I awakened the next day still not fully recovered from our most recent battle. Our group wisely decides to spend the day recuperating in town. There is a knock on the door of the tavern shortly after breakfast. It is opened and in walks a man who brings us a message of salutations and an invitation from the local gambling den. It appears that our reputation has spread to every corner of the town and that we have become local celebrities. We thank the messenger for the offer and then go about our business for the day.

I head to the local Apothecary with a couple of the glands from the glowing beetles. I had originally planned to milk the glands down in the caverns but it had quickly proved beyond my expertise. So I had Thoamros, at the time, help me with preserving the glands for transport. Justine’s store is most impressive and in a matter of minutes she takes the glands and hands me back 4 vials of the glowing liquid. It appears to have already lost some of its potency but I’m hoping that it will still prove useful in my future spellcraft endeavors.

We reconvene later and learn that my compatriots had not been idle. Thoamros had taken up the craftsman’s offer to improve his pistol, while Naethen had wisely thought to supplement our supply of magical healing. Mehdusa, however, is more secretive about what she had been up to during her solo venture. Our next move is to see Councilman Kite to gather information about the holy symbol that we had found and also if he had any other tasks that we may accomplish while we are about town. He says that the symbol, a pick made from a human skull, rib, and femur, is from a follower of Zyphus, the god of accidental death. This leads Naethen to ask him about headaches that he and other townsfolk had been suffering from. Councilman Kite says that he has examined several townsfolk who have been exhibiting this symptom. His first thought had been that the water supply, which comes from the hill in the center of town, had been infected; but that he had checked the water purifier and found it to be in fully functional condition. As such, he could not find any source for the malaise and is at a loss at to what could be the cause. We decided to examine the lake ourselves only to find no evidence of poison or tampering with the mechanisms that purify the poisonous waters before it can reach the citizens below.

At a loss for what to do next, Naethen convinces us to spend the rest of our afternoon at the gambling den that we had been invited to that morning. We make our way to the other side of town and find ourselves at an ornate building. Our timing is fortuitous as the owner himself greets us. He says that he is honored by our presence and then proceeds to hand each of us 100 credits in chips before leaving us to our devices. I mostly just hang back and partake of the free wine as I watch my compatriots proceed to get acquainted with the various games of chance. We make a night of it and enjoy ourselves, forgetting, for a night, of the trials that still await us underground.