Rat Catchers

Godsday the 6th of Pronus
Lyam attends mass at the elven church. Sir MacFlinn informs the party of the supporting priests and opponents of Belfric before his death. Fjidor meets Father Held, the acting Bishop in Belfric's place. Thorhal considers the possibility that the Fat Man is a madman, and begins looking for places like mental institutions or dungeons. There's nothing quite matching the description, but Sir MacFlinn advises them to seek out Father Heldic who heps the poor and sick, and Father Ceodwal who runs an orphanage. They are both in shacktown.

Father Ceodwal greets the party friendly. Lyam attracts a crowd of children by handing out food, and later realises his coinpurse is missing. Thorhal chats with the orphans, and gets the impression they are as happy as their circumstances allow. Disturbingly, Father Ceodwal tells the party that children have been not returning to the home of late. He has tried to find them, but they do not seem to resurface anywhere in the city. He hopes they have simply run away. One of the orphans was last seen in the guild quarter.

Earthday the 7th of Pronus
The party explore the sewers under the slums quarter, are ambushed by mysterious assailants who get away, and discover an Otyugh has nested in a settling pond. There is a hole in the ceiling above the Otyugh's lair, and the party climb out of a nearby grate to see what building is above it. Oddly enough, it is a butchery. A butchery with a pet Otyugh which operates in thieves territory is suspicous, so they advise Sir MacFlinn of the discovery. Since the Fat Man has been quiet of late, he says he will lead some of the watch to investigate it and kill the sewer beast.

Airday the 8th of Pronus
A new corpse is discovered in the sewers, bearing the markings of the Fat Man. Xavier inspects the corpse, and notices that the cut seems to be fresh while the body is not. The man is wrapped in a sheet, and Laen finds traces of dirt among the folds of the wrapping. There is a gentle current of sludge moving past the corpse, and Laen moves 'upstream' to find where the body could have come from. Incredibly, the party stumble upon the Ratcatchers guild. The session ends just as they are about to question Guildmaster Beodwine of the ratcatchers guild.

GM's Notes:

• Obstacles Overcome:
  2x Rogue ambush in the sewers, CR3 => 800XP@lvl4, 600XP@lvl5
  
  Xavier = 15166XP + 120XP = 15286XP (4% to lvl 7)
  Laén = 16266XP + 120XP = 16386XP (23% to lvl 7)
  Þórhal = 15104XP + 120XP = 15224XP (4% to lvl 7)
  Lyam = 8400XP + 160XP = 8560XP (64% to lvl 5)
  Fjidor = 8400XP + 160XP = 8560XP (64% to lvl 5)