The Company eventually imprison the tied-up members in a cell, where they also discover Estac�o, a captured and tortured elf guard of the Don of Barrid. He begs for help and claims to be able to put a stop to the Sociedad Obscura once and for all. The Company agree to help him, first by retrieving his clothing and weapons.
Estacio leads the Company to a room in the underground caverns, where they witness a confrontation between two members of the Sociedad Obscura. There is a brief combat, during which the Company notice that one of the Sociedad leaders has strange combat techniques, including powerful kicks, jumps, and tumbling that are not native to Esoria or the western part of the Buchlayne Continent. In the end, however, the Company is victorious.
Both leaders are severely wounded but not dead, and the company ties them up to deliver all of the Sociedad members to Guillermo Alacado, the half-goblin Magistrate of Barrid. Estac�o explains that the Radillar Family ran the Sociedad and was trying to incite a war between the Torina and the Valenzio families. He also notes that one of the most prominent members of the family and a leader of the Sociedad, Antonito, and at least 10 other members are missing.
The Magistrate notes that he has sent for a detachment of Hernandes due to a recent rash of very public murders on the streets of Barrid. He hopes that the Hernandes will be able to capture the remaining Sociedad members. The Company promise to help however they can.
The company rest and investigate their own personal projects.
The 11th of Albicene
Rafe, B'gokktem, Jeremi, and Mikela all meet again to discuss what they learned in the past few days. After comparing notes, they leave to check on Brother Oricarto. He is missing from his home, and one of his neighbors tells the Company that he thought Oricarto was dead, but others claim to have seen him walking around at night. The Company checks the local cemetery for a fresh grave but do not find one.
That afternoon, the Company leaves Barrid to travel to Las Montanas Verdes and the Paso del Karmento (Karment's Pass), a small mining community theoretically under the control of the government of Barrid. B'gokktem has heard rumours that "devil-dogs" used to live in this area until they were wiped out by settlers eager to work the silver ore in the mine.
Once at Paso del Karmento, the Company stop at the only inn/tavern, the Sad Thorn, and speak with some of the locals. They learn that most able-bodied men in the town are dead or missing. Most of them had contracted a strange disease that included coughing, unbearable thirst, and blistering sores. The locals believe that the town's water supply has been poisoned. After talking to Arianna Tungsteno, wife of the missing Chief Miner, and Padre Essamuelo, the resident priest of �ton, the Company decide to investigate the mine.
After entering the mine, the Company is immediately attacked by several rat-lizard men (called "kobolds" by the locals). The Company quickly dispatch a dozen or so, and then retire to the inn for a night's rest before returning to the mine the next day to complete their investigation.
Sebastian rejoins the Company, and they set back out toward the mines. Mikela scouts ahead and discovers a pit trap, which the Company avoid. Entering a large cavern full of luminous lichens and stalagmites, they see a group of kobolds hiding in a hollow set into a wall of the cave. An arcane wyrd leads the kobolds, and they rain bolts and spells down upon the Company. Eventually the Company prevail and capture three of the kobolds, who beg for mercy and tell of a great treasure being held by "the demon" further back in the mines.
The Company press on despite their wounds, and enter another large cave full of dead, decaying bodies upon which rats are feeding. A terrible stench permeates the room, and suddenly eight bodies arise from the floor. The walking dead attack the Company and a great battled ensues. At the end of the battle, Mikela is unconscious and Jeremi has used all of his spells. Although wishing to continue their quest, the Company are forced to flee the mines once again to heal their wounds and return to fight another day.
The Company give Padre Essamuelo a generous donation to heal Mikela, and then the heroes start back toward the mines. They are ambushed on the way by two devil-dogs; the Company make short work of the creatures, but they do sustain some damage.
Once back in the mines, the Company encounters four more walking-dead in the room
