(G143 10/08/2012 - KT - JF(GM) , AP , ON)
DAY 143 (1st Eleasis)(August) cont...
The thunder and lightning continued, then there was a huge downpour of rain that
drove everyone from the streets.
This hid them well as they trundled their barrow full of loot back to the
OJB. By four o'clock they had done divvying up the treasure and Oz decided to
take a walk back past the villa but could not get in. He talked to a watchdwarf
called Halfdan and enquired after another watchdwarf, a female Amar called
Sinris who he remembered having massive bosoms.
In the end he got nowhere though, the house was all closed up while the watch
skulks disarmed all the traps that yet remained. Oz did take the opportunity
to dump the severed head he'd been keeping in his bag though.
Oz then went to the Font of Knowledge with Raya and spend the rest of the
afternoon studying up on Dragons. That, in conjunction with what the resident
dragon expert, Alduin, had told him lead him to believe that the dragon that
had attacked the villa was not a black dragon at all, but a steel dragon and
perhaps something to do with 'The Confluence' a group of secretive dragons
living within Waterdeep and dedicated to rooting out shapeshifters. They
were enemies of the Unseen.
After that he met up with the others at the TSV.
Kurl Gnesher had turned up at Thunderstaff Villa, looking for his daughter.
He had only recently learned that she was no where to be found! He came to the city
and went to the TSV, only to learn that her boy-friend was in prison and that
his daughter has been gone for the last thirty-four days!
Kurl didn't blame Oz (he blamed Fenrir!), he just wanted to find where his
daughter had gone. Oz told him what he knew and asked for a hairbrush or something
that had belonged to Giselle so that he could give it to Cavu and get a Skrye
spell cast. Oz told Kurl about everything that had happened, the doppleganger
and the idea to hide Giselle while the kidnappers were dealt with. Kurl was
upset but eager to help find her again.
Sten Arbutt was also there, acting as Gnesher's valet. Kurl also had two
guards with him, dressed in Thunderstaff livery.
Elsdon also gave a very substantial reward to be split between those that
had rescued Zotlan.
While that was going on Alduin joined Corum and visited the Castle Ward watch
post and talked to Civilar Peterson. He was a reasonable man, and had let Corum
handle the rescue of Zoltan. While he congratulated Corum on the rescue he said he
would like some sort of explanation as to how a dragon landed on the roof five
minutes after they had gone inside!
They placated the Civilar as much as they could and left.
In the evening Corum went out with Gharlie, to see a show they had arranged to
go see a ten day ago. Thinking to join them but not wishing to be a gooseberry
Alduin asked Sylvia to go out with him. She said ok, but warned him to keep his
hands to himself!
Also that night Liamae, feeling slightly abandoned by her nearly-boyfriend Oz
had an enjoyable night at the Singing Sword with Cavu!
DAY 144 (2nd Eleasis)(August)
In the morning Corum went to the Halls of Justice. He threw around a few bribes
and learned that Fenrir would be released tomorrow and Baeron burned at the stake.
Oz picked up a newspaper in the morning, as he did every morning and read
about the death, by suicide, of Elspeth Bendick Belvena, Waterdeep's most famous
and much loved poet.
At first it didn't seem important but then he read that the watch wanted to
speak to a man called Fiddly Borin.
It was believed that blackmail letters had arrived in the city, delivered by
rogues associated with him. These rogues were also wanted. Any information leading
to the arrest of Fiddly Borin and his associates would be worth five hundred gold.
paid by the Belvena family.
They also re-printed her most famous poem in the newspaper:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Oz thought about what to do, and would discuss it with Alduin, but first he
got a fancy breakfast together and took it to Liamae in the Singing Sword with
some flowers.
After that he went to the Temple again and talked to Blackrabbas the Scholar in
regards to the 'Confluence'.
Alduin talked to the barman at the Singing Sword and learned that the dragon had
been heard to shout, 'Gilliard De Rosan! I am Mashnak the Black and I claim your head!'.
This didn't make any sense to the barman though as surely the dragon was another
one sent by De Rosan?
Alduin contacted his scaly master, but he had never heard of a dragon called
'Mashnak'.
Around lunch time they all met up at the OJB and Corum told them of Fenrir and
also:
'A few days ago I had a dwarf from the Plumbers and Cellerer's Guild have a look
under the OJB. He found the entrance to an ancient tomb. He promptly closed it
back up again when he heard rattling. Still, you never know, it could be full of
treasure.'
They then went to the TSV to collect their rewards, mainly in the form of
magical items.
A very strong wind had started to blow threw the city, a hurricane. Everyone
with any sense closed their doors and window shutters and sheltered in their
cellars.
Oz and Alduin, either through bravery or lack of sense though went out onto
the streets. Oz to the Singing Sword to have lunch with Liamae and Alduin
to the Temple to talk to Nes and Blackrabbas on the subject of dragons.
In the afternoon a gnomish lady called Alice Tinker apologised and joined
Oz and his lady at their table. She introduced herself and offered to trade
questions for answers.
Oz got the feeling after talking to her that she worked for the Harpers. He
didn't give too much away, but the subjects included Maaril, Vamir Vallex and
the kidnapping of Zoltan Thunderstaff.
She joked with Oz that, 'You have a habit of having dragons land on your head!'
Alduin arrived at the tavern. Cavu began to play some gentle songs to take their
minds off the storm raging outside.
Cavu invited Alduin over to his table where he kept company with a pair of
wenches called Wabby and Daph.
In the evening the tavern got more rowdy as it began to fill up. A halfling
called Jolly came to talk to Oz, wanting to ask the same question that Alice
had asked that afternoon!
Oz was tired of answering questions though and when he told the halfling to
bugger off, he was hit with a charm spell! Suddenly Jolly's best friend, Liamae
and Alduin stepped in to help.
After a tussle and a near stabbing, Alduin took Jolly to one side and
answered a few of the halfling's questions in return for gold.
That night Alduin took Wabby to his room with him. Liamae went to bed, if she
was expecting a kiss from Oz she didn't get it! Feeling sorry for the shy lad
Cavu even sent a girl over to him, but blushing Oz left and went to his room
at the OJB.
DAY 145 (3rd Eleasis)(August)
On this very morning Fenrir was freed from prison.
Maliantor of the Grey Hands escorted him to the Thunderstaff Villa where Elsdon
was overjoyed to get back another of his sons.
It was a sad day though, despite this, because Baeron was to be burned at the
stake.
Maliantor gave Fenrir his pardon (a large folded piece of vellum officially stamped
by the Lords of Waterdeep themselves) and a letter from his uncle.
The letter read:
Dear Fenrir,
By the time you read this, I will be dead. I traded my life, and the
lives of several other powerful warlocks for yours. I hope and trust
you will not waste this sacrifice.
This is not the first time I have died though, and if it comes within
your reach, to resurrect me, then please do so.
My brother, your father, is a good and just man, but foolish in the
ways of the city. Arsten II is my legitimate heir, but Shallerim will
contest it. Please help guide your father when he chooses sides.
For me it is no matter as long as the House of Thunderstaff stays strong.
Arsten II is arrogant, proud and wasteful, but at least has a strong will.
Shallerim is clever and worthy, but dull when it comes to business and
unimaginative.
Also, do whatever Bnurgstickslackskin asks of you. The devils now have
the upper hand over us in Waterdeep, to say the least. You are now the
most powerful warlock in the city since all the others have been killed,
burnt or have fled.
Make no mistake, Gilliard De Rosen and all the devils of the Nine Hells
of Baator are now after you. Your survival, and the survival of all
Thundestaffs rely on you doing as our master commands.
And do not disregard the inquisition, they have pardoned you, but they
will attempt to take all the family wealth by supposedly legal means.
Your family will try and play them at their own game in defeating them
in this though and you will certainly need to aid them with your special
talents for diplomacy.
I know you have not shown yourself to be up to this task, I only hope
that you can call on, hitherto unseen, reserves of judgement and sense.
Your Uncle
Baeron Thunderstaff
That afternoon Baeron was burned to death in the Market Square. It drew
the biggest crowd yet. Corum and the others watched from the top floor
of the OJB. Baeron gave an impassioned speech which shamed the inquisition
and turned the crowd in his favour.
I have recorded it here:
''
'You look for people to blame, for these times, some notion of
the fictional infernalists you have invented to scare the people.
While scarecrows dressed in rags stalk the city from the North Downs
to the Dock Ward you seek to preserve something barely worth saving.
In this edifice of a city are military officers destitute of military
knowledge; naval officers with no idea of a ship; civil officers
without a notion of affairs; brazen ecclesiastics, of the worst world
worldly, with sensual eyes, loose tongues, and looser lives; all
totally unfit for their several callings, all lying horribly in
pretending to belong to them, but all nearly or remotely of the order of
Nobility, and therefore foisted on all public employments from which
anything is to be got; these are to be told off by the score and the
score.
People not immediately connected with the City or the State, yet
equally unconnected with anything that is real, or with lives passed in
travelling by any straight road to any true earthly end, are no less
abundant.
Clerics who make great fortunes out of dainty remedies for imaginary
disorders that never existed, smile upon their courtly patients in the
ante-chambers of the rich. Projectors who have discovered every kind
of remedy for the little evils with which the City is touched, except
the remedy of setting to work in earnest to root out a single sin,
pour their distracting babble into any ears they can lay hold of.
Unbelieving Sorcerers who are remodelling the world with words, and
making card-towers to scale the skies with, conniving with Unbelieving
Wizards who have an eye on everything wicked.
Exquisite gentlemen of the finest breeding, which are at that
remarkable time-and have been since-to be known by its fruits of
indifference to every natural subject of human interest, are in the most
exemplary state of exhaustion while outside their locked and barred
windows the shambling shades of humanity lurk for a carelessly
thrown crust of bread.
If you want to see devils and demons Waterdeep then look to yourselves!
There will be no pause to your suffering while you are whipped with
switches of your own fashioning.
For me it is the end, and I am beyond redemption, but by this small
token, this gesture, I end my life with something profound and good.
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is
a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.'
Most of them met up at the TSV then, and congratulated Fenrir on his
survival. Kurl gave Fenrir a tongue lashing, but the young fellow had
lost none of his charm while in prison and soon had his girlfriends
father back onside.
Fenrir was also surprised to find that a dozen or so cards had been
left for him from many noble families. It seemed the younger nobles
all wished to be the first to invite such a notorious figure to be
a guest at their house! It looked like Fenrir could take his pick
of parties to attend for the next while.
After this Oz talked to Cavu and learned that Giselle was alive
and well. The Skrye had revealed her sitting in a country pub talking
to people that included a man called Bertran who seemed to worship
her. There were also two gnomes there called Azbot and Nell.
At one point they also talked to a bard (a young human lady) in the
tavern saying,
'Play us another song Hester!'
Also this day Oz went to the 'Curious Past' shop in Castle Ward where
Alice Tinker worked and organised the sale of a 'dragon chess board'.
Oz had plans.
