Welben Durhar

The Tanglewood Manor had a small cellar lined with horrible metal cages. With no key hole visible, they recognized the bars were lined with the same blood-keyed spikes as the chest under Stoneblood Manor.

In the cages, they see Alora, but she tells them she is too weak to stand. The vampires have been draining their blood daily until they turn them into Thralls. Nira blesses the room, and three captives are revealed to be vampires already.

Hightown appears abandoned, but Nell Bund tells the group a strange story. There was a party at the manor and afterwards attendees didn't seem right. People were taken from the streets, including her twin sister Alora.

She says they carry lanterns that emit darkness and are attracted to noise. They seem to patrol the area. While the group hasn't met one yet, their exploration of the city was not without peril.

The group promised to return to help Leonora free Hightown.

James has begged the group to help him stop his arranged marriage, which he was trying to do before his father died.
He asks them to swear on the Dumbraava, the heart of the forest, that they will not tell anyone what he says. Galia whispers to the group that local legend is taht if you break an oath on the heart of the forest, the fey will kill you in a horrible manner. Galia then swears, and Adalia follows her lead. Belladonna begins to walk out. Carindrina asks him to swear on the heart of the forest that the promise they make won't harm the people in this village. James agrees. Carindrina, Furus, Venus, and Midna all agree to swear. Galia goes to Belladonna, and begs her to help. Furus tries to help, telling her that if the fey come to kill her, it is her chance to stab their eyes out. Adalia shakes her head and says, if we don't break the oath, there isn't a problem. And the unlikliest of friends, Galia is the one who finally gets through to her, telling her that she can tell that Belladonna is an honest and noble person who would never break and oath she takes, if she doesn't feel comfortable ytaking the oath, the group will try to guide her towards decisions that will help the community. Galia explains that she made a promise not to force people to do things, so she is asking as someone who cares very much for the people of this town, if she would please help them. Belladonna agrees to come back and makes the oath.

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James thanks them for taking the oath, and explains that his father had wanted him to marry the daughter of another noble family, The Tanglewoods. Her family follows Liguaquide and his family follows Shinze, which is how his family has operated for centuries, and now he knows thanks to information from Carindrina, that it is actually important for his family to be set up with that worship. However he doesn't love her, he loves someone else. He is worried that now that he knows this, he should end his relationship so that he doesn't inflict the curse on the town. His father hadn't made a decision when he died, they were going to talk about it in the morning, but in the morning he was dead.

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Carindrina says she understands the need for secrecy. Adalia asks how involved Blitherby was involved. James explains that Blitherby is instrumental in organizing meetings between the families, as Tricreche is run as a council of the families and not a king, but Balvonier is the capital so Blitherby does organize many of the meetings. Adalia tells him they found a letter from Blitherby to Elaine Tanglewoos sayings "This was not in our agreement. Where did you put it?". James says he doesn't know why she would need aletter from Blitherby since her parents run the town, unless she was beginning to take over. They didn't have any agreements other than their engagement, which while it has been in motion for several years, wasn't officially announced.He asks when Blitherby mailed the letter. Adalia tells him that they knew the sword was missing. but initially he didn't tell Blitherby, he only told him just before he met the group. He has only seen Elaine a few times, but he didn't feel anything for her.

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Furus asks him to clarify why it weighs so heavily on him. James said it wasn't weighing so heavily on him until his father died, and now he feels that he needs to follow through with his Father's final wishes, and now that he knows the religions and the promises are so important and tied to the curse. They also need to keep agreements with the other towns on the Roueda or the roads can be dangerous and peopel can go missing. Carindrina asks if he has made a promise to the Tanglewoods or the girl he loves. He says he has to the girl he loves. Cardrina says she understands that, but thinks he needs to honor his promise. He is unsure because if his father made the deal for him, he needs to honor it, and he knows that if he asked his love she would let him go for the safety of the town. Carindrina says she thinks honor comes from within. He asks if they will go talk to the Tanglewoods and ask them to release him from the engagement.

Blitherby's letter was quite suspicious. Now that Elaine's relationship to James as his fiance has been revealed, how does that impact the baron's death? Should James honor this contract or follow his heart? The group agreed to speak to the Tanglewoods, but when they arrive in Thornyside, the Lord and Lady are gone, and they are told that Elaine is not herself, though they have yet to find her.
Welben also informed the group that her parents are missing as well.

The people in Lowtown seemed to have had their memory affected by the water that was "blessed" and delivered by the men in black robes. They had no idea time had passed and Carindrina even found a woman who may be pregnant and not aware of it, Furus may have found an orphan...

Thanks to a clever plan by the group involving watreboarding and waterslides, the effects seem to be lifted. But what memories will come back?