After the night of carnage, morning came to Ptolus.  Both Carric and Ebrahim had not had a night’s rest, each having chosen to help at House Kath and the Longfinger’s Guild, respectively.

Despite his tiredness, Ebrahim was eager to move against the Vladaams.  With the note requesting a meeting with Zavere in hand, the party gathered themselves and headed into Oldtown.  There, you found the address to be an out-of-the way government building.  Inside, Zavere, various Watch Captains, and the Commissar himself were meeting to discuss how to deal with the attacks.

The Watch Captains were looking for instructions.  Should they increase security in the Nobles Quarter?  Should they sweep the homes there?  The usually-confident Commissar seemed flustered and off-balance by these surprising events, and paranoid to go out in the city lest another assassination attempt occur.   Zavere counseled him, and gave directions to the Watch.  

At the meeting, you learned that the Watch had visited the other noble houses last night; the Vladaam’s security reported them to be away.   You also learned that Aliaster Vladaam had been found in the King’s River, near drowned.  It appeared he had jumped from a bridge.  He was currently recovering in a Watch Station House in the Temple District.

Before leaving, you privately told Zavere you intended to move against the Vladaams.  He tacitly encouraged this, but cautioned, “don’t get caught”.    You left and went to meet with Aliaster.

At the Temple District Watch Station you found Aliaster as described: badly injured and water-soaked.  He knew nothing of the events of the prior night, but is certain that his sister must have found out his betrayal, and sent Shilukar to attack him.  He supposed his death was to be staged to look like a suicide, but he survived.  You confided in him that you intended to go after Navanna, and he agreed, though found himself in no position to help.  He asked that you spare Gattara, due to her addled mind. 

You left and considered your options, ultimately deciding not to  attack the Vladaam estate directly, assuming only servants remained there.  Instead, you would follow-up this evening at the Blackstock Printing location where Phen had tailed Gattarra.

Given the day, you equipped yourselves and got much needed rest.  Scouting Blackstock Printing, Phen and Ebrahim found it to be, from all outward appearances, a small print shop, as advertised.  The proprietor was odd however, and only spoke in two-word sentences.

After nightfall, you made your move.  Sneaking in through a side door, you caught the “owners” unawares.  There were four men there, all identical, clones of some kind.  Although you hoped to save one for questioning, when he tried to escape via a trapdoor, you were forced to kill him.

You proceeded through the trapdoor yourselves, traveling down several stories to what was an obviously much older underground structure.  A stone door was protected by a magical glyph, but despite its difficulty Phen was able to disable it, and you entered in secret.

Moving quietly into the structure you crept onto a balcony leading into massive, multi-story chamber in front of you.  On the floor below, a hemisphere of arcane energy glowed, and obvious slaves moved about.  You saw one slave emerge from the energy dome, going about some task.   Beyond, in the darkness, you were just barely aware of guards - at least one ogre and some werewolves.  And perhaps most interesting, you heard the voices of Shilukar and Navanna from a room on the other side of the chamber.

Your attempts to move ahead in secret weren’t quite good enough.  A Vladaam thug spotted you, and in the ensuing melee with him the noise clearly sounded an alarm.   You gathered together and prepared for the coming battle . . .