Session 21 Pregame My assumptions is that the players don’t just hang out in the gambling den. Like everything, answering questions and getting answers is an interactive process. Gravycakes, Jebb, and Ezeqrus all begin talking to people and work to get as much information as possible about the current situation. Nards & Nard Guards of the Undercity Everyone roll 1d20. The guards seem to genuinely respect the party, especially Cassius. The Nards are a little hesitant, but definitely nice. They treat him better than anyone else in the party. Some of the Nards seem quite curious about Rurrick. The guards are a little weary, but dwarves come out of the woodwork to admire and greet him. None that he meets recognize his name, but after a few days he gets the feeling some know something about him. The Nards seem curious about Ailekk, and others fearful. However, the curious seem to outnumber the frightened. Most of the Nards seem strangely not bothered by Urd. These might be the first dwarves he’s ever met not bothered by his heritage. Check that. They are the first dwarves he’s ever met not bothered by his heritage. In fact, they embrace it in a strange way. Occasionally one will call him pigling, but that’s about it. Everyone likes Swell great, he’s in good company. They love to gamble, and he does a great job of conning some of them. Conversation with Gravycakes Come to find out his name is Brady Thistlefoot, Gravycakes speaks with a passion and honesty that come off authentically. Either he’s the most honest and noble thief you’ve ever met, or the best you’ve ever met. Maybe a bit of both. He eat pretty constantly, and you’ve found that getting him food is the key to opening his willingness to speak. He refuses copious amounts of alcohol, and seems alert even though he pretends not to react to small noises and bumps. You get the feeling he is constantly aware of his surroundings and anticipating his next move. “Well. I have my parts of the city, where we do the best we can, that’s where most of the average folk live. Then you have Nard’s Town and their underground areas, then you have the places controlled by the guards, the uncorrupted guards, where the rich folk live. Then you have everywhere else. The elders all hang out in their inn, the Griffin’s Nest or some such bullshit. Underground things are even easier to control, so we have the real Guilds Town Market is underground, in the undercity where we can control who comes and goes and not the guards. As far as we can tell, the guards know their is corruption in their midst. The cult of Tiamat don’t really hide themselves. However, since being a worshipper of Tiamat isn’t a crime unto itself, by default of us living under Lord Shrave and all, there ain’t much they can do. Captain Sid is as much a straight shooter as I can tell, he won’t even work with me. I’ve tried to bribe that bastard multiple times to help his own people but he won’t budge. As far as the elders go, if you are out for the Dead Man’s Grace you are looking for is named Elder Ifflesbit Trunsfud, this gnome son of a bitch. I hate his guts. He’s quiet, until spoken to and then he’s full of life. Full of bullshit is more like it. Rumor is anyone in the scribe's guild who voted against him disappeared. The real one you want to go after for Tiamat is Elder Gremmus Ironfury. He shouldn’t be particularly hard to kill, if you can get to him. He stays surrounded by a half dozen guard lieutenants at all times. He sits on the council as the representative of Smithies Guild. I’d recommend not bringing his name up to Jebb, he’s likely to get riled up. Gremmus shouldn’t be head of the smithies guild, as Nards hold a monopoly on membership. However, Gremmus pays for dwellings of friends from out of town to be ‘citizens’ and therefore local voters so their votes carry more weight. He’s the reason why northeast Guilds Town is so unoccupied and is run by the Claws of Tiamat. He has homes there bought and paid for folks who don’t even live here. Other than Elder Elissa who is a member of the… well. They’re called the cult of Vane, but they are actually just those who worship Dravens. Anyways, other than Elissa all the others are either independent or are controlled by the Yuan-Ti. I think maybe all the other 5 are controlled by the Yuan-Ti. I personally believe they set this whole thing up. I can work on getting some proof, but I believe the Yuan-Ti set this whole thing up. They will have to be dealt with at some point. But given the threat to the city and the threat to Dravens Port and the rest of Dravens, I think the cult of Tiamat and the Dead Man’s Grace are the most pressing threat. Now, I have a finite number of men. But pared with the help of the Nards, and your help. I think we can do this. After all, you sons a bitches killed the corrupt Prince Raffolk. I got faith in ya boys. Except that Knight of Bahamut, he seems a little shift.” Gravycakes glares at Cassius. “One last thing. Does the bird man there… nevermind.” When pressed he says. “Nah, that’s racist. It’s just he looks like this Aarakocra assassin and bounty hunter that works for me sometimes. I’d swear they were brothers. But I’m sure they ain’t related. I’ve just been around the racist folks so long it’s done rubbed off on me.” Coughs, takes a big mouthful of food and shuffles off. Conversation with Ezeqrus She seems reserved talking to you. And she picks her words carefully. You can tell she isn’t a thief, rogue, or spy by trade, but understands the consequences of her words carefully. As she talks, you're 100% sure she is telling you some version of history, but you aren’t sure which one. “Yes. I am a member of the Vane. Those who serve goddess Dravens. To make a long story short, Dravens and Ruara were once close friends. Ruara chose the path of unlife. Dravens rejected his offer to join him and banished him to what she thought was an eternal prison. Sometime a couple thousand years ago someone set him free. After a time, his minions multiplied, and he gained his own cults. Back at that time, Dravens what is now Bonehammer and Dree. Dravens was this entire land except for Thrinegrove and Gravelback. When Ruara came back, necromancers and worshippers of death rose, including followers of Tiamat. The dark mother of chromatic dragons respects the dark arts. Combined, they wiped most of the worshippers of Dravens from these lands. Her followers hid and prayed in silence and secrecy in Kiernard. That was our home. Five to six hundred years ago, the Dree showed up, and with them a madness. Those of our tradition still in Kiernard knew they were our enemy. There is a man who aided us in getting the amulets to the followers of Ruara, those known here as Dead Man’s Grace and the Claws of Tiamat. His name is Dedrick, he’s a druid of Corrive. I know he hates Ruara, and he also hates the Dree. Other than that he can’t be trusted. He hates me I’m sure. If you seek gargoyles, goblins, and kenku, the kenku are our allies. As disliked as us, they make decent allies. They are fond of those of us Nards who follow Dravens. We give them purpose, but also homes and hope. The goblins and gargoyles are another matter. I told you a little about what I know of the amulets, they allow those who hold them to share knowledge, but also cast magic through one another via some ancient ritual. The evil your knight of Bahamut felt at the amulet wasn’t the evil of the amulet itself, but the evil connected to it on the other side. You say this dead human you found traded with some demon for these? Oh yes, that’s a demons name. He is allied with Ruara I am sure. Chances are there were several necromancers from around the realms all acting in concert to control these forces. Something…” She stops and looks a little sick to her stomach. It takes some time before she can continue. With a tear in her eye. “We never knew Ruara had such a network of allies. If we had known. We would never have participated. It’s just that Dedrick swore this would lead us to vengeance over Ruara.” Ezeqrus stop and puffs her chest. “Not in your face warriors, I confess. But we are proud and honorable. We seek the preservation of life and innocence. Ruara seeks to destroy such things. If you seek goblins, gargoyles, and even more awful things, those who were casting magic on the other side of those amulets are the ones you want to kill. Make no mistake. They will all be skilled necromancers, powerful enough to conjure hordes. My suggestions is to find the talismans and destroy them. Kill the Dead Man’s Grace. Then go after the Dree. I have no doubt they are to blame for all of this.” Her hands shroud with shadows and she wanders off, still a little upset. Conversation with Jebb Jebb seems both stoic and nervous at the same time. From his age and scars, it is obvious he fought in the Kiernard war. He’s the oldest Nard you’ve met so far. He doesn’t seem frightened for himself, but rather patient and cautious. “I don’t know what you want boys. By the way, your friends the halfling and gnome have disappeared from our scopes. Oh. Why didn’t Gravycakes tell you anything about that? He wouldn’t. He’s concerned about the people here. His people, and by that I mean the honest to gods citizens who live here. He’s concerned with little else. We were watching them because we like to watch those who might be allies or enemies. We have too many allies and not enough enemies.” Cracks a smile. “I guess maybe that’s the other way around. Listen. We can help. I know what is happening over in Dravens Port as we speak. By the way, you might want to take a step back and breathe. Too many miners want to go into the mines and dig as much shit as they can and keep going without supporting the roof, or protecting themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll march over to the infested tunnels with you guys right now and try to slay some of these undead creatures. But life ain’t just about victory, it’s about peace of mind and doing right. You want to do something right, help these people. Anyways, I’ve got work to do. When me or my people can help, we’ll put our chips out on the table in full force.” Jebb grabs his battleaxe and wanders off. Conversation with Twigg Twigg likes drinking, eating, gambling, and she’s pretty course. She doesn’t seem observant, but she does seem knowledgeable. Like a Twigg, she’s scrawny but if you had to guess you think she’s more on the green and flexible side than the old, easily snapped side. “What? Just tell me where to go guys. I know this undercity like the back of my hand. The whole thing. At the upper levels” She points upwards. “There’s guard barracks, training grounds, armories and the whole nine yards. On the south side of the lake is the undercity proper, run by ole Brady. Don’t call him that unless you really want to piss him off. There’s here and the Nard undercity, we’ve got tons of awesome stuff down here. Then to the east are the infested tunnels. Down below are the sunken tunnels, they can swell with water at any time this time of year, but there’s a bunch of those serpent fellers down there somewhere.” After some questions where she responds with vague answers that she promises she can answer better after some time, Twigg either waits for another conversation with someone else or a down moment and just moves on from the conversation.