PREVIOUSLY - CAMPAIGN DIARIES 29 - Entering Waterdeep

21 Elient - Day 83 - The Search for Floon

The League awakes in their rooms at The Yawning Portal, fairly early the next day. They are unused to the sounds of a city. Except for Dain. Dain sleeps the rest of the alcoholic dead. He is somewhat hard to rouse, but otherwise, they are quickly prepared to help their new acquaintance, Volo, find his friend Floon. They get some breakfast, gather Lady D from the stables, and at about nine bells being rung from the many churches in Waterdeep, Volo arrives.

I would start there." He continues, "I will check back in with you this evening at nine bells and can answer any other questions that may arise. Good hunting!" The team makes their way in the morning bustle, south towards the docks, asking around for The Skewered Dragon. As they pass into the Dock Ward, they pass close to one of the great statues of the city - The Honorable Knight.

They take their time, gaining the lay of the land in the dock ward, still marveling at the size of the city. The feeling of this ward is distinct from the trade ward. Tall, densely packed tenements leave most of the neighborhood in shadow at ground level. Most of the streetlamps have had their glass smashed and their candles stolen, and the smells of salt air and excrement linger as The League passes by rows of run-down buildings.

As The League turns a corner, they find themselves on a street that has been cordoned off by the City Watch. Lying on the cobblestones are a half-dozen corpses, seemingly the victims of some terrible skirmish. Watch officers have disarmed and arrested three blood-drenched humans and are in the midst of questioning witnesses. One of the officers sees the party get a bit close. "Get on," she says. "Nothing to see here."

The bandits who are being questioned seem to be keeping a tight lip, and glare at The League from their position, kneeling with hands tied behind their backs. The party moves on, deeper into the dock ward, now off the main thoroughfare, they walk Zastrow Street down to Fillet Lane.

Old Xoblob Shop

Turning onto Fillet Lane, they notice one shop with a peculiar window display. It has a deep purple facade, and in its window hangs a sign whose elaborate letters spell out "Old Xoblob Shop." The League investigates, and opening the door, get an immediate sense of strangeness.

Orryn decides to ask Xoblob if he knows anything about Floon, and gives him a description. "Oh yeah, I saw the fellow. Two nights ago, I had fallen asleep and it was late. The sound woke me up and I looked out the window with one of my eyes." which seems like a curious comment, but Orryn let it go. "The one in blue was with another fellow, looked just like him - maybe his brother? Was well-dressed too. Some goons in black leather armor jumped them. There were maybe five of them. I didn't say anything because one of the goons had a tattoo of a black winged snake on his neck. The black network you know. The Zhents don't mess with me, and I don't mess with them. Anyway, they dragged the one in blue away, I think the other fellow one got away."

Orryn thanks him, stifling his thoughts. The black network - the Zhentarim - organized crime. What had Floon been involved in, and who was the similar-looking fellow he was with? More questions - maybe to be answered at The Skewered Dragon.

The Skewered Dragon

The party continues on, just down to the corner, and Orryn relates what he has learned. The early afternoon shadows start getting longer and a bit of a fog darkens the sky as they approach their destination. The Skeward Dragon looks like a ruin. Both its front-facing windows are smashed, and a ship's anchor is lodged in the roof. Through the windows, you can see a group of haggard patrons drinking from huge tankards. There is no hitch, so Orryn decides to stay outside with Lady D.

The League enters, their tiefling Nowhere at the lead, with her most intimidating walk and swagger. Dain walks up to the bar, and faces the tavern keeper, a fellow with a scarred head that looks like a square block of granite, and says they need a round of ale, the six of them, and one for his friend sitting on the owlbear outside.

"I've got five gold and a round of drinks for anyone who can tell me about the five guys in black leather who jumped the two well-dressed fellows two nights ago. The one wearing fancy blue was in here gambling."

Most of the patrons stay quiet, but one burly fellow pipes up. "I seen 'em." he slurs, "give me the gold." A nearby fellow starts to cut him off, "Harker...", but K'ronk tells him "You want to stay out of our business, friend." and the man pipes down.

Nowhere approaches the sauced patron. "I need more detail that that." Nowhere tells him, and he goes on.

"He uz in here a few nights back. Caint' remember ow many. Was with some fancy writer, Rolo. Then it was just the guy in blue playin' cards. Floom? Anyway, e has a friend show up. Lord Neverember's son Rainer - another redhead! Why the hells would ya name ya kid Rainer?"

"Piss on Dagult Neverember." someone yells. "Stole all the money from the treasury. Should'a hanged him before he ran outta town."

Another says, "Yeah, and his spoiled, rich bastard. Buyin' us drinks and rubbin' our noses in his money."

"Shut up." Atlas says, suddenly appearing on the other side of the table.

Harker continues. "Rainer and the Neverember kid played Three Dragon-Ante for a while, then left. When they got up, the ones in black followed 'em out. Pay me, and I'll tell ya where to find them."

Nowhere dumps a purse of ten dragons on the table, scooping a couple back.

"I don't know about their faces, but I seen the ones in black leather armor guarding a warehouse on Candle Lane. Look for the snake symbol on the door."

Suddenly, most of the patrons get up and leave the tavern, rushing to get away from the conversation. The barkeep says loudly, "I didn't see nothin' and neither did he." Dropping some of the ales on the bar and flicking a thumb at Harker. Take your ale and go - take the tankards with ya. We're all outta ale."

And with that, the League leaves the pub and starts asking around for Candle Lane.

Candle Lane

The League returns Lady D to the stables at the Yawning Portal, and passes some time down by the docks, watching the ships enter and depart the protected bay of Waterdeep. The are waiting for nightfall, then they head back towards Candle Lane. Gloom envelops a narrow alley as dark as a dungeon and as odorous as one too. Nearly all the streetlamps have been smashed. The only light that pierces the darkness is a faint flickering from down in the lane, like a distant candle.

As The League gets closer to the light, K'ronk and Immeral notice the single light is result of a continual flame spell in a smashed light. Normally impossible to extinguish, but it tells of potential magic-users in the area. As they stroll the empty street, across from the light, they see the ramshackle warehouse they had spied during the daylight, with a black winged snake painted above the door's handle. It is a sign of warning to intruders, and The League ignores it. They are on the office side of the building, this street higher than the opposite side where there is a gated yard and a large barn door. The windows here are blacked out, and the lone door stands at street level here, but effectively on the 2nd floor of the structure.

Nowhere, with her supernatural eyesight signals the coast is clear, and Immeral goes to work. Donning his cloak of stars, Immeral disappears into the etheral plane. A reality that mirrors their own world, Immeral is able to pass through the door and scope out the rooms inside. There is an office, unoccupied, but populated with a few lone rats. There are crates, desks and cabinets, and doorways leading to other nearby offices.

He also passes through the door into the warehouse proper, and sees a startling sight from the balcony above the well-lit warehouse with stairs leading down. Tables and chairs have been carelessly tossed across the floor. The corpses of a dozen men lie along the walls, their rapiers and daggers lying nearby. All are wearing black leather armor.

At least four short, avian creatures with long beaks and black feathers are moving around the warehouse. Each wears a hooded cloak and wields a shortsword, all dripping blood. They seem to be speaking and looking for something, or someone, but Immeral cannot hear from the border ethereal, so he moves to return to The League.

Just before passing back through the door into the alleyway, Immeral notices a bell above the door of the offices. It is clear that opening the door will ring the bell and bring the attention of the bird-creatures known as kenku. Immeral removes his cloak and carefully disables the bell, then opens the door. Quickly, he explains that there is a search going on, and after closing the door to the alleyway, which is noisy with the reflected sounds of a city night, they hear the chatter from the warehouse in squawking voices.

"Craw, go up and check the offices." one screetches.

"He has to have gone up, he's not down here." says another one.

"Wait, there is a secret room here." and startlingly a bell rings from the office next door.

Nowhere quickly comes up with a plan. "We hit the creature when it comes into the office. Everyone hide."

They all take a covered position and await the kenku's arrival. First, it searches the outer office, finding the door still bolted from the inside, then it moves to the next room where The League awaits.

Dain jumps off the top of a cabinet and slams into the kenku. "What was that?" a screechy voice calls from below. K'ronk hits the kenku with quarterstaff, knocking it out. More screetchy voices - "Upstairs, quickly." "Kraig, stay by the exit."

The sound of footsteps can be heard on the stairs and a moment after, four more Kenku rush in. The Owlbear League is ready.

NEXT - Kenku in Flight