Session 10: Tier 2 and Beyond

After recovering from their narrow escape in the Verge, the Ratcatchers regrouped with Targos, who provided them with their next lead: if they wanted access to the upper tiers of Lexica, they needed to find a woman named Remora. Targos explained that Remora operated in Tier 2, and she had the connections necessary to secure an introduction to Morrain, a shadowy figure who served as a gatekeeper to the elusive Guildmaster of Tier 3.   With documents and their new sponsor’s letter in hand, the Ratcatchers passed through the gates into Tier 2 under the sharp eyes of the city’s guards. The difference from Tier 1 was immediate—though still gritty and worn, the buildings were better kept, and the streets less desperate. Navigating the tier, the party found Remora’s small bookbinding shop, a nondescript storefront hiding its more secretive purpose. Expecting them, Remora quickly ushered them into her basement, where the air was thick with ink, candlelight, and caution. The space was clearly meant for confidential dealings.   Remora explained that while she could arrange a meeting with Morrain, she wouldn’t do so without proof of the Ratcatchers’ capability. Morrain, she warned, was not someone easily approached without an introduction from a trusted source. She set the group a task: retrieve a ledger detailing Ash Knife gang operations, originally meant for her but never delivered. A Half-Elf delivery boy named Kresh had last been seen at the Broken Quill, a tavern deep in Tier 2. Remora made her priorities clear—she didn’t care what happened to the boy, only that the ledger made it to her hands.   The Ratcatchers headed to the Broken Quill and began asking around. They soon discovered that Kresh had sold the ledger to another Half-Elf named Velleren, who had taken it to the Grease Markets. Unfortunately, before they could leave, Ash Knife enforcers burst into the tavern, demanding the Ratcatchers’ surrender. A bloody skirmish followed, and the Ratcatchers dispatched their attackers, but were promptly thrown out of the Broken Quill. Dragging the bodies into a nearby alley, they looted what they could and tended to their wounds before pressing on.   At the Grease Markets, the Ratcatchers tracked down Velleren and learned he planned to sell the ledger to an unknown buyer. Preparing an ambush near the sale’s location, the Ratcatchers waited and watched. When Velleren finally arrived, it became clear the buyers were none other than more Ash Knives, who threatened him to hand it over. The Ratcatchers struck, launching a surprise assault that turned into a tough and bloody battle. When the dust settled, the Ash Knives lay dead or dying, and Velleren, eager to escape retribution, handed over the ledger before disappearing into the crowd.   The Ratcatchers returned to Remora, presenting the ledger as promised. Pleased with their efficiency, Remora honored her word, handing over a small, inscribed token—the Ratcatchers’ key to a meeting with Morrain, and their next step toward entering the higher tiers of Lexica, where the Observatory and the secrets of the red coins awaited.