The Hidden Ring Returns to Morgan

Once the audit found its ending, the party made the treasure real between themselves. Maine kept the Clear Mind Token and the disguise kit. Jonah kept the Knife of the Cardinal Carver and Chorus armor. Ash kept the Steady Step Band. Morgan paid for the cloak. The remaining declared pieces went away for rebate, returning only a small amount of gold and a much clearer sense that official treasure recovery was never designed for people who had risked their lives to find the treasure. Dhaz noticed the shape of it. Taxes felt like stealing, even for someone whose own armor had come through inheritance and history rather than a receipt. Then Corin left. Only after the administrator was gone did Maine hand the Ring of Absorption back to Morgan. That small transfer preserved the real prize of the cache outside the official record. It also made the party's shared lie more concrete. They had not simply failed to mention the item. They had chosen who would carry the hidden truth. The paper trail was clean enough. The party's actual inventory was not.