Just thought I'd tell you about something amusing that happened whilst I was traversing one of my all time favourite dungeons: The Serpent Temple. I not only managed to get lost three times but when I came to face the Inquisitor I entered his room through the back way so he actually came through the other door. I let him stand in the doorway chatting and taking crush damage then let him in. He immediately headed towards the other door and a short and bloody battle was fought in the doorway. Since that doorway is constantly in heavy shadow (in spite of an almost constant illuminate spell) I didn't see the key that he left and not long after found myself at the town gates seeking healing and cure poison potions (again). Two visits to the temple later (and a few hours of running around poisoned) I discovered that whilst most items left on the ground vanish when you leave a map an arrow from a crate and the inquisitors key had remained (not only that but the key had been moved to the middle of the room). Those two visits to the temple where ironically spent searching for the self same key in order to open the serpent holds. It was eventually spotted by Ragnar (the party thief for The Short Party.tm, an all Stout party). I was wondering if anyone else has had anything like this happen recently. Please feel free to share things and I'll see if I can bring myself to write up a few adventures of the short party to go alongside the others that I've written.

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Balgin, the Dwarf

I had the Inquisitor killed in a doorway before. I never recovered the key, though. I had to leave H'Thark in his cell, and kept his lockpicks.

Did you use spirit eye to make sure the items were not tucked away somewhere? I have always found that normal items will disappear once you leave the area, but quest items stay forever..