The Cunning Man's Circle & The Long Wait for the Strider

With Argyle's return still raising suspicions, the party visits Sharp the Cunning Man — a kobold thaumaturge in Deosil — who confirms none of them are possessed. The party then enters an extended six-month downtime period: Arctos launches his shiver-infused soda 'Polar Shiv' with Ternion Heavy Industries, Benny gathers Belvedere intelligence on the Embercall and Pyrelight gang, Anzu makes breakthroughs in understanding the Voidsong as a cognitohazard, and Johnny investigates routes into the quarantined Teller's Run. The session culminates in a sewer expedition toward Teller's Run that uncovers mysterious blue-glowing machinery and a shrine — guarded by living oozes.

1. The party searches a directory for an occultist to check Argyle for fiendish possession, choosing the grassroots Citizens Committee for Metaphysical Stability over the corporate PactLogic.
2. They visit Sharp the Cunning Man, an elderly kobold thaumaturge in a peat-bog hut in Deosil, who sells Anzu two 'cure ulcer' ampoules and carves a ritual circle — empowered by divine magic and sheer belief rather than orthodox arcane principles.
3. Sharp's fiend-detection ritual (fueled by goat's blood purchased from an overcharging butcher) confirms none of the party is possessed; Argyle and Johnny both register as 'tenuously connected' to their bodies, but no demons or devils are found.
4. Downtime begins: Argyle runs a free back-alley clinic (earning 360 gold), Arctos partners with Ternion Heavy Industries to manufacture his Polar Shiv shiver-soda, and Benny receives intelligence from his Belvedere father about Pyrelight/Embercall origins — flagging names Elara Vance and Camden Levine.
5. Anzu, aided by Johnny, researches the Voidsong by transcribing its abstract constituent harmonies onto sheet music; the pages begin resonating and pulling voidward, revealing the Voidsong is a cognitohazard that exerts power anywhere it is represented.
6. Johnny and Anzu investigate entry routes into the quarantined Teller's Run district, identifying three options: exclusive parties with 25,000-gold cover fees, an airdrop (previously failed by Lady mercenaries), or sewers/the Quiet Below.
7. Donovan Hale contacts Johnny with two leads on Sable and Sons firearms; Johnny chooses a Necrolog contact to pressure for information.
8. The party is yanked into a white void alongside Anouk and Anaïs to mediate a three-way armed standoff over a golden box; they tip the scales toward a ragtag adventurer group, but the Mad Max-style car people ultimately win.
9. Arctos unveils Polar Shiv (shiver-infused) and Polar Shiv Zero; Anzu samples it, experiences a pleasant cooling sedation, and Argyle immediately casts Cleanse Affliction on him. Arctos agrees to sell a lower-dose version.
10. Months 5-6: The party enters the sewers to find a route into Teller's Run, navigating old royal catacomb-like tunnels, getting sickened by the stench, and reaching a processing area with blue-glowing machinery, a shrine, and disguised living oozes.
11. Anzu spots a puddle behaving unnaturally; after Argyle casts See the Unseen (revealing nothing invisible), Anzu hits the puddle with Frostbite, provoking multiple oozes to reveal themselves as combat begins.

Cliffhanger As the party explores a sewer junction near the Teller's Run border, they discover blue-glowing machinery and a shrine surrounded by disguised living ooze creatures. Anzu provokes them with a Frostbite cantrip, and the puddles rise to attack — combat is set to begin next session.

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