While Nova Amaril, Silaqui and Lorenzo made their way to Elenspine Peaks to slay a dragon, Maloc found himself in The Hog's Head, taking some much-needed recovery time.
Soon, he found his rest interrupted with the arrival of Silvayn, a mercenary looking for help in a particular assignment. After a brief introduction, the two found themselves meeting Aradruk Orimnar in his luxury apartment. Sent by the Dwarven Clans of Eimrar to investigate a possible disruption of Umbrun Orimnar's operations in the city, he feared that either Umbrun or outside parties would make an attempt on his life, and required 'an outsider and a local' to find any would-be assassins before they would strike.
With Maloc taking the lead, the duo found themselves all over the city. Their investigation led them to a local tavern, where a barmaid overheard something about a 'specialist' arriving in town. She was found dead in a back room before she could give any more information. As no one had entered and the only other way in or out was a sealed grate to the sewers, the duo found themselves stumped. Her neck was covered in tiny puncture marks near her jugular vein, which caused her to bleed out.
After having reported the murder to local guards, their investigation continued. Shaking down a hapless dwarf in a shady bar, they heard rumours suggesting that those who spoke about the Specialist, found themselves eaten by rats.
Rushing back to Aradruk, the duo entered the sewers nearby and found the Specialist, ready to strike: a morbid individual known as the Rat Queen. A desperate fight ensued, chasing the assassin around the sewers while being swarmed by rats. She managed to sent two swarms up to the streets, before she got cornered by Maloc and Silvayn.
The sewer wall burst open with Onyx emerging, allowing the Rat Queen to escape.
Returning to Aradruk, Silvayn and Maloc found his body, killed by rats swarming from his toilet.
The Granite Lord has struck again.