Rafe searches the body of the ambush leader and finds a wand. Sebastian tries to activate it but is unsuccessful. Eventually, Don Simion determines that it is a Wand of Healing, which he uses to heal Jeremi. Jeremi and Gur Prasaad then heal the rest of the Company.
Don Simion announces that he no longer requires the Company's services. He pays them approximately half of the contracted amount and leaves with his retinue of beggar-guards.
The 7th of Albicene
The Company heals the leader, and then tie him up and question him for hours before he admits he was hired by the Torina Family to kill Lucia and Don Simion, who was trying to make peace among the families. The Company kill him when he breaks free and attacks Rafe.
The Company returns to the scene of the previous night's ambush to question Aristo the Wine Merchant. They ask about the brown drops of liquid found near the crime scene of Lucia's murder. He explains that the liquid is his favorite wine, which is imported on Radillar Ships and served mainly at inns and taverns near the docks. He remembers the names of people who have bought the wine from him, including the half-breed Edrag Kas, Soleno Alisino the Shipwright, Hernandes the Cobbler, and Enrique Verasid, a local minstrel.
The Company continues their investigation, first looking for Soleno Alisino, but to no avail.. On their return to the central part of town, they are ambushed by a crossbowman, whom they kill. On his body is a note telling him to meet at the Blue Water Mead Hall that night. They take the note and Sebastian plans to disguise himself as the man and sneak into the Mead Hall later that night.
While snooping around a corner, Gur Prasaad is shot by three fey-looking bow-women who then flee down a maze-like system of alleyways. The Company decides to proceed cautiously ahead. They eventually end up losing the trail of the three women, but they come across a very large, very ugly half-breed goblin bearing a huge sword. A combat ensues, and the huge warrior is eventually brought down, but not before he knocks Gur Prasaad to near-death.
The party choose not to follow right away, and when they eventually do go through the curtains, they do not find the red-haired man, but instead find two orcs playing a dice game called Ricci cubes. They are unconcerned with the party, but eventually tell the adventurers that there is nothing of interest in the hallway. Mikela slyly attempts to find a secret door but finds nothing, and leaves. B'gokktem attempts to talk with the two orcs, but is unsuccessful. One of the orcs mentions something about the arrival of the Hernandes in town and warns B'gokktem to be careful. Later on, approaches Sebastian and explains that it's time for "the meeting". Sebastian takes B'gokktem and they follow the man behind the curtain again, but the two orcs do not allow B'gokktem to pass, and B'gokktem loses track of Sebastian.
After several more minutes of inaction, the remainder of the Company go behind the curtained doors and a combat ensues. One of the orcs attempts to cast a spell through some sort of divine influence, but is unsuccessful. He is killed by B'gokktem. The remaining orc fights for a few rounds, and then backs away and pleads with the adventurers not to kill him. He shows them a secret door in the hallway and then flees out the back door into the street. By now, it is very early the next morning.
Tennyson departs the Company, explaining that she needs to attend to "personal business" after noting someone in the Mead Hall whom she recognizes. She doesn't make plans to meet with the company at a later date, stating simply that she will find them in her own time.
The remainder of the company (minus Gur) all enter the secret door and begin a descent down into the depths of the apparent hide-out of the Sociedad Obscura.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the company, a large meeting of 20 members of the Sociedad has just recently broken up and 10 of the members (including a disguised Sebastian) are heading back toward the secret entrance to the Mead Hall (and therefore, toward the adventurers).
A combat ensues when the two groups encounter each other. Jeremi draws on a previously unknown power to cast arcane magick and lures the majority of the Sociedad members to sleep. Sebastian engages in a quick duel with one of the unaffected members, but B'gokktem, not recognizing Sebastian in his disguise, knocks Sebastian unconscious.
