Midnight visitor, bounty again and into the Sewers!

When last we saw our heroes, the Laughing Moons returned to Waterdeep looking to be successful in removing the bounty on Rurrick. The Major advised he would take the writ to the Waterdeep

guards as well as to the imperium.

Meanwhile Namfoodle staying at the inn after a long exhausting search at the library on other planes (see previous post for what was found) retires to his room normally shared room with Rurrick, awakes in the dead of night from a deep dreamless sleep, to see a figure standing in the room.

It coughs and spits out something dark onto the floor. “Ahh my old friend, you don’t sleep lightly.. And NO wards to protect you!” It shakes its head. “I can see why I was always the better mage at college!”

A small magical light flares in the figures hand and Namfoodle sees the face of Doctor Barthalmu Soell! Blood drips, from multiple wounds and one arm hangs limply.

“I think I evaded the..” His grinning skull-like mask twists into an even more crazed smile as a blade juts through his chest and he slides limply to the ground. “Namfoo…”

A shadowy figure holding a short wicked blade dripping blood in one hand and a short fine chain swings in his other steps forward. From the window to the awakening wizard’s right – now it seems the LAST of the OCTAD - hears a hiss.

Combat! The wily and accomplished wizard defeats a tentacled mass creature – some denizen from another plane of existence then the cloaked figure winks out (teleport or dimension door..) which had knifed the doctor. The commotion raised other guests at the Broken Sword Inn and then the proprietor – Randarr. At first thinking of calling the guard as it seemed Namfoodle had murdered the poor doctor, but after some thought, Randarr being a member of the Black Diamond Thieves’ guild – decided to go with the sketchy word of the wizard.

Opportune time for the rest of the Laughing Moon’s to arrive and investigate. It seems Doctor Soell’s soul had been sucked out of his body and looked to be destroyed, determined after Aust valiantly tried a Raise Dead spell.

Some cover up and looting of the poor doctor’s magic items then took place.

***

A new day, and new tasks.

The majority of the party visits the Spire of Aamaex to look at acquiring and or creating new items of magic. While, Namfoodle with guards of Rurrick and Keena visit a library to do some research on the once great Wizard’s Octad. While there, a guard saw the face of Rurrick. The prominent poster magically created by the power of the magical Green Flaming Red Pickles all along the SwordCoast is not lost on the young guard OR the 5000gp - Dead or Alive! He gathers some cohorts and confronts the dwarf. Namfoodle is also brought in and nearly dealt with force after some sarcasm. Keena.. hides QUITE successfully and evades the Waterdeep guards.

Taken to Imperium HQ, the two adventurers are taken to a room with a nice view. On the way, they are contacted by Aust (message spell) whom get’s the crew together to find out why Rurrick was taken in! Arriving, they get up to the room and after some deliberating, it seems the bounty was still open for Rurrick!

An audience with the General - an expert swordsman - confirms that House Martanna and ALL its holdings belong to him. NOT to the former Lady Martanna. It seems the General head of the engineering battalions in the Imperium army had to pay the 5000gp to the Waterdeep guards! Now Rurrick is indebted to him. The party finds out it is for heretical acts against the god emperor- worshipping false gods! After some negotiation, to cancel the debt, the Laughing Moons agree to a dangerous quest – under a Geas spell – to trek north to the spine of the world, and infiltrate the Knights of Ivory stronghold and kill the leader of the army besieged by the Imperium.

The party needs gold and recall the last time they had been in Waterdeep, they had delved down into the sewers to fight a Naga so many moons back. There was some areas of the creature’s realm they had not explored.. perhaps there was more treasure down there? The Laughing Moons explore down into the dank and foul reeking sewers.

The party moves forward encountering some diseased 

trolls as well as fungi covered cave-fishers. Battle is engaged. A fiery chromatic orb cast by Aust at the same time as a firebolt from Namfoodle lights up the methane and combustible gas in the area! Multiple spells and battle destroys most of the putrid force..

Will the Laughing Moons be victorious? Until next time..

Aust the bard, learns of a 2 new songs

A Toast to Waterdeep

Here's to the City of Splendors

Deep water where the edge of the sea

Meets rivers of gold; all the coins ever made

Flow past — gods, throw some to me!

(A traditional toast, sung in the taverns of the Waterdeep, heard while staying at the Broken Sword Inn)

 Another longer ballad Aust learns while playing with the duo brother and sister whom performed at the Laughing Moon tavern in MoonLanding:

A Prudent Thief

A prudent thief should never drink so much that he becomes bold.

Because a thief who boasts and brags will rarely live to grow old.

For silence is a thief's best bet and if he breaks this etiquette. 

Undoubtedly what he will get...will be more trouble than gold.

Consider Zhele a thief from Greel, who drank at the Swan and Grouse. 

He made himself quite popular by buying rounds for the house.

One night in drunken revelry, he made a bet with prideful glee, 

But later on he would agree...he never should've been soused. 

A thief's best friends are luck and speed, alertness, cunning and stealth. 

And ale can cause these all to flee and cheat a thief of his wealth. 

But add to this a drunken dare to steal a lock of the Empress' hair, 

Then even a fool should be aware...this may be bad for your health. 

So Zhele did stumble through the door in his most fearless state. 

He slipped in shadows past the guard and snuck through the palace gate. 

Then giggling he scaled the wall so drunk he thought he could not fall.

For wasn't he the best of all...and surely favored by Fate. 

As he climbed in he saw a girl who was dressed in cloth not fur. 

A palace maid? Perhaps a cook? T'was difficult to be sure. 

A homely lass she did appear, but anyone looks good through beer, 

So when she asked, "Why are you here?"...he said he was there for her. 

He showered her with compliments for flattery was his skill. 

And so they spent a pleasant time as any young couple will. 

But as the dawn lit their embrace, he recognized the lady's face 

From every golden coin it graced...and suddenly he felt ill. 

He'd heard that drink was dangerous and now he knew for a fact.

For thieves caught in the palace were hanged or stretched upon a rack. 

But as this thief was kind and bold, the empress gifted him with gold. 

(Then the guard made sure that he'd been told...he'd be killed if he ever came back.) 

And so he was a thief no more for that was part of the deal. 

His bet was lost because she gave him what he went there to steal. 

So other thieves may scorn and mock his name and tale but still they flock 

For a drink and a look at the Empresses Lock... the finest tavern in Greel. 

A young man shows up at the Broken Sword Inn in answer to the posts Aust has put out and about.

Nilnass Maervron. The young man - 'Nil' to his friends - probably just under 20 but you think he may have some elven blood (not full 1/2 elf) - tells you he is from a small port South of Baldur's Gate. He has worked as a caravan guard, coachman, steersman on a riverboat, and says he has played every bar and tavern south of Waterdeep along the SwordCoast. Looks to know how to play the violin, lute and flute. As well as sing both tavern songs and high society ballads and can do a story telling.

Namfoodle: research in Waterdeep

While the Laughing Moons investigate the bounty on Rurrick, Planar study is the task at hand for the wizard Namfoodle:

While searching through an abandoned pile of old school books in the youth section of a little-used library - The Tomes of Santi - you come across a tattered scroll that details how to contact a devil by the name Chantos XinCAsstrolin  that you think if with the proper bribes and or gifts/sacrifices, would take you to outside the 1st gate of the Nine Hells.

You visit a bookstore - Dentin's Books and Curiosities - Near abandoning a search for more information on the Astral plane, you come across a tome on the Fey Wild and determine an entry point - permanent gate - to the Fey. You determine this gate is in an abandoned temple (god: unknown) in the Evermoors.