The Party meet at The Drowned Sorrows to wait for Torsten d’Lyrandar (who arrives 20 minutes late much to Iansa’s irritation). Torsten advises Iansa may want keep their tasks quiet due to Drevan’s involvement with Aminat Materials.
Torsten explains the mission: Drevan d’Lyrandar, who is in charge of field research for new sources of materials, has gone missing. Despite doing a good job in his position, Drevan has a drinking problem that Iansa has Pallas note for his performance review. Drevan’s wife Nora approached Torsten, fearing her husband has been kidnapped or killed. Believing the Sharn Watch to be corrupt and ineffective, Torsten has Lyrandar Acquisitions investigate.
Drevan has been missing for a day after going drinking at places in Middle Dura. He frequents a bar called The Half Pint. There were no notable issues with Drevan’s marriage, though he had seemed withdrawn lately.
Two guards are denying access to The Half Pint, but using persuasion and bribery the party is granted access.
The Party enters the bar and discovers it’s damaged, with clear signs of a struggle. They find blood and evidence suggesting someone was dragged out the back door. Taarkhan discovers a half porcelain mask with a dragonmark painted in red, though they don’t recognize which mark it is. They also find a strap of glamerweave that transitions from red to black with intricate stitching. The strap smells like bad perfume covering a necrotic odor.
In the alley behind the bar, The Party meets an unhoused man named Bort. They offer him cheese and jam, but he’s lactose intolerant. Bort tells them that people wearing theater masks with the red dragonmark came out of the bar carrying a man. One was badly injured, and another was unconscious—the unconscious man matching Drevan’s description. The group headed for the lifts to [[Sharn#Upper Dura#Clifftop|Clifftop]], presumably seeking a Jorasco healer.
Taarkhan recalls seeing the symbol from the mask somewhere in Lower Dura. Bort also notes that one of the masked individuals was a large man wearing a cloak made of the same glamerweave material. Maddy’s character gives Bort her bedroll for comfort, and in return, he reveals information about a black and red talisman. The talisman is associated with Val Gutesh, a demon overlord who shapes nightmares and rules over fear.
The Party travels to the lifts, intending to find the theater. On their way, three half-orcs stop them, demanding money that Torsten apparently owes them from a gambling debt (Iansa has Pallas note this). The Party defeats the orcs in combat, Cas strips them, ties them up, and writes “THIEF” and “THUG” on their bodies before leaving them.
The Party takes a short rest to eat pizza and heal up. They continue toward the area where they believe the show will be held, with Cas’s House Phiarlen knowledge guiding them. They enter a Changeling bar The Cracked Mirror where Cas disguises herself as one of the locals to show them the mask they found. The Changelings inform The Party that the mask-wearers are performing at The Silvermist Theater.
As Cas is leaving, a small goblin girl runs past her, snatches the mask, and flees.
