3 - August 1340

While working the boats on the river, Rocco discovers a tunnel mouth on the east bank of the Tiber, that appears to lead under the the lower part of the northern slopes of the Capitoline hill. He tells Marco, Astore and Father Arturo. They also decide to inform Cola who agrees a condotta with them under which he provides a boat, a crew and equipment. In return he receives a share of the treasure and custodianship of any writing discovered. He also provides a fourth member of the party - a young artist and scholar named Bartolomeo (Bartolo) Gaddi.

They discover the tunnel to be guarded by what Bartolo describes as a Cloacal Demon. This gelatinous creature patrols back and forth in what seems to be a large sewer. They come to no plan to detroy it but find its habits to be predictable but regular - and find it will not come into the sunlight. So they manage to evade it and find two discreet areas off the tunnel to explore - in both cases by coming up through the seat of easement above.

In the first they find some sort of undead creature, fortunately chained by the neck to the wall. Father Arturo begs the Lord to send it to its rest and it is no more. They explore the passages around and discover a door guarded by two armed guards - also undead but necromantically animated according to Gaddi. An attempt to deal with them by strength of arms sees the party repulsed, for they seem to know their business.

In the second, Rocco and Arturo are greeted by an aparition that offers them refreshment and then disappears by walking through a wall. The wine they drink is excellent and the water fresh. Looking around they see that everything seems to be as if it were occupied but yesterday. Aside from the lavatory in which they emerged, there is a bedroom and a library full of scrolls - in marvellous state of preservation. They bethink themselves to test this presumed spell of preservation by sending Astore briefly out of the complex with a pair of slippers and two scrolls. To their disappointment all items begin to accrue the weight of the ages as soon as removed from the immediate locale.

The party decide to take their discovery back to Cola and leave all artefacts in situ.