After dissecting the Guardian Snake and salting the meat, the party convened on the deck of the boat to discuss a communications strategy with the Patrons of Fairhaven. Nyx will write letters and use her magic to create false messages that will mislead any unauthorized readers. In this way, the party will learn about events in Fairhaven, and potential shape conditions there in their favor.

Alighting in Ashton, the party then transacted some business with the horse traders and provisioners there. C said goodbye to the party temporarily in order to attend some family business from before his military service. The group got their first look at the party of the Brightmore Brothers, who had stopped in Ashton to rest along their overland journey to the Pass of the Dragon.

In Ashton, the party obtained a bounty poster for the dreaded River Rat, who was determined to be a lycanthrope. Sensing an opportunity, the group landed close to the Rat’s giant willow tree and took out a cluster of Giant Wasps there. After penetrating the Magic Mouth on the door of the tree, Nyx triggered a trap that doused Pemming with sticky goo. This sweet-tasting pinkish goo slowed down some members of the group, but it did little to hinder the party’s ability to take out the rat and his allies, the Badger and the Toad.

By session’s end, the party had brought all of the Rat’s fragile yet valuable treasure back on board Wender Wilkins’s ferry boat. Their next destination is the last port of call on the Royal River: Robin’s Roost.