The Baron

Branock told Uldrick that the dwarves came by boat and stopped at The House of Amber because the Amber Queen opposed slavery; that once North and South were no longer separated, northern agents came offering deals; and that every image in the infernal book represents a King in Yellow contract. Leads: the Baron, "Elegance", and the patrons of the Star Dancer's Stage. He also said Duskmere is overrun by undead and "Brainstone" might be a lead.

Taz'Or Ka slipped the guards through the water system and tracked the oversized owlbears to the foothills of The Dragontooth Mountains; he and Slick worked out that the oil-book's stamp may have been pressed in bone, a Wildlands practice. Rainclaw found that sections of the RatKEENG's tunnels had been repaired to seal off the ancient sewers, and a bloodstain on a valve that matched the Archivist's hat.

The party was summoned by the Baron, a gold-drenched red tiefling, who said the guard Rainclaw saved had died and tried to lean on them. Cornered, Rainclaw had his rats drop smoke bombs; the Baron blamed workers' rights protestors. In his solid-gold back room he admitted a deal had made him rich, and hired them to recover a stolen golden envelope from an Ember Parlour patron, Nisha Proudsimba, for 120 gp each, unopened, in exchange for information on his deal.