DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy SKT: The Storm King's Thunder 3I - Yartar days 3-5

<Bern>

"'s OK with me", he said with a shrug.

Sindar

"She knows the schedule of events doesn't she?" He asked clearly thinking that Jaleria could catch up with them in route. "I am finished with my sumptuous meal, so yes, we should not make the Waterbaron wait."

Arus

He folds the gazette. So far there's no news of last night's escapades but then it had all happened beneath the streets, Yartar's townsfolk being none the wiser. And the town's gazette is more of a trade rag anyway, mostly interested in river commerce.

So Arus is ready to go.

"Let us away then."

Kriv

With a curt nod, the noble Dragonborn rose to his full height, and made ready.

As the others leave the establishment, Jaliera is easily spotted lounging against a wall opposite.

DM
Arus, Bern, Jaliera, Kriv, Sindar and Zindra head towards the Waterbaron's Hall in the center of town. Inside Zindra stops and says, "I'll wait for you out here. You'll know where to find me if I'm needed."

Indeed, while she's traveling with the party, she's a hireling and knows her place.

The wait is not long. In fact, the attendant seemed irked and harried when the group walked in. "There you are!" the short, balding official said when he spotted the group. He did not wait for a response before ushering the group into the Waterbaron's waiting parlor where he motioned for the quintet to sit down on the plush sofa and chairs. He knocked on the grand oak doors and without waiting for much of a response, he opened it and entered. About five minutes later the door opened again and he ushered the group into her office.

Nestra Ruthiol was standing by the stain glass window and when she heard the party enter she turned around and returned to her desk, motioning them to sit.

"So, I heard that it was an eventful evening," she said. "I'm up for some story telling. Have a seat."

Jaliera

She is a little overawed in here. Besides this is not her story to tell. She wonders how Davroar is faring, planning to go there afterwards. So she sits primly off to one side.

<Bern>

He wasn't much of a talker, so he took a seat, happy to let one of the others 'tell the tale'.

Kriv

As one of those for whom it was their second time in this office, never one to shy away from duty, the Dragonborn Noble began their recap, going into thorough detail from their time on the casino ship, the unexpected assistance and sad fate of the one who guided them to the sewers, and their battles in that dank and viscid realm, the numbers, kinds and identities of the entities opposing them, the abilities the Aboleth demonstrated, the disposition and condition of the two formerly missing nobles and their current whereabouts. He spake at length, leaving places for the others to interject or clarify, demonstrating the oratory befitting his noble upbringing. There was nothing in particular that merited concealment, so he spared no detail.

<Bern>

He was happy to let Kriv do the talking ... nodding his acknowledgment on occasion ... thankful that it had not been him doing telling the story.

Waterbaron Nestra Ruthiol
The Waterbaron listened to Kriv's detailed report. She nodded and cocked her head every so often as every word was absorbed. She was a savvy politician and unlike many petty politicians, she well versed in the art of listening. As the dragonborn finished his report she reached into a drawer in her desk and took out a blue velvet pouch. "The rest of your payment, as agreed."

It contained ten gems worth ten gold pieces each.

"I did not expect you to face that monstrosity and those minions. Getting rid of that is worth a great deal to Yartar," she said before reaching into her desk draw to take out a box. In the box were two potions. "The blue one is a potion of healing."

She then takes out the other potion and shakes it. The red in the potion's liquid continuously expands from a tiny bead to color the clear liquid around it and then contracts. Her shaking the bottle fails to interrupt this process. "This one makes you big for a few hours." OOC: potion of growth

"I am just glad that Lord Drylund isn't due to return for a few days still. Word spread quickly that Lady Atalia had died in the street this morning. Pow Ming, Lord Drylund's money counter, showed up at my office earlier. Nelvin Storn, the captain of the Golden Goose, sent her here to make sure that word was spread that the death did not occur anywhere near the casino. Lord Drylund would not be happy if the rumors caused customers to avoid the Golden Goose. I refused to make such a promise and she left a bit ... perturbed. Alas, I did not have your report yet, Kriv. So I could not!"

Nystra leaned back, smiling. It was clear that she enjoyed sparing with this Lord Drylund and all his underlings.
OOC: Zeim asked earlier (July 2021: OOC - Do we know/heard anything about Lord Drylund?). I neglected to answer but I assume that Zhu and the party would have asked around. One of the worst kept secrets in Yartar is that Lord Drylund wants to become Waterbaron and is Nestra's political rival. It is why she could not pursue leads on the Golden Goose herself.

"I hear that Zhuirentel Elendaril and your friend Davroar have been beset by the same disease that befell Artan Rossolio and the two other young lords, Jakkob Dawnflower and Timothy Salzberg. My understanding is that Jakkob has been cured and that Timothy is being treated now. Sister Bronwyn will treat the eladrin tomorrow and Davroar the day after."

Arus

Arus listens to Kriv's concise account of last night's adventures. Although mapping the sewer to the river revealed nothing of interest, the triton does have one thing to add.

"Worth noting that we still don't know the aboleth's exact role within the Kraken Society." he says. "That she was a linchpin seems certain but whether she was the kingpin.... There was little sign of any organisation centred around her lair."

He lets the implication hang in the air for a moment.

"I wouldn't take mine eyes off of Lord Drylund or the Golden Goose."

Jaliera

Her thought are on Davroar and that he has to wait another 2 days to be cured. But it is probably fair as his shape changing will enable him to deal with it in a better way than others. She will go and see him when they leave here.

Waterbaron Nestra Ruthiol

"That is good advice Arus. I shall keep my eyes on Lord Drylund," the manner in which she replied did was was polite but her tone seemed to indicate that she never takes her eyes off of Lord Drylund and did not need urging. She pauses in contemplation for a moment before adding "But I must admit some ignorance. I have never heard of this thing you call the Kraken Society."

Arus

The triton isn't surprised at the Waterbaron's ignorance of her own town's history. The Lords' Alliance tends to recruit adventurers from far afield; Nestra was probably born and raised leagues from Yartar.

"One hundred years ago," Arus explains, "Yartar's Waterbaron was deep in the machinations of the Kraken Society.

"The Society worked in secret, infiltrating local criminal gangs across the Savage Frontier and tying them into their conspiracies.

"Waterbaron Khaumfros was murdered by an illithid hit squad in this very hall after defying the Society's core cadre.

"But his plot to start a war between Waterdeep and Ruathym is noted in history books, as is the infamy of his agent, the doppelganger Semmonemily."

Arus pauses to let his exposition sink in. His companions know all this already but a short recap never hurts.

"There's talk amongst the moneyed class that the Kraken Society have returned, and I suspect they're behind the Hand of Yartar's current brisk trade."

Arus also suspects Lord Drylund is the mastermind behind the Society on the Dessarin River. But as a paladin of the Order of the Leviathan, the triton would rather deal with Drylund himself.

Sindar

He nods along with Kriv's account.

Arus's information he finds interesting signs of which appear on his visage. Though he remains quiet just listening for now.

Waterbaron Nestra Ruthiol
"That is quite an accounting, Arus. Of course I know the history about Khaumfros and how he was killed by monsters affiliated with a nefarious group that he crossed. It is also known that he had a servant that was a doppleganger. However, your timeline is a bit off. That was more than a hundred years ago, just after the Times of Trouble, before the Spellplague and the Second Sundering."

"I will heed your suspicions and keep alert for signs that support them. But I cannot move on speculation. As for the Hand of Yartar, they do not answer to any man. Of that I am sure."

[Ah, I thought Khaumfros was assassinated in the mid-14th Century and it's currently the mid-15th Century in Forgotten Realms.]

DM
The reward having been given and the conversation having tailed off, Nestra thanks the party for their service and dismisses them.

Outside the Waterbaron's hall the quintet has to decide what to do next. The plan had been to return to see Lady Dezhia Rossolio's manor, return the pendant that was found and collect the rewards due to them.

Arus

100 gp worth of gems and two potions would go some way to offsetting the cost of their food and lodgings in Yartar, and replenish the potions consumed in their siege of the sewer.

Arus has no special requests to ask of the Waterbaron, and happily heads for the door.

If his companions are so inclined, he leads them through town to Lady Rossolio's manor, pointing out some useful vendors on the way. The party might want to re-equip before they leave Yarter, it's a long road ahead of them.

<Bern>

Finally outside with his friends, he asks, "What now? Collect our reward seems like a good start", he said with a grin.

Jaliera

"You guys want me to come along? I was thinking of checking in on Davroar."

<Bern>

"Happy to have you with us, but if you would rather check on Dav ... I would =certainly= understand", he said with a nod.

Kriv

"Do as you will, keeping track of his status is not unreasonable. I have the requisite item in any case, only my presence is essential." Acknowledged the Dragonborn.