Recouped and recovered in the pits of Buckledown Row's arena medic station, our heroes gird themselves against the upcoming treatise with the Queen of Thieves. Invited by a strange and unsettling duo, The Shot In the Dark begins to follow down the passage into the dark, wondering what misfortunes await beyond. In the midst of these goings on, our Paladin, once more finding his body contaminated by the corruption spreading through Drakkenheim, begins to wonder how that poison may impact his soul and heart... If he lingers too long here, will he remain the stalwart bastion of good that he arrived as? Is he truly incorruptible? Thoughts of the camaradarie of his fellow knights, and gatherings suffused with light from the sacred flame, begin to tug at his resolve. "Where is my place", he begins to ponder...

Locked away in the dank, smelly underground, wounded from the overwhelming force that captured them in Sneaky McGee's, our heroes listen to the figure in front of them. An old man, explains that he will be in charge of them for the next few hours, and tells them their fate. Fighting Meat. They must now choose a Group Moniker, decide how they want to proceed, and prepare themselves for a fight...

After shrugging off the embarrassment of the outburst in the Skull and Sword, the Shopkeep Scientist asks his companions to empty their pockets. Time to do some figuring of the inventory, see what everyone has, and identify some unknowns. Once questions have been answered, new ones must be posed to the Academy in town. And after goals have been re-evaluated, it will be time to follow up on the Mercenary's cryptic message in the Broken Down Bars of Buckle-down Row

In the Cellar of the Hedgewizard Oscar Yorne, amidst his reanimated guards and four pactmade students, our party finds themselves embroiled in negotiations. On the one hand, the Academy wants the research collected by the ex-guild mage, who will not part with it lightly. On the other, the Lanterns need him for his potion crafting skills. And negotiating a deal to have him exclusively supply the old city guard for a more reasonable rate will take some convincing. Taking a step back to touch base, plan, and patch wounds, the three heroes make their rounds to all those in business, and get a feel for where they lie in the threads of fate that they continue to draw forth.

Bedding down for a well needed rest, the three discuss how things have gone in recent days. Revelations of identity, shifts in goals and alliances, and a growing need for better equipment. As Cory tinkers with his crystals and wires, and Petro stares wistfully at the sky, Briar ponders the strange watch and letter and tries to ponder how she fits into the picture that is revealing itself in front of her. Will her past come back to haunt her, or will she forge a new future in spite of what fate would have her?

After a harrowing journey into the city, meeting many foes and an odd new faction with alien intent, our heroes have exited the city and made their way along the Drann to the north. Seeking a way to cross and return to Emberwood, they are looking for a way to safely reach the other side. If they manage to do that, they have several open contracts to close. Meeting the hooded lanterns, a meeting with Mel for payment, finding more about these mysterious gunsmiths, and if the journey is unsafe, they may need to find more means of cleansing and healing. The city is proving to be dangerous, but they are more resilient than they had once believed!

In the aftermath of temporal anomaly, the party is shaken. They made their choice and the shape of the world is set in stone, and what lives they left behind were unmade in an instant. How will they deal with this burden, and what lies down the tunnel under the remains of the Black Ivory Inn? Something lies ahead that may strike fear into their very core...