The party settled into St. Petersgrad before boarding the quarantined VSS Dominion, where they uncovered Minerva Sedgewick’s attempt to assassinate both them and Harold Drekanov. By the end of the session, they tentatively accepted Harold’s offer to become his personal strike team, received a list of five possible dissenters aboard the vessel, and witnessed the proto-dragon attacking a Viroc refinery in the city.
The session opened at Anya’s tattoo shop. Viktor revealed his new arcane tattoo and settled his payment, though he has yet to attune to the ink. The group secured a base of operations in St. Petersgrad by renting an additional room in the building for the month. Anya shared rumors of a new “crimson-robed” cult interested in individuals with supernatural abilities, which the party recognized as a sign of expanding Verdant Light influence.
While crossing a bridge toward the docks, the party noticed a lone figure trailing them. When confronted, the man fled and wild-shaped into an eagle. Lusat’s hawk familiar tracked the bird to a manor in the Corporate Heights, where it disappeared inside. The only physical clue left behind was a dropped American cigarette.
Learning the VSS Dominion was offshore under quarantine, the party negotiated a 25-gold dinghy ride from a drunken sailor to reach the ship immediately. Arriving alongside the massive vessel at midnight in rough weather, they were taken aboard under heavy suspicion by Viroc security.
The party met Harold Drekanov and revealed their suspicions regarding Minerva’s parcel. Harold confirmed the “gift” was an assassination device designed to trigger a chain reaction with the ship's Shardasite stores, which would have destroyed the Dominion and the surrounding waterfront. Following this revelation, the party was politely confined to a cargo hold, where they took a long rest inside a Tiny Hut.
During the rest, Bogdan’s augury warned that “All are corrupt.” The next morning, Harold met the group for tea and used Detect Thoughts to probe them. The party carefully curated the memories they shared—showing the dragon and the newborn god—while successfully hiding their direct involvement in the deaths of Lucien and Seraphim.
Harold positioned himself as an opponent to Minerva, offering the party high-paying work as his personal strike team. As they spoke, the proto-dragon attacked the Viroc refinery in St. Petersgrad, an event Harold viewed as potential leverage in his struggle for corporate control. Harold’s undersecretary provided the party with a list of five individuals aboard the Dominion suspected of disloyalty to be “removed” before the ship docks at noon.
The party held conflicting views on the task. Viktor, as a paladin, objected to executing a priest (“Father”) on the list. In a private meeting, Harold attempted to charm Viktor into viewing the task as “necessary surgery,” but Viktor remained unconvinced. Meanwhile, Harold approached other party members with promises of extra rewards if they completed the job despite their friends' hesitations, clearly treating the group as pieces on his corporate board.