Editing Menace Under Otari (section)

== Tangent's Log, Pathdate: 2023.1020 ==

=== Outset ===
Our characters arrived at Tamaly's Tavern in the port city of Otari.

Large shipments of fish have gone missing throughout the town. Tamaly's Tavern was picked as a secret hold, but even its cellar was not safe.

Two lower ranking Pathfinder agents were assigned to investigate, but they did not return. Once enough time had passed, our heroes arrive on the scene to solve the initial contract and recover the missing agents, or their bodies.

Our party of heroes are a [https://2e.aonprd.com/Ancestries.aspx?ID=44 Kholo (Gnoll)] named [[Mirthful Rhus]], A felt [https://2e.aonprd.com/Ancestries.aspx?ID=49 Poppet] named [[Spike|Warraine "Spike" Lorren]], a Cactus [https://2e.aonprd.com/Ancestries.aspx?ID=14 Leshy] named Ruby Dew, and a [https://2e.aonprd.com/Ancestries.aspx?ID=6 Human] sailor named Jerrick.

Arriving at the tavern, the party notices some footprints that lead around the back. A quick look shows a path doing around the back into the woods. There is no damage to the building on the outside, so this does not seem to be how the fish have done missing.

=== The Tavern ===
As our party enters the tavern, all eyes are on the new arrivals. The party had agreed to keep Spike's status as a living creature a secret, as a living doll made of felt might arouse some disease. Our heroes notice four notable characters, a short, cloaked, brooding individual muttering in the corner, an [https://2e.aonprd.com/Ancestries.aspx?ID=2 Elf] monk, a [https://2e.aonprd.com/Ancestries.aspx?ID=8 Half-Orc] Sorcerer, and the human bartender. As a silent observer, Spike stealthily is looking around and observes these individuals in greater detail. 

The Elf and the Half-Orc seem very familiar with each other and seem to be having a wordless conversation. A quick glance is all one needs to show the Half-Orc's intentioned are betrayed by the critically failed stealth check of his trousers.

The cold eyes of the cloaked figure barely visible behind the hood betray a cold gaze and a glimpse of red scales.

Jerrick wastes no time immediately purchasing a drink and begins chatting up the bartender. Rhus sighs and leans his weight on the bar. Waiting for Jerrick to take a sip of his drink, Rhus interrupts the conversation to get to the point "Tamily?" The bartender shifts into a more defensive stance "Who's askin'?" Rhus rolls his eyes and shifts his weight back to standing at full height. Before any escalation can occur, a Halfling emerges from around the corner and introduces herself. "Good evening to you, I am Tamily, Are you with the Pathfinder Society?" Rhus looks at her and nods and point to himself "Rhus". Tamily seems intimidated by Rhus so Jerrick takes over the conversation and she led the party to her office.

On their way into the office, Spike gently pulled on Rhus' tunic getting his attention. She indicated she wanted to stay back and asked him to place her on a table near the brooding individual to see if she can discern anything. He obliges her then joins the others with Tamily. Spike listens closely to the mutterings in a draconic language in praise of some entity. He is repeating the same phrase over and over again, almost like a mantra.

Tamily explains to our other heroes how the last agents never returned and is scared to ever go into her cellar. The last time she went in, she was chased out by giant rats. She has since locked the door and not gone back in. Jerrick, an enthusiast in niche crafts takes a keen interest in the manufacturing of the door but is disappointed when Tamily is unable to answer his questions, not being a kindred spirit. Regardless, he uses his charm to get some resources from her and use of her tavern should they need to rest and recuperate. With their supplies procured, the party journeys to the cellar and begin their descent.

=== The Cellar ===
The party journeys into the cellar. Spike uses magic to illuminates the torches. Large boxes and barrels can be seen, and the odor of fish is strong in the air. Some crates seem to be missing and drag marks indicate they were moved elsewhere. Following these scuff marks, a large hole in the wall is clearly visible that leads to an underground passage. Jerrick and Rhus take out a torch and Jerrick turns to Spike "Would 'ye kindly do the honors?" Spike uses magic to illuminate both torches. Upon entering the passage, they notice it filled with aggressive rats which our party dispatches one after the other. One of the rats managed to bite Rhus but was eaten whole for its transgressions. The party did not express their distaste in Rhus' culinary selection or bother to point out that the tail was stuck between his teeth. Spike was rather taken by one of the rats and decided to reanimate one and call it Cheesers.

After clearing out the vermin, the party found that the passage continued until a steep dropped off. The marks indicate the crates were pushed off of the edge and landed below. While our heroes considered their next move, Rhus grew impatient with the back and forth of ideas. Rhus walked over to Spike, tied a rope to them and simply tossed the Poppet over the edge, while holding the rope. The party looked in horror as their companion sailed through the air and landed silently on the floor. Spike, being soft, did not feel the impact of the fall and tied the rope and signaled they were ready. Shaking off what just happened, Jerrick gingerly took the other end of the rope from Rhus and tied it to the cave wall to make a zipline for a much safer approach to descending. The party left the rope so if they should need it, they could return the way they came.

=== The Cave and Underground Path ===
While the party continues to proceed cautiously, Cheesers is happily leading the charge. Coming to a large opening, Spike asks Cheesers to scout on ahead. The party watch as the happy undead rat walks further and further into the darkness until Cheesers is suddenly grabbed and pulled into a darkness. The rat squeaks once in surprise and all goes silent. Our heroes take a moment to catch themselves as Jerrick rushed into action. He launches his torch into the darkness. The torch illuminates the cave and begins to melt a portion of what looks to be a massive spider web covering the entire room. The spider, unsure of how to deal with the torch is distracted trying to save its web from the flames. While it is distracted, our party descends swiftly on the spider and ending its life before it can act. Once the spider is dead, Spike inconsolable morns the loss of Cheesers. A human skeleton exposed from where the web was burned away can be seen. Closer inspection by Rhus and Ruby reveals this was one of the missing Pathfinder agents. Though the positioning of the body seems to indicate he may have been killed before the spider found him and brough him back as super. While the Rhus and Ruby were confirming the identity of the skeleton, Jerrick looks around and finds the quivering mass of web and gently cuts into it to free Cheesers. Jerrick brings the rat to Spike and drops it into their arms. Spike and Cheesers are happy to be reunited and continue on with renewed enthusiasm.<blockquote>-End of log</blockquote>