The Jungle's Claw #041

Game Date: 8th day of the Bull, Year 13945   The morning sun struggled through Grizburg's perpetual smog as Fouk Shadim and Thronn made their ascent toward Barnacle Hill, leaving behind the industrial cacophony of Dreadmil's forges. Sherman and BöötMóöntch were absent from this expedition, their duties keeping them occupied elsewhere in the city's sprawling industrial districts. This deliberate separation served multiple purposes, testing each adventurer's individual capabilities while preventing them from relying too heavily upon one another's strengths.   Fouk understood the game being played. Slazgar's mechanical eye saw more than mere flesh—it evaluated potential tools, measuring their edges against the whetstones of necessity. The phrase "I'm an earner, boss" had escaped Fouk's lips with the desperate enthusiasm of one who comprehends that usefulness equals survival in Grizburg's unforgiving economy. The mission to investigate Mokresh represented more than simple reconnaissance; it was an audition performed upon a stage where failure meant disappearance into Dreadmil's mysterious lower chambers.  

The Ascent to Maritime Madness

  The journey to Barnacle Hill required navigating Grizburg's vertical geography, ascending through districts where architecture defied conventional understanding. Cable cars rattled overhead on corroded tracks, their operators wearing the dead-eyed expressions of those who had breathed toxic air for so long that clean oxygen would likely kill them. The elevation brought marginal improvement to air quality, though "improvement" remained relative in a city where breathing apparatus was considered formal wear.   As the pair climbed higher, the industrial sprawl gradually transformed into something stranger—a maritime graveyard elevated far above any rational waterline. Barnacle Hill revealed itself as an impossible harbor, where decommissioned vessels had been dragged up the cliffsides and converted into dwellings. Iron-hulled warships sprouted chimneys from their gun ports, while merchant vessels had been split open and reconfigured into multi-story residences connected by rope bridges that swayed with every poisoned breeze.   The district's unique character emerged from its residents' stubborn refusal to abandon naval traditions despite their permanent anchorage upon dry land. Here lived the captains who had survived long enough to retire from Grizburg's toxic waterways, carrying with them the accumulated wisdom of navigating rivers where the water itself could dissolve steel hulls. They had hauled their ships up the heights like hermit crabs seeking larger shells, creating a community that operated on maritime law even when the nearest navigable water lay hundreds of feet below.  

The Rope Watch and Naval Law

  Slazgar's warnings echoed in Fouk's mind as he observed the district's peculiarities. The Rope Watch patrolled the swaying gangways with the rolling gait of sailors perpetually compensating for phantom waves. Every structure bore elaborate figureheads at their "prows"—carved representations of sea monsters, mermaids, and stranger things that seemed to watch passersby with eyes that held too much awareness for mere wood and metal.   The artificially constructed canals that wound through Barnacle Hill contained no water but instead channels of thick hemp rope, creating pathways that residents navigated with practiced ease. These rope-ways served both as streets and as proclamations of identity—those who could not traverse them with sailor's confidence marked themselves as outsiders worthy of suspicion or exploitation.  

The Listing Merchant

  The Listing Merchant occupied what had once been a four-masted clipper ship, its hull carved open to create a tavern that retained the vessel's essential skeleton. Masts pierced through multiple floors, their cross-beams serving as catwalks where patrons could drink while suspended forty feet above the main deck. The entire structure tilted at a pronounced angle—whether from architectural necessity or aesthetic choice remained unclear—forcing visitors to constantly adjust their balance like sailors in a permanent storm.   Fouk and Thronn approached with careful observation, noting how the building-ship hybrid had been modified with industrial additions. Steam pipes wound through the rigging like metallic vines, while chemical tanks had been welded to the exterior hull, their contents marked with symbols that suggested purposes both medicinal and malevolent. The establishment clearly served as more than mere tavern—it was a nexus where Barnacle Hill's nautical traditions intersected with Grizburg's industrial innovations.   Through grimy portholes, the pair glimpsed the tavern's interior: a maze of naval detritus repurposed into furniture, where ship wheels served as tables and cannon barrels had been converted into seating. Patrons dressed in the bastard fashion of sailors who had traded open seas for industrial smoke, their peacoats stained with chemicals unknown to honest maritime service.  

Mokresh's Laboratory

  A block west, exactly as Slazgar had described, rose the structure that allegedly housed Mokresh's laboratory. The building had been assembled from three different vessels—a warship's armored prow, a merchant vessel's cargo hold, and what appeared to be the skeletal remains of a pleasure yacht—all welded together into an architectural fever dream. Smoke poured from improvised chimneys, carrying the distinctive odors of alchemical experimentation: sulfur, mercury, and something else that made Fouk's experienced nostrils flare with professional interest.   The laboratory's windows glowed with the telltale phosphorescence of active experimentation. Even from a distance, Fouk could see shadows moving within—multiple figures engaged in what appeared to be coordinated activity. This was no simple drug cook's den but rather a sophisticated operation requiring multiple participants and complex equipment. The implications were clear: if Mokresh was indeed affiliated with the mysterious gang whose symbol appeared throughout the district, their resources exceeded typical street-level criminal enterprises.  

The Three Circles

  Chalk graffiti marked various surfaces throughout Barnacle Hill, and now Fouk paid particular attention to the recurring symbol Slazgar had mentioned: three intersecting circles drawn with disturbing precision. The mark appeared on seemingly random structures, yet Fouk's trained eye detected patterns. They clustered near certain buildings, particularly those showing signs of recent modification or unusual foot traffic. More disturbingly, several marks had been partially obscured or defaced, suggesting territorial disputes or attempts at counter-surveillance.   The street children who darted through the rope-ways wore the hollow expressions of those who had learned too young that innocence was a luxury Grizburg could not afford. They observed the visitors with calculating eyes, evaluating whether they represented threat, opportunity, or irrelevance. Their presence reminded Fouk of his own childhood in Vorcia's streets, though these young survivors faced industrial horrors rather than desert hardships.  

Strategic Position

  The artificial elevation of Barnacle Hill provided tactical advantages beyond cleaner air. From these heights, one could observe the movement of goods and people throughout lower Grizburg, tracking shipments and identifying patterns invisible at street level. The retired captains who populated the district had not chosen this perch merely for nostalgia—they maintained their wealth and influence by leveraging superior intelligence gathering positions.   As noon approached, bringing with it the changing of the Rope Watch shifts, Fouk and Thronn contemplated their approach. Direct reconnaissance of Mokresh's laboratory would require careful planning. The alchemist's apparent connections to both the new gang and sophisticated chemical operations suggested multiple defensive measures, both obvious and hidden. The Listing Merchant offered an ideal observation post, but lingering too long might mark them as suspicious to locals who had survived by developing acute paranoia.  

Maritime Legal Framework

  The district's maritime legal framework presented both opportunities and complications. Traditional Grizburg law held limited sway here—Captain Alara Stormwatch, the borough's magistrate, reportedly administered justice according to admiralty traditions that predated the city's industrial transformation. This legal ambiguity might provide cover for their activities, but it also meant that violations of local custom could result in punishments more creative than simple imprisonment.   Fouk's artificer training allowed him to recognize some of the modifications made to Mokresh's building-ship laboratory. Ventilation systems had been installed that suggested work with volatile compounds requiring careful atmospheric control. Reinforced storage areas implied materials too dangerous for standard containment. Most tellingly, he identified what appeared to be escape routes—hidden passages that would allow rapid evacuation should experiments go catastrophically wrong or authorities arrive unexpectedly.  

Gang Territorial Markings

  The presence of the three-circles gang symbol near Mokresh's laboratory was no coincidence. The precision of their placement suggested territorial marking, but also something more—perhaps identification symbols for those who knew how to read them, indicating safe houses, dead drops, or meeting places. Fouk made mental notes of their positions, understanding that such intelligence would prove valuable to Slazgar regardless of what he discovered about Mokresh himself.  

The Threshold of Investigation

  The Listing Merchant's entrance beckoned with the promise of information and danger in equal measure. Ship's bells had been repurposed as a door chime, their bronze voices calling out in naval time whenever someone entered. The sound would mark their arrival to everyone within—there would be no anonymous observation from shadowed corners. Yet avoiding the tavern entirely would mark them as outsiders with something to hide, potentially more dangerous than announced entry.   Standing at the threshold of reconnaissance and commitment, Fouk weighed his options with the careful calculation of one who had survived by reading situations correctly more often than not. The mission's parameters were clear: gather intelligence on Mokresh and his potential gang affiliations. Yet Slazgar's unspoken expectations demanded more—proof of initiative, demonstration of capability, evidence that Fouk could operate independently when separated from his more physically imposing companions.   The poisoned wind shifted, carrying new scents from Mokresh's laboratory: the sharp tang of concentrated acids, the sweet corruption of organic compounds breaking down, and underneath it all, something that made Fouk's dormant addiction stir with recognition. Whatever Mokresh was producing, it contained elements familiar to one who had spent years exploring the boundaries of medicine, poison, and transcendence.  

Slazgar's Weight

  The session ended with Fouk and Thronn poised at the Listing Merchant's salt-corroded entrance, the weight of Slazgar's evaluation pressing upon them like the atmospheric pressure that preceded Grizburg's toxic storms. Behind them lay the relative safety of known territories and established hierarchies. Ahead waited the unknown variables of Barnacle Hill's nautical culture, Mokresh's mysterious operations, and the three-circles gang whose influence seemed to spread like mineral veins through the district's elevated geography.   In the distance, Dreadmil's smokestacks continued their endless exhalations, reminders that Slazgar's patience was not infinite. Success in this investigation might earn the pair the trust necessary to delve deeper into Grizburg's mysteries. Failure would likely result in their transformation into raw materials for whatever dark processes occurred in Dreadmil's restricted chambers—a fate that gave the phrase "dead-end job" particularly literal meaning in this city of industrial horror.  

Treasure and Items Found

  None documented in this session (investigation and travel only)  

Consumed Items

 

• Filter mask cartridge partially depleted during travel through lower Grizburg districts
• One dose of standard rations consumed during morning travel
• Alchemical components examined but not consumed (professional evaluation of observed chemical signatures)

 

Experience Points Awarded

 

• Urban Navigation and District Discovery: 200 XP for successfully navigating to Barnacle Hill and identifying key locations
• Intelligence Gathering: 150 XP for observation and pattern recognition regarding gang symbols and Mokresh's operation
• Roleplay and Character Development: 200 XP for pursuing solo mission and demonstrating initiative to Slazgar
• Environmental Awareness: 100 XP for recognizing and adapting to Barnacle Hill's unique maritime culture

  Total: 650 XP  

Notes to Transcript

 

• Develop specific mechanics for Barnacle Hill's rope-way navigation challenges
• Create detailed stats for the Rope Watch and their maritime law enforcement methods
• Establish the three-circles gang's symbol meanings and organizational structure
• Design Mokresh's alchemical capabilities and laboratory defenses
• Consider mechanics for maritime law vs. standard Grizburg law conflicts

 

Time Progression

  Approximately one day has passed since Session 40. The current scene takes place during the late morning of the 8th day of the Bull, Year 13945, with Fouk and Thronn having traveled from Dreadmil to Barnacle Hill over the course of several hours.  

Additional Notes

  The separation of party members creates opportunity for parallel narrative threads while testing individual character capabilities. Sherman and BöötMóöntch's absence from this expedition allows Fouk and Thronn to demonstrate their investigative and tactical skills. Fouk's discovery regarding Mokresh and the three-circles gang will likely impact the party's upcoming missions for Slazgar and their eventual descent into the Whispering Depths.