Session 08: The City in the Mountain

After a harrowing ordeal at the Deepwood Cloister, the Ratcatchers returned to Valhale, weary but alive. They spent the night at the Inn of the Welcome Wench, grateful for the warmth of a fire and the comfort of familiar walls. The next morning, however, brought grim news. Ostler Gundigoot, the kindly innkeeper, roused the party with a worried expression—Seris was gone. Her bed hadn’t been slept in, and she had vanished without a trace. All that remained was her blade, a weapon she had sworn never to part with. The weapon pulsed with a strange, otherworldly magic, unlike anything they had seen before. After searching in vain and asking around town, the party made the difficult decision to leave behind her pack and a rapier, hoping she might find her way back to them one day.   Shaken but resolute, the Ratcatchers began the long journey to Lexica, the city said to house the ancient observatory tied to the red coins. Around midday, they stumbled upon a dilapidated barn, its wooden doors shattered, and the sound of a struggle echoing from within. Inside, a lone woman fought off three feral grizzly bears, barely holding her ground. Without hesitation, the Ratcatchers joined the fray, felling the beasts with sword, spell, and steel. Impressed by her skill and spirit, the party spoke with the woman afterward and, after some conversation, welcomed her into their ranks.   As dusk approached, the skyline of Lexica came into view—tall spires layered in stone, rising tier upon tier. But entry was far from simple. The Ratcatchers were halted at the gates by grim-faced guards who demanded a slew of documentation: a Proof of Entry Stipend, a Municipal Purpose Card, and a Local Sponsor’s Endorsement—none of which the Ratcatchers possessed. Trying to keep things from escalating, Sakuya flagged down one of the guards to ask questions but let slip that they might not have the proper paperwork. Tension rose quickly as the guards prepared to rough them up, but Sakuya, thinking quickly, managed to bluff her way out of the confrontation, insisting they had the necessary documents.   At the front of the line and with no real paperwork to show, the party presented their red coin, hoping it might buy them a miracle. To their luck, it caught the attention of a nearby merchant named Balthis, who stepped in to sponsor their entry into the city. As they passed through the gates, he made pleasant small talk, pointing out that the Three-Fold Cup was the only inn located in Tier 1. But instead of leading them there, Balthis ushered the group down a narrow back alley, where an ambush awaited.   A large group of cultists sprang from the shadows, clearly sent to retrieve the coin by force. Despite being injured and outnumbered, the Ratcatchers fought back fiercely, managing to win the brutal skirmish—but not without serious injuries. Searching Balthis' body, they found a letter revealing his true intent: the Dundalis shipment had been raided, and the red coin was now believed to be in the possession of a group of ratcatchers. Balthis was ordered to find them and kill them. They also found his merchant badge, but it was marked as valid only for Tier 1, limiting its use.   The battered party limped to the Three-Fold Cup, purchased a single private room, and barricaded themselves inside, determined to rest, regroup, and plan their next move. As they licked their wounds and processed the betrayal, a new challenge came to light: the entrance to the observatory was located all the way up on Tier 4, far beyond their current reach. To ascend, they would need the sponsorship of someone already residing on that tier.   Their best chance, they learned, would be finding a merchant from the upper levels willing to vouch for them. With that, the Ratcatchers resolved to seek out a new sponsor, one who might not want them dead—and one who could get them closer to the answers hidden in the stars.