Chapter 1 - Session 4

Borrowed Blades and Brothel Secrets

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 the previous session — clarified as two spent, not one — one was returned to him. Before anyone turned to practical matters, the fight caught up with Mani: shaking, he kicked the giant rat's corpse again and again, working through the fear and anger of having nearly died at fourteen. Werner retrieved the knife Mani had dropped, pulled him into a hug, and told him plainly he'd have died without him; Mani, in turn, cut a strip from the rat's tail and pressed it into Werner's hand, telling him to keep it as a reminder of how close a thing it had been. With that settled, 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 or alpacas, are never branded. 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. When Mani jokingly wondered whether the glowing water might explain the rat's size, Noddy admitted he'd seen water like it before, in the ruins where he had survived for years — though he'd never dared drink it there either. 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, while Knick Nab checked the surrounding floor and found no tracks or other sign that anyone had been down there recently, only the rats' own scuffling. Cosimo 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 its hinges — out of sight on the far side — were rusted solid. A shoulder charge by Mani and Noddy achieved nothing but sore shoulders. Cosimo then chipped at the seam with a masonry chisel, hoping to glimpse the far side or feel for a bar; the wood beneath proved solid and sound, and the narrow gap between the two leaves was blocked from beyond by something that felt like wood — encouraging, but inconclusive. Burning the door down was floated as a fallback that would surely work but take hours.

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 healed Mani's severe wounds completely, using visible Lay Healing magic that Riu watched 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 unnoticed. He found a balcony commanding a wide view of the Lower City under a clear, moonlit sky — its port and the riding lights of anchored ships visible below — plus a corridor of a dozen or so unoccupied but fine bedrooms, and another, more sparsely spaced corridor of even grander (locked or empty) rooms. Returning to the lounge, he was approached by Clara, who, when coyness failed to make her meaning clear, showed him more directly: she and Mistress Mary "entertain men folk" there.

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, brandishing what passed for their arsenal — a bent butter knife sharpened on a stone, a wooden spoon, and a cleaver — presented their case to Randolph the Chronicler, whom Mani greeted with a sweeping bow and a grandiose introduction before pointing out the enormous dead rat as proof of their need. Randolph, flipping back through his journal, revealed Burlyman had already told him of it the night before. Dressed in light armor, with a famously fine feathered hat sitting nearby but unworn, he noted the tale down properly, then tested each PC's skill with a practice blade before lending them proper weapons — genuinely sharp steel, not blunted trainers: rapiers to Mani and Knick Nab, a cutlass to Werner, and a fighting dagger to Cosimo. Mani peppered his clumsy demonstration with French fencing terms picked up from a school where, by his own admission, he'd never actually learned to fight — amusing Randolph without impressing him. He was more reluctant to arm Noddy, given how costly and rare a pistol was, but relented once satisfied Noddy could load and handle it safely, lending it with powder and shot. Riu, having no blade skill for Randolph to equip, fashioned a makeshift spear from a broom handle instead; the party discussed fire-hardening its point but abandoned the idea for lack of the skill to do it properly. 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 stone block from the archway 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 — already noting the giant rat from Burlyman's account before the party even arrived. 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" — the city's highest point and site of the Temple of the Divinity of Two — with "The House," where royalty resides behind lines of battlements along the cliff's edge, situated nearby at a similar elevation.

Conflicts

• PCs vs. Large Wooden Door: Various attempts (pushing, pulling, shoulder charging, chiseling at the seam) to open the door failed.
• Weapon Testing: Randolph had Mani, Knick Nab, and Werner demonstrate some martial skill before lending them weapons, using a practice stick to parry their strikes.

Learnings and Discussions

• Coins of Fate: Clarified that Mani had spent two Coins of Fate the previous session (not one, as recorded at the time); the GM returned one of them. (Now has 9).
• 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. He also mentioned, unprompted, that many secrets once lay in the hillside before Cliff Town's collapse — a remark the party seized on as a possible clue to the chamber's origins.
• 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 9)
• 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).