Adventure Two, Session Five Recap

After stealing an informational letter about the private auction involving the "Diamond of Kysnias," the party then found a directory to the Trade District of Angleport. Using it as a guide, they proceeded to purchase new clothes, duds intended to make them look like lesser nobility (on a budget). After first trying a more upscale shoppe, they settled on William Wellworn's Warehouse for "gently used outfits for the frugal noble." Here, after haggling with William Wellworn the 4th, the party purchased three party dresses and some casual clothes . Three dresses because Guy transformed into a human female. Now with three women and Oltorf as their "bodyguard," the party went to the upscale tavern "The Blue Flame," in order to look for members of the Basilisk Club.
After presenting themselves as foreign nobles, the party took a table in the center of the Blue Flame. From here they witnessed a commotion between a waiter and the floor manager. Apparently a customer in one of the private rooms was up to no good. The party soon discovered this person to be a member of the Basilisk Club. The three "women" made their way over to the curtain separating the private room and entered. Here they met a rather small and stout man of around fifty years, Rian Mertold. Mertold asked the women to join him, and he ordered a round of high end drinks.
It quickly became apparent that Mertold was unable to pay his ever increasing tab, so Teffa covered the expense for him, in an attempt to ingratiate themselves. The women pushed to see if Mertold would (or could) invite them as his guests to the auction, but the man seemed a bit cagey about the subject. He recommended they return "on the morrow" so they could meet more of his Basilisk Club friends. During their interaction, Guy managed to get a look at Mertold's Basilisk Club credentials. He used some sleight of hand to switch the membership with another document, stealing the important papers for himself. Around this time, Oltorf had just about enough of Mertold's foolishness and entered the room. He quickly proceeded to punch Mertold into unconsciousness.
The party was discovered with the sleeping Mertold by the private room waiter, who (after being provided with a tip) gave them ten minutes to clear out of the room. Oltorf and Guy hoisted the sleeping man over their shoulders and carried him back to one of the two rooms they rented at the Blue Flame.
Once in the room, they proceeded to stage a scene for when Mertold were to wake. They hoped it would appear that he and Teffa had spent the night together and his injury was simply due to a fall the man had on the way to her room. Oltorf hid in the wardrobe and the other girls remained in the room next door. When Metold awoke, he fell for the ruse. He begrudgingly left Teffa with the proviso that they'd meet again the following evening.
After a day of more exploration, one in which Oltorf learned the history of the auction house, the party was set to meet Mertold and his friends in the evening. But before that, some of the party had their weapons "silvered" at the dwarven weapons master, and Oltorf sat with a pair of local architects. He learned that "The Sacred Trust of the Custodians" auction house was formerly a temple to Mordane, the God of War. It was founded in the early days of Angleport, when the city was constantly beseiged by evil forces. A champion of Mordane, the paladin Cheliax, fought bravely against the most vicious "beast" to beset the city. He defeated the creature, but in turn lost his own life. The temple was built directly over the spot at which he fell. He also learned that the one requirement the priests of Mordane had for any tenant taking over the temple (they were forced to sell it, as they'd fallen on hard times), was that the catacombs beneath the main floor would be maintained in their original condition. It seemed the catacombs served as the tomb for the fallen warriors of Mordane, including the tomb of Cheliax himself.
That night, the party returned to the Blue Flame and was introduced to Mertold's friends. Two additional members of the Basilisk Club, a stern nobleman named Faylin Harbole, and a much kinder and vibrant young noble named Lewelynn Figoras. Figoras is the heir to the Figoras Canned Good empire ("If it's canned, go Figoras!"). The party engaged in a game of dragon dice with Figoras (Mertold briefly left and Harbole decided to opt out), beating him several times. He was a gracious loser and not only paid what he owed, but also returned the money Teffa spent on Mertold's tab.
He then invited the party to be his guests at the auction, telling them to meet him at the main doors at noon on auction day. He further invited him to the private party at his manor house, to be held on Liar's Day Eve. Liar's Day occurs on the 30th of Marpenoth (basically October) and everyone wears masks and attempts to deceive their friends (similar to Halloween).
On the day of the auction, the party arrived but could not find Lewellyn (at least initially). Eventually they found him arguing with Roan Miller (head of the auction house) to gain admittance for his guests. Roan finally conceded, and the party was escorted to their seats in the main chamber. On their way in, they watched Mertold being turned away for not having his Basilisk Club credentials.
Once at their seats, the party watched as the auction commenced. Shortly after, they saw one of the auction guards holding what appeared to be the diamond they were after!
Oltorf did not enter with the rest of the party, rather he returned to the architects to pick up a copy of the sewer maps (those connected to the catacombs of the auction house) they promised him the previous day. Using the map, he infiltrated to sewers and made his way into the catacombs of the former temple.
As the auction proceeded and Oltorf made his way through the tombs of Mordane, the very foundation was suddenly rocked by a series of massive tremors. Roan Miller attempted to maintain order, but before he could do much more, the floor suddenly errupted in a spray of rock and rubble. What surfaced next, was one of the most horrific sights anyone present had ever witnessed. It seems not only Cheliax was buried in the tombs below. Along with him was the body of the "beast" he slew. A purple worm named "Hazarule," which was likely raised from the dead by the power of the Rod of Ryktuss. Oltorf, it seemed, heard chanting in a voice that sounded not unlike Vorliss, just prior to the explosion in the tomb.
Now the party must face the great beast, reborn as a decaying zombie, and somehow manage to retrieve the diamond of Ryktuss.