Hack and one of his ruffian pals toss the bodies of the two dead creatures into the pit. The fight has gotten his blood up and he is ready for more. He exhorts the party to come join him down in the pit. He says “Dell set Bernice and me up with some more exotic creatures. Let’s have some fun!” The party turns down the offer. Hack offers the ultimatum “It’s either fighting of drinking. If you’re not up for the fight, let’s go back to the bar!” The group reluctantly agrees. Back at the Yur Inn they have a halfhearted drink, and weasel their way out. Luckily, the horse they left tied up outside the bar, with their gear, has remained unmolested, and their personal items unstolen.
They are on their way out of the West End, in the wee hours of the morning, when an arrow comes from out of nowhere and strikes Mishok. He is badly wounded. The perceptive Davros and Cycek are able to see a dark figure on a roof top. Thinking fast, Davros moves to the wall closest to the shooter, out of view of the shooter and begins to climb. Cycek takes a position in the shadows of a building across the street. Sartan hastily pulls Mishok out of the line of fire, and takes and arrow between the shoulder blades for his effort. Cycek fires one of the flametip arrows, and against all hope, hits the assailant dead-center in the chest. The arrow head bursts into flame, and the figure tumbles off the roof and lands in a heap on the cobblestone street. The adventures find a young man clad in black leather armor, with a fist-sized smoking crater in his chest. They load the body on the back of their horse, but first discover some interesting items on his person, most notably 2 sealed glass vials of a black liquid. Moments later, 2 city guards emerge from the main boulevard and inquire what is going on. They recognize the party from their earlier visit to the headquarters and know that they are here searching for Wendella. The accompany the group back to the HQ and take possession of the body. The night shift captain tells them they will open an investigation and recommend an armed escort back to the 3 Javelins.
They meet Randall Roanstol, the owner of the 3 Javelins and brother of Willa Strongbow. He provides his views on the situation, insinuating that Wendella might not be so innocent, and her disappearance may be more complicated than her merely running off with her boyfriend. He agrees to do them the favor of having their rented horse returned to Duskhaven. They spend the night in peace without further incident.
They sleep late that morning after having been on the go for nearly 24 hours. They chat with three young men, Ace, Brace, and Caso, who give them a little bit of intel on Wendella and Carver. They also mention the reported massacre at the Erhurr farm southwest of town, and that there are rumors that goblins have moved into the old “Slave Pits” in a ravine not far from there. After breakfast, they set out on foot to make some inquiries, stopping first at the alchemist where they gain some insight about several of the items they have acquired over the previous few days. The alchemist identifies the whitish powder as ground bone, although he cannot be certain what kind of bone. The black candles are tallow candles, made from animal fat, and typically a more rustic utilitarian item found on a farm, whereas in a city household, more refined beeswax candles are the norm. He does wonder about their greasy quality and black color. The mandrake root is a fairly common, although somewhat expensive item with both mundane and arcane properties. He is most taken aback by the sealed glass vials with a black liquid. It looks like the type of thing the Assassins Guild might deal in, and not a reputable store like his own. They buy a dose of Philter of Love.
Next, they visit the gemologist. Coincidentally, they encounter a giddy Frandlehoobin coming out of the store. He just sold the blue-green gems for a good price. It turns out there’s a bit more a market for them than he had anticipated. He tries to sell them a roll of Silver Cloth of Practical Adhesion, but they decline. Davros in particular wants to kick the little gnome, as he feels that he has been cheated. The gemologist tells them that, yes, there is a market for the blue-green gems lately. But he asserts that they are a vaguely similar, but completely different mineral than the Shadowfust Sapphire that the region was once known for. Large or clear specimens are very rare these days, but even a small one is valuable. A large, clear Shadowfurst Sapphire is reputed to have an unmatched ability to harness the power of light. These gemstones that are currently moving through the marketplace are similar in hue but quite inferior in quality.