Chapter 1 - Session 6

Shadows, Smugglers, and Seaside Sentinels

The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WmqyzOD8h8

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Events and Actions

The session picked up after the party had agreed to assist Burlyman, the innkeeper of The Crow's Nest, with his smuggling operations. The previously burned-down door in the hidden cellar chamber revealed only a passage blocked by rubble, with no trace of airflow to suggest any way through it. Noddy used his seagull, Pocket, to investigate the rat hole where water disappeared; the water down there gave off a faint, unnatural glow that let Pocket see by it, but the hole never widened enough for anyone larger than a bird to follow, and the water itself proved foul and undrinkable. With the passage confirmed to be a dead end for now, the party resolved to seal both openings with mortar rather than risk disturbing the room further, and later returned to brick the chamber up properly.

Burlyman then laid out his proposal in full. Beyond the 200 silver he offered as a "bonus" to acquire gear, he promised the party exclusive use of the common room, free food and lodging, and a small ongoing salary once they had proven themselves. Mani pressed him on whether he had any arrangement with the City Guard or a criminal guild for protection; Burlyman admitted he had none, though he noted the greater danger lay in distributing the smuggled goods rather than in fetching them. He also revealed that he had never personally gone down the tunnel since it reopened, and that the associates who had gone in his place had since been caught by the authorities, but had not given him up. Riu separately asked whether Burlyman's smuggling channel could be used to acquire rare books; Burlyman said books were not his usual trade but agreed to look into a specific request if given one.

A significant discussion revolved around managing the 200 silver advance. The party decided each of the six members would receive 25 silver for personal equipment, with the remaining 50 silver placed into a common fund managed by Riu and Werner De Rendal and hidden behind a loose brick in the secret cellar room.

The PCs then embarked on a shopping trip in The Capitol. Riu researched magical amulets at an Upper City library but found nothing on how such items might be created and no match for his own amulet among known legendary items, turning up only a passing reference to an unidentified magical ring; the next day he visited a bookstore instead and purchased a scholarly book on Divinity of Two pilgrimage and blessing practices. Before shopping, he also called on his family's steward to say he would be staying in town longer and wrote a letter telling his father he could be reached through The Crow's Nest. Knick Nab visited one of the shops Burlyman recommended for lockpicks, pitons, and rope. Other party members acquired various weapons, armor, and tools. Noddy purchased a pistol and associated gear using his share and some personal funds, and separately outfitted himself with a tricorn hat, an embroidered jacket, a linen shirt, leather gauntlets, three pairs of woolen socks, new boots, a leather belt, a small weather-proof backpack, and a cutlass sheath. Mani acquired a new rapier and dagger; Randolph the Chronicler, asked for his assessment, balanced both weapons and judged them plain but serviceable for a beginner, and agreed to give Mani sword lessons.

Mani also had a memorable and somewhat charged interaction with Clara upstairs. He awkwardly dedicated his new rapier ("Mistress Mary") and dagger ("Mistress Clara") to the ladies. Clara, impressed by the gesture, skillfully handled the dagger named for her and then kissed it. Mani's subsequent charm attempt (a natural roll of 66 contributing to a partial success) resulted in Clara finding him "utterly fascinating," hinting at a special, if currently platonic due to his youth, connection. Separately, Knick Nab went upstairs to show off his own new outfit; Clara looked him over, remarked that he was dressed for an evening's activities rather than a day's, and gifted him a black scarf, tying it around his neck herself. Burlyman then drew the party aside into the kitchen, past his wife kneading dough, and showed them a hinged section of counter concealing a narrow shaft and bucket rig used to haul small goods up from below without using the stairs.

That evening, as word spread that The Crow's Nest was "back to its old self," the common room filled with sailors drinking and several tried, mostly without success, to talk their way upstairs. One drunken sailor tore the curtain aside and forced his way toward the stairs; Randolph came out with his swagger stick, warded the man off without any real violence, walked him back outside, and let him fall down to general laughter before bowing and returning inside. The next morning, Randolph woke Mani at six o'clock for an hour of hard sparring with practice swords, leaving him exhausted but determined to take his training seriously, with the lesson to repeat daily.

Following their shopping, Burlyman revealed the actual smuggling route: a hidden passage behind a false wall in the main cellar. He gave the party a specific combination of coins (3 tin, 2 copper, 1 bronze) to identify themselves to his contact, instructed them to signal a boat with a hooded lantern (three flashes) once the coast was clear, and showed them a point in the tunnel that could be intentionally collapsed if necessary. That night, the party settled a marching order and a pair of code words — "Pristine" to signal readiness for a fight, and "Copacetic," followed by a three-count, to signal it was time to run — before venturing down the passage.

The tunnel proved to be mostly a natural crack, worked only a little, with a wooden cart track down its center in poor repair in places; Werner De Rendal and Mani pushed the two small carts found there while Riu carried the party's bullseye lantern and Cosimo brought up the rear with a small candle lantern. Knick Nab and Noddy scouted ahead in the dark. There was some water infiltration but the passage was otherwise dry, with no rats or side passages, and it took the party close to an hour, descending most of the way, to reach a wider cavern near the tunnel's end, where they found eight backpack frames suitable for carrying barrels.

From there, Noddy sent Pocket ahead to scout the coastal exit — a wide, rubble-strewn slope pocked with pools of standing water of unknown depth, spanned in places by makeshift wooden bridges and platforms built since the collapse, with two distinct ruined houses and a set of docks cobbled together from wreckage. Pocket and Knick Nab spotted a City Guard in one of the ruined buildings, a soldier armed with a musket and wearing a fancy hat; Knick Nab found himself directly in the guard's line of sight, shielded only by a low wall, before the party quietly withdrew. A second guard was spotted atop a broken tower, reached by a ladder.

The session concluded with the party aware of both guards' positions, agreeing that neither was their expected contact, and resolving to wait for the coast to clear before signaling the smugglers' boat.

NPCs & Creatures

  • Burlyman: Innkeeper of The Crow's Nest, orchestrator of the smuggling operation. Laid out his full offer to the party (bonus advance, free room and board, and an eventual salary), admitted he has never personally gone down the tunnel since it reopened, and revealed that past associates who did were caught but never gave him up.
  • Burlyman's wife: Seen kneading dough in the kitchen while Burlyman showed the party the hidden dumbwaiter shaft.
  • Randolph the Chronicler: Academic residing at the inn; agreed to give Mani sword lessons after judging his new rapier and dagger "plain but serviceable," in response to Mani recounting his own history of being refused instruction by the Ropolos School's noble-only fencing master and training instead under a guard. Drove off a drunken sailor who forced his way toward the stairs, then woke Mani at six the next morning for an hour of hard sparring instruction.
  • Clara: An associate of Mistress Mary, works upstairs at The Crow's Nest. She had a significant, charming interaction with Mani, who dedicated his new dagger to her. Following a successful charm attempt (resulting in a partial success), Clara is now notably intrigued by and fascinated with Mani. She also admired Knick Nab's new outfit and gifted him a black scarf.
  • Mistress Mary: Mentioned by Mani; a healer working upstairs.
  • Pocket: Noddy's pet seagull, used for scouting.
  • Sailors: Patrons who returned to The Crow's Nest common room now that word had spread it was open again; several tried and mostly failed to talk their way upstairs, and one drunken sailor had to be turned away by Randolph.
  • City Guards: Two guards spotted near the coastal exit of the smuggling tunnel — one a soldier armed with a musket and wearing a fancy hat, stationed in a ruined building; the other atop a broken tower, reached by a ladder.

Locations

  • The Crow's Nest:
    • Common Room: General interactions, observation of sailors, and the drunken sailor incident.
    • Kitchen: Contains a hinged countertop concealing a narrow shaft and bucket rig for hauling small goods up from the cellar without using the stairs.
    • Cellar: Location of the hidden chamber (rubble-filled passage, now sealed with mortar) and the entrance to the new smuggling tunnel.
    • Upstairs Area: Visited by Mani to speak with Clara, and by Knick Nab to show off his new outfit.
  • The Capitol:
    • Upper City Library: Visited by Riu for research, with little success.
    • Bookstore: Visited by Riu the following day; purchased a scholarly book here.
    • Various Shops: Where PCs purchased equipment, including lockpicks, pitons, and rope for Knick Nab.
  • Smuggling Tunnel: A long, narrow, and winding passage leading from The Crow's Nest cellar to the coastal ruins, mostly a natural crack lightly worked by hand. Contains a wooden cart track in poor repair in places, two small carts, and eight backpack frames. Descends most of the way, with minor water infiltration but no rats, and one deliberate collapse point.
  • Coastal Ruins (Cliff Town): The area where the smuggling tunnel exits — a wide, rubble-strewn slope with pools of standing water of unknown depth, makeshift wooden bridges and platforms spanning the gaps, two distinct ruined houses, and docks cobbled together from wreckage. Two City Guards were present here.

Conflicts

  • No direct combat occurred.
  • A drunken sailor forced his way past the curtain toward the stairs; Randolph the Chronicler warded him off with his swagger stick, walked him back outside, and let him fall to general laughter without any real violence.
  • The primary tension arose from scouting the coastal area and discovering the presence of City Guards, requiring the party to strategize and wait. At one point Knick Nab found himself directly in a guard's line of sight, shielded only by a low wall, before the party quietly withdrew.
  • Mani's interaction with Clara, while not a conflict, was a significant social encounter. His youthful awkwardness combined with a successful charm attempt (a natural roll of 66 leading to a 'partial success') created a memorable dynamic, leaving Clara notably fascinated by him.

Learnings and Discussions

  • Smuggling Operation Details: The party learned the specific route, signaling method (three lantern flashes), and token (3 tin, 2 copper, 1 bronze coins) for Burlyman's smuggling operation. They also learned about a potential collapse point in the tunnel and found backpack frames for carrying goods.
  • Burlyman's Terms: Beyond the 200 silver bonus, Burlyman offered the party exclusive use of the common room, free food and lodging, and a small ongoing salary once they proved themselves. He has no arrangement with the City Guard or any organized protection, and admitted the real danger lies in distributing the smuggled goods rather than fetching them. He has never personally used the tunnel since it reopened; past associates who did were caught but did not betray him.
  • Financial Arrangement: The 200 silver advance was divided: 25 silver per PC for gear, 50 silver for a common fund, hidden behind a loose brick in the secret cellar room.
  • Guard Presence: Two City Guards were identified at the coastal end of the smuggling tunnel, necessitating caution.
  • Randolph's Skills & Offer: Randolph is a skilled swordsman. After Mani recounted being turned away in his youth by the Ropolos School's noble-only fencing master and training instead under a guard he befriended, Randolph agreed to train him, judged Mani's new weapons "plain but serviceable," and began daily 6am lessons.
  • Clara & Upstairs: Clara is receptive to the PCs, particularly Mani, and also warmly received Knick Nab, gifting him a black scarf. The upstairs area continues to be a place of interest and potential influence.
  • Riu's Research: Riu's library research on magical amulets was fruitless — no information on how such items are created, and no match for his amulet among known legendary items, aside from a passing reference to an unidentified magical ring. He later purchased a book on Divinity of Two pilgrimage and blessing practices from a bookstore instead.
  • Code Words: The party established code words: "Pristine" to prepare for a fight, and "Copacetic," followed by a three-count, to prepare to run or to signal an immediate run.

Items Gained

  • Manuel de Barret (Mani):
    • Rapier (cost 22 silver)
    • Dagger (cost 3 silver)
  • Noddy:
    • Flintlock Pistol (cost 20 silver)
    • Powder Flask (cost 5 bronze)
    • Gunpowder (cost 2 silver)
    • Bullet Mold (cost 9 bronze)
    • Lead Ingot (cost 5 silver)
    • Dagger (cost 3 silver)
    • (Noddy used his 25 silver share and 6.4 silver of his personal funds for these items)
    • Tricorn Hat, Embroidered Jacket, Linen Shirt, Leather Gauntlets, 3 Pairs of Woolen Socks, Boots, Leather Belt, Small Weather-proof Backpack, and a Cutlass Sheath (separate outfitting purchase)
  • Werner De Rendal:
    • Harpoon (cost 2.5 silver)
    • 2 Throwing Knives (equivalent to daggers, cost 6 silver total)
  • Cosimo Cellini Scivio:
    • Quilted/Padded Armor (cost 5 bronze)
    • Leather Jerkin (cost 1 silver)
  • Knick Nab:
    • Lockpicks (cost 6 bronze)
    • Pitons (3, cost 3 copper total)
    • 50ft Light Rope (cost 4 copper)
    • Black Scarf (gift from Clara)
  • Infurious Montesigna (Riu):
    • Scholarly Book (on religious pilgrimages/blessings, cost 2 silver)
  • Party:
    • Initial 200 silver advance from Burlyman.
    • Bandanas/Scarves for each member.
    • 8 Backpack Frames (found in the smuggling tunnel).
    • A common fund of 50 silver was established. (The remainder of the 150 silver allocated for personal purchases resides with individual PCs).

Items Lost

  • The party, through individual and common fund expenditures, spent a portion of the 200 silver advance from Burlyman on equipment and supplies. (Specifically, 62.7 silver from the 150 silver allocated for individual shares was spent, and Noddy contributed an additional 6.4 silver from personal funds).