Session 5: Gang War

Reeling from the devastating attacks that have left Great Glade in a state of recovery, Raal solemnly informs Makatza, Hattori, and Ikep that the danger is not over yet. Raal's offers, bargains, and deals have gone out the window as he earnestly begs the three adventurers for their help, to which they readily agree.
Raal presents them with another curious marble, a clear orb that reflects various colours like a prism, unaffiliated with any living magicks to date. Upon investigation through the Identify spell, the marble immediately explodes in Ikep's hands, loosing blasts of lightning throughout the area. Stowing this information, the party prepares to infiltrate the Hall of the Purists, in disguises that can only be described as misshapen skin bags.
Within the Arcanist's Borough, the people roaming the streets seem blissfully unaware of the damage being wrought in the rest of the city, and indeed seem to have no concern or awareness of those that lie outside.
Inside the Hall of the Purists, they find what any of them had least expected; a cheerful, community potluck with seemingly no ties to the radical actions taken by the Arcan Purists. Regardless, the adventurers work their way in to see what they can find.
Hattori makes a valiant effort to investigate the closed doors within the hall that go completely ignored, but is swiftly accosted by Ritt Thomen, a cheerful halfling who engages him in conversation and steers him away from the doors, insisting they contain nothing but storage rooms. Afterwards, Hattori makes conversation with Ulna Tibb, an orc who insists he try the cocktail sausage, developed from a family recipe. Hattori indeed eats one, much to his own regret, but a balding dwarf named Grunud helps him sneakily dispose of the rest. Hattori engages in conversation with the dwarf and two red-headed twins, who accidentally slip some information about a place in the Arcanist's Borough known as the Deadened Section.
Meanwhile, Ikep maneuvers through the crowd, eavesdropping as best he can, though it seems for a while that the fates have decreed he would hear nothing of note. However, he soon apprehends a young elven pickpocket, and uses his menacing visage to force her to surrender her coins. In the ensuing chaos, Ikep notes one particular gentleman scrambling to retrieve some particular coins and a small wooden wand. He notes the gentleman leaving, and follows him, though he is almost immediately discovered. Despite this, Ikep manages to keep pace with the man, and eventually gains his attention by claiming to wish revenge on the Bureau. Though the man doesn't respond, Ikep believes that he may be willing to listen at the very least.
While this is occurring, Makatza attempted to eavesdrop in her 'regular' form, but soon found it to be dissatisfactory. Transforming into a spider, she begins to investigate the closed rooms, and indeed finds that they are nothing more than some dusty storage rooms and one boarded-up bathroom. In one room, she notes a few sealed wooden chests, but quickly dismisses them. Returning to the main room, Makatza retreats to the wall and witnesses a handoff between two well-dressed Purists, though she does not see exactly what exchanges possession. Makatza then attempts to rejoin with Hattori, but is promptly squashed in the chaos of the floor. In the ensuing commotion, Makatza escapes as Hattori magically soothes the aggressors, though one young woman is unaffected and gives chase. Makatza quickly subdues her and sends her back to the hall, and the three adventurers rejoin together and journey into the Deadened Section.
Hattori uses the small wand to track the movement of their prey, who quickly vanishes. However, it was enough. The three make their way to a foul corner of the Borough, where they find a vending machine in the place of disappearance. After some clever negotiations with an ancient man who demands various bones in exchange for his services, the trio finds the answers they need. Ikep uses Basilisk venom from the machine to break in and retrieve some of the specially made coins form earlier, and through it, they gain entrance. But is this really the secret lab of the Arcan Purists? If so, what will they find? More importantly, how will they stop it?