Rather sweetly, on his way back to meet Ernakt, Jon went to visit Iyarala, and was blessed by her waters again.
Action started in Wilmskirk, where the group was gathered for various reasons. Laika called on Hengrast with her friends, to ask for a roof, and Jon came for the feast. One of Hengrast's people had apparently seen a ghost at the thrall market - Hengrast's dead uncle Eril. They decided to go deal with the problem themselves the next day. They did, with a detour from Gastara to check if the Earth Temple needed her. After a quick and very sensible failure to volunteer immediately for escorting Maran Gorites to Clearwine, Gastara rejoined the group.
There was no thrall market on that day, but it was an ordinary market day, as Wilmskirk was big enough to have a permanent market. There were pigs in the way, and a lost trollkin Thrall which had been told to stay where it was, and was begging for food. They moved the pigs on, out of the way. Enquiries were made about Eril, mostly by Jon, after everyone else rather failed to be charming or intriguing enough. Fangro, an Issarian who traded mostly in gossip was willing to look into Eril for him.
Rastar wandered around looking for interesting things to do or see, and was run into by someone who told him if he wanted to hear about Eril, then someone called Roka in Clearwine could help. Jon was told a little about Lord Eril Humakti - the head of a Regiment who was trying to form a Temple in Clearwine. A hard bastard, and not to be crossed. Hengrast wrote home with this news, and had a note back from his father to say never to tell his mother, but to look into it.
They went to Clearwine. Gastara presented at the Temple and got healed, and learned that the Maran Gorites had come, ceremonised, and gone. People attempted to investigate Eril further. Rastar had told his friends about Roka, so he, Hengrast and Jon went to see her. Jon had a good read on her as highly deceptive, while Hengrast was entirely mistaken about her reasons for acting, having fumbled Insight Human; he believed she was in love, and she told him that Eril needed rescuing. Having got his agreement to do that, she told them that she would start the Heroquest at dawn the next day.
The group talked a little, then meditated or purified themselves. Rastar, in his position as Eurmal the Damned Suspicious, made sure they all had blunted weapons. Hengrast managed to find enough inner calm that he was boosted for the next day's activities through ritual.
At dawn, Roka gave Laika a chicken to sacrifice on a stone marked with a Truth Rune, outside the Lightbringers' Temple. Laika did that, although she failed to make the Peaceful Cut properly. And they ended up in a Heroquest. Most were playing Lunars. Hengrast was playing Eril. He thought about his choices briefly, and legged it, getting away. Only Rastar, who failed a Hate Lunars roll, was lost inside his character. The rest were aware they were on the Hero Plane and the Middle World, and did some very good stupid-guarding, while Rastar tried to find Eril. He did very much enjoy being in charge.
Hengrast got away, but he was obviously sticking out, and had the option of losing his armour and blending in, or fighting his way out of a Lunar encirclement. He chose to fight, but the Lunars were played by his friends, and they elected to join him instead, comprehensively breaking the scene, and leaving everyone in the Middle World, surrounded by guards with bows and blunt weapons, as well as the usual spears and swords.
They surrendered, and one by one gave their stories to Dagrar, militia captain, who then had Roka's capture ordered. He escorted them to the Orlanthi part of the Lightbringer's Temple for justice, where they were kept waiting for some time until Asborn Thrice-born had dealt with the other matters, such as Eril's complaint to the city about this problem. He then told them there was a lot of trouble, and it would be best if they stuck together and were very careful, but they had been tricked into a Heroquest, and were not at fault. He advised them to go and see Lord Eril as soon as possible, as the High Sword of Humakt had requested to meet them.