The Blue Alley
Kuhl didn't know what to make of the three figures striding through the obscuring mist. It was late and the trio of travelers were the only ones on Dock Street. They came from the direction of the Sea Maiden's Faire carnival and might be from the docked ships the half-elf watched. But it was possible, probable even, that they'd not come from the ships but from further up Dock Street instead.
He couldn't know for sure because of this cursed mist. Which itself was a mystery. It came up suddenly, hiding the carnival dock and the associated ships. Now, because of it, he could barely discern the presence of the three walkers and was uncertain of what to do about them. Then two familiar forms clad in matching black silk bodysuits emerged from the mist trailing the other three.
"Sky," he said, lowering his field glasses. "It looks like Aleina and Jhelnae found someone worth following."
The tabaxi opened one eye from the wood chair where she lightly dozed. Neither of them had wanted to touch the straw bed for fear of vermin. She sprang up and hurried to the window, squinting out through the grime covered panes.
"I can barely see anything!" she said, with an irritated lash of her tail. "Where did this mist come from? You know what? Who cares! All the waiting was killing me! Something is finally happening."
"All the waiting was killing her?" Dawnbringer telepathically questioned Kuhl. "She napped for most of it!"
The tabaxi had slept a lot during their surveillance. Yawned a lot, paced a lot, and sighed a lot too. She also asked random questions. Like whether or not a dustball in the corner of their room looked like a otyugh? Only to then admit she didn't actually know what an otyugh looked like.
But as distracted and scatter-brained as Sky could be, when she was focused, she was very focused. Her eyes took on a predatory look and she wasted no more words on this new development, instead moving with purpose through their dingy little dockside room to ease open the door. The brine and fish smell of the ward spilled in with cool air as she glanced out, then she slipped out into the courtyard beyond, Kuhl on her heels.
He paused to lock the door behind them and pocket the room key before hurrying after Sky across the dimly lit space. Only one wanly flickering hanging lamp added its light to the pale glow of the crescent moon above. There were lamps, but all these were dark and, judging from their rust and corrosion, hadn't been lit in some time. The half-elf supposed he should be thankful for even one lit lamp in the courtyard considering the shabbiness and disrepair of the inn. But, then again, with his dark vision, a fully dark courtyard wouldn't have been an issue anyway.
"And if you need light," Dawnbringer thought into his head. "You are carrying around a magic sword that can shed plenty."
"That would be a little conspicuous," the half-elf sent back.
"No more conspicuous than an aasimar and drow who seemed to think form fitting black bodysuits won't draw eyes to them rather than away," his sword observed in his mind.
"You know, I sort of like them," Kuhl thought in response.
"Sort of like a couple of your female companions clothed in curve hugging silk?" Dawnbringer mentally bantered. "What a surprise. But can't you see you just proved my point?"
He could but settled on only a slight smile in reply. Unlike their silk-wearing companions, the half-elf and tabaxi had chosen the attire of dock workers - smudged and rough spun short tunics and trousers. Far more practical. But at this hour it didn't really matter. No one was going to believe they were a couple of dock hands needing to move cargo in the dead of night. Or, if they did, that would attract more attention. At least with the bodysuits, the other two could blend into shadows.
Kuhl and Sky exited the courtyard and headed northwest up Dock Street, following the rapidly receding forms of Aleina and Jhelnae ahead. Thankfully the mist soon subsided outside the vicinity of the Sea Maiden's Faire. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to see the two hurrying figures. Even moving quickly themselves, they only caught up to the pair after a few blocks.
"Ront?" the aasimar whispered as they approached. "Yagra?"
The half-elf shook his head, but then realized Aleina likely hadn't seen that, watching the trio they pursued as she did.
"They were further down the street and probably didn't see these three," he whispered back. "We weren't even sure if we should follow them until we saw you. They came from the Sea Maiden Faire?"
It was Jhelnae who answered.
"They're drow," she said. "And I saw them come from the direction of the ships."
Drow.
That would fit with the killing of elves and half-elves. It was said the drow of the Underdark had been driven there long ago by wars with their surface kin. But if the trio searched for another victim tonight, they'd picked the wrong time to do it. The streets were abandoned. They also moved with too much purpose to be randomly searching for a victim. Their path zig zagged through the smaller streets of the Dock Ward but moved ever north. Soon they left the vicinity of the docks and were close to the Yawning Portal tavern, which bordered the Dock and Castle Wards. If the three were planning a murder tonight, they'd broken their pattern, and would not be committing it in the Dock Ward. But Kuhl suspected they were up to something else tonight.
A deep, ringing, bell from a nearby tower sounded, rang again, then went silent. Two bells. The dark shape of Castle Waterdeep, with its soaring towers and battlements, now dominated the night sky to the west from a bluff on Mount Waterdeep. For a time, their twisting path northward continued and then they reached a broad brick paved road - Waterdeep Way.
Sky, who had taken the lead, came to a stop. The swish of her tail conveyed uncertainty. Kuhl saw the issue. Before there had always been a corner to lag behind. But the wide streets of this section of the Castle Ward ran straight and true with bright regularly spaced streetlamps. There was no way to conceal pursuit.
"If only Aravae was with us," Aleina whispered. "She could go invisible then report back to us on where they went."
"Let's just go," Jhelnae hissed. "They see us, they see us. But we haven't spent three nights watching just to give up now."
The tabaxi nodded and crossed Waterdeep Way and followed the three up the broad straight thoroughfare named the Street of Bells. Not long after they entered the street, skirting along the east side of it for as much concealment as possible, Sky started furiously pointing to the street sign on a building labeling a dirt and gravel alley. Kuhl read the sign.
Cat Alley.
He smiled, caught the tabaxi's eye to let him know he understood, and nodded. She grinned a sharp toothed smile back. From a couple blocks away came the clip clop of horse hoofs and the rattle of a carriage across cobblestones. There were other denizens of the city, apparently, up and about at this late hour.
Landmarks passed as they walked up the Street of Bells. The top half of the towering statue known as the Hawkman - a winged and hawk headed colossal figure with a broken right arm - was visible over buildings to the west. Supposedly it, and other statues spread throughout the city - known as the walking statues - could be brought to life in defense of the city. Kuhl thought it might just be a fanciful tale. Something native Waterdhavians liked to tell credulous newcomers.
Then again, Waterdeep was a strange place and not called the City of Splendors for nothing. So, perhaps the tale of the walking statues was true. It was no stranger than the four-story stone tower now coming into view. This was surrounded by sparkling lights that shifted from motes of brilliance to either a symbol of a blue-white star or a hand wreathed in flame pointing skyward. Then changed back to sparkling light again to begin the process anew. Some sort of luminescent magical fence also curtained the grounds of the tower. The effect was beautiful, in its way, but garish. Aleina apparently also found it a bit ridiculous.
"Gee," she whispered in a hushed tone. "Do you think a wizard lives there?"
"Something is strange," Jhelnae muttered, ignoring the tower, focused on the drow ahead. "They've obviously seen us, how could they not?"
This was likely true. The two groups had been walking the wide straight street of the Street of Bells for some time now - drow marching down the middle while the companions behind hugged the east side in a rudimentary effort at stealth.
"If they are drow from the Underdark," the half-drow continued. "Why aren't they casting a layer of darkness to give us the slip?"
"Because you can see through magic darkness," the aasimar whispered.
"But they don't know that," the half-drow said in a hushed tone. "Why all the concealing mist at the docks but not a care now?"
"Because they didn't want anyone to see drow coming off the ships," Sky said. "But now they don't care who sees them. Which probably means they plan on just ambushing us and killing us later."
She gave an offhand wave and unconcerned flick of her tail at this dire pronouncement while the others exchanged worried looks.
Their procession continued northward, passing a couple of higher-class inns - The Pampered Traveler and Dauntlyn's Doors. Up ahead, the Street of Bells ended at the east-west running Bazaar Street. Across from that, some of the stone buildings surrounding The Market - the city's massive open-air marketplace. Also now in view was the Great Drunkard - another of the legendary 'walking' colossal statues - visible above the buildings to the northwest even though it sat, arms limp down at its side and bearded chin lowered to its chest.
The drow turned left on Bazaar Street and the party hurried after as they briefly lost sight of them. Kuhl was sure they would be gone by the time they made it to the street to the south of The Market, but the trio were still visible when he and his companions also came to the cross street. It was as Jhelnae had said, they seemed wholly unconcerned about losing their tail. Which made Sky's prediction all the more likely. And the darkened open-air Market would be the perfect place for an ambush, which is where they went next.
Wordlessly, Jhelnae drew her moonstone capped rod and drew it down her black clad body. Shimmering webs encased her briefly then faded. Aleina followed her lead and summoned her own warding armor with her orb.
"And of course, just like in the sewers, you and Sky are again unarmored, and you are also without your shield," Dawnbringer said in Kuhl's mind. "Some black leather armor and darkened shield would be nice right about now. A stealth set of equipment."
"Wait," the half-elf thought back as he pulled the sword hilt free from her holder at his belt. "Weren't you criticizing their bodysuits earlier?"
"I was," the enchanted weapon telepathically said. "But now I see that maybe, just maybe, they didn't buy them for only comfort and vanity."
They entered the marketplace, wary and ready for trouble. But, as before, the trio of drow were not hidden and waiting in ambush, but in plain sight. The drow continued in a northwesterly direction, walking under the fabric canopies meant to ward off sun and rain for those perusing the wares of the surrounding wooden stalls and set up carts. These stalls were closed up, empty of goods, and abandoned, but during the day and evening were full merchants and customers with shelves full of trinkets, food stuff, spices, and bolts of cloth. The smell of some of the spices and food lingered in the air.
"Are they really so incompetent they haven't seen us yet?" Jhelnae whispered. "Or do they just don't care about us?"
No one answered, all probably as confused as Kuhl himself was. Even Dawnbringer remained silent in his mind. They moved through the dark and quiet market, the companions watchful for any surprises or sudden moves from the drow ahead. Other than a pair of rats that scurried between the space between the two groups, nothing occurred, and they exited to Trader's Way at the northwest end of The Market without event.
A prominent stone building stood across the street, built to be an edifice of power. The main entry door was at the center of the gaping maw of a great sculpted stylized head. A circular stained-glass window above the head depicted red planetoids circling a four-pointed star exuding energy and crackling lightning bolts.
"The symbol of the Red Wizards of Thay," Jhelnae whispered, looking up with narrowed eyes. "This must be one of its enclaves."
Aleina reached out and gave her friend a supportive pat on the shoulder in response. Kuhl recalled that the half-drow had, at one point, been a prisoner of Thay. A hostage to ensure the good behavior of her mother while the magocracy experimented on the then Chosen of Eilistraee. But there was no time to give the Thayan building more than a comment and a passing glance.
The companions followed the drow up the cobbles of The Sutherlane. Noble villas became more and more prevalent among the surrounding buildings by the time this street became Feather Street. Older portions of these villas were built like fortresses with later additions focused on style and luxury over defense. Then they reached Delzorin Street and Kuhl suddenly realized they were less than ten blocks from where it provided an entrance to Trollskull Alley to the east. A short walk and they could all be home and climb up the stairs to their respective beds. A tempting thought.
But the drow turned west on Delzorin, away from the Trollskull, followed it for a way, then resumed their northward direction by turning on Flint Street. Another of Waterdeep's wonders awaited them part way up this street - a series of marble encased towers carved with a myriad of mosaics depicting displays of magic. The central tower with a long set of steps up to a mid-rise entrance drew the gaze. On either side of the stairway was a massive pillar wreathed in smokeless, magical, blue-white flame at the top. They looked like two giant candles. It was obviously a temple and based on the blue-white star symbols, Kuhl guessed primarily to Mystra, the goddess of magic.
The long-anticipated surprise waited for them at the end of Flint Street. They briefly lost sight of the drow as the trio turned right on Ivory Street and when the companions reached the cross street themselves - the drow were nowhere to be found.
"No, no, no, no," Jhelnae hissed, looking around in a panic. "We did not come all this way just to lose them now!"
Kuhl desperately searched as well. There were few places the drow could have gone. At a sprint, the moment the companions had lost sight of them, they might have been able to make it to one of the smaller streets he could see to the east. Sky obviously had the same thought because she knocked the heels of her magic boots together and took off at an enchantment enhanced sprint, footsteps drumming a rapid beat along the cobblestones. A glance to the left and right down the side streets she encountered, and then she was sprinting back towards them, head shaking to let them know she hadn't found anything.
"No magical darkness," the half-drow whispered, then looked skyward. "They could have levitated to the rooftops. Aleina, no!"
The last part she called aloud as the wings of light formed on the aasimar's back, all caution now thrown to the wind. Aleina leapt skyward and Kuhl felt a breeze on his cheeks as her wings of radiance lifted her up. The half-elf understood the Jhelnae's fear. If the aasimar encountered the three drow on the rooftops, she'd be on her own, with the rest unable to help her, he unable to step into the mists to a place he couldn't see.
But their companion simply spun in a slow circle and then, like Sky, shook her head and started to descend.
"Where did they go?" the half-drow asked. "Into one of the buildings?"
Kuhl didn't even need to answer. This was doubtful. They were in the Seaward, the wealthiest part of the city, and all around them stood noble villas. If the drow had entered one of those, then they had gone where the companions could not follow.
"What about the alley across the street?" Dawnbringer asked in the half-elf mind.
Kuhl looked across the street, not seeing what she talked about at first, then his eyes widened. There was an alley there. One he had not seen before. Now that he saw it, he was unsure how he could have possibly missed it. While it was a narrow opening, around ten feet in width and passed under the surrounding buildings, it was paved with blue tiles that glimmered dimly with foxfire radiance. The walls of the alley, those the half-elf could see, were lined with the same tile.
"Maybe they went in there," he said, pointing.
One by one, each of his companions did a double take. Sky scratched her head and her tail lashed.
"Was that there before?" she asked, as she moved forward for a closer look.
The others followed with more hesitant steps. No drow were in the alley. They were greeted instead by the carved stone face of a scared human on the wall facing them at the end of the alley at a distance of around fifty feet. Passages led to the left and right. The mouth and eyes of the face were dark holes, apparently going deep into the stone. A sculpted tongue protruded slightly from the mouth and on it lay an open book with a quill next to it.
"By all that dances!" Jhelnae said. "This just got weird."
No one disagreed and for a time they all just stared.
"It is the only place they could have gone," Sky said.
She took a cautious step onto the blue tiles, for all her reckless curiosity, the tabaxi was very careful when she needed to be. Kuhl tensed and leaned forward, readying himself to grab her arm and pull her back. When nothing happened, she stepped again and was now fully on the blue tile.
Nothing changed. No brightening of the tile or glowing pulse. It just kept shimmering.
"Come on," Sky said with a sharp toothed smile. "It's just regular tile that glows a little."
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Aleina said as they all joined Sky in the alley.
"Now you sound like Ront," the tabaxi said. "Too bad he is missing this."
"Did no one but me ever notice that Ront was usually right?" Kuhl asked.
But he pushed past Sky and led the way down the alley, Dawnbringer still at the ready in his hand, but not ignited.
The open book held a list of signatures. A message at the top read:
"Welcome to Blue Alley. By signing herein adventurers who brave it agree to hold the wizard Keilier and the City of Waterdeep harmless for all bodily harm, mental or spiritual trauma, fall of status or reputation, or damage or loss to any of their clothing, equipment, and all other belongings."
"What in the nine hells," Aleina said.
"Look at the last three names," Jhelnae said. "Those are drow names."
Those names read Fel'rekt Lafeen, Krebbyg Masq'il'yr, and Soluun Xibrindas. But the name above those Kuhl found even stranger.
"Laeral Silverhand?" he said.
The question was just his own mental musing, spoken aloud, but Aleina answered with her own question.
"What would the Open Lord of Waterdeep be doing in a place like this?"
"She was one of my suspects," Sky said. "Remember? I wonder if Mirt the Moneylender is in here. Or maybe even my own name, myself from another reality!"
She moved closer to the book and tried to flip back the page, but the page didn't budge.
"That's strange," she said. "You can't turn the pages. I can't even lift a page!"
Kuhl tried for himself to no effect, then tried to close the book entirely and also failed at that, despite applying some muscle to it.
"So, it is a magical book," the aasimar said. "Not really surprising since it is in an alley of glowing blue tiles."
"Look at the names above Laeral Silverhand," the half-drow said. "The same three drow names and then another. Jarlaxle Baenre."
"You recognize it?" Kuhl asked.
Jhelnae shook her head.
"Only the house name," she said. "Baenre. That is the first house of Menzoberranzan."
Since all the companions had been prisoners of the drow in Velkynvelve awaiting transport to the Underdark drow city, three of them planned for sacrifice on the altars to Lolth there, they all recognized the name Menzoberranzan.
"But don't you see," the half-drow said. "This means this isn't the first time the drow we followed have been here. They were here at least once before. Probably with this Jarlaxle character."
That all seemed true, but what to make of it?
"And how does Laeral Silverhand fit in with it all?" the half-elf said contemplatively. "Or did someone write her name down as a joke?"
He had heard plenty of stories of the Open Lord of Waterdeep as she was one of the celebrated heroes who fought in the war against the phaerimm to defend Evereska, though she hadn't held that position then, over a century ago.
"I am guessing no one can write any name but their own," Aleina said. "It's obviously a magic book, and would drow write their own name if they had a choice?"
That made sense.
"Well, we aren't going to learn anything standing around here," Sky said. "Left, or right?"
A good question, but one without a good answer. At this point the alley really became a series of passages, with a ceiling of matching blue tile a good twenty feet overhead. Left or right looked relatively identical, with both turning northward after a short distance.
"Right," he decided, and led the way.
Directly into a wall of invisible force.
"Left then," he amended, rubbing his hurt nose and going the other direction.
This time he had the foresight to hold out his free hand and discovered the other wall of force before he walked into it.
"I think we have to sign our names in the book before we pass," the aasimar said.
"Fine," Kuhl said with a sigh of frustration. "But let me do it and see."
He picked up the quill and a strange sensation overcame him. It was as Aleina had guessed. He was free to do so or not but compelled to sign his name and nothing else while he held it. The half-elf signed his name, put the quill down on the tongue of the ledge, and the compulsion vanished.
"That was weird," he said, shuddering.
"See if you can pass through now," Sky said.
Kuhl went back down the right hand passage, this time encountering no resistance. Once he had judged he was past the wall of force, however, he tried to go back and found it in place again.
"It only allows you to enter," he called back to the others. "Not leave. Go back to the Trollskull and wait for me there. I'll let you know what I find."
Aleina and Jhelnae exchanged a look and rolled their eyes. Sky didn't even do that, she was already signing her name. The other two signed as well, Aleina muttering under her breath while she did so.
"First it is, I know, I'll be bait for a murderer. Then it is, here is a good idea, let me walk in alone into what is obviously some mad wizard's dungeon. I don't even want to know what he is going to suggest next."
"A key difference between you and Brysis is that you have friends who never let you get too full of yourself," Dawnbringer said in his mind.
"You can say that again," Kuhl thought back.
"I think I have," the sword sent telepathically. "Many times."
Soon they were all on the other side of the barrier.
"Well," Sky said, giving a sharp toothed smile and rubbing her hands together. "Let's go find out what this place is all about."
First off...I know, I know. Ront and Yagra don't get to be a part of the chapter! That is criminal!
Trust me. I originally planned on including them. But as I was writing a little voice said, "Okay, this whole mist forms around the ships and the dock (which is in the module) and yet it conceals the drow from no one? That doesn't make sense..." And the horrible thing about that little inner voice is that once it starts speaking I can't seem to just ignore it and make progress.
Second off...this is rough, but I need to get it out of my head so I can focus on work and such. Have a lot to get done before the weekend.
Third off...sort of a big departure from the module. In the module the party just follows the drow and then have an encounter with Laeral Silverhand. But I couldn't help but think, "Why not make the meeting in an interesting place. No reason to waste a scene, right?" So I chose Blue Alley. Note I have read the 2e version and also the 5e version on the dmsguild. We won't be spending much time in Blue Alley and I won't have any spoilers for the 5e version (my version in my head is populated differently). But for anyone reading this with plans on being a DM for Dragonheist, I would recommend the one on dmsguild plus using the Laeral encounter to get them there. I mean why wouldn't Jarlaxle schedule a meeting with her in a place that was very inconvenient for her? That gives the perfect way to get the party into a canon mini-dungeon in the city...