Our heroes awake in a pitch black room to the sound of scraping metal far above. Someone lights the torch and a large pillared room is revealed, and strangers, also in a state of recovery introduce themselves.

* Zorba, a thin stooping fellow of pitiful aspect.

* Sir Hugh of The Veliconne Baronies, has short straw blonde hair and a drooping moustache.

* Grimgor a barbarian out of the Valkoth Wastes. He has steel gray eyes and rippling muscles. He speaks little.

* Dirk, a short fellow with beady eyes, from Fosnak by accent.

Memories come flooding back to the companions... They had been visiting at Blackrock during Festival Week, staying at a less than salubrious establishment called the Swaying Donkey Inn. The Trail of Champions, a deadly challenge beneath the city, was much discussed by the patrons and considered the highlight of the celebrations. The ruler, Baron Hukhumvit, offered a purse of 2,000 gold crowns to anyone to survive his dungeon. That same evening Vahlok the innkeeper, a mean pig faced man, was uncharacteristically generous with his sweet wine. Our party concludes foul play has lead them to compete in the Baron's deadly game.

Sir Hugh a friendly, if guileless, knight naturally concludes he must command and our elderly wizards are happy for him to lead. He follows a helpful white arrow painted on the floor, pointing north, ignoring exits to the east and west. Grimgor pads silently behind the group. Meanwhile, Dirk and Zorba seem to have slipped away.

They encounter a room with an archaic statue, similar in appearance to Isabella, Goddess of Love. In her outstretched palms are two scrolls of similar appearance. There is a grating in the ceiling and sunlight floods down along with the sounds of laughter and the chink of money changing hands. Kethran knocks off one scroll with a pole and reads it carefully, it is a scroll of Protection from Evil. Fagen reads the other and is cursed. The magic conversely making the wizard more vulnerable to the wicked. There is much laughter at his misfortune echoing from above. Sir Hugh leads on to the north.

Next is a wide room, perhaps once a great dining hall. 6 small chests sit on 6 large stone tables. The chests appear new, while the tables are from a long forgotten age. The knight casually opens a container and is rewarded with handfuls of silver coins. Everyone else stands well back but gives no word of caution to the oblivious Sir Hugh. Unfortunately for the brave man, as he reaches inside the 5th chest vicious teeth spring from the wood and chop his hands off. The thing scuttles away to the west, unmolested by our horrified heroes. Poor Sir Hugh stumbles about spraying blood and screaming in agony before collapsing dead. Fagen quickly loots his corpse and Kethran orders <his man> to wear the noble's plate armour, a task done without complaint.

Keen to avoid the creature, the eastern route is taken with leads down a narrow, steep flight of steps. Fagen throws the corpse of Sir Hugh down the stairs, the body tumbles into the darkness and out of sight. This route is soon revealed to be a catacomb, with skulls and mouldy bones piled into stacks in various alcoves. The troop overhears the grizzly sound of rending of flesh from below and Steff the Unbeaten is ordered in front. A quick sweep of torch reveals a low ceilinged room and two sets of bloody eyes. The heroes quickly pile in and dispatch the ghoulish creatures with sword and bow.

It is determined the southern exit has a slight whiff of wholesome air, and the company take that path up and out of the graveyard. After 20 minutes of trudging they reach a t-junction. From the west a man, possibly Dirk the thief, is crying in agony. Keen to avoid his ugly fate the mages take the eastern path which leads them into a circular room with a sandy floor. The floor has odd S shaped marks all over and the ceiling has 4 metal trapdoors. Fagen sends Steff to investigate and observes some small movement in the roof. A light spell reveals a pair of eyes peering from above. <Kethrans man> also enters and at that point the trapdoors are thrown open, blasting light and noise into the dungeon, and 4 baskets are tossed down. From out of the baskets slither dozens of snakes, Steff is bitten and dies writhing in agony. In angry Fagen shoots a toothless old man who is grinning from the skylight above. He tumbles into the pit, wounded but alive, only to be horribly killed by the serpents. The crowd is much amused and there are occasional shouts of "Go Codgers!" <Kethrans man>'s new plate armour protects him from the snakes for a little while until one slides up the unfortunate man's legs. Flaming brands are applied to force the snakes back and now successfully corralled are shot with arrow and dart.

Being annoyed by Grimgor's insistence in staying at the back, the pair demand he lead. The barbarian shrugs, nods and immediately walks towards where Dirk's cries once emanated. The rogue is found slowly dying, some acid having sprayed onto his face after falling victim to a trap. He splutters out knowledge of hidden secrets he alone is party too. Reluctantly healing potions are applied. As Dirk recovers he explains the Baron will never pay the prize, the competition is impossible. However, there is a secret door that the animal handlers and guards use. The thief explains he is a freedom fighter and plans to escape show the baron for the fraud he is and win over the restive crowds with the help of his organisation.

The now blind Dirk leads them to an ancient thrown room where a seated rotting corpse wears a golden crown. Our heroes remain excessively suspicious and refuse to touch the treasure. To the east they can hear crowds chanting "Codgers! Codgers! Codgers!" Dirk fumbles with his fingers but finds a small switch behind the chair and opens a secret door with stairs leading upwards. There is an empty barracks and the sound of guards at their leisure beyond. The watchmen are dicing at a table and ambushed. But these men appear to be a gang of champion body builders, such is their constitutions, and are not easily overcome. Grimgor holds the warriors off before being overcome, while the scholars, now without any magic and badly wounded, flee. Dirk is left to his fate as he stumbles about in the barracks room. 2 guards sent down to chase are ambushed with lucky shots back.

Kethran and Fagen chance the stairs again and find the barracks empty but hear the tramp of running feet elsewhere in the building. They flee into a filthy alley, to the west is the main road, rammed with people and the throng continues it's chorus of chorus "Codgers! Codgers!" However the elderly duo do not fancy their chances and have simple revenge on their mind. Fagen, the master of the piss soaked alley, unnerving finds a way through the grimy gloom to the rear of the Swaying Donkey Inn where, pressing their ears to the greasy glass panes, the unpleasant sound of Vahlok the traitorous innkeep can be heard. Fagen throws a cobblestone through the window and Kethran follows with a torch. Vahlok flees through the back door, only to be turned into a pin cushion and poked with oil soaked torches.

Festival week ends, and the Trial of Champions remains yet unconquored. Two minor mysteries are debated over in the tap houses and markets of Blackrock. Who killed Vahlok the Shady, and what ever happened to those two codgers?