Our heroes have awakened in a line in a gladiatorial arena. This gladiatorial arena has a creek running through the center, with a single bridge over it. On the far side of the bridge, the heroes can spy two Gnolls, lithe, malnourished, lean, and holding scimitars. The announcer’s voice cries “Fight!”

Agnes charges across the bridge lunging after the first Gnoll in a stunning feat of distance traversal! After some confusion, Cletus determines who his enemy is, and joins in the fight against the two Gnolls. All ranged attacks have little effect, and so the heroes cross the bridge and start flanking the Gnolls. The first Gnoll is brutally and effectively dispatched, and the party turns their attention to the second Gnoll. The second Gnoll spends his fury uselessly against the Dwarven Cleric until he joins the fate of the first Gnoll.

Upon removal of the Gnolls, the onlooking audience cheers for the brutality of the arena! A pompous, decadent, and fat halfling stands up in the grandstand’s seating and gives the thumbs up, indicating life for the gladiators. A southern gate out of the arena opens and a guard beckons the heroes through. After Mike loots the Gnolls of their scalps, the heroes walk through a twisted and slanted corridor until they come upon a metal gate through which they can see the pompous halfling.

The pompous halfling informs the heroes that they are now indentured servants and free to walk about the city and immediate region. “Don’t even think of running. There are magical tracers, and you aren’t my only servants. If you prefer, return to the arena until I am reimbursed.” The heroes prefer to be free, albeit indentured into servitude. The halfling release them from the arena and gives them a map. As the heroes walk, they familiarize themselves with each other, with relatively little animosity.

The heroes find themselves on a street to the South. The buildings around are as tall as ten stories. Immensely good stone-work, decadent, opulent, and obviously wealthy. As they stand there, the Ducal carriage thunders past, as the escort cries “Make way!”. Cletus doesn’t make way and gets knocked on his ass from the carriage grazing him.

The heroes decide to leave Caladan’s Inner Circle and keep walking south on the road to leave the Inner Circle. They pass through the Southern Inner Gate and accost the first seedy character they find. This seedy character is a Ratman, almost four feet tall, named “Dribbler, the Persistent”. The heroes get directions for a good tavern, the Sunken Norwegian, which is 3 streets south and one street west. Belor also finds out from Dribbler that the temples are in the western district of the Outer City, and both coin and knowledge are worshipped there. Coin worshipped by most of the temple’s priests. As for knowledge, that’s thirsted after by the Syratic League. After looking at the “reclaimed” and “refurbished” goods this Dribbler has, and then refusing offers of insurance (buy insurance for 10 gold, in case of death, be reimbursed for 11 gold), they leave. But not before both Dribbler and Agnes try to pickpocket each other and instead just end up awkwardly patting each other on the back.

Upon finding the Sunken Norwegian, the heroes except Cletus experience doubt at the structural integrity of the tavern which is four stories tall, and each story looks to be larger and more unsound than the previous, with the fourth floor being a series of tent shanties. The heroes barrage the apparent proprietor, an old barmaid named Yogun, with requests for room, beer, and knowledge. The heroes get the rooms and the beer.

Cletus, Mike, Gracchus, and Agnes share a room with seven beds on the first floor. Cletus attempts to push all the beds together for a family sleeping arrangement, but Agnes picks up Cletus and places him and his bed against a far corner. Agnes moves her own bed to her own corner, and Mike sprawls across the remaining beds. Presumably Gracchus has figured out sleeping arrangements in that room himself.

Belor Clanshield stays late in the common room drinking and listening to rumors. Unfortunately, no rumors of the halfling whose name isn’t even known. But there are two rumors told, one about supernatural events happening in Kith, and another about gruesome disappearances of “most of a person” on the eastern outskirts of Caladan.

All heroes get a long night’s sleep and rest.