The party returns to Phaulkonmere to turn in the scarecrow quest. After Smoll helps Malanor Fellbranch pull a stump, the party explains the “scarecrows constructed by hags” situation to Jeryth and chills out in the Emerald Enclave’s garden for a spell.
Next on the list is Vincent Trench’s request of Janky to figure out who has the giant wererats of the Shard Shunners watching him, but Vincent is not home. Smoll notices a giant wererat on lookout from the rooftop across the street. The party nonchalantly returns to TSM where Togy sets up an observation post on the high widow’s watch. The lookout is asleep on duty.
Reade and Janky slip across the street, scale the building, and catch the lookout by surprise. Under Janky’s spell, giant wererat lookout Petey reveals what he knows: Petey, like two other lookouts in the alley behind the Tiger’s Eye, is tasked with watching Vincent. It’s good work, but rat droppings roll downhill. Everyone has a boss, and his is Roscoe.
The party hastens back to the halfling hostel on the street of spices to find Roscoe the boss. Attempts at leveraging their previous charm-driven friendship degrade in a round of misplaced intimidation and persuasion until Janky reprises his bardic charms. Janky and Reade undermine Roscoe’s confidence to the point that Roscoe not only reveals that his boss is Xanathar (aka X-man aka Big Eye aka Big Guy), but he also becomes convinced of Xanathar’s displeasure with the Shard Shunners’ performance. Roscoe panics and his henchmen begin packing out boxes for a backup lair away from Xanathar.
The party returns to Tiger’s Eye to find Vincent at the office and catches him up on the giant wererat situation. Janky particularly emphasizes the fact that Xanathar, who apparently identifies as a beholder, suspects Vincent is someone worth fearing. Insightful Togy reckons the same thing. Vincent proposes a highly favorable venture capitalization: 1000 gp for a 20% stake in the tavern with a 2000 gp buyout option.