The Age of Worms / The Champion's Belt pt. 1 / Fos the 23rd through Von the 10th, 3593 CE / 1-2-22

Not by Choice stands in confrontation with White-Eyes, the wererat bounty hunter, on the steps of the ulat-kini temple of Bhal-Hamatugn. White-Eyes appears to be spoiling for a fight, demanding that the party turn over their quarry and the reason for their quest into the Everlasting Night, the dwarven Adventurer Zenith Splintershield. As Lulu and Nari attempt to reason and bargain with White-Eyes, it comes to light that he is being offered some sort of bounty for the retrieval of the dwarf. He also reveals the depths of his enmity toward the party for the death of his siblings in the course of their adventures. However an accord is reached after Lulu hears the wererat express surprise that they were hired by Zenith's father, Davked. For a share of their own reward, White-Eyes agrees to allow them to pass in peace, transforming into a dire rat and scurrying into the darkness of the caverns. They must next negotiate passage with the ulat-kini ferryman to take them back across the underground lake, but the sight of his prophet Zenith cows the fish man into submission. On their way back to Cauldron, the party stops by the "kingdom of Jaredia" to rest and commiserate with its founder, Crazy Jared the hermit, who resupplies them for the journey with jerky made from the meat of the slain dragon Dottrog. After 2 days of travel, the party stands once more before the gates of Cauldron. But rather than be granted entrance immediately, they must wait as the guards fetch Captain Skellerang and Lord Vhalantru. The officials take Zenith into custody, and reveal that the party has been duped! Davked Splintershield has been dead for some time, and it could not have been he who offered them the reward for the return of Zenith. In order to compensate the party for their trouble, Lord Vhalantru produces a sack of his own gold, as well as the promise that Ophelia Knowlern will keep her end of the bargain and grant the party membership into the exclusive Cusp of Sunrise club. After a wearying four days of adventuring, and the loss of two party members, the exhausted party returns to the Butter Bath to rest and recuperate. After he is fully healed, Uriah Skrain takes his leave of the party, deciding that Not By Choice's adventures are too dangerous for him. He takes the Mermaid's Tale to Kedesh, telling the party to look him up while they're in town. And then another tragic loss for the party, as Nari's stalwart companion Kade, the wyrwood, appears to be killed in a strange accident. But Nari soon learns from a secret message that the death was staged in an attempt to stave off the effects the mad Zenith's prophecies. Nari is instead joined by a strange creature from the Hedge, the land of the fey creatures, named Idra. After 15 days of resting and training, the courier Celeste returns to visit the party, telling them it is time to leave for Kedesh to join the Champion's Games, as part of the plan previously agreed upon with Eligos the Sage. The party is shown to a private dock where they are greeted by an unusually tall halfling named Efraym Smallcask. Celeste leaves them, stating she has other business to take care of in Cauldron, and Not by Choice joins Efraym aboard his ship, the Bright Lady, where he informs them that he will be their sponsor for the Champion's Games and begins to lay out some of the rules and regulations of the Kedesh's most famous annual competition.