Having cleared out the High Temple, the Company prepares to go visit Senor Baron Escaldante II to find out who or what is in control of the town. They also have to deal with the huge pillar of fire in the High Temple, which still burns with unholy fury.
Luckily for B'gokktem, Sebastian happened to see him get captured. As the members of the Company leave the High Temple, Sebastian rejoins them and explains B'gokktem's plight. He leads the Company to a warehouse in the Merchant's District that the Illumination is using as a makeshift headquarters. Jeremi approaches one of the guards and asks to see Mannetto. He is led inside and concocts a story which results in B'gokktem being released to his care.
The Company return to the inn to rest and plan their next move. Jeremi also makes contact with Alein, asking for her help on the next day to purge the High Temple of the unholy column of fire. She agrees.
The 25th of Ebupell
In the morning, the Company and Alein head over to the High Temple of Hallowed Selannae, and the combined divine powers of Jeremi and Alein are able to snuff out the unholy flames.
The Company, with Alein still in tow, decide to confront the Baron. There are two guards posted outside of the gate leading into this noble section of the city. Jeremi makes an attempt to put the guards to sleep using some of his innate magickal powers but succeeds in only dropping one of the guards. Alein is startled to see Jeremi channel "evil" arcane magick and starts a scene. Meanwhile, Grumash decides to subdue the remaining guard. The rest of the Company join in and the guard is finally knocked unconscious. Alein is placated for the time being, and they all approach the Baron's manor. Knocking at the door, they encounter a young serving girl who leads them inside for their "appointment" with the Baron.
Upstairs on the second floor, the Baron briefly visits with the Company and orders them to leave. In the next room, Grumash hears the very faint pleadings of a man who is obviously being tortured. Alein explains that she can still see a visible aura of evil surrounding the Baron and the Company rush into the next room, encountering 6 of the Baron's personal guards along with the Baron who appears ready to kill Seir, the librarian at the library where Jeremi found a reference to the location of the Banevault.
Uso attempts to subdue the Baron's guards with arcane magick but fails to work the spell, given that he has taken to wearing very heavy and clunky plate armor with which he is unaccustomed. Grumash and Rafe manage to race past the guards to reach the Baron. B'gokktem, still not at full strength and without his armor, begins investigating a dark, shadowy area in the corner of the room where the company has heard a strange, whispery voice order the Baron to "kill that bastard before he says anything." Eventually the owner of the voice comes out of the shadows and seems to almost glide across the floor, easily dodging a blow by B'gokktem, and makes his way over to the librarian. With one swipe of his hand, he drains the librarian's lifeforce in an instant, and the librarian falls to the ground, dead. All of the Company except for Grumash, Uso, and Alein are overcome with a supernatural fear and dread at this sight, and are forced against their will to flee from the room. Even the stout Grumash and the learned Uso are shaken down to the very core. Alein stands proud and defiant, but realizes that trying to fight this evil presence would be tantamount to suicide. Instead, she leads Grumash and Uso forward to rescue the Baron and pull him away from the dominating will of the evil one. The three succeed in grappling the Baron and pull him out of the room, along with the members of the Baron's guard who seem to have finally come to their senses. As they leave, the evil spellcaster creates a disgusting, festering wall of ooze to separate himself and the body of the librarian from the rest of the Company.
Once outside, Uso, Grumash, and Alein rejoin the rest of the Company. A shadow seems to disappear from the Baron and he returns to normal consciousness. He is overcome with grief and despair over his actions, but knows that his first order of business is to his city and he begins to make plans to rebuild the town. He gives the Company permission to carry their weapons unbound in the city limits and asks them to help rid the town of the evil hellhounds that are still harrassing the citizens. The Company note that the evil flying demons seems to have disappeared.
Later that afternoon, the Baron makes an announcement from the steps of the High Temple of Hallowed Selannae alongside the higest ranking members of the �tonist faith stil in the city.
