The party was riding the river to Nithalmas with Captain Walrun and his assistant Ewem. Seldion spent his time speaking trying to the language of the mountain tribes from Ewem. While Arcas tried to put the moves on Shel but instead managed to piss her off. That night the ancestor who had gifted him with the death touch in the showdown vs Kriegler goons showed up to speak with him in his dreams. Something didn't feel right though and he managed to drive the ancestor out of his dreams but only after the ancestor pulled something from him. Qimae spends the night guarding his dreams and tells Arcas he needs to learn to shut his mind to protect himself.
The party repulsed a crab swarm and even a Giant crab on the way up the river. Closer to Nithalmas the group learns of a naval blockade of the town but attempt to sneak in during the night using decoys, floating lights and other various tricks to slip the forces. But one privateer is not fooled and a boarding party of privateers attacks the party. The pirate captain (Blakhardt Mabon) changes sides when Captain Walrun sees him and calls out his name which blew his cover with the Chellish navy. Later he tells the group that the Chellish navy had sunk his ship and without his eye-patch and captains hat mistook him for a common deck swab and had impressed him into service with the same blockade that had sunk his ship. He then helps the party pilot the extra ship into the harbor ahead of the blockade.
The town has signs of the war. Some places near the water have been burned down and refugees fill the streets. The party has to pay an exorbitant rate to get a room and food for the night at a dive called Gar's last catch which Captain Walrun had suggested. The city seemed to be divided into 3 parts. The trade port was a common mercantile district for the other districts with heightened security. Then the 3 regional governments: were Elvin, Human/Druidic and Thule. The Elvin "Treetops" were the most affluent and least accessible to the party, the "human district" was somewhat sprawling with several distinct sub-sections including Low town (largest and containing the cult), the meadows (an art hub) and the naturalist sections which were almost Elvin leaning. Lastly the Thule shrine-homes which were distinct from the human/druidic sub population were separate.
Tensions had been high between elves, humans (non-Thule), and Thule due to different positions of the government on the war and due to political brinkmanship.
Upon entering the city the group broke into 3 groups to take care of business. Seldion and Shel went to fence goods recovered from the cultists of Ravenmoor. They found a Elvin goth club "Mandrake" which was very interested in some of the macabre tapestries and sacrificial items. Shel took a cut for helping Seldion out with social niceties, etc.
Meanwhile Arcas and Qimae visited some of the Thule areas of town. Qimae was recognized by a charismatic young lady (Zizhen Cao) who was channeling one of Qimae's old acquaintances Xin Qian Cao at the time of the meeting. Arcas and Qimae were invited to tea ceremony in a few days time.
Meanwhile Karsa and Ariel went to find Reginar at the Forest Bounty. It turns out that the inn their contact had been in was recently burnt down in a attack only the attacks have all been from the Harbor and this in was a ways from shore. Further questioning also reveals the forest bounty had been known to house outspoken critics of the living god. The group does hear that Reginar survived and leave a message for him at a in that he checks for messages periodically. Karsa and Ariel also manage to locate the cult of the living god. It is a stone fortress occupying an entire city block. Towers every 30 feet. Gates and portcullis blocking the entrance. Armed guards on the walls. A group of priests make an appearance in the square to proselytize but Karsa sees some of the priests lifting purses. When a purse is noticed as missing the priests immediately blame a half-elf who runs when several armed acolytes head for him. Karsa interferes with the acolytes but some guards stop the half elf and then hassle Karsa for getting in the way of a lawful apprehension. Karsa bites his tongue as the guards take his purse for their trouble. The guards slip with prisoner into an inn across the street from the temple where they had been taking lunch. Deciding to get away from trouble Ariel leads Karsa away from lowtown to the Meadows to relax. and in the Meadows Karsa is stopped in his tracks by a silver statue of Ariel. As they investigate the statue a patron of the arts stops them and asks Ariel is she knew the artist (Eschallen Haversteph) which she did. He was a local artist who came to some fame after she had left and made the statue "Argent lady in waiting" featuring Ariel's likeness. It was commissioned for the Meadows and made out of nickle from a fallen star. It is a masterful work and one of the last before the artist disappeared. Ariel gets a nice meal out of the patron and learns very little of what happened to her friend.