Some time has passed since the raid on the
Temple of the Black Hand and the party are going about their normal business in
the port of Ostelor when Helena recalls them all back to base (all except Horatio who cannot be found).
The party are then whisked off to
Alsarias where they discover that they have been employed at short notice by none other than
Lady Araphor, ruler of Miredor. It transpires that
Lady Araphor having been invited to an inaugural ball at the newly purchased mansion of retired admiral Lord Absin has
discovered in her background checks on the venue that the house does not appear on any map. As a prime target of many evil organisations
Araphor has decided to deploy her usual ranger bodyguard in the grounds of the mansion and hire the party to be her escort inside the house.
The party are outfitted at Araphor's expense in clothes befitting a high society ball, each with Araphor's emblem (a chrysanthemum on a dark blue backgroound) embroidered on their sleeves. All weapons and armour as well as dangerous magic items are banned from the ball
so the party put all such items in a bag of holding to be smuggled in later by Circe. Although the party tend to keep it quiet, they are all knights of the realm of Cambria and are introduced as such. Araphor's plan is that the party should mingle socially
for the first hour or two before they find excuses to explore the house. Circe is, however, detailed to give the roof the once over while
the others engage in small talk with the guests. Milo meets successful halfling sheep farmers, Squire Barto and Lady Hilda Carter, while
Nameless makes friends with fellow bard Sir Barleck Joiner and Beorhtric has an interesting conversation with fellow scholar Sir Althan
Truesilver who is an elf. Arlan decides to scan the guests for potential troublemakers/intruders and lights upon a slim youth who although
finely dressed doesnt seem to belong to any social group and who looks slightly nervous. Arlan finds out his name is Gris and he claims
to be a profesional bodyguard of an unspecified individual. He also admits to have blagged his way in as for some reason he was not on the guest list.
After a chat about their initial experiences Araphor sends Circe to do a full analysis on the mansion's somewhat peculiar magical field
(no teleporting or messaging in or out, detection spells limited to touch range). Lady Araphor has been invited by Lord Absin to visit
the 'heating well' which heats the entire house and she takes Milo with her although Arlan also follows that party discreetely. The system
appears to utilise a natural steam vent which via controls above the well channels the heat under the floors of the three upper stories.
Nameless meanwhile has drawn the attention of leading artist and sculptor, the dwarf Crafter Fulla Holflens. He gallantly offers to paint
or sculpt her for free but without turning him down she refuses to 'go somewhere more private to explore some initial poses'. Beorhtric finds
a group of gossips who pass on many scandalous rumours about Lord Absin and indeed Lady Araphor. When the party next exchange information
Araphor says an intruder has managed to get passed security and she has volunteered Arlan to catch him.
As the party is now two hours old and the guest have all had their share of food and drink the musicians set up in the ballroom ready to start the dancing. Sir Barleck the Bard and Lady Nameless have decided to air their skills to start the evening off on the right note and
they give a rousing and note perfect rendition of a medley of popular ballads. The audience is thrilled and demands and encore at which point
Gris appears on the dance floor and asks an enthusiastic Circe for a dance. The young couple reveal a huge talent for athletic and artistic
dance moves which soon has the othe couples on the dance floor stopping to watch them. The audience cheers appreciatively at the end of the dance at which point someone yells 'That's him' and Gris does a swift exit pursued by Arlan. Gris is slippery and swift but Arlan eventually
corners him in the 'Sun Room' at the end of the house. Gris tries to distract Arlan by pointing out the three pyramid-shaped sculptures
on the window sill with wood inlaid with crystal sides but Arlan is having none of it. In the end Gris pleads that Circe let him run free
and as a compromise Arlan marches Gris back to find Circe. Circe, however, was already coming to find them and the three of them
agree to investigate the Sun Room more closely. They find that light from 'pyramids' open a hatch in the floor revealing a hidden room
underneath. This room is a shrine and investigation reveals a secret door to a hidden gallery full of paintings of orgies and yet another
shrine where lying atop a small platform is a violin.
Meanwhile Nameless has seen the pale lady again and followed her upstairs to a corridor full of paintings. She stops and points at two of
them, one being a portrait of herself and the other of Venic, Patron of Maths and Music who is depicted as an angelic figure. Nameless, being
an Aasimar, remembers Venic as an angel in Pelorean mythology who was cast out of heaven. Beorhtric is in the library checking out the books
which apart from some recent ones on seafaring appear to be all 700 - 1500 years old but in fine condition. By running his hands lightly over the bindings of the books with Detect Magic he discovers a spell book and a worn but blank journal. Milo ingratiates himself with the servants and learns that a kitchen boy went missing in the loft about a week ago (but may have run off as he has done before). Araphor reveals that Crafter Fulla has been found unconscious in a corridor with no memory of his assailent which alarms the party until Circe
admits it was her and he deserved it.
Milo volunteers to investigate the loft as it requires a small person to do so and the only hobbit servant has refused the task.
While Master Jiminen, the Head Butler and former First Mate of Admiral Absin watches below Mileo discovers a child size shoe, the skeleton
of a child size leg, some further splinters of bone and traces of acid. In the library Circe and Beorhtric find that the 'blank' journal
has the sentences 'We nearly built something wonderful. Now we must make sure it is not completed.' suddenly appear on one of its pages (written in Infernal which Circe can read). Back in the hidden shrine Nameless picks up the violin and starts playing suddenly finding a
skill and expertise with the instrument she did not know she had. When she finishes a mysterious voice congratulates her and asks for another
tune which she also plays with dazzling skill. THe voice identifies himself a 'Lord Venic' and says 'You are not the player we gifted the
instrument to but you are a worthy successor. Keep it.'