Today is Returning's Day.
The upper city is toll free, and the action is happening here. Run into another folk hero, Burnlund and the cleric who healed me, who I now learn is named Mr. Big, ironically. He also brings over Rose the dragonborn seamstress of 'Thistleweave'. However she is a bit more than the talk on the surface; her and Mr. Big playing coy with some discussion?
We get some food and await the high house to start the festival! A ruffian tries to pressure me into "pay" for damages to his cloak. Some thieves are called out and go running from the crowd during the distraction caused by this.
A speech goes on and on a bit about the history of the city and the old man (Abdel) up front get a strange look on his face, looking almost through us. A call goes out to look up at 'the window', and then boom a blaze of crossbows fire. The crowd take a number of hits, including Rose. Both building north and south have crossbowmen firing into the crowd, and the guard it trying to organize itself.
Two more thugs appear in the crowd and begin stabbing their way around. We engage them and try to save as many people as we can. As well as a dark cloaked ruffian and two henchmen hop up on stage to "finish" something, assuming the previous events, not good things. As Abdel drops the cloaked man transforms into a monstrosity! But we manage to kill it.
The Guard help to pick up the pieces.