Return to Bator and Surim’s Plot

Having uncovered the truth about the necromancer in Nekar, the heroes, restored and resolute, returned to Bator. Surim, noticing their return, grew uneasy—he knew that if the secrets of Nekar came to light, his own involvement could also lead to serious consequences.

Taking the group aside, away from prying eyes, Surim began interrogating them about what had happened in Nekar. Bit by bit, it became clear that he had never truly intended to send them there in the first place. It was only due to the meddling of the tavern keeper from The Elf’s Skull that this entire misadventure took place. Now, in order to keep the slave liberation network functioning, Surim suggested the group eliminate the innkeeper.

The party agreed—on one condition: Danaya, who was still enslaved and held in a quarry, had to be returned to them. Surim accepted. A plan was set: under cover of night, Surim would bring the tavern keeper to the place where slaves were usually thrown into the Serades River—a vast, bottomless rift—so the matter could be settled once and for all.

Danaya’s Rescue and a Divine Twist

With the group reunited, their next goal was to remove Danaya’s slave collar. To do this, they turned to an old blacksmith in Bator. To everyone’s surprise, the blacksmith turned out to be a devoted follower of Loviatar, goddess of pain. Using their wits—and Brotor’s most disturbing ideas—the adventurers successfully removed the collar and locked the blacksmith inside his own lair, much to the satisfaction of his cruel deity.

The Fall at Serades and the Map of Litar

At dusk, the group approached the meeting point near the Serades Rift. There, Surim awaited with the unsuspecting innkeeper. Together, they leapt into the depths of Serades—and were caught in nets below, laid by dwarves.

But then came a twist: it turned out the tavern keeper had no knowledge of Surim’s illicit operations. Upon realizing this, Surim decided to get rid of him anyway, not wanting to leave loose ends. After striking a deal with the dwarves, he returned to Bator alone.

In gratitude, the dwarves paid the adventurers and gave them a map of the first level of the Litar dungeon. However, before the group could leave, the dwarves made one more request: escort a group of freed slaves to the surface. In exchange, they promised valuable travel documents that would allow the party to enter the capital.