Session 108
Characters:
Julian, Samael, Randal, Anthony, Grim, Balin, Cael.
NPCs:
Sergeant Moran of the Cleansing Flame (Wainwrights), Constal Joseph Throffson, Bindery District Guardsman, Miss Stocks the gnomish merchant, Markets District Guardsman, Lobi-Tongo missionaries (Markets), Mr. Maelos the gnomish merchant, 2 guard dogs, 12 Sons of Tethyr, Alaundo Birdsong, Dyadin Rycigna, Apthrorus the Mystic Theurge of Mystra, Fitch Creighton the Knights of the Shield merchant, 4 Converted Lobi-Tongo guardsman (Ships), 2 Lobi-Tongo missionaries, Umarah Greypebble the halfling thief, Shadow Theives Assassin, Lord Bartaes (Gardens), Edirra Swiftstar the Harper Agent, 6 Harper Strikers, 8 Zhent Agents (Karlaggar Guardsman).
M 25 Alturiak 1374 - E 26 Alturiak 1374
6600 XP
After the party's meeting with Throffson and the Cleansing Flame reinforcements they found another abandoned home in the Wainwrights to finish their rest. After 8 hours with the midday sun high in the sky the party traveled towards the Bindery District. On the way they noticed the many dwellings which had been looted in the Wainwrights, however in the Bindery it was a different scene. Though the grassy streets of the Bindery were dead with Blight, many surviving gnomes and halflings worked with one another under the direction of the Cleansing Flame. Blighted trees were cut down and used to burn the bodies of the dead. At the Maelos-Stocks Alliance grain mill Anthony met with Miss Stocks while the other members stayed outside. Miss Stocks was exhausted and told Anthony that after they had left two days ago there had been two massive thefts comprising the entire mill's grain supply. She urged him to seek out her partner Mr. Maelos in the Markets District to check on their guild's other major holding. Without question, Anthony left and the party made full haste towards the Markets.
In the familiar Markets District the party traveled to the second Maelos-Stocks Alliance mill and found a large protest underway from the hungry citizens of the quarantined district. Lobi-Tongo missionaries had set up drum circles around the protest and were drawing increasing numbers of interested people to their conversion rituals. Those with the plague, Balin, Julian, Samael, and Grim decided it would not be wise to proceed with the dense people nearby. Anthony, Randal, and Cael however, moved forward through the crowd. Reaching the front Randal addressed the angry masses and calmed them with the hopes that through their diplomacy a more humane plan of action could be reached. Then Anthony informed the guards above that they were the emissaries of Justice for Zaz and demanded to speak with Mr. Maelos. They climbed a long rope ladder and were introduced to a very busy Mr. Maelos. He told the party that it was true he had hoarded grain in the initial days, however as of last night his tower was also raided and three of his guards were murdered. When the three emissaries investigated they interrogated a remaining guard that admitted to his cowardice of not raising the alarm. Frustrated and at a dead end, they left the Mr. Maelos' tower after Cael bartered for some food at a quite inflated rate.
Meanwhile, the rest of the party had been moving through the streets keeping eyes on the Lobi-Tongo, when Balin saw some suspicious movement out of the corner of his eye. The four moved to the back of a boarded-up blacksmith's shop and listened finding additional signs of people within. Julian and Samael set off the senses of two large guard dogs and they immediately Blinked into the rear shop dodging the bites from the angry dogs. Then they rushed forward and found themselves in a cramped space with 12 armed civilians wearing red sashes. After announcing that they were emissaries of Justice the rest of the party moved in and surrounded the building. The small militia announced themselves as the Sons of Tethyr, a racist organization directed towards the killing of foreigners that they believed were responsible for the plague of Bloodfever. While Julian and Samael initially sympathized with them, it was Grim who insisted they be brought to justice and called immediately for the Knights of the Cleansing Flame. The Sons of Tethyr were promptly arrested and taken back to the Fortress for further questioning.
The party fully met up after these incidents and decided it would be wise to continue their investigation of the arcane spellcasters responsible for the terrible traps they had seen previously. They moved north through the Markets and reached the oddly shaped structure known as Alaundo's Books. The once beautiful Calishite glasswork had been smashed through and boarded up, and there was no initial answer at the door. After continued knocking Alaundo answered from behind and refused to open up to a group of plague-ridden individuals. Much diplomacy and forceful speak transpired and finally, they had reached an accord. Alaundo opened his door from afar and casted a single quick spell to slam it back shut. Luckily, Grim was able to perceive the magical signature of this spell and knew Alaundo was not to blame for the traps. Then they traveled to the Carpets District where they sought out the magical signature of Dyadin Rycigna the owner of the opulent Hanging Gardens Tavern. They found the older Dyadin to be helpful and were able to clear his name of any wrong doing. With the daylight falling quickly in the west, the party traveled back to the Wainwrights where Throffson waited to inform them about the interrogation of the disguised Wainwrights riot leaders. After some fearless persuasion Throffson had learned that these men were actually employees of the Knights of the Shield merchant guild. Based in the Ships District, they were the largest in Zaz, and it was still uncertain what they could possibly gain from insightful such riots. Furthermore, what were the connections between the Hezrou plague demons of the previous night, the riots, the missing food stores, increasing thefts, and many of the other elements of foul-play that had been occurring. The party decided it would be best to speak with the merchant guild leader Fitch Creighton.
They moved with haste as darkness fell in Zaz, and reached the mansion door of the Knights of the Shield merchant order. The party entered and found it largely empty of its former grandeur. The old former naval guardsman Fitch Creighton entered fully robed to protect himself from the party's obvious diseases. The niceties of formal discussion did not last long as the prideful Creighton defended himself and his guild's links to the riot leaders. The conversation reached a volatile peak when Julian threatened that he would forcefully arrest Creighton in suspicion. Creighton remained stiff and sighted numerous violations of law that would follow and promptly kicked the party out of the guildhall. The party now decided that the best plan of action would be to split up as Julian and Samael investigated the Lobi-Tongo vessel in the Ships District while the other members patrolled the understaffed Karlaggar District for signs of suspicious activity. So although tired and diseased, they ingested more of their java "dawnbeans" and continued on.
The two rogues stealthily moved into the inner docks and found two converted Ships District guardsman watching over the plank onto the ship. They slipped into the water and Spider Climbed up the ship's side. However, on deck they realized they were now soaked with water and hide behind some storage barrels trying to squeeze the excess wetness off. Still sopped with sea water the two moved down a cramped stairwell and were nearly caught by two Lobi-Tongo. After a number of close calls with the alarmed guardsman the two rogues made their way to the lowest levels of the large vessel. They found a secret trap door and quickly opened it setting off a magical cloud of bright green ink. They scrambled to cover a number of high priority books under their cloaks on the ground and sifted through them for information as the guards crashed down to the lower decks. In the last instant Julian and Samael found a terrible page depicting a large obsidian altar adorned with powerful magical runes. But their time had run out; the two Blinked out of the ship's lower deck into the surrounding sea water, and stealthily flew away under the cover of darkness.
The other party members, Randal, Cael, Anthony, Grim, and Balin were busy patrolling the cramped streets of Karlaggar when from within a dark ally Randal spotted a suspicious figure fumbling with a tavern lock. He shouted out for the person to come forward and the spooked halfling opened the door and ran in. The ensuing pursuit did not last long as Randal and Cael surrounded the tavern and captured the frightened thief. Umarah Greypebble explained that his family had been starving and he was doing everything he could to save them and himself. They gave him some food from Cael's magical cloth and he ran off through the streets back home. Then they continued the patrol eastward along the riverside border between the sparkling Gardens District and the darker Karlaggar. That was when again Randal spotted a suspicious figure concealing a raft on the garden's District side of the river. With Cael's help the party Flew across the wide river chasing the dark figure as it climbed the inner walls. The chase ended as the suspect climbed the tower of Lord Bartaen's inner palace. Grim and Balin stayed behind while Cael, Anthony, and Randal tackled the dark figure as it drew a black blade in Bartaen's bedroom. The assassin had been stopped, but they quickly learned that he was infected with a near deadly stage of Bloodfever. Bartaen fearlessly interrogated the assassin with the party's help and they learned he was a member of the professional Shadow Theives guild. With much thanks from the Morninglord of the Gardens District the party moved on back to their patrol of Karlaggar.
More time in the darkness passed as the party traveled through the diseased streets of Karlaggar. As they moved along one of the many closed down Duke's Taverns, Randal saw a number of highly suspicious figures surrounding the building from the adjacent alleyways. The numerous figures were clad in black carrying curved moonlit blades and bows. Randal charged quickly towards one and struck with a hard fist dropping the figure to the ground. To only Randal's keen ears however, he instantly heard a clatter of many clicks characteristic of only one group, Harpers. As soon as it happened Randal knew the tragedy which he had unleashed, the rest of the black clad Harpers rushed to the back as their cover was blown. The rest of the adventurers, unaware of Randal's fatal discovery, quickly surrounded the Duke's Tavern. Cael ran into a readied Harper Striker with two blades at his neck. The Harper whispered quickly that they knew o the adventurers and needed them to help dispatch an undercover Zhent terrorist cell. All at once, the occurrences and foul-play within Zaz became much darker.
The party converged on the building and scrambled for clues as to what the truth really was. Cael moved to the back alley and found himself in a brutal melee between black clad Harper Strikers and apparent Karlaggar Civic Guardsman. In fact, Cael had even recognized some from the previous days. One of the Harper Strikers broke down the front door, Grim and Balin saw two men clad in Karlaggar Civic Guards uniforms with spearheads at another female Karlaggar guard's throat. The Harper Striker rushed in and Grim assisted with a powerful arcane blast. Anthony, and Randal were now in the rear ally as well helping the Harpers in battle against the Zhent agents. Randal pummeled his way through the wall of the Duke's Tavern and rescued the female clad in Karlaggar Guardsman armor as her assailants yelled "We shall murder ye traitor!" The bloody seconds that transpired in that dark Karlaggar alleyway at first glance would seem quite the norm. A number of black clad figures and civic guards dead in an alleyway behind an old Duke's Tavern. But then the party fully realized, the black clad figures were Harpers, the guardsman in fact Zhents.
The female dressed as a Karlaggar guard was familiar with the party's reputation and introduced herself as Edirra Swiftstar a Harper agent who had infiltrated this Zhent cell or over a year in disguise. She had called for the Harper Strikers in desperation. For she knew that what ever was happening in Zaz was getting out of control far too fast, and her cover was increasingly in question. She had used her arcane powers so far to act as a convincing leader for this terroristic Zhent cell of Cyric. Although the party had grown to expect something of great terror behind these events, the revelation of Harpers and Zhents from within the shadows of Zaz would change everything. The party continues to converse with Edirra Swiftstar and the remaining 3 Harper Strikers about the Zhent influence in the shadows of Duke's Tavern. The consequences for murdering the first Harper Striker are still unresolved and have just begun to weigh upon Randal's heart and soul.
Somewhat shaken, the two moved with haste down the stairs and subdued a couple of un-prepared Guild guardsman. They reached the entrance to the underground level of the guildhall and recomposed themselves. Now invisible, and moving with great care, the two thieves pushed downward through the basement levels. Julian found a very large trap door, leading down to an obviously tunneled out space. These dark caverns led them deeper below the city, and they found much of the Guildhall’s missing furnishings. In addition, the two found evidence of continued sea trade even after the quarantine had been initiated 4 days ago. A personal letter to the Knights of the Sheild dockmaster was signed just 1 day ago under the name Cutlass. As they moved farther down these deep caverns they reached a great underground sea port. Being actively operated by numerous Knights of the Shield ship workers. A trade ship was just leaving the horizon under black sails as the rocky sea doors closed with silent mechanics. Clearly, the Knights of the Shield were remaining active in illegal operations.
With the need for quickness the party decided it would be best to Teleport through the other quarantine zones directly to the Wainwrights to investigate the first underground location. Terus led them with the Teleportation however, they were seen by at least one Lobi-Tongo convert whom promptly told a guard post of other Lobi-Tongos. Nonetheless, the party continued on and entered the sewer system. Although they had been in the bloody streets of Zaz for the past 4 days the sewers showed more blood and death than they could have imagined. The party moved through the winding Wainwrights sewers for a while, and reached a fairly large secret door that Julian disabled. Inside they found relatively clean sewers, with no signs of blood or dead bodies. Whoever had been managing the sewer entrances above was doing an especially good job in this area.
They arrived at a massive underground room where many tributaries of sewer water joined and left the city. The great room was filled with wagons and robed merchants actively trading many goods including, wild animals, precious metals, food, and slaves. The merchants payed homage to a large altar to Shar as their caravans arrived and left from a large underground tunnel leaving the city to the southwest. Disgusted with their sight the party could find no evidence of official Zhent activity, although undercover Zhent agents could still be operating under the guises of merchants and guardsman. They left the protected sewers and moved underground towards the Markets District to investigate the second suspicious location Edirra had described.
