71. A Bit of Poo

On his way to a first in-city contract in Old City's Cavendish district, Jason senses five iron-rank adventurers lying in wait by a public pump. Their leader, Dink, seeks clout by beating Jason. Declining to use powers, Jason swiftly disables Dink with precise, brutal strikes, prompting the rest to back down so he can proceed to his job.

Jason arrives at the Townhouse, a prestigious inn converted from a former mansion. He meets Farrokh, the runic barman, who leads him to the cellar, where a sealed breach reveals a stone-chewer rat problem. Frank, a seasoned magical tradesman, has driven the rats back and erected a temporary barrier, arranging access to the tunnels for Jason.

Frank escorts Jason to a maintenance entrance leading into the tunnel network that channels and purifies delta water beneath Old City. He warns about dangerous infestations and the labyrinthine layout, then leaves to continue sealing basements, promising to return later.

Alone in the dark, Jason relies on his vision power and summons his familiar, Colin—the sanguine leech horror—by cutting his palm. Colin’s distributed senses and numbers spread through pipes and crevices to detect and root out the hidden rat colony. Jason follows the main mass, beginning a thorough, methodical extermination to prevent a future surface outbreak.