Port Laveau logged another unremarkable evening by every measurable standard — eighteen souls moving through the streets, voices low, hands in pockets. Eighteen is a quiet number. Quiet numbers make this editor nervous. When the city breathes this softly, something beneath it is holding its breath.

Sources near the waterfront report the Serpent's Den shuttered its doors before midnight — unusual for a Thursday — with figures in dark clothing observed moving toward the Blackwater docks in small, deliberate groups. Residents along the canal describe hearing what one described as "singing that wasn't singing" drifting off the water. Meanwhile, fresh territorial markings attributed to both the Salopri and the Tenebrae have appeared within blocks of each other, suggesting a pressure Baptême and his associates may feel compelled to answer — permanently.

Port Laveau reminds its citizens that unauthorized gatherings near municipal waterways are discouraged. The Sheriff's Office asks that unusual lights or sounds near the docks be reported — to the appropriate parties.