The depths of the Cradle of Quartz had not yet loosened their grip on our heroes, as their continued investigation roused vengeful spirits, striking before the party could properly heal. With swift thinking, Stirmi unleashed Cloak of Light, a spell both mending allies and searing the spectral foes, ensuring a hard-won victory.
Pressing on, the group stumbled upon a dead body, its form riddled with tiny holes—evidence of a gruesome fate at the hands of Sportlebore. This revelation came moments after Macauba had decided to chew on the corpse, requiring urgent intervention from his companions. Thankfully, he suffered no ill effects, though the unsettling sight lingered.
The party soon split up, with Scarlett departing to cook Rahvin’s body, while Macauba and Fulminyx unknowingly angered a pair of undead when Macauba once again attempted to snack on their remains. The ensuing battle was brief, with the two proving more than capable of dispatching their foes.
At long last, the adventurers escaped the Cradle of Quartz, returning to the Second Kiss, where Captain Wyndslow worked tirelessly to repair the vessel. In a rare moment of levity, Kosowana finally seemed to cheer up, throwing himself into the ship’s restoration alongside Wyndslow. With their combined efforts, the Second Kiss was soon ready to sail once more.
Back in Alkenstar, the heroes returned to Phoebe, delivering grave news—Mugland had obtained an incomplete, but dangerously close version of the pyronite formula. The revelation visibly unsettled her. But she had information of her own—Mugland was making a move to infiltrate the Steaming Kingdom vaults tomorrow night. If the Gilded Gunners failed to secure what lay within, Mugland’s debt would remain unpaid, leaving him vulnerable.
This was it—their best opportunity to strike, and perhaps, their only chance to bring Mugland down.
With fate closing in, what risks lay ahead in the heart of the Steaming Kingdom? The next move was theirs.