After returning to the Temple of St. Cuthbert, our noble adventurers depart immediately for a shopping trip (after realizing that they are woefully under-equipped). After shopping, then they check out their house, then they settle in the inter-dimensional clubhouse and sleep for a bit (mainly so that Loskid could pray). Once they awaken, they head to a seedy hotel where Loskid says he knows a cleric who can possibly de-polymorph the animals.

Hilde successfully de-polymorphs the monkey into a halfling named “Adrian”. “It was terrible, I was at a bar and a lady asked me to come work for her. I showed up to work the first day, and she immediately turned me into a monkey!”

Adrian relates his story (which was pretty boring, cause they had put him in a cage and kept him locked in room). Loskid asked about a “tree”, and Adrian explained that they'd kept him locked in a study and that there really wasn't much in the way of conversation that he'd overheard.

They arrive at the seedy hotel, and Loskid tries to remember the “secret knock” that he's forgotten more than once in our group's adventures. The door opens, and his associate asks what he wants. Loskid convinces him to try to dispel magic on another animal. This succeeds, to discover Adrian's friend “Badrian”, the some-time butler. His story is similar to Adrian's, except that Adrian had recommended him, Adrian escorted him to the study, and that's where she turned him into a toad. To Hilde, it is apparent that she created a simulacrum of Adrian, and then turned him into a monkey.

Hilde and Loskid head to the library to research the tree of shackled souls. They find a map of Cauldron, which shows the caves/dungeons under Cauldron *really* resemble a system of tree roots.

The team then finds the latest newspaper. Elanor heads off to break into a house, leading to her killing a couple of guys on rooftops.

Everyone regroups at the house and the decision is made to confront House Velantru. A half-orc mercenary meets them at the door and says that Lord Velantru isn't around and isn't taking visitors. Melgarin decides he doesn't like that answer, and chaos ensues. The team kills a bunch of half-orc mercenaries and a gauth.

Shackled City Home
Last time: Session 61
Next time: Session 63