Tales of Wyrevar

Aodion has been wandering, searching for Correll. They are told to meet him in Titania, finding the old door to the ‘weird way.’ When questioned about the flower, Correll admits it was stolen. The Peryton asks about Rubbish, wanting to know what she had once that was like the First Forest. Correll honestly does not know, and the peryton requests that Correll find out about it. Correll will not reveal anything Rubbish is not comfortable with, and the peryton leaves.

After this, the group prepares to leave. Inventory on the caravan shows that expensive clothes were taken in the scuffle. During this process, a scream comes from the second wagon in the caravan train. Zee inspects the wagon and finds it has awakened, likely due to the combination of Priest’s magic and Rubbish’s use of the piece of the Bramble.

There is a tense discussion between Zee and the wagon about their sudden sentience before bringing in Correll to the discussion. While the wagon is confused and anxious, the conversation resolves peacefully with the wagon agreeing to pilot themself and stay in the caravan. With that tentative resolution, the rest of the party heads to either watch or sleep, and the night passes peaceably.

In the morning, Rubbish avoids Awful the red kobold who is showing signs of silver scales growing around his mouth. She has a short conversation with the awakened wagon about if they feel pain (no). At this moment, Grim goes to Correll and asks if they can look at their weretiger bite to see if it’s infected. Zee has to cast Remove Curse upon the wound.

Agatha calls a group meeting to discuss the possibility of werewolves further up the road. The group talks about bringing skeletons of the weretigers along to show that they are on the same side. There is a discussion about the ethics of taking parts of a body that once belonged to a person, and Azra harvests a tooth from one of the weretiger corpses. Azra also inspects the awakened wagon and compares them to Oscar’s notes on his created mimics. This matches closely to what Oscar was attempting to do with his mimics.

Azra then goes to see Rubbish, wanting to know what had happened in the wagon. Rubbish, not willing to talk, sends her to ask Priest. Priest explains that he found the kobold dead when he arrived at the wagon, and Rubbish tried to feed the body something that emitted a strange energy. He then revivified the body, and that could have awakened the wagon.

With this in mind, Azra now pitches her theory to Rubbish, explaining about the wagon and the mimics. Rubbish changes the subject to ask what Azra will do with the tooth, pointing out selling it means there is a market for the teeth of what are people. Azra offers not to sell it, but Rubbish decides not to pursue either conversation further.

The caravan moves out. Taavi attempts to get Rubbish to cheer up, and Panic the kobold tries to get to know Grim better. Moving forward, the road the caravan takes begins to become less travelled and more rough, and it starts to rain. Rubbish, coming into the wagon to escape the rain, is approached by Awful. Rubbish explains to him what happened without telling him that he died, and that physical changes do happen when someone eats a piece of the Bramble. Rubbish herself feels no changes, only anxiety.

The caravan continues through the worsening storm. Azra hears a gathering ahead of at least four large creatures. Zel’Avhra scouts through Kss’kss’s eyes and sees a large humanoid wolf underneath a makeshift cabin ahead. The caravan slows to a halt, preparing to meet this new threat.

They circle up the caravan carts and split up shifts, with Grim and Tootsie on first shift. They chat for a while until Tootsie insults Grim by insinuating that Grim slept with their shaman for tickets to the ball. She apologizes (sort of), then explains to Grim that what they have is very different, that only the most important people get to go under the ocean.

The next watch is Azra and Rubbish. Rubbish catches two kobolds going into the wagons and follows them, catching them going into the ice box. She offers them some rations magicked to taste like chocolate instead. At this time, Azra falls asleep due to a spell. When Rubbish sees, she goes to wake her up, and then notices the guards on the road are missing. She is then shot with an arrow. She screams, waking the camp, and combat begins.

The caravan is being attacked by weretigers. As the fight progresses, Azra and Priest face a single weretiger outside the caravan circle, Azra completely invisible due to the darkness. Grim protects the group of kobolds and Arthur and Agatha, though two are missing. Rubbish, protected by Correll’s barkskin, checks for the two missing ones in the cart she came from, and finds the two kobolds held hostage by a weretiger. She attempts to ask the tiger what they wany. Before the weretiger can answer, Zee arrives disguised as a weretiger himself, and the tiger insists that Zee capture Rubbish instead. Zee’s familiar also catches sight of an odd figure in the trees that has not engaged.

Correll intervenes and casts Entangle on the cart, which catches Rubbish in it and hinders, but doesn’t grapple, the weretiger. Rubbish panics and tries to frighten the weretiger with Dissonant Whispers, but it fails, causing a bit of pain but otherwise inspiring the tiger to stab the kobold named Awful and leave the cart with the other. Correll dismisses the Entangle and tries to heal the kobold, with no reaction.

Azra tells Priest to let her finish up with the weretiger outside the cart, causing Priest to head to the cart with Zee, Rubbish and Correll. Mistaking Zal’Avhra for an attacking Weretiger, he attacks the wizard with an eldritch blast and pushes him back. Grim goes to engage the tiger with the hostage, despite there being a possible unseen attacker, and manages to grapple and pummel him into dropping the other kobold. Azra and Tootsie finish off the initial weretiger together.

Rubbish sees that Awful is not breathing, and decides to chew up her pin of the Bramble and try to feed it to the kobold, hoping it will bring him back. She gets a jolt of anxious power, but otherwise nothing happens. She heals Zee and then hovers anxiously over the kobold.

Zee uses Witchbolt to attack the remaining weretiger. While he’s being grappled by the monk, the weretiger bites Grim, causing a sick sensation to slide over them. Correll helps attack the weretiger as well, and Azra tries to rejoin the group. Priest summons his god to aide the kobold, appearing as a deer. Awful coughs and revives. Grim pummels the remaining weretiger until he is limp.

With the combatants out of commission for the moment, everyone moves their attention to the mysterious creature in the tree. The creature is about the size of a horse, with fur, feather and antlers. Having no knowledge of the creature’s intent, the group prepares to engage with it.

Correll spends a quiet, normal day with their family. Zal’Avhra has repairs started on Shimmers’ house, and then uses his fortune-telling bones to see the likelihood of a violent future--it’s very certain, and in the near future. After checking in with everyone (and giving them anxiety), he goes to the Temple of Zaesir library. He researches the Divinity Tower, finding that it was made as a copy of the Soul Spire in an attempt to house the same amount of magic.

Grim is approached by their shaman, who informs them she couldn’t get them a meeting with Father Drakken, but his aide, the aasimar Tosh, is available and made time for them. They also receive advice on how to dress for the Titania ball, should they attend. Grim meets with Tosh, and discusses the vampire epidemic with him. They inform him that the vampire leading the ghouls was not the sire, and manages to convince Tosh not to pry too far into the party’s business. They do give their friend Comfort’s name as a source of information on further vampire activities, and, despite an awkward moment where Grim tries to barter for information on their cousin, they secure a letter of introduction to meet Father Drakken at the triton’s ball on Titania.

Grim tells the party they have to go to the ball, though evades the question of why by pushing the conversation towards clothing. Azra agrees to pick them up, and Rubbish offers to tailor for the group, and make Taavi clothes. At this time, Mr. Fay, contacts Rubbish and asks her to visit him later, as he has something to help her when she leaves.

Rubbish goes to see the council and let them know she’s leaving for a little while to go to Titania. They worried but happy for her, especially so when she tells them she’s going to the triton’s ball. She asks if she can become an ambassador, officially, and the council agrees. They give her a small, glowing chunk of the Bramble, their god, as a symbol of her office, and pin it to her shoulder.

Rubbish then goes to visit Mr. Fay and finds him to be stressed and worried. He explains to her that he came from outside Wyrevar, where people are less tolerant of differences, and offers her a feathered tricorn hat. It is a hat of disguise, which she can use to hide her appearance if she feels unsafe. While Rubbish says she does not want to hide who she is, she accepts the borrowed gift.

In the morning, Grim receives the letter of introduction from Tosh before leaving for the Caravan. Azra is there with Archimedes, the camel that will pull their personal cart and supplies. Before joining the group, Zal’Avhra goes to visit his cousin, Shimmers, and finds her dealing with her symptoms better than the day before. Shimmers tries to get Zee to agree to come back, though he hedges a bit in the response. After exchanging a fond farewell, Zee does a ritual to summon a familiar, though it does not appear right away. Correll says goodbye to their family, as does Rubbish, and all convene with Azra and the camel.

Azra hands out everyone’s supplies for the trip that are not being taken in the cart, and then introduces the group to the camel. Tootsie the fire genasi comes over to introduce herself to the group, then brings them over to the caravan to meet the caravan proprieters. Platonic life partners Agatha and Arthur of the A&A Trading Company along with their lovely children--a pack of many different colored kobolds--are introduced, and the party splits among the carts. Grim and Tootsie are in the first cart with Agatha and eight kobolds, Rubbish and Taavi are in the second cart with ten kobolds, Arthur, and the other guard, Priest, and Azra, Zee, and Correll are in the final cart pulled by Archimedes. Rubbish meets the kobolds in her cart, and then introduces herself to the quiet orc named Priest.

As the caravan gets under way, birds begin to circle overhead. After a moment (and calling Taavi inside so he isn’t eaten), one dives for the group and lands with Zal’Avhra. This turns out to be Kss’kss, the vulture familiar Zal’Avhra summoned earlier in the day. They are introduced to the group, and is told not to eat Taavi or Rubbish.

Azra arrives at the base during this time, inciting a small party of Devil Tails to look out for Thaddeus and ‘punch a bee.’ She finds Kenickie outside the boss’s office, guarding the door. After a brief moment, Kenickie allows her to join the Zee and the boss inside.

Wanting more out of the deal, Mr. Fay presses Benjamin for more concessions. After threatening the weasel with torture and implication in Angelus’s rule breaking, Benjamin eventually agrees to give up Angelus’s location, not take any jobs to spy on the party or the Devil Tails, and to act as a double agent.

Grim arrives to the base and heads for Shimmers’ rooms. They intercept a group of Devil Tails’ and clarifies that Thaddeus is a tiefling (beefling) before meeting up with Rubbish. The two check on Shimmers again, finding her wide-eyed and having trouble with hearing whispers and voices, and seeing ‘cracks’ that no one else can. Grim holds her hand to reassure her, and Rubbish begins to read her a story.

Back in the boss’s office, Benjamin writes out directions to find Angelus. With the party leaving soon, Mr. Fay decides that Kenickie will have to handle the job of removing the information broker. Zee then questions what Benjamin told Thaddeus, and find out it was about the vampire Victor, not Shimmers. They lost track of him after he left town and he only reappeared a few months ago when he took over the Ghouls. Benjamin is then thrown into the sack to be removed from the base by the party.

Correll finally arrives at the base and joins Grim and Rubbish in Shimmers’s room. Shortly after this, Azra leaves to remove Benjamin, and Zee checks on Shimmers. Shimmers is asleep by the end of the story, and so Rubbish privately briefs Zal’Avhra on Shimmers’s worsening condition. Zee reciprocates by explaining what Benjamin promised to do. The group, minus Azra, goes to convene in Azra’s room. They find Nym, who is crocheting with his webs but leaves quickly.

Azra arrives at Bubble Tea and finds Thaddeus upstairs, packing to leave. Thaddeus agrees to talk to her about what information he received from the weasel. Azra lets the party know they’ll be speaking alone. The party discusses whether or not to go anyway, with Correll rather angry with their friend and Grim and Zee still wishing to punch a bee. They decide to go to the bakery to be nearby should something go wrong.

Azra releases Benjamin from the bag, telling him to meet her outside the bakery once she’s done speaking to Thaddeus. The tiefling returns with tea and explains to Azra his long friendship with Shimmers and Victor, and his concern over Victor taking over the Ghouls, Shimmers being secretive, and his own research. He explains he wanted to help and couldn’t sit by and wait for something to do.

Azra and Thaddeus discuss what he can do to help without putting himself in danger. Azra argues that he put himself in danger by going off on his own without help, and that putting himself in danger will make things harder for Shimmers. Thaddeus relents, and Azra concedes to fill him in with what is going on to keep him informed, and see if he can visit Shimmers.

Meeting up in an alley outside, Azra has a brief meeting with Benjamin. After confirming Benjamin would know when he came back, she asks for a meeting with August Nox or a direct representative. Once Benjamin confirms, she heads to meet up with the party.

Azra recaps her conversation with Thaddeus. The group agrees to work with Thaddeus more openly, and Rubbish reveals she accidentally kept the gold Thaddeus had paid Benjamin for the information, giving the group some ill-gotten funds for the trip, allowing them to get a cart and camel, as well as some magical items like a scroll of remove curse.

Grim then brings up Zal’Avhra magically identifying the vials and boxes. Zee agrees to do so. They find the pink vial takes them to a pocket dimension. The green vial takes them to a plane of Hell. Blue takes them to the Astral dimension. Casting identify on the closed red box gives Zee an idea of its use--it disperses the vials in order to use them. Azra retrieves the red vial out of the box in another room, and Zee identifies it as containing a spell of astronomy for star-reading and unfamiliar magic that is indecipherable.

With those identified, the group splits to head to their homes for one last day before heading out of the city. Azra meets Nym inside the Devil Tails, and Nym offers her a white silk shirt made of drider silk, providing her with webbing armor. This is better armor than she wears and improves her stealth. She gives Nym her bow and then requests he keep an eye on her room while she is gone, and he agrees.

Correll arrives and spends some time entranced by a tree in the section, as it is a small glowing plant from the First Forest. Rubbish calls to them and informs them of the basics of what they know about the Spire. She also finds a rough map of the tower in a book (15 floors!), and copies that for future reference. They then make a plan to visit sections devoted to the undead, and the gods Zaesir, Ashatar, and Garroth.

For the undead, a goblin named Peppy greets them and then immediately becomes distressed and leaves due to being over-caffeinated. The party locates a vampire display, however it doesn’t tell them much more than they already know. However, it does have resistances, and informs them of the ability to turn into mist, climb on walls, and quickly regenerate health. Zee also informs them that intent is important in whether or not a vampire’s victim becomes a ghoul or a vampire.

Grim and Azra join the group for the display on Zaesir, where a goblin attendant greets them softly, but is generally more calm and alert than the other goblins. Rubbish finds a statue that looks familiar to the one she found a special box in. She begins to carefully inspect it to find if it has any secret compartments. The others split up to look for more information on the boxes, and Azra finds an etching of two familiar serpents. They have gone out of style as a motif for Zaesir. Azra returns to the shrine to pray, and the goblin there attempts to assist as Grim judges her.

Rubbish finds that the moonstone on the Zaesir statue is loose. In a small panic, she grabs Zee and quickly explains what she wants to do. Grim sees them conspiring, and begins asking extremely detailed questions to the goblin to distract him. Rubbish manages to quietly pull the moonstone out, revealing a vial of colored liquid like those found in the Zaesir boxes. Rubbish immediately casts Invisibility and leaves the museum to wait outside for the group with Taavi.

Grim continues badgering the goblin attendant by being borderline sacrilegious. They write to Zaesir on a paper “Hey bro. I got one of your boxes. Where you at?” and tosses it into the offering bowl. They then give an unrelated story, causing nothing to happen. Grim finally gives a very truncated and frenetic retelling about the assault on the Ghouls’s hideout, which causes the ink in the water in the bowl to turn red. The goblin frantically ushers them out as Correll attempts to calm the group down; they also recognize that the red is most significant for Vilists who worship Zaesir.

The party, minus Rubbish, heads to the room for Ashatar. This room is mainly about various funeral rituals across Gaia, and the cycle of rebirth. There are a few stories about persons meeting with Ashatar, mainly about celestial warlocks, and occasional instances of Ashatar intervening with curses of undead. They also find that Ashatar is responsible for Garoth’s ability to create undead, as he had stopped death for a time and caused everything on the planet to weaken. There is nothing that mentions Aether sick.

They then move on to Garroth’s room, which smells terrible. Zee looks into bargains made with the devil, finding about a specific warlock named Arendel. She made a bargain about 700 years ago to live forever by bringing suffering to others. She caused a quarantine on an entire undying city, living in perpetual suffering. Other cultists made deals without becoming a warlock by fighting against other Vilist cults at Garroth’s whim.

Rubbish speaks with Taavi outside while they wait, Taavi exulting in the thrill of the theft. Azra enters the alley to find her, and she invisibly grabs her hand and walks out with the group, staying invisible until the spell wears off. They head to the bakery, where they divvy up the boxes and vials so no one person has more than one, leaving Azra with the anchor box with a vial of red liquid, Grim with the new pinkish-red vial from the museum, Rubbish with the green vial Garoth box from the Ghouls’ hideout, and Zal’Avhra with the blue vial box from the Muddy Boots statue.

The group then takes a group vote on the next move. Unanimously, they decide to go to Titania, some unsure but willing to head in that direction more than others. Azra takes down requests for supply shopping, and Rubbish gives her the hand crossbow she received from Flynn. The next day is reserved for wrapping up loose ends before leaving.

They are distracted by Dragon barking outside, and find he is preventing Thaddeus the tiefling from entering. The harried and distracted tiefling asks Zee about getting the spare key for Shimmers’ shop, which Zal’Avhra says he’ll get it to him the next day. Thaddeus departs hurriedly, his demeanor concerning the party. They begin to follow him, Zal’Avhra and Rubbish splitting off to check out his shop. Azra manages to hunter’s mark Thaddeus before Grim loses him in the crowd. Luna, Azra’s magical owl, catches him disappearing into Dark Town.

In Bumble Tea, Thaddeus’s shop, Zal’Avhra sights a weasel pulling a bag of coins out a window. He manages to catch the weasel with Mage Hand. In talking with him, they find this is the weasel named Benjamin and he was paid by Thaddeus to ‘provide information on a friend.’ Zee contacts the Boss of the Devil Tails to let them know he has one of Angelus’s weasels and that Thaddeus is heading in his direction. They put Benjamin in a sack and head into Dark Town.

The party continues discussing their options, Azra being a major proponent of Titania while Correll and Rubbish put forward at least pricing out items to see if they have enough. It’s at this time Grim remembers Comfort’s letter, and lets the group know about D being a problem in other countries. The group is against alerting any authority about the growing vampire problem.

Grim then tells them they could climb the Soul Spire to meet Ashatar. Rubbish knows an old story about Ailwen climbing the tower to fight his brother, and the group considers how this is possible as it’s said no one survives this climb. Various members offer to do it alone, and Rubbish tells them that Ailwen went with a group of bards. They make a plan for half the group to go to the Bard’s College and Mage’s Guild to check out the connecting museum there if it has more information on the Soul Spire.

They discuss the warlock further, Zee emphasizing it’s a bad idea to use Avith due to the price incurred beyond gold. Grim turns to Taavi to ask if his sire could have answers, though Taavi is unsure. On the upside, Taavi’s sire prefers rare and luxurious objects and items to souls. This gives the group another option.

As the group prepares to leave, Dragon reappears and deposits three baby weasels in Grim’s hands. As Correll attempts to try and figure out what to feed them or do with them, Rubbish abruptly leaves for the museum with Zee, telling Correll to catch up. The remaining group clarifies to Dragon that he’ll need to look for animals wearing beads, as those are the spies, and expand his patrol to Shimmers’s place.

Azra and Grim head to the shops, Azra talking telepathically to the owl as they go. Azra shows Grim her snake totem that gives her nightmares. Grim knows that this totem is like their shamans’, though it doesn’t connect to a god’s mount (dragon or wyvern) that they recognize. The words are celestial, which neither can read. Grim explains the totem’s usage to Azra, who wants to return it to whom it belongs once the box issue is over. When Grim tells her she’ll continue to have nightmares either way, the two decide to turn it in sooner.

Grim leads the way to Scarlet’s shop, where they negotiate the selling of gems and attempt to procure magical or silvered weapons. After securing the price of a thousand gold for the gems, Scarlet balks at the time crunch to get weapons finished. She offers a silvered scimitar, though that’s not a weapon that’s useful to the group. She then recommends an enchanter named Millie in the mage’s guild.

Their next stop is the elf Tragedy’s shop to try and sell Correll’s odd spices. Azra feeds one of the shop’s spiders to Luna (later finding out that this spider belonged to Tragedy). He offers 125 gold for them, to which Azra agrees. Grim asks for silvered weapons, finding out Tragedy used to hunt werewolves. He produces a silver trident, which again does not work for the group’s skillset. He also offers a silver shortsword for 200 gold, which Grim reluctantly turns down. Grim’s request for magic books. Or history books. Or other books. After frustrating Tragedy thoroughly, Azra ushers them out.

Rubbish, Zee, and Arumet focus on research, scouring books for any helpful information. Zee confirms Avith’s statement about the soul. Usually one can exchange one soul for another, though in one instance Ashatar was called to battle for a soul. Zee also finds mention of a box, including a sketch that looks like a box taken from Victor in the Ghouls’s hideout. It had originally been found in a temple of Garoth, protected by cultists who died protecting it. Zee asks Arumet about the box, though he has no new information for them. Rubbish writes down a list of vampire names that start with D. Zee heads back to Shimmers, while Rubbish spends the night.

Right before falling asleep at Paladin’s Keep, Grim is visited by a shadowy messenger called a Whisperer from the sending center. They repeat a message from Grim’s friend Comfort, who tells them that she’s found more vampiric activity than usual in Turristyr, the neighboring country to Inewhyr, where Wyrevar resides. There was a mention of ‘D’ there, but she has yet to find any more information.

For the cure to vampirism, she has only a few suggestions. She says to kill the sire, or speak to Ashatar. Speaking to Ashatar, the Holy god of the dead, can be done by climbing the Soul Spire (something no one has survived). She knows he will be empathetic, but doesn’t know if he has answers. She follows with advice that if they don’t find someone in charge to warn about the quickly spreading vampirism, it could cause a panic when it’s discovered and not be well contained, putting Zee’s cousin in more danger. She recommends speaking to Father Draken, head of all the temples, or to a halfling named Raine, for help.

The next day, Rubbish looks through Arumet’s library for information on Zaesir’s cult. She discovers the vials in the boxes are the keys to different locations in this realm and others, but learns nothing else new. She leaves Arumet a note and heads for Correll’s after tidying up.

Azra stops by the ‘MFH’--Mercenaries for Hire--to use their library and learn about Titania. A halfling helps her to locate resources, and tells her about the tritons and their ball. He also tells her she should be able to find any information she needs, such as an atlas, and leaves her to it. She finds the lay of the land and the Last Town, and information on monsters along the way, including undead and werefolk. On the island itself is the city Archon, with Archon’s Tower there as well. She also finds out about lizardfolk on the island.

Correll informs Mailee and their daughter about how they are leaving to go to Titania to help find a cure for Shimmers. Though she offers to go with, or instead of, Correll, they say she is needed at home. They discuss it’s possible to find new ingredients for the bakery, and Correll invites the rest of the group to join them at the bakery.

Zee visits Shimmers, and gets her help in writing a note to Thaddeus, the tea shop tiefling worried about her. They word it in a way so Thaddeus will not inquire too closely. Thaddeus agrees readily, and also agrees to help watch over Shimmers’ shop while Zee is out of town.

Grim finds the shaman of Marek to ask about Father Draken, who is the head of all the temples in Wyrevar. Grim asks to arrange a meeting, flustering the shaman due to their caginess about the situation. They also mention that the city might be in danger, and the shaman warily agrees to help them.

When all arrive at the bakery, they begin sharing what they’ve learned from the night before. Rubbish checks for animal spies, sighting a black bird on the window. She manages to grab it with her tail, and the group spends some time trying to capture it fully before it is trapped under a pot. Correll speaks to it with magic, and it eventually admits it is working for Angelus. After some discussion (and an offer to knife-fight the bird from Taavi), they let it go if it promises to leave, and give it a necklace chain when it provides them with a feather. That done, the group can continue to speak with less fear of being spied on.

Rubbish voices a plan to tell the Paladins a general report about the Ghouls making vampires. This would allow them to ask for a cure as a preventative and not as an immediate need. Azra elaborates that they could go to their specific paladin contacts to also soften the message.

Rubbish then asks Taavi who his sire is, but he refuses to reveal who it is. The group questions the imp about any knowledge he or his sire might have about vampires, though Taavi is worried about not being able to come back if he leaves the realm. He says that if one of the group talks to the sire they could maybe get more information, but it has to be just one. Rubbish volunteers, though the group decides to wait on this option.

With that aside, Zal’Avhra recommends visiting Arumet at the Old Stone temple of Yuna. Arumet is a tiefling adept at infiltrating Vilist groups, and could have a connection they need to meet with warlocks of Garoth. When it’s mentioned that Arumet also researches Zaesir, they decide to head in his direction.

There is some concern about going to a temple of Yuna, since they threatened the Gold Town priest, but they decide to go anyway. Upon arriving they find Old Stone is heavily damaged by the Ghouls’s attacks, and the temple holds a large amount of wounded. Correll sees an acquaintance named Tosh, who directs them further into the temple to find Arumet.

Arumet speaks to them in the hallway, believing they have a book of his. Arumet takes them to his office when he realizes they’re speaking about vampirism. He tries to persuade them to tell him where Shimmers is currently, but Rubbish convinces him to help first. They catch him up to speed on most of what’s happened.

Arumet cautions not to approach the temple of Ashatar without knowing who to trust. He mentions contacting Ailwen or Aries, who should be helpful. Garoth’s warlock circle has recently left Wyrevar heading for the island Titania, a place mentioned in one of D’s letters. He also has a singular contact named Avith still in town he will attempt to get them in touch with, though he doesn’t know what the warlock will ask for in return.

Rubbish makes plans to stay with Arumet and help so she can contact the group when they’ve found something, and so Arumet won’t know where Zal’Avhra lives. From there, Arumet suggests they contact the adventurer’s guild for information about traveling to Titania. As they head out, they see they’re being followed by familiar weasels, though they are frightened off when they are noticed.

In Traveller’s Hold, they find options to get to Titania: escorting a caravan, hiring a ranger for personal travel, joining up with a small adventurer’s guild party, or finding Barnaby from the temple of Yuna for a pilgrimage. There is also the possibility of taking a tunnel through Dark Town to get halfway, though there would be no guidance after. They decide to look into the caravan option, and Azra discovers it is a similar caravan that she took down from the north when she came to Wyrevar.

Grim announces they have a friend named Comfort who is a cleric of Ashatar and may have answers. They separate from the group to a sending center to send out a message. The rest of the group meets up with Azra’s friend in the caravan, Tootsie, a fire genasi. At Azra’s request, she agrees to vouch for the group if they choose to apply for the guard job.

The group reconvenes around the sending center. Azra steps in to send a message to her mother. She then states her plan to talk to Kenickie, and Zee requests that they not specifically address Shimmers’ affliction. The group splits for the evening, with Zee, Azra, and Rubbish heading towards Dark Town and Grim and Correll heading separate ways.

Zal’Avhra and Azra discuss sharing becoming the anchor with each other briefly, Zee reaffirming their offer to take on that burden. Azra invites Zee to make use of her room while he looks after Shimmers. They then go their separate ways within the Devil Tails’s hideout. Zee updates Shimmers on their efforts, and checks on the progress of vampirism--she is doing well.

Azra finds Kenickie and asks about any vampirism cures he or the paladins may know of. He says there is an eshah’s antidote being manufactured, but, guessing the subject of the conversation, nothing for vampirism. He offers to speak to Percy about possible historical cures.

Correll spends their evening reading the notebooks Rubbish brought with her, after making dumplings for Arumet. Grim goes to pick up their mail, finding their shaman is annoyed that they have not yet found their cousin.

On her way home, Taavi tries to convince Rubbish that she doesn’t need to be nice all the time, and that the party is pushing her around. She disagrees, and changes the subject to school. She runs quickly as possible to Home Lab. She explains quickly to her mothers that she is going to be staying over night up on the surface, and may be leaving later. Punkin, her ratkin mother, is upset and forbids her, but Silkie, her rabbitkin mother, encourages Rubbish to go. She heads out to Correll’s, casting Invisibility on the way and running as fast as she can.

Grim has knowledge only of one, so Mr. Fay asks Azra directly. Rubbish tells Mr. Fay that Azra doesn’t have any. Azra says she’s aware of two, and Mr. Fay redirects the question to Rubbish. Rubbish tells him she’s not comfortable sharing that information with him because it keeps being leaked and putting them in danger. She successfully reaches a compromise with him to reveal the number of boxes they have, three, but not to tell him who has them or where.

The group attempts to come up with a plan to fool Angelus, who had originally sold out the information on the boxes. They can’t come up with a plan that they all agree with. They talk about going after ‘D’, but there still isn’t enough information.

Mr. Fay prompts Azra to reveal her marked hand, showing the red glowing sigil imprinted there. It is similar to the red glow of the second moon of Gaia. Mr. Fay reveals it makes Azra an ‘anchor,’ her now being a key to getting there and back when traveling with the boxes.

They speak more about Victor and the Ghouls, as they haven’t completely disbanded on his death. They find out Mr. Fay knew Rath, though there aren’t hard feelings about her death. He also tells Rubbish he’ll inform her people, through Azra, if they find out any more information about the missing rabbit and ratkin.

The conversation shifts to the island of Titania. The island is surrounded by storms and is only accessible every few months. Grim negotiates assistance in finding their cousin from Mr. Fay in order to provide him with Victor’s letters that mention the island.

They get back to Azra, and Mr. Fay says she needs to be protected as she’s just as important as the boxes. Azra protests, while Rubbish copies the mark, giving Zal’Avhra a copy for research and keeping one for herself. Mr. Fay tells Azra that it’s important that should Azra fall, her body cannot be taken, or at least not her hand.

The group argue again about Angelus, Grim wanting to trick Angelus out and others wanting more direct confrontation. Zal’Avhra and Mr. Fay become frustrated, and Rubbish recommends the group take a break before attempting to go after the information broker. They all agree to meet for brunch in the morning. Before they leave, Mr. Fay provides them with necklaces that will let them communicate with each other, as well as him.

Zal’Avhra stays behind to have a private word with Mr. Fay, and they discuss Shimmers’s future. Mr. Fay agrees that Shimmers can stay with the Devil Tails and will assist in keeping her impending vampirism a secret. He admits he doesn’t know a cure, but recommends Zee approach the worshippers of Ashatar, the warlocks of Garoth, or kill the sire. Mr. Fay warns Zal’Avhra that he will now owe favors to the Devil Tails. They share a drink, talk about Arumet, and Zee heads home intoxicated.

Azra, ignored by Zee as he leaves, is confronted by Kenickie. Azra refuses to speak about what’s wrong, and Kenickie suggests that how she handles it isn’t working, and that she should struggle through it in her room.

Rubbish heads home with Taavi, who is still high. Her family makes sure she is fine and questions her about what happened and if she was hurt. Rubbish asks about seeing the elders about the book, and is cautioned by her mothers to stay away from it, because the contents are horrible. Rubbish says she’ll let the elders decide, and they have dinner before bed.

When Correll gets home, they are confronted by Thaddeus, who is concerned about Shimmers. Correll refuses to tell him more than that Shimmers is fine, and he prevents them from going inside their home to demand where Shimmers is. Correll has to call for their wife in order to get into their home, and spends the evening in a blanket fort with their daughter to try and recover from a panic attack.

In the morning, Azra seeks out Nym for breakfast and introduces him to the mess hall and the concept of breakfast. They speak about each others’ backgrounds and talk about hidden archaeological treasures. Azra also coaches Nym on how to speak with the boss, before heading for brunch.

Rubbish goes to talk to the elders, who thank Rubbish for her help. She requests to read Vagen’s notebook and, while they also caution about what she’ll find inside, they do not stop her. She asks them if they’ve heard of Aochindain or the Rat, citing that they may be related to the Bramble or their past as animals. The elders do not know anything about either, but encourage her to seek out knowledge. They also agree to let Taavi go to school, so long as he behaves.

Rubbish reads the notebook and finds accounts of horrible experiments and countless deaths within, not just to her people but also to others like the drider and gnolls. Rath is mentioned as well, and her children are in Wyrevar. She also finds alchemical formulas that she understands to be Vagen’s ‘breakthroughs’ when it comes to treating aether sick. She copies those formulas and takes Taavi with her to brunch.

Correll wakes up and speaks with their family, having calmed during the night. They explain that Shimmers was hurt but rescued, and that she is staying in Dark Town. Victor was a vampire, and she was bitten. The two say they will keep it to themselves. They talk about some concerns with the remainder of the Ghouls, and the missing Aodion’s flower.

Zal’Avhra gets up early to go check on Shimmers. She is tired but doing well. Zal’Avhra breaks the news to her about her infection, and his hopes that the rest of the group will help look for a cure. The two briefly mention a contingency if he should fail, but they put that off for another day so Shimmers can come to terms with what is happening. Zee returns her sending stone, and Shimmers reassures him that this isn’t his fault.

Grimhilde searches out Andil in the morning to see if there’s any news on their cousin or D, but there is not. Quite a lot happened yesterday, the Ghouls having been all over the city, stealing, causing damage, and wyverns appearing. Grim alerts him to the death of Victor, and points him to how to get to the hideout. They then take his chess set.

Grim then heads to Scarlet’s forge and exchanges gems for some deadly metal throwing cards and a sturdy box. They then head to Tragedy’s shop, Trinkets and Baubles. Grim purchases another, smaller box, and a box of polished Dark Town rocks. Packaging these together inside Scarlet’s box, along with Andil’s chess set. Grim then hires a dragonborn to deliver the box to their shaman. Grim then heads, late, to brunch.

The group hides and an individual without a reflection enters, oblivious and headed for the door. They attack and Azra accidentally kills the individual, whom they find to be a vampire thrall. Rubbish experiments with the corpse, finding it can go through but they cannot. The light in the room is extinguished, removing their reflections, and they pass into a hallway with stairs going downward.

Once on the stairs, the group hears an altercation between Shimmers and an unknown masculine voice. Shimmers calls that she’s being hurt, and the group tries to stealth forward. Entering into the laboratory they find Zal’Avhra’s lizardfolk cousin struggling against the vampire Victor and bleeding from her neck. Despite trying to be quiet to surprise them, Azra stumbles and alerts them to the party’s presence, initiating combat.

As the group fights, vampire thralls begin climbing down from above, though Zal’Avhra incinerates them with a fireball. Rubbish fights Victor with her rapier, getting in a good hit but becoming hurt in the process. She retreats back to the group, as does Shimmers, when Victor casts Shatter and severely hurts the group and knocks Rubbish unconscious. While Correll revives Rubbish, Zal’Avhra expends all fireball charges from his borrowed wand, causing immense damage to Victor. The rest of the party provides further solid hits until Rubbish, fearing Victor will heal away his wounds and prolong the fight, casts her own shatter and destroys his head completely.

Zal’Avhra speaks to Shimmers, who confirms that Victor bit her. Zee apologizes, saying she was supposed to be safe, but Shimmers instead hugs him. Zal’Avhra tends to Shimmers while the rest of the group searches through the lab, looking for clues and letters.

Grim is able to find correspondence and a business logbook on Victor’s body linking all the attacks to commands by the one named ‘D’, some to cause chaos, and others specifically targeting Azra and Correll for the special boxes they had in their possession. Rubbish recovers two of such boxes, one originally held by Correll and one new one, as well as a journal of science experiments done on her people and a map of the Ghouls’ hideout and tunnels. Correll is unable to find Aodion’s flower, but does recover some petals.

The drider asks if they’re done, and Azra invites him to join the Devil Tails. The drider also points out that Victor was not the vampire lord, so all the vampire thralls will remain thralls. Rubbish hands Azra the map but holds onto the two boxes as Grim takes Azra’s box.

Kenickie joins the group and invites them to head back to the Devil Tails, including the drider, who finally reveals his name to be Nym. They do so as there are healers there for Shimmers. On the way out, Rubbish runs into two members of a rabbitkin and ratkin patrol, who have just arrived. She explains what happened and hands over the journal to them, and has Kenickie alert the Devil Tails so they can go inside and search. Silkie, Rubbish’s rabbitkin mother, also arrives for a brief reunion, but allows Rubbish to join the others in going back to the Devil Tails’ base.

Back at the base, Shimmers is seen by several healers, accompanied by Zal’Avhra and Correll. Rubbish, Grim, and Nym wait outside the room while Azra goes to check the state of her room. All the rooms in Azra’s hallway have been searched through, though nothing is missing from Azra’s room when she finds it tossed.

Rubbish asks anyone walking by if they’ve seen Taavi, and finds out he’s with ‘the boss man.’ Rubbish isn’t allowed to go see him. A halfling girl comes up to get her, and she and Grim go to visit the ratkin and rabbitkin rescued from the Ghouls. Kelly, the ratkin, is doing fine and needs rest. The rabbitkin has not yet woken up.

Within Shimmers’s room, harried healers check on Shimmers, though they’re having trouble getting the bleeding to stop. One of the doctors takes Zal’Avhra outside to explain that Shimmers has been infected by the vampire bite. They have, at most, a month to find a cure before she becomes a vampire. The doctor states she’ll continue to look into it, and suggests that the group look into contacting warlocks of Garoth. Zee takes a moment to compose himself in a quiet office before returning to Shimmers, electing not to inform her until she’s had time to rest after her ordeal.

Kenickie comes to collect Azra to take him to her boss. Before she leaves, she asks Kenickie to tell her about if he found any of Rubbish’s people, to which he responded they found many dead ones, which the scouts will find. With that information, Azra heads to her boss, finding Taavi having conversation with Mr. Fae. Azra provides her boss the map, log book, and the letter about Azra’s room being targeted.

When Mr. Fae asks Azra why she was targeted, Azra attempts to obscure the truth. Her boss sees through this. Azra admits that the boxes are involved and convinces Mr. Fae to explain why he is interested in them. Despite some initial reluctance, Azra’s observations on the situation cause him to relent. He asks Azra if she has opened the boxes, and Azra reveals the hidden mark, causing her boss to refer to her as ‘the anchor.’

As Azra scouts ahead again, she hears a conversation between an unnamed speaker and another person whom the speaker addresses as ‘Rath.’ They mention that they were there for a specific person who didn’t care anymore, so they could leave, and the subjects have been moved. Azra, hearing the name of one of the people who has Rubbish’s people captured, immediately initiates combat, calling for the others to join her.

Inside the room is a tiefling in a heavy coat and a firbolg with no armor wielding an immense hammer. In the ensuing conflict, the tiefling escapes, Azra nearly dies, and the firbolg is captured. The firbolg, who is Rath, is then interrogated by Rubbish. Rath explains that many of the rabbitkin and ratkin were moved, though she doesn’t know where they and Vagen, the tiefling, are currently. She also tells them that there are ghouls downstairs, who won’t just let the party take the prisoners.

Rath explains that they’re there to do a job, specifically with finding a cure for aethersickness. When Rubbish asks why her people are involved, she replies that her people are resistant and so they were testing on them. Rubbish demands to know if Rath was okay with this, and why they didn’t even ask the rabbitkin and ratkin for help first. After asking about Victor, Rubbish hesitates over killing Rath. As Rubbish pulls out her rapier, Azra takes initiative to execute Rath on her behalf.

The party heals up with the help of Correll, and, hearing fighting behind them, moves downstairs. Azra searches the firbolg before they leave, and Correll inspects what look like decayed portions of their skin. They identify this as the precursor to becoming aethersick, though it had stabilized.

Downstairs, they begin to explore the right side of the map, which is drawn even worse than the previous floor. Azra uses the shadows to go invisible, scouting ahead once more. They find a room full of cells, which sounds like it’s full of animals, including a hyena. While they briefly consider releasing the animals, they decide it’s too unpredictable and will come back for them later.

Azra checks the northern room, but hears nothing inside. The group decides to keep looking for the way down, as Victor will know where everything is. Deciding the best way to go is in the direction of increased security, they head for the Art Room. Grim determines that the Hedonist would refer to a Vilist deity named Sydar, the Apathetic, called that because he cares for nothing but his own pleasure. However, the only thing Grim knows about how he looks is that he has horns.

Entering the room, they find four statues with horns, though they can eliminate one immediately, as it is familiar to them as Zaesir. They check the location of the doors on the map, seeing that the one by the supposed hidden door is a creature with a torn-away torso. Rubbish climbs the wall and ceiling to inspect the room without touching the floor and sees levers on the back of each of the statues, and Zal’Avhra catches sight of fire glyphs on the far side of the room.

Grim, inspecting the statues, points to one that’s mostly naked and has horns similar to Taavi’s. While Taavi refuses to confirm if Sydar is his ‘dad’, when Rubbish pulls the lever behind the other statue, it opens the door on the left the map says leads to the Red Room. She then quickly heads to the statue in front of the supposed hidden door, and pulls the lever to reveal another passage.

The group sidesteps the large rug in the room and heads for the hidden hallways. Down that hall, they find another room full of cells. Azra helps Rubbish open a cell with a ratkin inside, while Grim shrugs off an unknown magical assault to charm them. The ratkin is Kelly from Running Water. She says there’s also a rabbitkin in the room, and while she doesn’t know what’s in the large cell, she thinks it’s an elf.

Grim informs the group someone tried to charm them, and threatens the perpetrator to come out. The captive in the large cell cautions them that it won’t work, and the party attempts to determine who is inside. Opening the cell, a drider steps out. The drider doesn’t answer questions about charming Grim or provide their name. While Azra tries to lead them out, in the end the drider agrees to follow them and help fight.

Back in the room, they open another cell to find an unconscious rabbitkin. Rubbish attempts to heal them, but it doesn’t work. Kelly agrees to take them out of the Ghouls’ hideout with Taavi leading the way. Joined by the nameless drider, the group heads towards the marked Red Room.

The group arrives at Goldtown’s opulent temple to Yuna, where priests scurry frantically inside, but no patients are in sight. Zee and Correll discern that something is wrong, and Rubbish and Correll decide to ask a nearby priest. Rubbish gets directions to Deonn’s office after learning the patients of the temple have been sent to the hospital for treatmen, but nothing else.

Azra, eavesdropping on other priests, learns that an aethersick entered the temple with other patients and that the temple is covering that information up. She tells the group, and Rubbish and Grim find another priest to question, a halfling named Vale. They learn that an aethersick entered the temple and bit another patient. That patient belonged to the Crows, a family in Goldtown. Vale also remembers Numorn, saying Numorn was quiet when coming to the temple with Oscar, but after they broke up he began saying they would “burn in the light of Yuna’s true people” and speaking of corruption.

The group decides to confront Deonn in his office. The conversation quickly goes sour as Correll discusses Barnaby’s struggle to keep up with the volume of aethersick needing care at the Temple of Yuna in Merchant’s Road, and when Deonn explains the coverup as not wanting to startle the rich. The confrontation continues to escalate until Deonn kicks the party out of his office when Grim brings up Numorn. As the party is leaving, Grim swipes a piece of paper off of Deonn’s desk.

Zee checks the handwriting on the paper but cannot tell if it matches that of the threatening letter in the Temple of Theris. The paper details a plan to send forces into Darktown to “quell the problem” of the aethersick there. While discussing the unethical plot, the group hears the priests yelling for the guards at the temple and run out of Goldtown. Zee incinerates the letter so Rubbish cannot return it.

Zee messages Shimmers on his sending stone but receives no response. After a second failure, the group rushes back to Merchant’s Road. They find a crowd gathered in front of Trinkets and Baubles and Correll’s Bakery, which the tiefling Thaddeus is attempting to keep at bay. While Zee and Correll push through the crowd to ask Thaddeus what happened, Azra sneaks around Trinkets and Baubles to enter through the back door. Thaddeus explains that the Ghouls attacked Trinkets and Baubles, Shimmers is missing, and there was a fire in Correll’s greenhouse, but Mailee and Arya are fine.

Zee runs into Trinkets to find signs of struggle. Azra breaks in the back door, and the two follow a trail of blood up the stairs to find an open window, Shimmers’ dropped Sending Stone, and a pool of blood. At Correll’s greenhouse, Mailee is giving a report to the paladins. She tells Correll, away from the paladins, that Aodion’s flower is missing, but she is chiefly worried about Shimmers’ disappearance. Correll agrees that Shimmers’ safety is most important, and goes to Trinkets to help Zee. Rubbish trades her Cianna symbol and ten gold pieces to the three weasels following the group, Inky, Blinky, and Clyde, for a hint on how to find the Ghouls. They tell her to ask the man at Sticks and Stones.

The party meets back up to follow a trail Azra finds, a scrap of Shimmers’ clothing and a trail of blood, to a Darktown entrance with five paths. The group decides to split, so Azra and Zee can ask the Devil Tails for help and Rubbish, Grim, and Correll can go to Sticks and Stones. As they leave, Mailee pulls Correll aside to mention that the box, which they took from Oscar’s mansion, was missing from its place on their vanity. Correll tells Mailee to remember that they love her, in case they die in the raid on the Ghouls. Though Mailee tells Correll not to say things like that, she also asks that they be careful; they say they would promise, but they don’t want to lie.

At Sticks and Stones, Rubbish, Grim, and Correll meet Tragedy, an elf with a wide smile who recognizes Grim. He shows them an entrance to Darktown that the Ghouls often use. Rubbish leaves to find Azra and Zee, while Grim and Correll remain at the entrance. As she leaves, she asks Taavi to tell her moms about the Ghouls, to see if the rabbitkin and the ratkin want to help in the fight. Taavi agrees to help and disappears.

Twix, a halfling Devil Tails scout, tells Azra that the Devil Tails have been infiltrated by the Ghouls, and plan to retaliate. To get in on the action, Azra and Zee report to the Devil Tails’ leader, Mr. Fae. He gives Azra a map, and tells her to get as far in to Ghoul territory as she can to get to Victor, where Shimmers will be, while the Devil Tails fight at the front. He gives Azra a heavy crossbow, and Zee a wand of Fireball, though he asks Zee to return it since he isn’t in the Devil Tails.

Rubbish arrives in the Devil Tails’ tunnels, but is stopped by Twix. She opts to wait for Azra there, and asks Twix if the Devil Tails always knew where the Ghouls’ tunnels were. Upset that her people are being taken and no one does anything about it, she asks Twix to promise that if the Devil Tails find captured rabbitkin and ratkin in their raid, that they let them go, which Twix agrees to. When Azra arrives, Rubbish asks if she knew how much the Devil Tails knew about the Ghouls’s tunnels. Azra says she did not know they had this much detail, and promises they will find and free her people. Azra, Zee, and Rubbish join Grim and Correll at the entrance, and the group prepares to fight the Ghouls in Darktown.

Grim reads the message from their shaman, who remarks on their progress and approves of their progress, including a drawing of the shaman lounging on the items Grim had sent. Grim then seeks out Andil, the black dragonborn paladin, to seek his assistance on finding their cousin. Andil does not know of any corruption with the temple of Theris, but will look into it for them. He directs Grim to a temple of Marik at the Keep, and agrees to bail them out later should they end up in jail.

Grim then continues on to the Drunken Weasel to resolve the situation there. Thomas goes to fetch the bill, and Grim is approached by a smug, black-furred, red-eyed weasel who can speak, named Benjamin. Benjamin requests that Grim return that night with Aodion’s flower to make a trade for information on their cousin. Grim informs Benjamin the flower is damaged and is being tended to, but will consider the deal when the flower is healthy. At this time, Thomas returns with the bill. Grim provides all their gold to start on the payment, and signs a contract for payment of the rest.

Grim arrives at the Paladin’s Keep’s temple area. They head to the temple of Theris first, noting differences in the priests’ presentation--scars around the mouth rather than veils. Grim looks around, interrupted by a tall Aasimar named Tosh who offers to lead them to the shrine to Marik. They describe themselves as an assistant of Lord Alabaster, the lord of Wyrevar.  They speak about Lord Ailwen, explaining he is the head of the paladins, and has been for 120 years. They also speak of his rival, Aries, who is head of the Lord of Wyrevar’s paladins. Grim explains as well that they’re in town to find their missing cousin.

They arrive at the shrine of Marik and Tosh takes their leave. Grim offers prayers and finds a shaman, who recognizes Grim as one of Rahsalis’s people. Grim once again explains their trouble in finding their cousin. The shaman says she met Numorn once, but he often went to other temples. The shaman says she’ll look for him, and said she saw him speaking to someone cloaked, wearing items of the temple of Yuna, at Wyvern’s Wake early in the morning three or four days ago. She also mentions that Oscar was making inquiries into each temple, though his questions were rather basic, about how the gods created them. Grim thanks her and stays the night at the temple.

Rubbish heads to the mansion with Taavi, speaking to the imp once inside to thank him for helping with the bar situation. Taavi protests that it was just for his benefit, but Rubbish continues to thank him. Taavi explains he doesn’t have good reference for this, as Oscar was terrible to him and most of the party hates him. Rubbish says they’ll work on that, and lets Taavi go run around the mansion to find anything he’d left behind.

Rubbish heads into the basement to talk to the rats there. None of them know Angelus, though one had heard of August Nox because a crow had picked them up and threatened them for information. The rat doesn’t remember because it was ‘so long ago’, being about either right before they entered the mansion or while they were inside of it.

She then asks the mischief about the Rat. She learns he’s one of the first animals, from the First Forest, and is a kind of fey god. The Rat lived with Aochindain at the Throne of Thorns. The mischief knows about the Rat as the fey visited them, sometime around a year ago, and had told them stories. The Rat doesn’t require worship outside stories, and not worshipping other gods. Rubbish tries to explain the Bramble, and the rats say that the Rat may know more about it. The rats say they will try to summon the Rat for her, by thinking very hard about them, and Rubbish says she’ll share stories with them when they arrive.

Rubbish finds Taavi reading the paladins’ notes about the mimic in the attic. He points out the acid-melted lock and says he wishes he’d known the mimic was up here, because he could have at least talked to them and keep them company. Taavi doesn’t understand why Oscar wanted a familiar, because he never used him, and was just a jerk to him instead. The two of them head home after Taavi finishes picking up his things.

Azra heads back to Dark Town. She alerts her higher up that she needs to speak with the boss, and then goes back to her room to test the box with her moon rock. The box works as normal, but the liquid in the vial is attracted to the moon rock. It does not seem to be magnetic in nature; it always gravitates towards the rock. In the morning, Correll and Arya talk over the events from the previous night. Mailee is not present as she was up early making angry breakfast. Arya explains that fighting is the only things she thinks she can do or is good at, and Correll asks that she not put herself in danger without letting them know again. She explains that she did only sign up to fight other combatants because of Correll’s feelings about fighting animals.

Azra leaves her room to find Kenickie waiting for her per her request. Azra explains that Rubbish wants to attend the meeting between Taavi and the boss. Kenickie is not pleased with the idea, knowing Rubbish would protest if they had to ‘press’ Taavi, but says he’ll allow it as he’s now conducting the interrogation. Azra asks as well about guarding the flower that Correll is raising, and Kenickie says he’ll inquire about it.

Zal’Avhra heads to the temple of Zaesir to return all books except Arumet’s notebooks, and then goes to Correll’s. They discuss Arya’s pit fighting and Zal’Avhra commiserates with a story of his own daughter. Correll shows Zee to the green house in order to check on the tegu. Arya is there, and Zal’Avhra teases her about her fighting. They then look at Aodion’s flower which, despite looking healthy, has a crystal growth at the base. The crystal is similar to what was found in Oscar’s mansion. They decide to ask the group what to do with the crystal.

Shimmers then calls Zee, worried about having missed him, and he heads home with tea. She tells Zal’Avhra that the ghouls have left her alone since that night but she doesn’t believe they’re gone. Zee attempts to teach Shimmers Shocking Grasp, and she manages a few small sparks.

Grim wakes in the temple and is instructed by the shaman that they can eat in the barracks with the paladins. While there, they sit with the mute drow Percival. They find out that he has been here since Ailwen, who invited him into the ranks. They talk about the temple of Yuna and Percy says Numorn was there about three days ago and left late at night. Percival agrees to help along with his partner, Kenickie. Grim thanks him and heads to the Muddy Boots.

Rubbish and Taavi arrive at the Muddy Boots and meet up with Azra. Azra explains that Kenickie agrees to let Rubbish come with when Taavi is questioned. She warns Taavi that as long as he’s honest, everything should be fine. Rubbish is confused, assuming no one would hurt Taavi. Azra attempts to explain and says she won’t let them do anything to the imp, and Rubbish defers to Taavi, who agrees to go to the meeting.

Grim then arrives, immediately demanding that either of them say what they know about the temple of Yuna. Rubbish mentions she saw Correll at the temple of Yuna, and they decide to meet up at their bakery. They arrive at the time the bakery opens, and Grim again demands to know about the temple of Yuna. Correll explains what they know. Grim, noticing that Zal’Avhra is not there, abruptly leaves to fetch him.

Grim again demands Zal’Avhra tell them about the temple of Yuna as soon as they arrive. Zee knows a lot about their missions of compassion, and knows of Father Drakken, head of the temple of Yuna, and Arumet, who is an agent of Yuna who roots out cultists. The two head next door so Grim can explain their lead, with Zal’Avhra silently teasing Shimmers about possible affection between her and Grim.