|
You see the half-orc laugh with bravado that you are not entirely convinced is genuine, You are in no position to demand anything! You are in MY home!
The mind flayer moves to the circle pattern with the spokes, and crouches down to press a circular stone into the indentation. A second later, a brilliant gleaming portal opens in the South wall, and the tentacled horror glides across the stone floor to walk through...
Amelia
Bhoors
Damine
Marquez
Reuleaux
Intellect Devourer
Grum'shar
Initiative Round 1
Damine -> Reuleaux -> Grum'shar -> Bhoors -> Amelia -> Marquez / Intellect Devourer
|
|
The half-orc's eye go wide and he scrambles out of the way as the spiky crystal shatters into a million pieces, scattering across the floor!
I've got the brain dog, you guys deal with the half-orc! Damine says with a smile, [ooc]Cast hex and eldritch blast and as a dark mist falls upon the little brain dog, your tiefling friend hurls a violet blast at the critter!
Blast it! Damine swears!
The half-orc laughs and moves up to Reu and says, You little trash gnome, I'll show you flame and death!
Flame erupts from his hands and immolates Reu, Marquez, and Bhoors! I will need a DC 12 Dex save from each of you! If you fail, you take 10 fire damage. Otherwise take 5.
Initiative Round 1
Damine -> Reuleaux -> Grum'shar -> Bhoors -> Amelia -> Marquez / Intellect Devourer
well awright then, but jus' for the record I tried ta' let ye off easy. Amelia says before feigning a blush and darting behind Bhoors, disappearing from sight momentarily before snapping a dagger towards Mr. Sparkles the half-orc.
|
|
You do not get advantage, as he tracks your movement, predicting your strike, but it is to now avail!
Amelia slips behind Bhoors, but the crafty half-orc spots her, Not this time pipsqueak!
A shimmering field manifests, but the little halfling's blade slips around it and between his ribs! The smirk fades from Grum'shar's face, almost at the same time that the light fades from his eyes...
You all hear a growl in your minds as the little brain dog turns its attention to Damine and howls!
Damine holds her head but snarls, Get out of my head, you prat!
Determined, the little beastie charges her, scratching with its claws!
But the tiefling hexblade easily side-steps it!
Initiative Round 1
Damine -> Reuleaux -> Grum'shar -> Bhoors -> Amelia -> Marquez / Intellect Devourer
Marquez seemed stunned at the sight of the tentacled creature and it’s pet brain dog. Bhoor’s question brings him back slowly though. ”Amnish necktie... yes... ahem... that ees right, an Amnish necktie “ Just as he was preparing his attack though, the half Orc falls over dead.
Looking to the remaining target, ”That es not natural” He points at it with his rapier and a bolt of flame races toward the creature, only to singe the floor a few inches away.
Bhoors runs in past the unfortuante half-orc and runs toward the brain creature. "What in wide wide world is that?"
Bhoors takes the stairs at a lunge and strikes out toward the creature.
|
|
Marquez, distracted, misses the little creature!
Damine holds her blade up high, throwing a curse at the creature and bringing it down on the little beast!
The little critter leaps out of the way and growls again!
Reu casts his spell and the brainy thing looks to slow then shakes the lethargy from its bones!
Bhoors thrusts once, twice in rapid succession, only drawing the thinnest line of blood...
Initiative Round 2
Damine -> Reuleaux -> Grum'shar -> Bhoors -> Amelia -> Marquez / Intellect Devourer
Amelia and Marquez are up!
Marquez whispers to the strange looking creature. ”You shall be crushed under my heel.”
Dissonant Whispers
Wis Save DC 13
and must flee immediately using its reaction to do so.
Half Damage and no fear if save.
Amelia runs around the others, drawing her Rapier before dashing in close to the brain dog and lunging for what seemed like a vital spot before skirting back away to safety.
Bhoors winks, "We're still in the sewers." He moves to check how to free the man. "We aren't coming back so lets do a quick once over for anything we want to leave with."
Bhoors looks at the others and at the corpse of the half-orc. "Anyone have a cloak with a hood. Just in case people are still hunting for this guy."
|
|
The man has his hands bound and has been slapped around, but no permanent injury. He looks more terrified than anything.
A quick search of the area produces a small unlocked chest tucked behind the chair that the mind flayer was sitting on. It holds a handful of coin and two potions of healing.
Searching the half-orc's body produces only a spellbook.
Bhoors pulls the hooded robe off the half-orc. "I think you might want to keep your face hidden."
Bhoors chuckles. "The less they think we know the safer we are."
He looks around to the others, "we ready to go?"
”We have what whee came here for. Let us go.”
|
|
You make your way back up to the surface, luckily without any further interruption. Soon you find yourselves back in the Yawning Portal, not smelling any better, but successful in your mission.
Volo greets you with a smile, My friends!!! You have found him!
Then addressing his friend, Floon, my boy, are you alright?
--
Soon, Volo has you all sitting at a table eating a warm meal and Durnan even provides a free round of drinks, Not bad, kids. Keep it up and you might develop quite the name for yerselves.
Bonnie laughs and winks, Right sure, a bunch o' up-and-comin' heroes we got here!
After a while, Volo asks, Where are you all staying? Are you all from the 'Deep?
Bhoors smiles when they start to get out of hairier parts of town. He walks into the Portal trying to ignore the fact that they all smell of sewer. "I've visited before I have been all over. It was definitely time to be back." Bhoors shrugs, "Traveling musician. There is always a place to stay."
"I don't mean to sully such light-hearted conversation with darker issues but this business was more involved than visiting another tavern and chatting up laundry ladies." Bhoors nods seriously, "You can imagine we found the sewers." He holds out his hand himself and the others on display.
"Floon might know more about the issue than we do but, his friend Neverember was the real target. Some street gang . . . lots of eye motifs. But they are not common thugs. They had a . . . " He looks around like what he will say would be upsetting, "They had a mind-flayer, full on squid face. He let us pass. No doubt knowing his underlings brought him the wrong Huckleberry."
Bhoors ends the circling and bottom lines it. "We took a job for someone with your reputation Mr Volo. I'll be honest asking after a friend in a local tavern I figured . . . it would be good to have you owe a favor. We crossed paths with an enemy only fools or legends poke at, ran through sewers and braved the hazard." He smiles, "I am sure that between yourself, the good Floon and Lord Neverember some compensation might be in order. I hope that's not too much to say."
"A house?" Bhoors looks confused. "You owe money on it?"
"North Ward? That's not bad digs."
He looks to the others. "Never been one for 'a hard day's work' that killed my dad. But we rolled the dice and came up sitting good I'd say." He shrugs, "perhaps a bit of work and we can flip it. If nothing else a roof while we're in town."
After helping Bhoors with his quick negotiations, Marquez thinks about Volo’s offer while stroking his goatee. ”A place to bed ees not a bad thing to be sure. I while miss the company of an inn though.”
|
|
Volo arranges for you all to have rooms on the house at the Yawning Portal for the night and you can spend the evening doing whatever you'd like.
--
You find Volo downstairs at the Yawning Portal in the morning, involved in conversation with the barmaid Bonnie. When he sees you, he waves at you, Good Morning!
After very little small-talk, he leads you up to North Ward. Volo is the type of man that does not seem to be able to stay quiet for more than a few minutes at a time.
As he approaches the Manor in Trollskull Alley, he sweeps his arm in a grand fashion, Welcome... to Trollskull Manor!
He takes you through the building on a tour. It certainly looks like it will take some work to fix it up...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Volo arranges for you all to have rooms on the house at the Yawning Portal for the night and you can spend the evening doing whatever you'd like.
Grateful for the rooms and hospitality Bhoors suggests that with everything that they had endured hitting a bath house would be wise. "I am sure that after our traipsing through the sewers we might need some cleaning up. Waterdeep has a number of places. Sune temples are always good for such things."
As those who head to the bath make their way Bhoors steps into an ally. He moves to a clothes line.
He jumps with a start when the sound of a barking dog send him reeling. His foot lands in a bucket and he trips back into the street with the sounds of an older townsman calls out to quiet the dog. He looks a bit red. "Big dog, guess that is not the short cut I thought." He frowns trying to bury his embarrassment. After a few moments he shrugs, Well Lady Luck that die came up short. "I think we can get a clean change of clothes here." He nods to a simple tailors shop. He goes in and comes out with a sturdy outfit.
He makes a detour back to the laundry and leaves his armor and other things that can't be replaced easily for cleaning. "If the stains can't go I understand but you got to get the stench out."
He hits the temple of Sune and makes his way to a bath and gets clean and puts on his new clothes tossing the old gear in a fire.
Once clean he emerges and rejoins the other clapping his hands "Well that feels much better." He makes his way back to the portal for the remainder of the evening, dinner and rest. While enjoying the time at the Portal he approaches 3 Strings and flashes him a smile and joins him on stage. The two talk a moment before they both start playing with Bhoors still facing the back of the stage. The music starts with a sudden and raucous jig with a clear Moonshaes vibe. Bhoors spins about dancing a bit as he plays.
There's a county map to go on the wall
A hurling stick & a shinty ball
The bric, the brac, the craic & all
Lets call it an Irish pub
Caffreys, Harp, Kilkenny on tap
The Guinness pie & that cabbage crap
The ideal wannabee Paddy trap
We'll call it an Irish pub
Bhoors moves and dances among some of the patrons as he plays spending time flirting with a woman who seems welcome to it.
Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I swear upon the holy book
The only 'craic' you'll get is a slap in the ear
Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I'll up & burst yer filthy mug
If you draw one more shamrock in me beer!
Bhoors moves toward a table near the stage and up on it. Still dancing a bit and playing.
We'll raise the price o' beer a dollar
We'll make em wear a shirt & collar
We'll fly a bloody tri-colour
And call it an Irish pub
Jager bombs & double shots
The underagers think its tops
We'll spike the drinks & pay the cops
We got us an Irish pub
The quick one in the filthy bog
The partin' glass across the lug
O' the lady-O, the dirty dog
We got us an Irish pub
It's over to me and over to you
We'll skip along the Avenue
And who t'hell is Ronnie Drew?
We got us an Irish pub
Oh top o' the mornin', Garryowen
Kiss me I'm Irish, Molly Malone
Failte, Slainte, Pog ma thon
We got us an Irish pub
Spike the punch & strip the willow
Strike me up the rakes o' Mallow
The Liffey never ran so shallow
We got us an Irish pub
Bhoors ends spinning back to look at 3 Strings and the two punctuate the ending of the song.
He rejoins the others and laughs through the remainder of the evening. When the right moment comes he looks over at Marquez the bottom of his mug tilts slightly toward Marquez telegraphing that he wants to say something to the Amnish man. "So at this point I hope that we are past any . . ." He trails off but his mug and his other hand wave back and forth in the space between them. "You know."
You find Volo downstairs at the Yawning Portal in the morning, involved in conversation with the barmaid Bonnie. When he sees you, he waves at you, Good Morning!
"Good Morning, thank you for the arrangements you provided for us. A night at the Portal is often exciting enough but the place to crash and the extra attention . . . Well that is nice too."
After very little small-talk, he leads you up to North Ward. Volo is the type of man that does not seem to be able to stay quiet for more than a few minutes at a time.
As he approaches the Manor in Trollskull Alley, he sweeps his arm in a grand fashion, Welcome... to Trollskull Manor!
He takes you through the building on a tour. It certainly looks like it will take some work to fix it up…
Bhoors sees the building and seems overwhelmed by the size not just of the building but with the amount of work. "Wow this is like a whole career, several even." He looks to the side mumbling clearly hard work and stability are not his bag. "My dad would love this place. He was always one for hard work." Bhoors frowns like the thought was bittersweet and sour.
Bhoors brightens up over the course of the tour. "Well it seems we braved the hazard and the dice cast we ended here." He speaks in his sort of optimistic resignation that is somehow loosely based on gambling apparently played out with Tymora herself.
Marquez agreed with Bhoors that a trip to the bath house would be fantastic. Magic cleaning is quite effective but the steam and bath oils of Sune’s bath house are just not able to be replicated with such simple magic.
———————
Marquez spends the evening at The Portal playing Three Dragon Ante with a variety of different patrons At some point, whether winning or not, he will excuse himself from the table for some dancing.
While Bhoors performs, Marquez smiles and watches from the bar with a drink in his hand. He is also quick to dismiss Bhoors when his offer to speak about their past misgivings. ”Tink nothing of dis my friend. “ Even if the Amnish man still held his grudge, thier would be no benefit of informing Bhoors about it at this moment. ”Your singing no quite good. Jou have improved since whe met in Amn. Mui bueno.”
——————
Staring at the Trollskull Manor, Marquez is quite taken back at its condition. He considers his financial position though and decides that an estate such as this in Waterdeep could be quite lucrative if developed appropriately. He would have to raise the funds to accomplish this, but so far Waterdeep has proven to be a profitable enough place.