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| Sigil of Waterdeep |
13/2/1480: Pick up items from Hallomak, more consultation, shopping & temple visits, gain Portal ritual, leave Waterdeep by horse.
14/2/1480: Reach Daggerford Northdock, hosted by Magister Ilyrio, who seems smitten with his saviour, Quinn.
(15/2/1480: Valtar returns to Secomber from Loudwater)
(19/2/1480: Zhents take Brownstone?)
20/2/1480: Reach Secomber, visit Boris, ask his man Valtar about spies in Loudwater, he suspects the Fisherman's Friend 'Festhall' madam, 'Chastity' - he thinks he saw her talk with a serpent creature.
21/2/1480: Riding east, Arya spots Zhentarim banners flying over Brownstone. Meet Sir Jorah Blackthorn at Tavysburg, he offers to help & sends a runner to Loudwater. Cross the Grayflow after dark, on the river attacked by Zhents east of Brownstone. Defeat them, survivor flees.
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| Zhent Riverside Ambush |
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| Into the Fray |
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| Lirael |
Arrows fly through the night sky, finding a home in Jareth. He lets out one stoic grunt of pain and bends his back to the oar, ignoring the attack as best he can. Paelias flips a rude gesture towards a depressingly large group of shadowy figures on the Brownstone shore as two arrows clearly meant for him fall short of their mark and splash into the water instead.
Lirael groans and closes her eyes as she gives a long pull on her oar, ducking down as low as she can. A Zhentarim ambush. And things had been going so well.
###
Waterdeep had been an interesting experience. The coins that they had been accumulating for months and months had finally found a use. Bags of holding (to collect more coin, of course, for Dunstan surely would be anxious to fill their coffers again), healing potions, rituals galore…and even a shiny new outfit for Quinn. Jareth, of course, hadn’t bothered with any trinkets or geegaws; his purchases only ever had one purpose. Perhaps that brawny and busty smith would make a romantic out of him one day, but Lirael doubted it.
The whole experience had been rather uneventful, other than a brief encounter with a Red Wizard that had obviously made Arya deeply uncomfortable. Well, and the interlude with Quinn’s old master, Hallomak Stromm. Lirael had seen many things in her day, but the sight of the old man in his robe was one she didn’t really care to repeat. Still, he was a useful contact, even if he hadn’t been at all like she imagined someone of his status and skills would be. But he had destroyed the ring that had plagued them for so long. So easily and quickly too…
Even their visit to Boris had been painless. He had turned practically pious, something she would never have thought possible. But the town seemed to be thriving and Valtar had dug up some useful information on the possible spy in Loudwater. She knew Esme would not believe Boris had changed, but they had enough enemies on their plate as it is (and Esme was off being Queenly). If Boris continued to behave himself, Lirael was perfectly content to let him go about his business.
And what enemies they had beyond the reformed lecher! A one-eyed White Dragon, direwood trees come to life, giant white tigers, and, of course, the Zhentarim. Damn them.
###
Thwack!
Another arrow found its mark. They were drifting closer to the bank now. Lirael could make out a wizard hovering in the background and one particular soldier that showed he was a man to be reckoned with by his bearing…not to mention his particularly large sword. Well, she would leave him to Jareth, if the arrows didn’t take him down first. She muttered a prayer to Meliekki and prepared to fight.
Things happened fast, as they always seemed to in battle, Halvath and Quinn proving themselves invaluable once again. The advantage was definitely with the Zhents and that foul wizard. Lirael saw him readying another attack. She had a bad feeling about it and loosed an arrow at him. Perhaps she could interrupt him and give them some precious time.
For once it worked! His spell burst harmlessly above them. An unlucky bird flying by suddenly began flying erratically, like it had been blinded. Lirael watched it dart and twist in the air until it crashed into a tree and was still. Then a volley of arrows found their mark and she collapsed to the bottom of the boat.
Then Jareth and Paelias were wreaking bloody havoc on shore. Arya cast some type of cage around the central group and Lirael could hear their screams within as she came to after some help from Quinn. Let them suffer, the cowards!
And cowards they were, two of them turning tail and running as the tide of battle turned against them. The wizard was dead, as was the swordsman. They managed to cut one runner down before he ran out of sight, his heart collapsing under the weight of the psychic attacks of Arya and Quinn. The other was too swift, but Paelias was already off after him.
“What did I miss?” asks Dunstan, finally rousing himself from a nap in the bottom of the boat. The unmistakable clink of coins echoes across the water.
Quinn's Account
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| Quinn Eventide |
Raising her head she locks eyes with the robed wizard hiding behind the first rank of archers. Standing up, defying the arrows to strike her, Quinn bring the odd up, flames dancing on it's obsidian surface.
"You BASTARD! Do you have any idea what this stuff does to my SKIN!"
She opens her mouth and a screech bursts forth flowing through the orb and crashing against the wizard with the force of a whirlwind. He is torn from his feet as the wind tears at his body, throwing him towards the river where he lands in a broken heap at Jareth's feat.
Shaking her head as she forces the poison out of her body, thinking "And I was having such a nice day!"
----
The welcome she received from Liana at the door was less frosty than normal. Hallomak's mistress never could stand her, afraid of the competition she assumed.
The tower had not changed much since she had left. A few new souvenirs from Hallomaks travels lined the walls while the man himself had a lot more beard, slightly more belly and, Quinn shivered even thinking about it, much less robe.
The rings fate proved rather under welming as her master simply disappeared into his study and reappeared with a pile of residuum larger than any she had ever seen. Hallomak had been predictably boastful about it, something that would be rather annoying if it wasn't for the fact that he was probably more powerful that even he let on.
The visit had proven to Quinn that she was on the right path. While she was still not comfortable with her part in what was apparently a prophesy of great importance, she knew now that her place was here with these people…. her friends.
----
She was brought back to the present as someones scream was cut very short by Jareth's unreasonably huge sword. Smiling as she spied one final archer fleeing for his life, raising the orb one last time and opening her mouth to speak……
XP
Misc Diplomacy (Paelias Temple of Selune, Halvath Temple of Silvanus, Hallomak Stromm, etc) - 600 each
Level 13 Major Quest Destroy Ring of Nemeia - 800 each
Zhent River Ambush - 708 each (EL 12)
Total 2108+29792 =31,900
Need 32,000 for 12th level.
Lirael Session account +150 XP
Quinn Session account bonus +50 XP
Total: 32,100
LEVEL 12 REACHED
Need 39,000 for 13th level.
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