After their tense encounter at The Hearth, the party regrouped with Little One to get more insight into the events surrounding the attack on Sprig. Little One confirmed that Sprig was back on her feet by morning, but Little One had not seen the Imp that attacked her. The conversation turned to the possible reasons why Matreous had been targeted. Ferdinan revealed that Matreous had been studying dark magic, particularly methods to diagnose and treat curses. This revelation left the group with more questions than answers.

Wrenn inquired about the whereabouts of Matreous’s belongings, but neither Little One nor Sprig knew. However, Sprig mentioned that Zor had taken Matreous’s book after his death. While the group discussed their next steps, Lis remained in the back room with the bartender, leaving the others unaware of what was happening.

The group wanted to explore the grounds further, but they learned that the morgue, where Matreous’s body was kept, was in a restricted area of the library. Wrenn left a note for Lis at the bar to inform him of their whereabouts, while Waldo humorously left some apricots as payment. With Ferdinan and Sprig staying behind to rest, the group set out again.

As they exited The Hearth, they ran into Winslow Wolcott in the courtyard. Wolcott warned the group about a man who had been asking for DU.EE, describing him as tall, bald, with dark black eyes and an unsettling presence. Wolcott admitted the stranger gave him chills. Waldo asked Wolcott to inform them if he saw the man again, assuring him that DU.EE was merely resting. When Wolcott said he was headed to The Hearth for a drink, Waldo and Wrenn decided to tail him discreetly.

Meanwhile, Grixori and Grabnar headed to a merchant named Petal to offload some goods they’d acquired in the other realm. Grixori engaged in a lively negotiation with Petal over items such as beakers, Newt Dust, Toad Bark, and Dandelion Pills. After some haggling, Grixori offered a gold-plated letter opener adorned with gems, asking for five health potions and eight gold pieces. Petal, taking a liking to this group, let them in on a little side-hustle she has been running. Since she knows many travelers to Candlekeep are denied entry for having books that don’t pass muster with the gatekeepers, she uses her contacts in the trade to procure rare books. She then sets agents on the Lion’s Way to offer her wares to those with the wherewithal to invest in a substitute book that will gain them entry. She maked a business proposition to the group, that if they travel to Baldur’s Gate, she knows a resource there where she can acquire some new stock. Grixori and Grabnar expressed their willingness to take on this errand. Petal, intrigued by their promise to bring her rare books from Baldur’s Gate, offered six healing kits, one healing potion, and seven gold pieces in return. A deal was struck when Petal brought out a Greater Potion of Healing from her cellar.

Back at The Hearth, Waldo and Wrenn followed Wolcott inside. While tailing him, Waldo came up with a clever ruse, requesting Sprig to “fetch a book” to keep an eye on Wolcott without raising suspicion. While she was gone, Waldo mixed a drink for Wolcott, a successful concoction now dubbed the “Bloody Scale.” Sprig returned with a random book, ready to take notes on Wolcott’s behavior. Waldo, clueless about her intention, was nudged by Wrenn to suggest she write her observations in Gnomish, in case the notes were intercepted.

The party reunited in the courtyard, where they shared their respective updates. Wrenn suggested they locate DU.EE to warn him about the person seeking him. However, when they arrived at the front gate, DU.EE was nowhere to be found. Fentrixel and Luvalin, the gatekeepers, informed the group that DU.EE had been sent back to the keep with a book for review.

Luvalin pulled the group aside, explaining that they were not the first to inquire about DU.EE. He warned them to be cautious, revealing that a Shadar-kai—a dark elf from the shadow realm, thought to be mere folklore—was likely the one hunting DU.EE. Luvalin advised the group to take DU.EE away from the library until the threat was neutralized. He mentioned that if DU.EE fell into the wrong hands, his soul could be corrupted. Luvalin tasked them with traveling north to Baldur’s Gate to inform Matreous’s family of his death and to seek the House of Learning. He promised to contact them when it was safe to return and assured them he would handle Zor’s inevitable objections.

Before departing, Waldo and Wrenn hatched a plan to mislead Wolcott by falsely telling him they were headed to the Two Towers. Meanwhile, Grixori and Grabnar waited at the front gate for DU.EE’s return.