retcon, to the second time we talked to alanic in Episode 33

• We asked him about the cartiar
  • back in his day when he was a more serious priest of the light, recently converted from necromancy, a bunch of people mysteriously died
  • people checked the local assassins guild, but no one even those in power could make anyone squeal
  • a rumor started that there was a guild of assassins, unfindable, doesn't exist, best of the best. travel in pairs, always one mage, one assassin. They have a plan, and you pay for a single attempt. no one knows where they're from, or who they are, or how anyone hires them.
• We inspect the items of the assassins, and they're gone, bodies and all

resume present time

• Assassins are still dead. fabric is very light, but stronger than it seems. boots are enchanted. both have daggers. one has rolled up wire with wooden handles.
• Speak with dead
  • Who sent you: the master assassins
  • When: 0.5 days ago (before the start of the loop)
  • Who wants alanic dead: we can never reveal the client
• Zach saves Grindholm
• Alanic suggests talking with the paladins of the light in Panna

We follow the teleport trace

• We're at a dusty sandy ruin, probably the Desert of Zacathia
• Matt casts seek on the wizards, and sees middle aged man with dark skin dark hair a beard. in a sandstone room. speaking with the wizards.
• Matt scrys on them to hear, crits, his scry is redirected to a kill room full of assassins, and then goes to the place he wanted
  • "I'm sorry I know they were trainees, something casualties happen"
  • female with white robes, with bells hanging from cuffs. they're in charge. standing in front of a large obsidian wall, reflective like glass. faint glyphs glowing on the wall, changing. doesn't seem to be magic. reddish brassy colored hair.

turns the scry into a gate, and we go in to the Acar Tiar fortress

• multiple paths
  • one way curves up to sunlight
  • flickering blue light around the corner
  • straight past many rooms, long hallway, leads to arched doorway which goes to a natural grotto
  • another one has various assassins running by, pretty busy
• go to the grotto
  • very swanky. golden sconces. windows
• They realize we're here
  • "alert Cheng-Ti"
• Solstice goes to the blue light
  • circle of blue torches around a stone table on the ground. looks like a wayring, but not magical.
  • Sees high ranking peopel with magical stuff that's not magical. his mage sight is clearly broken
• All the doors seem decorative and fake