Gathering back once more to Peluria, the heroes take stock of what they know and touch base with acquaintances. First, they arrange to have the pipes and staff identified. Then, while Frankie gets to know their new halfling torchbearer, the others report to Rawne all that they have uncovered. Rawne wonders what connection exists between the cultists of Mershauk and the followers of Nerull that Aughelm was helping.
Xander asks Rawne if he will ask Dysero the wizard to provide some additional training, and heads for Dysero's house with Keira. While Xander and Dysero discuss magical theory, Keira sneaks downstairs to the strange creature that Dysero has captive there. The creature claims to be a dryad, captured by Dysero in the forest for his own pleasure. Dysero mentions that he will be proctoring an event called the Challenge of Champions. The conversation is interrupted by a visit from an elf named Syrindi, who has an unusual interest in necromancy.
Frankie returns to the group after meeting someone named Funtwolph, a gnome book dealer in Peluria. Funtwolph had encountered Slairu before, or rather people looking for one. He tells Frankie of a group of adventurers who were tracking an artifact called the Key of Shadows, which in turn is used with the Book of Shadows, an artifact giving its wielder tremendous power. Funtwolph gives Frankie the address of these adventurers.
Gathering the entire group together, the heroes go to the home of the other group, a rundown stone house in a shady part of town. There they find a man and woman being beaten up by three young thugs in the back yard. The heroes kill two of the thugs and capture a third, and provide aid to the fallen couple, named Arpad and Celeste. The couple tells them of their group's adventures: their quest for vengeance for their village, the discovery of the Slairu behind the attacks, and the search for the third fragment of the Key of Shadows. Unfortunately, the other members of the group went exploring one of the ruins in the wilderness, taking the two parts of the Key with them (aside: the players wonder why the other group would do something so foolish) and have never returned.
But they are left with another clue: the other group were friends with a member of the noble house of Silverwing, named Eleander. He may know where they had gone. The heroes wear out even more shoe leather by going to House Silverwing and talking to Eleander, who suggests the other group may have gone to one of the larger ruins, like Caer Rix or Caer Krolmar.
At the end of the session, the heroes plan to explore Caer Rix, hopefully getting there through the underground river in Caer Gannen.
| Experience points awards for this session: 150 |