While hiding in a small storage closet within the Scribes’ Guild’s private, underground archive, the Soul Survivors heard the sounds of a large figure stalking the hallway just outside. Attempting to hide within and around the wooden crates, a chirping sound began emitting from Gemma’s bag of holding. Gemma opened her bag to investigate before it could alert the figure. Anton attempted to take a peek in the hallway, the door squeaking while doing so, and he spotted a large construct moving further away – a shield guardian roaming the archive, which stopped upon hearing the door and began turning back. Anton closed the door and held the handle, feeling the handle move before hearing the construct move back away again. Gemma delicately removed the chick from her bag, discovering that Willa’s egg from Old King Cluck, the magic rooster of Skyhaven, had hatched. As it chirped loudly and flapped its wings, Willa fed the small bird a piece from her rations, resulting in a flash of light and a puff of smoke like a magic trick. The chick had transformed into a hideous hybrid of lizard, bird, and bat, a creature infamous for its ability to turn flesh into stone, known as a cockatrice. It began squawking and flapping loudly, attaching itself to the gem dragonborn. Borrowing Gemma’s pet sling, Willa took the cockatrice just as the shield guardian opened the room’s door. The sorceress quickly cast a warp metal spell on the construct while Anton attacked with his Ria-touched longsword and cast shield of faith on Gemma. The new cockatrice familiar, in a wild panic, tried pecking at the guardian’s thick armor, and Willa swung her Maul of Hell-Ice.

After a short skirmish, the shield guardian turned as if receiving an unheard message and unexpectedly retreated from the battle. After debating the potential name for their new cockatrice as well as their plans in the area, the companions exited the storage room and began investigating the rest of the archive, backtracking to a previously seen area. Entering into the main lobby of the archive with two grand staircases leading to the upper library, they spotted a hooded, female elf with blue robes standing at a podium. While Anton attempted to persuade their innocence, she gestured to the side, controlling a mage hand, which opened a door to a side room. Animated swords began to fly off the side room’s wall to defend her. 

The human paladin used his Channel Divinity to increase his Charisma while continuing to convince the mage that they meant no harm while avoiding questions about how the party entered into the private archive. Gemma assisted in the effort, and the elf mage generously offered them an easy way out as long as they exited peacefully. However, when Anton mentioned the town’s danger and the threats of its demise, the elf loosened and explained that the Cindersworn were currently meeting with someone of the Leadbelly Clan in a nearby private room. Since she despised the fire cult’s influence in Vuldohr, she agreed to give them access to quietly eavesdrop on the cult, and she revealed her name to be Rita. 

Using Rita’s key, they entered into the locked section of the archive leading to the cult’s meeting room. The Soul Survivors listened at the door, hearing a booming voice say, “Do we have a deal, Wilfrem? Present this proof of the Stoutbrand Clan’s betrayal to the Hall of Clans and, not only will you rise as the new king, but the Flamemother will spare Vuldohr and its people.”

Another voice spoke. “As long as I have her sworn vow of protection, yes, we have a deal. They must never learn of your involvement in Dhoric’s death, Thalren.” 

“And they never will. The fire is patient.” 

A chorus of voices repeated the phrase in unison: “The fire is patient.” 

As the party continued to listen in, the one known as Wilfrem continued to speak, mentioning the documents he held also contained the Stoutbrands’ plans for the Instruments of Binding, apparently an act of betrayal against the “Everlasting Fire.” Anton and Willa’s armor plates grinded, making a noise, and the people within the room paused as if suddenly realizing the adventurers’ presence. 

They moved out of the area and continued to discuss what all this information meant and why the Stoutbrands’ plans to capture the Red Dragon was considered a “betrayal.” Anton proposed that perhaps the Stoutbrands once made a pact with the cult and/or the dragon, and that’s why their plans to seal the dragon away centuries ago was considered a defiance. They shared what information they learned with Rita and their decision to deal with the cult directly within the archive’s chambers. Agreeing to limit their destruction, Gemma also convinced the mage to join them and to use her animated swords against the Cindersworn. 

They all moved into the private hallway to confront them. Gemma procured an eversmoking bottle from her bag and suggested flushing them out while blocking one of the two exits. While inspecting the other exit through a side kitchen, they came upon a magma mephit, an impish fire elemental tending to the oven that instantly attacked. Knowing their stealthy advantage had just been eliminated, Gemma quickly opened the conference room door and tossed her smoking bottle inside.

Willa closed the kitchen door containing the mephit while Rita cast arcane lock upon the conference room door. After realizing the elemental was with the cult, not the Scribes’ Guild, Anton reopened the door and began attacking it. Cindersworn cultists began exiting through the kitchen, away from the smoking bottle, funneling directly toward the adventurers. 

Combat endured, and Willa destroyed the mephit, which exploded in an blast of fire. The smoke from Gemma’s bottle poured out of the meeting room, into the kitchen, and into the hallway, heavily obscuring the area. The cockatrice attempted to attack anything in its path, flailing within the smoke. Rita and Anton blindly unleashed fire bolts and arrows into the smoke, respectively.