Taking to the Imperial Road north once again, the adventurers stopped at the Sleepy Woodsman, an ironically rowdy tavern and inn. While everyone sat around their table, two Domaarian Knights entered the tavern. Anton immediately recognized them as they approached. Jain Rayborn, his former mentor, and Avario Yen, an adversary from the Imperial Army. Jain exclaimed that Anton was under arrest for abandonment of his post and demanded he leave with them. The party debated what to do telepathically through Raz’sik’s psychic communication, but taking too long to act, Jain then demanded that Anton face him in combat if he wasn’t going to leave peacefully.

Raz’sik then yelled “Bar fight!” and threw Willa’s empty plate at the knight, causing the tavern to break out in chaos. Gemma moved from the table and subtly cast Hold Person on Avario, paralyzing him in place, as Sovemil cast Sanctuary over Anton and Guidance on Gemma. Willa then moved to Jain and shoved him with all her might, knocking him against a table and to the ground, giving Anton time to escape.

The human fighter drew his blades but moved around the tavern, drawing the knights away from the exit, while also inciting various tables to rise up in turn. Jain managed to angrily strike Anton once with a powerful slash from his greatsword, but Sovemil’s divine magic protected him from his other attacks. 

Raz’sik moved in to nonlethally strike against the held elf knight, Avario, slashing through his legs with psychic daggers and eventually knocking him unconscious – just as he managed to break from Gemma’s magical hold. The Pangenan, along with Gemma, Willa, and Sovemil moved for the exit and mounted their horses outside.

Anton circled his way back toward the exit and stood over Avario’s unconscious body with a sword to his neck, threatening to kill the elf in front of Jain. The veteran knight begrudgingly told Anton to leave and that they would face off again another time. Anton then rushed to his horse outside, and the party took off into the night.

A few miles down the Imperial Road, they made camp, and Anton gave a soliloquy on his past. He explained the truth behind his abandonment, revealing he was simply trying to save a girl from unjust murder by the hands of the conniving Avario. Anton’s fellow soldiers turned on him, and he was forced to defend himself while Avario escaped to spout lies to the Empire about what occurred. Anton had no choice but to leave, and he wandered to New Domaar, where he met and defended Gemma from an attack. They’d been traveling together ever since.

The following day, while taking a break from travel, Willa found a small cave covered in ancient paintings. She invited everyone to look at the “hole,” but no one could identify the paintings, nor did they seem to care.

The adventuring party left the Imperial Road and took a path to the west, which led to the Ruins of Yelquinal, attempting to both throw off their trail from the knights as well as explore a site for their own treasure.

A thunderstorm began to surge over the Rhorsia Forest, and they found themselves before two large trolls, who demanded a gift of beauty as payment for passing through their land. The party refused and attacked the trolls instead, eventually killing them off before continuing to the west.