in the vision is one of the na balor. They are found in areas that overlap the elemental planes, such as near the nodes in the City.  Known breeds are touched by fire, acid, ice (cold/water) and lightning (air).  There may be other types. The City of the Revenaunt as a First Edition AD&D Scenario Setting. The second scenario follows up on an implication of direct access to fire and what someone might do with that -- such as venture into places otherwise completely off limits to a sorcerer or wizard of one's kind.  The guide was one of the na balor, this one touched by ice, not fire. The party ends up scattered, on their own, and needing to make their way to a central rally point. There they find a path to return home. If they return at a later date they have an idea of the hazards and nature of the plane of Ice, and understand the source of the cold salamanders and others who are found in the city from time to time. They return (with the mage's magic exhausted -- he is dead weight to be protected on the trip home) and meet some Oni and some ghouls, both scavaging in the city and learn why everyone flees the rare bubbles of rainbow hued dreamstuff that sometimes form in the "normal" side of the city.  Back at the fortress they are able to sell whatever they've brought back that they do not decide to keep, each on his own (rather than turning it all over to the mage and then receiving a share).  What did he bring back?  Knowledge, rare treasure, coup over the Ice mages?  He isn't saying and isn't sharing.

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