Chapter 1 - Session 4

Borrowed Blades and Brothel Secrets

The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyb5hGl7424

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Events and Actions

The session resumed in the hidden chamber beneath The Crow's Nest, where the party had recently defeated several rats. After a brief discussion about Mani's use of Coins of Fate (resulting in one being returned to him), the PCs focused on making the chamber more secure and investigating further. They gathered wood and broken furniture from the outer cellar to light the two braziers in the chamber, using lamp and cooking oil also found there.

With the chamber better illuminated, they examined its features: two empty alcoves similar to the one where the skeleton and Medallions were found, and a large, sturdy wooden door. Chains with manacles were discovered attached to a pillar. Among the fire-tending tools beside the braziers were several unusual iron rods with pointed, ringed, and spiral-wound ends; the party wondered whether the room had once been used for branding or worse, but found no ownership brand they recognized, and noted that horses, unlike cattle, are never branded at all. They also noticed the two braziers stood symmetrically on a diagonal axis flanking the pillar, as if something else had once stood between them, though no trace of it remained. Cosimo, boosted by Werner and Noddy, investigated the source of the glowing water, determining it flowed from a natural crack high in the wall, not a man-made channel. He also noted the chamber's red brick construction, reminiscent of the Divinity of Two's architecture, and distinct from the outer cellar. The party deduced they were likely hundreds of feet beneath "The Hill," the location of the main Temple.

Attention then turned to the large wooden door. It resisted initial pushes and pulls, with its ring-handles rusted from disuse. A combined, forceful push by several PCs caused the door to shudder and screech but not open, suggesting it was either barred or the hinges (on the other side) were rusted solid. Attempts to find a way to pry it or chip through the ancient oak with available tools (a masonry chisel) proved ineffective. A shoulder charge by Mani and Noddy also failed.

Given Mani's injuries and the lack of suitable tools, the party decided to return upstairs to rest, eat, and seek better equipment. They carried the dead rats, including the exceptionally large one, with them.

Upstairs, it was now late (around midnight). Burlyman (the innkeeper) and his wife were shocked by the PCs' appearance and the dead rats. Mani, visibly injured, was ushered upstairs by Burlyman's wife at the direction of a lady named Clara. In a well-appointed lounge, another woman, Mistress Mary, along with Clara, attended to Mani, cutting away his ruined breeches and shirt to treat him. Mistress Mary skillfully and magically healed Mani's severe wounds completely using Lay Healing techniques, which Riu observed with fascination. Moved by what he had witnessed, Riu confided to Mary that he was devout and prayed to the Two every morning and night, and asked eagerly about the nature of Lay Healing; pleased by his interest, Mary invited him to return the next day to discuss it further. Mani was told to rest there overnight.

While Mani was being treated, Knick Nab stealthily explored the upper floor. He discovered a balcony with a wide view of the Lower City, a corridor with numerous unoccupied but fine bedrooms, and another with even grander (locked or empty) rooms. Returning to the lounge, he was approached by Clara, who, after some coyness, revealed that she and Mistress Mary "entertain men folk" there, explaining the nature of their establishment.

Downstairs, Werner, Noddy, and Cosimo received food from Burlyman's wife, which was of surprisingly high quality. They discussed the cellar's secrets with Burlyman. Werner revealed his surname, De Rendal, prompting Burlyman to recall Werner's grandfather, a noted sailor who vanished on a mysterious expedition. Burlyman confirmed he could not see their Medallions and seemed unaware of their earlier perception anomalies.

The next morning, Mani awoke healed, with new breeches of fine, silky fabric provided overnight. Clara also invited Knick Nab to breakfast on quail's eggs and cheese, and showed him the surprisingly well-stocked pantry, though he saw no kitchen or cooking facilities to explain where the fine food came from; pressed further on what the establishment actually was, she explained that the inn's trade had dried up over the years and that she and Mary had since taken over the upper floor for their own purposes. While he waited, Knick Nab quietly prepared a marked copper coin, some flowers, and a length of knotted cord, tucking them up his sleeves and into a pocket. The party regrouped and approached Randolph the Chronicler for better weapons. Randolph, dressed in light armor and keeping a well-annotated journal of events, tested each PC's skill with a practice blade before lending them proper weapons: rapiers to Mani and Knick Nab, a cutlass to Werner, a fighting dagger to Cosimo, and a pistol (with powder and shot) to Noddy. Riu fashioned a makeshift spear from a broom handle. Burlyman provided a hatchet.

The armed party, accompanied by Burlyman, returned to the cellar. Burlyman seemed to pay particular attention to an alcove with smeared writing as they passed. Upon reaching the entrance to the hidden chamber, Burlyman expressed a desire to have the hole sealed and the water stopped, disavowing any connection to the chamber itself. He did not enter the hidden chamber with the PCs.

The session concluded with the party inside the hidden chamber, debating tactics for their next moves: a coordinated push on the door using Werner's exceptional strength, chipping through its edge with the hatchet to check for a bar on the other side, using the loosened altar stone as a battering ram, and firing a candle through any gap to see what it revealed of the far side. A small charge of gunpowder was floated and reluctantly set aside as impractical. They also discussed sending the smallest among them through the crevice where the glowing water emerged to see how far back it went, and agreed to search the chamber's walls and ceiling more thoroughly for markings before renewing their assault on the door.

NPCs & Creatures

  • Burlyman: Innkeeper of The Crow's Nest.
  • Burlyman's wife: Cook and assistant at the inn.
  • Randolph the Chronicler: An academic residing in a private room at the inn, dressed in light armor and keeping a well-annotated journal of events. A trained swordsman, he tested each PC's skill with a practice blade before lending the party proper weapons.
  • Mistress Mary: A resident of the upstairs rooms at The Crow's Nest; a skilled Lay Healer who healed Mani. Runs an establishment for "entertaining men."
  • Clara: An attendant to Mistress Mary, also involved in "entertaining men."
  • Rats: The dead rats from the previous session (one very large, several smaller) were brought upstairs and later disposed of (skull/fur kept by Mani). No new rats were encountered.
  • Pocket: Noddy's pet seagull, was fed.

Locations

  • The Crow's Nest:
    • Cellar: Including the outer storage areas and the hidden chamber with alcoves, manacles, and the large wooden door. The source of the glowing water was further investigated.
    • Common Room: Where the party interacted with Burlyman and Randolph.
    • Upstairs Area: A luxurious section of the inn, including a lounge, a balcony overlooking the Lower City, corridors with well-appointed bedrooms, a pantry, and Mistress Mary's and Clara's living/working space. Randolph also had a private room here.
  • The Capitol: The general setting. The party learned their location in the Crow's Nest cellar is likely far beneath "The Hill," where the Temple of the Divinity of Two is situated.

Conflicts

  • PCs vs. Large Wooden Door: Various attempts (pushing, pulling, shoulder charging) to open the door failed.
  • Weapon Testing: Randolph had Mani, Knick Nab, and Werner demonstrate some martial skill before lending them weapons.

Learnings and Discussions

  • Coins of Fate: Mani had one Coin of Fate returned to him by the GM. (Now has 10).
  • Upstairs of The Crow's Nest: It functions as a high-class brothel operated by Mistress Mary and Clara.
  • Lay Healing: Mistress Mary possesses significant Lay Healing abilities, which she confirmed stem from the Divinity of Two, and used them to fully heal Mani's critical wounds. Riu witnessed this with great interest and openly expressed his devotion and curiosity about the practice; Mary invited him to speak with her further about it the next day.
  • Randolph the Chronicler: He is well-armed, formally trained with a blade, and keeps careful written records. He lent the party substantial weapon upgrades.
  • Burlyman's Knowledge: He is a former sailor and knew of Werner's grandfather, a renowned sailor who commanded a ship Burlyman named as the Walrus and who vanished on a mysterious, deliberately obscured expedition; Burlyman offered to try to find surviving old sailors who might know more. He is unaware of the Medallions or the PCs' initial perception issues. He wants the hidden chamber sealed off.
  • Hidden Chamber Details: Constructed with red brick (could be Divinity of Two style). The glowing water comes from a natural fissure. The large door is oak and very sturdy. Iron implements by the braziers resembled branding or torture tools but matched no livestock brand the party recognized, and the braziers' symmetrical placement suggested something once stood between them.
  • Divinity of Two Language: The scriptures found in the alcove with the skeleton (in C1S3) were confirmed by Riu to be in the specific religious language of the Divinity of Two — ordinary prayers, but notable since few outside the clergy can read that script, and odder still that Riu could.
  • Procreation Beliefs: Clara explained to Knick Nab that procreation requires the blessing of the Divinity of Two to avoid misshapen offspring or no conception at all, a common belief.
  • Divine Guidance Debate: Reflecting on the night's events — the healing, the medallions, and a string of old women who seemed to have guided several of them toward the inn and its secrets — Mani argued the party was being guided by the Mother's hand. Others noted that their inability to see or recognize each other predates ever finding the medallions, suggesting whatever connects them started before the necklaces, and that the necklaces are an effect of it rather than the cause — a mystery the party left unresolved.

Items Gained

  • Manuel de Barret (Mani):
    • Rapier (lent by Randolph)
    • Scabbard for rapier
    • New breeches of fine, silky fabric
    • Rat skull and fur (from the large rat)
    • One Coin of Fate returned (total now 10)
  • Knick Nab:
    • Rapier (lent by Randolph)
    • Scabbard for rapier
  • Noddy:
    • Pistol (lent by Randolph)
    • Small powder horn
    • Small bag of shot
  • Werner De Rendal:
    • Cutlass (lent by Randolph)
    • Scabbard for cutlass
  • Cosimo Cellini Scivio:
    • Fighting dagger (lent by Randolph)
    • Scabbard for dagger
  • Infurious Montesigna (Riu):
    • Makeshift wooden spear (fashioned from a broom handle)
  • Party:
    • Hatchet (from Burlyman)
    • Use of two lanterns (from Burlyman)
    • Fresh torches (from Burlyman)

Items Lost

  • Manuel de Barret (Mani): Original pants and shirt (cut off by Mistress Mary during healing).