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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 1357589" data-attributes="member: 5203">No Place Like Home&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party walked through the northern gates of Waterdeep, tired from their mountainous trek but relieved to be back in civilization.&nbsp; They took up their old rooms in the Wailing Boar, and spent the rest of the afternoon resting.&nbsp; That night, they gathered in Ehput-Ki’s room to divide up the spoils from their recent journey.&nbsp; Piles of coins, gems, and valuables rested in various parts of the room.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Okay, then,” said Alia, as she finished making six stacks of gold coins, “there’s an equal share for each of us.&nbsp; Tomorrow Myoo and I will go about trying to sell these other items.”&nbsp; She began to push stacks of coins toward her companions, but then stopped.&nbsp; “Oh, almost forgot.&nbsp; We’re going to need to pay for these rooms for a while.”&nbsp; She plucked five coins off the top of each pile and dropped them in a pocket.&nbsp; “That should pay us up until the end of next month.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The door to Ehput-Ki’s room suddenly burst open.&nbsp; The company turned in their chairs to see a very drunk man stagger into the room, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a giggling brown-haired woman in his other arm.&nbsp; The impact of the door against the wall caused the piles of coins to fall, scattering across the table and floor with a cacophonous ring.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sorry,” the man belched, “I didn’ know this room was taken,” The man spotted the coins rolling at his feet, and his eyes bulged.&nbsp; “Lliira’s left teat, tha’s a lotta money,” he blurted, making some sort of attempt to bend over and pick up a handful of gold, but hampered by the fact that he was either unable or unwilling to let go of either his drink or his companion.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Without warning, Myoo’s familiar Iggy shot across the room and flew directly into the man’s face, growling horribly and making himself as terrifying as a six-inch wide beholder could be.&nbsp; It was apparently enough; the man screeched and backpedaled out of the room, tripping over his own feet.&nbsp; As Kiy stepped over and shut the door again, Iggy turned to look at Myoo expectantly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well done,” the sorcerer said, and Iggy returned to his master’s side, doing a small barrel roll in midair to express his glee.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alia looked at the coins scattered everywhere, and her forehead hit the table in frustration.&nbsp; “Gods, I hat staying in public buildings,” she moaned without looking up.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The others could only mutter their agreement as they began scooping up gold.&nbsp; A minute or so into the process, Myoo suddenly looked up at the others.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, why should we?” he asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Why should we what?” said Ehput-Ki quizzically.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo rolled his eyes.&nbsp; “Are all of you deluded deity-lovers this dense?” A thin smirk crossed his face.&nbsp; “What am I saying?&nbsp; Of course you are.&nbsp; One would have to be a prerequisite for the other.”&nbsp; He ignored the hard looks of Ehput-Ki and Tantu as he continued.&nbsp; “Why should we continue to pay for temporary lodgings all the time?&nbsp; Why not purchase some property in the city?&nbsp; I, for one, would like a more permanent place to call home.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The others looked at each other.&nbsp; “It sure would be nice not to have to carry my entire life on my back,” mused Niles.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The others were in agreement.&nbsp; Buying a house seemed to be a wonderful idea.&nbsp; Only Kiy expressed a reservation.&nbsp; “The only thing I would ask,” he said slowly, “is not to live in the city.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo thought for a moment.&nbsp; “You’re right,” he said.&nbsp; “Being outside the city limits would give us the opportunity to have a little more space.&nbsp; Besides, taxes inside the city are probably exorbitant.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well then,” said Alia, “let’s change our plans for tomorrow.&nbsp; Myoo and I will go sell these items as planned, but meanwhile the rest of you can look into property outside the city limits.&nbsp; Try looking within a half-day’s ride first.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party split up the next day, and by that evening had learned of four estates on the outskirts of Waterdeep that were on the market.&nbsp; They rode out the next morning to examine the choices for themselves.&nbsp; They decided to first try the two estates that had been identified as having a river flowing through them, both of which lay to the north of the city.&nbsp; The first one they came to caused them to gasp in amazement.&nbsp; Lush, fertile fields surrounded a palatial villa.&nbsp; The outlying buildings were sturdy and well made, and the main house was resplendent with fountains and statuary.&nbsp; The entire villa was surrounded by a crenellated stone wall, and the woods for a hundred feet around the wall had been cleared away.&nbsp; It was both beautiful, and defensible.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I don’t think we need to look any farther,” said Niles.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party returned to Waterdeep, and made an appointment to meet with Waterdeep Financiers, the moneylenders that were overseeing the sale of the estate.&nbsp; Nervously they waited at the Wailing Boar until a messenger arrived to tell them they would be seen tomorrow, one hour prior to mid-day.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party spent the morning trying to make themselves as presentable as possible.&nbsp; As they gathered in the Wailing Boar’s common room, they saw Kiy coming down the stairs, looking as he always had – covered from head to toe in weeks of trail dirt and grime.&nbsp; Niles shook his head sadly, then gestured at the wild elf.&nbsp; In an instant, the dirt vanished, leaving Kiy standing somewhat surprised in the center of the room.&nbsp; For the first time, they could see that underneath the dirt Kiy’s entire body was covered in tattoos of swirling leaves and vines, obviously meant to help him hide in the forest undergrowth, but pleasing despite their practicality.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tantu, in particular, was impressed.&nbsp; “You’re a beautiful creature, Kiy,” the cleric remarked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kiy blushed slightly and nodded to acknowledge the compliment, but Alia’s reaction was what drew attention.&nbsp; “Anyway,” she said, a little too loudly, “we should be going now.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Niles chortled slightly under his breath as they left the inn, Alia in the lead.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; An hour later they were seating in a large, wood-paneled room at one end of a long table.&nbsp; At the other end, seeming very far away, nine people sat looking over several documents; five humans, three dwarves, and a gnome.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “So,” one of the humans said, not looking up from his papers, “you wish to purchase the Ortwin Estate.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes,” said Alia, “that is our intention…” Alia realized that they didn’t know the names of any of the financiers in the room.&nbsp; “… sir.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “A fine estate, to be sure,” another one said.&nbsp; “One that I’m sure you and your associates would enjoy.”&nbsp; He cleared his throat loudly.&nbsp; “Now, as to you and your associates.&nbsp; I’m afraid we can find no record of your holdings within the city of Waterdeep, madam.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We are recently arrived to your city, sir, and wish to settle here on a permanent basis.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I see,” said a third banker.&nbsp; “And what are your occupations?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We are… we specialize in freelance work for the purpose of retrieving antiquities and objects of power, and in the location and elimination of threats to the general peace of society.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The bankers looked impassively at Alia.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We’re adventurers,” stated Myoo.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The bankers began looking at their papers again.&nbsp; The faces of the party fell a little; even though they knew they couldn’t lie about their profession, they knew that the erratic financial state and high mortality rate of adventurers wouldn’t look good to moneylenders.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo leaned over and muttered to Alia, “Are you certain you don’t want me and try to… influence their decisions?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No, Myoo.&nbsp; Don’t you think they’d have precautions against that sort of thing?&nbsp; I’d rather not have my new permanent residence in the city be Waterdeep Prison.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I was wondering, madam,” another banker continued, “do you or your associates have any sort of references you can give us?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’m a priest of Tyr,” Tantu offered, “and am highly placed in the church of my god.&nbsp; In fact, we have just completed a mission of great importance on their behalf.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I, too, am well-regarded by my church,” Ehput-Ki added, “and though not as prominent as the temple of Tyr, the church of Horus-Re was also involved in this recently-completed mission.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Ah, yes,” said one of the dwarven bankers, “the temple of Horus-Re.&nbsp; Are they not currently in default on their payments to the Enclave of Thay for the property on which their temple rests?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ehput-Ki did not offer an answer.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, we also have two members of the Mages Guild of Waterdeep,” said Alia, pointing to Niles and Myoo.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes, the Mages Guild.&nbsp; The cost for lifetime membership is still forty gold, is it not?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alia nodded, a twinge of disappointment crossing her face.&nbsp; She knew enough of business and finance to know this wasn’t going well.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kiy, who had been sitting uncomfortably in the room, unexpectedly stood and walked over to Alia, leaning over and whispering something into her ear.&nbsp; She looked surprised for a moment, then turned back to the moneylenders as Kiy returned to his seat.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’ve been authorized to inform you that we can offer the name of the Willowroot family as a reference. This is an elven family name going back many hundreds of years.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; If the lenders of Waterdeep Financiers were impressed by this, they failed to show it.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A few minutes passed while the bankers continued to study their papers.&nbsp; All of the party members looked nervous, but Alia in particular seemed as though she were struggling with some internal decision.&nbsp; Just as she seemed about to open her mouth to speak, the gnomish banker looked up.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I believe that Waterdeep Financiers is willing to consider your offer,” he said.&nbsp; Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Alia.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Before we continue, please bear in mind that you do not present what we would consider an ideal portfolio,” commented one of the dwarven lenders, “and so the terms of the sale must, by necessity, be rather strict, and will leave little room for negotiation.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Everyone nodded, and braced themselves for the news.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The market price of the Ortwin Estate is set at three million gold,” the gnomish banker stated.&nbsp; “In order to finance this sale, we would require a down payment of six hundred thousand gold.&nbsp; A portion of this payment may be based on collateral, but must be comprised mainly of hard currency.&nbsp; After that, we would require monthly payments of eighty thousand gold over the next five years, due on the first day of each month.&nbsp; Failure to make payments would result in default on the loan and seizure of the property.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party sat in stunned silence for a moment.&nbsp; Tantu leaned over and whispered to Myoo, “How much money do we have?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “About a hundred and eighty thousand,” replied Myoo.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “May we have some time to confer?” asked Alia.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Of course,” said one of the moneylenders, “we can reconvene here one hour after the mid-day bell.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When the party returned to the long table later, they noticed that only the five humans were seated at the other end.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “After conferring with my associates,” Alia began, “we have decided that the Ortwin estate is not within our means to purchase.&nbsp; I apologize for taking up your valuable time.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As the party began to get up to leave, one of the bankers held up a hand.&nbsp; “One moment, madam,” he said.&nbsp; As they sat back down again, not sure what to expect, the banker pulled out a stack of papers and set them on the table.&nbsp; “My partners and I anticipated that the Ortwin estate might be out of your grasp.&nbsp; However, we would like to discuss with you the estate of one of our other clients, Lord Pembery.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party looked at each other.&nbsp; The Pembery estate was the second location they had planned to visit yesterday, the only other one with a river nearby.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The Pembery estate is located not far from the Ortwin lands,” continued the banker, “and encompasses two hundred acres, which if fifty acres more that the Ortwin estate.”&nbsp; He slid a stack of documents across the table.&nbsp; “Here are the specifics, including maps of the estate.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I see,” said Alia, after perusing the papers for a moment, “but if the Ortwin estate is not within our means, I fail to see how we could consider an even larger property.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, you see, Lord Pembery has been quite anxious to sell his lands, but unfortunately has been unable to locate a buyer for several years.&nbsp; As such, his current asking price is what we would consider ‘extremely competitive’.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo frowned at these words.&nbsp; “If I may be so bold,” he said, “what exactly is wrong with it?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; One of the bankers swallowed, the first sign of emotion they’d seen.&nbsp; “There is nothing physically wrong with the property itself,” said one of the other financiers, “the difficulty lies in a tragic event that occurred several years ago.&nbsp; Lord Pembery’s family was killed on the estate, and only the young lord himself survived.&nbsp; With his family gone, the estate no longer holds any fondness for him, and he wishes to be rid of it – the estate has not been inhabited for nearly five years.&nbsp; Unfortunately, the reputation surrounding the estate is such that prospective buyers are turned away.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What kind of reputation?” Ehput-Ki asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The murders that occurred there were carried out by a creature or creatures that are not, exactly, what you would call living beings,” said another banker.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You mean undead,” said Alia.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Vampires, to be precise,” said the banker who had first spoken to them.&nbsp; “To be honest, we were ready to write off the entire estate as a loss.&nbsp; However, given your stated profession as ‘locators and eliminators of threats to the general peace of society’, it has occurred to us that perhaps an arrangement could be made.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party looked at each other across the table before Alia answered.&nbsp; “What terms do you offer?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Down payment of one hundred twelve thousand gold, at least half in hard coin.&nbsp; Monthly payments of ten thousand over a period of eight years.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Eight thousand monthly,” countered Alia, “with the down payment entirely in currency.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Nine thousand.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Done.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tantu leaned over toward Alia.&nbsp; “Is this wise?&nbsp; We haven’t even seen this place.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I know,” she whispered back, “but we’re never going to see a bargain like this again.&nbsp; This estate is worth three or four times what they’re asking.&nbsp; I’m not letting a little superstition get in the way of a good deal.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Are you sure we can afford this?” asked Ehput-Ki.&nbsp; “Nine thousand is still a hefty sum.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well,” Myoo interjected, “we could always go slay a dragon to cover it.”&nbsp; The sorcerer glanced over at Niles.&nbsp; “I understand there’s a green dragon lairing not far from this area.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Niles yelped and dove under the table.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Contracts were brought out and signed.&nbsp; Both Alia and Tantu expressed some reservation about signing when it was insisted that their full names be used, but agreed to do so when they were permitted to sign in private without the others watching.&nbsp; After a few more legal details, the party was handed the deed to their estate along with a ring of keys.&nbsp; The party handed over their accumulated wealth, covering their down payment plus seven months of mortgage.&nbsp; With several hours remaining in the day, the party decided to ride out immediately to look at their new home.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The road to the former Berbery estate meandered through the rolling hills, crossing a small river at the corner of their property.&nbsp; The party noted that tufts of long grass had sprouted in the road after years of neglect, and that a few boards on the wooden bridge were rotted or splintered.&nbsp; They continued on, finally coming up over a hill to see the villa they had just purchased.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I think I’d prefer the Wailing Boar,” Myoo commented after a few moments.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The villa consisted of a dozen or so small buildings surrounding the main house.&nbsp; Weeds and debris littered the courtyard, and many of the buildings had gaping holes in the roof.&nbsp; The main house had several broken windows, and large sections of the tile roof had broken off.&nbsp; The front doors swung lazily in the breeze, and as they watched a small animal of some kind scurried into the home.&nbsp; The fountain out front was cracked, and they could see the vile green muck layering the bottom of it.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Slowly, the other party members turned to look at Alia.&nbsp; She turned to stare back.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What?” she said, “so it needs a little fixing up.&nbsp; Big deal.&nbsp; A little elbow grease and it’ll look fine.&nbsp; It’s still a bargain.”&nbsp; She turned and began walking down the hill toward the house.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They walked slowly into the villa, treading carefully so they wouldn’t step on any loose nails or broken ceramics.&nbsp; They stopped at the well and tried to use it, but found that not only was the bucket missing, but the water in the well itself was stagnant.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “There’s evil here,” Ehput-Ki said suddenly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No, it’s just a little mold,” replied Alia.&nbsp; “Once we get the well working again, it will…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No,” the paladin said, “I sense evil in this area.&nbsp; Nothing specific, just an overall sense of it.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; More wary now, they proceeded into the main house.&nbsp; Going inside, they were pleased to see that despite the cosmetic damage to the mansion, it was structurally sound.&nbsp; Moving into the kitchen, they noticed a trapdoor in the floor, padlocked shut.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The sense of evil is stronger here,” Ehput-Ki said.&nbsp; Alia knelt down and opened the lock.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Shouldn’t you have checked for a trap first?” asked Tantu.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What, these people are going to trap their own wine cellar?”&nbsp; She flipped open the door and peered inside.&nbsp; “I don’t see anything,” she reported.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party went down into the cellar.&nbsp; It was a largish space, empty except for an empty wine rack against the wall.&nbsp; A heavy mist hung in the air near the ceiling.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Odd,” mused Ehput-Ki, and concentrated for a moment.&nbsp; Then he turned to the others.&nbsp; “The evil seems to be concentrated inside the mist.”&nbsp; He laid a hand on Tantu’s shoulder.&nbsp; “As a priest, your abilities to channel energy exceed mine.&nbsp; Could you attempt to command the evil to disperse?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What?” said Tantu, momentarily taken aback by the request.&nbsp; Then, understanding what Ehput-Ki meant, he raised his holy symbol and thrust it toward the mist.&nbsp; Moments later, there was a strange sucking sound in the air, and the mist vanished.&nbsp; Ephut-Ki reported that the evil in the room had vanished.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Thanks,” said Tantu.&nbsp; “I haven’t done that in a while.&nbsp; Almost forgot I could do it.”Alia smiled broadly as they ascended the ladder.&nbsp; “See?&nbsp; I told you that fixing this place up would be easy.&nbsp; Five minutes of work, and we’ve already taken care of the vampire infestation.”*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The next two months were very busy.&nbsp; The party spent their days cleaning and repairing the buildings in the villa, trying to make them at least weatherproof if not fully functional.&nbsp; Niles and Tantu spent their days using magic to construct stone walls around the complex for defense, while Kiy began preparing a few acres for an orchard.&nbsp; Alia was placed in charge of buying basic furnishings and implements for the property, and made several trips into Waterdeep.&nbsp; Myoo managed to find and recruit a couple of families from the poorer wards of the city who were looking to make a new start, and brought them onto the estate to serve as hands and guards.&nbsp; Ehput-Ki took it upon himself to train the new residents in basic combat, as well as making a few suits of hide armor.&nbsp; Kiy provided them with simple bows for hunting game.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Though most of their efforts went into restoring the main house, there were a few side projects started.&nbsp; Tantu managed to convince Niles to help him build a treehouse in a large ash tree just behind the main house.&nbsp; The others were a bit skeptical.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Why a treehouse?” asked Niles.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I like treehouses,” shrugged Tantu, a few nails clenched in his teeth as he hammered in floorboards.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo shook his head sadly.&nbsp; “I knew the gods wanted to treat us like children, but I had no idea it went this far with you priests.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; But it turned out that none of them were immune to flights of fancy.&nbsp; A few days later, Tantu was putting the finishing touches on his treehouse, when he saw Myoo walking up the hill toward the northern border of the property, holding something in his arms.&nbsp; Tantu followed the mindbender to the tallest spot on the property, where Myoo was propping up a stone the size of a small dog.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What’s that?” Tantu asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It’s my tower,” replied Myoo, not turning to look at the cleric.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It looks like a rock to me,” observed Tantu.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo sighed heavily.&nbsp; “Of course it’s a rock, you stupid Cali<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />e lapdog.&nbsp; This is where I intend to build my tower in the near future.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tantu opened his mouth to challenge Myoo’s insult, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort.&nbsp; He walked down the hill again as Myoo nudged the small boulder with his feet to adjust its angle.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 1357589, member: 5203"] [U]No Place Like Home[/U] The party walked through the northern gates of Waterdeep, tired from their mountainous trek but relieved to be back in civilization. They took up their old rooms in the Wailing Boar, and spent the rest of the afternoon resting. That night, they gathered in Ehput-Ki’s room to divide up the spoils from their recent journey. Piles of coins, gems, and valuables rested in various parts of the room. “Okay, then,” said Alia, as she finished making six stacks of gold coins, “there’s an equal share for each of us. Tomorrow Myoo and I will go about trying to sell these other items.” She began to push stacks of coins toward her companions, but then stopped. “Oh, almost forgot. We’re going to need to pay for these rooms for a while.” She plucked five coins off the top of each pile and dropped them in a pocket. “That should pay us up until the end of next month.” The door to Ehput-Ki’s room suddenly burst open. The company turned in their chairs to see a very drunk man stagger into the room, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a giggling brown-haired woman in his other arm. The impact of the door against the wall caused the piles of coins to fall, scattering across the table and floor with a cacophonous ring. “Sorry,” the man belched, “I didn’ know this room was taken,” The man spotted the coins rolling at his feet, and his eyes bulged. “Lliira’s left teat, tha’s a lotta money,” he blurted, making some sort of attempt to bend over and pick up a handful of gold, but hampered by the fact that he was either unable or unwilling to let go of either his drink or his companion. Without warning, Myoo’s familiar Iggy shot across the room and flew directly into the man’s face, growling horribly and making himself as terrifying as a six-inch wide beholder could be. It was apparently enough; the man screeched and backpedaled out of the room, tripping over his own feet. As Kiy stepped over and shut the door again, Iggy turned to look at Myoo expectantly. “Well done,” the sorcerer said, and Iggy returned to his master’s side, doing a small barrel roll in midair to express his glee. Alia looked at the coins scattered everywhere, and her forehead hit the table in frustration. “Gods, I hat staying in public buildings,” she moaned without looking up. The others could only mutter their agreement as they began scooping up gold. A minute or so into the process, Myoo suddenly looked up at the others. “Well, why should we?” he asked. “Why should we what?” said Ehput-Ki quizzically. Myoo rolled his eyes. “Are all of you deluded deity-lovers this dense?” A thin smirk crossed his face. “What am I saying? Of course you are. One would have to be a prerequisite for the other.” He ignored the hard looks of Ehput-Ki and Tantu as he continued. “Why should we continue to pay for temporary lodgings all the time? Why not purchase some property in the city? I, for one, would like a more permanent place to call home.” The others looked at each other. “It sure would be nice not to have to carry my entire life on my back,” mused Niles. The others were in agreement. Buying a house seemed to be a wonderful idea. Only Kiy expressed a reservation. “The only thing I would ask,” he said slowly, “is not to live in the city.” Myoo thought for a moment. “You’re right,” he said. “Being outside the city limits would give us the opportunity to have a little more space. Besides, taxes inside the city are probably exorbitant.” “Well then,” said Alia, “let’s change our plans for tomorrow. Myoo and I will go sell these items as planned, but meanwhile the rest of you can look into property outside the city limits. Try looking within a half-day’s ride first.” The party split up the next day, and by that evening had learned of four estates on the outskirts of Waterdeep that were on the market. They rode out the next morning to examine the choices for themselves. They decided to first try the two estates that had been identified as having a river flowing through them, both of which lay to the north of the city. The first one they came to caused them to gasp in amazement. Lush, fertile fields surrounded a palatial villa. The outlying buildings were sturdy and well made, and the main house was resplendent with fountains and statuary. The entire villa was surrounded by a crenellated stone wall, and the woods for a hundred feet around the wall had been cleared away. It was both beautiful, and defensible. “I don’t think we need to look any farther,” said Niles. The party returned to Waterdeep, and made an appointment to meet with Waterdeep Financiers, the moneylenders that were overseeing the sale of the estate. Nervously they waited at the Wailing Boar until a messenger arrived to tell them they would be seen tomorrow, one hour prior to mid-day. The party spent the morning trying to make themselves as presentable as possible. As they gathered in the Wailing Boar’s common room, they saw Kiy coming down the stairs, looking as he always had – covered from head to toe in weeks of trail dirt and grime. Niles shook his head sadly, then gestured at the wild elf. In an instant, the dirt vanished, leaving Kiy standing somewhat surprised in the center of the room. For the first time, they could see that underneath the dirt Kiy’s entire body was covered in tattoos of swirling leaves and vines, obviously meant to help him hide in the forest undergrowth, but pleasing despite their practicality. Tantu, in particular, was impressed. “You’re a beautiful creature, Kiy,” the cleric remarked. Kiy blushed slightly and nodded to acknowledge the compliment, but Alia’s reaction was what drew attention. “Anyway,” she said, a little too loudly, “we should be going now.” Niles chortled slightly under his breath as they left the inn, Alia in the lead. An hour later they were seating in a large, wood-paneled room at one end of a long table. At the other end, seeming very far away, nine people sat looking over several documents; five humans, three dwarves, and a gnome. “So,” one of the humans said, not looking up from his papers, “you wish to purchase the Ortwin Estate.” “Yes,” said Alia, “that is our intention…” Alia realized that they didn’t know the names of any of the financiers in the room. “… sir.” “A fine estate, to be sure,” another one said. “One that I’m sure you and your associates would enjoy.” He cleared his throat loudly. “Now, as to you and your associates. I’m afraid we can find no record of your holdings within the city of Waterdeep, madam.” “We are recently arrived to your city, sir, and wish to settle here on a permanent basis.” “I see,” said a third banker. “And what are your occupations?” “We are… we specialize in freelance work for the purpose of retrieving antiquities and objects of power, and in the location and elimination of threats to the general peace of society.” The bankers looked impassively at Alia. “We’re adventurers,” stated Myoo. The bankers began looking at their papers again. The faces of the party fell a little; even though they knew they couldn’t lie about their profession, they knew that the erratic financial state and high mortality rate of adventurers wouldn’t look good to moneylenders. Myoo leaned over and muttered to Alia, “Are you certain you don’t want me and try to… influence their decisions?” “No, Myoo. Don’t you think they’d have precautions against that sort of thing? I’d rather not have my new permanent residence in the city be Waterdeep Prison.” “I was wondering, madam,” another banker continued, “do you or your associates have any sort of references you can give us?” “I’m a priest of Tyr,” Tantu offered, “and am highly placed in the church of my god. In fact, we have just completed a mission of great importance on their behalf.” “I, too, am well-regarded by my church,” Ehput-Ki added, “and though not as prominent as the temple of Tyr, the church of Horus-Re was also involved in this recently-completed mission.” “Ah, yes,” said one of the dwarven bankers, “the temple of Horus-Re. Are they not currently in default on their payments to the Enclave of Thay for the property on which their temple rests?” Ehput-Ki did not offer an answer. “Well, we also have two members of the Mages Guild of Waterdeep,” said Alia, pointing to Niles and Myoo. “Yes, the Mages Guild. The cost for lifetime membership is still forty gold, is it not?” Alia nodded, a twinge of disappointment crossing her face. She knew enough of business and finance to know this wasn’t going well. Kiy, who had been sitting uncomfortably in the room, unexpectedly stood and walked over to Alia, leaning over and whispering something into her ear. She looked surprised for a moment, then turned back to the moneylenders as Kiy returned to his seat. “I’ve been authorized to inform you that we can offer the name of the Willowroot family as a reference. This is an elven family name going back many hundreds of years.” If the lenders of Waterdeep Financiers were impressed by this, they failed to show it. A few minutes passed while the bankers continued to study their papers. All of the party members looked nervous, but Alia in particular seemed as though she were struggling with some internal decision. Just as she seemed about to open her mouth to speak, the gnomish banker looked up. “I believe that Waterdeep Financiers is willing to consider your offer,” he said. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Alia. “Before we continue, please bear in mind that you do not present what we would consider an ideal portfolio,” commented one of the dwarven lenders, “and so the terms of the sale must, by necessity, be rather strict, and will leave little room for negotiation.” Everyone nodded, and braced themselves for the news. “The market price of the Ortwin Estate is set at three million gold,” the gnomish banker stated. “In order to finance this sale, we would require a down payment of six hundred thousand gold. A portion of this payment may be based on collateral, but must be comprised mainly of hard currency. After that, we would require monthly payments of eighty thousand gold over the next five years, due on the first day of each month. Failure to make payments would result in default on the loan and seizure of the property.” The party sat in stunned silence for a moment. Tantu leaned over and whispered to Myoo, “How much money do we have?” “About a hundred and eighty thousand,” replied Myoo. “May we have some time to confer?” asked Alia. “Of course,” said one of the moneylenders, “we can reconvene here one hour after the mid-day bell.” When the party returned to the long table later, they noticed that only the five humans were seated at the other end. “After conferring with my associates,” Alia began, “we have decided that the Ortwin estate is not within our means to purchase. I apologize for taking up your valuable time.” As the party began to get up to leave, one of the bankers held up a hand. “One moment, madam,” he said. As they sat back down again, not sure what to expect, the banker pulled out a stack of papers and set them on the table. “My partners and I anticipated that the Ortwin estate might be out of your grasp. However, we would like to discuss with you the estate of one of our other clients, Lord Pembery.” The party looked at each other. The Pembery estate was the second location they had planned to visit yesterday, the only other one with a river nearby. “The Pembery estate is located not far from the Ortwin lands,” continued the banker, “and encompasses two hundred acres, which if fifty acres more that the Ortwin estate.” He slid a stack of documents across the table. “Here are the specifics, including maps of the estate.” “I see,” said Alia, after perusing the papers for a moment, “but if the Ortwin estate is not within our means, I fail to see how we could consider an even larger property.” “Well, you see, Lord Pembery has been quite anxious to sell his lands, but unfortunately has been unable to locate a buyer for several years. As such, his current asking price is what we would consider ‘extremely competitive’.” Myoo frowned at these words. “If I may be so bold,” he said, “what exactly is wrong with it?” One of the bankers swallowed, the first sign of emotion they’d seen. “There is nothing physically wrong with the property itself,” said one of the other financiers, “the difficulty lies in a tragic event that occurred several years ago. Lord Pembery’s family was killed on the estate, and only the young lord himself survived. With his family gone, the estate no longer holds any fondness for him, and he wishes to be rid of it – the estate has not been inhabited for nearly five years. Unfortunately, the reputation surrounding the estate is such that prospective buyers are turned away.” “What kind of reputation?” Ehput-Ki asked. “The murders that occurred there were carried out by a creature or creatures that are not, exactly, what you would call living beings,” said another banker. “You mean undead,” said Alia. “Vampires, to be precise,” said the banker who had first spoken to them. “To be honest, we were ready to write off the entire estate as a loss. However, given your stated profession as ‘locators and eliminators of threats to the general peace of society’, it has occurred to us that perhaps an arrangement could be made.” The party looked at each other across the table before Alia answered. “What terms do you offer?” “Down payment of one hundred twelve thousand gold, at least half in hard coin. Monthly payments of ten thousand over a period of eight years.” “Eight thousand monthly,” countered Alia, “with the down payment entirely in currency.” “Nine thousand.” “Done.” Tantu leaned over toward Alia. “Is this wise? We haven’t even seen this place.” “I know,” she whispered back, “but we’re never going to see a bargain like this again. This estate is worth three or four times what they’re asking. I’m not letting a little superstition get in the way of a good deal.” “Are you sure we can afford this?” asked Ehput-Ki. “Nine thousand is still a hefty sum.” “Well,” Myoo interjected, “we could always go slay a dragon to cover it.” The sorcerer glanced over at Niles. “I understand there’s a green dragon lairing not far from this area.” Niles yelped and dove under the table. Contracts were brought out and signed. Both Alia and Tantu expressed some reservation about signing when it was insisted that their full names be used, but agreed to do so when they were permitted to sign in private without the others watching. After a few more legal details, the party was handed the deed to their estate along with a ring of keys. The party handed over their accumulated wealth, covering their down payment plus seven months of mortgage. With several hours remaining in the day, the party decided to ride out immediately to look at their new home. The road to the former Berbery estate meandered through the rolling hills, crossing a small river at the corner of their property. The party noted that tufts of long grass had sprouted in the road after years of neglect, and that a few boards on the wooden bridge were rotted or splintered. They continued on, finally coming up over a hill to see the villa they had just purchased. “I think I’d prefer the Wailing Boar,” Myoo commented after a few moments. The villa consisted of a dozen or so small buildings surrounding the main house. Weeds and debris littered the courtyard, and many of the buildings had gaping holes in the roof. The main house had several broken windows, and large sections of the tile roof had broken off. The front doors swung lazily in the breeze, and as they watched a small animal of some kind scurried into the home. The fountain out front was cracked, and they could see the vile green muck layering the bottom of it. Slowly, the other party members turned to look at Alia. She turned to stare back. “What?” she said, “so it needs a little fixing up. Big deal. A little elbow grease and it’ll look fine. It’s still a bargain.” She turned and began walking down the hill toward the house. They walked slowly into the villa, treading carefully so they wouldn’t step on any loose nails or broken ceramics. They stopped at the well and tried to use it, but found that not only was the bucket missing, but the water in the well itself was stagnant. “There’s evil here,” Ehput-Ki said suddenly. “No, it’s just a little mold,” replied Alia. “Once we get the well working again, it will…” “No,” the paladin said, “I sense evil in this area. Nothing specific, just an overall sense of it.” More wary now, they proceeded into the main house. Going inside, they were pleased to see that despite the cosmetic damage to the mansion, it was structurally sound. Moving into the kitchen, they noticed a trapdoor in the floor, padlocked shut. “The sense of evil is stronger here,” Ehput-Ki said. Alia knelt down and opened the lock. “Shouldn’t you have checked for a trap first?” asked Tantu. “What, these people are going to trap their own wine cellar?” She flipped open the door and peered inside. “I don’t see anything,” she reported. The party went down into the cellar. It was a largish space, empty except for an empty wine rack against the wall. A heavy mist hung in the air near the ceiling. “Odd,” mused Ehput-Ki, and concentrated for a moment. Then he turned to the others. “The evil seems to be concentrated inside the mist.” He laid a hand on Tantu’s shoulder. “As a priest, your abilities to channel energy exceed mine. Could you attempt to command the evil to disperse?” “What?” said Tantu, momentarily taken aback by the request. Then, understanding what Ehput-Ki meant, he raised his holy symbol and thrust it toward the mist. Moments later, there was a strange sucking sound in the air, and the mist vanished. Ephut-Ki reported that the evil in the room had vanished. “Thanks,” said Tantu. “I haven’t done that in a while. Almost forgot I could do it.” Alia smiled broadly as they ascended the ladder. “See? I told you that fixing this place up would be easy. Five minutes of work, and we’ve already taken care of the vampire infestation.” [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] The next two months were very busy. The party spent their days cleaning and repairing the buildings in the villa, trying to make them at least weatherproof if not fully functional. Niles and Tantu spent their days using magic to construct stone walls around the complex for defense, while Kiy began preparing a few acres for an orchard. Alia was placed in charge of buying basic furnishings and implements for the property, and made several trips into Waterdeep. Myoo managed to find and recruit a couple of families from the poorer wards of the city who were looking to make a new start, and brought them onto the estate to serve as hands and guards. Ehput-Ki took it upon himself to train the new residents in basic combat, as well as making a few suits of hide armor. Kiy provided them with simple bows for hunting game. Though most of their efforts went into restoring the main house, there were a few side projects started. Tantu managed to convince Niles to help him build a treehouse in a large ash tree just behind the main house. The others were a bit skeptical. “Why a treehouse?” asked Niles. “I like treehouses,” shrugged Tantu, a few nails clenched in his teeth as he hammered in floorboards. Myoo shook his head sadly. “I knew the gods wanted to treat us like children, but I had no idea it went this far with you priests.” But it turned out that none of them were immune to flights of fancy. A few days later, Tantu was putting the finishing touches on his treehouse, when he saw Myoo walking up the hill toward the northern border of the property, holding something in his arms. Tantu followed the mindbender to the tallest spot on the property, where Myoo was propping up a stone the size of a small dog. “What’s that?” Tantu asked. “It’s my tower,” replied Myoo, not turning to look at the cleric. “It looks like a rock to me,” observed Tantu. Myoo sighed heavily. “Of course it’s a rock, you stupid Cali:):):):)e lapdog. This is where I intend to build my tower in the near future.” Tantu opened his mouth to challenge Myoo’s insult, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. He walked down the hill again as Myoo nudged the small boulder with his feet to adjust its angle. [/QUOTE]

Verification