Archaeologists Amy Nguyen and Arvin Danforth recruited a trio of adventurers at Sharpspur Saloon to help them at an excavation site in the mountains. Amy is particularly on the lookout for a small amulet that grants the bearer supernatural strength. She reports a carving on one of the elephant plinths which reads "Braxis, my favored one, bears the amulet of steadfastness." Other mentioned artifacts include feathers with magical properties and small detailed carvings made out of fruit pits.

The adventurers agree to help out in exchange for half of the loot. Amy, Arvin, and Arvin's two skeleton companions lead them to the exterior of the Endless Tunnels. The first things the party sees are freestanding monuments of carved columns atop plinths of stone that are supported by giant carved elephants. The elephants stand on carved platforms about 15 ft from the ground; the elephant heads reach another 15 ft. Past the plain columns nearby there is a vast hall of intricately carved columns featuring carvings of strange beasts, mundane and fantastical alike.

The party proceeded cautiously through the columned hall. They found footprints of many different creatures. Some were humanoid and others were reptilian. There was a particular grouping of three sets of footprints that caught their eyes: Two the size of an adult humanoid, and the other the size of a child.

The party heard scurrying feet and voices in the distance. They proceeded down a tunnel at the back of the columned hall in pursuit of the voices. After several hundred feet they came to a door of rock that was propped open. Proceeding through the door, the party was met with a giant acid-filled tick scurrying along the ceiling. It caught sight of the party and decided to try for a meal. A nervewracking battle ended in victory for our heroes. Collecting viscera from the defeated tick, the party proceeded down the hall to a giant room, empty but for the corpse of an elven man. Using his fungal senses, Phytomyxea discovered that this elf was in the company of a halfling man and a human woman when he was killed by the tick.

The party looted the body, retrieving a magical quiver and a sword. They barricaded the doors to this room and took a short rest. The next room they came to contained nine kobolds roasting giant rats on the fire. There were piles of straw bedding and a single small chest along the walls.

The kobolds invited them to sit and join them; when the party refused, the kobolds tried to convince them to take a nap on the piles of straw. The party overheard the kobolds whispering about stealing Gildas's leaf mantle and decided it was time to head back to town to regroup and get backup for this endeavor.