After leaving Elidir, the Hellbreakers reached their new headquarters in an abandoned hobgoblin fortress. Reports of undead in southern Isger grew more serious: Ioan Marblemug’s letter, co-signed by Finwinkle, warned that Umok might soon need help, while Erk Oilfingers reported that the Isgeri Army had ignored requests for aid. Lezinia warned that Caeto had ordered his forces to focus on capturing Hellbreakers instead of fighting the undead. Then Jenvirick brought word that Logas, Isger’s second city and former capital, had fallen to an undead incursion. Phoebe read Vulaunex’s reply to Logas: the letter called the Hellbreakers a greater problem than the undead and urged that their dissent be stopped.
At Rhokrag’s celebration, Maire Phelan questioned Vesper Farheel’s commitment after Vesper offered help in exchange for something. Vesper said she would turn the others in if threatened, and Wyn recalled her earlier attempt to have him arrested. The argument continued through the evening; Vesper said she stayed because the party’s growing fame could bring her higher fees, while Sira Antkeep pointed out that Vesper’s gains had come through traveling with them. Vesper acknowledged the value of their companionship but distinguished that from performing, which she said she did only for pay. When Vesper and Wyn traded threats and accusations, Sira stood beside Wyn. The disagreement drew the attention of the hosts and onlookers before Alceo gave the assignments.
Alceo tasked the party with helping and recruiting settlements south of Saringallow and north of Chitterwood, and with negotiating with Thorngrip. He stressed that agreements with its elders could become political obligations. He also described reports of a curse behind the undead, though its source remained unknown; merchants’ accounts might help narrow its location. Swiftrun, Stumpfield, and Wolfpoint Garrison were named as other settlements to contact. Alceo wanted word from Thorngrip within three days and planned to reconvene on the ninth. Rhokrag wagered a hundred gold that he and Maire Phelan would find the curse first; Wyn accepted. Sira and Vesper agreed to serve as contacts for Alceo’s nightly Dream Messages.
At Wolfpoint, the party helped prepare the settlement and recruit residents. A bandit gang and a goblin gang joined the growing army. Vesper sold her magical sword and bought a diplomat’s badge with shared funds; the party also received a messenger missive. At Umok, the goblins agreed to join and contributed a wolf pack and their beast speaker circle, while clarifying that they did not know how to fight fires. There, Vesper told Adam’andiel Ironbane that she was frightened by how close she had come to dying and unsure whether she should stay. He told her that everyone was doing what they had to do, asked whether she enjoyed being with the party, and gave her his shield. Vesper said she did most days and thanked him.
In Thorngrip, Brakknap greeted the party and explained that the settlement’s spirits had described similar undead outbreaks five to ten generations earlier. He feared premature death could leave Chitterwood lifeless. The elders worried about joining an army. Wyn spoke of leaving home to meet dangers beyond it, while Sira argued that the party could address the undead and protect the forest. After debate, the council agreed that Chitterwood would retain autonomy and provide a hobgoblin battalion and two groups of goblin rabble. The Hellbreakers would also support the goblin holiday involving bounties and lights; Wyn promised to advocate for the council’s other requests as well. The elders gave the party Bounty’s Light, a magical torch, and Brakknap joined them with a goblin commando and goblin pyro as bodyguards. Sira sent the agreement to Alceo. The party continued investigating the curse, but reports of attacks yielded no indication of its direction, and they had not yet encountered undead. Sira chose Stumpfield as their next destination.
Traveling at night across the plateau toward Vordia, the party found a woman beside a merchant’s corpse; she wiped blood from her lips and greeted them. After conversation, she stared into Wyn’s eyes, and the encounter turned hostile. A servitor wounded Wyn, and the woman tried to compel him to attack his companion; Wyn resisted but was briefly stunned. The party struck back: the woman recoiled from Wyn’s attack, Isaac hit her, and Vesper’s performance and insult preceded the woman’s death, whereupon she turned to mist. The servitors continued attacking. Wyn and Isaac fought them, Sira wounded one with Vitality Lash, and Vesper caused a servitor to explode. The last vampire was killed by Wyn after it wounded Sira. Wyn’s dragon landed during the fight; afterward, Wyn petted it and praised it. The curse’s source remained unknown, and the party still had only a few days to find it before Rhokrag and Maire Phelan were expected to do so.