Session 15: The Ratman's Grudge Report

General Summary

Whilst Dinglepop settled down to cast a lengthy spell to summon his familiar, Malcer and Cassandra explored further the deserted dock area before heading back up to the street.   Through the gloom on the ramshackle jetty, a crate sat, seemingly in pretty good condition considering the surroundings. Moving carefully across the rotten boards Malcer and Cassandra carefully made their way towards the crate. As Cassandra peered out into the dark water, Malcer prised the lid off the crate with his war-pick. He managed to fish out several intact and interesting bottles from it before losing his grip on the pick and it clattered down through the floorboards to land on the platform below. The noise of it echoed around the cave and Cassandra and Malcer gritted their teeth as the echo seemed to go on forever... Nothing happened though, Malcer peered through the boards and saw the pick laying directly below. Cursing his bad luck, this made his mind up to descend to the floor below to retrieve the magical pick. Choosing a sturdy-looking ladder he slowly moved down into the darkness, there was a strong smell of animal and rot as he descended. He reached the bottom of the ladder safely and steeped onto the platform, it seemed a little more intact than the one above and opened out onto a small shingle beech. Cassandra came down after him and caught a glimpse of some shadowy shapes lying on the beach ahead. She had little time to think on this however as movement in the corner of her eye alerted her to the approach of enemies and several large rats leapt from a nearby pile of rubbish and driftwood down onto Malcer and Cassandra. The two of them barely had time to raise their weapons before the rats charged into them. Cassandra bravely stepped forward brandishing her glaive. The rats focused on her whilst Malcer recovered his war-pick. Cassandra held the rats off but it was clear these were no ordinary rats and they managed to land many bites on Cassandra, their small but razor sharp teeth finding their way through her armour. Malcer prepared to join the fray but failed to see a shadowy figure approaching him from the darkness behind, the first he knew of it was a sharp pain in the small of his back. Fortunately his mail deflected the main force of the dagger blow and he lived to fight another day, swinging out wildly with his pick. He wild blow was true though and he heard an anguished yelp as he felt the weapon hit it's target. Turning, he caught a quick glimpse of a humanoid figure disappearing behind another large pile of rubbish.  

  As Cassandra fought with the rats an odd thing occurred, where three rats had stood, there were now six. Cassandra blinked, thinking perhaps she had taken a blow to the head but no, the rats had doubled in front of her eyes. Saying a silent prayer to Freya, Goddess of Love and Fertility she gripped her glaive more tightly and fought on. Malcer now joined the fray. He was understandibly wary of the shadowy figure attacking him again but Cassandra needed help so he charged forward. More rats appeared as he plunged his war pick into one of the many rats now surrounding them, their hungry, beady eyes looking forward to their impending meal. Cassandra managed to dispatch one of the larger rats and the double effect seemed to cease, she was finally managing to thin their ranks, with heavy limbs she redoubled her efforts and slowly moved backwards to join up with Malcer. Together they managed to dispatch the last of the large rats and the rest scurried away into the darkness. Although covered in many bites, the wounds seemed mostly superficial and they thought they had gotten away lightly but a strange feeling threatened to overcome the as the poison from the filthy, yellow teeth seeped into their systems. This was clearly no common disease and images of the dead figures lying on the beach close by crossed Cassandra's mind as she doubled over in pain. However, their gods clearly favoured them both on this day and they managed to shake off the feeling, Malcer retching up the recent meal of rat before his head cleared.   They took a moment in the foul darkness and then approached the beach. Two figure lay there, a skeleton in rags and a female figure dressed as a rogue. Nothing so unusual until they realised that the rogue appeared to have a conjoined twin. Casandra and Malcer looked at each other, both having the same though. Was this what happened to those infected by the bite of the 'Dopplerats'?   Malcer turned away silently and made for the direction from which the shadowy figure had attacked him. A large pile of rotten and burnt wood, broken planks, reeds and other rubbish sat not far away. Malcer shouted out angrily, challenging the pile's resident to emerge, Cassandra unsure what he was doing and wondering if this was an after effect of the infection. Malcer explained what had happened an turned his attention back to the pile, he drew out a bottle of oil, found in the chest above recently and poured it over some planks setting fire to it. The planks sparked into flames and after a few minutes the flames had grown, smoke drifting out across thre water. A hunched, human-sized figure rushed out from the pile unarmed and holding his clawed hands out front. What stood before them was a human-sized rat, daggers at his belt and a ragged, red hood pulled up over his head.   "No hurt Matimer!", he called out in a weedy, nasally voice. "Matimer help humans, no hurt Matimer!"     It was clear that this was the creature that had attacked Malcer, not so brave when armed and ready opponents stood nearby. Malcer and Cassandra did not attack him however, perhaps feeling a little pity for the sorry, lonely creature. He explained that he lived down here with the rats, knew of Donnar but left him alone and was a sworn enemy of the Bard's Gate Thieves Guild. After further threats he offered Lady Cassandra an exquisite pair of sapphire-studded earrings that the rat-creature had 'acquired'. Malcer and Cassandra remembered a message on the help Wanted board they had seen:   "Earrings Stolen: My wagon was robbed by bandits in the Stoneheart forest. Among the items taken where heirloom earrings that were given to me by my mother. Please find them. Reward available. Ferro Woodwage, Geddes Row, Middle Ring, The Hill"   Could these be those earrings?   Matimer said that if the companions would help him he would help them. They asked him about the missing girls and he gave them various leads. He suggested they speak to the 'Night-Ladies, Riverfolk down at the docks and also Katrin, a lady who lived over on the East Docks. In return for this information he enthusiastically showed them his list of targets at the Thieves Guild. The list of names meant nothing to the companions but they copied it down, being non-committal abut what they would do with and eager to be away from this dark, smelly and depressing place.   The names were:   Tristana Bromgrove
Abel Stelsis
Artana
Breena Rockumber
Harper Methanian
Rockfoot Grom
Silverfrond
  They returned back up the ladder and collected Dinglepop who stood ready chatting to his familiar, Poncho. They returned to the street and gathered their reward before retiring to Lady Cassandra's home for the evening.

Character(s) interacted with

Matimer, Ratling Rogue and enemy of the Bard's Gate Thieves Guild