The Westgate Campaign Chronicles - serial

[Carlo-One]

Close to midnight on Tarsakh 4, Darrow met up with the others at the Old Beard tavern, having finished fixing up his armor at the Gatereach guest house. His companions mentioned the nearby sewer entrance they were to descend and noted they could leave a trail for their remaining dwarven companion, Njord, to catch up. As they were about to head out, a street urchin came up to them, having noticed Aerikoth’s blue wizard robes. The child declared that a sea captain at the docks asked him to give the wizard a rolled-up letter. Aerikoth tilted his head and accepted the letter, looking at the boy with his typical unblinking gaze. The urchin said that the captain was of the ship called “The Vulture”, prompting Darrow to declare that he knew the ship well, as it always turned up trouble. Aerikoth offered the child a gold piece, telling him that he had accomplished his task and could go. After biting the coin, the urchin happily saluted and ran off.

The wizard silently unrolled the letter and read its contents, observing that their companion in the endeavor would be agreeable to Aerikoth inspecting the item, before handing it over. He placed the letter on the table for the others to read and Rosten verified the contents, in a rasping voice confirming that the wizard could take the cloak and look it over, before handing it to the Vulture. Lloria, impatient, observed that they needed to get moving, which Dermot acknowledged.

The five companions exited the tavern and went to the sewer entrance, where Darrow took a vial of dye out of his pouch and made strange marks with it on the sewer entrance. Dermot thought that would do for Njord, should their other dwarven companion follow them. They then moved the cover off and descended into the dank, dark sewer tunnels.

In the first chamber they paused to check their map, while Aerikoth noted that the elf Lomilith had said the way was clear to the north-facing door. He recommended that he apply spells to them before they entered combat, with their arrival at the door probably being the best time. As they departed the chamber, Darrow made a hasty mark on the side of the wall.

The light from their equipment was enough to see the way ahead. Dermot crept forward as their scout, crossbow in one hand, slightly hunched, his footsteps quiet. Lloria, having consulted the map, called out two lefts, two rights, then a left to the door. Darrow made a series of marks on the wall as they proceeded. Arriving at the door, Dermot listened at it, holding his breath. The ranger made an all clear gesture before opening it, as Darrow cocked an ear. The dwarf quietly mentioned that he heard something in the water up ahead. The ranger agreed and said they should get set.

A short debate was had over whether to cast Aerikoth’s protective spells before proceeding, with the consensus in the affirmative. Rosten muttered to himself, fiddling with some of the trinkets attached to his person, as Lloria cast her own spell on her halberd blade, the warrior priest causing it to spring into flame. Aerikoth decided to cast his elemental magic protection spell on Darrow, since he would be in the front line and in the most danger from such spells. Rosten stowed his crossbow and drew the cutlass from his back, adjusting his grip on the hilt as if to reassure himself, as the wizard completed his spells.

 

[Carlo-One]

Meanwhile, the dwarven priest Njord, huffing and puffing, had arrived late at the Old Beard. After briefly looking around the tavern’s interior, he exited and surveyed his surroundings. Looking at the nearby sewer entrance, he spied a dwarven rune daubed next to it in some kind of paint. It read: “This way, drunkard.” Correctly deducing that this was a message from Darrow meant for him, Njord entered the sewers, then spotted another rune marking the way down an eastern corridor.

Guided by Darrow’s rune-marked path, Njord hurried, muttering silently to himself. He soon came upon the others in a larger chamber, shortly after hearing a frenzied war cry from Rosten echoing in the dank corridors. He greeted his companions, observing a giant green hand holding Darrow in place and several rotting corpses strewn around the floor. Aerikoth explained that their foes had been reanimated Shore Patrol members, some of whom the party had previously encountered. Lloria finished examining the bodies and thrust one blade into her belt for safekeeping.

Dermot, after inspecting the secret sewer exit marked on their maps, asked if anyone was good with door-rigged triggers. Aerikoth mentioned that Rosten should have some tools left, while Darrow suggested they simply stand back and let him open it. Rosten stowed his crossbow and stepped up, a little gingerly. He began humming a tune to himself, mournful and low, while working. In a short time, the piratical hin stepped back proudly and stopped humming, nodding to himself. He declared that would do it and that he didn’t even need the Vulture’s toy for it.

The company passed single file through the secret door, finding themselves in a dark, vaulted crypt and in an immediate fight with more rotting undead. Aerikoth summoned a dire tiger to assist in the melee and their foes stood little chance. The group examined the area but decided not to disturb anything, given the need for haste to disrupt the Sharran ritual taking place somewhere ahead of them. Having passed an unexamined side corridor, however, Darrow prudently jammed a door behind them with a couple of wedged crossbow bolts. Dermot pointed out a portcullis-guarded bridge ahead of them that the ranger thought said “dangerous stuff this way” and was their best bet to follow as a path. Njord thought they should check the other tunnels first, but then Dermot, listening intently, heard the faint sound of chanting ahead.

On the bridge, Rosten started humming his same working tune as he attempted to get past the portcullis. Before he could get to work, the party was ambushed by fantastic-looking bonebats that swept down from above; however, the creatures were quickly dispatched. The party in the meantime had lost the sound of the chanting during the loud combat, as the acoustics of the crypt area appeared to be playing some tricks on them.

 

[Carlo-One]

Once past the bridge and its remaining traps, which Rosten managed to disarm, the party found itself in a stone chamber with several coffins on its margin and a large stone crypt in its center, along with stairs leading up. Aerikoth recommended that the coffins be destroyed, which prompted Njord to pour a bottle of spirits on each of them, apparently with the idea of setting them on fire. Rosten worried that they might just wake up whatever was in the coffins. Darrow, after taking a closer look, observed that these were old coffins, unused for a long time, judging by the rusty hinges and brittle wood. The dwarf echoed Rosten’s concerns about jinxing the party, which the hin took very seriously. Dermot verified that the central crypt also appeared to have been undisturbed, then Darrow spotted a trap on it, making Dermot appreciate even more the call not to break the coffins.

Foregoing the stairs up, the party creeped its way forward, occasionally hearing snatches of chanting as it echoed through the stone crypt complex. They finally reached a large, ominous-looking door, behind which was the source of the sounds they had followed. As Rosten cleaned some bone-dust off his cutlass, Lloria listened intently to the ritual chants. The warrior priest declared that they had just finished and the party needed to move. Dermot mimed putting a key into his flat palm, encouraging Rosten to take the Vulture's tools from his belt and unlock the door in front of them. Darrow declared it was showtime as the ranger counted down from three, then they burst through the door.

Beyond was a dark chamber in which a group of women in robes were arrayed around a central figure by an altar - the Darklady Dahlia Vhammos, who had just concluded the ritual by giving thanks to Shar for bringing the eternal night closer to them. Rosten called out to his companions to lay them low and battle was rapidly joined, with the Shar priestesses evidently completely surprised by the rush of invaders. The vampire Dahlia only managed to get off a couple of spells as her retinue was overwhelmed, turning invisible in an attempt to flee. Dermot speedily reacted and threw a pouch of dust in her direction to make her visible, allowing Lloria to step in with her halberd and hack off the vampire’s head just as a blast of light from a spell staggered the ranger back and temporarily blinded the warrior of Torm. (No doubt things could have gone differently - and poorly - if the group had achieved less than total surprise, or if they were not vigilant against the vampire's magical tricks. Well done by the raiders! --C)

After staggering around, the still somewhat-dazed Dermot spotted a sarcophagus against the wall, toward which an insubstantial mist was flowing. Rosten cursed and called out for their wizard to do something, in response to which Aerikoth calmly stated they should destroy the coffin. Dermot and Darrow enthusiastically hacked and smashed it to flinders with their magical weapons, only then taking stock of themselves and their companions. Rosten, his voice at first all business, sheathed his cutlass and lighted a torch, asking in an increasingly desperate tone where the cloak was they had come for.

 

[Carlo-One]

Dark Aftermath​

A search of the coffin by Darrow yielded a holy symbol, a key and a bunch of gems. The dwarf also took a dagger and a gem off the corpse of Dahlia. Eyes then turned to the dark altar in the center of the chamber and Dermot yelled to check it. Lloria confirmed that the inky-black cloak, the center of the ritual to Shar, was on the altar and Aerikoth gathered it up, stuffing it into a magic bag. Njord took possession of the found key as the others congratulated themselves on the success of the raid.

Talk was interrupted by the loud cracking and splintering of the altar as Lloria smashed it to pieces, the enchanted halberd head making short work of the object. This greatly alarmed Njord, who started cursing and called on the others to run from the place, fearing the results of destroying Shar’s altar, right where they had killed her priestess during a ritual. Lloria scoffed dismissively at this, but Darrow reckoned that they should not hang around and also make sure they destroyed any remaining coffins in the chamber. Lloria agreed with this, while Rosten and Dermot concurred with the plan to clear out of the place. Njord cautioned them not to take the holy symbol. (The dwarven priest's caution was quite warranted. When a god's attention is focused on a place, person, or thing which they care greatly about, they may be moved to action if harm comes to it. Shar's darkness in particular is not something to be trifled with --R)

As the others departed to check out the old tomb they had previously passed, Dermot called out to Aerikoth, who had lagged behind in the chamber, the wizard saying he had been retrieving the remaining gems. The ranger was less enthusiastic about the prospect of stealing from the Vhammos family vault and welcomed Aerikoth’s offer to teleport the group away from the area. The others rejoined them, except for Lloria who had stayed behind to examine the sarcophagus, which Darrow had ended up destroying. No more vampires had been discovered, so talk turned to the loot they had recovered – including weapons marked as belonging to the Night Masks – and their next moves.

Dermot was for getting to the Gatereach inn, then clearing out of town to head for Teziir and Reddansyr on the road to Ironhelm lands; Njord had mentioned that Clan Ironhelm needed help. Rosten nodded in agreement as Njord inquired if Aerikoth could get the seized cloak to a safe place. Aerikoth said he intended to deliver it in five days' time to the Vulture as promised, while Lloria admitted that she would have grabbed it and taken it to the temple of Lady Sunrise Tylanna for safekeeping. Dermot, often the diplomat among them, suggested they make the call once they knew exactly what it was and if it would do what they hoped. The ranger’s eyes then flicked behind him, noticing how the shadows beyond their light sources somehow seemed to be becoming thicker.

Aerikoth offered to meet them in Reddansyr at the Giant’s Folly inn, which Dermot confirmed, telling the wizard to be careful in the meantime. Lloria shrugged as the ranger commented that Tylanna would not be a bad call regarding the disposition of the cloak; magic was one thing, but it was a goddess’ tool. The wizard, ignoring his companions’ banter, nodded once to each of them as his eyes went distant and he spoke a word of power, disappearing as the shadows thickened further around them.

 

[Carlo-One]

By mid-morning on Tarsakh 5, Dermot, Rosten and Lloria had finished a rousing breakfast at the Gatereach, having made their way back there along with Darrow and Njord in the early morning hours without suffering any incidents. The inn’s proprietor Jandrico Swift informed them that the two dwarves had risen early and, impatient to head to Darrow’s clanhome, taken the first available caravan heading west on Traders Road. The three later-rising adventurers were nonetheless satisfied with their lot and set out on foot by late morning, humming a variety of traveling tunes, although Lloria wondered about getting horses at some point.

Despite a brief but bloody encounter with a group of worgs along the way, they made good time to Reddansyr and arrived at the Giant’s Folly inn late in the evening. Darrow joined them at the inn shortly before midnight, having broken off from the caravan, which Njord had decided to stay with until Teziir. Ian Gryphonhawk, the inn’s owner, was just as glad to him as he had been to see Dermot and be introduced to his two other companions. The dwarf naturally bought a round of drinks as soon as he got there; per Ian their room was free for the night, as thanks for the party’s previous rescue of his son Killian.

The morning of Tarsakh 6, the four adventurers went to the common room looking somewhat disturbed and asked Ian if he had seen Aerikoth. As if on cue, the wizard came through the inn’s door and was pointed out by the proprietor. Dermot, pale-faced, asked if they could speak somewhere private and they headed upstairs to their room.

Aerikoth declared he was pleased to see all of them there - except for Njord it would seem – and that you they all managed to depart Westgate without issue. Dermot said that was not quite the case and looked to the others when Aerikoth queried the reason. Darrow spoke up and said they all had the same dream last night, which Lloria qualified as less a dream and more a message from a certain deity they seem to have angered with their raid. Rosten, looking even more haggard than normal, described it as darkness, then the appearance of a figure who said they had to atone for their destruction of the altar. It also said that the one who fled with a piece of "holy darkness" had already been marked, and they would be marked too if they did not repent.

The wizard simply stated this was intriguing, prompting Rosten to excitedly point out that the marked one had to be Aerikoth - who in response said that would be an accurate statement. Dermot expressed his concern, wondering if anything happened after they split up, but the wizard declared himself fine and said it had been rectified, although amazingly he too shared such a dream. Rosten was incredulous that Aerikoth was not cursed, magicked or even afraid, the hin being scared of attracting the attention of a god of darkness.

Aerikoth assured the hin and his other companions that he did not believe he was any of those things. The wizard explained that the morning after he had departed their company, he noticed there was a mark upon his chest and hypothesized it had something to do with the cloak, as it was the dark symbol of Shar. And then he had a similar dream to all of them, it would seem, telling him that he should atone or the darkness would consume him. While Rosten continued to listen closely to the mage’s tale, Lloria, after offering to begin preparations to assist Aerikoth, opened the door and peeked out briefly before closing it, to ensure no one was listening from the hallway.

The wizard continued, stating he that morning prepared what spells he knew to rid himself of the mark, which was now gone. He hypothesized that possession of the cloak was perhaps the catalyst to being marked, which would not be a problem in the future, as they were to deliver it to The Vulture. Aerikoth mentioned he spent the previous day uncovering the powers of the Cloak of Darkness, which he termed significant for anyone that used shadows and darkness. The wizard then asked if his companions had any other concerns.

Rosten piped up first, questioning if Aerikoth was sure it was possessing the cloak that caused the mark – in his companion’s dreams, the figure who appeared said it was the one that stole the cloak that was marked, not just the one who carried it. Dermot Kenner seconded this, the ranger noting that if it was just the wizard dreaming, he would not worry, but it had been all of them. Aerikoth acknowledged that if the dream were to be believed – noting that there were many ways to interpret it - he was the one that took the cloak from the altar before Lloria destroyed it.

After the others at Aerikoth’s urging had confirmed none bore a similar mark on their chests, which caused his companions some relief, they talked about their next moves. The wizard seemed unhurried, saying he felt fully in control and would be fine with delivering the cloak at the end of five days’ time per The Vulture’s message, while Rosten and Lloria were keener on getting rid of it sooner. After some back-and-forth, at Dermot’s suggestion they decided to head for Teziir, with Aerikoth observing they could deal with anything amiss if it arose later. (The wizard seems remarkably unconcerned about such a dramatic turn of events, especially with him being the most personally affected. He has desmonstrated a cold and calculating nature previously in these chronicles, so perhaps this reaction is not so out of character. Yet there must be more to this curse, than simply a warning and one night's disturbance of sleep. --C)

 

[Carlo-One]

The wizard decided to temporarily remain behind in Reddansyr – perhaps to research some matters at the Temple of Oghma – while Darrow, Dermot, Rosten and Lloria headed for Teziir. Before they left, Ian Gryphonhawk pulled the group aside and discreetly asked them to keep a look out for his son Killian in Teziir; he was restless, the innkeeper explained, so Ian let him go to the city to see about supplies and such for the inn. However, Ian was still concerned about Killian’s state of mind after his encounter with the witch hag. The innkeeper also asked that if they ran across any adventuring companies willing to find and raid a troll's nest by the Reddan River, to pass them word that they would be welcome to whatever loot was there; unfortunately, Reddansyr was not rich enough to offer a reward beyond that. This piqued the group’s interest and they decided to head there themselves, after perusing Ian’s store for items containing fire or acid to permanently kill their foes.

After two hours on the route south they ran into a lone bear, which briefly spooked Dermot since the ranger was hyper-alert for trolls, but the party did not encounter any of the monsters until reaching the environs of the Reddan River bridge. They were rushed by a troll pack a short distance past the river crossing, at Lloria’s direction falling back to the bridge to defend themselves against an onslaught of the flesh-regenerating monsters. The warrior cleric bore the brunt of the trolls’ fury in melee, but the four adventurers combined effectively to defeat the pack after some hard fighting.

Seeking to locate the nest which had to be somewhere in the area, the adventurers searched for the trolls’ back trail, in the process running across some relatively fresh humanoid tracks. Dermot traced them to a campsite and a pool of water, which the ranger determined had been used by a smaller humanoid female who then returned to the firepit, which was still burning at a low level. After the fire went out, Darrow spotted in the nearby treeline a worked piece of wood, which was retrieved by Dermot. It turned out to be a sturdy, well-carved bow, with the initials “BG” carved into it. Darrow recalled an earlier encounter with trolls at the forest cabin of Hamish Goodman, who had a daughter named Belle.

The four decided to do the right thing and, led by Dermot, traipsed the six hours northeast into the forest required to arrive at Old Hamish’s cabin. It was fortunate they did, as they discovered a band of trolls circling outside it. This time surprise was on the adventurers’ side and they quickly dispatched their monstruous foes. The hermit and former ranger was pleased to see them and welcomed them in for some liquid refreshment. His good mood quickly disappeared, however, after Dermot placed the bow they had recovered on the table for Hamish to examine. He confirmed that it had in fact belonged to Belle.

The old ranger was sad but seemed unsurprised at Belle’s demise, saying that she had never been right after going off with Helm’s Shadows – of which the only original member left was Aerikoth – and experiencing terrible things. After musing out loud for a short while about Belle’s fate, Hamish urged them to take her bow and put it to good use, since he could not bear to have it around the place. He promised to try and locate the troll’s nest, also providing them with directions for a shortcut through the swamp back to Reddansyr.

 

[Carlo-One]

It was not until late afternoon the following day, Tarsakh 7, when the five companions ran into each other again at the Two Swords inn in Teziir. Aerikoth and Rosten in the meantime had teleported to Westgate to deliver the Cloak of Darkness to The Vulture, while Dermot and Lloria made their way independently to Teziir; Darrow had stayed behind in Reddansyr to clear up a case of swampfoot before hitting the road. Dermot and Lloria spotted the other three as soon as they arrived at the inn, with a poorly-looking Killian Gryphonhawk in tow.

Rosten asked who the new person was, the hin observing he rarely found a man smelling worse than he. Dermot said that Killian was a friend in need of a cleanup, which Aerikoth volunteered to do, and the son of the fellow who ran the inn in Reddansyr. As the mage used a prestidigitation spell to remove the filth from the young man’s clothes, Lloria explained that Killian had pissed away the whole money pouch for his supply run. This drew a wince from him, as he weakly waved his thanks to the wizard. While the clothes were newly clean and de-wrinkled, Rosten commented that Killian’s smell wasn’t going anywhere without a proper washing. Two Swords innkeeper Gregs gave the dehydrated young man a jug of water and said he could send up a washbasin to their room, if they wanted.

Lloria asked if Killian still had the supply list and he bitterly admitted that he had lost that too, but he knew it by heart, as it was the usual one for the inn – flour, ale, vegetables from the market, some more potions. Lloria asked him to write it down anyway, apparently intending to complete the task herself. Gregs escorted the still-loopy Killian upstairs, who was mumbling to himself about being a great adventurer, as his eyes teared up. (I normally would have little sympathy for someone who had just lost all their father's gold in a night of drunken debauchery, but Killian indeed was hard-used, prior to being rescued from a necromantic hag's captivity by an earlier incarnation of the adventuring group. --R)

Dermot and Lloria recounted to the others how Ian Gryphonhawk had asked them to look out for Killian, whom they found penniless and drunk in a Teziir cheaphouse, as the ranger put it. Lloria then noted the time, close to the eighteenth bell, and Dermot explained – with a minor epithet – that they had a dinner appointment with Lord Queron, which surprised the others. Darrow was happy to hear of this, recalling Queron setting a good table, which made Rosten similarly look forward to the meal and to meeting the merchant-councillor, whose daughter the company had previously rescued.

They retired to their room upstairs as Gregs was just leaving it, pointing out a passed-out Killian on the floor. As they neatened up their clothing and armor, Dermot mentioned that he was looking to broach with Queron the idea of donating a building – specifically, the old Astorians headquarters, which still lay empty – to some old friends of his at the Dragon Coast Mutual Aid Society. The ranger described them as a charitable bunch and Lloria thought it was certainly better to have them around than a thieves guild. (I believe this is the first I have heard mention of this Society. Such a charitable organization indeed must be rather rare in the Dragon Coast, and it was thoughtful of Dermot to wish to plead their case. --C)

 

[Carlo-One]

The group left Killian at the Two Swords and made their way to the house of Council Member Queron Ulanthar, who was expecting Lloria and Dermot for dinner. Along the way, Aerikoth mentioned the topic of their missing companion, Njord, who apparently had departed to go his own way on a religious endeavor; Goirin the blacksmith informed Darrow of it. Lloria was unsurprised that the dwarven priest had other obligations, but wistfully observed that the enchanted helm in his possession would have been put to better use by them against their vampire foes. Dermot admitted he had forgotten about that, becoming irritated at their loss.

The ranger composed himself as they arrived and knocked politely on Queron’s door. Lloria and Rosten fidgeted with their gear as a a polite male voice from the inside asked who was calling. Dermot cleared his throat and announced it was all five of the Shadows, arriving for dinner. The door opened and Dermot strode in first, on the very stroke of the sixth hour, as the butler Bustable greeted them. Rosten was introduced by Aerikoth to Queron’s servant and the hin managed to grunt a greeting as his eyes alighted greedily on the full liquor cabinet on the side wall.

Aerikoth politely noted that he, Darrow and Rosten may not have been expected, so if it were too much trouble the three of them could dine elsewhere that evening. Bustable however said that Dermot mentioned the full group might be joining them, so it was no trouble, and the Council Member wished them to relax and enjoy themselves until he returned home; Queron and his daughter Janatha were expected shortly. The butler said that they were welcome to sample the contents of the liquor cabinet while he saw to the preparation of the meal. Rosten appeared visibly excited at the prospect, while Darrow joked that he hoped not to drink them out of ale. Dermot warned him not to do a Killian, to which Darrow replied that he was a proper dwarf of refinement.

Rosten made several exclamations upon opening the cabinet, including his amazement upon seeing bottles of Luiren’s Best. Darrow was surprised at the existence of halfling-brewed ale, but showed his open-mindedness by joining Rosten in opening one, smacking his lips and taking on a thoughtful look afterwards, admitting that it at least beat any of the rot they had in Westgate by a mile. While the hin continued looting the alcohol stash, Lloria and Aerikoth checked over the bookshelves, which contained mostly books about geography and history, with some literature. Darrow, in an unusual role, eventually put a stop to Rosten’s mechanical-like drinking, earning an angry glare from the sullen hin. Lloria meanwhile had struck up a discussion with Aerikoth about her plans to go on a troll hunt to harvest reagents for magical items.

 

[Carlo-One]

After some additional time spent amusing themselves in the foyer, the group heard a murmur of voices outside the door, male and female. Aerikoth glanced up and closed the book he was reading, a history of Teziir. The wizard then stood up and took his staff, looking towards the doorway along with Dermot. The ranger moved a little away from the door as it opened, revealing a young, somewhat frail-looking woman: Queron Ulanthar’s daughter Janatha, accompanied by two guards.

Janatha exclaimed it was a lovely surprise to see them, greeting Dermot and Aerikoth by name and curtsying to the ranger. Dermot paused and executed a proper bow in reply, although perhaps a bit rusty. Janatha did the same with Aerikoth, although the wizard declared politely that such formalities were not necessary with him. Lloria put away the map she had been studying and moved her hand away from the hilt of her shortsword, which it had gone to automatically upon hearing the door open. The warrior priest was then introduced, along with a sullen and dirty-looking Rosten, who nonetheless managed a reasonably polite greeting in return to Janatha’s formal curtsy. She then excused herself to prepare for dinner, pleased to hear that Darrow would be joining them as well.

Rosten observed the heavy guard presence for the little waif, as the hin put it, as the two men retired to a back chamber. Dermot and Aerikoth noted that her father had enemies – or at least rivals – within the city, who would take advantage of an unguarded Janatha. In response to a question from Rosten, Aerikoth noted that he first met the young woman when she was employed by Jandrico Swift at the Gatereach Inn, Master Swift being an old friend of her father Queron. The wizard presumed that, in an effort to develop a sense of responsibility and education, the council member had his only child serve at Jandrico’s establishment, perhaps to develop an awareness of life outside of that of a privileged daughter. The hin frowned at this for a moment, declaring that they didn’t seem too likely a pair of lads. Lloria agreed it was an interesting association.

Following some additional conversation amongst the group, including Rosten’s ribbing of Dermot about the interest taken in him by Gatereach’s barmaid Goruna, Queron Ulanthar walked through the door to his mansion, a broad smile on his face as he saw his guests. Bustable informed him that Janatha was home and the Council Member was introduced to Lloria and Rosten, the hin managing a deep nod if not quite a bow. Queron declared that Helm’s Shadows were always welcome, then excused himself to see his daughter and get ready for dinner. After the Council Member departed up the stairs and an awkward silence had resumed in the room, Dermot took a drink, while Aerikoth reopened the book he had been reading. In a low voice, the servant Bustable motioned Dermot over to one side and had a whispered conversation, with a relieved expression appearing on his face after finishing speaking with the ranger. Dermot then wandered over to where Rosten was eyeing the drinks cabinet and after a short conversation the hin carefully replaced a bottle.

Queron appeared and stated that while they waited for Darrow and Janatha to join them, he thought it would be useful to get caught up, as it had been over a month since he had last hosted a dinner for Helm’s Shadows. He first inquired after Rahnee, Aerikoth informing him that the Lady Roaringhorn had left for Waterdeep. Her brother, Madrigal, came to Westgate and teleported them back. She was in good health and regretful of her departure when last they saw her. Dermot shared with Rosten and Lloria, who had never met Rahnee, that she had spirit and was a good soul, with the sly mind of a businesswoman; however, she couldn't find a hedge in a forest. Chuckling, Queron agreed with the ranger’s description, saying he was fortunate to have had her assistance in rescuing Janatha. Aerikoth further noted that Rahnee was now married as well, which also played a part in her departure, he hypothesized.

The Council Member then asked after their other missing companion, Shanni. This gave Dermot pause for a moment, then the ranger explained they had a difference of opinion. He wouldn't have thought her the kind to stand on principle, but she surprised them in the end. Queron expressed his understanding that such things happened, even among friends. His eyes grew distant as he recounted how some time ago, Jandrico Swift and he were part of a similar group, although he would not rank their deeds as high as adventurers. Jandrico chose to settle in Westgate, while Queron made his home in Teziir, deeming it too unruly a place to raise a daughter, among other things. In response to a question from Rosten, Queron described Jandrico as unerring in his judgement about both people and business, and an utterly reliable man who was completely faithful to his friends.

Queron then queried what had brought the group to Teziir. After some glances among themselves, Aerikoth stated that they planned to travel to Ironhelm once again, with Teziir being a stop along the way. Dermot mentioned they had kicked over some hornet's nests in the city of Westgate, so it was a good time to see to other business. This prompted Rosten to comment that the key word was ‘business’ since they hadn’t seen much coin coming in, for a mercenary company. Aerikoth continued, noting that they were acquainted with Prince Dalgan, the ruler of the Ironhelm Clan, who was supposed to be crowned king on Tarskah 15, eight days from then. Queron recalled this and mentioned he had received an inquiry about trade with the clan from the dwarven smith in Teziir; the Council Member had immediately sent a favorable reply, but had not had a response since. This gave the others some pause, although Aerikoth noted that dwarven clans were notably slower than average in making a significant decision, with Ironhelm being very traditional in that regard. Queron went to check a journal on the shelf and stated that he had sent a promissory note for 1,000 gold as a down payment on an initial shipment from the clan. Lloria and the others offered to check on it when they got to Ironhelm.

The conversation returned to the party’s recent troubles in Westgate and Dermot, to the barely hidden consternation of Lloria and Rosten, mentioned their difficulties with a Shar temple there. Queron displayed no particular interest, perhaps being diverted with Lloria’s talk of tensions in temple politics among the Triad’s worshipers. Aerikoth further smoothed things over with some carefully chosen words about wishing to spare Queron from difficulties with any of their foes, some of whom had a long reach. The Council Member indicated his understanding, saying he would nonetheless offer what hospitality he could, and then went to check on Janatha. After Queron departed, there was some debate among the four about how much to share regarding their situation, until Darrow finally arrived, a grouchy look on the dwarf's face.

 

[Carlo-One]

Lloria hailed him as he entered, but Darrow just muttered that the cursed priest – meaning the missing dwarven cleric Njord – was nowhere to be found. Queron’s servant Bustable shortly thereafter announced that dinner was served and the five adventurers followed him to the dining room to be seated. The dwarf recovered his manners at the table, greeting Janatha as Bustable described the courses for the meal. The first course was a potato leek soup, with coriander from Sembia, followed by roast wild boar, with applesauce. For dessert, cream pastries would be served. Dermot declared that his mouth was already watering, as Bustable finished by pointing out that on the table was Westgate Ruby for wine and the Tanagyr Stout, for those who preferred such, along with fresh bread. Queron thanked his servant and asked his appreciative guests to please begin.

Over the table, Darrow and Queron discussed business with the Ironhelm clan, as all dug in with enthusiasm, Rosten especially. The hin lifted a bowl of soup to his mouth, ignoring the spoon on the table, and drank greedily, some of the liquid inevitably running down his chin and adding to the many stains on his clothing. Janatha tittered at Rosten’s display, but he simply shrugged and began tearing bread and stuffing it into his face.

In response to a question from Dermot, Queron mentioned that following the defeat of the Astorians, there had been no violence in the city. It remained to be seen what to do with their old headquarters, however, which had become a point of contention among the Council. Queron explained that he moved to have it seized and put under Watch control once the criminal gang was cleared out, but its fate had not yet been settled. Dermot and Lloria mentioned that some friends of theirs were interested in it, specifically a Kinetha of the Mutual Aid Society. Queron indicated that he had not met Kinetha, but vaguely recalled them being one of the petitioners for the building, with some proposal about helping all travelers through Teziir. A noble endeavor, but they did not have much coin to put down, Queron observed.

Aerikoth queried how many petitioners were there, as Rosten poured a generous amount of wine for himself and quaffed it. Queron smiled wryly and said he was sure the three other Council members would all like to assume control of the property, as well as he, given its value. Yet none of them could simply take it over for their own benefit. He mentioned that Council Member Dean Shulayer, for example, had suggested turning it into a trading company headquarters - which would benefit his business the most, it seemed. Dermot praised the Society leadership as good people and Queron stated he would be willing to hear them out, if they had a real business plan.

As they turned to the main course, Queron raised his wineglass in a toast, to old friends and new, Janatha also taking a sip from hers as she smiled. Lloria poured herself some of the Ruby, enough to be polite and join in raising a glass for the toast, but only just enough, as she didn't appear to be interested in wine for the time being. Having had little luck in her previous attempts to contribute to the conversation, she opted instead to focus on her meal and observing the others. Being a good host, Queron took note of the large warrior priestess' reticence at the table and asked to know more about her, as well as her thoughts on the use of the Astorians' old headquarters by the 'Dragon Coast Mutual Aid Society'. Queron observed that if the temples of the Triad were united in their request for such a thing, perhaps with other allies, it could carry significant weight with the Council. However, he believed it would take some convincing, as the followers of Torm and Helm in Teziir were not on particularly good terms.

Lloria shifted a bit uncomfortably in her seat at being put on the spot, but gamely pointed out how the Society was not obviously aligned with any of the Council, so there would not be a question about someone’s business being favored over another’s. She warmed up as she spoke, including to the wine, which she seemed more inclined to drink the more she talked. She also promised to check in at the Temple of Torm, to see what their stance was.

After politely waiting for Lloria to finish, Aerikoth queried about the other members of the Teziir Council. Queron paused for a moment before giving a profile of each. He first mentioned Dean Shulayer, with whom Aerikoth was already acquainted, as Shulayer had jointly presided at the magistrate's hearing for Helm's Shadows during which the company was fined for street violence. Queron believed that Shulayer’s trading company was associated with the Astorians and slaving operations, although he had no proof. As for the other Council members, Harvas Peltsen was the sole remaining member of the original city founders. It was rumored he has elven blood, which would account for his longevity. He planned to retire this year, it was not certain who would succeed him. The merchant Mulnis Lenz was the wealthiest of those not on the Council, but was involved in a Cormyrian scandal a few years ago, when he was a caravan master. Queron described him a grasping sort and solely concerned with profit. The last Council member was Halaran Estuviar. His son was Cydaran, the wizard of the tower in Teziir. Queron counted neither of them as friends, and Cydaran's activities were the subject of much rumors in the city, which was not used to the doings of wizards.

Prompted again by Aerikoth, Queron further explained that there had traditionally been four Council members since Teziir's founding. However, there was no formal written charter or law. New members were voted on by the existing Council and required three votes to join. Historically the process was initiated whenever one of the Council decided to retire. Harvas Peltsen had already indicated he planned to leave the Council by the end of this year, which allowed time for succession planning, and perhaps some political maneuvering, Queron wryly observed.

After some additional conversation about the former Astorians headquarters, Aerikoth inquired about the coded ledger the company had seized there. Queron indicated that his agents managed to decipher part of it and as they suspected, it recorded transactions between the Astorians and various clients, largely to do with smuggling either goods or people through the Dragonmere. Although it was useful in determining who was doing business with the now-defunct thieves guild, it would not be enough to serve as evidence before a magistrate, he believed. The ledger yielded some interesting information about Council Member Dean Shulayer's 'West Wind Trading Company' and its dealings with the Astorians, however Queron had no doubt Shulayer would deny any knowledge of such things. At Aerikoth’s request, Queron agreed to provide them with a copy of the seized ledger, to be ready in two days’ time. (The wizard once again appears to be calculating all the angles and making the most of them. --R)

Lloria meanwhile had been paying attention to Janatha and then rather bluntly pointed out that she wasn’t eating much, even though the food was good. At the other end of the table, Janatha idly prodded her food, but then hurriedly took a bite after Lloria's words. She agreed it was quite good and she was fortunate to have it, but confessed she did not have much of an appetite since she “returned” – evidently having trouble referring directly to her period of captivity with the Astorians. Lloria encouraged her to be healthy and Queron interjected that he had spared no expense with the best healers in Teziir. Janatha, smiling wanly, said that was true and she lacked for nothing. Yet to her life seemed gray and washed out, as if carrying a leaden weight each day. She wistfully commented that sometimes she wished she was back at the Gatereach, working for Jandrico. Lloria in response encouraged Janatha to seek a purpose, perhaps by volunteering at one of the temples.

Janatha considered Lloria's words, although blushingly confessed she was not interested in the Triad temples, though, without meaning any offense. From the other end of the table, Queron sounded hopeful as he spoke up, saying that Janatha had a good heart and perhaps time at one of the temples would be a welcome change; an introduction to the cleric of Chauntea could be arranged. Lloria, her speech even more heavily accented than usual, acknowledged with a wolfish grin that the cleric of Chauntea were worthy and might be more to Janatha’s liking.

The piratical hin Rosten Foregallow had been focused entirely on his food for all of the conversation. Large chunks of boar were impaled on downward stabs of the knife in his left hand before the dexterous, long-nailed fingers of his right plucked off smaller morsels and chucked them into his open mouth. He drank prodigiously and greedily. Meat-grease and wine ran freely from his mouth. New stains joined the old stains on his clothes. His yellowed eyes ranged from speaker to speaker as they spoke, his mouth always full. His gaze dwelt for a long moment on Janatha but finally settled on the Council Member. His eyes narrowed.

Rosten then declared that no matter what Aerikoth had said, pausing to belch loudly before continuing, Helm’s Shadows wouldn’t lift a gods-rotted finger to help get Queron’s trade started with the Ironhelm Hold. Leastways, not until he told them what it would be worth to the company. The hin reached out for more wine and poured himself a large glass. Taking the glass in his hand, his long fingers and filthy fingernails encircling it like talons, he swilled it around in the manner he had seen men of noble birth savor their drink. He sniffed at it, before smirking and draining the entire glass. Wiping his mouth and setting the glass down, he spoke again, wagering that – as the hin put it – a fleet of wagons filled with dwarven goods and rolling freely to Teziir would be worth more than some poxy ledger or a favor for a Society, worth a lot of coin in fact to Queron.

Once Rosten had finished, Aerikoth stared at him for a moment with an unblinking gaze and an emotionless expression before he turned to Queron. The wizard stated calmly that, before the Council Member responded to the ill-mannered halfling, he should understand that Rosten did not speak for all of them and the temerity he just displayed was not shared. The wizard then calmly took a sip of his wine before folding his hands back in the sleeves of his robes, glancing between Rosten and Queron. Although Janatha had audibly gasped at Rosten's drunken tirade, Queron, other than a brief, sour expression appeared to maintain calm, simply referring to the fact Rosten was perhaps not used to the rule of polite society. More pointedly, Queron stated he knew that a hin new to their company did not speak for them, and much less for Clan Ironhelm. With that, Queron pushed back from the table and motioned to Janatha, saying he would see her to her room, then meet them in the foyer to say farewell for the evening. (I shall take note of how someone of Queron's stature reacts to this type of abuse by a welcomed guest - not with childish argument or choleric anger, but rather taking the high ground while simultaneously putting him in his place. I would, however, be surprised if the hin were ever welcomed back into the Council Member's home, after such a display. --C)