Episode 4: A Kind of Mercy Report

General Summary

Prequel to The Enemy Within Episode 04 - “A Kind of Mercy” 4/14/2019 Post-Game Notes
Day 9 (sixth day in Ubersreik; third day on the job) (continued - late evening)
Party continues to interrogate Tun Lowhaven while Kris starts engineering an elaborate lit-lantern-weighted rope-release contraption (a “Tilean time knot”) with the slack

• Party concludes to let him go, and have Tun arrange a meeting with Mercy Lowhaven to discuss turning over the plans; contact through Bridge House Inn
• Beau, with the help of a dazed Dimzad (someone knocked him out right after a halfling jumped out the window), drags Johnnycake’s body behind some empty barrels and they cover him with trash
• When they have the information they need, Kris turns to the party, his back to the Rube Goldberg fiasco, and starts explaining how Tun’s restraints will be burned free in ninety minutes… As he’s talking, the lantern slides free from its knot, sways back and forth on the rope for a moment, and evenly drizzles oil all over the floorboards and straw bedding. Then the lantern itself crashes to the ground, causing an instant conflagration. Tun screams like a little girl. The party cuts him loose and they all gtfo.

Evening beat: met by barefoot teenage boy, Eugen Pechvogel, in the Dunkelfeucht. Implored to investigate his father’s disappearance (left two nights ago and still hasn’t returned).

• Interview mother, a few local denizens: at least a dozen people of various social class have gone missing
• Abandoned, splintered rowboat with claw marks tied to a rickety pier (which shows signs of melted wood and stone)
• Suspicious characters afoot: baglady wearing multiple hats, donkey-faced man, black guy with bandaged eye
• Party leaves with more questions than answers; promise to return

Around 1:30am, party heads into the Artisan Quarter down Wizard’s Way; no sign of Conrad or Engelbrecht

• Beau shouts up to the tower, apologizing for the previous night and letting anyone who can hear know that they’re all staying at the RMI

Day 10 (seventh day in Ubersreik; fourth day on the job)
Morning beat: confer with Rudi outside Customs House; he lets them know that Sgt. Maisel is looking to have a chat with them today. “And did you guys hear about a fire in the Rookery? Stay out of the Dunkelfeucht.” Party given leave to patrol on their own.
Boatmen’s Guild: Karl and Kris return in their guise as merchant & his seaman.

• Rugger: the “employer” wants me to set up a meeting with you tonight, here, to go over the trip upriver to Tallerhof Village. Unload human cargo; take on brandy.

Guild of Boatmakers and Chandlers: meanwhile, Abbott & Costello loiter around the docks and wind up talking to the guildmaster of nearby dry dock.

• Prochnow shows off his busy inlet, and points out a fenced off barge in dry dock that “has been idling for some time”
• Promises them a three-minute timekeeper candle

The Precinct: after morning patrol, head to meet Lief Maisel

• Sgt. Maisel: questions them about the fire that started at Klauson’s apartment; remains of an ogre discovered. Cautions party again about getting too involved in Rudi’s affairs. After hearing party’s report, concerned that the Teufel might have a troll.
• Outfitters: God picks up repaired armor; Beau buys an undamaging blackjack

Artisan Quarter:

• Bridge House Inn: pick up letter from Jekel (he seems concerned; has sent more agents to Grausee) and send him one: “We’re following up on another set of leads. We’ll be on the lookout for your friends. Send money. Kisses.”
• Lunch with two Lowhaven halflings. Party is invited to dinner tonight at the Lowhaven Hall. Given instructions for entrance.
• Woodworkers’ Guild: Ernst is given the recovered plans, and he, in turn, gives the party plans -- also drafted by Klauson -- for interlocking hinged bookcases, used for covering hidden passageways.
• Cordelia’s Apothecary: Cordelia has gone home for the day, but Beau buys more weirdroot.

A little sit-down with Mercy Lowhaven:

• Led through courtyard behind Satrioli’s to lavish low-ceilinged dining hall where a dozen halflings are waiting.
• Ogre guard has the party leave their weapons on a table in the arcade outside the dining room.
• Lowhavens deal in information, and, given the current state of politics in Ubersreik, it is becoming increasingly less useful to hold sway with the nobles
• Target of this current scheme: Christophe the Grey Wizard.
• Mercy has the means to use these plans as leverage; the party does not. Therefore, agree to work for me when needed, and begin by selling me the plans for the very generous price of 25GC.
• We’ll agree to leave Sgt. Klumpenklug out of this.
• Wants the plans within 24 hours.

Interlude:
You four spend the better part of an hour dining, enjoying a sumptuous feast of savory pies, sausages, braised root vegetables, fresh baked bread, and strong ale. Mindful of the warnings against talking business whilst eating, you surreptitiously discuss Mercy’s offer amongst yourselves, resolving to provide a counter-offer once the opportunity arises.
You also make every effort to observe the Lowhaven dynamics, and monitor, as much as possible, their own conversations, hoping to gain more insight into how their organization works and what wheels, if any, are in motion.
“We’ve been trying to gain exclusives on White Gold for over a year. Fucking Harzert’s! How’d that happen?”
“It’s the Holzenauers, I’m telling you. Big society ball in the works, is what I’m hearing. Harzert’s always caters their events.”
“What do we have on Lord Erich? Anything?”
“Ah! Mutton pasties! Thank you, Sticky. Right, right, sorry… we’ll discuss this later.”
“White is shite. Sewerjacks can bait the rats with it for all I care.
“Harhar! Shut your gob, y’fool twat! Ye’d sell your grandam for a wheel, and y’know it!”
“Ain’t it supposed to be truffle season already?”
Stickybun, a particularly convivial halfling, and one of the only ones at the table who ever checks in with you lot to see how you’re enjoying the repast, clears away the last few plates of the sour cherry & apple sweet pies and motions for another Lowhaven clan member to bring cups of coffee.
After he takes his first sip, Mercy smiles broadly and looks over at you four for the first time since your meal began. “Well, friends. I hope you enjoyed supper. Now, where were we?”
You glance around at one another for a moment before Karl pushes his chair back from the table slightly, raises his chin, and offers up his most charming expression: “We, of course, wholly appreciate your generous offer Mr. Lowhaven…”
“Please.” He spreads out his stubby arms. “Mercy.”
“Yes, Mr. Mercy, sir. Mercy. We appreciate it, we do. The truth is, however, that we are exceedingly busy with our current employer, as it were. Despite that, we are in a good spot to continue doing what we do best…”
“Yes…?”
“Meaning, Mercy, sir… to help out the good people of Ubersreik. For a fee.”
Mercy folds his arms on the table and cocks his head to one side. Stickybun looks over at his cousin, a hint of anxiety on his brow. “I see…”
Karl continues. “So we would like to remain independent. I’m sure you can understand. Our position at present is… complicated. But! As a gesture of goodwill and in hopes of future collaboration, we would be willing to offer you the plans in question, and agree to a conclusion of all this unfortunate business… for a small fee of… fifteen, um, gold crowns?”
Every halfling in the room shoots a wide-eyed gaze at Karl, then they slowly wheel their heads back to Mercy. There is a seemingly interminable pause as the room holds its collective breath.
Mercy breaks the silence with a low chuckle.
“Lads, I do understand. I do. I feel like I understand things far better than I did before we met, in fact. As do we all, yes?” He motions around the room as confused halflings nod their assent. “I’m glad we had this conversation. Truly.”
Mercy climbs out of his chair and stands back from the table a bit. “Tomorrow morning two of my associates will look for you at the Bridge House Inn. Bring the plans, and you will be compensated with five gold. And then, as you, say, we can agree to a conclusion to all that has transpired between us.”
Mercy walks around the table and approaches Karl. He extends his hand.
“And know that you have friends in the Lowhavens.”

Rewards Granted

XP: Kris, Karl, Beau, and God: 70 each
Loot: “Fake” plans drafted by Klauson

Character(s) interacted with

Locations scouted and NPC’s engaged:
Dunkelfeucht Eugen Pechvogel (boy) Maglyn Pechvogel (mother) Peker (rat-meat seller) Grausee (location only Jekel has sent “agents to Grausee” Tallerhof Village (location only) Lowhaven Dining Hall and Satrioli’s Sausage Factory (Artisan Quarter) Mercy Lowhaven “Stickybun” Lowhaven, lieutenant Boatmakers and Chandlers Guild Kurt Prochnow, young and somewhat arrogant guildmaster and “most eligible bachelor in Ubersreik”

Campaign

The Enemy Within

Protagonists

Godabert

Report Date

01 May 2023

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