Zen becomes Oblivion, feeling slightly under the weather, retired to Midnight on the Waves.
Cadence met up with Little Miss Innocence and proceeded to search for the town's mayor. Ending up at the city hall, there was a scuffle (and some minor cannibalism) before gaining entry. Inside, they met with Councilman Alderman, who arranged them to be escorted to a bar for their own safety. Discussions with the councilman indicated the mayor had fled, and that the deputy was now in charge.
In the interim, Dark Clandestine Side of the White Castle jumped into the role of party promoter, seeking to obtain the finest prostitutes in all the land to entertain the sailors effectively stranded on the lake now that the locks were closed. Further, he secured a supply of Mandrake Root, Kingsfoil, and Athalas for the sailors, while bribing several guards to support his endeavor (which began at nightfall). Many remarked on seeing a man with big pockets and a Doctor Doom mask.
Inexorable Fate maximized his creepiness factor by slaughtering guards at the town gate, bringing them back as zombies, and then sending against their former comrades. Though he was injured in one of the exchanges, the falling of night allowed him to further his campaign of terror.
Cadence and Innocence found Councilman Alderman's son's house and raided it. Leaving the son behind, they stole off with his daughter-in-law and grandkids. Innocence slutted it up sluttily to provide a distraction while Cadence, Fate and the hostages escaped to the ship.
Innocence joined White Castle on the party ships, which were tied together. As the party wound down, White Castle rigged the ships with lantern oil, then evacuated the prostitutes and Mandrake Root salesman before unleashing a burning arrow to set the ships alight. Innocence ended up in the brothel for the night.
The following morning saw the arrival of three Linowan triremes and five troop transports on the lake. The troopships had disembarked and their soldiers had moved into the town. Field artillery pieces were set up in support of operations at the town gates, and Blood Ape supported regulars patrolled the docks. Clearly, there were sorcerers in town.
With the rising sun, military launches were sent out to all ships on the lake to perform inspections. Cadence and White Castle escaped undetected over the side while Fate awaited the inspectors. What was actually said was lost to history (though it was rumored to have contained the phrase, “One Day”), but the results were clear. The Midnight on the Waves clumsily turned about and headed back up river with Fate, slowly pursued by two of the Linowan triremes.
White Castle and Cadence were left agape at this turn of events.