The group arrive back at the Thurrani enclave just after midnight, their first port of call is to ask for Taj, unfortunately he is not present at this time so they discuss further options. They feel that they can not abandon this investigation for two reasons, firstly there is limited time to save the girl, and secondly they can not be seen by the Deathsgate Guild to be giving up so easily or they will never be accepted. Amidst discussions of returning to the Grenn family tomb and investigating the Vol temple there they decide that the best course of action is to return to the Gaze and watch. Whilst hiding Anvil amongst the debris of a nearby alley they are disturbed by a contingent of 6 guards from the Gaze, they march towards the party with determination and shout, "Lorric the Iron Hand!! The Lady wishes an audience with you and your companions." They are swiftly escorted into the club and into the basement room. Interestingly enough, Lorric only introduced himself as Lorric, the Lady is obviously well connected.....
The Deal
The rest of the group meet the enigmatic Madame of the Gaze for the first time and although all of them see the strangely animated hood, only Kapek hears the gentle hissing from the shadows.
After some debate and the threat of how the Thuranni enclave would look much nicer with a "Statue" of Pearl decorating their foyer she suggests a course of action.
“Perhaps I could return her, obviously without the merest memory of our acquaintance, and perhaps you could do something for me……?”
“My people are scattered a little thin on the ground at the moment, threats from Daask are constant, and so I would ask you to simply escort a shipment from the docks in Precarious to the Stores.”
“Head to West Pier number 38 tomorrow night at 10.30 (p.m.), there is a shipment arriving for a client of mine, help get it safely to it’s destination and the girl will be released alive….”
“Meet Firthmel Shek by the ‘Silverwind’, by the time you arrive the shipment should be loaded onto his cart and he will be ready to go. There will likely be trouble, there always is, so be prepared.”
“I am sure that House Thuranni is paying you well enough for the girls safe return, why should I pay you when she is worth an extra 100 gold alive….” She says with a smirk.
After the meeting, Lorric is asked to remain for a few moments where the Madame warns him that he must be careful about the influences that are present within his organisation. She suggests that others have concerns that may push him in certain directions.
The group also manage to barter a 6 month pass to the establishment and Anvil gets the opportunity to examine a pair of the goggles that the door guards wear. He determines them to be imbued with the power to "Discern Shapechanger". The desk duty offers an interesting piece of information at this point, he lets the group know that the Tyrants are primarily changelings and for this reason they have to be particularly careful who enters the premises.
After a few drinks and other entertainments the group retire to Anvil's home in the cogs, preparing for tomorrow night.Lorric heads back to the House of the Long Arm, concerned about the conversation he had with the Lady, he finds no evidence to substantiate her claims.
Night Falls...
After a day spent relaxing or crafting the group decide to head out to the docks of Greyflood.
A cart drawn by two stocky horses stands by a vessel that may once have been glorious, but now looks as though it has seen one too many storms and pirate attacks. The dirty sails are tattered and the wood is warped and split, creaking loudly with each wave that creeps to the pier. There are two men stood in the dim light smoking and speaking in subdued voices, a young elf woman sits atop the wagon.
As you get closer you can see that one of the men is clad in splint-mail and carries a well used longsword by his side, the other is a simple dock worker wearing thin leather clothing.
After a day spent relaxing or crafting the group decide to head out to the docks of Greyflood.
A cart drawn by two stocky horses stands by a vessel that may once have been glorious, but now looks as though it has seen one too many storms and pirate attacks. The dirty sails are tattered and the wood is warped and split, creaking loudly with each wave that creeps to the pier. There are two men stood in the dim light smoking and speaking in subdued voices, a young elf woman sits atop the wagon.
As you get closer you can see that one of the men is clad in splint-mail and carries a well used longsword by his side, the other is a simple dock worker wearing thin leather clothing.
They can see that the crew of the Silverwind is primarily human but the captain barking orders is a minotaur.
The elf woman is Katerina Penchurst, a healer and the man is a fighter called Leftan Krellson. The cart driver is simply a commoner who makes his living out of hauling freight.
The cart winds its way up the dizzying street that clings to the cliff face. Above you the cranes of Precarious haul their freight into the district, obviously your employer is unwilling to pay the costs for such a service, you curse as you see the narrow road stretching steeply ahead.“We will be staying on the main roads once we are out of Precarious and into the Stores, there are fewer guard patrols there and it’s quiet this time of night, we don’t want to get caught in a dead end with the enemy at our backs, so no shortcuts! Daask are cunning so keep your wits about you.”
After about 45 minutes of walking the streets become quieter as the bustle of Precarious is left behind and the darker stiller streets of the Stores surround you.
Ambush!!!
With a great whoosh and explosion burning barrels of oil and piles of timber are dropped behind the cart from a bridge some 100 feet up. The everburning torches in the street ahead are somehow extinguished. The street is plunged into darkness and the howls begin... Shek, the cart driver runs into nearest alleyway to hide and a few moments later a stifled grunt can be heard followed by a dull thud.
Hyenas in the side street begin to sniff the air looking for fresh meat.Howls and barks emanate from balconies, windows, rooftops and bridges, shapes can vaguely be seen jumping in excitement.
Hyenas accompanied by Gnoll warriors begin to attack.
The group has nowhere to go but forwards, they must fight...
After an arduous battle against the pack of gnolls and their hyenas all led by a flind, the group realise that they are not alone in this battle as gnoll bodies begin falling from the windows and balconies above.
Moments later as they are gathering the few pieces of loot from the gnolls they are approached by a handful of halflings. The Boromar clan are here.... They urge the group to move on as quickly as they can as it is still not safe. And after repairing Anvil who was rendered inert during the battle the group move on.
The cart is delivered safely to the warehouse and the group return to "The Gaze".
Tactical Map
