After we got back from the Abyss and got 70k+ experience points each, Elsbeth, my AD&D character, is still worlds away from level 8, although her Raccoon companion, Rocky, has reached level 7. Other party members were more fortunate, with Filbert, Tolma, Kormack, Kharlan, and Randolph all gaining a level. As a parting gift, the goddess gave each of us a Weapon of the Planes, and one that is a bit better than the standard Sword of the Planes. We were also paid by our Devil patron, and we decided to dice for the wish, with Kharlan winning the lottery. He immediately wished for his Axe to have unerring accuracy.

Waterdeep seemed to be a good place to train, so we decide to stay here. After the gold was distributed, Elsbeth decided to buy off some of her items, so she could own them outright. A messenger brought arguably dire news: Gi, Kormack's childhood friend as well as alternatively the party's greatest nemesis or mysterious benefactor, was being held prisoner by the Zhentarim while allegedly trying to help our cause. Although many in the party felt that Gi should rot, wiser heads prevailed and we decided to set off to rescue him... after getting our training, which would take some three months.

Another message came, this time for Filbert. His parents, unjustly jailed lo these many years, were still jailed in Cormyr. But some noble offered to free them, if Filbert could return a family sword that had been stolen. The only information he could provide was that the sword had been spotted in Zhentil Keep. Not being what we would call a good son, Filbert decided that his parents could wait until everyone trained.

Worried, Elsbeth used half of her share of her treasure to buy Divinations, wherein each week she asked if Gi would be alive if the party delayed another week. Meanwhile Heather went looking for some magic items to beef her up. She found a slightly used Girdle of Frost Giant Strength, and also a Girdle of Hill Giant Strength. Heather bought the Girdle of Frost Giant Strength while the party bought the other one. After a bit of shuffling, Elsbeth ended up with the Girdle of Hill Giant Strength.

Finally, the gods indicated that the party should leave after nine weeks of training. Only Kharlan and Kormack had any training left to do. At Elsbeth's suggestion, the two stayed behind to train and then paid for an Improved Teleportation to get them to Zhentil Keep. Meanwhile the rest of the party bought nice horses and hoofed it over there, taking the better part of a month. Elsbeth picked out the horses, and kept two of the horses: El Diablo for Rocky, and La Diabla for her own mount.

Elsbeth suggested that Tolma send a dream to Gi, to let him know that help was on the way. Tolma remembered that we could scrye on Gi, and when we did it was to see Gi chained to a wall in some dank dungeon room. He did not look well, but he was definitely alive. Tolma sent the dream and off we went.

Once here, Elsbeth once again mentioned that there was a standing job for a brave party of adventurers to destroy some of the God Bane's minions. She neglected to mention that the employer was the Temple of Cyric, although that didn't even bother Heather the Paladin much. We discovered that Filbert's sword was being used by on Bane's minions. The Bane Lich was waging a war against the Temple of Cyric's forces, and we agreed to try to stop him if the Temple of Cyric tried to find Gi for us, as they had many followers in the Zhentarim ranks.