Sure. But MAJOR SPOILERS HERE! Feel free to delete Jeff.
At first I thought it was pure coincidence until DM mentioned the numerous holes in the walls stuffed with straw and papers. And sure enough there was Xill and Annesta, selling us the much needed ale and the tastiest food we'd had in weeks and offering us rooms in a second establishment he had down the dock, and like clockwork he broke down when our softspoken and maternal Cleric asked him if something was wrong here... and they were hooked. As hard as Xill tried to close up for the night and have us return to help in the morn, the mystery was too great, and they convinced Xill to let the party snoop around a little before retiring. They set traps at the holes and several went upstairs, where the puzzle thickened, they wondered and wondered could Xill be trusted. As I watched silently from the upper hall, they found huge droppings in Annesta's dresser, the blood in her bed, and even the diary under the floor. The Cleric raced back downstairs to try to convince the girl to allow her to examine her for wounds, since Xill insisted neither had been bitten. And the Ranger was drawn to those crates under the window...They got their first look at the pesky beasts but poor roles allowed them to escape down the stairs and away into the port. We regrouped downstairs and the Cleric confirmed their suspicions – the girl should come sleep with us away form this place. Xil agreed but insisted on staying in his establishment, fueling more distrust. The next morn, the place was ransacked by rats again and Xill and Annesta set to righting it, while we did what we had come to do, descend to the basement where the poor man's beloved wife had hung herself in the basement....I took a stance atop a certain flagstone in the center of the room and watched as the party looked for clues. The Druid cast Speak with Animals and communed with several rats hiding unseen, asking them questions of their role in the infant's death, take me to your leader, etc. Of course the pesky varmints informed him they had been told not to talk to him, that it wasn't them, and the like. As the party scratched their heads wondering what to do next, I quietly took my fighter outside for a quick smoke of the leaf...and the group called it a night right there. Should be fun to see what happens next session. It was interesting to see how the DM had shifted the story ever so slightly, but not too far off course. And was fun to watch him react to the often sandbox play.
k2h2m3 wrote:
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ha ha
