Nearly as quickly as it started, the fight is over. You can hear Fazgyn in the distance. It sounds like his team did well and are on their way to you.
You've got a couple of moments before they arrive to look around and search.
Kargakan is a little supscicious of Fazgyn. This "test" of his was dangerous. The farmer will look on the koblolds's body for a clue.
While Kargakan searches the body, Seveen will search the area including the cavern from which the kobolds emerged.
"I don't think this was meant as a test, Karagkan. I think this was meant as us helping them clear out a rival gang. Let's see what they say when they join us. I hear them approaching."
The Dragon Shark sorcerer kept a small stash of goods just inside the cavern. The trove contains a scroll of illusory disguise, a well-worn hat of disguise that appears to have been repeatedly rumpled by a meaty fist (or maybe even a tentacle), and 8 sp.
There's also something.... strange. It's a water-logged piece of paper
Shortly after you finish wrapping up the last of the Dragon Shark kobolds, Fazgyn and the Sewer Dragons emerge from the southern cavern. The kobold trapmaster relays, "my team defeated the paltry scouts that the Dragon Sharks had at the other side of the outpost. Looks like you guys clearly had the harder challenge. It's a job well done. I'll relay our mutual success back to the Sewer Dragons."
Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin is very pleased. He has other assignments ready for you, but first suggests that the group takes a break (and a bath) before tacking their next assignment. He also makes a personal note of contacting his fellow venture-captain Drandle Drang, about the Society’s ongoing relationship with the Sewer Dragons.
Before dismissing you, he asks, "Find anything to help us out though?"
Hmmmm... These notes can open up future leads for us. I'll be in touch. Now, take a bath."
True to his word, a few days later a messenger arrives with a back of 35 silver pieces and a fresh copy of a note from Valsin
Rain patters down onto the muddy streets of Absalom’s Puddles district, covering it with the murky pools of water that give the district its name. The buildings that line the streets have seen better days. Many of them are decaying, shuttered, or boarded up. The door of one of these buildings swings open, letting rats rush out into the streets. A woman wearing leather armor and a bronze badge stands in the doorway, slashing a shortsword into the swarm of rats and urging them out of the building. On her forearm, a tattoo of a dog animates and snarls.
Seveen lifts a friendly hand in greeting having recognized the badge described by VC Valsin. "Greetings, Madam Muckrucker. May we assist you with those rats? Looks like a challenging task."
"“They’ve been everywhere for the last week or so. Rats and flies, not to mention sewer oozes, crawling up into the street. We don’t know what’s got them so worked up." She turns a bit of side eye, "Why? People don't just offer like that."
"We are from the Pathfinder Society and I generally find that cooperation between groups builds positive relations that benefit all in the long term. Plus, it would give us a chance to talk with you; we are looking for information that may help us solve a recent spate of disappearances and murders."
She seems to hesitate on responding to your explanation, as if she's worried about trusting you.
Seveen speaks truly, Seoni says. We are here to help, if you will accept it.
She softens after Seoni speaks. "A few days back, I received a report from a local named Dahlia that one of her friends had gone missing. With the current vermin problem, the Muckruckers don’t have time for a full investigation without more evidence to suspect foul play. Check out the "Frog’s Tongue", the tavern where Dahlia works as a cook, if you want more information."
"And Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin provided this small donation to give the Muckruckers in thanks for the valuable service you provide. I hope it can be used to help your cause. Thank you for the information you have provided. We will seek out Dahlia and follow this lead. Is there anything else you can think of that may be related? Or any advice regarding your territory here as we continue to search and explore?"
Seveen hands over the silver provided for this purpose.
"Has there been any recent unusual activity in the area?" Alric asks. "Others gone missing or odd gang activity?"
Seveen's gift from Valsin goes a long way to making her smile, networking is vital in your line of work.
The sign announcing the tavern is a literally a mummified frog glued to a slab of wood. When you arrive in the early afternoon, business is slow. The door to the kitchen is open, and you can see a woman who must be Dahlia frying fish in a skillet. When she sees you she wipes her hands quickly and comes out.
"“Thank the gods, the Muckruckers decided to send someone after all. As I was telling the badge lady with the dog tattoo, it’s not like Justerian to not show up for work. He’s a cook here with me, see, and he loves his job. He’d been a slave for years, and with all that slavery isn’t on the up and up anymore, he finally had a chance to pull his life back together. Puddles ain’t the best place for that, but he was managing just fine. He kept talkin’ about how he was worried that one of those underground slavers was gonna come snatch him back. I thought it was just talk, but now I’m worried.”
"“Maybe it was slavers, like he said. I dunno who his enemies are. He’s real private about his past, and I don’t like to pry when it’s not my business. His 'home' is horrible. It’s not safe. The stairs are full of termites, and the attic’s full of bats. One good storm and the whole place might just fall down."
Seoni chimes in. His home, where is that? We should check that out.
She gives you the address, but reminds you that it's very unsafe.
"Being a farmer taught me many things about nature."
...I was never a farmer.
Kargakan actually does know what it's like to have a termite infestation. The wooden structure of the building could be really unstable if what Dahlia says is accurate.
Seveen knows a fair bit about bats. In a place like this one or two aren't a problem, but if it's really infested, a bat swarm can be dangerous.
----------------
Only weeds surround this once-majestic manor house, which now leans slightly to the west, sinking into the muck. The first floor is flooded, and its front door hangs open. Two staircases lead up to the second floor, their steps riddled with small holes. The first floor looks abandoned, so his "home" must be the second floor. Unfortunately, the stairs look rickety, and will take some skill to ascend. Climbing outside might work too, especially given Kargakan's knowledge of how termites like to attack things.
Seoni makes it to the top, but a couple of times her footing is poor and a piece of wood gives way, scraping her
Seoni
Seveen
Jack
Kargakan
Alric
Seveen checks out the stairs and tries to plot a safe way up. She then uses her best parkour skills to attempt the climb.
Seveen shows that it's possible to get up to the top without hurting yourself.
Upstairs
Seoni
Seveen
Ground Floor
Jack
Kargakan
Alric
Alric decides to take the outside route, trying to climb up to the second floor.
To work in any type of surface is a feat that Kargakan learns by walking hard in the mushroom's field. But he is stronger than agile. So he will try to climb the outside with assurance even if he wears a splint mail.
Jack also gets a bit wounded on the way up
Kargakan makes it up safe and sound.
Alric makes it up, but some of the roofing falls and hits him on the head as he goes up
Exploration Tactics?
Once she is assured that everyone has safely made it to the second floor despite a few scrapes and the group is back together, Seveen encourages movement forward.
"I suggest we search this place carefully, quickly, and thoroughly. I don't particularly want to be here after dark. We've already seen the building itself is a hazard, I hate to think what else we may find."
Alirc joins Seveen in searching the rooms as they make their way through the floor. "Agreed. I don't want to stay here too long."
Kargakan just looks up at the celling.
"You realise we probably have no way to fight a swarm right? Alchemical item are costing a ton those Days."
Upstairs, you're worried that the building can hold you at all, but nevertheless, you've got to explore. Ahead in the hall are a few doors, but two large rooms on either side have wide openings instead of doors.
"He does have a point. We need to look for something that can hurt a swarm of bats." Alric edges forward, checking for traps and hidden doors.
Jack steps forward into the main area and sees that something went on here. To the north is a stairwell that leads to an attic space above, and the ground below. The floor in the area bears several bloodstains, and a dribbled trail of blood leads up the staircase. Some time here might prove helpful.
To the south is a moldering bedroom. Other than the bed, which is adorned with fresh blankets and pillows, the rest of the furniture is decaying and covered in dust. It smells awful in there, and the floor looks rotted and disgusting.
The party steps into the stairwell. There are no magical auras, only mundane items, of which a few jump out:
A club
A holy symbol
Buzzing insects
Accompanying the others as they follow the blood trail, Seveen looks at the insects with curiosity.
Alric comes over to look at the items. "This looks horrific! What on earth happened here?!"
Only (so far) does Kargakan have insight into the scene. The insects here are drawn to meat and rotting corpses, and also knows that the other insects are death’s-head moths.