"It'll be a bit more than that, I'm afraid. I'll draw up the full bill shortly," whispers Ruothild politely to Gerrard. "Back in a moment!" he announces brightly.

After a few minutes, Ruothild appears with a tray of sliced, seasoned goat, with bread, fine cheese, and a full spread of fixings. Then he departs again. The food is delicious.

Shortly afterward, he returns once again, this time with an older, bald man leading Thwack behind him. Thwack's face is half-bound with coarse black cloth. He looks pale, and walks slowly and uncertainly. 

"The sockets started bleeding after you left him, but he's okay now. He hasn't said anything since he's been with us. He has a good appetite, though," explains Ruothild.

"Muh," interjects Thwack.

"For you," adds Ruothild quietly, handing a slip of parchment to Gerrard.

(Kei is now attuned to his cloak.)

Gerrard:

”Hi Thwack, we have come to check on you,” says Gerrard gently.  He moves close to Thwack so he can sense him near.  

The young noble takes the note and opens it to read it, though he waits for Thwack’s response first.

"Puh," replies Thwack absently.

"Arol, here, has been taking care of him since you left," explains Ruothild, gesturing to the old man. "He's done an exceptional job of it."

"He's a good boy. Good appetite. No trouble," grunts the old man.

"Buh," says Thwack.

Gerrard looks at the note. It's an itemized bill for Thwack's care, your room, the meal, and incidentals. It comes to 19 gold.

Gerrard:

Pulling out two platinum, Gerrard pays the innkeeper and looks to Arol, saying, "You have my thanks."

Speaking to Refrum, he adds,  "Do you think you could help in his healing, Master Refrum?  Perhaps our acquaintance Shopkeeper Yari might be able to procure some magical replacement eyes (Ersatz Eye), and regaining his vision might help Thwack recover his mind.  We owe him much, and he trusted me, so I must do all I can to make him better."

(Gerrard stands ready to contribute 200 gp to the purchase of 2 ersatz eyes should that be useful to the priest in the healing process)

Kei 

Not wanting to be outdone by Gerrard, but also from a place of gratitude Kei places four moonstones in Refrum's hand. "It is I that owes him the most. I don't know of what Gerrard speaks but if this helps then its a fee I'm willing to pay". 

Kei dons his new cloak and turns to Gerrard. "Now that I know how it works, what do you think?" says Kei With a pirouette hoping to bring some humour to the sombre scene. "Take a swing" he goads Gerrard as a shimmering copy of himself springs to life by his side.

Gerrard:

Grinning, Gerrard lashes out with a quick jab at his friend.

Pulled Punch, Disadvantage unarmed Attack:  Attack: 11 Damage: 0

Gerrard:

”Ha, a clean miss,” says Gerrard, grateful for the levity, as his punch clips the edge of a dodging image that is nowhere near Kei.  “Money well spent.”

”What say you, Master Refrum—can you take care of Thwack for us and perhaps use your connections with Shopkeeper Yari to procure some magical replacements for his eyes?” asks the young noble hopefully.

Refrum looks concerned and sobered at Thwack's state, but nods. "I'll... I don't know. I'll see what I can do..." 

He seems uncomfortable taking Kei's jewels, and pauses before he does so. But then he nods with understanding. "I'll find out," he adds.

It is approaching mid-afternoon. (Where to? What next?)

Gerrard:

"Thank you, Master Refrum," says Gerrard as the priest and Thwack leave.  He is hopeful for Thwack's healing, but he realizes he needs to focus on the task ahead.

"Master Kei, I don't expect getting to the cultist hideout early would work to our benefit, would it?  We should probably rest here and plan our arrival at sunset with the other cultists that we might blend in and be escorted to whatever passes for their gathering place," suggests Gerrard, "and perhaps Master Fenwader will return in time to join us."

Boko indeed wildshaped into a bedraggled, if somehow cute, shorthaired street rat, and climbed up into Kei's pocket. She stayed hidden during the interaction in the blade store, and peeked out during the wards store talk. She very nearly climbed out and attempted a burglary of the ring of evasion, but held off, not wanting to risk it. She has little gold to her name, and not much interest in material possessions. She shifts back when they get to Thwack and rest for an hour. She holds his hand to steady him. "So what is our plan? Do we need some reconnaissance?" 

Kei 

"Despite your best efforts I think you're starting to get used to the shadowy life My Leige" says kei in response to Gerrards question. "You are correct. The more people milling about, the easier I imagine it will be to infiltrate the cult". Kei then goes about filling Boko in around the plan and finishes with, "I think reconnaissance might come in handy. We don't know what to expect nor what we are actually looking for" Kei concedes.

Refrum and Thwack depart, followed soon after by Ruothild and Arol. The three of you rest, eat, and plan. The afternoon grows late.

(You may take another Short Rest here, if you can benefit from it.)

Ruothild pops in, ever the seasoned host. "What else may I do for you, friends? More to eat?"

Kei 

"Unless my friends need anything we'll be fine from here Slim" Kei responds. Once Ru leaves he looks at each of his companions. Could this be the beginning of the end or is this just another job? He runs that thought through his head over and over. Finally he breaks the heavy silence, "So, what's the plan once we infiltrate the cult?" It was a simple question, one that he had tried to answer several times but had never succeeded. There were too many variables, too little information and perhaps too few of them attempting such a feat. For perhaps the first time in his life he wasn't sure about the outcome - that was worrisome. 

Gerrard:

”Well, I was planning to follow your lead—undercover is not my strength.  Still, if we can just play along until we get a shot at the aberration, perhaps us attacking it will make the cultists flee for their lives,” responds Gerrard.

Kei 

"You're a brave man Gerrard. You haven't noticed that my plans tend to go a little sideways?" Kei says with a chuckle. "I guess that's it then, we are ready. Boko, if you want to scout ahead a little and return to us when you see fit then Gerrard and I will make our way to the congregation". Kei makes one last check over his things ensuring his new cloak is securely fastened. He is ready.

Gerrard:

Gerrard smiles and has Kei look over his disguise as well.  Clapping his friend on the back, he says, “Let’s go save your city.”

Daylight is fading and the gloom thickening as you enter the Low Quarter, a part of the city Kei also knows as "Flotsam". It continues to rain lightly. The neighborhoods consist mainly of slum tenements, dubious taverns, rickety warehouses, hovel-crowded alleys, and decommissioned ships converted into buildings, all slowly sinking into the sea. New buildings built atop old ones, tangles of structures four or five stories deep in places, all dripping with wet runoff. Many of the lower structures are completely walled off from the outside. Swaying rope bridges provide the best avenues between the blocks of this quarter, since the old boardwalks are sinking like everything else. A few residents hurry through the alleys in the rain.

It takes a bit of searching to find the temple Mr. Dory had told you about. You approach Frother’s Lamp, a decommissioned stone lighthouse which Kei recalls hearing was once a proud beacon welcoming ships, but it functions now as nothing more than a sad Flotsam landmark. When the last caretaker died in a loud argument at a nearby tavern, Kei heard, no one took up her mantle, and the light has fallen into disrepair. After a few more decades of slowly sinking into the soggy seabed, it might end up consumed by shanties and other buildings built atop its corpse.

Dory had told you that the temple was not far due east from the old lighthouse, in a structure cobbled together from a partially sunken galley and some empty apartments under an abandoned pleasure pier.  The area is filled with partially collapsed buildings and walled-off alleys, atop which newer buildings and boardwalks have been built. The entire place is damp, reeks of mildew, and is loud with the creaking and groaning of the surrounding buildings. 

A tangled wall of apartments and storefronts rises up on either side of a channel of sluggish, tainted water. The structures down near the waterline are empty and desolate, while the ramshackle additions built over their roofs appear progressively more inhabitable as they rise up into the polluted sky. The overall effect is that of a canyon, with walls made from the cross-section of a decaying shantytown rather than from stone.

A narrow timber bridge sags across the channel, leading from the back of a crooked alley to what appears to be a partially sunken galley whose structure has been incorporated into the ruined jumble of buildings. (Unless you want to swim in, clamber down the side of several stories of buildings, or use magic, this bridge appears to be the only approach to the temple’s entrance.)

(Map by uchideshi34)

Gerrard:

Head bowed under the heavy cloak, Gerrard moves forward at a steady pace.  He murmurs to Kei, “We approach, Brother Kalim.  Do you think tonight will be the great ascension?”

Kei 

"Kalim?" whispers Kei. He is starting to get it, he thinks to himself before he replies. Smiling, Kei says, "From all accounts Brother Gerald the young one is near. We can only hope we are not too late to revel in its presence". The conversation would sound fair and reasonable to an outsider but both knew its true meaning. He crosses the sagging bridge with his head bowed, partially to watch his footing and partially to obscure his face from any onlookers near the temple.

Gerrard and Kei:  You should each make a Performance or Deception check (your choice) – with advantage due to your costumes.
(Where would Boko like to be, and in what form?)

You begin to cross the narrow bridge, its timber soft and spongy with rot.

Then you hear a whispering voice in your heads. "Whom do you serve, dreamers?"