(G149 26/10/2012 - KT - JF(GM) , AP , ON)

DAY 153 (11th Eleasis)(August) cont..

Reed turned out to be a firebrand radical who first got the crowd to support
the refugees. He called on peoples sympathy and managed to get even the hard
nosed citizens of Waterdeep to want to help the poor village folk.
'Why do we turn them away when they have been paying taxes to Waterdeep for
time out of mind?' he wanted to know.
But as he incited the crowd more and more he began to skate around the edges
of treason as he called for people to rebel against the Lords.
It was at this point the lecture was broken up by the Watch.
(Nestoone learned later that Reed was also arrested).

DAY 154 (12th Eleasis)(August)

This morning Fenrir was delighted to learn that his mother and his brother Zoltan
were alive once more.

The Thunderstaff coffers had been raided and a number of the family had been resurrected.
They were still a bit groggy, but Ginerva remembered a message she had been given
while she was in the afterlife:

''
Here we meet in the Blessed Fields of Elysium,
I, Vhalla, Guardinal in service of Vhara, Duchess of the Fields,
I greet you Ginerva Thunderstaff, husband of Elsdon and mother of Fenrir,
I bare you this message from Titania, The Faerie Queen of The Seelie Court,

Thy eldest son labours under an ancient curse,
But mark that the instrument is not the verse,
A horn can carry a sweet tune just as well as ill,
A cup can contain wine just as well as swill,

Does a horn choose its player or a cup its brew?
No, but a man may mind on what he desires to do,

There is a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.

This was food for thought for Fenrir, but meanwhile Oz was with his two young
wards once more, playing with them and trying to get to know them. While talking
to Tamen he noticed that she had a cleft palette which made he slur her speech
somewhat. This slur made her sound a little simple, but in fact she was as bright
as a button.

This morning he decided to buy some furniture for his room at the OJB and got
a two sets of bunk beds for the girls, a chest and a desk.

At eleven o'clock he went once more to talk to his friend Machelle at New Olamn
and among other things learned that a Sea Ward merchant named Lokus Bagman had
been killed recently and that a summoning circle had been discovered in his house.

That afternoon Fenrir and Alduin organised two crates of flasks and two 6-gallon
barrels of lamp oil, part of a plan that had been developed to take on the statue
under the OJB.

They then started taking it down there, but in the circular corridor they saw a
large figure in the gloom that told them,
'This is our dungeon, get lost!'
The lads were not prepared for a fight and withdrew back out the dwarven
tunnel locking the door behind them.

Also today, Fenrir heard that some people associated with his uncle were due
to be burned the next day. I'll give there names nearer the time, but Fenrir
knew them all, if only slightly.

Meanwhile, someone we don't often hear of, but a good fellow called Nestoone, the
owner of the Rat Catcher's Guild and occasional member of 'The Brewery Gang' went
to the palace to see if he could organise The Open Lord 'Piergeiron the Paladinson'
as a guest speaker at a charity ball he was thinking of organising on behalf of
the refugees at Hova Farm.

He knew he was setting his sights high, but thought that this was something that
the 'City of Splendors' would not be against.

However, poor Nestoone was very much deflated when he talked to one of the Lord's
secretarys, a woman called Stella Sausagemonger. She appraised Nestoone of the
situation which was this:

''
People such as 'Mr Reed' are stirring up discontent against the city leaders
in the name of the refugees. Dissidents and radicals are saying that these people
should be looked after by the city because all the surrounding lands pay taxes
and tribute and are free citizens. Why should there be 'taxation without representation?'.
People like 'Mr Reed' are calling for anything up to a total peasant revolt
and as such he has been arrested.

While The Lords of Waterdeep want to help the refugees, Piergeiron is a good
man after all, they also do not want to see the city torn apart. The Guilds want
to get rid of the refugees by breaking up the camp, but they also want to score
political points against the Lords. Some of the Guilds still think of a time
a hundred years ago when it was them that ruled the city and not the Lords.

Anybody suggesting that the city is not handling the refugee crisis properly is
playing into the hands of the Guilds who want to see a much tougher line taken.
Those that want to take the 'good' way and help them though run the risk of
being associated with groups of discontents and revolutionaries.

It is a tense political situation and yes, unfortunately, innocents are suffering
but the Open Lord must think of the greater good. He does have plans that are
being put into action.

Nestoone was somewhat flabbergasted at all this new knowledge, but at least
now had a deeper understanding of what it meant to be a guild master and part
of the organisation of the city. He gave Miss Sausagemonger 600 gold, what
he had planned to use for the first ball as a donation to the city to help
the refugees.

She thanked him and said that as a favour to him she would not let this go
any further or be heard of outside her office. She also said that she had
heard that 'the Guilds' were known to be planning an attack on Hova Farm.

Nestoone then tracked down Oz and asked him to see what he could find out
about this and what Guilds were most against the refugees.

This is what he found out :

''
Guild of Watermen - this is arguably the most powerful guild in Waterdeep in that
it has the second largest fleet of ships in the city (after the Navy) and tax everyone
coming into the harbour. Has made several pronouncements in the past against the refugees
'cluttering up the squares and being bad for business'.

Order of Master Shipwrights - Not as powerful as other guilds, but closely allied to the Guild
of Watermen and is often used as a supply of strongmen and thugs.

Vintners', Distillers', & Brewers' Guild - Famously quick to send round the boys
to anyone causing the guild trouble. The most infamous 'enforcer' in the guild is a
woman called 'Tilly Toenail-ripper'.

Fellowship of Innkeepers - Have spoken out against the refugees in the city by far
and away the most of all the guilds. Their main spokesman is a minor noble called
Juffrey Irlingstar. Their family runs trade caravans so he was most likely against them
for taking up space in the city squares.

All other guilds are fairly neutral except for :

Baker's Guild - has provided food to the refugees
Guild of Apothecaries & Physicians - has had representatives with the refugees at all times
trying to combat the 'Blue Death'.
Dungsweepers' Guild - is providing a work detail of 20 sweepers to Hova farm at own expense
Rat Catchers' Guild - has expressed sympathy for refugees.

Oz also saw Liamae today. Her arm had been magically healed using some money
she had left on the Sea Wyvern and a little help from her crew. She also moved
from the Singing Sword to 'Warm Beds' in Dock Ward were the crew were currently
staying.

This evening Corum came and talked to me about the pending attack on Hova. I was
still there helping out. The situation was improving but even just a couple of
hundred angry armed men could undo all the good work of the clerics here.

A little afterwards Oz snuck into the camp also and found that he could either
approach Narak who was the spokesman for the refugees from the north, Sovan of
the south or Egell of the east. Since Egell was a cleric of Ogma he went and
talked to her.

She was very angry to hear about the attack and spitting curses and hammering
the table with her fist she swore to kill anyone that threatened the camp.
Oz calmed her down a little, reasoning that bloodshed would only make matters
worse, but a strong defence might well turn them back and stop the attack
before it could begin.

At seven o'clock he snuck back out of the camp and carefully entered the
city again making sure that no one had followed him.

While Oz was doing all that Fenrir sought out his uncle's minion the
hafling Dilly Mishelmash.

He was skulking in a tavern in Dock Wards and from him he found the location
of other minions or 'friends to the cause' at least and went around the city and
had words with all of them.

They were:

Tenance O'Fields - A half orc Dock Ward barbarian warlock
Vinet the Bloody - A warlock from North Ward
'Fireball' Frodick - A very paranoid wizard from South Ward
The Black Lioness - A one time rival of Baeron from Sea Ward

Fenrir also asked Dilly to see if he could find out if anyone was ratting them
all out to the inquisition and if so who, but not to put himself in any
danger.

He also got a list of names of people on the opposing Devil Faction from his
minions. Here is the list :

''
Gasher Naks - a dock ward thug. Has often been used as hired muscle by the devil-cultists.

Sovellia o' the gardens - a south ward madame who runs a small brothel on the border of
dockward. It has often been said of her that she is in league with devils and that there
is something wrong with the girls that she keeps. For some reason the inquisition has never
come for her though.

Squire Peterre - a rich man of north ward. Was part of DeRosan's 'set' of philanthropists.
Earlier this year he was badly scarred in a magical duel where half his face was burnt off.
He claims that it was Baeron Thunderstaff that attacked him. He has not healed his scar
but instead wears it with pride and styles himself as a 'hunter of demons' and a friend
of the inquisition. It is known by your demonist friends that he is in league with devils
though.

Fandangle the Wizard - a wizard of sea ward. Lives in a small tower by the city wall.
Has been responsible for slaying a couple of demonists.

Osha the Wise - cleric of Mystra. Temple cleric of the House of Wonder. Known to be
a secret devil-summoner by the demonists. Also the most likely candidate for the person
giving demonist names to the inquisition.

Nevin Tolomie - merchant of Trades Ward. Known to be a hedonist and drunkard but very
wealthy due , it is said, to selling his soul to devils. Was a known associate of
Vamir Vallex.

Moonwoman - dock ward wise woman long thought to be use devil magic for her potions
and curses. Said to be the leader of the devil-worshipers in Dock Ward.

Norty White - Castle Ward scribe. There is known to be a circle of devil worshipers
in Castle Ward , maybe up to 20 in number. Anyone sent to find out dies though. So
far the only name that has come up has been this one.

Porot Vane - A rich boat builder and merchant. Was often said to be 'dodgy' in some
way and was questioned by the inquisition. Either he was innocent or cut some sort of
deal because he was released. Was expelled from the guilds he was a member of so has
been finding it had to do business in the city. Not known by the demonists so is
thought to be a devilist purely by a process of elimination.

Shimmermin - a known enemy of the demonists and devil worshiper of several decades.
A warlock that lives in Trades Ward. All that remains of a five man coven that was
broken up by the inquisition. Is now in hiding but rumoured to still be in this Ward.

Well, anyway, eventually they all ended up back at the OJB that night. And like a genie
out of a bottle, as he always does, Cavu appeared to remind them all as nicely as he
could that the Sea Wyvern was waiting patiently at the docks for the journey to
Candlekeep. All it needed was someone to get on it!