Your week-long rest after your victory against the Chaos Cults was broken late one night when, just after 10pm, Phen burst through the door of your flat and immediately began donning some magic leather armor you had recently found.

Breathless, Phen kept repeating that he’d made a mistake, and thrown his lot in with the wrong crowd, and now Ebrahim (who wasn’t home) was in danger.  Phen’s allies, the Killraven Crime League, apparently intended to slaughter the leadership of Ebrahim’s guild this very night.

They would use a newly-constructed weapon, which Phen showed you.  Called a “Dragon Pistol”, it was a deadly weapon capable of shooting a metal projectile at high velocity.   The Killravens had apparently worked with the Shuul to construct them.  And tonight, in a little more than an hour, they would be put to use.  Phen asked for your help to stop the plan.  Carric agreed unreservedly; Raelen’s support was more cautious.  He was not unwilling to help, but wanted to make sure that Phen understood that his choices had consequences.

Phen led you to the rendezvous point, where he was to meet with four other Killraven Gang members.  Raelen and Carric trailed a block behind.  At the location, only two others were present, and both acted suspicious of Phen.  He had apparently done something earlier in the evening to make them cautious.  Seeing no other way out, Phen used the new Explosive Leather Armor and blasted both with a fireball; a nearby scream alerted you that someone invisible had also been caught in the blast.

Carric and Raelen joined the melee, and a handful of hidden Killraven Gang members appeared.  Most wielded Dragon Pistols, but luck was against them this night: though deadly, most of their shots missed their mark.  A green dragonborn named Durant, a higher-up in the Gang, directed the others and tried to make off with any dragon pistols they dropped, to ensure they didn’t fall into your hands.  A Hold Person spell from Phen put Durant in grave danger, and he eventually fled.  During the battle Ebrahim arrived, having been scouting an area several blocks away.  In the end, you had killed four members of the gang and taken one Dragon Pistol.

Phen explained everything to Ebrahim, who then brokered a meeting with the leadership of his own guild, who were just arriving for the meeting-that-was-to-be-an-ambush.  Phen offered the captured Dragon Pistol to Hayman and Garvin, the leaders of the Longfingers Guild, who accepted it.  A Killraven spy implanted within the Guild was then executed by Ebrahim.

You returned to your flat and pondered your own security.  Were you still safe here?  Should you relocate?  Your question was answered the next day when you met with Captain Wibert in Oldtown.  There, the captain handed you the keys to a grand home named the Rosegate House.  Given to you as thanks from the Commissar, it was yours to live in as long as you remained in the city.  While no fortress, it was more secure than your old flat, and was in the best neighborhood in Oldtown.  It would be up to you to staff it.

Your future home secured, you returned to the business of locating Fennic.  After your victory over the Chaos Cults, you had sent word to Fennic via messenger that Jol had been rescued and was recuperating at your flat.  For days thereafter, you received no response.  It was time to investigate in person.

Your first stop was a flophouse in the Docks that he had left as his address.  There, the owner told you that Fennic had stopped returning, not paid his bill, and the owner had simply boxed up his items.  Politely paying the tab, you took the items but found nothing but old clothes and meager possessions.  You moved on to a tavern he was known to frequent.   The owner of the Skull & Sword remembered Fennic, and admitted to calling the city watch on him.  Apparently Fennic had been labeled as “mad” by those he spoke to, with his stories of his boy being taken by cultists.  He eventually started a brawl with some foreigners, leading to his arrest.  Your next stop was the watch house in the Guildsman’s District.

Watch Commander Denton was lazy and clearly abused his position.  He freely admitted sending Fennic to the city prison simply to be rid of him.  When you identified yourself as the Storm Guard, he demanded a generous bribe to prepare a writ to free him.  A risky Charm Person spell from Phen worked, and you got the price down by 80%.  Writ in hand, you began your trek to the prison.

The Prison is located under the city, along the coast, accessible only by boat.  You rented a skiff at the Docks and made your way to the entrance.  The guards were taken aback by your arrival, most having never seen a release writ come unannounced.  You were escorted through the underground river network and taken by a guard named Markus to the office of Warden Rom.

Warden Rom was a tiefling, and clearly corrupt, selfish, and cruel.  After demanding and receiving a payment from you to “facilitate an early release”, he was reminded by Markus that Fennic had been taken to “the box”.  Coldly, the Warden told you Fennic was dead, and offered nothing further.  You sensed that Markus knew more and avoided a physical confrontation with the Warden.  You took the young guard aside and spoke in private.

Markus told you “the box” was a small room just outside the prison territory in this tunnel system, near a lair of goblins.  Every two weeks a prisoner or two is locked in this room, and within 24 hours they are gone, with money left in their place.  None of the guards knew what happened to them.  You thanked Markus by offering him a job as one of your new house guards, which he eagerly accepted.

Heading to the cell, you fought a brief one-sided battle against some goblins and bugbears and then found the room as described: small and unadorned, the only unusual thing was the floor was earthen, not the stone of nearby areas, and the earth looked like it had been disturbed, although there were no obvious tunnels.   Your investigation at a temporary dead end, you made your way out of the prison, accompanied by your new employee Markus.

Back home you packed your things for your move to the Rosegate House and discussed options.  (1) The Banewarrens were opened, and you knew Sister Daliana expected you to continue your explorations and the Inverted Pyramid had the construct Geristranamous working again, which might provide information.   (2) You could stakeout the Necropolis to see if any further headless bodies turned up.  (3) You could wait two weeks and go to “the box” in the prison to see what emerged from the earth.  After a brief discussion, you decided to re-enter the Banewarrens next.