Real Date: August 19, 2022
Boone and Oliver are again awoken in the night, this time by a bat. The flying creature drops a sealed letter on Oliver, before flying away. The envelope looks clean, closed with the signet of mayor Lysander Ravenvale. Oliver wakes his sleeping companion and the two decide to open the letter. The group are forgiven of their many crimes and invited back to Black Hollow, as the party are still of use to the mayor. The two try to sleep yet again, before they head back into town in the morning. Raz awakes in the attic, perfecting his disguise before heading out into the streets. He decides to travel to The Loose Wheel so that he may eat some fresh food. It isn’t long before the Paladins make it back to town, searching for their companion Raz. The paladins search The Loose Wheel, but cannot find their disguised ally. Before they have any time to react, a large man tries to push Oliver around with clear distaste for adventurers. The paladins clash with the man in brutal hand-to-hand combat, as several burly accomplices rise from the tables around them. Fortunately, a mysterious “stranger” named Hansel appears just in time to assist the warriors in their battle. Tables are flipped and bottles smashed as the fight rages on. The last brute is eventually caught in a large carpet and rolled out the door, the party tries to interrogate him, but to little effect. They decide to let the man go, following him from a distance as he stumbles down the street towards the Dark Tunnel.
Nobody wishes to enter the nasty sewers at this time, so the group instead journeys to Ravenvale Manor to meet with the mayor. Hansel stays outside, while the two paladins head through the creaky gate and up to the door. The two are soon greeted by the mayor, who invites them into his home. Despite the fire that had occurred, the interior seems to be in seemingly good condition, if a bit charred. Without a butler, Lysander has resorted to magic in an attempt to maintain his grand home. He explains that he is willing to forgive the group, should they collect a piece of corpse flower from the Bullfrog Swamp. The flower is a necessary component in a magic spell the mayor wishes to cast in order to revive his butler Bloodford. The paladins agree and the mayor gives them their weapons back. Even Oliver’s lance is recovered, which was thought to be lost in the fire. Lysander tells Boone and Oliver to watch for cult activity within the town, before urging them back out of his home. .
The two paladins travel around Black Hollow for a while, arriving at the Soulwatch Cathedral. The paladins apologize for attempting to hide within the cathedral, they are both forgiven by the clergy. They then travel to the Silver Horseshoe stables, as Boone feels he can no longer afford the axe beak he put a hold on. The owner of the stables expresses that he is willing to give Boone a discount if he was involved in the fire at the mayor’s house. Boone does not wish to incriminate himself any further, though he does not deny involvement. The two eventually make their way to a nice inn known as the Raven’s Perch. They purchase rooms and enjoy their dinner, before again running into Hansel. Hearing of their mission, Hansel offers to guide the two warriors into the swamp for the fee of twenty silver, claiming that he is from the area. The paladins accept the terms and head off to their rooms while Hansel eats his dinner. When the coast is clear, Hansel makes his way over to the bartender and calmly asks how to reach the swamp, as he has never been to the region before. Upon learning basic information about his destination, Hansel heads off to bed himself. The group reconvenes in the morning, after praying to their respective gods and holy figures. They all eat a hearty breakfast before they head to the north. Hansel takes the group on a complicated, winding path to the swamp, hoping to appear competent as a guide. The group finally reaches the swamp, walking down twisting paths in the thick mud while avoiding the murky water. A corpse flower is seen across a small patch of water, bridged by a simple wooden walkway. They try to cross, but an alligator suddenly rises from the water and strikes at the group. The battle is brief and the great beast is soon frightened away, leaving a clear path to the foul-smelling flower. Boone bottles a piece, as does Hansel. .
The three follow the path back the way they came, though they are ambushed by four skeletons on the way. The battle is fierce and Boone is heavily wounded, though the party eventually comes out victorious. Hansel continues to guide the group back out of the swamp, down the same complicated path he took them previously. They arrive at Black Hollow and swiftly venture back to Ravenvale Manor, where they are greeted at the door. The mayor is grateful for their success and takes the bottle from Boone before wishing the group luck in battling the cult.