As told by Imp, Half-Orc Paladin, and recorded by the scribe,Aelric
Arc One
IV.
The next morning the party arose early to begin their day of infiltration and information gathering. On the request of Galathor, Toorgin and Keldor were sent off on a tracking mission to gather information for Galathor directly. Cleira, who also was missing from his bed, was likely on one of the solo “missions” he seems to find himself in often as they come to each city.
With the assistance of the attendant, Livia, the party was outfitted for their day about the city and reminded of their objectives— to gain information about Erbium Greyblade (head of merchant house. Half-Giant.), Vizen Dewdrinker (Head of Mancliff house), and Manisha Graves (Dwarf. 1/5 heads of Adventurerer’s Guild).
Hoping to rely on Vedania’s noble Amakir heritage, the party decided to start with Greyblade who was known to frequent the Mangrove Wine Hall. As the party approached the more upscale side of the city they were approached and accosted by a pair of city guards sporting crimson scarves claiming that the guild members had to go with them as they were obviously up to no good.
Imp, in an attempt to make a scene to intimate the pair of corrupted guards away, began yelling to no avail. Shawn, likely reacting to the energy of the situation, found himself once again caught in an uncontrollable fit of wild magic. To the benefit of the group, he began to glow with a blinding light, rendering the guards sightless. The party dragged away those members who had also found themselves caught in the light. As the condition settled, and all their vision returned, the party could make it to the Wine Hall with no more interaction from the guards.
Before entering the hall Shadow scoped out the area, taking note of the layout of the building and any exits before rejoining the group to enter together. The Winehall, as to be expected, is lavishly decorated. An expanse of polished marble and gilded oil paintings clearly catering to Althkatla’s wealthy elite.
Ever the personable halfing, Shawn immediately walks up to the man at the reception desk, asking for a beer in a clear act of impropriety(19). With quick thinking, and their family name, Vedanta was able to alleviate the tension of the situation, saving the group from the four hulking figures that had stepped up seemingly to kick them out.
With the new ploy, that Shawn was a visiting noble from a distant land, the party was led through one of the two curtained doorways into a private dining area for brunch. The room was as richly decorated as the lobby, with booths surrounded by curtains that appeared to be enchanted to dampen sounds of conversation as well as obscure those who dined within them.
The group is introduced to the maitre d', a Dragonborn who nodded in acknowledgment to Drakon and introduces the first course(20) — a green salad topped with prawns). As the party begins to enjoy the first of many delicious courses Shadow takes a turn about the room trying to pick out any noticeable figures. Recognizing that they are seeking out a half-giant, Shadow finds a large figure seated with a full entourage at a corner booth, tucked away from everyone and nearest to a staircase for a quick exit.
The next course was brought out, presented once more by the Dragonborn, and described to be a poached axe beak egg on what was described as the “best bread ever tasted” and topped with truffles and basil.
Shadow watched as the clandestine party in the corner moved away, sneaking up the stairs and following behind. He lost the party on the next floor but attempted to sneak up a servant's staircase only to be caught by a servant who was milling around cleaning. Unalarmed and likely used to guests roaming about, the servant sends Shadow on his way and he returns.
Drakon in the meantime attempts to get information from the maitre’d, discovering that his name was Arakis and was also a member of the Flamegaurd clan. Arakiss explains that nobles can often get into crazy situations, further explaining that one guy always leaves such a mess, that you would think someone of his status would have more decorum.
Drakon returns and the aperitif— a crostini topped with homegrown tomatoes spiced with local herbs—is brought to the table. The party asks for a tour of the rooftop garden, claiming that as a visiting noble from a largely agricultural area, Shawn would enjoy the gardens greatly. Arakiss says he will ask but leaves once more.
Dessert— a rich chocolate cake— is brought out with the addition of a fine vintage wine “gifted” from an anonymous source, but with a little extra probing, Arakiss accidentally gives up that Greyblade had sent the bottle over.
Arakiss speaks with Manfried, the agricultural manager for the Wine Hall, who agreed to give the party a tour of the rooftop gardens following the completion of their meal. As they are led up the stairs that Shadow had previously explored, a heavy wooden door is noted on the third floor, and finally atop the fourth floor is a beautifully manicured sculptural garden. The plants are so verdant and healthy that Shawn is overcome with emotion at the sight.
In what had to be the worst possible outbreak of wild magic Shawn releases a necrotic pulse that kills much of the greenery within thirty feet as well as saps some of the life from those surrounding him, but Manfried most of all.
Shadow takes the opportunity to scope out an exit plan, finding no balconies he snuck back to the third floor to find what lies behind the large door, as the rest of the party scrambles to get out of the situation they just caused. Relying on the obvious disdain for Greyblade and his companions the party starts claiming that Greyblade must have cursed the wine that he sent them resulting in this catastrophe, which the staff luckily believed citing that ”Greyblade and his kind get up to all kinds of demonic magic” and urging the party to investigate.
They are pointed to the Gilded Dragon Suite on the third floor, which was also the room that Shadow had come across in his lurking, hearing much commotion hidden behind the door. In the first attempt to infiltrate the room, Drakon dresses as a servant, hoping to be confused for Arakiss, and knocks with an offer of wine which is promptly taken through the slightest crack in the door. Further attempts to knock or pick the lock are futile so Imp breaks down the door to reveal a mess of dripping candles and bodily fluids, individuals twisted in primal exploration of bodies while others stand with candles precariously balanced on their heads, as two demonic creatures rise from the arcane circle on the floor. Greyblade, decked in golden finery and a loincloth, emits a girlish scream at the sight of the intruders as he and the other partygoers run from the room leaving behind two burly figures with long swords and two imps now fully emerged from the circle.
Imp was quite clear that it should be noted that before exchanging blows Vedania offered the opportunity to talk, which the bodyguards promptly ignored. Imp was also quite proud of how quickly his party members were able to dispatch the two creatures bearing his namesake(21), and doing quite the number on the two guards before Greyblade came running back to the room pleading for the fighting to stop.
Greyblade admits to taking Damien(22) but assured that he was safe and sound. The Crimson robes are solely for political means, as he is frustrated with the overwhelming success of the Honiesale Mead and wants to effect Honiesale production and trade routes through the warring militias that reside there. He continues to speak about politics and how the party themselves are subject to their own political powers and machinations as members of the Adventurer’s Guild.
As wealthy individuals are ought to do, Greyblade offers the party anything they want in exchange for their exit from this place. While Imp desperately wanted to see the rich man on his knees cleaning up his own mess so the poor servants didn’t have to, the party settled on a sack full of gold and Imp’s promise to return one day.
The party was sure to give Arakiss and the servants some share of the gold for their troubles but were ultimately told that they would not be allowed to return to the Wine Hall for quite sometime after the chaos that had ensued with their presence there.
The party returns to the Adventurers' Guild weary and in desperate need of a bath. There they find a familiar dwarves figure sparring with a training solo with a target dummy, a particularly rotten stench filling the air that the party had never quite noticed before. As Shadow opts to return to their barracks, the rest of the party approaches Fargrim, seeking to relay the information of today's adventures so that it would get back to Galathor, whom he almost always accompanies. Talking to Fargrim, whom they had never spoken to prior, was much like talking to a brick wall, receiving responses varying from a gruff “I don’t care” or “fuck off” until suddenly the dwarf awoke almost out of a trance. He implores the party for help, an end to his endless suffering as Imp’s divine sense confirms that the dwarf is undead and held to this world by magical means against his will. Several magical artifacts on the dwarf’s person radiate different powers aligned to both good and evil, but before they can further interrogate Fargrim, he once again falls back into whatever trance holds him hostage to his master’s will.
A commotion arises in the Great Hall as Manisha Grey exits, flanked by Galathor and followed closely by Livia. The two Guild leaders were obviously in the midst of a disagreement. Galathor is incredibly rigid in his beliefs about where the hammer of justice should fall, while Manisha urges that justice isn’t so simple. As Galathor and Livia leave Manisha, the party approaches in an attempt to gather information from her while they can.
They probe about Galathor, her thoughts of him and the conversation that they had scene the tail-end of and her time in Waterdeep. Manisha states that it “all boils down to money— power for power’s sake. Waterdeep has its own problems and its own solutions.” But otherwise doesn’t give them much information to work with.
Livia gathers the assembled party members and leads them to Galathor’s chambers to give the report. Finding the room empty, the party took the opportunity to snoop around and gather more intel. Mostly, they find reports detailing the skirmishes between the Crimson Sashes and the Flying Boars and the disruption of trade routes as well as missing people and bodies turning up.
Galathor finally returns to his chambers to receive their reports on the day's events and the information they were able to gather. He makes a passing comment about Manisha’s involvement in the “wretched hive” that is Waterdeep but provides no further insight into the reality of the situation between the two of them. The party is left to wonder who is right in this seeming battle of wills and beliefs and if Manisha is a threat to the Guild and Althkatla or just Galathor and his struggle for power.
As they are led once more to their quarters by Livia, a spot of crimson can be seen on her person as she walks off into the night.
19. Almost immediately after he was begged to let Vedania do all the talking
20. Imp was quite taken with each dish and spent quite some time describing each. I believe he would be upset if I did not mention each of the courses brought to them
21. The half-orc seemed to be increasingly exasperated as he continued to have to fight these creatures, and asked the recorder if he should consider going by a new name as someone else had also explicitly commented if it was his given name.
22. The recorder would also like it noted that crimes of Damien were referenced but not elaborated upon.