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Chapter 1 - Session 10

Admiralty's Attention and Ancient Maps

Events and Actions

The party, possessing Lieutenant Barrows' stolen letter and a cache of other documents — including an ancient map inscribed on a scrap of skin and at least two decades old — first went upstairs at The Crow's Nest hoping to find Mistress Mary, whom they had seen with the Prince at the trial, but she was out; a companion of hers could offer little beyond suggesting they take everything straight to the Admiralty. Weighing that advice, they decided to approach the Admiralty directly to prove Barrows' innocence. Before setting out, they weighed the risk of turning everything over: presenting Naval papers that pointed to a spy ring could easily end in torture or worse. Some voiced real fear of the consequences, but Knick Nab argued they had already been seen and named at the trial and could not simply walk away now, and volunteered to make the approach himself. After leaving their other spoils (money and valuables) in their clubhouse at The Crow's Nest, they changed out of the clothes bloodied in the fight at Nigfa's safe house and took a few minutes to clean themselves up before heading to the Docks, with Werner accompanying Knick Nab to the door and the others hanging back to prepare for a possible rescue.

At the Docks, Noddy first hailed one of the patrolling guards to ask where proof of Barrows' innocence should be brought if found; the guard, unaware of any such arrangement, told him to clear off. Noddy then tried calling directly to the still-dangling Lieutenant Barrows, but Barrows could only manage a strangled noise in reply — enough to show he was alive, but nothing intelligible. Knick Nab and Werner De Rendal then approached the Admiralty building itself, where two guards barred the way. When a suspicious guard demanded proof by asking the Admiral's name, Knick Nab recalled it correctly — Admiral Denys — and claimed he had been personally tasked by the Admiral to find proof of Barrows' innocence. Werner, using the alias "Simon de Say," supported this, claiming to be a client of the noble de Marel family.

After a lengthy wait, an officer, Vice Admiral Codemar, emerged. Knick Nab explained he had retrieved the letter from the pickpocket, Stick Stab. Codemar warned that if this proved to be deceit, their fate would be far worse than Barrows'; he then read the sealed letter and ordered Knick Nab and Werner into custody. They were taken into a waiting room inside the Admiralty building.

Meanwhile, the other party members (Noddy, Cosimo, and Manuel de Barret) watched from outside. Manuel, who had held back a portion of the recovered documents rather than hand everything over, quietly looked them through — orders, ship movements, provisions, postings, letters of introduction, some already opened — confirming they were clearly recent and valuable, and resolved to keep them in reserve in case the moment called for more evidence, though it never did. Out of the mist, an old woman ("Good Mother") came clip-clopping up the street with a horse and cart. Noddy and Cosimo spoke with her; she gave them each a small bag containing twigs and roots, telling them it would help them "find the truth." When Noddy asked about the Medallion symbol, she cryptically replied, "That's what I told you to do."

Inside, Knick Nab and Werner heard a commotion, and soldiers rushed out to rescue Lieutenant Barrows — a messy, brutal business from what those outside could see, as the guards cut the rope, Barrows fell into the water, and they hauled him out and half-carried him back across the courtyard. He was brought into the building looking in bad shape, and groans could be heard from time to time as he was assessed. Later, Vice Admiral Codemar returned and questioned Knick Nab and Werner. Knick Nab explained he had confronted the pickpocket, Stick Stab, at Nigfa's safe house on Grunge Lane, and that Nigfa had specifically ordered his boys to steal documents; pressed on how he knew this, he admitted the pickpockets had been roughed up until they talked. He then presented the additional stolen Naval documents, flabbergasting Codemar, and admitted under questioning that he had been taken from the hills as a small child and had no memory of his true name or family.

Knick Nab and Werner were then moved to a cell in the basement, their possessions (Knick Nab's knives, Werner's lockpicks and wooden spoon) temporarily confiscated. Knick Nab unsuccessfully attempted to telepathically contact Noddy.

The remaining party members outside coordinated. Manuel de Barret kept watch at the Docks. Noddy and Cosimo returned to The Crow's Nest and informed Randolph the Chronicler of the situation. Randolph counseled patience, reasoning that Barrows' rescue meant the guards believed their story, though he warned that Nigfa's death — even in self-defense — could still count against Knick Nab and Werner if it came to light. He confirmed that Mary had left with the Prince that morning and had not returned, and added that even if things went badly, the Admiralty building was not a jail, so their friends would not be held there for long. Cosimo then spoke with Mistress Clara, showing her the bag of twigs and, at her prompting, recounting the whole story of the Old Woman who had given it to him. Clara admitted the tale did not sound like anything from the teachings of the Mother and Father, though she allowed it was not unreasonable to suspect their hand in it. Unable to reach Mary herself, Clara guessed she would be back within a day or two, matching how long her calls from the Prince usually lasted, and promised to pass along their request. Clara identified the contents of the bag as Bitterroot, a rare plant from the islands used by pygmies for pain relief — the notes she consulted described chewing two roots for the effect — and agreed to observe Cosimo if he decided to try it.

Through the night, the party kept watch over the Admiralty building in shifts, with Burlyman's wife supplying food and, for whoever drew the cold outdoor watch, a small flask of spirits to keep warm. Passing back through The Crow's Nest, Noddy noticed A'Wood — the sailor who had guided them through the smuggling tunnels — drinking with a group of unfamiliar sailors, and quietly studied their faces in case he needed to recognize them again.

The next day, Knick Nab and Werner were brought up from the cell to an office to meet with Vice Admiral Codemar again. He told them Lieutenant Barrows was young and strong and recovering well, and had urged that they be treated as friends rather than prisoners or suspects — a request Codemar said he felt bound to honour, given his own sense of debt to Barrows. He pressed them to be entirely forthright, then returned to the confrontation at Grunge Lane: they admitted to the violence, explaining they had been defending themselves, that Nigfa had died falling from a window, and that two other sailors present had fled or been badly hurt, one with a dislocated shoulder. On hearing that the safe house's upper rooms held barrels and crates of goods, Codemar concluded the bakery and chandlery fronting it must have been complicit in some smuggling operation. Satisfied, he confirmed Barrows had vouched for them, expressed gratitude for the returned documents and the information about the spy ring, and said he would need to speak with them again — noting that if he needed to find them, he already knew they were staying at The Crow's Nest. Asked where they were from, Werner claimed they had formerly been clients of "the De Rendal" — a once-great northern family fallen on hard times — without admitting the name was in fact his own. Werner then inquired about a Naval commission, and Codemar advised him to have his father's factor make a formal request.

The party reunited and, at Knick Nab's suggestion, resolved to sit down together for a proper meal rather than scraps, using the time to talk through everything that had happened. Comparing notes, more than one of them found that trying to leave the group's company brought on nausea and fatigue — evidence that the medallions somehow bound their fates together — though none of them recalled feeling anything the night before, when the group was split three-and-three between the cell and the street outside, even allowing that everyone had simply been too exhausted to notice. They connected the nausea to an earlier, cryptic remark from the Old Woman that she could not change everyone's fate, concluding she must be deliberately shaping theirs. Cosimo searched his knowledge of the Divinity of Two for anything resembling her instruction to "seek the truth," but found nothing tying it to established church teaching. Mindful that Randolph recorded everything he was told, the party agreed to keep him in the dark about the medallions and the Old Woman, sharing with him only what they judged safe. Someone also pointed out that the Admiralty's coming visit might not be their only worry: Knick Nab had told Stick Stab where they lived before the fight at Nigfa's, so Nigfa's surviving associates in the underworld could come looking for them as well.

Turning to the map, the party worked out that the long straight line across its center — which they had first taken for a road or canal — was more likely a wall, since it bore a door and a small structure and was flanked by roads on both sides. The cryptic script scattered across it resembled a degraded, corrupted form of Elvish, unreadable even to Infurious Montesigna (Riu), who had a little training in the language. Besides Gildenhome, the map marked several other "homes" — one to the east, one partway down a path, and one at its southern edge — along with an X, a notable clearing, a stretch of coastline complete with what looked like a sea monster, and cardinal direction points, though the party cautioned themselves against assuming the compass arrow followed Northern convention without confirming which end was north. They reasoned the map likely postdated the Great Change, since whoever made it had evidently gone out exploring and returned with what they'd found; Riu also noted that measuring longitude at sea remained difficult in this world, with sailors still navigating largely by landmarks, ice patterns, and dead reckoning, which meant the map's markings were unlikely to be true coordinates. Judging Gildenhome their best lead, the party decided to make a faithful copy of the map — with Riu, whose vocation as a librarian included map-making, taking the lead — before doing anything else with the fragile original. They planned to research Gildenhome and the map's origins through libraries and cartographers, quietly ask around about anyone offering a reward — as much as 50 gold, they guessed — for a stolen map, and consider whether the loot recovered from Nigfa's gang could reveal who the documents were stolen from in the first place, reasoning that whoever stole them had likely been targeting people in naval uniform specifically, since papers passed between officers directly were unlikely to have gone missing by chance. Someone wondered aloud whether any of this connected to the walled-off chamber they had found beneath the Capitol's cathedral, with its manacles and the immured body wearing several concealed medallions of which only one had ever been visible — the two mysteries felt related, though nobody could say how. For now, they set aside the idea of questioning a church of the Two directly, mindful that even hinting at some power behind the Old Woman could be read as blasphemy, though disguising the question as a devout northern boy's idle curiosity about old stories was floated as a safer approach to try later.

NPCs & Creatures

  • Lieutenant Barrows
  • Vice Admiral Codemar
  • Admiral Denys (mentioned by PCs)
  • Stick Stab (mentioned)
  • Nigfa (mentioned, deceased)
  • Captain Maynard (mentioned, author of the letter)
  • Randolph the Chronicler
  • Mistress Clara
  • Mistress Mary (mentioned, away with Prince Piers)
  • Prince Piers (mentioned)
  • Old Woman / Good Mother
  • Pocket (Noddy's bird)
  • Various guards and soldiers of the Admiralty
  • A'Wood (seen at The Crow's Nest)
  • Burlyman's wife (innkeeper, supplied food and drink for the night watch)

Locations

  • The Crow's Nest (Tavern and PC's basement clubhouse)
  • The Docks (including the Admiralty building and the shore where Barrows was hung)
  • Grunge Lane (mentioned as location of Nigfa's safe house)
  • The Capitol

Conflicts

  • Internal disagreement within the party over the risk of turning the documents over to the Admiralty, given the danger of being implicated in a spy ring.
  • Verbal confrontations with Admiralty guards and Vice Admiral Codemar, including Codemar's warning that deceit would cost Knick Nab and Werner far more than it had cost Barrows.
  • The arrest and temporary imprisonment of Knick Nab and Werner De Rendal.
  • The previous session's violent encounter at Nigfa's safe house was recounted to Vice Admiral Codemar, including the admission that the pickpockets had been roughed up to extract information about Nigfa's orders.
  • A new threat emerged: since Knick Nab had told Stick Stab where the party lived, Nigfa's surviving associates might come looking for them, on top of the Admiralty's expected follow-up.

Learnings and Discussions

  • Lieutenant Barrows was rescued due to the letter provided by the party.
  • Vice Admiral Codemar is investigating the widespread theft of Naval documents.
  • The party (Knick Nab and Werner) provided significant information and documents to the Admiralty.
  • The party learned their actions were commendable, and they are currently viewed as "friends" by Lieutenant Barrows, influencing the Admiralty's treatment of them. Codemar also noted Barrows was young and strong and recovering well.
  • The Old Woman ("Good Mother") provided Noddy and Cosimo with Bitterroot, instructing them to use it to "seek the truth."
  • Mistress Clara identified Bitterroot as a rare plant from islands, used by pygmies for pain relief. When Cosimo recounted the Old Woman's whole story to her, Clara said it did not match anything from the teachings of the Mother and Father, though she allowed it was not unreasonable to suspect their hand in it.
  • The party discussed the mysterious nature of the Old Woman, the Medallions, and the ancient map, and wondered whether any of it connected to the walled-off chamber they had found beneath the Capitol's cathedral, with its manacles and the immured body wearing several concealed medallions of which only one had ever been visible — though they reached no firm conclusion.
  • Trying to leave the group's company brings on nausea and fatigue — evidence the Medallions bind the party's fates together. The party connected this to the Old Woman's earlier remark that she could not change everyone's fate, concluding she is deliberately shaping theirs. Curiously, none of them recalled feeling anything the night the group was split three-and-three between the cell and the street outside, though they allowed everyone had simply been too tired to notice.
  • Bitterroot must be chewed — two roots, per Clara's sources — to produce its pain-relieving effect.
  • The ancient map's central line is most likely a wall — it bears a door and a small structure and is flanked by roads on both sides — rather than a road or canal. Its script resembles a degraded, corrupted form of Elvish, unreadable even to Riu, who has some training in the language. Besides Gildenhome, the map also marks several other "homes" to the east, along a path, and at its southern edge, along with an X, a notable clearing, a stretch of coastline with what looks like a sea monster, and cardinal direction points of uncertain orientation. The party guessed the map postdates the Great Change, and Riu noted that reliable longitude is still beyond this world's navigators, who rely on landmarks, ice patterns, and dead reckoning.
  • Randolph confirmed Mistress Mary left with the Prince that morning and had not returned, and noted that the Admiralty building is not a jail, so even a bad outcome would not have kept Knick Nab and Werner there for long.
  • Vice Admiral Codemar suspects the bakery and chandlery fronting Nigfa's hideout were complicit in smuggling, based on the barrels and crates found stored in its upper rooms.
  • The party planned to:
    • Make a copy of the ancient map.
    • Research "Gildenhome" and the map's origins through libraries and cartographers.
    • Quietly ask around about anyone offering a reward — as much as 50 gold, by their guess — for such a map.
    • Consider whether the loot recovered from Nigfa's gang could reveal who the documents were originally stolen from, on the theory that the thieves were likely targeting people in naval uniform specifically.
    • Explore the use of the Bitterroot.
    • Speak to Burlyman about payment for the earlier smuggling job.
    • Hold off on questioning a church of the Two directly about the Old Woman, for now, given that even hinting at some power behind her could be read as blasphemy; disguising the question as a devout northern boy's idle curiosity about old stories was floated as a safer approach to try later.
    • Say as little as possible to Randolph the Chronicler about the medallions and the Old Woman, since he records everything he is told.
  • The Admiralty knows the party is staying at The Crow's Nest.

Items Gained

  • Two small bags of Bitterroot (one for Noddy, one for Cosimo), given by the Old Woman.

Items Lost

  • Knick Nab's large knife and one throwing knife were temporarily confiscated by Admiralty guards (returned upon release).
  • Werner De Rendal's lockpicks and a large wooden spoon were temporarily confiscated by Admiralty guards (returned upon release).