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Family Matters - Forgotten Realms Waterdeep Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="Isida Kep'Tukari" data-source="post: 6175014" data-attributes="member: 4441"><p><strong>Session 18.5</strong></p><p></p><p>DM's Note: Evelyn's player had one free weekend between the end of some summer obligations and GenCon, so we did another session of Family Matters before wrapping up Lost Souls the next week. Later this week we shall return to Family Matters for the foreseeable future.</p><p></p><p>This post is various e-mails to the players setting up session 19.</p><p></p><p>----------------------</p><p></p><p>Charissa, you are a dedicated worker. One who, upon occasion, will tune out things in order to keep to a task. Things like lunch. And not always because you’re doing alchemical work and don’t want to accidentally eat smokepowder. Yet for the past couple of weeks, every few days, a covered tray of lunch appears on your workbench as mysteriously as a mushroom – a bowl of hearty stew with bread, hot roasted meat on a crusty roll, some kind of steamed loaf with vegetables and sauce inside, nothing fancy, but often welcome in the cold of winter. It isn’t until the third or fourth (or seventh) time that you notice your benefactor – Sticks! You didn’t notice him immediately because homunculi are hardly unique in the Temple of Gond. </p><p></p><p>If you ask why he’s doing this, Sticks will tell you, “Am grateful for res-tor-ay-shun to my job. Would help others, but too far away. You are close. Enjoy!” It seems the kindness of your party have earned you a fan! Also, Sticks occasionally leaves little bits of metal, what look like little ingot ends that probably are falling out of the hems of people’s clothing in the Bronze Gear. It’s not a lot of metal, but put all of it together over a tenday or so and it’s enough to do a bit of experimenting and it doesn’t cost you a copper. </p><p></p><p>Now, you don’t pay much attention to gossip, but it seems that gossip pays attention to you. Or rather, people pay attention to gossip FOR you. There’s been talk that a plumacrafter from the far land of Maztica will be demonstrating something of his craft at an upcoming shindig. You recognize the term – your group returned a plumacraft chariot when you liberated those goods from the dark creepers. Purely on an academic, William-esque basis, it was very interesting to see those colorful feathers woven into a sturdy vehicle! And as a matter of fact, when you were taking a break to actually eat one of the meals Sticks had brought you, Lissa Threefingers came over to talk to you. (You remembered her; she’s the golem expert you talked to about wax golems.)</p><p></p><p>“So, if I am remembering right, you’re in tight with the Violettes.” With a nod of assent, Lissa went on, “It looks like the plumacraft, Kultaka, is only giving one public demonstration of his craft. And it’s at some party for a noble family, the Jassarians. Now, I can’t get an invitation. Something about how I ‘blow stuff up’ wherever I go, which is just exaggerating, says I! But you can. You know those nobles, the Violettes, and I just bet THEY can get an invitation. If you go and observe for me…” Lissa waves her abbreviated hands around, thinking. “I’ll owe you a favor. Deal?”</p><p></p><p>[Charissa said she’d do it, thinking she might be able to wrangle an invitation during the group’s bi-tenday meeting at the Empty Grave.]</p><p></p><p>--</p><p></p><p>Steven, Ravinica, the Golden Queen, is always very pleased to receive you at the Temple of Mystra. She is a quiet, dedicated woman, a scholar of ancient arts and magical transformations. She has been spending much of her time learning about the five hundred years she has missed since the Year of the Opening Flower. The temple elders, in return, are trying to learn about her. Though Ravinica is helpful, she hadn’t yet revealed all her secrets. She was, and still is, royalty, and the magical transformations she knows are nearly her only currency in this world without her kingdom. And she is a thrifty soul.</p><p></p><p>She finds you to be a calming and kind friend. Possibly, at some point, maybe more than a friend, but you are both cautious, practical people. You have patience. While she does get some amusement out of the social outings Evelyn drags her to, you know (because you can’t not) that she enjoys spending time with you pouring over tomes, or talking, just as much or more.</p><p></p><p>Ravinica does occasionally tell you things that would set some of your magical mentors on their ears. At one point she tells you, “My people were great travelers – not of great breadth, but of great depth. Rarely did we travel beyond our city walls, but instead crossed the boundaries of the planes, the worlds that lie parallel to ours, touching like pages in a book. We could travel between them, and established parts of our own kingdom not just in this world, but the others. I am as yet too weak and out of practice to travel, but if you were to go there, you might see the remains of what we built. We could bring pieces back with us, show how the simplest thing can change across the boundaries of worlds. Many of my people chose the life-power of the planes of energy to sink into their flesh, so that they would survive… Mayhaps, when I am strong again, you might like to travel with me?”</p><p></p><p>[Steven enthusiastically said yes. Part of this was genuine affection for Ravinica. Part of this was also the desire to not be where his sister was. Really, who could blame the man?]</p><p></p><p>--</p><p></p><p>Evelyn, you realize the Jassarian’s party will not just be a homecoming celebration for their son (Kovalo), but also something of a merchant’s showcase for what was brought back, as well as anything else in the family’s business. This is hardly unusual; with Waterdeep’s merchant nobility, a smart family would turn a mere social visit into business. Not vulgarly, of course. There would be “demonstrations” and “party favors,” but many informal contracts can be agreed upon during these parties. </p><p></p><p>The Jassarians deal in exotica – in addition to goods from Chult, they’re also having a demonstration from a Maztica plumacrafter, as well as a display of rare beasts in a magically heated menagerie. There should be ample inspiration for new fashion here, at the very least!</p><p></p><p>Ah, and speaking of investing, you’ve heard back from Wu Yen, your fellow dragon and your Kara Tur silk merchant. You invested the value of a flail snail shell, a good 3,000 gold to the right buyer. She sent a message that your investment has done quite well; you’ll be getting 4,500 back, 1,500gp more than what you invested. Huzzah! She asks if you will continue to invest, if so, how much. As for the remainder (if any), what form you would like the money in.</p><p></p><p>In regards to the house and fixing it up – it will cost about 1,000-gp to bring it up to the appropriate standards. The house itself is in decent enough shape, but over the years your family has sold many fine furnishings and goods, the garden is a mess, and you really lack enough servants for this neighborhood. Some of the money will go for interior and exterior redesign and some will go for year-long servant contracts. A really good “re-entry into polite society” party once everything is up to scratch will cost you somewhere between 300-500gp, depending on how many people you invite.</p><p></p><p>You also hear back from Madam Silverleaf. She’s begun to have some out-of-country orders come in. Only a few thus far, but it seems at least some are both reading and liking what they see in your magazine.</p><p></p><p>--</p><p></p><p>William – Your graduation from the Ethorchul Academy is excellent – in high style (you expected no less) with great pomp and circumstance. Your practical experience with your new friends let you pass your demonstrations very well, and your essays were… exhaustive. Your teachers dreaded no less. Shandri was there, blessed you without soaking your robes and gave you a gift of holy water she’d blessed herself, a hippocampus quill, and a waterproof writing book. She also had found a very nice bottle of bubbly wine to celebrate Order of the Vine-style!</p><p></p><p>Afterwards, you were approached by Lutharian Tashalorial, the elf Guild Wizard of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors, the one who gave you your informal entrance exam. He says he’s interested in having you essentially intern with them. You’d be paid for your work, or could just put what you’d otherwise be paid towards your eventual entrance fee to the Guild (as you both know you need a bit more experience and skill to learn to be a Guild Wizard). The Order can always use a good mind and keen eyes.</p><p></p><p>Should you decide to accept, Lutharian has a task for you, to attend a party being thrown by the Jassarians, a noble family, to observe the Maztica plumacrafter who will be putting on a very rare demonstration. Your relative youth and non-official status actually make you ideal, as the plumacrafter cannot possibly take offense at a curious young man as he might at a city official.</p><p></p><p>[William was thrilled at the assignment. Really, he probably would have done it for free.]</p><p></p><p>--</p><p></p><p>Garden, your contact at the Marlith, Hob Stonecypher, is all full of smiles when you come in to work one day.</p><p></p><p>“It’s good to have friends in high places, isn’t it?” he says, in a cheery way that usually precedes either a difficult job or a practical joke. “I take it you know Shanna Deeps?”</p><p></p><p>Ah, um, oh dear. Yes, yes you do. One of the ladies from the Busty Wench, bought a bodice dagger. A bodice dagger of unusual size.</p><p></p><p>“She remembers ‘dear ol’ Granther’ with his ‘pretty weapons,’ and remembers him well enough to have gotten the Marlith a bit of a display at a merchant noble’s party. Jassarians – they’re throwing a shindig and bringing out all the exotica. It seems Shanna is the,” Hob takes a minute to snort with laughter, “one true love of one of the Jassarian boys. She went on and on about all the fancy weapons you had in the pamphlets you were handing around, and Fellok Jassarian goes up and contacts us for his contribution to the family fortunes at the party. Looks like M. Granther is going to be pressing the flesh next sixthday.”</p><p></p><p>Hob can’t hold back his laughter, and guffaws into his sleeve until he gets control of himself. “Tymora must love you, lad. Make us some good profit and I don’t have to tell you to keep your ears open. Mask only knows what villains will be rovin’ at such an affair.”</p><p></p><p>Hob manfully manages to hold back another wave of mirth at his own crude sense of humor.</p><p></p><p>[All humor aside, Garden is ready to wade once more into the fray of merchandizing.]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Isida Kep'Tukari, post: 6175014, member: 4441"] [b]Session 18.5[/b] DM's Note: Evelyn's player had one free weekend between the end of some summer obligations and GenCon, so we did another session of Family Matters before wrapping up Lost Souls the next week. Later this week we shall return to Family Matters for the foreseeable future. This post is various e-mails to the players setting up session 19. ---------------------- Charissa, you are a dedicated worker. One who, upon occasion, will tune out things in order to keep to a task. Things like lunch. And not always because you’re doing alchemical work and don’t want to accidentally eat smokepowder. Yet for the past couple of weeks, every few days, a covered tray of lunch appears on your workbench as mysteriously as a mushroom – a bowl of hearty stew with bread, hot roasted meat on a crusty roll, some kind of steamed loaf with vegetables and sauce inside, nothing fancy, but often welcome in the cold of winter. It isn’t until the third or fourth (or seventh) time that you notice your benefactor – Sticks! You didn’t notice him immediately because homunculi are hardly unique in the Temple of Gond. If you ask why he’s doing this, Sticks will tell you, “Am grateful for res-tor-ay-shun to my job. Would help others, but too far away. You are close. Enjoy!” It seems the kindness of your party have earned you a fan! Also, Sticks occasionally leaves little bits of metal, what look like little ingot ends that probably are falling out of the hems of people’s clothing in the Bronze Gear. It’s not a lot of metal, but put all of it together over a tenday or so and it’s enough to do a bit of experimenting and it doesn’t cost you a copper. Now, you don’t pay much attention to gossip, but it seems that gossip pays attention to you. Or rather, people pay attention to gossip FOR you. There’s been talk that a plumacrafter from the far land of Maztica will be demonstrating something of his craft at an upcoming shindig. You recognize the term – your group returned a plumacraft chariot when you liberated those goods from the dark creepers. Purely on an academic, William-esque basis, it was very interesting to see those colorful feathers woven into a sturdy vehicle! And as a matter of fact, when you were taking a break to actually eat one of the meals Sticks had brought you, Lissa Threefingers came over to talk to you. (You remembered her; she’s the golem expert you talked to about wax golems.) “So, if I am remembering right, you’re in tight with the Violettes.” With a nod of assent, Lissa went on, “It looks like the plumacraft, Kultaka, is only giving one public demonstration of his craft. And it’s at some party for a noble family, the Jassarians. Now, I can’t get an invitation. Something about how I ‘blow stuff up’ wherever I go, which is just exaggerating, says I! But you can. You know those nobles, the Violettes, and I just bet THEY can get an invitation. If you go and observe for me…” Lissa waves her abbreviated hands around, thinking. “I’ll owe you a favor. Deal?” [Charissa said she’d do it, thinking she might be able to wrangle an invitation during the group’s bi-tenday meeting at the Empty Grave.] -- Steven, Ravinica, the Golden Queen, is always very pleased to receive you at the Temple of Mystra. She is a quiet, dedicated woman, a scholar of ancient arts and magical transformations. She has been spending much of her time learning about the five hundred years she has missed since the Year of the Opening Flower. The temple elders, in return, are trying to learn about her. Though Ravinica is helpful, she hadn’t yet revealed all her secrets. She was, and still is, royalty, and the magical transformations she knows are nearly her only currency in this world without her kingdom. And she is a thrifty soul. She finds you to be a calming and kind friend. Possibly, at some point, maybe more than a friend, but you are both cautious, practical people. You have patience. While she does get some amusement out of the social outings Evelyn drags her to, you know (because you can’t not) that she enjoys spending time with you pouring over tomes, or talking, just as much or more. Ravinica does occasionally tell you things that would set some of your magical mentors on their ears. At one point she tells you, “My people were great travelers – not of great breadth, but of great depth. Rarely did we travel beyond our city walls, but instead crossed the boundaries of the planes, the worlds that lie parallel to ours, touching like pages in a book. We could travel between them, and established parts of our own kingdom not just in this world, but the others. I am as yet too weak and out of practice to travel, but if you were to go there, you might see the remains of what we built. We could bring pieces back with us, show how the simplest thing can change across the boundaries of worlds. Many of my people chose the life-power of the planes of energy to sink into their flesh, so that they would survive… Mayhaps, when I am strong again, you might like to travel with me?” [Steven enthusiastically said yes. Part of this was genuine affection for Ravinica. Part of this was also the desire to not be where his sister was. Really, who could blame the man?] -- Evelyn, you realize the Jassarian’s party will not just be a homecoming celebration for their son (Kovalo), but also something of a merchant’s showcase for what was brought back, as well as anything else in the family’s business. This is hardly unusual; with Waterdeep’s merchant nobility, a smart family would turn a mere social visit into business. Not vulgarly, of course. There would be “demonstrations” and “party favors,” but many informal contracts can be agreed upon during these parties. The Jassarians deal in exotica – in addition to goods from Chult, they’re also having a demonstration from a Maztica plumacrafter, as well as a display of rare beasts in a magically heated menagerie. There should be ample inspiration for new fashion here, at the very least! Ah, and speaking of investing, you’ve heard back from Wu Yen, your fellow dragon and your Kara Tur silk merchant. You invested the value of a flail snail shell, a good 3,000 gold to the right buyer. She sent a message that your investment has done quite well; you’ll be getting 4,500 back, 1,500gp more than what you invested. Huzzah! She asks if you will continue to invest, if so, how much. As for the remainder (if any), what form you would like the money in. In regards to the house and fixing it up – it will cost about 1,000-gp to bring it up to the appropriate standards. The house itself is in decent enough shape, but over the years your family has sold many fine furnishings and goods, the garden is a mess, and you really lack enough servants for this neighborhood. Some of the money will go for interior and exterior redesign and some will go for year-long servant contracts. A really good “re-entry into polite society” party once everything is up to scratch will cost you somewhere between 300-500gp, depending on how many people you invite. You also hear back from Madam Silverleaf. She’s begun to have some out-of-country orders come in. Only a few thus far, but it seems at least some are both reading and liking what they see in your magazine. -- William – Your graduation from the Ethorchul Academy is excellent – in high style (you expected no less) with great pomp and circumstance. Your practical experience with your new friends let you pass your demonstrations very well, and your essays were… exhaustive. Your teachers dreaded no less. Shandri was there, blessed you without soaking your robes and gave you a gift of holy water she’d blessed herself, a hippocampus quill, and a waterproof writing book. She also had found a very nice bottle of bubbly wine to celebrate Order of the Vine-style! Afterwards, you were approached by Lutharian Tashalorial, the elf Guild Wizard of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors, the one who gave you your informal entrance exam. He says he’s interested in having you essentially intern with them. You’d be paid for your work, or could just put what you’d otherwise be paid towards your eventual entrance fee to the Guild (as you both know you need a bit more experience and skill to learn to be a Guild Wizard). The Order can always use a good mind and keen eyes. Should you decide to accept, Lutharian has a task for you, to attend a party being thrown by the Jassarians, a noble family, to observe the Maztica plumacrafter who will be putting on a very rare demonstration. Your relative youth and non-official status actually make you ideal, as the plumacrafter cannot possibly take offense at a curious young man as he might at a city official. [William was thrilled at the assignment. Really, he probably would have done it for free.] -- Garden, your contact at the Marlith, Hob Stonecypher, is all full of smiles when you come in to work one day. “It’s good to have friends in high places, isn’t it?” he says, in a cheery way that usually precedes either a difficult job or a practical joke. “I take it you know Shanna Deeps?” Ah, um, oh dear. Yes, yes you do. One of the ladies from the Busty Wench, bought a bodice dagger. A bodice dagger of unusual size. “She remembers ‘dear ol’ Granther’ with his ‘pretty weapons,’ and remembers him well enough to have gotten the Marlith a bit of a display at a merchant noble’s party. Jassarians – they’re throwing a shindig and bringing out all the exotica. It seems Shanna is the,” Hob takes a minute to snort with laughter, “one true love of one of the Jassarian boys. She went on and on about all the fancy weapons you had in the pamphlets you were handing around, and Fellok Jassarian goes up and contacts us for his contribution to the family fortunes at the party. Looks like M. Granther is going to be pressing the flesh next sixthday.” Hob can’t hold back his laughter, and guffaws into his sleeve until he gets control of himself. “Tymora must love you, lad. Make us some good profit and I don’t have to tell you to keep your ears open. Mask only knows what villains will be rovin’ at such an affair.” Hob manfully manages to hold back another wave of mirth at his own crude sense of humor. [All humor aside, Garden is ready to wade once more into the fray of merchandizing.] [/QUOTE]
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