Citadel's Shadow II, Session 5

Citadel's Shadow II, Session 5: Black and White and Red All Over was a session of the Citadel's Shadow II campaign, played on Jan. 4, 2019 (UTC) (Jan. 3, 2019 for some participants).
==Personnel==
===Game Master===
*GM: played by Michael Lee Viviano
===Player Characters===
*Augustus Scitoria: former soldier and gladiator played by Grogimus Maximus Iratus
*Fern the Siegemaster: inventive fox-person student played by Rail Runner
*Juan de Fulmando: sword-wielding human alchemist played by Alden Loveshade
=== Non-Player Characters ===
* Hanna Gruskin: an older dwarven woman
== Events ==
=== 1742 ===
Ulthrane 11 (Mustering) (continued): Fern the Siegemaster and Juan de Fulmando walked in the evening, discussing the odd rat problem.  So far, no one seemed to have a good idea what could have caused it.
Meanwhile, Augustus Scitoria, a former legatus or legion commander from Aborea, heard a commotion from his fine home that was very near St. Tanta Plaza.  The house had a little gatehouse on the road and a bridge over the stream.  He said to his armsmen, "Skatta, what makes such a racket, can a man get no peace and quiet to sleep?"  Decibalus said he would check to see what the commotion was while Cletus disappointedly helped Augustus with his armor.  After a short while, Decibalus returned and reported, "There seems to be an uproar about an infestation of rats in... er… several parts of the neighborhood."  He said that people had been complaining that day to city authorities.  While Augustus said that cats should be able to take care of any rat problem, sounds like "tung! thud! and squeak!" were heard from the basement.
While servants checked the house, Augustus went out to see what he could learn.  Fern and Juan both saw and recognized Augustus who was quite noticeable as he was two heads taller than either one of them.  They discussed the rat problem, and Augustus learned that laboratory rats at St. Bassard's School and Home for Disadvantaged Youth had apparently all-at-once escaped from four different cages, and then all left by the shortest path out of the building, which did not seem normally possible.  Mages had found no sign of magical manipulation either.
They then heard a terrier yelping frantically in the distance, and decided to investigate.  On the way, they saw Hanna Gruskin, the dwarven woman Fern and Juan had met the day before.  She said, ""If there's something unusual happening, it's possible my brother is involved."
Suddenly, the terrier started screaming, and they rushed to check.  Fern saw what appeared to be a "big furry lump" getting dragged off the road around the southeastern edge of the bridge.  Going on the bridge, they saw it was "black and white and red all over."  The lump was evidently the terrier.  They saw dead rats nearby.  Then they saw "furry loathsome swarms of squeaking vermin boil out from under the bridge" ahead of them.  Hanna, who had followed but did not go on the bridge, shouted, "behind you!"  Juan drew his broadsword and moved away from Augustus when the legatus drew two gladiī and crossed them in a waiting stance.  Fern already had her knife out.  (Citadel's Shadow II adventure 2019 01 03)
Category:Citadel's Shadow II