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Family Matters - Forgotten Realms Waterdeep Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="Isida Kep'Tukari" data-source="post: 6159528" data-attributes="member: 4441"><p><strong>Session 18</strong></p><p></p><p>When we last left our intrepid heroes, they had just defeated a band of dark creepers, rescued Garden (or perhaps provided a distraction while he rescued himself), and were taking possession of their ill-gotten goods. Having discovered that there was a passageway that led to a warehouse where presumably the goods were funneled undercity, they would use the same route to get everything out. Where the dark creepers took the goods after that was somewhat of a mystery, as the majority of the things left behind wouldn’t fit through any other passageways out of the cavern. Presuming things had come from the warehouse in the first place, where they went after that and how was a puzzle. There might have been magic involved somehow, but if so it had been invoked far enough in the past as to leave no sign of itself to discerning eyes. Beyond that, they couldn’t hazard a guess.</p><p></p><p>Knowing the dark creepers might gather their courage and return, Garden and Charissa went to the Merchant’s Guild to report the stolen goods (and not incidentally, get their guards and porters to move the heavy stuff back). At worst, provided they were believed, they’d get a finder’s fee. At best, they’d get to keep the stuff after it went unclaimed. </p><p></p><p>The Merchant’s Guild is actually a layman’s branch of the Church of Waukeen, the goddess of wealth and trade. The Guild provides transportation, logistics, security, recordkeeping, and claims. The fees to get in it were quite high, so it was generally used mostly by those who dealt in expensive items or high volume, but there were enough benefits that those who could afford it, joined. It is a generalist Guild, focused on the mechanics of trade rather than any specific item or service. It would be less useful to people like Garden or Charissa, who deal in small, local trade in the middle and lower classes, mainly. But if Evelyn’s dress-making and fashion house business takes off, for example, she might be advised to join, as her expensive items would be traveling far.</p><p></p><p>Garden and Charissa reached the local office of the Dock Ward near noontide, and were passed by a nervous clerk to a more authoritative fellow who questioned them carefully. Garden to great pains to say he was acting on the authority of Evelyn and Steven Violette, thusly getting their names on the report over his. When pressed, Garden said he was an “associate” of theirs, though it was clear that Merchant Master Kavo was under the impression Garden was at least a part-time employee. Kavo took out a book of missing and stolen goods and had the twain tell about what they’d seen to verify their story. He did indeed match a few descriptions, enough to believe they weren’t lying about what they’d seen.</p><p></p><p>With dispatch (as the Origamis reminded him that the dark creepers might come back), Kavo summoned “Squad Three.” They proved to be a dozen half-orc merchant guards in studded leather, bearing short swords and axes, along with several porters and a couple of wagons. Garden got the impression that if this claim would have proved false, he would have been held responsible for the expense of fielding the Guild’s guards. So he tried to be friendly with their captain, named Red for the usual reasons, and they returned to the cavern in short order.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, the group was divvying up the goods. Altruistic only to a point, even William knew that trying to find the owners of several thousand loose coins or various common items was pointless. So the group gathered up the coins for themselves, along with a few common items of no unique value. (Well, aside from an octopus signet ring which they gave to Rich.) Aside from that, there were many huge items, mostly disassembled in crates – carriages, a sedan chair, a pavilion tent, various items of furniture, all of them quite luxurious, but there was also a common pony cart, which they knocked together for goods transport (in the off-chance the Origamis failed to bring back help). One very unique thing they found was a magically-lightened chest, which contained within it a dozen bridle mastiff puppies, all held in magical sleep through enchantments on their collars. (The design on the collars, a dog’s head with a crown for a collar, was one of the details Garden mentioned to Merchant Master Kavo, who reported that was the sigil of the Crowned Hound Kennel.)</p><p></p><p>Sticks, the homunculus stolen from the Bronze Gear, was keeping Evelyn (and any others who asked) plied with darkmantle steaks. The group had a close eye out for any returning dark creepers, but oddly it was Sticks who sidled up to Steven and asked, “Expecting com-pan-ee for dinner?” while looking up. Peering past the glare of the torches and lanterns, Steven spied a dark creeper in a crevice near the ceiling, watching them. It either did not seem to notice it had been spotted or didn’t care. </p><p></p><p>As the group didn’t care to start another fight when everyone was still smarting from wounds, no one lobbed anything at the creeper, and the creeper in return lobbed nothing at them.</p><p></p><p>Shortly after that, Squad Three arrived and began to load up the goods – William had extensive and exhaustive lists, naturally. While the loading was going on, Brother Darvin returned to the temple of Lathander, saying his people would want to know more about the dark creepers. Rich, Charissa, William, and Shandri decided to backtrack and find those dark creepers they’d left in the grick pit earlier. When they got there, they were not entirely surprised to find a single set of dark creeper rags left behind, and the rest of the creepers gone. They had gotten free and killed the one who had talked. A little investigation proved that the portal the group had initially gone through was active again, which meant the creepers had probably escaped through there. Knowing trying to run them down in the Blade was just asking for trouble, they returned to the rest of the party.</p><p></p><p>The goods were taken back to the Guild, Merchant Master Kavo evaluated what was there, and thanked the Violettes and their “diligent associates.” There was indeed a finder’s fee for the obvious goods – and if things were not claimed by their owners after they’d been notified, the group could have them. </p><p></p><p>Evelyn and Steven recognized one of the carriages recovered, one carved with elephants, made for the triumphant return of the Jassarian family’s eldest son from his successful trading mission in the exotic jungle land of Chult. The Violettes wanted to be the ones to return it, and Merchant Master Kavo agreed (though he sent along porters and a clerk to make sure the Jassarians knew the Merchant’s Guild had done their part as well). The Jassarians were thrilled, and extended an invitation to the Violettes to come to their celebration once they had set a date.</p><p></p><p>Charissa also wanted to be present when the puppies were returned to the Crowned Hound, because she had been looking for some trained guard dogs for her shop for a long time. The kennelmaster was indeed grateful for the return of the very expensive pureblood puppies (worth hundreds of gold each to the right buyer). Hearing Charissa’s tentative question that she was looking for guard dogs, the kennelmaster said for her role in returning his prize hounds, he would be willing to sell her a pair of trained mastiffs (not purebreds, though) for half his usual price, if she would be there to help train them. Charissa was quite thrilled at the bargain.</p><p></p><p>Garden was gleefully counting up profits in the background. And wondering when his sister’s dogs would be ready to pull him about town in a gnomish dogcart of impeccable subdued style. (His alter-ego, a much more elderly gnome, could get away with such theatrics when it suited him.)</p><p></p><p>All of those errands done, there was one everyone wanted to do as a group, and that was to take Sticks the homunculus back to the Bronze Gear. (Garden had paused to get Sticks’ name put on him in gold leaf as a thank-you present.) When they entered the brightly-lit busy tavern, all the homunculi servers stopped dead, then ran to greet Sticks. The owner, one Killian Bronze, was very happy indeed to see him. (“There you are, good boy, now back to work!”) He offered the group a meal on the house as they told him the story of how the rescued Sticks.</p><p></p><p>In the next month or so, about half the items were reclaimed, but some were not, so the group got a tidy sum of gold and a few things to keep or sell as they saw fit. There were two large unclaimed items that they took – one was a carriage finely carved with waves. Evelyn spent some of her money to get matched white horses to pull it and send their servant-urchin Kip to driving school. Also she claimed a large red-and-gold silk pavilion tent, and was determined to have a garden party. (Or, well, a winter garden party, being as it was in the middle of that season, but such things were fashionable.)</p><p></p><p>Now that she was becoming somewhat richer, she started to spend some of her (and Steven’s) gold to get the Violette manse up to standards so they wouldn’t disgrace themselves when they did have that party. It would take some time, a month or more, to do what was needed, but until then, the Jassarian’s party loomed…</p><p></p><p>Also looming is William’s graduation from the Etorchul Academy, Shandri quietly becoming the Queen of the Street Urchins, Evelyn and Steven’s return on their investments (their joint venture in the silk market from the lung wang dragon, Wu Yen, as well as Evelyn’s fashion house idea), Steven’s continuing relationship with Ravinica the Golden Queen, Evelyn’s jealousy over said relationship, Garden’s deepening scheme with the Origami Clan Elders, and Charissa making something explosive. Or well, she would, and is, but she keeps getting visits from Sticks next door, and he keeps bringing her food. And little random bits of metal. Why? She’s not entirely sure…</p><p></p><p>Also of note, Evelyn was casting one of her favorite spells, Learn Heritage, on Charissa, just in case she might have some connection to nobility somewhere (she's slowly working her way through the group), and discovered Charissa has fey blood running through her veins! Some where, she cannot say, but Charissa has had the first hint of a clue about her blood parents that she's had in her life.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Isida Kep'Tukari, post: 6159528, member: 4441"] [b]Session 18[/b] When we last left our intrepid heroes, they had just defeated a band of dark creepers, rescued Garden (or perhaps provided a distraction while he rescued himself), and were taking possession of their ill-gotten goods. Having discovered that there was a passageway that led to a warehouse where presumably the goods were funneled undercity, they would use the same route to get everything out. Where the dark creepers took the goods after that was somewhat of a mystery, as the majority of the things left behind wouldn’t fit through any other passageways out of the cavern. Presuming things had come from the warehouse in the first place, where they went after that and how was a puzzle. There might have been magic involved somehow, but if so it had been invoked far enough in the past as to leave no sign of itself to discerning eyes. Beyond that, they couldn’t hazard a guess. Knowing the dark creepers might gather their courage and return, Garden and Charissa went to the Merchant’s Guild to report the stolen goods (and not incidentally, get their guards and porters to move the heavy stuff back). At worst, provided they were believed, they’d get a finder’s fee. At best, they’d get to keep the stuff after it went unclaimed. The Merchant’s Guild is actually a layman’s branch of the Church of Waukeen, the goddess of wealth and trade. The Guild provides transportation, logistics, security, recordkeeping, and claims. The fees to get in it were quite high, so it was generally used mostly by those who dealt in expensive items or high volume, but there were enough benefits that those who could afford it, joined. It is a generalist Guild, focused on the mechanics of trade rather than any specific item or service. It would be less useful to people like Garden or Charissa, who deal in small, local trade in the middle and lower classes, mainly. But if Evelyn’s dress-making and fashion house business takes off, for example, she might be advised to join, as her expensive items would be traveling far. Garden and Charissa reached the local office of the Dock Ward near noontide, and were passed by a nervous clerk to a more authoritative fellow who questioned them carefully. Garden to great pains to say he was acting on the authority of Evelyn and Steven Violette, thusly getting their names on the report over his. When pressed, Garden said he was an “associate” of theirs, though it was clear that Merchant Master Kavo was under the impression Garden was at least a part-time employee. Kavo took out a book of missing and stolen goods and had the twain tell about what they’d seen to verify their story. He did indeed match a few descriptions, enough to believe they weren’t lying about what they’d seen. With dispatch (as the Origamis reminded him that the dark creepers might come back), Kavo summoned “Squad Three.” They proved to be a dozen half-orc merchant guards in studded leather, bearing short swords and axes, along with several porters and a couple of wagons. Garden got the impression that if this claim would have proved false, he would have been held responsible for the expense of fielding the Guild’s guards. So he tried to be friendly with their captain, named Red for the usual reasons, and they returned to the cavern in short order. Meanwhile, the group was divvying up the goods. Altruistic only to a point, even William knew that trying to find the owners of several thousand loose coins or various common items was pointless. So the group gathered up the coins for themselves, along with a few common items of no unique value. (Well, aside from an octopus signet ring which they gave to Rich.) Aside from that, there were many huge items, mostly disassembled in crates – carriages, a sedan chair, a pavilion tent, various items of furniture, all of them quite luxurious, but there was also a common pony cart, which they knocked together for goods transport (in the off-chance the Origamis failed to bring back help). One very unique thing they found was a magically-lightened chest, which contained within it a dozen bridle mastiff puppies, all held in magical sleep through enchantments on their collars. (The design on the collars, a dog’s head with a crown for a collar, was one of the details Garden mentioned to Merchant Master Kavo, who reported that was the sigil of the Crowned Hound Kennel.) Sticks, the homunculus stolen from the Bronze Gear, was keeping Evelyn (and any others who asked) plied with darkmantle steaks. The group had a close eye out for any returning dark creepers, but oddly it was Sticks who sidled up to Steven and asked, “Expecting com-pan-ee for dinner?” while looking up. Peering past the glare of the torches and lanterns, Steven spied a dark creeper in a crevice near the ceiling, watching them. It either did not seem to notice it had been spotted or didn’t care. As the group didn’t care to start another fight when everyone was still smarting from wounds, no one lobbed anything at the creeper, and the creeper in return lobbed nothing at them. Shortly after that, Squad Three arrived and began to load up the goods – William had extensive and exhaustive lists, naturally. While the loading was going on, Brother Darvin returned to the temple of Lathander, saying his people would want to know more about the dark creepers. Rich, Charissa, William, and Shandri decided to backtrack and find those dark creepers they’d left in the grick pit earlier. When they got there, they were not entirely surprised to find a single set of dark creeper rags left behind, and the rest of the creepers gone. They had gotten free and killed the one who had talked. A little investigation proved that the portal the group had initially gone through was active again, which meant the creepers had probably escaped through there. Knowing trying to run them down in the Blade was just asking for trouble, they returned to the rest of the party. The goods were taken back to the Guild, Merchant Master Kavo evaluated what was there, and thanked the Violettes and their “diligent associates.” There was indeed a finder’s fee for the obvious goods – and if things were not claimed by their owners after they’d been notified, the group could have them. Evelyn and Steven recognized one of the carriages recovered, one carved with elephants, made for the triumphant return of the Jassarian family’s eldest son from his successful trading mission in the exotic jungle land of Chult. The Violettes wanted to be the ones to return it, and Merchant Master Kavo agreed (though he sent along porters and a clerk to make sure the Jassarians knew the Merchant’s Guild had done their part as well). The Jassarians were thrilled, and extended an invitation to the Violettes to come to their celebration once they had set a date. Charissa also wanted to be present when the puppies were returned to the Crowned Hound, because she had been looking for some trained guard dogs for her shop for a long time. The kennelmaster was indeed grateful for the return of the very expensive pureblood puppies (worth hundreds of gold each to the right buyer). Hearing Charissa’s tentative question that she was looking for guard dogs, the kennelmaster said for her role in returning his prize hounds, he would be willing to sell her a pair of trained mastiffs (not purebreds, though) for half his usual price, if she would be there to help train them. Charissa was quite thrilled at the bargain. Garden was gleefully counting up profits in the background. And wondering when his sister’s dogs would be ready to pull him about town in a gnomish dogcart of impeccable subdued style. (His alter-ego, a much more elderly gnome, could get away with such theatrics when it suited him.) All of those errands done, there was one everyone wanted to do as a group, and that was to take Sticks the homunculus back to the Bronze Gear. (Garden had paused to get Sticks’ name put on him in gold leaf as a thank-you present.) When they entered the brightly-lit busy tavern, all the homunculi servers stopped dead, then ran to greet Sticks. The owner, one Killian Bronze, was very happy indeed to see him. (“There you are, good boy, now back to work!”) He offered the group a meal on the house as they told him the story of how the rescued Sticks. In the next month or so, about half the items were reclaimed, but some were not, so the group got a tidy sum of gold and a few things to keep or sell as they saw fit. There were two large unclaimed items that they took – one was a carriage finely carved with waves. Evelyn spent some of her money to get matched white horses to pull it and send their servant-urchin Kip to driving school. Also she claimed a large red-and-gold silk pavilion tent, and was determined to have a garden party. (Or, well, a winter garden party, being as it was in the middle of that season, but such things were fashionable.) Now that she was becoming somewhat richer, she started to spend some of her (and Steven’s) gold to get the Violette manse up to standards so they wouldn’t disgrace themselves when they did have that party. It would take some time, a month or more, to do what was needed, but until then, the Jassarian’s party loomed… Also looming is William’s graduation from the Etorchul Academy, Shandri quietly becoming the Queen of the Street Urchins, Evelyn and Steven’s return on their investments (their joint venture in the silk market from the lung wang dragon, Wu Yen, as well as Evelyn’s fashion house idea), Steven’s continuing relationship with Ravinica the Golden Queen, Evelyn’s jealousy over said relationship, Garden’s deepening scheme with the Origami Clan Elders, and Charissa making something explosive. Or well, she would, and is, but she keeps getting visits from Sticks next door, and he keeps bringing her food. And little random bits of metal. Why? She’s not entirely sure… Also of note, Evelyn was casting one of her favorite spells, Learn Heritage, on Charissa, just in case she might have some connection to nobility somewhere (she's slowly working her way through the group), and discovered Charissa has fey blood running through her veins! Some where, she cannot say, but Charissa has had the first hint of a clue about her blood parents that she's had in her life. [/QUOTE]
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