(G160 08/03/2013 Fri via Roll20 - JF(GM) , AP)
DAY 180 (8th Eleint) cont..
Corum also told Fenrir that he had not seen anything of Cavu since the
orc horde invasion force had arrived at the city gates.
Puzzled, Fenrir went to the Singing Sword but there was no sign of him.
He left the following message :
'FTS. Back in city. Contact ARD - Splinter Stair'
As the evening darkened he went to talk to his friend Dorothea Goodwyn
his source of information in the Temple of Oghma. He asked her to
research into how warlocks could change 'patrons'.
At eight o'clock he returned to the 'Hippo' to sleep.
DAY 181 (9th Eleint)
At eight in the morning he was woken by Cavu himself poking him. Rubbing
the sleep from his eyes he could see that the bard was disheveled and
red around the eyes, in short he looked like he had not slept in a tenday.
The bard said :
'I have to get a system together to deal with this! I'm being driven mad by trying to be in
three different places at once all the time! Can you handle it for one day? I need to
sleep... no! I need to hire some reliable people to do this for me so I can get back to the
Kingsholm Quest.
Take this list and be at the addresses at the right time. Take this watch, its gnomish and
accurate. Arg! I've got to be Skulls Street in fifteen minutes! Gotta go!'
Cavu handed Fenrir a gold pocket watch and a piece of paper. On the paper was written :
''
10:17 - 27 The Street of Silks. House with Red Door. 12.
13:22 - The Coffinmarch. The Snookery. 5
18:12 - Wharf Street. Mr Slipfish's House. 17.
21:35 - Tower Trail. House by itself. 19.
21:37 - Rook Alley. Stables. 5
Cavu then fled the room. Fenrir had some time so he disguised himself, had breakfast
and went to the first address. At the appointed time he knocked on the door.
At that exact moment, a huge rock fell from the sky and crashed into the front
of the building. Fenrir leapt out the way but was hit by flying stones and bricks
and injured.
The house then collapsed in on itself and once the dust had settled Fenrir
helped with the rescue effort as neighbours poured in.
But all twelve of the residence within were dead as all the pulled out
were corpses.
Fenrir went on to the address and the door was answered by a servant.
He attempted to warn the servant and his master, Myrmith Splendor, but
they were incredulous. Splendor sent his servant down to the Street
of Silks to confirm what had just happened there and after Fenrir had
agreed to stay and wait with them he ordered his household out into
the street.
At the precise time a huge rock landed straight down on the roof sending
masonry flying everywhere.
'ROGER ME!', cried Splendor, and when the dust had settled. 'Who are you
my friend? You have saved my life!'
Fenrir gave his name, which surprised Splendor as he'd heard nothing good
about him. Fenrir shrugged and smiled.
For the next two addresses he set up free tables of food and drink for
the residents and did his best to persuade them all to go out for the
night. He even had to buy all of Mr Slipfish's fish.
The last place on the list was not very successful in that he only
managed to save one man from the illicit card game in the stables as
he stood and argued with a groom and a cook.
[I later did some research into Fenrir's day of life saving. Of the
58 people he could have saved he saved 32. 26 died. Some might argue
that he could have tried harder, but that should not detract from
the fact that he saved 32 people from being crushed to death that day.]
After that he went back to 'The Hippo' and found Cavu asleep on his
bed. The bard awoke and they talked for a while. When Cavu asked if
there was anyone who could be trusted to help people from the blitz
Fenrir suggested Nestoone who could say he'd been sent by Oghma.
Fenrir also told him the clue from Marten - 'Five Stones North'
Cava then said he would go to talk to Nestoone and then go and get
some decent sleep and so left to let Fenrir do likewise.
DAY 182 (10th Eleint)
In the morning he went to New Olamn again and Liddy told him
that only Strenk was alive, but was in the city. For an extra 10 gold
they could find him. Fenrir paid up and left.
So, another day of walking up and down the city of Waterdeep. Fenrir
was wearing out his shoes! The next place he visited was the OJB
and he chatted to Corum for a while. Corum was happy as he had
'just visited the genies' and had heard 'Fenrir's Song' last night
in the tavern.
After a while Fenrir drifted back over to the City of the Dead and
looked at 'Kebreb Hastesword's grave again.
He was struggling to come up with a plan. He talked to a grave digger
who told him that 'Family members would often pay to get a coffin moved.'
For lunch he went to the Splintering Stair and checked his messages.
Only Vinet had checked in with a message which read :
'Have a small amount of news. Arrange meeting? V.'
Fenrir left the message :
'For V. From ARD. Meet at Hanging Lantern 9pm tonight'
In the afternoon he went to the TSV and talked to his father. He
then went to talk to Arsten who was admiring a fine black stallion
in the villa's stables.
Fenrir gently questioned Arsten, but the head of the Thunderstaff
family was completely convinced that the 'old ways of mage craft
and caravans' was not bringing in enough money and that 'these
new stables will make us a fortune. This stallion alone will
make tens of thousands of gold when it goes out to stud.'
Arsten also took the opportunity to berate Fenrir for 'sullying
the Thunderstaff name even further with this new bawdy song that
has been doing the rounds in every flop house and den of drunkards
in the city.'
Fenrir shrugged and supposed Arsten knew what he was doing and went
too see what Dorothea had found out at the Tempe of Oghma.
She told him a great deal of things. That there was such a thing
as a 'Celestial Aligned Warlock' although they were very rare. As
a 'red' warlock would have a demon or a devil as their patron a
'white' warlock would have an angel. A 'green' warlock would be
aligned with a fey entity of either the seelie (good) or unseelie
(evil) court.
Red warlocks were by far the most common, followed by the much
rarer green warlocks and finally the 'once in ever generation;
white warlock.
She said that in the Temple's own history there was records of
a man called 'Kendrel the Bold' who had lived about a hundred
years ago and was a 'Warlock of Oghma'. He had been born a warlock
and had acted as a temple guard during the Reign of the Guildmasters.
They also discussed how Fenrir might go about 'changing patron'.
One way would be to summon a 'Planar Ally' here at the temple or
to hire a cleric or wizard to take Fenrir on a 'Plane Shift'.
A trip to another plane would be the cheaper option, but Dorothea
warned Fenrir, 'Don't just turn up and "wing it". You would need to
have a very precise plan to go by when you turn up in another plane
with the mission of changing alignment. If it was Oghma that you
chose you would have to, at the very least, dedicate your life to
the church.'
With much to think on Fenrir went to the Hippo for dinner and then
met Vinet at the Hanging Lantern.
Vinet had nothing on Hallistar Blatt, but had made contact with
a group called 'The Blood Drinkers' who were eager to join their
cause. Their leaders name was 'Yarrowroot Palejake'.
DAY 183 (11th Eleint)
Twice through the night Fenrir was woken by rocks crushing houses
nearby but he awoke with out incident and prepared for his next
day of walking up and down in the city.
He went to New Olamn and Liddy Sparktop told him that Strenk
, who was now 70 years old, drank at the 'Crawling Spider Inn'
so off Fenrir went.
He got there are nine in the morning and the place did not open
until eleven. At lunch time people started drifting in and when
he asked the barman he was told that Strenk would usually come
in during the evening and play cards with other 'old timers'.
On his way up to the OJB he saw that the marketplace was being
readied for more burnings. There were five stakes and when he asked
about who was to be executed, they were not names he recognised.
At the OJB Corum said he did not know the other four but one of them
was a notorious Dockward rogue who was better off dead.
Fenrir 'shot the breeze' with Raya for a while and they talked about
the money in the grave. Fenrir agreed that he really should come up
with a plan. Fenrir also teased her about the 'genies downstairs' and
that perhaps she should give them ago. Raya blushed and replied she
would rather not.
An hour later Dwerry Jantile arrived at the OJB looking for Nestoone.
She talked to 'Mr Smith' for a while, but when it appeared she knew
everything about what was going on anyway, Fenrir revealed who he really
was.
She told him a little of her story:
''
Dwerry's parents moved to Waterdeep when she was young. When a group of
devil worshippers wanted 'angel blood' for some dark ritual they kidnapped
them and Dwerry never saw them again.
As she grew older and more powerful she made it her life's work to track
down those responsible and punish them. Part of her hoped that her parents
may still be alive, but even if not she might be able to get a bit of them to
cast a resurrection spell more within her price range
She lead a secret life in South Ward using her magic to make a living. She does a
great deal of reading. She changes her flat about once every six months to throw
devil worshippers off her trail.
Initially she wanted to talk to Nestoone about the Vanguard of Sertretous.
She has been carefully gathered evidence that has lead her to believe that the
devil worshipper group known as the 'Brotherhood of the Dark Eye' (BODE) are in
league with VOS somehow.
She recently found and killed a BODE member who suggested to her that although her
parents were taken by them, they were handed over to VOS.
She had asked around about the attack on the 'Wathuss Villa' and the trail had
lead to the OJB. She wanted desperately to help, if doing so would lead to finding
out what happened to her parents.
She was a pretty redheaded sorceress with green eyes. She used eye-glasses to
read and had a shy soft spoken manner.
It also appeared that her and Nestoone had been 'dating' a lot, usually in the
company of Corum and Gharlie.
By dinner time, Dwerry had gone and Cavu arrived. He said that he could account
for Nestoone's absence since he'd been running around clearing out houses
all day.
Fenrir asked Corum where he'd seen Bertran, but Corum had not, since he'd
been up north. Bertran had just been reported at the OJB asking for either
Corum or Fenrir.
Fenrir asked where he might be, but Corum just shrugged, 'I have no idea
but you could try the Singing Sword since that was were they stayed at
last time.'
At five o'clock Fenrir did just that and found the young cleric/wizard
moping about in the main room.
They talked for a while but this was Bertran's main information :
DAY 170 - The clothes of Jil Nackney are found in Bertran's room. She confesses
to having relations with the cleric who denies it. Since she is a
minor he is disgraced and leaves.
DAY 180 - Gamblayne Fortnessle sent to Waterdeep on business. He was killed
and robbed of 2500gp. This was reported in the broad-sheets as
''Rich Broker robbed of huge amount of gold''
Bertran thought that dark forces are at work in both these things and between
them they agreed that Teru Yardpike, the Gnesher family butler, was the most
likely suspect.
At seven o'clock Fenrir returned to the Crawling Spider and soon spotted
Strenk and his friends.
Privately they talked and Strenk said that he had indeed known Blatt
many years ago and he had been an evil young man who had taken delight
in killing and cruelty. People did change he said, but he did have
some proof of what he said and would hand it over tomorrow for
200 gold. Fenrir gave him 100 and said he would give the rest tomorrow
when Strenk handed over whatever it was that he had.
Fenrir then went back to the 'Hippo'.
DAY 184 (12th Eleint)
When 'Mr Smith' went down to the main room of the Hippo the place
was buzzing with the news that there would be a battle today. The
forces of Waterdeep had martialed and were preparing to sally out
to meet the enemy at the gates.
Be that as it may, Fenrir still had his daily business of walking
up and down in Waterdeep to attend to.
First he went to the Bloody Fist and talked to his dwarven lady
spy master.
She told him the following :
1st day - WOMP - managed to get a spy in, but Blatt has private chambers which
only he ever goes into.
2nd day - Blatt came out. Tracked him to North Ward where he went into an alley
and then vanished into thin air.
3rd day - WOMP - Spent the day in the library talking to younger wizards, retired
to his private rooms in the afternoon.
4th day - WOMP - inside and outside. That night - little birds in and out of his window
5th day - WOMP in morning. in Skrying room using crystal balls all day. Left the WOMP
with a face like thunder. Walked south, vanished.
The dwarf said that she could arrange for him to be followed while he was
invisible but that it would cost a lot more. She also said they knew his address,
he owned a house north of the market, but he had not been back to it in
the last five days. Blatt was a powerful wizard with no set routine. He was
high enough up in the WOMP that he could set his own agenda.
Fenrir thanked her and left. At ten o'clock he went to the Splintering Stair
and checked his messages. There was only one :
'BDs want to meet you. V.'
He then went to the Hanging Lantern Festhall and hired a room for nine in the
evening until midnight with food for ten people. This cost him 20 gold.
At noon he went to the OJB where Corum and Nes were talking 'Rats and
Poop' business. Corum said he would be going to the walls at noon to see if
they could use him. He was not a full time watchman but he was a good
swordsman and they might want to use him.
He said, 'If I survive that, I'll be in the Singing Sword in the evening.'
After lunch Fenrir went to the palace to talk to Amar Lasat Main but he
was told to bugger off. He went back to the OJB and caught Corum just as
he was leaving. He told Fenrir that Main was now Ward Civilar of North
Ward watch.
It seemed like after revealing that Emmer Jundhyl was a doppleganger he
was promoted into his place. Fenrir was pleased that he had a friend in
such a high place in the watch and asked Main to see what he could
find out about the murder of Gamblayne Fortnessle.
Main wrote a letter that would get him access to the Trades Ward Watch
Civilar since that was where it had occurred.
Fenrir thanked him and left.