Students of Life & Death #30

The Students stopped by a pretzel shop named "Braids" to grab a bite to eat with Silas before approaching the mansion of Lord Marquis Duke Baron King.

They gained entry by offering to sell the demonic hand of Abominate to his menagerie of relics and antiquities

Within, they met with Fabiola, Lord Marquis Duke Baron King's personal assistant, who asked that Silas wait in another room while the group met with the man himself.

• Lord Marquis Duke Baron King agreed to exchange the hand to wipe away the debts of Silas at Ridley's suggestion, but Otho seemed unconvinced that they should be making any deals with the very obvious crime lord.

Down in Lord Marquis Duke Baron King's dungeon, which was a well-furnished and comfortable chamber in which a group of minstrels, Silas, and another figure were chained up, the groups bantered and negotiated, but no deal could be struck. 

• The unidentified individual chained to the walls, who Lord Marquis Duke Baron King called "Ven" discreetly told the group that they could release all the chains in the dungeons in a small hidden room right above them.

Brynn was able to turn into a mouse and escape into the walls, eventually finding a Rat Kindred living within the walls, but without the ability to speak or use magic, Brynn couldn't convince the woman to help her.

• Instead, Brynn turned herself into a warthog and slammed into the walls of the secret room until she was able to break through.

Within the small room, Brynn was able to release all the chains in the dungeon, freeing Silas but also freeing "Ven" who floated up from beneath the floor into the managerie room, forming a red mist that filled the mansion, and called out to "Bernie" to come out and face him.