Our heroes made their way to the luxurious yet shadow-laced Steaming Kingdom, slipping in under false names—some borrowed from their fallen companions. Macacauba, in a display of bizarre creativity, passed himself off as a particularly suspicious-looking mimic-turned-backpack.
The group mingled through the establishment, sniffing out leads. A chat with the bartender raised Fulminyx’s suspicions, and his keen eye soon uncovered that the man was entangled in a plot to rob the place.
A meeting was arranged with the owner, the enigmatic and commanding Vivielle Ramslay. She agreed to see them in her private sauna, but with one caveat: everyone had to disrobe. While the party reluctantly complied, Macacauba—blessedly unfit for spa culture—waited outside, disguised as luggage.
Inside, the group revealed the bartender’s involvement in the heist and pressed Vivielle repeatedly for the vault’s location. She dismissed their concerns, insisting she didn’t need help despite her agreement with Phoebe, and assured them she’d handle the situation.
True to her word, she summoned the bartender. After extracting a quiet confession from him, she dismissed the heroes. Jace lingered a little too long outside, overhearing muffled cries and splashing—a chilling hint of Vivielle’s brand of justice.
Later, when confronted about the bartender’s fate, Vivielle maintained he would “be in tomorrow.” The heroes, unconvinced, negotiated to infiltrate his role using a masquerade scarf, a clever illusion that bought them access.
As Stirmi remained to train behind the bar, the others took a brief reprieve… only to witness workers hauling away trash. Curious, they checked—and confirmed their suspicions with grim certainty: the bartender was dead.
Vivielle had played her hand—and now, our heroes knew just how ruthless the game was. The stakes are rising, and the vault’s secrets loom ever closer…