The party wasted no time after Brenlan’s disappearance. With the streets overflowing for the Mule Days Festival, tracking his kidnappers was nearly impossible. Lirielle sent her owl to scan the outskirts, but nothing stood out—too much movement, too many people. They found their first clue when a nervous townsfolk recalled seeing hooded figures rushing into an alleyway. Searching the area, they discovered a crocodile tooth pendant buried in the mud—the same one Momeline had gifted Brenlan. But Momeline herself was missing. Had she been taken as well, or had she vanished for another reason?
Ferinthria recalled that Southaven had ancient tunnels beneath it, long sealed but still whispered about. Their search led them to a half-hidden cellar door, where Dravencoles spotted movement just before someone fled into the darkness. Descending with Ferinthria’s glowing spear lighting the way, they found a damp tunnel that led straight ahead, ending at a wooden hatch. Peeking through, Ferinthria heard an unexpected sound—a man lazily singing “Oops, I did it again.”
Inside, a guard reclined in a bathtub, blissfully unaware. The party tried to sneak in, but the floor betrayed them with a creak. The man turned, suspicious, but Ferinthria thought quickly and cast Friends, feigning innocence. They were just looking for their wolf, she insisted. The guard hesitated, recognizing them from Rusty’s, and even mentioned how much he liked Momeline—“good drinker.” He warned them to leave, and he wouldn’t have to call the others.
Dravencoles answered with his hammer.
His divine smite shattered the bathtub, sending water and splinters flying. The guard scrambled, slipping in the wreckage, but the party was relentless. He barely had time to yell before they cut him down. As he fell, the bathroom door swung open—a second bandit stood in the doorway, eyes going wide. He reached for his weapon, but the party struck first, silencing him before he could sound the alarm.
Moving room by room, they cut down the remaining bandits until they entered the final chamber, where three more stood waiting. The moment the party stepped inside, one bandit panicked and bolted up the stairs, shouting for help. The others drew their weapons, but they were no match. As the party struck them down, Ferinthria’s magic flared out of control—fire erupted in a blinding surge, consuming one of the bandits in an instant. When the flames died down, the party realized something else had changed. They were invisible. With this newfound advantage, they ascended the stairs in silence, preparing for whatever lay ahead.
They slipped upstairs unseen, where Donavar Reddmark stood waiting, a crossbow trained on their wolf. The fleeing bandit stood beside him, breathing hard.
Dravencoles, still invisible, took the opportunity to slip between Donavar and the wolf, standing in silent defense. Donavar listened, tense, and when he heard movement, he suspected something was up and fired. The poisoned bolt flew toward the wolf, only for Dravencoles to take the hit instead. Pain lanced through him, but he held firm as the party struck.
Steel and magic clashed as two more guards stormed in. Ferinthria and Lirielle fended them off while Dravencoles pressed forward. Wounded and outmatched, Donavar made a desperate move—he teleported, reappearing by the window before throwing himself out. Dravencoles wasted no time and leapt after him.
Donavar shifted forms as he fled, blending into the festival crowd as a blonde man. But Dravencoles never lost sight of him. Pushing through startled revelers, he tackled Donavar into the mud, slamming him into the cobblestone. By the time the others caught up, town guards had already shackled him. It was over.
In the safehouse, the party found Brenlan alive, locked in a room on the second floor. Among Donavar’s stolen goods, they uncovered a troubling note he had hired a group of adventurers called The Durns to kill them. But why?
Back at the keep, Brenlan was reunited with his father, Lord Kael, but Donavar, locked in his cell, remained defiant. He sneered at their questions, claiming they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Then Velara Kael arrived. Furious that Donavar still breathed, she demanded his execution. The guards refused, following Lord Kael’s orders. When Dravencoles left to speak with the lord, it happened—Velara, trembling with rage, seized a guard’s spear and ran Donavar through.
The room fell silent.
Lord Kael’s fury was immediate. He had Velara dragged to her chambers, leaving the party with more questions than answers. Who were The Durns, and why had Donavar hired them to kill the party? What was Duskwatch Keep, the location Dr. Wizzlethorpe had uncovered? And where was Momeline?
As the rain continued to fall over Southaven, it was clear this was far from over.