Session 17: The Kid

A new day dawned at the Moon-Fork Inn, and with it came fresh faces to the Ratcatchers’ ranks. Lydia, a sure-footed faun with a sharp wit, and Melxyynia, a curious and eccentric fairy-orc, joined their growing company, eager to see where their journeys together might lead. Their morning, however, was swiftly interrupted by a summons from Remora, who requested an urgent meeting at her bookbinding shop.   At the shop, Remora revealed the nature of the task. A youth known as Tommy the Kid had fled the Ash Knives and was hiding in fear for his life, clutching valuable secrets he was willing to trade for safety. Remora tasked the Ratcatchers with retrieving him and escorting him to a prepared safehouse in Tier One. She made it clear that when speaking to Tommy, they were to refer to her only as the Shark—a name to shield her true identity while she worked in the shadows.   The Ratcatchers agreed and set off through the streets of Lexica, but their path was not without obstacles. A patrol of Lexican guards stopped and questioned them, suspicious of their movements. Sakuya’s quick words turned their gaze away, convincing the guards they were merely off-duty ratcatchers eager to spend coin at the Blood Markets. Still, the guards did not forget their faces. Pressing onward, the party reached the warehouse where Tommy hid. The boy was shaken but relieved at their arrival—until Brooks the Monster, an Ash Knives enforcer of terrible reputation, stormed in to claim him. A brutal fight broke out, ending with Brooks and his lackeys dead at their feet.   With no time to waste, the Ratcatchers fled across the city, guiding Tommy towards Tier One. Ash Knives pursuers hounded them across the rooftops in a desperate chase, but the party’s grit and guile allowed them to shake their hunters and reach the safehouse. There, Remora—masked and watchful—welcomed them inside. She gave the party leave to use this place as a sanctuary and then took Tommy away for debriefing.   Later, the Ratcatchers reconvened at Remora’s bookbinding shop to rest and regroup. When Remora returned, she revealed her greater plan: to topple Morgan Chambers, the Guildmaster of the Ash Knives. From Tommy’s information, she had learned of a hidden ledger, kept within a gambling den in Tier Three, that recorded the Ash Knives’ bribes to guards and officials. Securing this ledger would grant her leverage over Lexica’s power players. Remora advised subtlety—going undercover to infiltrate the den—but ultimately left the method to the Ratcatchers themselves, promising to deliver further intelligence by evening.