Chapter 8 - Lords of Oblivion

Dark clouds fill the sky, reflecting the somber mood of the troubled townsfolk. Severen Navalant, the lord mayor, is missing and presumed dead. Contingents of mercenaries help the local militia patrol the streets, quelling riots and keeping order in the name of Navalant's self-appointed successor, Lord Orbius Vhalanthru. However, not everyone is pleased with the change in leadership. Raised taxes and a sharp increase in criminal activity have fueled rumors that Cauldron's leaders are corrupt or simply incompetent.

Cauldron's woes notwithstanding, the heroes might have good cause to suspect Lord Vhalanthru of evildoing. He has so far remained an enigma, sequestering himself within his estate and rarely venturing into the public eye. The Striders of Fharlanghn, who seek to locate and eradicate the Cagewrights, suspect that Vhalanthru knows something about the Cagewrights' activities. The Striders have been spying on Vhalanthru ever since the lord mayor disappeared, but they have learned precious little.

The adventure begins when members of the Last Laugh thieves' guild capture one of the Striders of Fharlanghn, a half-elf named Skiriol Slyblade, who was watching the estates of Lord Vhalanthru and Lady Rhiavadi. Unknown to the Last Laugh, Skiriol is linked telepathically by a Rary's telepathic bond spell to Meerthan Eliothlorn, leader of the Striders in Cauldron. Meerthan asks the heroes to rescue Skiriol from the Last Laugh safe house, where he is being interrogated. The heroes must overcome the safe house's traps and rogues to reach Skiriol. They must also contend with a villain from their past - a rogue named Jil. In exchange for her freedom, Jil provides the heroes with information about a secret gathering at Lady Rhiavadi's estate - a meeting where the Cagewrights' plans for Cauldron will be fully revealed.

The heroes might infiltrate House Rhiavadi or find some other means of entry. Once inside the estate, they must contend with Lady Thifirane Rhiavadi and her guests, including the Last Laugh guildmaster, a notorious tiefling slaver, a cleric of Nerull from the nearby city of Sasserine, an unscrupulous  dwarven merchant, and a vampire from the Unerdark. If things go horribly awry, Thifirane flees to Oblivion, a subterranean sanctuary where Vhalanthru is making final preparations for the ritual that will transform him into a Tarterian beholder.