Fireball!

Chapter 3:  Fireball

Quinn Alimar

It has been a month since our last adventure in Blue Alley. Since then, word has gotten around about the dissolution of the magical alley. We’ve opened our inn and allowed the elf spirit Lif to serve customers. It appeared the life we had built for ourselves was off to a good start. My mom had even come to live at the inn and took an active role in making the inn work.

This morning, disaster struck. An unexplained explosion took the life of my mom and Yasuo’s advisor. I didn’t realize she was suddenly gone as I was too involved in tending to the wounded in front of the inn. A sadness fell upon me to be replaced with a need for justice as the explosion appeared to be some sort of attack.

My compatriots were able to glean several hints before the City Watch arrived on the scene. A mechanical man was seen on the roof nearby and apparently launched the fireball that caused so much loss. Such creations can only come from the House of Gond. Yasuo and I stormed over to the temple with Thia and Davian on our heels.

We entered the temple, seeking an audience with the head of the temple. Our request was met quickly and our story was heard. The situation we described seemed unlikely to the Gond holy man. He said our description matched that of Nim who is a nimblewright, or mechanical man. The Gond leader brought us up to the upper floors of the temple. He unlocked a door and introduced us to Nim. After a bit of questioning, Nim revealed that he had created a copy of himself.

A silence dropped over the room. Yasuo and I burned a hole in the man demanding to know how this could happen. The Gond leader began stuttering apology after apology. He brought in several servants and had them remove all the nimblewright’s tools and materials. When asked about the rogue nimblewright, he produced a nimblewright detector. Some handheld device that would spin when in proximity of a nimblewright. It only had a limited range unfortunately. We had little choice in the matter.

I made arrangements for my mom’s burial. The servants of Tempus laid my mom to rest with the most care and respect. I gave my eulogy for my mom, wishing her better in the afterlife than was offered on this plane. Her death will see justice served. This is my vow.

The next days had us covering the northern wards. Finally, we got a hit. At dusk the detector activated next to a manor. Taking a moment to investigate the manor grounds, we noted the faint sounds of battle inside. Something was amiss and we could not wait for the authorities.

We made our way over the walls into the grounds. Almost immediately, we were jumped by a trio of shadow creatures. They were dispatched quickly by our hand without alerting anyone. Surprise was still on our side.

A door on the side of the manor seemed to be the best option. We entered into a storeroom and kitchen area. The aftermath of battle was seen on the other side of the fireplace where many house guards had fought and fallen. Tempus would be pleased they died in service to their master. There were a pair of brigands going through the room, looting what they could. They would be dealt with but first we must see to the well-being of the lord and lady of the manor as well as any other innocents.

We ascended the stairs from the kitchen area and came across the servants’ quarters. The doors in this section were investigated and we found the household staff. I instructed them to close and barricade the door. We would see to the invaders.

A quick descent down the stairs again put us back in the kitchen. We snuck quickly across the main room and ran up the stairs where battle sounds were heard. The scene looked strange. The seating area upstairs was being held by a contingent of house guards, including a large half-orc. The invaders didn’t appear to be pushing too hard. Off to the side, a hardened rogue was trying to cut through a door and was being guarded by a few invaders. Whoever was on the other side of the door appeared to be in the greatest danger.

I leapt through the guards and began my assault on the man. He turned to face me, launching several snakes my way. I landed several hits and spells against the rogue before falling to the ground. The next thing I knew I was roused by my compatriots. A glance over my shoulder revealed they had taken down the main invader as well as the others.

I stood up. Taking a breath, we went over to talk to the Lord and Lady of the manor. Forgive me but the lady appeared quite annoyed with our rescue. I would have thought our assistance would be welcomed but the opposite seemed true. I took the body of the leader and made a move down the stairs, informing the lady we would be leaving. Her half-orc bodyguard came over and took the body from me. She made a veiled threat, informing us to leave the manor immediately or be considered intruders. Confused, we left the premises.

We returned to our inn in Trollskull Alley and tended to our wounds. Sleep came quickly. The next day we began to discuss the events of the battle. More questions came and needed answering. As the lord and lady of the house were not receptive to our help, perhaps the staff we saved would be more forthcoming.

We went back to the ward and staked out the manor. A butler left the house towards the market. We approached him and asked him about the events of last night. He begrudgingly spoke to us. The lady of the manor was a scary woman apparently. He had seen some strange disturbing garments bearing unholy symbols.

We thanked the butler for the help and went back to the inn. Some plot was at work here and nothing good would come of it. More investigation would be necessary to get to the bottom of this and we could not be certain of who to trust. It will be up to us. 

Thia Liadon

Flamerule 1492DR - Explosion at The House of Spirits

The day began as most other days. Davian and I were preparing the Trollskull Manor taphouse (now called The House of Spirits), for another day of business. Uumaga and Quinn’s mother had just left to do some shopping.

A deafening explosion in the street blew in the windows and door and sent billowing fire and debris...including bodies...flying. I was shocked and disoriented, and needed a moment to get myself together. Davian looked fine, so I ran to the door. What I saw was death and destruction. There were three corpses near our front door. The closest was a gnome near our front steps.  Just behind him lay two men who wore black cloaks and armor. One of the men had a tattoo of a winged snake, so the men must be Zhentarim. A movement caught my eye. A little boy tucked something into his shirt. I went over to him and kindly asked what he had found. He produced a necklace with three white globes, telling me that it had fallen into the rain barrel. He gave me the necklace and ran off. I tucked the necklace away and looked around for what to do next. There were many dead and wounded. Among the dead were Uumaga and Quinn’s mother! I was filled with disbelief and sorrow. I had known them a short time and had already grown to care about them and appreciate them. This would be far more devastating to Yasuo and Quinn.

Davian called to me, directing me to the Tally’s shop. Apparently a cloaked man had taken something (a pouch) from the gnome and was seen heading to the Bent Nail. Tally greeted us at the door and said that there was no one in the shop. We checked out back, but if someone had run to the back alley, they were long gone my now.

Quinn talked to an injured woman who said that a puppet without strings threw it down from the greenhouse. We later pieced together that “it” must have been one of the globes from the necklace. I later spent some time investigating the necklace and discovered that is is a Necklace of Fireballs. Each globe is a fireball. The necklace has three remaining globes, and three missing. So between one and three of those globes caused all of this destruction. The blast was centered about 10 feet from our tavern’s door.

Yasuo investigated the greenhouse and found a gray cloak with a silver gear symbol. It’s a toothed cog with four spokes. Later, Quinn told us it’s the symbol of Gond the Maker. Those who worship at the Temple of Gond--The House of Inspired Hands--create all sorts of mechanical items. He described how the followers had made a nimblewright (a puppet without strings) for a parade.

The neighborhood watch arrived and took charge of the situation. Sergeant Cromley questioned us and Barnibus Blastwind of the Watchful Orders of Magists Guild was also there to investigate. Yasuo, with his diplomatic ways, persuaded Sergeant Cromley to share information. It appears that the gnome who was at our doorsteps was running from three pursuers. Though only two of them were dead. The third pursuer must have stolen the gnome’s pouch and run. Neither the gnome nor his pursuers were aware of the bomb.

The cloak with the gear symbol seemed like our best lead, so we headed to the House of Inspired Hands. We arrived at the building and saw a figure sitting on the roof. It released a bird which flew at Yasuo to attack. How kind. Inside the building were marble pedestals displaying various odd items, such as a flying machine, a submersible, and a “waking helmet.” We were greeted by Valetta, a bronze dragonborn. Quinn explained the situation and we were lead to Nim the nimblewright’s room. Nim was the troublemaker who sent the mechanical bird at Yasuo. Some time ago, he had constructed a nimblewright friend. He programmed it with additional functions...It escaped several weeks ago. He created a nimblewright detector and gavit it to us. It detected the proximity of a nimblewright within about 500 feet. Valetta offered us a reward to find and destroy the nimblewright. For starters, he gave us a barking box. It’s a small metal cube that detects vibrations in the ground within 15 feet, emitting a dog bark as an alarm.

We then went to the Yawning Portal to find Yagra, who is affiliated with the Zhentarim. She introduced us to Daval Starsong, a sun elf and master of opportunity. He said that the man who fled the scene this morning was Urstul Floxin, the leader of the splinter Zhentarim group and master assassin. He is often seen in the North Ward. With that, we headed to the North Ward. But upon our arrival to the North Ward, Davian received a paper bird from Renaer saying to meet him at the House of Hands immediately. Off we went. Renaer seemed anxious. He gave us his condolences, then went on to say that the explosion might have been because of him. His father’s spies had been following him. One of those spies--a gnome named Dalakhar--was on a mission for his father (who is in Neverwinter) to find the Stone of Golorr. Yasuo persuaded Renaer to seek out Sergeant Cromley to give this account.

Urstul Floxin

We continued our search for the rogue nimblewright. Evening was approaching as we came upon Gralhund Villa, and the nimblewright detector gizmo started spinning. Yasuo heard faint sounds of a sword fight and screaming coming from the main building. We climbed the wall and fought off a shadow man and his two shadow dogs which had glided across the yard to attack us. We ran up to the main door, but of course it was locked. Quinn was unable to pick the lock, so we entered through the back door into the kitchen. We found a maid, dead, and took her set of keys. Up a flight of servant stairs, we found a room where several servants huddled. They said that their guests--ruffians--who Lord and Lady Gralhund had invited, were now killing them. Back in the large great hall, Quinn distracted some of these ruffians with a spell and we all snuck up the main staircase. We were greeted by a battle between Zhents and Gralhund guards. A man with distinct burn marks is trying to batter a door down. He has three living snakes wrapped around his arms. Quinn runs at this man while Yasuo and Davian join the battle against the Zhents. The three snakes sprout wings and fly off to attack Quinn. Urstul, the man, also attacks. He strikes Quinn with a sword, knocking him out. Urstul also attacked Yasuo, badly wounding him. I dealt some heavy damage to Urstul with Mind Spike and Davian finished him off with Chromatic Orb. Thank goodness for Primara. She healed Quinn! Lord and Lady (Orond and Yalah) Gralhund acted oddly. Rather than being being grateful for helping them, we were essentially ordered out. The half-orc, Hrabbaz, was possessive of Urstul Floxin’s body. The half-orc looked incredibly strong, and we didn’t see what fighting would accomplish, so we returned to the tavern.

Later, we would speak with one of the servants who we encountered at the Gralhund villa. One of the butlers was heading into town on errands, and we were able to speak with him. With all of the deaths at the villa, he was now Head Butler. Apparently the ghostly man and dogs we had killed was the groundskeeper. The butler said that the nimblewright puppet had been there for weeks and had disappeared that night. By the time he and the other servants exited the room, the city watch was there and the bodies were gone. He went on to say that Lord and Lady Gralhund are strange and immodest. They walk around naked, and they wear odd robes with symbols of a goat head and blood. He mentioned Corynax, a being from the lower plain who had escaped from hell and is in the shadow realm. He also said that Orond is a cowering dog when Yalah is around, but he is a tyrant otherwise.

The next day, Yagra came to us at the tavern, asking us to hide her for a tenday. She said that Daval Starsong had been arrested. The city watch was hunting down Zhentarim members for questioning and arrest. We agree to hide Yagra, knowing that she is good and not part of the splinter Zhentarim group. Plus, she agreed to pay us 500 gold! That’s just what we need to get the tavern up and running again.

Sergeant Cromley came to us with more information. They had used a spell to speak to the dead. It turns out that the gnome stole the Stone of Golorr from the lair of a beholder named Xanathar. The gnome worked for the open lord of Waterdeep. He believes that the Stone of Galorr is the key to finding a hoard of dragons somewhere in the city.

Davian Targana

“Well boy, looks like you need me after all.” Keilier gloated once things has calmed down and Davian was alone.  “In fact, I believe I’m responsible for saving multiple lives.  You’re welcome.”

Davian stewed.  “Yes, you were SO helpful back there.  Tell me how helpful you were those times when the spells DIDN’T hit?”

“That’s no way to talk to me boy.  Besides, a craftsman is only as good as the materials and the tools he is provided.”

“Says the unskilled craftsman.” Davian spat back “Just shut up for a moment, I need to figure this Corynax thing out”.  Davian’s mind raced as he thought back to his discovery of Lady Grahlund being a worshipper of Corynax, his mother’s killer.  Is it looking to gain a foothold above the surface?  Is Lady Grahlund conspiring with Corynax?  Is Corynax unaware of what she’s doing?  Was the nimblewright working on behalf of the Corynax cult when he threw that fireball at the group in front of our tavern?  If so, how did that cult even come upon the nimblewright and what did they say to convince it to work with them?  Corynax must be aware of…

“Yes, what an odd coincidence that Corynax would re-enter your life.” Keilier stated, interrupting Davian’s train of thought. “Of course, what some call coincidence, I call ‘a simple explanation for those that don’t have the mental faculties to see the cause of the effect.’”  When Davian didn’t reply, Keilier continued “Simpletons, I’m talking about simpletons!  You are the epitome of this.  You and your group blunder through this city, and you pat yourselves on the back when you get a result that you believe furthers your investigation.  Take the Grahlund manor as an example: what was your goal?  Simple, you had none!  You dashed in only because you wanted to be ‘heroes’.  What did it get you?  An angry noble, a pile of dead bodies, and two of your own joining that pile for a short time.”

With every sentence, Davian’s anger built.  It took everything he had to suppress it, knowing it would just make Keilier pleased.  Unfortunately, Davian realized that Keilier must have noticed the anger, as a feeling of smug satisfaction seemed to spread within a part of his mind.

“Fine! What would you have done?”

“Me?  Nothing.  Well, nothing for the family, unless they were between my objective and me.  You didn’t even check the stables, or have your unicorn check.  Your objective was to locate the nimblewright, saving the family wasn’t even secondary.  The nimblewright got one fireball necklace, what’s to say it doesn’t have a second?  Or something equally bad.  You also risked our capture or death by helping the family; would saving them further your mission?”

Davian was speechless, as that made a certain amount of sense.  He was conflicted, as he knew that catching the nimblewright was the purpose in being there.  As this crossed his mind, he could hear his father’s reassuring voice.  “You did the right thing.  It may not feel like it now, but saving these people was important.”

“Apparently you didn’t understand me.  As I already told you, it wasn’t the right thing, it was the emotional thing.” Keilier said “Your group let emotions take over instead of looking for the objective.  The nimblewright got away, and now you have no clue as to what your next step is.  Brilliant!”

Davian was about to respond when Keilier continued “You…present an issue I must research. I’m done with you for now anyway. Don’t think that you’ve won, as that’s not even in the realm of possibility.”  

With that, Davian felt the presence leave, but a headache, anger, and confusion quickly filled the void.

Yasuo Shimazu

The leaves are no more

The blossoms have all fallen

Cold winter has come

- Shimazu Yasuo

I arise early after a sleepless night and prepare my funeral kimono.  It is all white, the color of sorrow.  I take great pains to ensure that I am as presentable as I would be had Uumaga been here rather than there, as a show of my respect.  She had been a wise and dedicated teacher and advisor, and I have learned many useful and necessary things from her.  She will be greatly missed.

Many of the mundane duties of the funeral rites have fallen to me to perform, as there are few here who know them.  My Warriors Resolve will be heavily tested today as I strive to perform with honor while keeping my sorrow hidden.  I will not shame her memory with senseless blubbering and wailing as the people here seem to do.  There will be time enough to feel sorry for myself when I am in private.  It is not for the dead that we mourn, they have moved on to the next life and do not care.  It is for ourselves and the hole our loved ones leave behind them.

The local priests have lain Uumaga's body in a fine wooden coffin at my request, facing north, and have performed their rites as they see fit.  I must now use my regrettably meager skill and knowledge of the traditions of my homeland to fill in the gaps.  I may have seen this performed many times at the palace but I am by no means a priest.  I can only pray that the spirits of my ancestors guide me.

I have chosen the most auspicious day for Uumaga to start her journey into the next life, and to bring what mourners may come.  This I can do well, at least.

As I approach the shrine I see the white paper streamers of the Kamidana Fuji wrapping the shrine to protect it from mischievous spirits, and I enter to begin the final rites.

The first thing I do is sprinkle water on Uumaga's lips, The Water of the Last Moment.  Next I lay my very best tanto on her chest, that she might be able to defend herself from evil during her journey.  I have asked one of the priests to consecrate a new name I have chosen for her, one using one of the more uncommon characters of my native tongue, one only scholars remember the meaning of.  A sign of high honor.  The burial name is necessary to allow the spirit to continue uninterrupted on its journey to a new life.  Without that precaution the spirit might hear its name being spoken at the funeral and try to return to its body instead.

I place a small table next to the coffin and on it I place flowers, incense, and candles.  I place a fresh white kimono in the coffin with her, even though she is currently wearing one pristinely white as well, so that at the end of her journey she might change to meet her fate with perfect dignity.

When those and other preparations have been completed I place myself on the tatami mat reserved for me and pick up my prayer drum.  It is small and thin, and the skin is painted with Uugama's name so that when the spirits hear it they will know who it beats for, and speed her on her way across The River of Three Crossings.  I light a stick of incense and begin to beat the drum slowly, and the priests begin to chant.  Three times I offer incense during the ceremony, maintaining a perfect beat.  Once the third is lit the ceremony ends, and those few who know her offer their condolences one by one.  The line is not long.

After the last person has paid their respects I bow low to Uumaga and offer a final prayer before making my way back home as well, to await word of her cremation.

Sometime later a priest arrives to escort me to Uumaga's ashes, and we travel together in silence.  I sift through the ashes to find and sort the bone fragments so that I may place them in the urn in proper order.  It would not do to place her upside down, and I trust no other to perform this task.

When Uumaga has been placed in the urn that I have had commissioned for the purpose I seal it with white prayer paper and wrap it in a small silk bag.  I seal that in a well-padded crate that, along with passage for it back to my native land, has been generously provided by my host.

Finally, when all my duties have been tended to, I make my way back home where I proceed to get good and professionally drunk.

In white robes I sit

The rain pounds mercilessly

Or is that my tears?

- Shimazu Yasuo

Summer

Summer in Waterdeep

Two months in Waterdeep have flown by.  The unseasonable heat and activity has driven customers to your newly opened tap room.  Business is good and, under Uumaga’s stewardship, the place has never looked better.  Success, of course, comes at a price and the price has been high.  Uumaga’s expense account is deeply in the red and debts continue to compound.  If it were not for the generosity of Lord and Lady Cassalanter, who fronted you the initial loan when Mirt withdrew his patronage, you would not have gotten off to the strong start that you have.  Still, the brisk business has not been enough to begin to pay back your debts and your thoughts turn toward earning more gold.  The guilds of Waterdeep do not accept IOUs.

Uumaga’s training as a Geisha proved extremely valuable as she took charge of refurbishing Trollskull Manor and preparing it to operate as a tap house.  She hired a hard working group of Halflings to help operate the place and, since the grand opening, has seen the establishment filled each and every night.  While the business has been a success so far, it has not been without incident.  Rats in great number had begun to appear in the food storage areas and even, on several occasions, in the crowded common areas.  A rumor quickly circulated that the tap house was rat-infested.  Emmik Frewn of Frewn’s Brews took the opportunity to advertise the cleanliness and lack of rats at his tavern and managed to steal a significant portion of the clientele.  One patron, admittedly drunk, claimed to have seen a huge rat walking on two legs near the back of the establishment just a few days ago.

A slack-jawed, dead-eyed human associated with the Guild of Butchers, named Justyn Rassk, continued to press for “gratuities” above and beyond what is required by the guild for the delivery of meat.  He’s made several veiled threats to Uumaga about the continued quality of the meat should she not pay.  Uumaga promises that she can handle a petty thug like Justyn, however.

Davian Targana

Davian has continued to pursue his interest in the Harpers, even with the disapproval of their leader, Mirt.  Renaer Neverember had been instrumental in this endeavor and arranged a second meeting with the famous Mirt.  Though Mirt was less than enthusiastic to meet with Davian again, he accepted his blame in the Blue Alley incident involving the unicorn statue.  Perhaps it was guilt, or Renaer’s insistence, but Mirt invited Davian to lunch at one of the most expensive restaurants in Waterdeep, the Crown and Scepter.  The lunch went well and, though Mirt expressed concern at Davian’s change of appearance, agreed to sponsor him with the Harpers.  In the following weeks, Davian performed a series of tasks for Mirt and the Harpers, including a clandestine meeting with a talking horse who spies for the Harpers and clearing out a gazer who had become trapped in the home of a friend of Mirt’s.

As Mirt and Davian continued to work together, it was clear to Davian that he and Mirt were growing closer and that Mirt was gaining a newfound respect and trust in him.  It seemed strange to Davian, however, when he was approached by a servant of the Cassalanters named Willifort Crowelle, who warned Davian that his association with Mirt was not without risk as Mirt had been showing signs of increasing mental instability with the passing years.  Crowelle suggested that if Davian were truly interested in helping Waterdeep then he should meet with Lord and Lady Cassalanter who, through their generosity and philanthropy, are doing more for the poor and downtrodden in Waterdeep than the Harpers have ever done.  He gave Davian a card and told him to call upon his Lord and Lady at a future time.

 Yasuo Shimazu

 When Yasuo was elevated to full Samurai there were certain benefits and disadvantages that were not readily apparent at first.  On the one hand, he now had more time to devote to his own interests and hobbies, but on the other he no longer had access to his Senpai's financial managers.  To his very great relief Uumaga assumed these responsibilities in addition to her duties involved in running The House of Spirits, the groups new bar.

Yasuo and Uumaga's relationship also changed in subtle ways.  She still treats him like a child, which he stoically tolerates out of vast respect, but she also recognizes his new status.  She is less tolerant of others not showing proper respect, just as she is less tolerant of Yasuo not dressing and acting the part to her satisfaction.

A month after Blue Alley, The Kozakuran ambassador announced that his presence in Waterdeep was no longer in the Emperor’s best interest and that the entire retinue would be returning immediately to Kozakura.  Yasuo’s senpai urged him to stay and informed him that his father desired him to experience more of what the west had to offer and that the Emperor would call him to service when the time was right.  Of course, Uumaga insisted on staying as well, which was a great relief to everyone who would have had to travel with her.

Rumors spread quickly throughout Waterdeep that Lady Cassalanter, the ambassador’s host and sponsor, had somehow insulted him personally, though nobody with knowledge of the incident would speak of it.

In the weeks following the departure of his countrymen, Yasuo was befriended by a famous Waterdhavian warrior named Meloon Wardragon, who had taken a great interest in his “knighting” and to the tales of his heroism.  Over drinks, one evening, at the Trollskull tap room, Meloon spoke to Yasuo of an organization run by the Blackstaff herself, Vajra Safahr, called The Grey Hands.  He spoke of their devotion to keeping Waterdeep safe from all manners of threats and invited him to join.  Should he prove worthy, he might even one day be elevated to the elite group within the Grey Hands called Force Grey, who act as a strikeforce for the Blackstaff and perform missions both rewarding and dangerous that call for acts of great heroism.  Meloon left only after getting a promise from Yasuo that he would consider the offer.

Thia Liadon

The months following the acquisition of her new familiar, Primara the Blue Unicorn, Thia took the opportunity to explore her new relationship.  Primara is a proud and haughty creature, but one ruled by law and compassion.  She hates being so small and pressed Thia to promise to find a means to restore her to her full, glorious, size.  Still, Primara has grown quickly to love and admire Thia and their bond continues to strengthen.

Primara was surprised to hear of Thia’s interest in the Emerald Enclave, given her lack of association with either the domains of nature or the Fae, but agreed to assist her in finding a representative of that organization.  To that end, Thia and Primara tracked down and introduced themselves to Melannor Fellbranch, the groundskeeper of the Phaulkonmere Estate in Waterdeep.  Melannor is a half-elven Druid who organizes the small cell of the Emerald Enclave in and around Waterdeep.  She was delighted to hear Thia’s story and regaled her with tales of her mother and the heroic deeds she had performed for the Enclave in the years before Thia’s birth.  While Melannor could not usually grant membership to someone like Thia, her association and acceptance by a powerful Fae creature like Primara allowed her to bend the rules on this occasion and offer Thia full membership, should she desire it.  During this meeting, an animal messenger, a cat named Scraps, delivered an important message to Melannor that some outlying farms were being terrorized by living scarecrows.  Melannor asked Thia and Primara to handle it, both as a test of their might and as a favor.  Thia handled the situation as a season member of the Enclave would have and left the living scarecrows burning like pyres in the farmer’s fields.

Quinn Alimar

Quinn’s role in the Blue Alley adventure drew quite a bit of attention to the Church of Tempus and they were happy to accept that one of their finest, bravest priests had no small hand in destroying a centuries-long curse upon the city of Waterdeep.  The High Sword himself, Warlyon Revenmar, promoted Quinn to the rank of Stalwart and awarded him the Golden Hammer of Tempus for meritorious bravery and service to the Lord of Battle.  The ceremony, held at the Field of Triumph, was attended by numerous Lords and Ladies and even the Open Lord, herself, Laeral Silverhand.  As a result of his promotion, Quinn’s duties within the church changed dramatically.  No longer could such a famed and decorated priest minister at the Field of Triumph.  Instead, Quinn was given command of the entire gladiatorial operation and assumed command of 20 priests, including Stalwart Freddert Coyle, who had previously been his supervisor.  Such a quick promotion was met with skepticism and outright hostility by those who suddenly found themselves under the command of someone previously as low as Quinn in the command structure.

In the weeks following his promotion, Quinn found himself drawn into what appears to be escalating tensions between two of Waterdeep’s more notorious factions.  Fenton Oakheart, a member of the Xanathar’s Guild, approached Quinn for help against the Zhentarim, who have been acting strangely hostile in a way that was out of character for their standard operations.  He was also approached by his old friend, Yagra Stonefist, who claimed to work for the representative of the true Zhentarim in Waterdeep.  She informed Quinn that there was a new, splinter group calling themselves the Zhentarim and that group is not associated with the real organization.  That splinter group, however, was aggressively pursuing some agenda and warring with the Xanathar’s Guild.  Yagra begged Quinn to meet with her master and hear his proposals.  Quinn, ever skeptical and cautious, did not agree to help either party...yet.

Blue Alley - Aftermath

Blue Alley - Aftermath

Quinn

Day 6

With a deep breath, we gathered up our packs and made way to the gold side of Blue Alley. Who knew what creatures, traps and conundrums were awaiting but we’d soon enough find out. The passageway took a turn to the right leading to a downwards staircase. A door along the way was locked and we were without a key, making our choice an easy one. We headed down the stairs into an interesting room.

The room contained what looked like a grassy pasture in a rectangular room. There were two alcoves here, each with a bull head complete with horns. A message flashed before us, offering to have us “Take the bull by the horns.” Yasuo knelt down and discovered the grass was merely an illusion. I guess the denizens here do need to come here for relaxation from time to time. My wits remained about me, trusting nothing here.

Davian wandered over and took the message to task and indeed did jump up and grab one bull head by the horns. I gasped and rapidly glanced around. Nothing changed. Thia then had the idea to grab the other one by the horns. This seemed to do the trick as the “sky” thundered and a minotaur appeared in the center of the room. Upset by our presence, it lowered its head and charged straight at me. I was able to dart out of the beast’s path at the last moment. Thia released her grip on the horns and all went back to the initial peaceful condition. Yasuo asked Thia to regrip the horns. Defeating the minotaur seemed the only way to move forward.

Thia jumped back up and grabbed the horns once again. The same thunder and the same minotaur appeared. Yasuo and I struck blows against the beast while ducking and weaving its charges. Thia and Davian shot spells at it while maintaining their grips. This strategy paid off and the minotaur was lain low. Yasuo directed Thia and Davian to maintain their grips while I examined the fallen minotaur. It had a small silver key about its neck. I took it and thought about the room we passed.

We exited the pasture room and retraced our steps down the hallway to the locked door. The door unlocked easily, revealing a room containing a single chest. In addition, the walls were painted with various chests containing treasure. The words “this tool with” were also scribed on the wall. We took down the phrase in addition to the others we have run across. There must be a reason for these random phrases of gibberish.

We all entered the room, examining all the paintings on the walls. Then we set our focus on the actual chest. Yasuo and I decided to pick up the chest and turn it over to see if there was another way into it. We heard some items inside clanking around. Seemed promising. No opening was on the bottom so we set it back on its base.

Then the room went black.

I felt a warm, damp, heavy blanket drop over me. Then came the pain. A scream wanted to come out at the shock of whatever this was on me but my face was covered tightly. My spells were unavailable to me with this form restricting my arms. Fumbling around, my hands found the dagger on my belt. I got it out and began to furiously cut. After a painful eternity, I got a hole cut and began to see light again. Finally the creature’s life ended and I sluffed the now dead body off me with a shudder. I sat dazed for a few minutes while my companions examined the contents of the chest. Once that was completed, I stood up and numbly walked out.

The path continued past the pasture room, turning right. A long hallway was presented before us. A few glances about the party shared the apprehension to yet another seemingly innocent hallway in Blue Alley. We went down the hall and spied an alcove off to the side. We ducked in and found a staircase leading up. This particular set of stairs even had carpeting. While normally pleasant, something was amiss.

I tied a rope around my waist and handed the end to my compatriots before ascending. It was the third step that caught my feet fast to the carpet. A voice sounded from the top of the stairs.

“Laughter is the best medicine,” the voice announced.

A silly joke from my youth immediately popped into my head.

“What is the sound of one hand clapping?” I asked. Then I slapped my limp fingers against my palm in a ludicrous motion. It was enough to get a laugh and free my feet. Thia, Davian and Yasuo followed up the stairs, thinking of some amusing jokes and stories for the voice. Thia and Davian got a few jokes out and joined me at the top. Yasuo had a bit more of a challenge coming up with something amusing. Eventually, he told a good enough joke to free himself.

After the comedy, we took a few more twists and turns to discover a room with a dias in the center of it. A blue diamond sat atop the dias with a sword floating mid-air above it, point down towards the precious stone. A message appeared as with the previous rooms. The message stated “Power pulses within me. Only living warmth can move me.”

Looks like any attempt to take the diamond will need to directly involve one of us. That sword will be a problem. We all took a look around the room. I noted three secret doors. Hopefully they will provide some assistance here. The first room was completely smooth. Nary a sound escaped the room. Yasuo stepped inside. The door began to slowly shut and then in a sudden motion, slammed tight. I retrieved my crowbar and started to go to work. Davian and Thia provided some help and with Yasuo pushing from his side, we all managed to pry open the door. Yasuo charged out and the door gave up its will to close.

Moving onto the next secret door revealed what looked like a study. Of particular note was a table with some magical properties. There was a bowl and a box sitting on the table. Within the bowl were several berries that looked quite tasty. The nature of magic we could not ascertain and took what we thought was a cautious approach. We opened the box at a distance, using Thia’s magical hand. A dull ball was contained within. Seeing no evident threat but still being cautious, we took the box.

Then all hell broke loose.

Once clear of the table, the ball began to glow brightly. It flew off in short, quick bursts emitting shocking bursts all over. We scrambled to get the situation under control. It rained lightning down on us which was answered with spells. I tried to lure it back over the table when Davian ended it with a series of magic missiles. In the kerfuffle, the bowl with berries was knocked over. The true nature of the berries showed them to be rotten.

We then moved on to the third room. Being extra cautious now knowing full well these rooms mean to do harm, we stepped with the utmost care into the room. It contained a crossbow on a stand with a beautiful silver bolt. Expecting a trap, we exited the room without disturbing anything. Thia then used her magical hand to take the bolt. The trap was set off, releasing toxic gas into the room. Thia quickly recovered the bolt and we then slammed the door. Glad we learned our lesson before getting burned by this room.

All that is now left is to deal with the diamond and the sword. Yasuo steeled himself. He climbed atop the dias and grabbed the sword by the hilt. Remembering the message that only a hand of flesh could grasp the diamond, Thia took it. Once her hand touched the gem, the sword leapt to life. I jumped up to assist holding back the sword. Yasuo surged his strength and planted the sword into the dias. Thia ran off with the diamond down the hall. Yasuo yelled for us to all run. I heeded his word as did Davian we both took off after Thia. After heading down the stairs, we stopped to listen for any trouble.

After what felt like an eternity, Yasuo walked down the stairs, joining us. He stated the sword gave up the fight when we were far enough away. That worked in our favor. Only one more hallway remained.

We headed down the hallway expecting more traps and trouble. Nothing happened as we explored down the hall. The hall ended in a barred window. Examining it showed it to be the same window in the room with the smoke creatures. We recalled the initial clue in the entry to the Blue Alley that there was a secret room close to the barred window.

Instantly we looked closely at the walls and did come up with a hidden door. It opened into a small winery. The shelves contained nothing of any interest, long having turned to dust and vinegar long ago. Nothing, save one black box. Being recently burned on the box back in the study, we took the box. Fortunately nothing happened, even when we opened the box. Within was a blue gem. We closed the box up and returned to the statue on the other side of the alley.

We took a moment to gather up what we knew about the alley. There were the phrases all throughout the alley that we recorded into our notes. We came up with what seemed to make sense as a descent riddle for the Keilier statue. I spoke the riddle only to be answered by a sad shake of the statue’s head. We came back together to see what went wrong when I realized we might have it backwards. I reversed the phrases and spoke them aloud.

Keilier, with a look of deep relief, stepped down from the pedestal. He looked relieved but incredibly tired. Keilier explains that he had been trapped as a statue for a great number of years. No one until now has been able to provide an answer to the riddle. He further tells us his history before crumbling to dust. Feeling a sense of a good deed done, we set off for the barred gate.

The diamond we secured from the dias earlier provided access to the gate. It opened easily upon our entrance to the room. Blue Alley then disappeared from around us, depositing us in an alley. Time traveled much more quickly in Blue Alley for only ten minutes had passed in Waterdeep. We set off to see Mirt with the statue of the unicorn.

Day 6 – Evening at the Opera

We set off back to the opera to return the statue to Mirt. It was then Thia began hearing pleas coming from the unicorn. She bent down and spoke in a language that was unfamiliar to me. Thia informed us that the statue was an actual unicorn who had been transformed into statue form. I’m beginning to wonder who is trapping all these beings into statues. The unicorn told Thia that she was frozen by a wizard and that Mirt was going to use her to attempt to regain his deceased wife. This was an unforeseen wrinkle.

An ethical quandary was now presented to us. Return the statue to Mirt and allow the imprisonment of the unicorn to continue until death where Mirt’s wife may be returned to him or release the unicorn to Mirt’s displeasure, removing any opportunity at seeing his wife alive. Taking a life for a shot at bringing back one who was already deceased seemed wrong in my eyes. Facing death is the natural end of life and to end another life to possibly bring back another was not right. The rest landed on that conclusion as well.

The unicorn spoke to Thia again, stating that Mirt would need to cry and those tears would need to touch the statue to break the spell. With that knowledge, we set off towards the opera.

Mirt was surprised to see us again. He looked at us with unbelieving eyes. Those same eyes widened when we produced the statue. We confronted him with what he had discovered about the nature of the statue. A bit of shame came over his face and he admitted that he was desperate to see his lost wife again. Life wasn’t the same without her.

He began thinking of her and what it was he was about to do. The shame and sadness overcame him and he wept. We placed the statue under Mirt. A tear dripped down off his cheek and hit the statue. All at once, the unicorn began moving on her own. She jumped down from the base and looked around. She seemed confused and spoke to Thia. Apparently she was taller before the statue process.

Mirt’s shame and sadness began to fade as anger came up into his eyes. He bid us to leave him at once, which we did along with the unicorn. Thia became quite attached and even discovered the unicorn’s name is Primara. Primara, being quite thankful for her freedom vowed to stay with our party for a year.

I only hope Mirt can find some peace himself.

Thia Liadon

5 Mirtul 1492DR, Evening - Blue Alley & Primara

Having explored the the silver side of Blue Alley, we returned to the large mural at the T intersection. It had changed! Now it depicted us dying in new and exciting ways...It showed Davian being smashed in the face with a giant hoof. Quinn was stuck to stairs and being ripped away from it, sort of like a spider stuck in honey. I was cut in half from head to waist by a giant sword that no one was wielding. On that cheerful note, we continued west following the gold arrow.

Bull Room

Down some stairs was a locked door. Once we unlocked and entered it, the words, “Take the bull by the horns” appeared and vanished. We were in a pasture, or at least what looked like a pasture. If you touched the ground, you could tell it was an illusion. There were two round silos off of two walls. They each contained a statue of a bull’s head with runes. Taking the advice of the vanishing words, Quinn went over to one of the statues and grabbed the horns. Nothing happened. I went over to the other statue. When I grabbed the horns, a minotaur appeared in the pasture! It had an ivory key around its neck, which must belong to the ivory door we passed on the way to this room. We let go of the horns to attack the minotaur, but it vanished. We deduced that the minotaur only remains while two people are grasping at least one of the horns. Davian took Quinn’s spot, and we summoned the minotaur again. It wasn’t too much trouble to defeat, and Davian’s face wasn’t smashed by the minotaur’s hoof like the mural had shown! We took the ivory key before letting go of the statues, then departed for the ivory door.

Ivory Room

The ivory key did, indeed, unlock the heavy ivory door. On the wall in large bold print, read: “THIS TOOL WITH.” The walls of the room were decorated with images of treasure chests with sharp teeth. At the southern wall was a wooden chest. Quinn turned the chest over and we heard items inside crashing around. He opened the chest. At that, the ceiling peeled away. It was a sticky monster that looked like the stone ceiling. It landed on Quinn like a giant blanket. We all fought the thing, trying to free Quinn. Davian touched it for one of his attacks, but then his hands were stuck! Yasuo also struck the monster and became stuck to it, as well! I maintained my distance, hurling spells at the thing. We eventually defeated it, with Quinn tearing through the monster. The wooden chest contained 24 gold, 267 silver, a small bronze bell, and a silver key wrapped in a velvet cloth. The silver key probably belonged to that silver door we already opened down the silver hall. The bell was interesting. Nothing seemed to happen at first when we rang it. Later we heard it ring. It has a delayed ring, how fun!

Sticky Stairs

Continuing on our way, we came to a flight of stairs with a rich, colorful carpet. We were wary, but had to continue. Quinn went first. After a few steps, his feet stuck and a magic mouth appeared, saying something like, “make me laugh, laughter is the best medicine.” Quinn told a great joke and was freed from the sticky carpet. He made it to the top and we tried to follow using a combination of climbing a rope held between Quinn and Yasuo, and telling jokes terribly. We eventually all made it, but it was a close one. Fighting? No problem. Jokes? Not our strong suit. We could have avoided the sticky carpet entirely. The carpet ran along the center of the stairs, so we could have stepped on either edge of the stairs to avoid it. We would do so on our way back.

Longsword Room

After following a staircase and corridors, we came to the room where the mural had depicted my death. On a raised dais sat a blue gem with a longsword suspended above it. Along the east wall read, “Power pulses within me and only living warmth can move me.” We spotted three other doors, so we decided to check them, first, before disturbing the deadly sword. We would need that gem, though. Inside the gem looked like the iron bars we found in one of the rooms down the silver hallway. That was probably our only way out, so we would need to get the gem somehow.

Silent Room

One of the doors opened into a polished room. Yasuo entered, and the door shut behind him. We called to him and pounded on the door. We managed to get the door open and pull Yasuo out. He said that the room was completely silent. He couldn’t hear us, himself, or any sounds at all. That would drive most people mad. Thankfully he didn’t spend long in there, and Yasuo enjoys silence.

Fireside Room

This room was warm and inviting. A fire crackled merrily in the hearth, with comfy couches and chairs basking in its warmth. But there was also a small box and some berries sitting in the center of a circle of runes. We couldn’t read the runes, but knew there was some magic in play. Davian carefully used Mage Hand to put the berries into the box. The box contained a fuzzy black ball. When Davian brought the box out of the circle, the black ball exploded from the box. The berries, which had been bright and fresh inside the rune circle, were rotting now. The fuzzy black ball went zipping around the room and into the main room. It electrocuted us multiple times before we defeated it. Tricky will-o’-wisp.

Crossbow Room

One of the doors contained a crossbow and a silver bolt. “CAN DO” was written in large font on the wall. The crossbow was aimed at the doorway. Expecting a trap, we all stood outside of the room, away from the entrance. I peered around the corner and used Mage Hand to grab the silver crossbow bolt. When I did, the room filled with a cloud of acid. I quickly brought out the bolt and we slammed the door shut.

Longsword Room

Having explored the other three rooms, it was time to deal with the longsword. Remembering the mural, we assumed that the longsword would attack anyone who takes the gem. Yasuo and Quinn climbed the dais and grasped the sword. Davian quickly grabbed the blue gem. The sword came to life and tried to stab downward, but thankfully Yasuo and Quinn were ready and fought it. It swung upward, and they struggled to control it. I ran with the gem to the door and down the hallway. Davian shouted at me the words on the wall, that “only living warmth can move me.” So I set the gem down, hoping that would stop the sword. It didn’t. But Yasuo was able to jam the sword into the stone dais. I looked down just in time to see a boggle open a portal right under the gem and reach for it. I snatched the gem back. Glaring at me, the boggle closed up the portal. Darn cleaning crew. I ran further down the hall with the gem. The further I got, the more the sword settled down. We all left the room in one piece.

Wine Room

We found a secret room containing racks of wine bottles. We found five fancy bottles of wine and two potions of healing. Along the wall read, “STRENGTH CANNOT” in dark bold letters. There was a short, two-foot-high, gold-plated door on the northwest wall. It had a slot that looked like it would fit that gold coin Yasuo found in the circular room, the last room we searched in the silver hallway. Sure enough, it fit. The door, which was actually a safe, opened. Inside was a small black wooden box with a red velvet cushion. Resting on the cushion was a crystal eye with a bright blue iris.

Wizard Statue Room

Having explored everything in both the gold and silver hallways, we headed back to the wizard statue in the silver hallway. We had recorded the bolded words that were in some of the rooms, and tried arranging them into a riddle for the the statue of Keilier. We were close on the first attempt, but Quinn came up with the correct riddle on the second attempt. The riddle freed Keilier! Keilier told us his story--how his master delved deep into the demi plane and how he tried to stop him, but was imprisoned here in the Blue Alley. Keilier gave us a small box containing an oaken staff mounted with a blue crystal. The box is magic, bigger on the inside than the outside. Keiler said he would always be with us as we use the staff. Then the statue of Keilier crumbled away. The blue lights went out and the hall became pitch black. We made our way to the iron gate room and exited using the gem we retrieved from the greatsword.

When we exited the gate, we emerged a little way down from where we had entered the Blue Alley. Renaer was standing there, tending to the carriage horse. He was surprised to see us, saying that only five minutes had passed! The magical Blue Alley was gone. Now it was just a regular street.

Remembering my disturbed sleep and that someone urgently needed help, I started to investigate the items we acquired from Blue Alley, assuming that one of them might be the source. When I touched the unicorn statue, it spoke to me! This is the same voice I had heard before. The voice explained that her name was Primara and she was a real unicorn, not a statue. One day a mage had trapped her. She was brought to a house and had remained trapped there as a statue until she was taken to Blue Alley. I asked if she had tried talking to the people in the house or if she knew who had done this to her, but she did not know who had done this and hadn’t been able to talk to anyone else except for me. She only speaks to female elven dignitaries, an oddly specific limitation. This must be why no one else could hear her. I asked if there was a way to free her, and she said that only the tears of her captor would set her free. Primara vowed to serve me for a year if I would free her. Even without this vow, of course I would try to free her. I felt so angry that someone would dare to imprison a unicorn. The injustice!

I told my companions about Primara and her situation. Maybe Mirt knew about it, maybe he didn’t. According to Primara, she hadn’t been able to speak with him like she had with me. So he might think she was just a beautiful unicorn statue. Of course, he had hired us to retrieve Primara from the Blue Alley, so maybe he knew something since it was that important to him. Either way, we decided to return to Mirt with the statue.

Renaer brought us back to the theater and escorted us to Mirt’s private booth. Mirt was as surprised as Renaer had been to see us after such a short while. He was delighted to see that we had brought the unicorn statue. But then I told him about Primara. Mirt’s face turned from glad to guilty. He confessed that he already knew she was a real unicorn and that he had instructed a mage to do this terrible thing. How revolting! My respect for Mirt plummeted and it was all I could do to restrain myself from lashing out at him. That, of course, would not help the situation. Mirt went on about how his wife had died, and how he heard that unicorn blood might be used in some necromantic ritual to bring her back to life. I asked Primara if this was true--if unicorn blood could raise the dead--but she didn’t know. Mirt refused to set Primara free. Despicable man. Thankfully, Quinn counseled Mirt through his distress, getting him to talk more and to even shed a tear. I quickly used Mage Hand to wipe the tear and touch it to Primara, the unicorn statue. The statue immediately started to change and became Primara, the real unicorn! She was only about the size of a medium-sized dog and seemed surprised by this. At least she was free! Primara thanked me and promised to serve me for a year. Quinn praised Mirt for making the right choice to set Primara free...Mirt did not look pleased and did not want to see us again. Renaer returned us to Trollskull Manor for a well-deserved rest.

Davian, the Blue Mage

Okay, I now officially hate the color blue.  When I close my eyes, that’s what I’m going to see for quite a while.  That dreadful place, with the blue glow and traps...father, your wisdom would have been helpful.

“Are you referring to my prison for all of those years?  And what’s wrong with blue?”

Davian flinched a bit at those words, taken aback by a voice in his head.

“What…who are you?”

“Quite sad, I would think that someone able to wield magic would have an intellect of at least a commoner.  I’m stuck for all of those years, and this is the mental giant that releases me?  Who is that other spell caster in your group?  Why couldn’t I be merged with her?  She couldn’t be any worse than you.”

“Thia?  Why are…” Davian’s brow furrowed, a small headache forming. “Okay, wait, who.are.you?”

“<sigh> I see context is beyond you as well.  I…AM…KEILIER” the voice said in a loud, methodical way, as if speaking to a misbehaving child. “I AM THE WIZARD YOU somehow FREED IN THE BLUE PLACE.  There, are simple words easier for you to understand?”

Davian’s frustration started to grow “Wait, grr, just wait.  Alright, I understand who you are, but why are you in my head.  And I am an adult, you don’t have to speak down to me”.

“Don’t I?” Kelier retorted “I’m not completely certain.  As to why I’m here, I believe you did this to yourself, and to me, when you bonded with the staff.  Apparently my old master had one further torture to inflict upon me, being forever imprisoned in your simple little mind.  He may be cruel, but I can appreciate his cleverness.”

Davian, the Blue Mage

“So, you’re stuck here, for how long?  I can’t get rid of you?” Davian asked, dreading the answer

“If I didn’t want to be rid of you, and if I actually had emotions, I’d be hurt by that.” Said Keilier  ”I theorize that I’ll remain until you stop using the staff.  But that’s not going to happen, is it?  I feel the way you react to the staff, and I’m not surprised.  The staff has great power, for someone of your puny abilities.  If the staff could sprout legs, it would best you in a duel.  So no, you’re not going to stop using the staff, even if it means being free of me.”

“Fine” responded Davian, as though through gritted teeth “I’m stuck with you, but you have to help keep me alive until I can find a way to get rid of you.” 

“I’m glad you understand your limitations.  Oh, and enjoy your new look, I know you love the color blue.”  After Keilier finished speaking, Davian could feel his presence slip away.

Puzzled by the last statement, Davian got up and looked in the mirror.  His black hair had been changed to blue.  The growing headache suddenly roared to a crescendo.