Bancroft and Darmek queued for the barrowmaze with about eight in their group. The day began poorly: they were ambushed by six giant frogs before reaching the barrows. The party ran; three frogs pursued, then only one. They managed to kill that frog, but the group was exhausted and retreated to Helix with nothing to show.
The next day they returned and retrieved the possessions of a fallen companion, then selected a barrow to open. Halfway through removing the slab blocking the entrance they were attacked by several giant scorpions; Darmek and Uthlynk fell during the retreat. They escaped, disheartened and empty‑handed.
On a subsequent attempt the party opened a different barrow and found a single central sarcophagus larger and fancier than the rest. While breaking the lid they hid as voices passed outside. Inside the sarcophagus was a wooden casket carved with a feminine form; within lay a skeleton and a vial of perfume. One companion thought it would fetch good money in the right market, though not in Helix.
They were interrupted while searching under the casket and the party voted to return to town; one braver companion stayed behind and finished the search, later refusing to say whether he had found anything.
The perfume later sold in Helix at 5 gold per bottle for four bottles — a sum larger than Bancroft had ever held before. He wondered, however, whether it was worth Darmek’s life and whether adventuring was a wise profession.
