On a hunch, Chul is given the ability to see invisible objects and inspects Terram from the orphanage, one of the four orphans the Yellow Tower has given a home to. Amazingly enough, Terram bears the mark of a Shackleborn.
Modisto does some more research on Carceri, coming up with some good information from the Academy's library.
The prison plane of Carceri is home to the demodand. The demodands are the self-appointed keepers of the population of Carceri. They are the jailers and wardens, although they themselves are just as much prisoners of the plane.
The demodands were exiled to Carceri to serve a penance. Once there, they took it upon themselves to set up an order, or sorts. They are sometimes encountered on other planes acting as bounty hungers in pursuit of those have escaped Carceri.
They are described as physically powerful beasts, their goals limited to hunting fugitives and plotting amongst themselves. Some scholars believe that these descriptions are just one type of demodand, with other sub-races existing whose physical appearance and demeanor may be different.
Vhalantru visits the Drunken Morkoth, asking how the search is going. Vhalantru offers to take Zenith to Davked, but the group insists that they will do so. He explains that their membership to the Cusp of Sunrise will the active by the end of the day, and thanks them for a job well done.During this visit he also drops off a large map tube with copies of existing city maps of the tunnels under they city that the group had requested at the Demonskar Ball some time ago.
Meanwhile, Ashkim finds a brother of Zenith's, Belon whom Davked is staying with. The other brother Delain does not live in the city, but is in town visiting his dying father. The group decides to take Zenith to the brother, and quickly transport him over to the brother's house.
They find the family very confused at the mention of Zenith. When they see Zenith they are emotionally overtaken, but Davked doesnt know anything about what is going on. He is indeed sick, and on his deathbed, but has no recollection of ever meeting the Crimson Tears.
Belon's is as a dark, dusty place. Like a tomb. It has many old Splintershield heirlooms....axes, armor, banners, jewelry, trophies.
Belon takes Zenith, and at Salla's urging the group hands over Zenith's belongings. Extremely thankful, and unable to pay in any other form, Belon hands back Zenith's gauntlets and amulet to show his gratitude.
The group departs, leaving Zenith in the care of Belon, but a few members of the party stay behind to stake out the house.
That night at the Drunken Morkoth, as the Crimson Tears share some drinking time, a tax collector pays a visit, dropping off a bill for unpaid taxes against items they have been bringing into the city and selling at shops such as Skie's and Tygot's. The collector brings along six friends as well, massive half-orc mercenaries from the town guard's ranks.
Morgan decides he has heard enough as the man slaps the bill down on the table. Grabbing the man's head he smashes it into the table, blood and teeth flying across the room but quickly replaced with the crumpled up bill that Morgan is jamming down his throat. The half-orcs move to pull Morgan off and pacify the rest of the Crimson Tears, but are easily dealt with in each person's own special way. A brawl breaks out in the Drunken Morkoth as half the bar swarms the town guard, and the other half begin to fight amongst each other.
Morgan grabs the tax collector, and lifts him up carrying him outside and down to the lake. He yells to grab the guards and follow him, which many of the common folk in the inn are more then happy to do, to "Drown the taxes!!" Once at the lake, with a long procession of inebriated folks behind him, they begin to dunk the poor fellows into the lake. Once Morgan is satisfied, he and everyone else, quickly depart from the scene.
More town guards and the MTA arrive at the Drunken Morkoth to take care of the situation. The party quickly decides to leave town, but not before the gate guards are alerted to not allow Morgan to leave the city. Morgan decides to deal with whatever comes next, and a brawl does not break out at the town gates.
"Drown the taxes!!" proves to a popular message, aided by a nameless vandal who paints the words across prominent town structures every night.
The next day Morgan meets with Vhalantru, seeking some assistance with the tax collector situation. Vhalantru says that the tax collector was incorrect in delivering such a bill to the Crimson Tears, and that he plans on taking care of the matter. If Vhalantru has his way, Morgan will only face a fine for damages to the victim of the assault. In the meantime, Morgan is free to leave Cauldron as he will.
That same night, as Salla watches Zenith's new home, he hears a scream of anguish from Belon's house. Salla rushes over to the door, banging on it loudly. But when no one answers he kicks in the door and finds Belon on the floor with a large gash across his throat, white and lifeless. Delain holds in his arms, shrieking and crying. Salla runs over and throws his most powerful healing spell on Belon. Belon's throat closes up and his color returns. Looking around, Salla sees no evidence of Zenith, but does notice faints wisps of red smoke and a faint brimstone stench in the air.
Belon describes that he was sitting in the main room having an attempt at getting Zenith to talk, when suddenly a red smoke filled the room and he saw a man man with short black hair and creepy yellow eyes standing to his side. He was wearing spiked full plate and carried a heavy shield adorned with the symbol of a skull and scythe. He also had in his hands a black heavy mace with a black, skull-shaped head. Then he felt a quick slice across his throat and his warm blood running down his chest before he lost consciousness. Delain heard nothing but a small scuffle that awoke him, and when he arrived in the room Zenith was gone and Belon was dying on the floor. Nothing else of certainty is revealed about Zenith's abductors.
During this time, Modisto does some more research, especially into details that are being uncovered in Skaven's journal. Most notably, Modisto finds out that the leader of the group was a lady named Grehlia. Once a well known-sculptor, she disappeared a decade ago and has re-surfaced on occassion as an associate of Nulin "The Fish", a jester of the Last Laugh criminal organization. The only fact known about Nulin amongst the party at the time is that Jonl has heard he is encroaching on Cauldron, which belongs to the jester Velior Thazo.
Also, Modisto discovers some details on Khyron Bonesworn. Khyron is the leader of the Necrocants, a powerful cleric of the god of death. Second-hand rumor is that he aspires to rule the city of Sasserine and displace the high priest of the city's hidden temple of Nerull. Khyron is a sensationally handsome and charismatic 26-year-old man with short black hair and creepy yellow eyes. He wears spiked full plate and carries a heavy shield adorned with the symbol of his god. He wields a black heavy mace with a black, skull-shaped head. Hmm....sound familiar? He is rarely seen without his close friend Melagorn Thureq, a secretive, powerful half-elf wizard.
The party successfully leaves Cauldron on the second try and they make their way back to Whitefang, where they proceed to do a bit of "cleanup" action.
Most notably, they find a pool with a simple golden holy symbol of Pelor resting on the bottom. The entire room has a strong magical aura about it, and when Salla drinks from the pool he feels amazingly revitalized, both physically and mentally.
They also find a tunnel and cave with exquisite carvings all about. The tunnel has several intricately carved faces who react in different ways to being touched. The attractive female face winks, the old man grimaces, the demonic face spits acid, and many others. Best of all the ogre face when touched sticks out its tongue, with a rune-carved white pearl on the end.
A few slime-covered zombies are disposed of (as well as the slime), and Salla's undead minions lead an attack on a pair of cockatrice who are made remarkably short work of. In addition, a short fight is had with some living vegetation and starving female trogs. A small group of eggs and baby trogs are found, which Chul decides to mercifully dispose of instead of leaving to the fate of a slow death in the caves.
After clearing out Whiterock, it is decided to investigate Morgan's treasure map after a brief stop back in Cauldron to sell loot and such.
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