[CENTER][h1][color=00a651]Chapter 1[/color][/h1]
[h2][color=82ca9d]The Grim Lodge[/color][/h2][/CENTER]

The Doctor watches Grimi as he demonstrates, and after the rest of the party do so (or chooses not to do so), she follows suit. After signing the contract in blood accordingly, she mutters, "Fascinating..." before following them to a table where they were to discuss. She looks to the entertainers, Happy and Bozo, both in awe and concern as they performed. It was like she never saw anything like it before!

She snaps out of her thoughts by Iota's words, beckoning her to tell them how they can help. 

"Oh! Right! You're right! We don't have much time," 

She cleared her throat and addressed everyone who joins her and Iota, 

"Thank you for...hearing me out," she speaks quietly before taking in a deep breath through her nose, and she recounts her tale of troubled woe.

 "A few weeks ago, I attended a dig in the Murkmire that unearthed a furrowed, light-green stone. I'll give you all the details, but the bottom line is that it isn't a stone at all—it's the egg of an eldritch horror. Moreover, my research indicates it'll hatch at 7:30 tomorrow morning! When all of the patrons will be in the museum!"

A look of horror crosses her face as she recounts that realization once again. But she steels herself and she looks to the party again, keeping herself as calm as possible.

"Trouble is, no one will listen to me. The university ignored me, and I was caught trying to steal the egg from the museum so I could contain it. Now I've been fired, and I was threatened with arrest for telling a fictitious story if I tried to tell anyone else. The Murkmire Stone display at the museum opens tomorrow, and the egg is about to hatch,"

Underneath the cutesy raccoon cowl, cape, and mask, is a look of determination this time. 

"You've got to steal the Murkmire Stone and bring it back so I can save the city!"

She then fishes out a piece of paper and places it on the table for everyone to see. "I drew this map for reference. Hopefully this can help. It is based off of the maps given to the public, so it's not quite complete," 

[hider=Map][img]https://5e.tools/img/adventure/KftGV/007-01-004.players-map.webp[/img][/hider]

She continues, "I just need you to bring the Murkmire Stone to me, and then I can neutralize it. It can only be neutralized by encasing it in a specially prepared crystal container. I created one for this purpose, but it still has some cracks I need to seal. I can handle that while you get the stone," 

She brings up, "There is a chance to case the museum if you need it. The curator is hosting a private gala at midnight tonight for the....wealthier donors to see the Murkmire Stone before the rest of the city. I do have tickets to help you enter, but you will need formal wear,"