The Age of Worms / Flood Season pt. 7 / Galen the 23rd, 3592 CE / 6-28-20

As the battle with bandits in the Lucky Monkey Inn continues, Lulu has been taken hostage by their apparent leader, a vicious wererat named to Tongue-Eater. To show that he's serious, he bites the oracle, possibly infecting her with his curse. It seems an impossible choice, one that forces Marrow to retreat for fear of Lulu coming to further harm, until Nari uses her magic to force Tongue-Eater into bouts of uncontrollable, hideous laughter. Free from the wererat's grasp, Lulu flees to one of the servant's quarters, receiving a dose of magical grease on the way to aid in further escapes should they become necessary. By this time the party has been joined by a newcomer, a follower of Cabrael who has taken on the role of omdura for his church. His name is Scrimshander, and he was sent to find the heroes via a vision from Izenfen the Occluded, spiritual leader of the Twilight Monastery. Scrimshander quickly determines sides, and comes to the party's aid, slaying Tongue-Eater and driving one of the tiefling cultists to flee to the inn's basement, even as his comrade falls. Meanwhile, Marrow has ventured upstairs to find that Milton has handily felled at least four opponents. Marrow starts to investigate the upper floor further, but hearing the sounds of battle die down from the kitchen, decides on safety in numbers and returns to join her comrades. Sounds from the basement indicate that more enemies await, and with the fate of the man they seek, Sarcem Delasharn, still undetermined (though the severed head in the kitchen does not bode well), the party along with their new companion Scrimshander descends into the cool, dark basement. There they encounter a grisly sight, as a headless body in priest's robes, most probably the match the head they left in the kitchen, lies draped across some barrels of ale. The body of a bandit also lies dead at the end of a narrow hallway. In addition, the tiefling cultist who fled has been joined by another cultist, this one not wearing the strange plague mask, and several more bandits. Before battle ensues, the party overhears them discussing not leaving "without the girl."