Rumble In The Streets

Traveling through the city for a meeting with Maavu, a second earthquake begins to rock Cauldron. However, the ground shakes for only a few seconds before a monstrous hulking creature that looks something like a cross between a humanoid and a beetle bursts out from under the cobblestone street knocking down a nearby warehouse. Crowds of people run away, except those nearest the monster strangely mill about in confusion, some even fighting amongst each other.

An older man running a fruit cart near the monster seems to keep his wits, and begins to stubbornly and slowly push his cart away.

As other members of the party pick themselves up off the ground, Snake shoots the monster with a bolt in the back, attracting its attention. The monster charges into the group...most of whom are unfortunately caught in the gaze of the monster's compound eyes and begin to act strangely, randomly acting out in confusion.

A squad of the town guard comes running up a side alley from the street below and are caught in the gaze of the monster. They begin fighting amongst each other and a few start wandering away. One of them manages to kill another, impaling him on his halberd.

While the battle rages on in the streets, a young woman living in a nearby house is drawn to the noises and takes a look out of her balcony window...with a crying baby in her arms. The woman stares into the eyes of the monster and in a confused state of mind drops her baby to the balcony railing and wanders back into the house. The crying baby sits dangerously close to the edge of the balcony, ready to fall at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile the monster's razor sharp claws and crushing mandibles have dropped Snake to unconsciousness. The monster turns its mandibles to the delicious crying baby snack dangling from the balcony. Morgan charges into the back of the creature and with a follow-up attack he cuts through the tough chitinous body, ending the monster's existence.

Chul runs over to the balcony, placing himself under it to catch the baby as it falls. Chul presents the still crying baby to the panicked mother, who weeps upon the strong shoulders of our great hero.

As everyone regains their senses, blades are cleaned, and downed comrades checked on, the MTA arrives on the scene. Fizzburn Hotfoot questions Morgan (or is it Morgan questioning him?), and while the two don't exactly hit it off, Salla works his way over and manages to have a civil conversation. Salla remarks on how the Crimson Tears seem to be involved in many of the same situations the MTA wishes to be involved in, and proposes that a method for the Crimson Tears to communicate directly with the MTA is in order. Fizzburn takes the idea into consideration, explaining that the MTA has put appropriate measures in place around the city to be alerted to magical or supernatural activities such as this occurrence.

Maavu has apparently canceled the meeting, as the warehouses damaged in the incident were his.

Jonl spends some time investigating the guild quarter's of the two guilds in town. He only recons what he believes to be entrances, and leaves it at that.

The group receives an invitation to the Cusp of Sunrise from Celeste, an out-of-town noble lady they met at the Demonskar Ball as an acquaintance of Lord Vhalantru.

Four of the group decide to take the invite and arrive at the Cusp that same night. Modisto is denied entry into the Cusp due to a dress code. Once inside, there are a few recognizable nobles that the group spots: Lord Ankhin Taskerhill, the Lathenmires, Adrick Garthun, and Lord Vhalantru. The three who made it in split up, each wandering to a different area of the Cusp. Morgan to the gambling tables, Snake to a comfy chair to peruse a book, and Jonl wanders about eavesdropping.