Episode 24 - Shitting on the Viscount
After defeating the gang of ruffians in the alleyway behind The Roopty Scoop, the party is momentarily separated as Davwyn, Klork, and Booty realize they need to gather supplies before going to the library. Moxt and Vaceren meet up with his recently recovered partner, Fadkat who meets them on their way across town. The remainder of the party attempt to head across town to the Lower Burrows when they are stopped at the bridge by men wearing the same symbol on their chests as the leader of the alley gang. While arguing with the bridgemen, another man approaches the party and introduces himself as Norbert Tre'bron. He explains that he is the head of the Ospreys o' Brine faction. He states the young man who attacked them in the alley was not a representation of the faction. After waving their bridge fair and compensating them for the Ospreys' insult, Norbert invites the party to rest and eat at his home in the Burrows.
The party is led through the slums of the Lower Burrows and eventually come to a humble home where they enjoy a small feast, beer, and biscotti. As the party begins to bed down for the night, Vaceren experiences strange dizzy spells, a cold sweat and then drops to the floor in horror. Gathering his composure, Vaceren falls into bed as fits of nightmarish images fill his head. Fadkat roosts outside the house but leaves in the middle of the night as he spots a potential threat jet across the horizon.
Norbert commissions the party to travel to the nearby docks and infiltrate The Viscount's warehouse. He requests for the party to inspect a shipment on the docks and then discover any evidence of foul play in the Viscount's nearby offices. With Norbert's platinum Osprey insignia, a letter from the council, and a clear mission, the party locates Norbert's men at the docks arguing with the Viscount's mercenaries. While the dock workers distract the Viscount's men, Moxt and Vaceren discover the crates have a false bottom which hold fruit that appears too perfect, except for a thin gossamer like orange fuzz.
Posing as city inspectors, the two charlotans then sneak into the warehouse where they discover a massive Loxodon warrior guarding several more massive crates of the hairy fruit. Moxt changes into a bird and begins creating a distraction by defecating on the warehouse staff, causing them to slip, fall blind, and eventually resort to brute violence. Later, a fallen Assimar arrives at the warehouse, speaks with the Loxodon, and then leave. The Loxodon takes up his post once more but notices a new, unique smell on the crates and begins following Vaceren's invisible scent trail.
Vaceren helps Moxt sneak into the higher levels of the warehouse through an exterior vent. Moxt discovers a familiar puzzle that unlocks the Viscount's office door and procedes to steal a damning letter off the Viscount's desk. This Viscount's office note appears to be written by an old enemy of the party, The Demon Yibiyru. While scouting the office for threats, Vaceren locates a particularly evil vase next to the desk and notes that the item appears to be pulsating with demonic power.
The party returns to Norbert without being discovered and provide him with the original copy of the Viscounts letter from Yibiyru. The faction leader appears to be concerned about the Loxodon working for the Viscount as he is a member of a well established advernturing team called the Saernclaws. Norbert keeps his word and compensates the heroes for their impressive work. The exhausted adventurers crash at Norbert's once more, enjoying the small comforts there in.
What is this hairy fruit the Viscount is attempting to export? What does Yibiyru mean by her disguise? And did Fadkat ever find a suitable substitute for nightcrawlers?
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