Episode 4: Interesting Interests

**Interesting Interests** (C1E4) is the fourth episode of the first campaign of The Table is Yours: A Role-playing Adventure Show. At The Red Raven Adventuring Guild, the party are given a trial mission to see if they're capable of working with guild...

## **Synopsis**

### A Truth Serum

As the rest of the party wait in the taproom, Shawm takes Shae to a windowless room with a small desk and two chairs, not unlike an interrogation room. On the desk are two glasses filled with a pale, creamy liquid. Shae sits down and habitually reaches for the glass, but Shawm stops her before she takes a drink. He explains the liquid is called “Almond’s Apple”, a concoction that, within two hours of consumption, makes the drinker forget their last 12 hours. He tells Shae it is merely a precaution, and he will drink it as well after their conversation.

Shawm immediately starts listing information he already knows about Shae; she is from The Grove, specifically a small pocket community of Shadar-kai known as the Skumira in a village called Skumitesh. He then asks her about the art of the unlit, and Shae responds coyly, saying she has never heard of such a thing. Shawm offers her the floor to ask questions, which he assures her he will answer truthfully. Shae asks who he is and why he wants this group of ragtag adventurers. He responds bluntly, saying he wants to hire them for jobs around the city and that he is interested in their abilities. When Shawm lets slip he knows enough about One already, Shae asks him for more detail. He tells her that information can’t be shared unless they drink. Shae agrees to drink, and the two continue their chat.

Shawm tells her he would ask her questions and write down two notes; the rest will be forgotten. He first asks if the information he assumed about her is correct, to which Shae tells him only some of it. Shawm then asks what she knows about diamonds, specifically diamonds from The Grove that are rumored to grant wishes, and Shae tells him she knows little but other natives may have more information. Shawm asks if her sister is one of those people, but Shae refuses to give her sister’s name. He explains that he knows her mother’s name, Ishaelia, and while he never met her, he knows someone who did, named Kuzan. Shawm reveals he knows her mother taught people the art of the unlit, but he seems more concerned with getting information about the diamonds, which Shae again insists she does not know more about them and refuses to give her sister’s name. Shawm shifts the subject, to ask about the “beast” of The Grove, and Shae responds she doesn’t know much about that, either. He explains each sector has its own “beast,” and that the one in The Burg is tame. With that last bit of information, he looks to Shae and explains they are about to forget their conversation. A haze washes over both of them, removing the meeting from their memory. Shawm relays the information he wrote down to Shae, of which she approves, and the two make their way back to the center of the guild hall.

### The Plan

In the taproom, the rest of the party waits as Shawm returns with Shae. Shawm tells Codex she will be paid for her information regarding Vorano if she actually has information to give. A mildly drunk Codex tries to explain the events of the previous days, semi-successfully, so Shawm hands over 150 gold pieces to Codex for accomplishing her task. He also offers payment to anyone else with information pertaining to the Vorano issue. Shawm ushers Maude over to explain the “test-run” mission the party will do to prove their worth to the guild. Maude explains, as Shawm walks off, that there is an infestation in the southern part of the Tenth Precinct in a district called Generta, by the Gray Grove National Park. Reports indicate a large creature is attacking civilians, one of which being a local barmaid who happens to be the mayor's daughter. Their contact is Valoo, the owner of the Absent Mandolin Tavern, who will give them more information when they arrive. Codex asks why she is going on another trial mission to which Maude responds, as tactfully as possible, that given the circumstances, Codex’s trial run wasn’t all that successful considering only one party member, her, survived. Maude tells Codex this is why she already received more funds than promised, sort of as reparations. Codex begrudgingly accepts this answer, and Maude walks off.

Terrance wants to know if they are holding off on the Vorano situation until after the infestation mission. He explains he knows a teacher’s assistant from the Summit that works for Vorano and is the whole reason Terrance got involved in this in the first place. The TA’s name is Visrai, and he works for Professor Fasalor. Terrance further explains that Visrai is the person who created the “knock-off” version of Terrance’s serum. This sparks an interesting reaction from Codex, and she seems very concerned about the safety of the professor. The rest of the party shuts her concerns down, saying it is probably best for them to remain in the Tenth Precinct and keep their heads low to throw off any immediate attention from Vorano’s connections. Terrance happily agrees, but Codex still seems concerned.

### Wandering the Guild

Codex excuses herself to find Shawm. Terrance, thinking that Codex is going to relay all of his information to Shawm and get paid for it, follows her to get the money he thinks he deserves. When Codex speeds up to try and lose Terrance, he realizes won’t be able to keep up and reaches into his pocket to down a serum. As a huge Terrance chases down Codex, she runs into Shawm, who seems very confused, as he watches Terrance collide with Codex and him. As they come to their senses, Terrance picks up Codex and puts her behind him to stand face-to-face with Shawm. The giant version of Terrance introduces himself as Terry. Still rather confused, Shawm offers to walk them back to the taproom so they can discuss what Codex wants. On the way, Codex explains she wants to send a message to someone in the Third Precinct. She tries to lie about why she wants to send the message, but Shawm tells her to write up the message, and he will send it for her. Codex also tries to give back the “reparation” money because she feels unnerved, but Shawm says it is okay for her to keep it.

The party reunites and locates their room, but Terry, unable to fully control himself, accidentally destroys it. Codex goes to the bar and dictates to Telemachus what she wants her note to say. Wash joins her after Telemachus leaves, and Codex, who Telemauchus told not to let anyone take from the bar, pours Wash a drink of what seems like a vinaigrette. It becomes apparent to Wash that Codex can’t read the labels, so he just points to what he wants. Terry joins, and Codex fills a large bowl with ale that Terry dramatically chugs. Right after he chugs, the serum wears off, and he shrinks back down to Terrance size. Immediately drunk, Terrance passes out on the bar as Wash sighs with relief. Codex asks Wash if he can keep her illiteracy a secret, and Wash agrees under the condition that she stops spilling everyone’s secrets at the drop of a hat. Codex agrees.

Meanwhile, One, followed by Shae, searches for a study. The two fail to find anything that piques their interest, and One decides to head for the courtyard for peace and quiet. Unbeknownst to her, Shae follows in the shadows. Shae observes as One settles into a comfortable spot and removes her armor, revealing the visage of a human woman with red hair and fair skin. Shae watches One tinker with v2; One uses flames to patch damaged spots on the metallic dog, and she seemingly needs no protection from the heat. Shae notices a thin, glowing line running from One’s neck and down her arm. After a few hours of observing from the shadows, Shae approaches One. She asks why One keeps herself covered all the time, and One responds vaguely that it is safer to keep most of her life under wraps. They discuss how they are involved with the same circles and how they each find each other “interesting,” but for now, they come to the agreement that it is best to keep their stories to themselves. One and Shae decide to stay in the courtyard to rest, while the remainder of the party return from the bar to their assigned room in the guild.

### Generta

In the morning, the party starts their journey to Generta. Shae and Terrance hop into a carriage headed southbound as the rest of the group struggles to agree on payment. Eventually, after a painstakingly long conversation, they pay a driver and make their way south. When the party arrives at the Absent Mandolin, they notice the presence of the Vol Multitude near the areas of the previous attacks. The group enters the tavern and approaches the bar where Valoo, a tall blue dragonborn, is tending to the patrons. One speaks first to offer him assistance, and Valoo tells the group about the beast attacks and the newly-imposed curfew for the town. Terrance asks if he is the barkeep Shawm mentioned, and Valoo opens up a bit more once he realizes that the party was sent by The Red Raven Adventuring Guild. Terrance continues to ask questions about the current state of the town, specifically involving the Vol Multitude presence. Valoo explains they were summoned by the mayor who is grieving the loss of her daughter, but they aren’t doing much besides putting people in jail for reasons unrelated to the beast attacks. Shae asks if the attacks are centralized anywhere, and Valoo responds that the attacks typically occur in alleys branching from the central marketplace. He also confides that, while most people think these beasts are hounds, he once caught a glimpse of one and swears it looked like a large rat.

Valoo thinks there are either four or five beasts in total. Shae asks if there are survivors of the attacks, and Valoo tells her Old Maeve survived and that she lives in a little brick house down the road. The party thanks Valoo for his help and asks if they can check out the alley where the attack happened. He allows them, and the group investigates the scene. Terrance, having worked with rats before, looks for signs to confirm that these beasts are, in fact, rodents. One, using Identify on some fur, recognizes that these are giant rats, but not like any she has seen before. Now armed with a little more information, the group heads toward the house of the sole survivor of the attacks, Old Maeve.