Undermountain- Ch.1 Welcome

4 Uktar The Rotting, 1372 DR Year of Wild Magic

It is late Autum in the City of Splendors, the cold winds of the Sea of Swords brings cold rains and winds to the city's people almost daily. Most of the wealthy folk who prefer warmer climes have closed thier shops or homes and have left for warmer ports, such as Calimport. The poor of Waterdeep have no choice in the matter however. Yes the City of Splendors is preparing for another winter season. However all is not well in Faerun, to the east in the great desert of Anauroch a group of travellers have returned. They are called the Shades, and rumors abound on the streets of the city, that they are the heirs of old Netheril. Grim tales indeed! Waterdeep and the Lord's Alliance has even dispatched an army to Evereska to investigate...

It had been a cold and rainy night in Waterdeep, and this morning has been no better. A slow and wet drizziling rain falls on the city, backed by a fierce north wind. Snow will soon be coming to Waterdeep. You find yourself in Anchoret's Court in Waterdeep's Southern Ward to purchase some supplies. When suddenly you see an old white beared man in a traditional wizard outfit running out of a house, yelling "Shalara, where have you gone!" A strange creature about the size of a small halfling, that looks like some kind of Gargoyle, files behind the man franticly trying to catch up, but is unable to because he is carrying a large cloak. "Master, you need your cloak, wait up."

Luth Stonar, Male Human Cleric of Grumbar, god of earth

*Luth regards the textile merchant with a stoney expression. By the Stones, could these people make nothing simple?! He just wanted a simple winter blanket. But all he could find were ones with patterns, one with elaborate pictures, patchwork quilts, blankets with fringe, everything put a plain and simple... wait! There they were, plainly dyed wood blankets. Luth strode over to examine them, his great height, over seven feet tall, parting the way before him. He was bending to feel the quality of the cloth, when the wizard began to make a commotion.*

*Furrowing his brow, he straightened up and looked around the marketplace for any other pockets of disturbance. Luth's pale blonde hair caught the eye, as did the scale-mail beneath his cloak. A large warhammer was visible at his belt whenever he moved, and a wrought-iron symbol of mountains dangled from a chain around his neck. Luth cast his gaze about, looking for his "Shalara," who had obviously run away from her master. Very impolite and unseemly, and it must be corrected at once.*

Huddled deep within his dark cloak, his hood pulled up, Garret is quite bored and miserable due to the weather. He finishes his purchases quickly so he can get out of the rain, when hearing the disturbance he turns and sees the old man followed by his strange servant.

Well this is more like it, a bit of excitement. I wonder, who or what is this Shalara to cause such an old man to be running about in the rain? Maybe I'll stay out just a bit longer, after all the rain's not that heavy, and follow the old man to see if he requires my assistance. If nothing else it will provide a diversion on a dreary day.

While following the old man Garret calls, "Excuse me grandfather, can I be of some assistance?"

Langan Stonecutter: Male shield dwarf evoker 1

The rain drips off Langan Stonesplitter's cap. He grumbles and mutters, "My spellbook's gonna be soaked. I hope it stops soon. My first day as independent mage and I get this. What a bad omen. Marthammor protect me. Well, need to get some more components."

He catches sight of the old wizard and the following familiar. Langan nudges a lump under his cloak. A small brown bat peeks its head out. "Look at that Chirp. Bet you wish you could carry something that big. Hmm. He doesn't know that he forgot his cloak. A human like him will catch his death out here." Langan calls out over the falling raindrops. "Master wizard. You've forgotten your cloak."

A broad man with a medium-sized beard is spending quite a bit of time at a tool stand. Picking up a tool, he carefully examines it from all angles, and then replaces it quickly. He picks up another, spending more time on it and nods...

Mardin is actually unhooded. His thick cloak is pulled around himself, but even so it is obvious he has two large weapons at either hip. The drizzle does not seem to faze him too much, although he might pull up his hood if he were in a downpour. As it is, you might get the impression he wants to show off his long hair. After some time, he moves away from the stand, and some chinking sound is audible when he walks -- maybe his weapons or his belt hitting something? Either way, he stops again to admire some statues depicting brave dwarven fighters in heroic positions, but he looks at these in a different way.

When the old man comes running out of his building, Mardin takes notice -- he looks around for an obvious looking Shalara, but in vain. "Sir, are you in need of some help?"

Galadath - Wood elf Druid

Galadath stands in the corner on a nearby alley, watching the market sqaure.
I've been in this strange human city for two days and still no sign of the half-orc warlock ... Darn.
Galadath think to himself
He pulls his hood over his head and take another bite from the apple he bought.

Then he hear some shouts, his eyes follows an old man that running before him
and this strange creature behind him. Probobaly a Lunetek with all those people that trying to help him.

Gorstag pauses while eating a meat pie he bought from a vendor, as he hears a commotion behind him. He looks on with interest as the wizard runs out of a house.

As the wizard moves on, Gorstag decides to follow him in case something happens.

The gray-haired man stops and looks at Garret, "Ehh why yes something is indeed wrong," he says with a sob.

"My fool apprentice Shalara, has been sweet talked by those dolt Roaringhorn brothers to adventure in the Halls of The Undermountain, by Azuth's hat, she's not ready for such an excursion."

The man then drops to his knees in a puddle, "ohh Shalara, you fool what have you done!"

With that the man just sobs.

The strange winged creature a moment later catches up and wraps the cloak around the old man, and raps "yes master all better, stay warm, misstress Shalara, be home soon."

occ: Anybody can make a Knowledge Local (Waterdeep), history (waterdeep) or dungeonering if you want. Use the dice roller at Invisible Castle, and post the link.

*Luth strides over, looming above the man, his mind racing for mentions of Undermountain in his studies of history.*

"She ran away? Very irregular. These Roaringhorn brothers, what are they that they could instill such change in your apprentice?" Luth asks of the wizard.

OOC - Knowledge (history) 12

Garret gently pats the old man on the shoulder, and says "Come Grandfather it can't be as bad as all that...what scares you so much about this Undermountain, is it an especially dangerous place?"

While continuing to console the old man and trying in vain to help him to his feet, he directs himself to the strange creature, "Excuse me if this is rude, but what exactly are you as I have never seen a creature of your kind before?"