A hidden key

3 November, 595

The next morning the group heads to the orphange, where they are greeted with warm welcomes from the halfling headmistress, an elderly lady named Gretchyn Tashyyk. The heroes are allowed to examine the lock and question some of the children. One child relates a dream he had of a nasty gnome "snatching his breath." At this point the group decides to investigate the local locksmith, Keygan Ghelve.

Entering Ghelve's Locks, the group meets the gnome shop keeper, walking on stilts. They ask him some tough questions about his locks and the ones he sold to the orphanage. As each question is asked, he seems more and more nervous, eventually storming back into his shop in anger. A while later he sends a note flying back to the heroes, asking them to meet him at the Drunken Morkoth Inn at noon.

When noon rolls around Keygan shows up (sans stilts) and agrees to give them information about the abductions in return for them helping him to find his familiar, a rat named Starbrow. He says that strange creatures appeared in his shop 3 months ago and kidnapped Starbrow, and forced him to construct skeleton keys for all the locks in the city. He thinks that the creatures may have been using the keys to abduct the citizens of Cauldron. The creatures are described as "tall ones" with gray skin and changing color, and "short ones", wearing dark cloaks and hooved feet. Plenty believes these descriptions match up with what she has heard called Skulks and Dark Creepers, both originating from the depths of the Underdark. The creatures come and go by a secret door in Keygan's shop, which leads to underground gnomish ruins. Keygan agrees to leave one of his shop windows open that night and the group decides to investigate. He also leaves them a map of the ruins, which he says his father gave to him long ago.

After some discussion the group decides to enter the shop at after midnight.