Been remiss on my campaign journal summaries - Between other obligation and distractions, took a couple of weeks off to visit the hinterlands and take care of my property back there:
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| Slick would touch it. |
(3/30)
We return to our scene within the Smoking Isles with:
- Jax
- Rondel
- Frederick
- Slick
- Fulvus
The party continued their discussions with the priests and Librarians of Athenard. The Library Paladins compared intelligent swords with Jax. Slick stole a mitre from one of the priests and got called out by a Librarian Paladin and her particularly-talented sword as he invisibly crept from the ship.
Ok, we're just going to get into trouble here. Let's go to Chirath and get into trouble there, instead.
Across the Maranan Sea to a dock in the fishing/warehouse/general thievery part of town.
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| source |
Disembarking, and a quick visit to Eddy's Fish, where the code phrase got them into the basement meeting hall of the Hidden Hand Tavern. Guild thief Solange appeared, notified by a silent signal. What news since we've been gone?
Well, a few troop ships have gone down/missing while crossing from Athnard, leading to the loss of additional reinforcements and increased concern. The city's library has collected a few rare books through trade from the Khanate's mobile libraries in the north. A patrol of elven rangers departed to seek out an old brass dragon rumored to live in the mountains. Word of more raids and depopulated settlements have filtered along the trade roads.
The party considered these things. In the meantime, Fulvus connected with a crew of halflings who agreed to take his growing collection of taxidermied heads to Neuforde, and to pass along some messages to allies and acquaintances.
Well, what now?
Conveniently (?) a messenger brought the party a dinner invitation. To the Stonewill Estate. Awkward.
Seems word, or information, travels fast to those in the know or with the right amount of coin.
Fine. Take a bath, get your mohawk in good form, procure a couple of bottles of good elven wine as a host gift. Slick, who had not been involved in the original heist, agreed to linger outside invisibly in case things went south.
The house was in fine form, any damage repaired. The Stonewill's twin daughters provided a harpsichord duet in the drawing room. Dinner was served, and Magnus Stonewill eventually broached the subject, suggesting that he had lost certain advantages of intelligence on other houses in the Merchants Guild due to a theft during his family's pilgrimage back to Xegam. How unfortunate, the party agreed.
This loss of a family "keepsake" had greatly affected his leverage and opportunity for advancement among the families. Perhaps the party may know of such things? Feigned innocence all around. Ah, really? Well, we know that the party is gaining influence in their pursuit of some old magical network, and has favor among a number of influencers in town. It would be unfortunate if they were revealed as jut another band of thieves. That would be unfortunate, agreed the party.
Very well, we may be able to salvage this situation. I'm not the only member of the Merchants Guild to have sported magical enhancement in leveraging intelligence, both among the council and elsewhere... Ejnar Winther on the council is said to have some sort of scrying device. It would be unfortunate if it went missing, now wouldn't it?
No, the party cannot resist the temptation of another heist... Especially when Slick was invited in from out in the cold to eat leftovers.
Oh, one more thing - The City has lost troopships recently. And is in dire need of more forces. As you already know, much of my household staff consists of servant-manikins (party cringes). I've brought back more resources to build such manikins, but of a stouter stock. My ship transporting the raw materials was pirated by Sea Dwarves, but fortunately the reagents were undiscovered. With that, Stornewill revealed more... martial... manikins. Larger than his servants and sporting blades.
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| still creepy |
Perhaps a field test, and a good word to the powers that be, and we'll let bygones by bygones. I've lost leverage, but still have opportunity to gain influence.
Fair enough - we'll find a barrow to test them in...
DM Notes:
No good (or nefarious) deed should go unpunished...
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