kirinke said:
Alethia looked at the heel marks, grimancing a little. Laurel. It had to be, but then, she wasn't going to trust that bit of evidence either. A very clever person could press two heeled shoes of the right size into the wet carpet as well.
"Seal the room, let no one in until we get back. And if you think we're acting suspicious or not like ourselves, don't even let us in the room, especially if we come alone." She looked at Dalin and the others grimanced. "I know I'm being paranoid, but with Laurel acting strangely, anyone could be taken and an imposter put in their place."
"Guards will be posted at once," Sharna responds. "I will wait here until they arrive. Please return to the main room for toasts."
When you arrive downstairs, most people are finding their seats. Maggie takes the seat on the other side of Timrin, in all likelihood wondering whats been going on while she was upstairs.
Aleena rises and begins the first toast. At Waterdeep society parties, the toasts tend to start late because there is usually a long series of them, and as such time must be set aside for intrigue while sober.
"Our city has suffered great sadnesses recently. Nearly two hundred of our citizens, including my father, were slain in the series of attacks during Waukeentide. There are times to commemorate those defeats. Tonight, however, is not one of those times. Since those tragedies, we have struck back against our enemies, scoring numerous great victories. Tonight, we gather to celebrate those victories. Soon, you will hear from our heroes -- about their deeds, about the city, and about each other. But first, an introduction and a proposal.
During Waukeentide, The Hidden Shield, in the employ of my family, in conjunction with agents of the Waterdeep City Guard, located and destroyed the creature responsable for the plague, wiped out the Waterdeep branch of the Cult of Auril, destroyed two cells of assassins, and defeated a fallen angel. Later, they located a base whereby our enemies were magically creating an army of fearsome demonic creatures, and forced the enemy to destroy it and flee, eliminiating their ability to create more. They also defeated an entity called The Namer, one of Shar's most powerful servants, responsable for countless atrocities over time, including perhaps the Time of Troubles itself. His death will gradually unravel the protections that our enemies have used to cloack their locations and plans in shadow, that they may be destroyed by the light.
Who are our enemies? They are The Twice-Damned, a demons so foul that even their fellow evildoers could not allow them to exist freely. Banished deep within Tartarus, they joined forces to overthrow their captors, and planned to conquer the prime. Their first attempt failed, and they were imprisoned in a set of swords designed specifically to defeat them....until they were released by a band of adventurers who disappeared searching for the necromancer Al-Hulath...the same adventurers than returned to Waterdeep as plague-infested abominations to begin the plague. Fortunately, we have recovered the blades, and are seeking out the Twice-Damned for destruction.
While tonight we celebrate victory, we must also plan for the future. That fiendish army is still out there, and still strong enough to pose a significant threat to the city. We know the location of very few of our enemies, and all presumably are setting up the circumstances for their return. We know that one, the titan Cronos, can control potentiality and manipulate possible and alternative universes, and has a mighty army including flying ships and powerful constructs based somewhere in the Inner Sea.
We must band together to meet these challenges and annihilate these foes. We must do everything possible to increase the size of our forces and to gather war materials. More arms, more armor, more supplies, war machines, mounts, and tools. We need more men, both from the mercenary companies controlled by our noble houses and possible elsewhere. More magic, bought, made, and invented. More allies, and greater contrabutions from those we have already.
For the sake of all that is good and right in the world, for the sake of our city's power and standing, and for the sake of the lives and prosperity of all our citizens and free peoples throughout the world, we must act. Our dead must be avenged, our city must be restored, and we must ensure that no one else will ever suffer what we have at the hands of these fiends.
We will find and destroy our enemies to the north, and then do all we can to locate and defeat the other forces the Twice-Damned command, including possibly using the Elf-Gates to lead our allies in an invasion of Cronos' Inner Sea domain. While some preach isolationism and reletivism, we must take a stand. We must lead the world against the forces of evil that threaten to envelop it.
To our great city, and its defenders!"
(Anyone want to toast to the city or your companions or whatever?)
