Post by Fernleaf on Sept 7, 2024 6:37:49 GMT
It had been several months since Avakeel had given me the name “Weasel” as the person who’d been responsible for my arrival in Kantas. I have no skills in subtlety, or in getting answers without seeming to ask, yet through some blunt questions I’ve managed to identify an individual who might know how to locate Weasel. I don’t know how dangerous getting answers will be, so asked around to find some others who might join me. Keros and Safire had helped before, I’d been seeing Dr. Archie regularly to learn new spells and now was learning smithing from his housemate. I ran into Zasper, whose non-stop talking and bragging reminded me of my cousin's child that took over my trading route, while he was delivering muffins. I’m sure I can count on him to fill the silence if I don’t know how to continue a conversation!
—
We meet up mid-morning near Portal Plaza. Dr. Archie has met Weasel in the past, at the Hung Rabbit, but agreed we should start with the person I’d learned about. I’d been told the gambler Luke Two-Fingers (so named because people he’d upset had removed some fingers) would likely be at the Three-Headed Dragon. From my investigations I’ve found that Luke pretends that he is new and doesn’t know how to play, but is actually quite skilled at fleecing people. I don’t know anything about gambling or gaming, so hope the others can help with this part. At the Dragon, we notice that there are more workmen here than is typical, but still spot the gambler quickly. He is playing with two others, and we stand around a bit awkwardly while discussing how to approach. I hate the idea of losing money, and don’t think we should gamble, but the others think it is the easiest method. Dr. Archie uses Enhance Ability on those likely to do the talking.
Safire starts schmoozing Luke, a skill which I will never be able to replicate. Luke explains that he is new in town (which I know to be untrue) and becomes uncomfortable when Keros looms over him, he doesn’t want a Paladin to participate in a game. Safire says something about a past relationship that makes Keros very angry and he leaves the establishment. A game of cards is started while Dr. Archie goes to the bar, takes Keros a drink outside and returns to the table with a drink for himself. Luke wins the hand against Safire and Zasper easily. Zasper suggests a game of dragonchess. I dislike the way Zasper is treating Dr. Archie like a child, simply because he taught my fellow wizard the viol. Luke says he doesn’t know chess, but warms to the concept as Zasper explains and Safire goes to get cheap brandy. Luke then suggests a stake of a platinum piece! Safire puts the coin down and Luke is in a position to win in twelve moves.
I don’t like seeing people lose money. I interrupt before they can start a new game. I tell Luke I want to change the rules, and ask him what he knows about someone named Weasel. Luke says he has an illness that makes him forget, but gold tends to help him remember. I may not be people savvy, but still recognize the request for a bribe. I have gold, but will not give it to a cheat like this individual. Thinking of fraud and gold makes me recall the greedy priests of Waukeen, and I reach into my bag, using minor conjuration to summon a replica of the golden goddess statue Safire liberated a few weeks ago. Offering it to Luke, I hope he doesn’t care about its slight glow. He does ask about it, but doesn’t question my answer that it is “slightly magical” further. Somewhat to my surprise, he immediately starts talking. Luke says that Weasel is new in town, and they are on the turf of a “Jane Redfeather” who can be found upstairs at the Hung Rabbit. Zasper points out that Luke couldn’t know that if they were new in town too, Luke admits to lying and says that Zasper is good at dragonchess. We collect Keros and his wooly rhino as we leave the Three-Headed Dragon.
—
There are no adventurers in the Hung Rabbit, and we make our way upstairs without anyone questioning our presence. A door in the hallway is being guarded by a large, well muscled individual with a shaved head. Zasper immediately goes up, offers a muffin and begins talking about the bakery he represents. When I’m introduced I step up and ask the guard if we can see Jane, indicating that we might have mutual interests. The man agrees to ask and enters the room, reappearing a moment later to invite us in. Zasper is annoyed that the guard didn’t ask about Jane’s muffin preference, and as soon as we are inside restarts the advertising spiel. Jane is flanked by two masked guards, and all are in well fitting dark leathers. I move forward, interrupting the muffin talk, to ask about Weasel. We learn that Weasel failed to uphold the end of a bargain he made with a group called the Hekrati. My jaw clenches at that name, remembering the people sacrifice attributed to them in a past investigation. Jane wants to talk to Weasel, but doesn’t want to tangle with the Hekrati. She gives us directions to the place where he is being held, and tells us to try to negotiate, that we don’t want them as enemies. No names, no promises, nothing on paper.
We thank Jane. Zasper is still put out about my interruption of muffin talk, so I suggest he leaves the muffins there for them to try. I am sure her guards won’t remove their masks in front of strangers! After exiting the Hung Rabbit Dr. Archie and I tell the others what we learned of the Hekrati while investigating the disappearance of Annie for the Watch (A Study in Crimson). Dr. Archie adds that his friend Mendal accidentally helped the demon worshipers.
As we set out Safire and I both feel we are being followed. She startled the others by tossing water down the street. I used my Mage Hand (I can do it invisibly now!) to poke down the street. Neither of us discovered anything. Dr. Archie suggested that it was likely one of Jane’s people. We agree and continue towards the house where Weasel is being held, but are certain we are still being watched.
—
Like the Hung Rabbit, the place we are going is outside Daring Height’s walls. We find the address easily, the house is unremarkable and has most of the shutters closed. There is no guard outside. Keros asks around and decides Zasper is most in need of his Warding Bond. Zasper does not pay attention to the explanation of how the spell works and seems to believe that Keros wants to marry him! This irritates Keros, but he ignores the bard and knocks on the door. After a moment’s wait the door is opened by a red-skinned tiefling. Zasper stops talking about wedding plans to start pushing muffins again, insisting that we see Weasel to ask about preferences. The tiefling does not believe the story, and refuses to discuss Weasel in the open. We are told we must go in if we want to continue the conversation.
We agree to enter. Safire demands that the door remains unlocked, and Keros wards Archie. The room has had all the furniture pushed to the edges and the walls are daubed with icons of skulls and strange text (Keros explains later they are invocations written in Abyssal). I hope the red is paint, not blood. We are commanded to sit down and wait. The tiefling’s eyes flick upward, but they remain watching us. I wonder if he is communicating with a familiar? A dark horned being enters the room (Keros told us later he sensed the individual was undead) and asks us why we want to see Weasel. Zasper immediately forgets the “no names” advice from Jane and introduces himself with his full title before repeating his request about muffins.
We are told that Weasel cheated in a deal with the Hekrati and that the organization abducted Weasel to “renegotiate” and that he is currently “sleeping” and “not in a state to answer questions”. Safire mentions my name in reiterating our desire to speak with Weasel. I can only hope that the Hekrati need full names to work any magic with that information! Weasel’s guards want a promise that we won’t betray the Hekrati, interfere with what they are doing, and to step back if we find we are involved in something that is their business. He says that Weasel will need to be “brought back from the edge of consciousness” which reinforces my earlier assumption that they are torturing Weasel. Keros asks how they can stop us from interfering, and the leader responds in a language I do not understand or recognize (Keros later tells us it is Abyssal, in which he is fluent).
I request once again to see Weasel. Surprisingly the leader does not continue to push for our promise to leave the Hekrati alone in future. They ask that we leave after speaking with him, and insist that Weasel will remain in the house. I agree to the first, since we have no intention of staying overnight, and clarify that a weasel will remain. I do not like what I have heard of Weasel, but am loath to leave anyone in their clutches after what likely happened to Annie Bach and preacher Julius Mapleseed. I want to leave our options open. We are told Weasel will be brought to us, and the tiefling goes to fetch him from the basement. Weasel is a scrawny man, and clearly injured, so Safire casts Healing Word. There is a bit more disagreement with the Hekrati about us asking questions alone, but the issue is resolved when Zasper takes the leader to the next room to discuss fine tailoring.
—
I expect that we are still being observed in some way, but begin questioning Weasel under Keros’s Zone of Truth. Weasel tells us that the Hekrati is demanding the money he stole at 200% interest, which he does not have. He claims to have regularly smuggled people, but never anyone unwillingly. He doesn’t know which merchant brought me, nor where they came from. He points out that in his current predicament he can’t do anything to repay me. Keros asks Weasel whether he would rather be here with the Hekrati or in a Watch cell. He responds he wants to be wherever won’t piss them off, that he is to be an example to others.
Yet none of us like what the Hekrati are doing, and I don’t think any of us are sure if we will be allowed to walk out even if we leave Weasel behind. The problem with leaving is that the windows are shuttered, the tiefling is between us and the door and we are separated, with Zasper still in the other room. Dr. Archie casts Detect Magic to check for traps, and indicates that we should be ok. In a flash, Keros darts to grab Zasper, carrying him unceremoniously over one shoulder. I use minor conjuration to create a replica of a carved weasel I’d seen in my trading days and drop it to the floor, that way I can state without lying that we did leave a weasel behind. I wonder if Luke Two-Fingers will notice that his golden statue has disappeared. At the same time Dr. Archie casts Teleport, and all six of us vanish from the house.
We reappear at portal plaza in the center of Daring Heights. After the portal attendant shoos us off we go to an alley to continue our conversation with Weasel. He reiterates that he doesn’t know where I came from, and expresses a desire to leave Kantas. I prompt him once again to thank us for his rescue. As he starts to talk he drops dead, with a dart in his neck. While most of us are startled Keros immediately uses his paladin powers to revive the one-time merchant. The rest of us scan the alley for the culprit and see one of the masked figures that was in the room with Jane. They were sent to kill Weasel should he escape the Hekrati, and want him dead, or at least an ear as proof, but eventually leave with the dart and Weasel’s promise to leave the country.
Weasel tells us of a loose floorboard in the Three-Headed Dragon and says we can have the contents of the secret stash. He then goes back to the portal, and the impoverished man hands the attendant gold and steps through a portal. We agree the gold had to be fake. Safire generously gives me a ring that will help me tell when someone is lying, pointing out that I have certainly made some people here mad. We travel the short distance to the Dragon and go upstairs, where we find a bag with amethysts, which we split equally, two apiece. Keros has to re-explain to Zasper that the rings were spell components and not part of a marriage proposal.
—
I have found answers, of a sort, to my arrival here. I do not think I could find my way home again, but in truth I never expected to return. I have started to make a life for myself in the Dawnlands, filled with more magic and friends than I ever could have imagined. There is danger here too though, so I must keep learning as much as I can. I am sure the Hekrati have all of our descriptions now.
DM: Willem
Participants: Dr. Archie, Keros, Safire, Zasper
—
We meet up mid-morning near Portal Plaza. Dr. Archie has met Weasel in the past, at the Hung Rabbit, but agreed we should start with the person I’d learned about. I’d been told the gambler Luke Two-Fingers (so named because people he’d upset had removed some fingers) would likely be at the Three-Headed Dragon. From my investigations I’ve found that Luke pretends that he is new and doesn’t know how to play, but is actually quite skilled at fleecing people. I don’t know anything about gambling or gaming, so hope the others can help with this part. At the Dragon, we notice that there are more workmen here than is typical, but still spot the gambler quickly. He is playing with two others, and we stand around a bit awkwardly while discussing how to approach. I hate the idea of losing money, and don’t think we should gamble, but the others think it is the easiest method. Dr. Archie uses Enhance Ability on those likely to do the talking.
Safire starts schmoozing Luke, a skill which I will never be able to replicate. Luke explains that he is new in town (which I know to be untrue) and becomes uncomfortable when Keros looms over him, he doesn’t want a Paladin to participate in a game. Safire says something about a past relationship that makes Keros very angry and he leaves the establishment. A game of cards is started while Dr. Archie goes to the bar, takes Keros a drink outside and returns to the table with a drink for himself. Luke wins the hand against Safire and Zasper easily. Zasper suggests a game of dragonchess. I dislike the way Zasper is treating Dr. Archie like a child, simply because he taught my fellow wizard the viol. Luke says he doesn’t know chess, but warms to the concept as Zasper explains and Safire goes to get cheap brandy. Luke then suggests a stake of a platinum piece! Safire puts the coin down and Luke is in a position to win in twelve moves.
I don’t like seeing people lose money. I interrupt before they can start a new game. I tell Luke I want to change the rules, and ask him what he knows about someone named Weasel. Luke says he has an illness that makes him forget, but gold tends to help him remember. I may not be people savvy, but still recognize the request for a bribe. I have gold, but will not give it to a cheat like this individual. Thinking of fraud and gold makes me recall the greedy priests of Waukeen, and I reach into my bag, using minor conjuration to summon a replica of the golden goddess statue Safire liberated a few weeks ago. Offering it to Luke, I hope he doesn’t care about its slight glow. He does ask about it, but doesn’t question my answer that it is “slightly magical” further. Somewhat to my surprise, he immediately starts talking. Luke says that Weasel is new in town, and they are on the turf of a “Jane Redfeather” who can be found upstairs at the Hung Rabbit. Zasper points out that Luke couldn’t know that if they were new in town too, Luke admits to lying and says that Zasper is good at dragonchess. We collect Keros and his wooly rhino as we leave the Three-Headed Dragon.
—
There are no adventurers in the Hung Rabbit, and we make our way upstairs without anyone questioning our presence. A door in the hallway is being guarded by a large, well muscled individual with a shaved head. Zasper immediately goes up, offers a muffin and begins talking about the bakery he represents. When I’m introduced I step up and ask the guard if we can see Jane, indicating that we might have mutual interests. The man agrees to ask and enters the room, reappearing a moment later to invite us in. Zasper is annoyed that the guard didn’t ask about Jane’s muffin preference, and as soon as we are inside restarts the advertising spiel. Jane is flanked by two masked guards, and all are in well fitting dark leathers. I move forward, interrupting the muffin talk, to ask about Weasel. We learn that Weasel failed to uphold the end of a bargain he made with a group called the Hekrati. My jaw clenches at that name, remembering the people sacrifice attributed to them in a past investigation. Jane wants to talk to Weasel, but doesn’t want to tangle with the Hekrati. She gives us directions to the place where he is being held, and tells us to try to negotiate, that we don’t want them as enemies. No names, no promises, nothing on paper.
We thank Jane. Zasper is still put out about my interruption of muffin talk, so I suggest he leaves the muffins there for them to try. I am sure her guards won’t remove their masks in front of strangers! After exiting the Hung Rabbit Dr. Archie and I tell the others what we learned of the Hekrati while investigating the disappearance of Annie for the Watch (A Study in Crimson). Dr. Archie adds that his friend Mendal accidentally helped the demon worshipers.
As we set out Safire and I both feel we are being followed. She startled the others by tossing water down the street. I used my Mage Hand (I can do it invisibly now!) to poke down the street. Neither of us discovered anything. Dr. Archie suggested that it was likely one of Jane’s people. We agree and continue towards the house where Weasel is being held, but are certain we are still being watched.
—
Like the Hung Rabbit, the place we are going is outside Daring Height’s walls. We find the address easily, the house is unremarkable and has most of the shutters closed. There is no guard outside. Keros asks around and decides Zasper is most in need of his Warding Bond. Zasper does not pay attention to the explanation of how the spell works and seems to believe that Keros wants to marry him! This irritates Keros, but he ignores the bard and knocks on the door. After a moment’s wait the door is opened by a red-skinned tiefling. Zasper stops talking about wedding plans to start pushing muffins again, insisting that we see Weasel to ask about preferences. The tiefling does not believe the story, and refuses to discuss Weasel in the open. We are told we must go in if we want to continue the conversation.
We agree to enter. Safire demands that the door remains unlocked, and Keros wards Archie. The room has had all the furniture pushed to the edges and the walls are daubed with icons of skulls and strange text (Keros explains later they are invocations written in Abyssal). I hope the red is paint, not blood. We are commanded to sit down and wait. The tiefling’s eyes flick upward, but they remain watching us. I wonder if he is communicating with a familiar? A dark horned being enters the room (Keros told us later he sensed the individual was undead) and asks us why we want to see Weasel. Zasper immediately forgets the “no names” advice from Jane and introduces himself with his full title before repeating his request about muffins.
We are told that Weasel cheated in a deal with the Hekrati and that the organization abducted Weasel to “renegotiate” and that he is currently “sleeping” and “not in a state to answer questions”. Safire mentions my name in reiterating our desire to speak with Weasel. I can only hope that the Hekrati need full names to work any magic with that information! Weasel’s guards want a promise that we won’t betray the Hekrati, interfere with what they are doing, and to step back if we find we are involved in something that is their business. He says that Weasel will need to be “brought back from the edge of consciousness” which reinforces my earlier assumption that they are torturing Weasel. Keros asks how they can stop us from interfering, and the leader responds in a language I do not understand or recognize (Keros later tells us it is Abyssal, in which he is fluent).
I request once again to see Weasel. Surprisingly the leader does not continue to push for our promise to leave the Hekrati alone in future. They ask that we leave after speaking with him, and insist that Weasel will remain in the house. I agree to the first, since we have no intention of staying overnight, and clarify that a weasel will remain. I do not like what I have heard of Weasel, but am loath to leave anyone in their clutches after what likely happened to Annie Bach and preacher Julius Mapleseed. I want to leave our options open. We are told Weasel will be brought to us, and the tiefling goes to fetch him from the basement. Weasel is a scrawny man, and clearly injured, so Safire casts Healing Word. There is a bit more disagreement with the Hekrati about us asking questions alone, but the issue is resolved when Zasper takes the leader to the next room to discuss fine tailoring.
—
I expect that we are still being observed in some way, but begin questioning Weasel under Keros’s Zone of Truth. Weasel tells us that the Hekrati is demanding the money he stole at 200% interest, which he does not have. He claims to have regularly smuggled people, but never anyone unwillingly. He doesn’t know which merchant brought me, nor where they came from. He points out that in his current predicament he can’t do anything to repay me. Keros asks Weasel whether he would rather be here with the Hekrati or in a Watch cell. He responds he wants to be wherever won’t piss them off, that he is to be an example to others.
Yet none of us like what the Hekrati are doing, and I don’t think any of us are sure if we will be allowed to walk out even if we leave Weasel behind. The problem with leaving is that the windows are shuttered, the tiefling is between us and the door and we are separated, with Zasper still in the other room. Dr. Archie casts Detect Magic to check for traps, and indicates that we should be ok. In a flash, Keros darts to grab Zasper, carrying him unceremoniously over one shoulder. I use minor conjuration to create a replica of a carved weasel I’d seen in my trading days and drop it to the floor, that way I can state without lying that we did leave a weasel behind. I wonder if Luke Two-Fingers will notice that his golden statue has disappeared. At the same time Dr. Archie casts Teleport, and all six of us vanish from the house.
We reappear at portal plaza in the center of Daring Heights. After the portal attendant shoos us off we go to an alley to continue our conversation with Weasel. He reiterates that he doesn’t know where I came from, and expresses a desire to leave Kantas. I prompt him once again to thank us for his rescue. As he starts to talk he drops dead, with a dart in his neck. While most of us are startled Keros immediately uses his paladin powers to revive the one-time merchant. The rest of us scan the alley for the culprit and see one of the masked figures that was in the room with Jane. They were sent to kill Weasel should he escape the Hekrati, and want him dead, or at least an ear as proof, but eventually leave with the dart and Weasel’s promise to leave the country.
Weasel tells us of a loose floorboard in the Three-Headed Dragon and says we can have the contents of the secret stash. He then goes back to the portal, and the impoverished man hands the attendant gold and steps through a portal. We agree the gold had to be fake. Safire generously gives me a ring that will help me tell when someone is lying, pointing out that I have certainly made some people here mad. We travel the short distance to the Dragon and go upstairs, where we find a bag with amethysts, which we split equally, two apiece. Keros has to re-explain to Zasper that the rings were spell components and not part of a marriage proposal.
—
I have found answers, of a sort, to my arrival here. I do not think I could find my way home again, but in truth I never expected to return. I have started to make a life for myself in the Dawnlands, filled with more magic and friends than I ever could have imagined. There is danger here too though, so I must keep learning as much as I can. I am sure the Hekrati have all of our descriptions now.
DM: Willem
Participants: Dr. Archie, Keros, Safire, Zasper