Shadows and Steel

The adventurers were passing through the market square when they encountered a group of thugs accosting a market holder.

Protection Racketeers (Easy; tp 10)
2x Human Rogue (Human Bandit) 250 XP 1x Half-orc Thug (Orc Beserker) 175 XP Total (each) 85 XP	Purse with 60 gp

The two rogues fled and the half-orc was killed. The stall holder thanks them but warns that the Cartel now has them marked and "every rogue, thief and common thug with enough coppers to buy a rusty dagger" will be after them. He says they should see Captain Jack at the Jellied Eel Inn.

The Jellied Eel is by the docks and frequented by sailors. The innkeeper is called Raith and he says that the Jack will be around in the evening.

The party wait for Captain Jack Tyron. Jack turns up flamboyantly dressed with two long dirks on his belt, his heavily armed crew crowds in after him.

Jack asks the party to retrieve a box from the harbour master's office in exchange for his co-operation again the cartel.

The party initially approaches the harbour master who says that Jack's goods will be released after a payment of 45 gold and 93 silver. That night the party break into the warehouse, disabling the alarms of the windows and drugging the guard dogs.

They return to the Jellied Eel where they discover the box (which is filled with strange metal ingots) is for Miranda. They agree to deliver the box in the morning. They find rooms at the Silver Hind inn on the market square.

Kava and Filica are woken during the night by two thugs holding blades to their throats. They, with the aid of the others, fight off the intruders.

Intruders (Normal; tp 8)
2x Human Thug (Human Guard) 300 XP 2x Elven Scout 250 XP Total (each) 110 XP	Coins worth 170 gp

One of the thugs is captured and questioned.

Questioning the Thug (Skill challenge)
Complexity 1, DC 15 125 XP Total (each) 25 XP

The party, having paid 10 gold and promised to help the thug flee the town, obtained the following information:

• The leader of the Cartel is named "Spider".
• Spider communicates with his or her underlings with messages sent via beggers.
• The beggers working for Spider are identified by a copper ring in their left ear.
• "The Cartel is sending a message. Don't mess with our business or bad things with pointy bits of metal happen."
• The headquarters of the Cartel (where the Spider's lieutenants operate from) is in a old run down house in the docks.

After squeezing the man for all the information he has, the party return to the Jellied Eel bring the man along. They see the town guard are just leaving the inn after a raid, presumably in response to the theft from the harbour master's warehouse. Jack agrees to drop the man off at some safe spot and the man is taken to the Waveskimmer.

The party then go to Miranda's tower and drop off the metal ingots, on the way back the party is ambushed and nearly killed.

Wererat Ambush (Normal; tp ??)
2x Wererat 300 XP 2x Dire Rat 200 XP 1x Imp 150 XP Total (each) 130 XP	Purse with 60 gp

After returning to the Jellied Eel, Jack says that ambush was likely the work of the Cartel. He also says the password to enter the Cartel's headquarters is 'sharpeyes'.

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Party Level: 2nd (1895/2250 XP)