The battered HILT delivered the two whole eggs to Professor Robin and collected their promised fee.

The third, partially developed egg was sold to Professor of monstrobiology, Zargon Crankowitz. 

Muse, who had taken to wearing the holy geode of Keres as a necklace, and brought it to the Church of the Ivory throne to see if anyone knew what it was. They did not, or claimed they knew very little, but offered to take it off her hands, and suggested selling it in Satu Mare. Muse declined for the time and left.

The rest of the crew prepared for a festival Gala to which they had been invited by Councilor Weatherston, by spending some of their hard-earned coin.

They were not, collectively, very comfortable at the gala. Crowds, attention, and formalities do not fit the HILT well, and much of the evening was spend in white-knuckled terror. Also, there were several encounters of note.

First, a drunk halfling possessed by a divine spirit warned Olive that the Prophetess Yelena would have need of the geode, and that there would be some that would come after it with nefarious intent.

Next, Tyrteus was again approached by the peddler of demonic powers and offered an opportunity to increase his blood magic abilities. Between pastries, he agreed.

Gene was also approached, and pulled aside from reveling with his cousins, by Inquisitor Marques. The inquisitor, in his very creepy way, asked gene if the caravan might make a stop in a small town out on the frontier where his brother was a hearth knight. 

Finally Meli and Muse were summoned by the Councilor and offered an official position as monster hunters for the city. It was a generous offer, with two major strings attached. The group would be paid in money, not power, favors, or position, and they would have to hunt, fight and kill monsters. 

It was generally agreed that big decisions could be made later. They parted ways for the evening. Muse went to enjoy the festival around the city. Meli went to enjoy a young man she had met at the gala. Tyrteus went to have his nervous system replaced by a sharply dressed devil. And Eugene and Olive went to enjoy a slow pint in the quiet of their inn.