The Restenford Journals #3 (4 MARCH 2024)

    Well, we were pretty light on players this evening but they decided to go back to the Burnt Guard House and rid the complex of the Giant Rats they came across the previous session. While attempting to keep a low profile on recruiting Retainers they observed that Restenford is pretty much a quiet sea town and there were not many folks looking for adventure so headed out to the ruin on the west side of town. They however were observed by the Bait Dealer named Zahrdahl. 

  Returning to the Hidden Complex Tushuab & Davon hurried to where they had last spied the rodents and Tushuab attempted to pull them out from their warren only to be swarmed by them. This turned into a bit of a slog and they ended up drinking the Ranger's Potion of Extra-Healing to continue. They are running as a duo of mismatched levels but were having a hard time with the dice wanting to kill them. They settle on the Magic-User carrying the torch while the Ranger with a Dagger in hand crawls ahead behind the wall in the rat warren. I would normally apply a -2 to Hit but he is wielding a dagger which is the most logical weapon for this kind of environment. You should prolly have a Dagger on any of your martial types for these tight spot battles.

  As they crawled behind the walls they did encounter the rats they routed earlier and a larger space spilling into the Hidden Complex's Halls further along to the east. It is crawling with smaller juvenile rats. The battle is joined and the caster is unable to stand upright to cast properly so they bottle neck the rats and slowly kill them with a dagger. Davon is pretty much unable to do anything from his position besides shed light. This takes a bit and we are very chatty this evening so its no big deal just slow going.

  After dealing with the giant Rats they dispatch all of the young. I allow the Ranger some insight into the life cycle of the Giant Rat allowing him to know that the young would be able to fend for themselves in 10 days and after 30 days would be fully grown Giant Rats free wander the streets of Restenford. SO far they have dispatched 7 Giant Rats and this would be a considerable bump in their total population. Exiting into the main hall they encounter another 5 of these giant rats coming in from the opposite direction and they back up to the breeding chambers and hold the line dispatching them slowly. I am surprised no Sleep spell has been dropped to quickly dispatch a group of rats. After dealing with these they opt to head back down the Main Hall rather than crawling through the Warrens. Unfortunately they stumble into a Pit Trap & being a bit of a sadist I have them roll their own damage. Tushuab is lucky and rolls a 1 thus not dying since he was down to 3 hit points and Davon gently floats down to the bottom thanks to his Ring of Feather Falling.

   Upon exiting and heading down the street to return to the Inn of the Dying Minotaur they are hailed by the Bait Dealer who has questions for them. The PCs promptly lie and say they've been crawling in warrens down upon the bank of the Restin River rather than admit they discovered a Hidden Complex beneath the old Guard House. The Bait Dealer mentions he had observed the PCs fishing along the banks of the Restin River previously and it seems he has been watching them. I allow the PCs to roll a reaction roll to determine if they NPC buys their story and its of course Box Cars for a total of 13 including CHA Bonus. After some discussion it is obvious that the old bait dealer cares not that Giant Rats have bitten his neighbors children, "rotten scamps prolly deserved it".

   They return to the Inn covered in dirt and mud with lots of rat bites and scratches. This draws some looks but no questions. Determining they need about 4 days to heal up at the Inn I roll for personalities that may stop by and on the second day Pelltar and his apprentices are at the Inn for Dinner. They pair of Tushuab and Davon approach him and begin a conversation with Pelltar being overtly cautious and guarded in his responses. They do however learn that HE would allow one of his apprentices to be released temporarily for an adventure for a fee of basically 1000GP/Level of the Apprentice and that he would allow them to conduct magical research for the PCs but that he himself would not be bothered by such trivial matters. These transactional endeavors would be 150 GP per item and require a few days of his apprentices time. He also seems uninterested in dealing in liquidation of gems or items but recommends the local merchants and that the Dwarf Inn-Keeper/Tavern-Keeper Falco has an eye for Gem Values otherwise they are welcome to walk to Garotten down the coast to deal with that ridiculous Ohlatta. Pelltar's contempt for the folks of Garotten, The fishermen and anyone he considers of lower station is palpable.

   As a gesture of good will and the dice have favored them slightly they learn that they have a pair of Elfin Boots as well as a Medallion of Alertness which seems to be a fairly common magical item on the Isle of Lenard that gives a Save to whom wears it versus magical slumber. He advises that it works on animals and servant creatures as well but does not elaborate much beyond the fact that he himself has crafted such items.

  We call it an evening and schedule another game in two weeks. Enjoyable and fun with allot of conversation. 

 Game Well, Game Often Y'all