What? Zhentarim in Kantas?! (Igrainne) 8/8

Report by Springwarden Igrainne Blackriver for the Emerald Enclave

The presence of the Zhentarim has been confirmed in Kantas. Three agents were witnessed breaking into warehouses belonging to the various crime lords of Port Ffirst, seemingly searching for an unknown item that was shipped or smuggled into the town. One of these agents was apprehended by a group of mercenaries hired by a local crime boss known as the Countess. As of last night, the agent was broken out of his holding cell in the Countess’s residence following a fruitless interrogation, causing the mercenaries and one talking cat (yes, the same one) to return into her service and search for the Zhents again, but came back empty-handed. The author of this report followed the mercenaries in order to observe them, with no intention of interfering in the conflict between the Black Network and the Countess.

Status report on the other factions:

• The Lords’ Alliance: Currently still has not attempted to contact the Council of Daring Heights, nor do they seem to have agents in Port Ffirst.
• The Harpers: Although the presence of this notoriously secretive network in Kantas has not been confirmed, it is not at all outside the realm of the possibility that their agents are already lurking in the two settlements, and perhaps even beyond. 
• The Order of the Gauntlet: No presence.

As the Emerald Enclave’s current sole representative in Kantas, the author of this report pledges to keep the organisation’s principle of neutrality in matters relating to faction politics.

Whilst the Zhentarim agents remain unfound, the mercenaries did come across something interesting during their search. They were led to the ruins of a temple of Yeenoghu in the Angelbark Woods, and inside was a Kantasian drow priestess of Shar and two male warriors. The priestess, Ainhoa, demonstrated an awareness of the drow of Faerun, referring to their religious practices as “monolithic”. They had come into the ruins to search for a holy artefact of their goddess but were heavily injured by the writhing mass of tentacles guarding it. The party, including the author of this report, volunteered their help and defeated the eldritch creature. The artefact, an orb of storm and lightning, was semi-accidentally absorbed into one of the adventurers, an elven bard named Faye Persona, but the drow seemed pleased nonetheless. They promised to return to speak to this individual and the author of this report again.

End of report.