Legendary 040 - In the Lair of the Black Sun

Monday, July 11, 1066 SE, continued

Mon, Marigold, and Branna descend the secret staircase they discovered in what was Anya and Dhuka’s room, where the halfling and the elf have now moved in. At the bottom, they emerge into a barracks. Based on the number of cots and footlockers, it could accommodate about twenty people. A well stands in the northeast corner, with a wooden bucket and a long hemp rope. 

Mon, who prepared a copper button earlier, hides it in the well, then walks around to make sure it isn't visible to a casual observer. He can now cast locate, giving him two possible points to identify on a map. Branna examines his handywork and confirms the button is well hidden. Marigold speculates that the well itself may lead to the city sewers. 

Looking into the footlockers, Marigold finds an old note requesting a food delivery dated four days ago. The remaining footlockers are empty, the cots are stripped, and the linen and pillows are stored in a large closet. She then enters the archway to the west and peeks inside, only to realize it’s a small U-shaped hallway that connects to the door ten feet south. Perhaps this was meant to be an expansion that never came. 

Marigold listens to all the doors and hears shuffling behind the south doors, while no sounds come through the doors to the north and east. Mon also listens, and he thinks it sounds like zombies. They elect to go east. Mon opens the door and sees the cavernous interior of a church, with pillars and pews. The space is so large that their meager light source can't reach the ceiling or the wall to the east. He carefully closes the door and moves to the north door.

Opening it, he discovers a vestry with ceremonial clothes hung inside wooden cabinets. A stone altar is placed in the middle of the room. The sign of the Black Sun is displayed prominently, but strange religious iconography also appears, and Mon cannot identify it. Searching the room, he finds sharp knives, a large iron bowl, and recent blood splatters, suggesting this is more of a sacrificial preparation space. Marigold, Branna, and Mon gather all the sacrificial tools and garb and drop them into the well, depriving the temple of its ability to conduct a sacrificial ceremony. Mon thinks he might also be able to use the iron bowl to locate it. Marigold thinks that the water in the well seems to be flowing, and the bowl might be carried away.

Mon then listens at both the north and east doors but hears nothing. He opens the east door and sees a long hallway heading north. He creeps down the corridor and comes to another door. He carefully cracks it open, sees that the hallway connects to the church space toward the front of the room, and returns to the vestry to inform Marigold and Branna. After a short discussion, they decide to enter the church from the back, from the barracks, instead of from the hallway and emerging at the front of the church.

Inside, the space is silent and gloomy. Mon follows the wall heading north and finds a staircase heading up. He climbs the stairs and reaches a mezzanine about twenty feet from the floor. He sees the church’s ceiling is about twenty feet higher, meaning the ceiling is forty feet above the church’s main floor. Meanwhile, Branna walks forward, and, using her dark vision, she notices four figures standing by the four pillars closest to the church’s dais. They are not moving, so at first she thinks they are statues.  

Mon follows close behind her and, using a candle, realizes the figures wear cloaks and armor. He listens for breathing, but hears none. Are these cloaked statues or undead? Moving closer, Mon spots a large tome chained to each pillar. He turns himself invisible, gets as close as he thinks is safe, and examines the tome. The Black Sun sign is prominently displayed, along with runes he can’t identify. But a quick arcane analysis reveals that it is necromantic magic. All four tomes are similar, and they seem to be calling for him. He resists the urge to seize one.

He returns to the back of the church and tells Branna and Marigold the cloaked figures are not statues but heavily armored skeletons, and that a necromantic tome is chained to each pillar. Marigold suggests they should burn the tomes. Mon tells her they were made of stone. Fire wouldn’t damage them, but maybe acid would, and wonders if Marigold has some. She shakes her head no. Marigold asks whether the skeletons died there or were placed there as guards. Mon is not sure, but he supposes they are protecting the tomes. He could use magic to identify the tomes, but to do that he would need to touch them, which would surely make the skeletons attack.

Skipping the front of the church where the skeletons stand guard, they explore the back. A set of double doors stands in the south. Listening at the door, Branna and Marigold hear nothing. Carefully opening the door, they enter a small antechamber richly adorned with Black Sun banners. This appears to be a waiting room of sorts. Another set of double doors stand at the southern end of the antechamber. Opening the door, Branna enters a large waiting room furnished with rosewood couches and side tables. Tapestries and iconography of the Black Sun cover the walls while a carpet covers the floor.

Casting locate on the spoon Mon placed yesterday at the bottom of the stairs from the South Gate Hotel’s dining room, Mon senses that it is on the same level and less than 1,000 feet south of their current location. Mon wonders if they should alert the city guard and have them raid the underground complex. Marigold rejects the idea, as it would either show their hand too early and force the complex’s residents out sooner than expected, or cause a lot of worry and danger for Hennadii, the owner of the South Gate Hotel. Additionally, with Konstantina on edge and rioting still taking place in the St. Boris neighborhood, the revelation that a hostile cult was occupying an underground complex could create exactly the kind of chaos the cult of the Black Sun seeks.

Mon then wonders if they should destroy the keyholes where the Black Sun rings fit. Marigold reminds him that they need a key to get in, but not to get out. Mon proposes they clear the complex, then give it to Hennadii, who could add it to his hotel space. It could be a themed space, with a banquet facility in the church space. Marigold smiles and suggests that the space would make for a great underground theater.

They continue to explore the complex. After listening at both doors and hearing nothing, they open the east door. Motivated to find his spoon, Mon heads south down a long corridor and finally recognizes where he is. The kitchen is on his left, and the dining room is on his right. The kitchen’s ovens are still filled with glowing embers, but no one remains. The dishes have been put away, the pantry is empty, and the space is clean.

They travel to the barred door they had discovered yesterday, at the bottom of the staircase that leads to the dining room. They unbar it. On the other side, instead of stone walls, they find a rough corridor, held up with planks. The tunnel feels damp and looks older than the complex.

They walk for nearly twenty minutes until the tunnel emerges in the basement of a building. Mon steps in while invisible. Above, on the other side of the wooden ceiling, they hear merchants and customers haggling and talking. They seem to be under some sort of commercial space. Mon places a copper piece he carefully scratches so he can locate it. With three points around the complex, Mon feels confident they can triangulate the complex’s location on a map of the city.

Turning around, Mon sees only a dirt wall. He touches the wall and finds it to be solid. He quietly calls for Marigold. She puts her hand out. Mon grabs it, and she pulls him back inside the tunnel. He emerges from the tunnel again and looks for a ring keyhole where the Black Sun ring could unlock the wall's magic. He doesn’t find one, but does locate a rune that can be activated and which removes the wall for about a minute.

Returning towards the underground complex, they hit a dead end. The corridor abruptly stops. Mon looks for a similar rune and finds it, revealing another hidden wall. He shows Branna and Marigold how to activate it. Returning to the complex, they bar the doors again. Knowing a significant amount of time has passed since they entered the complex, they head to the party at Sir Sergeii’s townhouse.

Emerging back in Branna and Marigold’s new room, they quickly change before traveling through the sewers back to the Grand Royal Opera. Using prestidigitation, Marigold cleans them up before exiting the basement. The entire crew has left, and they are fifteen minutes late! They leave the Grand Royal Opera, running towards Sir Sergeii’s townhouse …

Legendary 039 - The Day After the Riots

 Monday, July 11, 1066 SE, continued

As they consider the ramifications of the explosion of the King’s ship in Katarina, Mon thinks quickly. Does the Cardinal wear something unique on his person? If so, he could use his locate object spell to see if the Cardinal is indeed in Konstantina or if the reports of him escaping from Katarina are wrong. He rakes his brains, but can’t remember. When he mentions this to Marigold, she remembers that every time she has seen the Cardinal, he has always worn a distinctive golden cross on a fine gold chain around his neck. Now alerted to this detail, Mon wonders if he should painstakingly crisscross the city and attempt to locate said cross. Marigold then reminds Mon and Branna of the story that asserts that pirate Captain Lafoy supposedly stole Cardinal Feodore’s ancestral golden cross during a daring raid on a rural parish southeast of Konstantina when Feodore served as a priest in the local church. However, she mentions that every time she’s been close to him, he has worn a large golden cross on a fine golden chain. Mon thinks that this is a promising possibility.

Sir Sergeii arrives at the Grand Royal Opera with three page boys who are carrying heavy-looking wicker picnic baskets. He announces to the crew, who had to sleep at the theater, that the walled city gates remain closed, so he’s bought breakfast from the Furry Rabbit for everyone. Additionally, due to the recent events, tonight’s performance is postponed to a later date. As the grateful crew digs into the pastries and quiches, Mon asks Sir Sergeii if he had the opportunity to see St. Boris. Sir Sergeii reports he was not able to see the St. Boris neighborhood on his travel from his townhouse to the restaurant and here, and he doesn’t know whether the riots have ended or even if the entire neighborhood has burned to the ground.

While Marigold and Branna eat breakfast, Mon leaves the Grand Royal Opera and heads to the northwest corner of the walled city. The city’s guard remains deployed on the walls, so Mon climbs a tree taller than the walls and gets a good look at St. Boris. He sees that parts of the neighborhood are still rioting, and battles are occurring between hooligans and guards. The shipyards and the business district are also under attack. More worrisome to the actor, however, is the army that has assembled and pitched camp on the Rivermouth parkland, right across the river from St. Boris. Returning to the Grand Royal Opera, Mon shares his observations with Marigold and Branna.

They come up with a plan. They will search for a discreet entrance into the sewers, then look for a passage that leads to the underground complex they discovered yesterday. Mon suggests they should start at Gwen’s Fine Textiles, the store owned by Branna’s parents, so they can check their basement for access. With the rioting continuing outside the walls, all of the shops in the walled city are closed. Branna retrieves the key to the back door’s lock, and they enter through the back courtyard. Inside the production space, Branna scans the shelves and retrieves some fabric chalk. As they walk through the shop, Marigold steps on a loose board, creating a loud creaking sound, but, to everyone’s relief, no one comes to investigate.

Descending the stairs, they explore the basement, finding boxes of fabric, buttons, and accessories, along with old furniture and some tools. Searching for a secret door or entrance into the sewers, Branna discovers a small secret space underneath a workbench. Inside are three small chests with the Gwen’s family crest, all covered with a heavy layer of dust. Branna had never heard of these chests, and she suspects her parents don’t know they are there either. She decides to put them back without opening any of them, before covering them with another layer of dust. With no obvious entry into the sewers, they return to the Grand Royal Opera.

Back at the theater, Mon discusses the ramifications of the King’s death with Sir Sergeii. With the Crown Prince also gone, the royal line of succession is in jeopardy. The Queen, being a foreigner, cannot assume the throne, nor can their eldest daughter, Princess Darina, having married the Natavian Crown Prince, is no longer eligible to rule, and Princess Elara, who supposedly died in infancy.

Mon wonders if Sir Sergeii, as cousin to the King, could marry the Queen and assume the throne. Sir Sergeii visibly winces at the idea, before recovering and mentioning that he doesn’t have enough support among the local nobles to even think about launching a claim to the throne. Instead, he is worried he could become a target to be eliminated by a pretender to the throne. 

Curious to see if Sir Sergeii’s townhouse, which abuts the old square, might have basement access to the sewers, Mon comes up with an ingenious plan. He suggests to the noble that, due to the theater being closed tonight, perhaps they could get a tour of Sir Sergeii’s townhouse. Sir Sergeii perks up at the idea, and immediately agrees. He invites the entire crew over for a dinner party, before leaving the Grand Royal Opera to organize the catering and the entertainment, with renewed vigor in his step.

Within the hour, all Legendary staff members receive personalized invitations to Sir Sergeii’s townhouse starting at 6 pm sharp. Light snacks and entertainment will be provided, and the dress code is business casual.

Returning to the task at hand, the three companions turn themselves invisible, and they start looking for an entrance to the sewers in the Grand Royal Opera. After some exploration, they find a rusted door in the basement that feels damp. Mon casts prestidigitation to remove the rust, while Marigold uses the same spell to add oil to the hinges. Removing the bar blocking the door, they open it and find themselves on a sewer landing, traveling east and west. It is barely tall enough for Marigold, and both Branna and Mon have to crouch to travel, but, thankfully, there is a ledge they can follow. They take the bar with them before closing the door and heading west. Marigold leaves a chalk mark every 5 feet or so as they crawl through the sewers.

As they reach under the city walls, they find a door in an iron grate blocking access to the other side of the walled city. The door appears well maintained. They backtrack east, connect to a north-south sewer line, before connecting to another east-west connector under the Grand Avenue. This connector is larger, and Mon can easily stand. They head west and find a similar setup. Using knock, Marigold unlocks the door, and they cross outside the city walls. They find another north-south connector, and find their way back to the other side of the first iron grate they encountered. After walking a short distance, they figure they are near the South Gate Hotel. Mon climbs out of the sewer first, pushing the heavy iron lid aside. Their assumption was correct; they find themselves less than a block away from their residence.

Mon comes back down, and they come up with a plan to make sure that, since they are invisible, they don’t bump into each other as they climb the ladder and exit the sewer. They manage to do so without attracting attention, and after Marigold and Branna become visible in the alleyway, Marigold casts prestidigitation to remove the sewer muck from their clothes and boots before entering the hotel. Mon, who stayed invisible, enters the hotel with them. 

They find Hennadii sitting at the reception counter. Hennadii confirms that everyone and everything is fine at the hotel, and he confirms that Herald is the only current resident of the South Gate Hotel, as he failed to enter the walled city before the gates were closed. Hennadii expresses some concerns about supplies with the rioting going on in St. Boris, but because the crew is not here for breakfast and dinner, his foodstuffs are fine for a few weeks.

They return to Marigold and Branna’s new room, and they enter through the secret door. Mon attempts to locate the spoon, but finds they are not within 1000 feet of where he placed it. Mon borrows a button from Banna and inscribes it with a magical rune so he can also locate it. And with that, they are back inside the dungeon …

Legendary 038 - Tragedy at Sea!

Sunday, July 10, 1066 SE, continued

Mon had emerged from the secret dining room staircase, only to stumble upon Herald and his girlfriend Rouslana, whom he had once met wearing a disguise at the Coughing Raven. Questioned by Herald and by Rouslana, who learned Mon possesses a painting representing the power of the Raven Queen, Mon ends the discussion by turning himself invisible and quickly leaves the dining room, abandoning Branna and Marigold behind him, as they could not pass through while Mon stood in the secret doorway.

For Herald, more shocking than Mon’s disappearance is seeing both Marigold and Branna standing in a space that should not exist. He questions them about where the secret passageway goes. Rouslana seems very curious to hear their answer, and she pushes several times to find out, but Marigold and Branna manage to escape her questioning, and they leave the dining room before climbing the stairs to their room. 

Once there, they push their heavy dresser in front of the secret door in their room that they suspect leads to the same underground complex as the dining room door, hoping to prevent anyone from pushing it open.  They then try to catch some sleep following their eventful day.

Mon returns to his bedroom. He removes his painting from the wall and, concerned about Rouslana’s naked interest in it, hides it in his pillowcase. He thinks about the number of steps they took to descend to the underground complex, and recalls about 350. With that many steps, it would be nearly 300 feet down. Due to the magical nature of the secret door, it doesn’t mean the complex is nearby, however. But he did leave a spoon magically marked, which will allow him to attempt to locate objects in the morning.

He is interrupted by Herald and Rouslana entering the bedroom. Still invisible, Mon stealthily withdraws before the door closes. Now deprived of his own bed, he comes up with a new plan. He climbs the stairs up to Branna and Marigold’s room and, after ending his invisibility, knocks on their door. A grumpy Marigold cracks open the door and, seeing Mon, reluctantly welcomes him in. Marigold takes the painting and hides it in her suitcase’s secret compartment. Mon turns himself invisible again and returns to the dining room to sleep in one of the dining booths for four hours. 

At 6 in the morning, the smell of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon begins to float through the building. Luba is the first one to enter the dining room, carrying a cup of coffee. Mon makes himself visible and joins her at her table after piling eggs and bacon on a plate. They talk about the new apartment being built in the Legendary. Mon mentions missing Pavel’s hearty greetings in the morning back on Katarina. They then discuss the play Mon is writing, and Luba reminds him she’s also writing a musical based on their harrowing sailing from Katarina to Konstantina, and she’s involved Iulia in writing some of the music for the songs she’s composing. She suggests Mon could also collaborate with Iulia. 

Marigold descends the stairs, grabs some breakfast, and heads to the Grand Royal Opera to test the bubble machine and ensure that it is in perfect working condition for her visit to the Royal Palace in the afternoon. Branna comes down soon after, and after breakfast, she too returns to the Grand Royal Opera to verify the costumes for tonight’s performance. Both of them spend the morning working in their respective departments.

After breakfast, Mon leaves the South Gate Hotel and heads to the grand fountain in the public garden located along Riverside Hill Road, featuring a carved stone statue of a woman holding a raven. He greets old man Mykola, who is wearing the same aged and shabby outfit, and who sits in the same spot, feeding the pigeons. Mon sits next to him, and they exchange pleasantries. Mykola shares that “every new key made in this city has a brother that opens a vault better left sealed.” He proceeds to tell Mon he senses evil stirring, that a tragedy is coming, and that it cannot be stopped. Mon uses a spell to clean up Mykola’s outfit and beard, and though appearing not to be surprised, Mykola tells the actor that the witchcraft that comes from birds is dangerous. 

During their conversation, Mykola also mentions two seemingly nonsensical sentences. He tells Mon that "I once saw a man sell his voice to a shadow—now he only speaks through the price of bread." Later, he adds that “a map's most valuable mark is not where the treasure lies, but where the path disappears."

Wishing the old man good day, Mon walks away. He picks up a twig and performs a sleigh of hand on the twig to locate objects. He pings for the spoon as he walks through the walled city, and eventually detects a faint whispers that increases as he stands in the middle of the old square, near the Grand Royal Opera. The spoon is located directly below him, somewhere between 350 and 400 feet, which puts it near being leveled with the Lavra river.

Mon returns to the Legendary, locates Branna in the costumes department, and shares the news with her. They then look for Marigold, and when they find her, also let her know of his discovery. Marigold wonders. Who owns the surrounding houses to the old square? Since the shop of Branna’s parents is not located too far, perhaps they know some of the owners. Conveniently (or not), Sir Sergeii’s townhouse is also located on the square. Since shops inside the walled city are closed on Sundays, Branna elects to visit her parents and Dhuka across the Lavra river in St. Gleb. Meanwhile, Mon and Marigold walk to the Royal Palace. The actor carries the bubble machine, while Marigold frets at every step he takes.

Arriving at the Palace’s front gate, they check in with the guard, who confirms they are on the list, and he allows them inside. They are led to the same room as yesterday, and Marigold is given a few minutes to set up her equipment. The Queen enters, followed by her attendents and with the wheelchair covered with a cloth, hiding the figure inside, who emits random childish noises. 

Marigold starts the bubble machine, and bubbles of all shapes emerge, rising towards the ceiling. The wheelchair shakes with pleasure as happy sounds spread through the room with the bubbles. The Queen appears delighted. Mon reflects on ways to either scent or color the bubbles in the future, enhancing the spectacle. On the same wavelength, Marigold pours a small vial of coloring in the bubble liquid, and bubbles of different colors begin to float out of the machine.

The person sitting in the wheelchair is obviously excited as the chair’s shaking increases, and suddenly the curtains part as a small girl, no taller than a four-year-old, falls out. Her skin appears shredded, almost like it was stitched on her frame. Her limbs are shrivelled, her short blond hair is sparse, and her mouth is grossly disfigured. But her eyes strike Marigold. She’s seen similar eyes. Dhuka’s eyes are eerily similar, and, to a lesser extent, so are Anya’s. The Queen and one attendant rush to the girl’s help, and quickly and carefully get her back in the wheelchair. She requests Mon and Marigold not mention what happened in the room today, to respect the girl’s privacy. She rewards Marigold with 25 gold crowns, along with a contract to build a bubble machine for the girl.

As they walk towards the Royal Palace’s door after the performance, Mon suggests Marigold could put scented oil to improve the product. Marigold agrees. He then notices Viktor, head of the King’s secret police, standing by the door, arms crossed, and staring hard as the actor and his friend walk by. He doesn’t say anything as they leave the Royal Palace.

Walking on the St. Gleb road to visit her parents, Branna encounters neighbors and they share news. Arriving home, Branna enters a scene of chaos. There is fabric everywhere, and Dhuka stands on a chair, spinning around while draped in blue velvet, and Branna’s mother holds pins and needles. Dhuka tells Branna that her mother wants to make her a dress, but she hasn’t found the right fabric yet. Branna and her mother talk in the kitchen, and Branna tells her Dhuka is probably stalling, as she doesn’t want to wear a dress. Branna suggests a compromise whereby Dhuka gets to pick the style of the dress and the fabric. Both Dhuka and Branna’s mother agree, and Dhuka finally settles on a rich red silk fabric for her new outfit.

Branna asks her mother about who lived around the old square. Her mother reveals what Branna feared. The Cardinal, before his exile, lived in the second townhouse from the old square. That must be where one of the entries to the underground facility is!

Returning to the South Gate Hotel, Branna hears a commotion coming from below the cliffs. She rushes towards the road descending the hill to St. Boris, and witnesses a full-blown riot occurring. The Royal Guard has been deployed to quell the rioters, and Branna sees in the distance two columns of soldiers marching towards Konstantina from the west and north. 

Branna runs back to the South Gate Hotel and informs the Legendary’s crew of the threat boiling in St. Boris. They hear marching outside, and, thinking it is the rioters, they rush to the windows. A column of soldiers is marching through the gate on its way to St. Boris. Noticing the military preparations at the gates and the deployment of soldiers on the fortified walls, Marigold suggests they head to the Grand Royal Opera now, instead of waiting. This turns out to be a good decision, for they are the last group to squeeze through before the gates to the walled city are closed. 

The play is lightly attended that evening, with only people living or caught behind the walls in the audience. Marigold asks security to monitor the entrances, in case the rioters break through the city’s walls. Mon, who had gone to the Grand Royal Opera earlier in the afternoon, was unaware of the rioting going on in the poorer sections of Konstantina. He performs a group inspiration, and the Legendary’s performance of Masha and the Bear ends up being one of the best ones of the week.

After the show, Marigold and Branna tell Mon what Branna discovered about the Cardinal’s house on the old square. Branna relates that due to his exile, his property was confiscated. They walk by the old square, and notice candle lights in the windows, indicating that the house is currently occupied. They return as rain begins to fall from the sky. Mon wonders if it could be magical, but his arcana skills determine that the rain is natural. They re-enter the Royal Grand Opera, where the rest of the crew has already prepared for a sleepover inside the theater. Marigold and Branna find comfortable places to sleep. 

Monday, July 11, 1066 SE

Mon sleeps for four hours, then wakes up in the middle of the night. He begins to search the Grand Royal Opera for signs of the cult of the Black Sun, but does not find any. Mon reflects that if Dhuka were here, she would find all of the secret nooks in no time.  

In the morning, the crew wakes up to find a chipper Sir Sergeii, who uncharacteristically is up early. He has brought breakfast from the Furry Rabbit for everyone. 

With nowhere to go, the crew begins preparing for this evening’s performance, but they are soon interrupted by church bells ringing all over the city. One of the page boys delivers fresh copies of the Konstantina Sun, revealing that yesterday afternoon, the King’s ship exploded in Katarina, and no survivors were found. 

Mon messages the King and the Crown Prince, but neither of them answer. Mon then messages Captain Popov, who tells him that the King’s yatch was vaporized, and two royal navy ships escorting the yatch were severely damaged. Popov also reports that no survivors were found. Mon also learns that the Archduke has declared martial law and has deployed the city guard throughout the city. Popov finally mentions that many of the Cardinal’s men were rounded up, but the Cardinal was nowhere to be found …

Legendary 037 - The Order of the Black Sun Returns

Sunday, July 10, 1066 SE

Following their late return from the Grand Royal Opera after another sold-out performance of Masha and the Bear, Mon, Marigold and Branna reunite in the South Gate Hotel's dining room early in the morning, and they discuss whether they should go through the secret doors they discovered yesterday. Marigold complains they should sleep first, but Mon points out that unlike her, both he and Branna only need to sleep a few hours a night, and now is as good an opportunity to explore what lies underneath the South Gate Hotel.

Instead, Mon proposes they split up in two groups. One person activates the stairs in Marigold and Branna's room and descends, while the other two do the same to the secret door in the dining room. Mon would hide a small object at the bottom of one set of stairs before climbing back up, and rejoining Marigold and Branna by the other staircase. He would then cast locate object, allowing him to determine how close each entrance is to each other. Marigold vehemently disagrees with this plan, and she settles the argument by warning Mon they either go down a staircase now, or she goes to bed. Mon agrees, and after another short conversation, they elect to go down the dining room staircase.

Branna casts light on a spoon, and she boldly enters the secret door before descending the stairs. Marigold goes second, followed by Mon. Descending what feels like several flights of stairs, they reach the bottom. There, they find a door to the left, while the passage continues to the left. Looking at their environment, they notice that the stone floor has been swept recently, and the absence of cobwebs suggest someone has been here recently. After a quick discussion on their next move, Marigold creeps to the door, and she checks for traps. Finding none, she uses her thief's tools to unlock the door, and she realizes that it ahs been oiled recently. As she cracks it open, she doesn't hear the hinges either, suggesting they too have been oiled. The room beyond is dark.

Taking a peek, she sees the room beyond is an armory, filled with weapons, armor, and other war equipment. They enter carefully and see that the large room also has a door to the north and another door to the west. That second door is barred with two metal rods on their side. Looking at one of the weapons, Mon notices that the steel used in these weapons and pieces of armor are made of Kat steel, the prized slightly bluish-tinted steel made in Katarina. He looks for a crest, a coat of arms, or any other mark that would indicate who owns these weapons, but does not find any. The equipment is not marked. Looking at the gear, Branna estimates there's enough equipment in the room to outfit roughly a hundred people, and the room is large enough that 12 to 15 people could don gear on at the same time.

Fairly certain no one will notice some of the weapons are missing, Marigold and Branna each take daggers, while Mon grabs a short sword. Marigold speculates these crates of weapons might have come from the dwarven forge Captain Lafoy's pirates were running on Katarina, as the crates and the weapons look eerily similar.

Deciding not to unbar the west door, Marigold checks the north door but finds no trap, and unlike the door to the east, this door is not locked. Marigold cracks the door open, and once again there is no sound coming from the hinges, indicating they too have been oiled. Light spills from the other side, along with the sounds of murmured discussions. Mon turns invisible, and misty steps through the crack, and finds himself in a dining room. There are enough tables and benches to accommodate 20 people, but the room only has a few occupants. Two figures dressed in black robes sit at the scarred wooden table closest to the door, quietly whispering to each other. Two other figures, also dressed in black robes, stand at another table, clearly engaged in some sort of chanting or incantation. Two heavily armored guards, also clocked in black and faces hidden behind their helmet, stand by double-doors to the north. Additionally, two zombies stand by the tables with trays of food, awaiting a command.

Mon eavesdrop on the two figures closest to him, their voices dropping to urgent, conspiratorial whispers: "Look at the hour," the first cultist mutters, his fingers nervously tracing the rim of an empty cup. "The time is finally at hand. I... I still can't quite believe it's actually happening after all these years of planning." The second cultist leans in closer across the table, eyes wide with manic fervor. "Believe it. Listen to the hum in the stone beneath our feet. It's started. It has begun."

Having heard enough, Mon returns and alerts his friends to his presence. Marigold suggests they pile boxes of weapons and armor against the door leading to the dining room, to prevent any of the cultists on the other side from following them. After some argumentation, they decide against that possibility. Mon suggests removing the bars to the west doorand seeing where it leads, as he suspects it enters the basement of a nearby business. Branna instead suggests going back into the hallway and seeing where it leads. 

After they leave the armory, Marigold relocks the door, then breaks the lock, ensuring someone will have to work hard to enter the armory from the hallway. They head down around the corner and walk several feet, before turning around another corner. They hear the sound sof a kitchen, and the smells of food cooking confirms it.

Mon, still invisible, enters the kitchen. The human chef is at least seven and a half feet tall, and he and his assistant are discussing preparing a feast as they labor over two large stone stoves. Two zombies are carelessly chopping vegetables on one of the counters. The chef complains about the zombies and their horrible methods. Mon mimicks the voice of the assistant, and asks the chef what they are celebrating. The chef replies that they are celebrating the return of the Black Sun, but that he now regrets taking on this assignment. 

Knowing that the complex is now occupied, Mon returns to find Marigold and Branna waiting for him by the privy. He tells them about what he saw in the kitchen, mentioning the zombies. Marigold freaks out. Mon had not told them about what he had seen in the dining room after he had misty stepped through it. Mon now reveals what he witnessed. After a brief discussion, they decide to return to the stairs and head back to the South Gate Hotel's dining room. Before they climb, Mon takes Branna's spoon, and leaves an arcane mark so he can cast locate object. He hides the spoon in an inconspicuous place where hopefully no one will find it.

Emerging through the secret door back in the dining room, Mon is surprised to find Herald and his lady friend, Rouslana, snuggling in the corner. Herald is surprised to see Mon emerge from the wall, but quickly recovers and he introduces Mon to Rouslana. Recognizing her from the time he saw her at the Coughing Raven tavern in St. Boris, Mon greets her. Casting zone of truth, Mon questions Rouslana about her relationship with Tarashenko, Cardinal Feodore's right-hand man. She tells him that Tarashenko told her he is friends with both Herald and Mon, and that the two of them are famous actors in Katarina, and he was hoping to surprise Mon while he was in Konstantina. He asked Rouslana to keep an eye for Mon, and leave him a message at the Coughing Raven if she had a chance to meet him.

Mon then asks Rouslana how she feels about Herald. Compelled to tell the truth, she reveals that Herald performs well in bed, and she finds him charming and attractive. She tells Mon she and Herald were heading back to Herald's bedroom, which he shares with Mon. Not really interested in the two of them using Herald's bed, Mon reminds Herald the raven painting is still in the room. Herald shudders, but Rouslana is suddenly very interested in the conversation. She asks Mon about the painting, and Mon obliges her by creating an illusion of the painting. Herald falls off the chair to the floor, but Rouslana leans forward, her eyes fixated on the illusion. She tells Mon she would love to come up to their bedroom and look at the painting. 

At the same time, Mon passes gas. Marigold and Branna, still standing in the secret passage behind him, are overwhelmed with the stench, and Branna is unable to suppress a small cough. Herald, who stood up again, looks at Mon and at the passage behind him, and asks Mon who is behind him. Mon turns himself invisible, leaving Herald and Rouslana with perplexed looks on their faces ...