(G432 28/11/2020 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR29

DAY 513 (29th Flamerule) (July) cont ...

Rolled in drunk back at the Vanderboren Manor, and pretty much loafed
about for the rest of the day, discussing our plans loudly, with arms waving
in the air.

Lavinia is in good spirits, revitalised by being back at home. The Manor
has been well looked after while we were away. We were let in by a faithful
old servant who was pleased to see the lady of the house return.

We discussed the Pie Shop, the Sea Wyvern and the Blue Nixie. The Wyvern
is somewhere around, but the Nixie had just arrived in port. It had been
trading up and down the coast and earned 20,000 gold which was nice.

Eventually we dosed off in the day room, then got up and went to bed.

DAY 514 (30th Flamerule) (July)

Taeghen Calaudra, our sun elf baker, has really been expanding the Pie Shop.
Bhula Jalamba, our butcher, helps, but Taeghen is the brains of the operation.

Rita, the ex-Lotus Dragon mercenary is still there, acting as a guard.

Taeghen has remodelled the place a fair bit and expanded it. There is a tea
room now, attached to the place, where he sells his fancy pastries to old
ladies in big hats.

He told us that Nobby popped in not so long ago to pick up 200 pies to help
provision the Sea Wyvern on another run out to Farshore.

Oh, and Shifty did come back! As he had said he would, and sold his stake to Taeghen
(for a pittance of 800gp). Last he heard, Shifty was now a drunk in the gutter in
Sasserine. I wonder if that's true though. To be honest I'd rather not run into him
again.

I asked how much a one-third share of the business was worth now and he said
300,000 gold as there are now six shops in the city! That cannot possibly be true
though. He also wants to re-brand from 'The Pie Shop' to 'Sunbucks'.
I'll just let him get on with it.

Well, over cups of tea and elven scones me and Lavinia decided that Sasserine
was probably the best place to raise a baby, considering we had a Manor to
live in and a thriving business.

Turning in now, time to blow out the candle. I suppose it is good to be back.
It's good to feel at home in a place, but I think I will miss my family.
And my friends, Jiggles, Irritator and even that idiot Fenrir.
Well, Rolanda and Molly are here, and while good company, its nice to have someone
to go to the pub with, or even an adventure or two.

DAY 515 (Fest Lathander) (July)

Nice as Sasserine is at this time of year, I had a big weight on my shoulders
that I felt that now - urgently - I needed to get rid of.

Useful as a hidden island is that can be used to teleport anywhere, the cons
far out-weighed the pros. Nobody but me could stand the place, it was haunted,
a prison for much of the unspeakable evil of Faerune.

Even if I could get past that, and use the place as a sort of depot or hidey-hole,
it would still be incredible selfish. What really needed to happen was for it
to disappear and never be heard from again. A druid flying back and forth to
it would only lead to more trouble.

I had a plan. I teleported to Waterdeep (500 gold to a wizard) and then flew
out to Midpoint Island one last time. The fleets were there, but greatly
reduced as they were now essentially guarding nothing.

I entered the 'pocket dimension' of the island, found Alfred and talked to him.
As I expected, he was only concerned for the safety and sanctity of the Island.
He cared for nothing else. I could see that any idea I had of colonising this
place, or even using it as a lair was foolish.

The Island needed a new Warden. Not a human, but someone long-lived, patient and
used to solitude. I teleported back to Waterdeep.

At eight o'clock I went to House Tesper and gained access to Lady Tesper.
We talked for a long time and I told her of the island.
'You are the young man who has involved himself in that whole island situation.'
She knew of me.
'Yes,' I admitted, then went on to tell her the whole story. I ended by saying,
'Do you know of any dragons that would be willing to take over as Warden? I
think it would more suit a dragon - to be honest - than a human. When it
comes to looking after an island of unspeakable evil, I mean.'

She agreed, and said she would contact me at the OJB later if she found a
suitable candidate.

In the evening I went out to the pub with Corum and got pretty drunk. I was
somber though, with the weight of the decision I was making. I admit that I
went to see the genies to cheer myself up.

DAY 516 (Eleasis) (August)

After breakfast I left word at the OJB and returned to the Singing Sword to
get back to being drunk.

A young man arrived and introduced himself as 'Steelheart'. He was one of
the dragons of Waterdeep that go about disguised as men. He was of the
Confluence, having been sent by Lady Tesper.

We flew out to the island together. I showed him about and introduced
him to Alfred. Steelheart decided he wanted to become the new Warden
and so he and Alfred went into the caves to get the tests ready.

'You sure about this then?' I asked the young dragon.
'This is a vast responsibility,' he replied. 'The Confluence want to do it,
I mean, I want to do it too of course.'

He went into the caves, which gave me plenty of spare hours to be crushed with
doubt and regret. Would the Confluence take care of this place? Would they
use it for their own purposes? However good the intentions, the place was best
left alone as much as possible.

It was too late though, I had made my decision and much as it tormented me it
was really the only one I could have made. I am just a man, I have a life to
live. I can't dedicate the rest of it to doing something that would be much
better done by a group of long-lived, sensible (as far as I know anyway) and
powerful dragons.

Once it was done I could tell they wanted me to leave. I was furious, but I
never said anything. After all - it had been me that had save the Island (and
probably the world) and it had been me that had handed it over to this dopey
looking dragon!
Treasure or curse, it remained to been seen, but they now possessed something of
tremendous power.

'Good Luck,' I mumbled as I stepped into the teleporter. 'Bye.'

And that was that.
'That's that sorted,' I told Lavinia, grimly, on my return.
'Aww,' she said as she rubbed my back. 'Cup of tea?'