Session 02: March 25, 2018

I smell a rat!

Players 
Mersit Of The Raging Tree, catfolk swashbuckler/rogue ..... Aaron Collins
Taarn, kellid barbarian ..... Mick Hodorek
Ashen, elf bladebound magus ..... Mike Horrigan
Rupert Silvermoon, elf wizard ..... Jonathan Hood
Esdar (Dar) Aerril, half-elf cleric ..... Alex Nutall

After the explanations of the Shard history and backstories of Sheila and Natalya, we agree to sally forth to recover more Shard pieces. Armed with 1) a rough map from Natalya, 2) a dream vision from Rupert showing that the next Shard is also in the Crow and 3) our lack of respect for danger, we feel ready for this new challenge.
To begin, we go shopping. Normally we don't like to split the party but Mersit and Esdar go to get some remove curse & disease potions (plus some other supplies) while the others do their own shopping.  We are particularly interested in not getting turned into were-rats so we stock up on silversheen as well. Surprisingly no one dies or kills anyone.

We get final minute prepping and advice from Sheila about boat availability then we set off to rent a rowboat. Natalya suggested trying to sneak in as the Crow is now home to the Tower Girls and they will definitely be on alert. As the night is a bit cloudy with a new moon, we decide going an hour after sunset would be a perfect time. Mersit goes to navigate but apparently Esdar is some kind of stupid sea cleric so he takes responsibility to steer the rowboat (see "Jon'ed" in appendix) beyond the bridge remnants to get to the Crow piling. The aforementioned lack of light makes it more difficult but we are able to stealthily get to the piling in question. As we get closer to our destination, we can see that the piling does do credit to its name: it is completely covered in crow carvings as a castle would be with gargoyles. We douse our lights as we get close to not alert the TGirls.

We are on the lookout for a docking area and at first we don't see one until we notice 3 flange-like structures (lancet?) sticking out of the piling (seems to match our map from N.) that form a kind of archway we can sail beneath. Then we come to a small area that looks to be the remains of the top of a stairway (the water covering all but the top step). When we get close enough, we see two other rowboats moored already. We decide to light up since we can barely see anything else. Now we get a better view of a small alcove leading into the piling and the high ceiling above (130-150 feet up?). We land our boat on the "beach" and peer into the alcove which looks to be littered with old campfires and trash from previous explorers (or the Tower Girls).  At this point we do the standard "freeze and listen" move from our adventuring training guide but we don't hear anything untoward.

We enter the alcove proper and Taarn checks the campfires to determine how long ago they had been used - he estimates at least a week (so not very recent but not so very long ago either). We see three more pathwayss out the alcove area but decide to slavishly follow the map (we can explore more thoroughly after getting the next Shard).
That means North Miss Teschmacher! North!


We go up the north stairs until we get to a landing where three open chests are found. On the ground near the chests we can see the floor covered with a yellow-y powder. Esdar casts Detect Magic but nothing goes off. Rupert does an alchemy check and realizes it's ungol dust (a nasty bit of business of spores - deadly) but that it is now inert. We surmise it was a trap that had previously been sprung.

We continue until we get to another large room (30'  by at least 40+ deep) with another exit that contains sets of columns and a huge mural. The columns are a set of parallel double pillars that fill the room. A mural depicts a scene of giants & pilgrims (at least they look like pilgrims) peacefully marching over the bridge - it's very colourful and very beautiful. Times were simpler back then - a time when a pilgrim and a giant could happily skip across a bridge without worry.

Before we go too far in though, Rupert alerts us that he heard a faint scratching at the end of the room - a scratch in the dark. We are possibly not alone. We decide to skirt along the wall towards the other doorway that we see instead of cutting through the columns. As we move long, Mersit, Rupert and Esdar notice a "large dog" at the far end of the room? That's no dog... Wererat! The beast quickly scurries to the entrance that we were heading towards (which we can now see is a stairwell) and disappears from our view - starting to go up the stairs.

We decide that fleeing in this context constitutes probable cause (running while rat?) and we give pursuit.

INISH

• A: Ashen moves up between the columns to get a better view and lines up his shot. He releases some scorching rays and he fucking roasts the rat with a direct hit (Nat 20!). This drops the wererat to "mostly" dead.
• M: Mersit follows up and throws a silver dagger to complete the job. The rat is now "all" dead. "Don't play with your food", some smartass says to the heroic Mersit.

We watch as the rat corpse morphs into a tower girl corpse (with gear). Merist retrieves his dagger - carefully wiping so as to not get any lyncanthropy on himself. The rest of the party comes to the stairs to see the results. Esdar does some priestly BS on the body before kicking it down the steps (a real humanitarian). Rupert searches the body and finds some coins (15gp into the hole).

We then continue up a series of stairwells (about 150 feet up) until we come to the (top?) level. As we come around the corner, Taarn sees another light off in the distance (TGs?). We decide that another light source in this context constitutes probable cause (torching in the dark?) and we call for backup (Spell of Joy).

INISH

• M: Mersit moves up (but not too far away from SoJ range) and gives a traditional catfolk greeting from his village (basically a series of hisses and scratching in the air) which doesn't seem to go over well with the girls...strange.
• TG1: Tower Girl #1 runs to the side and vanishes from our view.
• TG2: Tower Girl #2 does the same as #1.
• R: Rupert moves up and readies a spell in case anything else suddenly appears. 
• E: Esdar steps up and casts Spell Of Joy! (there is much rejoycing)
• T: Taarn asks a quick question, "Are we chasing?" To which we reply in unison, "We are chasing!". Happily T gives chase but as gets to the room where the TGs were he finds them gone and the room empty but for a campfire.
• M: Double moves into the room. He goes all way to the far wall where the TGs were last seen heading towards. He doesn't see anything but does hear a click-like sound coming from behind the wall. 
• R: Moves up and readies a spell again. 
• A: Ashen moves up and cast mirror image (5). 
• E: Moves into the room and cast shield boost (for a party that doesn't use shields) 
• T: Moves to the wall beside Mersit and finds the secret door.
• M: Pushes the door open, sees one of the TGs (TG1?) trying to run (perp is trying to flee the scene of the crime.) Using mythic fleet, Mersit charges and hits the TG hard...then hits again to drop her. 
• TG2: by this time she had gotten to an opening in the room leading to a sharp drop to the boats below. She then starts to cross one of two planks setup to access a platform (remember for later that this is 130-150 feet+ over the water). Once on the platform she pulls on a rope to reveal a trapdoor in the overhang-like ceiling and pulls down a stairwell (a la Christmas Vacation attic). 
• R: Moves into the room with Mersit to get a clean shot at TG2 on the platform. After debating whether a fireball would also destroy the platform, Rupert decides to go with a nice bolt of lightning. Unfortunately TG2 is a nimble little minx and manages to avoid the damage.
• A: Ashen and his mirrors moves past M and R to get all the way to the plank - ready to scorch.
• E: Moves into the room and starts a Call Lightning spell (Rupert wannabe) 
• T: The barbarian calmly(!) runs through the room and then across one of the planks to get some "in your face" time with TG2 - ready to destroy if and when she moves. 
• M: The catfolk follows T's example: he charges across the opposite plank and bull rushes TG2 off the platform. The Tower Girls falls to her (presumed) death as she lands with a thud on one of the boats below. 

Merist and Taarn move up the stairs to a room above the trap door. The rest of the party makes it across the planks and follows T and M up to the room.