Back in Silvery Moon on a mission, the first thing the gang decide to do is find out where Gunther is. They decide that asking the journalist they remember with red hair might be the best way forward. Journalists know everything, they argue. The gang make their way to the grand building in the government area of town and find themselves at the doors of the Silverymoon Argus.

Inside the Argus

Londer opens by announcing to her that they’ve just had a huge adventure, worthy of the front page, with the mistaken idea that they need to bargain for information about Gunther. Obviously, the young journalist is interested.

Thoradin grabs Londer by the hair and yanks his head down to his height and growls, ‘Shut the fuck up, Londer!’ Miss Moss glares at Londer. Del Rey smiles at the exchanges, writing some notes, still smiling. Londer seems confused why he’s in trouble. Thoradin takes over.

Thoradin politely asks if she has heard of or seen Gunther. Del Rey says we’d best speak to Lacy Crumb, the lawyer that defended the adventurers previously. Lacy Crumb has proved herself an ally, and a very good one at that. The gang thank Del Rey, Londer sheepish, and head off to the Spellguard to find Crumb.

Inside the government

The gang visits Crumb in a large, grand government office, in a large room with many desks in it. The gang ask Crumb without hesitation (or quietude) if they have seen Gunther, but she quickly shooshes them.

Confused, the gang are quiet as Crumb leads the adventurers through the building into a library, where she closes the blinds and finally starts to talk openly.

The gang discovers:

• Gunther is working for cops
• Lacy Crumb thinks some of her ranks are devil worshipers
• Gunther is working at the Brandish Blade, an old tavern, with communal ownership
• Crumb has set him up with an office, where he is working undercover as a spy
• Nobody in town knows that Gunther was with the gang

Crumb thinks some of her superiors are devil worshippers and are thwarting the investigation into the devil-worshipping family with the magical weapons, so everyone has to be hush-hush. Crumb explains that Gunther saw our prosecutor, Rodoor Greeves, in the devil church as he cleared out the temple with some cronies.

The gang, intrigued, ask many questions of Crumb, and determine that Gunther is ok, he’s on our side still, and he’s working as a spy – that she planted. Gunther is keeping an eye on Rodoor and is watching goings ons at the inn. Crumb doesn’t know how many other officials are devil worshippers.

Tsilda and Van Rey are allies of the gang and Crumb, but Crumb warns the adventurers not to trust Tsilda with much, except perhaps guarding some boots. He’s not much use, she says.

Crumb gives the gang a little token that dispels magic for a 20-foot radius, only to be used in emergencies. She’s very stern: if they are caught with it, they’ll be thrown in jail for rizzle this time. The gang is grateful and Leshanna slips the token into her pocket.

The gang is sufficiently informed, and their time in the library comes to an end. On the way out, Crumb introduces the wizard librarian, Asray. ‘He’s a good one,’ She says simply as they walk away. They all understand, sharing nods.

The gang head to the Brandish Blade to have a meal and a drink, and to allow Gunther to find them. They arrive at the bustling pub but can see no sign of the big cat. They order food. At some stage for some reason Jessica isn’t aware of, they all wander down a hallway to an office, and find the 7-foot cat sitting behind a desk in a tan fedora and a brown trenchcoat with a razzle-dazzle Iggy Pop sparkly jumpsuit on underneath. That’s right. You heard.

Gunther scribbles something on a piece of paper and before he suddenly jumps up and tosses Londer down the hallway, he tucks the scrunched paper into his hand. Gunther, with a Tony Soprano drawl, yells at Londer to get out, making a huge scene, then punching Londer hard in the mouth.

Londer looks surprised and a tiny bit hurt, as his lip starts leaking blood. Napkin to lip, back in their chairs, they sit back down at the table. Miss Moss asks if Londer is hurt. He’s got a busted lip and seems a tiny bit miffed, but seems to be ok. He shrugs it off and finishes his dinner. They’re all excited to see what the note says, and where nobody but the four of them can see, Londer opens it discreetly.

Meet me at Silver Forest at midnight.

The gang exchange glances, and packs up their things to find some lodgings. The bartender says there are two lodgings nearby: the fancy Golden Orb or the other shittier one up the road that just had a fire. They opt for the Golden Orb since they don’t indulge that often.

They’re very pleased having their own rooms, and the place overall. It’s very nice and has a good vibe. They load their things into their rooms, then Londer goes in to see Miss Moss. Miss Moss holds up her notepad that reads Don’t say anything of value out loud, write it down. Londer gives a huge double thumbs up to say he understands.

Soon enough it’s time to go and meet Gunther. The gang walk unseen to the forest; it’s black as tar on a moonless night.

They hear a bird call, and don’t think anything of it until it comes again. Miss Moss grins and elbows Londer, saying, ‘That’s him!’ They were all excited to see Gunther again, as well as feeling a little guilty for abandoning him as they had. It had been a big decision, but they’d felt like it would be the right one ultimately.

They all start calling to each other in Bird, some with more skilful calls than others. Then they hear a galloping noise and Gunther roars up towards them on a giraffe that is three times the usual size of a giraffe. It’s unclear where the giraffe has come from or if it’s a real giraffe.

Gunther leaps off and greets the adventurers warmly. In his regular accent they catch up on what’s been going on. Gunther is now to be known as Elk Danger Bogart. He pulls out four bags for the gang and throws them across to their waiting arms. ‘There’s a notebook with a calendar in it, enough clothes for a week, disguises, and fake IDs’.

The adventurers start poking around in their bags. Nobody asks why they need disguises, but the general gist of it is that they’re better off not being known as themselves. They go along with it because, well, disguises are fun and they’re not always very clever. Each starts to pull clothes out of their bags, while Gunther explains his plan.

Londer starts to pull rags out of his bag. Miss Moss thinks she sees Gunther giggle. Londer’s face is creased as he examines his new clothes.

Miss Moss pulls out skirts and vests and lace-up boots and bonnets. A common woman! She laughs and embraces the moment. She doesn’t normally like dresses and skirts, but it seems fun just then.

Thoradin pulls out a pair of real-human-size pants from his bag and looks up at Gunther. Gunther acts all innocent and says, ‘Keep going, there are stilts in there too.’

Leshanna gingerly holds up the raggedy outfits in her bag, and examines each item one by one in detail, checking the stitching with a critical eye. She raises an eyebrow at Gunther, but smiles, and passes the bag back to Gunther. ‘No thanks.’

The other adventuers start pulling their other clothes off and dressing themselves in their new outfits. Londer is now dressed as a homeless person, and announces his name is Florida Jake. His voice has changed, as has his demeanour and he seems gruff, smokey and silent. He announces he will be lying down in the leaves where he is to sleep, despite the fact that Gunther has arranged and paid for accommodation for him tonight.

Miss Moss is curtsying and laughing in her new smock. She looks quite good, with her blonde hair now braided. Her lazy eye makes the outfit comical from some angles, like a caricature from a gruesome storybook. But from one side, she looks like a regular albino woman. Common. Normal. She announces that her name is Rebecca Smidt and she will be staying with the Wand and the Wizard, the gay wizard couple who run The Wand and the Wizard Inn.

Thoradin looks tidy and distinguished in his suit pants, but everyone gets a huge laugh out of watching him trying to walk on his stilts. He gets pretty good pretty quick and everyone is impressed. He does indeed look like a full-sized person. He introduces himself as Dr Scrudge Nicholson who is staying at the Gilded Cherry, a rather delicate and old-fashioned tea-house-like accommodation.

The crew are now:

• Rebecca Smidt – the commoner – The Wand and The Wizard
• Londer – Florida Jake, homeless – sleeps rough
• Thoradin – Dr Scrudge Nicholson – Gilded Cherry
• Leshanna has refused to go in disguise and seems bemused by the others

Gunther leaves the gang to their dressups and practice, and gallops off with a grand swish into the night. He says check the notebooks for when and where to meet next.

After a little while and a lot of laughs, the gang head to their separate accommodations to sleep for the night.