Sitting atop the airship dock with Mira and Snowcap, Eck spies a bloodied Invicta hurrying toward the airship. Eck gathers up the rest of the party and meet up with Invicta. As a group, they hurry to the park. There, they find evidence of the fight and Dorean's blood, which seems to be drawn where she is likely being held. As they begin to follow the path, Thorn speaks up from the tree, warning them not to go after her, that many lives will be lost if they go after her if they are not prepared. They inform the group that Dorean will be released later, so they should go make preparations. The party dislikes everything being said and do not trust them. Snowcap says that they should simply trust their own instincts instead, especially because she is there to help them with the fight. Eventually, Thorn decides to also go with them to assist in overpowering the enemies in the obvious trap. Ward calls Hobbes and Vinter using their adventurer badges to request their assistance.

Dorean wakes up in a large, comfy bed, the smell of freshly-baked bread wafting through the air. Her injuries—including those caused by the Shattering—have healed. She is less powerful physically and has a hard time telling whether this is how things should be or if the nightmare she just woke from is. Things seem like they should be familiar, but are not. Elsewhere in the house, she finds, Ljósá (16) and Lily (8), two kids she does not know. When Dorean asks where she is, she is hit with a massive amount of vertigo. She stumbles to the bathroom to stable herself, and sees Liz's face looking back at her. Liz's voice says, "Dorean?" and then Dorean wakes up in a stone tunnel, surrounded by bandits. The leader says that the Chosen and adventurers continue to ignore their plight, so they're going to make them their problem. As Dorean falls back into unconciousness, one of the bandits says, "Wait, who are you?" and then there is a scream.

Dorean wakes on a large, hard cot. A fire crackles in a fireplace nearby, other cots scattered around in a room that is dark and cavernous. Merely is lying next to her, and greets her when she notices Dorean has woken. Merely says that she got the bandits away from this place and asks why Dorean has been ignoring her. She explains that she has found Father, but she needs them both to go since he considers them to be the same person. She says he'll be happy to see them, since his other experiments have been disappointing. Across the lake, the party arrives and begins to traverse the small lake beside the campsite. Merely departs to deal with them, as Dorean is her sister, not theirs. Combat is long and difficult, but they are able to force Merely to flee.

Ward talks to Thorn afterwards, asking whether they are predicting the future or looking back on events. Thorn says it is a combination of both. They also informs Ward that no matter what happens, they have to do and endure the play, then after offering that warning, they leave. The party thanks Snowcap for her help, as well as ensuring the bandits do not succumb to the undead curse before heading back to the airship to rest.

Introduced

• Ljósá
• Lily
• Liz

Returning

• Snowcap
• Invicta
• Alibi
• Sapphire
• Snowcap
• Thorn
• Uncle of Vythix Bandersquall
• Merely
• Hobbes
• Vinter

Mentioned

• Edwin - the Red Prince

• 1283 gp
• 3 rubies (50gp ea)
• 2 sapphires (50gp)
• 1 amethyst (25gp)
• 2 rings (1 gold 100gp, 1 silver)
• 1 gold locket (15gp, picture of bandit leader with 2 children, one of which is probably Vythix Bandersquall)
• Cryptex