The cry for a search party rings out into the night. "Search party assemble here! Speaker missing!"
With Kirottu and Türkvrak already settled in the inn for the night, the remaining four party members take up the call. It's a good thing, too, as at this late hour none of the residents of Bremen seem keen or able to join in after hosting (and imbibing) at all of the festivities.
Amber Forgeson, Lanin "Bones" Emsbaltriforte, Meryn Anteos and Mr. Mistoffelees head off as directed along the Shaengarne River in the dark of night. Amber casts light so that Lanin can see, as she realizes she is the only one among the party without darkvision.
Tracking along the riverbank, led by Lanin, the party comes across signs that someone has been this way recently. Before they spot their quarry, however, something else catches their attention - a group of robed figures off in the distance. Mr. Mistoffelees stealthily heads over to investigate, and hears them chanting in some sort of ritual with arms raised to the full moon. Judging them harmless, he returns and reports back to the group and they head on.
As the midnight hour approaches they are greeted by the nightly aurora. It turns on as if by something floating through the sky, from left to right, brilliant blues and greens casting dancing, shimmering hues on the frigid landscape.
Rounding a bend in the river they spot a short figure which is, to their relief, Speaker Dorbulgruf Shalescar. He seems to be quite disoriented, going on and on about how "it's so beautiful" and staring into the reflection of the aurora in the river. "Flowing, it flows, so beautiful..." Meryn guides him gently toward the group like a wandering grandpa, and he seems to follow without complaint.
He stops in his tracks. "Will you - will you help me find it? I was almost there. Will you help me?" he repeats, pleading. His answers never quite say what "it" is, but he does tell the party where he was trying to go - his former friend Thurdenne's cabin, or shack, further up the river. They agree to follow him in this window of lucidity to see where his objective lies. Relieved, Dorbulgruf guides them further west to an island in the Shaengarne River, upon which a cabin - better described as a shack - stands. He remains convinced that there is a bridge somewhere but it appears to have been washed away, and the party decides it would be best to return later on, perhaps with a boat.
They return the speaker to town - strangely no longer seeing the group that had been chanting under the moon - and deliver him to the care of the barkeeper at the Even Keel, who thanks them with some warm beverages. Retiring at last to the Buried Treasures Inn, they take a much-needed rest and reconvene in the morning - minus Pickles, whom it seems is suffering ill effects of too much food.
The party discusses what to do over a breakfast of trout. Amber aims to check in on the speaker; Kirottu looks to have his promised discussion with innkeeper Cora Mulphoon; and Lanin is eager to find Tali.
Cora informs the group that Tali has already set off for the docks; most of the party heads to meet her, with Kirottu staying behind and Amber setting off to the speaker's abode.
Dorbulgruf is thrilled to have a visit from his pal "Dugal," and Amber plays the part well. Invited inside, Amber/Dugal catches up with the dwarf over a beverage of - something, in his tiny but well-organized cabin. A painting of the Shaengarne River is displayed proudly over the fireplace. "Reminds me of home," says the speaker. He doesn't seem to recall wandering off last night, and assures Dugal he will stay put until Dugal returns later with a boat for an excursion.
Cora, on the other hand, is perfectly forthcoming now that the festival has come to an end. In her conversation with Kirottu she reveals more details about her lost teenage son, Huarwar. A couple of months ago, the kindhearted boy had gone out on one of the commonplace excursions to rescue the town speaker - but he had been separated from his party in a blizzard, and didn't return until the following morning, frostbitten and barely able to walk. After that he was changed.
Concerned about a growing mean streak he'd never displayed before, Cora looked through his room and found something unusual. A shard that looked almost like an icicle, but black. Touching it caused nausea and she began to hear voices in her head. When her son saw her, he grew angry, but he wasn't around long enough for her to get to the bottom of things. Two tieflings, wearing amulets of what looked like matching material, came the next day to take him to "a castle," and he left willingly with them. Cora hasn't seen or heard from her son since.
Missions complete, both Kirottu and Amber rejoin the rest of the party - still minus Pickles - at the docks, where Tali has already managed to commandeer a rowboat and is struggling with the oars. "Isn't it great? The man let me have a boat if I promised to try to catch some fish!" she bubbles happily. Kirottu and Amber join her in the rowboat and take the oars under the pretense that Tali can take better notes if she isn't trying to guide the boat. Lanin, Meryn, and Mr. Mistoffelees cautiously settle into the other boat, which has a suspicious chunk missing from it.
As they begin to glide into the lake, they notice a distant rippling and a dark shape emerge from the water before disappearing below...