Den of Vipers

"**Den of Vipers**" (1x02) is the second session of the first Boiling Sea campaign. After dispatching a group of brigands dressed as townsguard, the party is invited in for a drink by Kaitin Osaira.

### The Broken Blade

The party search the bodies of the people who attacked them, trying to find some reason for the provocation. Rhys finds a pouch on the large brigand who Heka killed. He looks inside, finding a shimmery golden dust that feels vaguely magical. They pocket the material.

The group head inside after Roan agrees to fetch the actual guard to deal with the unconscious (and dead) assailants. Kaitin pays for drinks and talks with the party, trying to see what their deal is. Rhys asks a few questions, trying to glean Kaitin's motivations. From the way Amber acts around Kaitin, it's clear that the Broken Blade is well liked enough.

The group learns that Kaitin often goes out with the local guard to deal with these groups of impersonators. She brings back their weapons to the local smithy to be fixed up and sold off, where she makes some profit. She mentions that there are probably traders in the marketplace that might know more about the attacks on the road, and to ask them tomorrow. She then heads out.

### Silkdust

Before the group heads to their rooms, Rhys gathers everyone up in private. He then pulls out the pouch of golden dust and shows it around. Everyone else recognises it as refined silkdust. Sirius in particular cautions the others about it - they say that it can make you sick, and being around the unrefined stuff too long can give you an illness known as 'dusty lung'. Rhys suggests they ought to use it as soon as possible. It's better they have it then whoever those other guards were.

The group wonders how this person got a hold of silkdust. It isn't exactly common. Sirius isn't aware of any mines in the Ashen Valley - besides, this sample is refined. There's an entire process that needs to happen for it to get into this state. The group theorise that perhaps there's a supplier bringing in the dust.

### Night conversations

Rhys sneaks Thistle inside by casting invisibility. They successfully sneak into the room without issue, and Thistle immediately takes up the entirety of the bed, watching Sirius carefully. Sirius and Rhys talk about the source of Rhys's magic. Sirius says that they've never seen magic come from seemingly nothing before. You need silkdust, tattoos, or some kind of woven fabric to make it work. Rhys admits that they were never explicitly told where the power comes from - some venowera are born with it. It's just an accepted thing. Perhaps it comes from the land, or the gods.

Heka and Vaita retreat to their room, both still injured. Heka takes off their mask and begins unwrapping bandages, asking V to let him heal her. Initially she refuses, but at Heka's insistence, gives in. They discuss mutual trust (or rather, lack of it). Not killing one another goes pretty far. They exchange a piece of information - where they are from. Vaita reveals that they are from the capital, Rjochterhan. Heka is from Kitaida, a neutral country to the southeast that has a number of trade agreements with Hualasi.

### Disturbing dreams

After heading to sleep, Rhys finds himself in a dream, one that has been recurring. They stand on a stone shore, the ocean stretched out before them. It's sweltering and hot, and the sea is nearly boiling to the point where steam is floating from the service. A voice speaks to him, telling him he is still afraid, and asks why he doesn't embrace it. The voice warns him that he must dare lest he be consumed whole.

Rhys, terrified, retreats. There's an incredibly cold presence behind him, provoking him. Rhys looks to the sky, and sees that there are no stars in the sky, just a blank void. Rhys tries to convince himself that it's just a dream, and hurtles toward the oncoming tide. The water burns him, but he continues to charge forward, until he is woken from the dream to Thistle licking his face. Rhys leaves the room to fetch water, and realises that for the first time, he remembers some of the words: "It will consume you."

### Viper

In the morning, Rhys tries to sneak Thistle outside. Amber seems to hear something, but Sirius and Rhys manage to convince her not to worry about it. The group reconvenes and tries some of the local specialties, including a lemon semolina cake drenched in honey syrup, and a vegetable and oxtail soup known as "stokenspud". Heka makes his way outside to eat, and looks around to see if anyone is watching. Thistle tries to be quiet, but Heka notices her footprints in the dirt. He tells her to keep quiet about it.

After Heka returns, the doors open and three people enter. Two giltgraven accompany a viper, and they immediately head toward the bar where Amber is working. Vaita immediately tries to make herself less conspicuous, whereas Sirius stares directly at the newcomers. The viper tells Amber that her payment is late due to the issues surrounding the town stopping the viper from reaching Khatinaro. Her taxes are going up from 30 to 50 gold to make up for the damaged roads and attacks on important Diarchy traders.

At this point, Sirius stands up and approaches the group. They pull out their small handbook on Diarchy tax law and point out a paragraph that refutes what the viper is trying to say. The taxes he is collecting are just for the tavern Amber keeps, and the land she is on. It should not be raised to cover road damage and town-wide issues - these must be brought to the Lawspeaker and the De'Lester. What the viper is doing is simply extortion. The viper reluctantly relents, and collects the usual 30 gold from Amber. She still needs to pay some of it from her personal coinpurse.

The viper and his lackies leave, but not before one of the giltgraven take a closer look at the table. Vaita attempts to avoid notice, and Rhys helps by knocking over a glass to distract them. Sirius checks on Amber who seems distressed by the event. Rhys wonders how she can even pay that much per quarter, especially if the Hand of Flame barely even helps Khatinaro. Amber reassures him that normally she can pay without issue, but with the lack of clientele and rumours of the danger of the area, she hasn't made as much as she needed to.

### Market research

The party head out to the markets to try and find a trader who has had a run-in with the impersonators. They spot a halfling with their arm in a sling, and a crossbow bolt embedded in their cart. Vaita approaches and questions them, switching to halfling to gain rapport. There's a short conversation where the trader says that they were coming over the mountain pass from the east, and didn't have any trouble until they crossed the border. They got out thanks to their son, a large half-orc lad. They mention offhand that it seems strange, because mountainfolk in his experience don't bother you if you don't bother them. Vaita thanks them, and buys a random woodcarving. It's a charm with a horse wreathed in flame.

Sirius approaches the trader and shows them a small carved statuette of their father, Alexander Braun. They ask the trader if they have seen him, but the trader says they haven't. They're as much a stranger to this town as this group. Sirius shows them their own carved token, a wolf, and the trader recognises the work. Roald Thistlethorn, from Weldsted. They apologise for not having seen Alexander, but wish Sirius good luck.

### It goes all the way to the top

The party finds privacy in an alley and discusses the problem at hand. Considering that Rhys's people don't use silkdust, and from all the party have seen, the impersonators at most use enchanted weave, they surmise that someone is using the existing tensions between the people as a setup or distraction for something bigger. Rhys wonders if it has something to do with the assassination, and the others are inclined to disagree. V speaks up, and confesses that she knows that the wrong person was punished for the crime. She says she was there when it happened, and news hasn't quite made it this far.

There's a general consensus, except for Rhys, that if this mission entangles them in things far above their pay grade, they are not comfortable getting involved. Rhys notably stays silent. V says they are not interested in heading back West, and Rhys is adamant on not heading East. They agree that this is likely a short crossing of paths, and they will go their separate ways afterward. For now, they will head to the local smithy where Kaitin sells her broken blades.