08/09/5-10

Shiek ran up to Meagak and slashed through her, revealing not flesh and blood, but a serpent. From her body, like s snake shedding her skin, she left the humanoid skin behind and emerged a much larger serpent - an archfey in her true form. During the combat, Mentiras, managed to slay Shiek and take the dagger, but was finished off by Sapphira, before she could escape. Upon her death, to became clear that she was boosting the mental capacities, as they started acting much more animalistic after she died. Cassini saved Shiek and the group finished off the snakes.

Shiek was confused as to what had happened, and Casinni let him know that he had died. Milivoj went to collect the gemstone with Ysomir from the body. Al was about to start eating the other horned serpent, when Sapphira went to get the stone from its head.  The party then harvested, as much as they could from the large serpent, including venom and scales. They decided to throw the evidence back in the lake and walk back to camp.

In their tent, B72 was still asleep so Dubrovnik used detect magic to see if the curse was gone, which it was not. They headed back to Dr Stanov's mansion only to find him having dinner with a unit of a man with his under armour wear. He had chiseled features with a stubble and short cut jet black hair engrossed in conversation with the doctor. When he saw them, he gave them a concerned look. Dr Stanov told him that the group were friends/employees. Milivoj recognized the man as Zelik Chernov, which he exclaimed. Valeyo asked if they were interrupting and the doctor said they were, but Zelik said that they could sit down, he didn't mind. They explained what had happened and they presented him with the gem that Ysomir was in. After a quick inspection, he said that unless they got the activation phrase, they will need to wait until tomorrow for him to dispel it. Valeyo worried if Ysomir would last that long, but the doctor assured them that for the captive, not time physically passes, so he wouldn't even be aware of the imprisonment.

As they went to leave, Zelik asked if the doctor if they were friends and whether they could be trusted. The doctor gave a tentative nod. and at this, all 6 foot 8 of Zelik Chernov stood up and walked up to his armour and weapon. He picked up a piece of parchment from there and walked back to the group. The paper bore the visage of Simona Valova and Zelik told them that someone had registered for the tournament under her name. This, he considered impossible, as she was long dead, and whoever this person was, was besmirching her honour. Valeyo said he had heard of her from a tavern in Konskirav, hiding their connection to the former Knyazshtit. Zelik nodded, saying that the tavern was owned by her sister. His own connection to Simona went further back, as she was the one who briefly trained him and was amongst the highest ranking of the Knyazshtit. He wanted to know if this person was an impostor or that she truly was alive. Valeyo asked what he would do. The man grunted and said that impostors would be dealt with, as per the law. As for the case of her being alive, he would need to deal with that all the same. Valeyo was unable to read any deception in the man's eyes, Zelik seemed to truly respect Simona, so he just nodded in response.

They took the drawing of Simona with them, but Zelik had something more to say. He wanted to know why the group had broken free the prisoners from the Khert's gaol. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Valeyo played ignorant of the whole event, but Zelik kept pushing saying that "the rat from the keep" had already been complaining about it. Seeing that the cat was out of the bag, Valeyo told him that those people were imprisoned wrongfully and killing them would itself be a crime. Zelik pushed back on this claim, he asked if they were innocent of bomb-making and planting. Valeyo knew that they were guilty on that account, so instead told Zelik to look into the supposed capture date of the prisoners and see if it lines up with reality. The large man simply laughed, before turning to Dr Stanov and wishing him luck with that particular investigation. He then turned back to Valeyo, looking down on the smaller man, and told him that due to the present circuimstances and location, he would overlook his tone, but from now on he was to be addressed as Voivod, Knyazshtit, or if they must, Ser. Valeyo grinned calling the man Voivod and asking how he could get in touch with Knyazshtit Matas. Dr Stanov said he could help if needed and after thanking them, the group finally managed to leave.

Back in camp the party talked at length about Simona. As far as they knew, she had agreed not to continue with her quest to kill the king, but last they saw her, she had flowed away from Skalenvru. Valeyo pointed out that she may have been planning to reveal herself during the tournament and try and expose the king, an act that Shiek and Milivoj thought would be futile.

Conversation turned to B72 and waking him up. Valeyo gave him the anitvenom and the group went about triggering the curse, hoping that the warforged's constitution would allow him to survive the poison. They hope was well founded, as he soon woke up convulsing, before Valeyo healed him. Despite sleeping for multiple days, the man felt tired from the curse and immediately went about recuperating.

There was still the matter of Mr Novak, the demons and the investigation that Dr Stanov had tasked the group with. They only had a few days before the formal start of the tournament and they needed to act before the Khert's return from the great hunt. Milivoj said that he should be able to get people inside the keep, as it was still his home and he could always go under the pretext of visiting his family. They also needed to confirm if Simona truly was in town, or if it was just an imposter. Ultimately they decided to split up into two groups tomorrow, one to go to the keep and investigate for people connected to the demonic activity and one to look for Simona.