Dusty: Dusty will try to get Sgt Vilroy to look into his family's case. He only has 170GP, not the necessary 200. My relatives release is a top priority. Maybe Delgo needs a small job done to get any extra coin. Also keen to help out Topsy, if he needs it, with locating Coal. You go to Daggerwatch station, but Sergeant Vilroy is missing. None of the people behind the counter know where she is but you sense they are being evasive in their answers. You head to the Queen of the Damned and after a short wait are escorted up to Delgo's office. "Heeeey, Dusty my friend", Delgo says "I was very happy with the work you did yesterday. Very happy indeed. That chest held something very interesting. You ever heard of schema? No? Ah well, it probably wouldn't mean much to you, but once I get this stuff decoded it will change things around here. Anyhow, what can I do for ya?" You explain how you are looking for some more work so that you can raise the money to release your parents from prison. "Hey, don't you worry about that", says Delgo, Ï know some people and I've pulled some strings. Your parents are getting out tonight". When he sees your grateful face he laughs, "I told ya, bub, we're family now. Now, have you got a good place for you and your parents to stay while you decide what to do next? I'd like you to hang around in Sharn, but if you want to go back with your parents then I can still help ya. I think I can find a few mutual interests". You explain that you are staying in overcrowded accommodation with your wider family. "Well, how about I set you up with some nice digs", asks Delgo, "Your parents can stay there for a while and you can stay there for as long as you like. My cousin Kelso runs Ghallanda Hall in Underlook. He knows you might be coming so you introduce yourself when you get there". You are then interrupted by a warforged knocking on the door and poking his head in, "Mr d'Ghallanda, sorry to interrupt, but Lord ir'Lantar has arrived and he don't like waiting". "Ok, Ok", Delgo says, "You'd better scram Dusty. Sprocket, take him out the other way". You are taken out another door, through a counting house and down some stairs into the main gaming room. The warforged, Sprocket, says "Mr d'Ghallanda is real pleased with youse guys. Keep it up and you'll do well" and gives you a hard metallic pat on the shoulder. He then heads back upstairs, leaving you to your own devices. Some choices for you to make: Do you want to move into Ghallanda Hall or stay with family? Do you want to remain in Sharn or return to the plains with your parents. They are keen for you to head homewards. How do you want to go about trying to find Coal? Do you want to follow up further about Vilroy? How? It might be nice for the family to stay up in some nice accommodation for a while. See the city a bit more and maybe expand our family contacts. I'll make sure they realise that they don't want to get too deep in with Delgo. He seems like the type that will need a favour returned in kind one day Sharn is proving very interesting and good money can be made quickly. It is quite risky though but I'm not too worried about that right now. I have met some tough friends to help. As a family member stationed in Sharn I could run interference as a distraction while our family missions are scheduled. Coal is a tricky issue. My first instinct is that Daask is behind this. Maybe someone at the clifftop guild might know something but that probably involves bribes. Topsy might have some contacts on this front and I'd be glad to help him out in any way. He always has great snacks. Vilroy is even harder. I'm not keen go sniffing around the watch office and if she is as worried about trusting anyone there then I won't argue with that. Besides, now that my family are out of jail she isn't of much help. I will keep my ears open to any rumours though. She is still a solid ally, and an ally on the force could be verrry useful. Ghallanda Hall is massive and pretty swanky. It is crowded with a wide cross-section of society, all of them with one thing in common - they don't seem to want to talk much. The owner, Kelso, is a thin and twitchy halfling who explains the rules of the place, how you can order food, where the training rooms and gymnasiums are, where the foodhalls are, where the bars are and how you can acquire luxuries. Food, alcohol and amenities are already paid for - you and your family need for nothing. The rules boil down to - keep out of other people's business, don't cause trouble, don't start fights. Your suite is amazing, with a large number of rooms, a balcony overlooking the ocean and a large living area. There is even a large empty hall with no windows but plenty of everburning lanterns on the walls. Topsy: A few things: • I am keeping the sky coach. I will see if I can create a space on the roof of my building for it, if not, find a nearby parking spot. • I will continue to reach out to the warforged and offer employment at my shop. I will offer them guard/muscle positions and for those who wish to, training in regard to the many crafting skills that I possess. I will reach out to my father to see if he will assist me in the training. • I will continue the research on creating Prosthetic Limb(s) • In-line with my 3rd level upcoming upgrades, will continue my research on creating a suit of magic-powered armour. • I will try to make contact with Iva, the urchin who helped us in the Terminus Ward and see if she will become a regular informant for me. If this works, I will see if I can start establishing a network of young informants like her. In line with the Baker Street Irregulars from the Sherlock Holmes mythos. • Take Jaela out for the series of meals that I owe her for her assistance in our exploits. At some point during this, will slowly realise that there are stronger feelings than friendship. That's a start. I think TT's immediate goal is to start to create his own muscle (warforged), support staff (warforged) and informants network (BS Irregulars) in order to set himself and the party as their own crew. You have a few options with the skycoach. You don't have any roof space in your building as it is part of a tower. Only the rich and powerful live at the top of towers. However you could: Rent a nearby dock at 1 Galifar per week Make a deal with some of your neighbours who have a dock in front of their houses - what would you offer? Build some barn doors in your workshop - however having a skycoach in your building would massively cramp your workspace. Many of the warforged are keen to work for you. You quickly find that most of them are not much use really, being used to being told exactly what to do and satisfied with mundane repetitive tasks. You also do not have the work or the income to permanently hire many of them. The warforged around the city are finding a new sense of worth and demanding higher pay. You would need to pay each warforged a minimum of 5 Galifar per week. There are 3 warforged with the brains to be suitable for workshop tasks, one who seems a quick learner and might become a very good apprentice, and as many as you like who can be security - not that you have ever needed security before. You talk to your dad about his taking warforged on, but he is not keen to. He works alone. You sense that he is hiding something and he mentions that it wouldn't do well with his other work. You question him on that but he changes the subject. A few days later he pops by and after some chat asks you if you would be interested in taking on some more responsibility around helping Gnomes around Khorvaire. He mentions a trust that looks after Gnome interests across the continent and says they are always looking for information. Chronk and Dusty also seem to be hanging around your workshop a lot and wanting work. Both seem to have taken quite a shine to you. Chronk is hard to handle as he is not very smart, not good at listening and very prone to breaking things. You also have a small flood of warforged coming to your workshop for minor repairs. This is not unnoticed by the neighbours, and one of them approaches you demanding that you stop attracting undesirables into the area. You continue researching prosthetic limbs, and you would easily be able to make basic prosthetics to a very high quality. But as you do not have a schema for the magic variety you would need to experiment in order to succeed. Your choices are: Find or buy a schema from somewhere - you know that house Cannith would have them, but they protect their schema. Experiment. You would need to spend the time and money (4 days and 50gp). You could then do a DC 25 Arcana check. If you succeed then you have created a working prototype and can spend time and money again to create working prosthetic limbs. If you fail, but fail by 5 or less then you do not succeed but work out some of the kinks so that you can try again with a DC that is 2 lower. With lab assistants you could reduce the time by 50%. You manage to track down Ivy, but she is really just a kid that lives in the building. She is happy to take your money and tells you she will report anything interesting that happens there. You manage to take Jaela out for two dinners and they are great. However she stands you up at the third dinner and can't be found past that. During the dinners you found out that she is part of the Clifftop Adventurers Guild and going there you find that she was pulled out of the city for a job. You had also asked her (on Dusty's request) if anyone at the Guild was able to find the missing warforged, Coal, who had been taken from your workshop. However the Clifftop Adventurers Guild doesn't really seem to bother themselves with such mundane matters, being more interested in establishing expeditions. So a few questions: How many staff do you wish to take on in your smallish workshop? Are you interested in taking part in your father's request? How do you want to pursue creating prosthetics? How are you going to deal with your racist neighbours? Any followup on Coal or Jaela? I think I'll go ahead and rent the nearby dock for the skycoach. Seems the easiest method. As for the warforged, I think I'd like to hire on 1 for muscle, a permanent guard for the shop considering what happened recently and 1 who can be an assistant for workshop tasks and definitely hire on the quick learner and start training them. The rest I will try and build a relationship with to be on call in case I need their services. Also to use them as my eyes and ears. Using the downtime activities rules, I should be able to craft 5gp worth of items a day, (maybe more since I'm particularly skilled?) to cover salaries and business expenses. I will see if Chronk and Dusty are keen on working with the warforged union to give them some protection and to be a point of contact with them. I can set them up with a bed in one of the spare rooms (which have rapidly been filled up now). My neighbours I will try to pacify a bit, especially since the number of warforged around should reduce as I will take one day a week to visit them to do repairs, rather than at my shop. Good chance to take the two skilled workers I have and put them to use. I will take the time to try the prosthetic limb schema as well with my assistants' help (see roll20 - 24 Arcana roll, but that being said, I need to be 3rd level so this is a nice role-play/mechanic fusion). As for dad, I will agree to have a meeting with the group. Making contacts seems like a good idea. However, I will press my father on helping train my apprentices if I am called away with business with this organisation, or in general. My neighbours I will try and push off. I will try and use Chronk and Dusty as an intimidating presence. I am not particularly good at social dynamics and don't have patience for it so seems the most expedient. I will leave a letter for Jaela hinting at the changing nature in our relationship and ask her to contact me when she returns (at her house). I will also go to the CAG hall and ask them to let me know when she returns or for any updates. Coal I will follow up with Vilroy (I think she was looking into it?). I would like to get her back if at all possible. Dusty tells you that Delgo has provided him with a luxury suite at Ghallanda Hall. He also tells you that Sergeant Vilroy is missing - he had gone to her for another reason but no-one at Daggerwatch station knows where she is. Chronk is in your workshop way too much. He is almost always breaking things accidentally. You consider talking to him about it, but then suddenly he is gone for decent stretches. He has certainly taken a shine to you though and seems to just like being nearby. You get to make one more check Arcana check to build a prototype prosthetic limb before the next adventure starts. This time it is at DC 23 since you did so well before. You send Chronk and Dusty to have a talk with your neighbours and the complaints stop immediately. Later that week you get invited to dinner with your dad, but when you get there you don't smell any cooking. A hooded and obscured gnome sits in a darkened corner. Your father ushers you to another chair and the figure speaks in the gnomish language". "You will be tested you know. Trust nobody and remember that your loyalty is to Zilargo, to the Gnomish race. Sure, make friends with others and mingle their society, but you must never forget where you came from. You live and die at our pleasure now. Since you know your father is a member of the trust, he will be responsible for you. Report items of interest to him and make sure you never leave our details. Your father will suffer also if you do not live up to the trust he has shown in you. You will be called upon when needed". He gestures at your father who escorts you from the building. Your father is pale and sweating. "I'm sorry my son", he says, and then shuts the door. Feel free to tell me the personalities of the three warforged you take on. Chronk: Chronk will hang out with Topsy - its easy to break things and Topsy likes fixing things, win win. He will trade in the paper for proper gold. While he does not care about some individual goblins (sorry mike), he does not want to see the goblinoids taken advantage off. He is interested in seeking vengeance. You and Dusty both seem to spend quite a bit of time at Topsy's along with some warforged who appear to be working there now and other warforged who drop in often for minor repairs. Topsy seems happy but always stressed. After a few days you get a messenger asking you to visit Delgo, so you make your way to the Queen of the Damned, taking the long way and enjoying the sights and smells of the city. You are ushered into Delgo's office. " Heeeeey, Chronk. It's great to see you buddy. I just wanted to thank you for your work a few days ago. You really helped me out you know, that chest you brought me was very interesting. Very interesting indeed. Hey, you don't know how to break hobgoblin codes do you? No? Never mind, just a thought. Anyhow, I thought since you helped me out I should help you out. I like to know about the people I work with so I found out a few things about you. You're a gods-blessed hero. What the heck are ya doing in Sharn? If ya wanna tell me what you are doing here I can see if I can help. I know a lot of people. I also see that you're living in a bit of dive. I'd like to make the same offer I made to to Dusty a few days ago. My cousin Kelso runs Ghallanda Hall in Underlook. Compared to where you are it's a palace. I can set you up there with Dusty in a nice suite and it won't cost you a thing. Whaddya think?" He looks at you for a moment and you pause to process all he has just told you. You provide a brief answer. "And another thing, I need some muscle for some work that needs to be done. There's people out there that don't like to pay their bills. I want you to go around with a couple of my other men and your job will be just to be there. You're a pretty scary looking guy and I think you will be a good persuasion for people to pay. I don't say there won't be trouble, but it's not too likely and I'm sure you can look after yourself. I'll pay you too, 30 Galifar per week. You in? So three questions to answer: Do you want to move into Ghallanda House with Dusty? Do you want to tell Delgo why you are here? Do you want to be an enforcer for Clan Boromar? I might know a little bit - if not I could probably find out about the Hobgoblin codes. Ah ... well ... I like Darguun, but its a big world and I wanted go to wandering as I don't like being told what to do all the time. Ah thanks for the offer, but I'll stay with Topsy. He likes fixing things I like breaking things so its works out well. Don't mind earning some extra coin - on a freelance job by job basis .... Do you want to move into Ghallanda House with Dusty? - no Do you want to be an enforcer for Clan Boromar? - no Chronk does not want to be controlled by Delgo, however Chronk does want to know more about the chest. Happy to do some extra work as a specialist contractor, but not on staff. Delgo is happy for you to come on job by job and has a list of people who need talking to. You wouldn't be doing the talking, just being in the background. Let me know how much work you would like to take on - Delgo always has a use for muscle. Delgo shows you the chest and inside are ancient documents that look like some kind of blueprint. However all the language swims in your eyes when you look at it. Delgo tells you that the plans are magically protected, and even when you get past that magic they are encoded in a way that magic does not seem to be able to crack. He does know that it is something from the ancient Dakaani Empire though. Keen for any work relating to the chest and the Dakaani Empire. Approx 2 to 3 days a week work if its going. Need to visit Gydd Nephret for more info/guidance about the chest and plans. Will completely avoid mentioning the ashen crown and ashtura's blade to Delgo - however that's the information/items I'm after. Do you mention that is what you are after to Gydd? not directly - trying to be vague as possible. Always keeping the Ashen Crown & Ashtura's blade objectives to myself. more like ... I got this friend, who has a friend, who new a guy that over heard a bar conversations about - magical writing that wobbled ... reckoned it was something to do with old Dakaani stuff ..... seems strange .. . This gets Gydd incredibly excited. She asks a ton of questions, most of which you don't know the answer to which isn't help by her speaking Dhaakani with a strong human accent. She asks if you are able to get the chest to her so she can assess it. lots of uming and back tracking - ah just curious ... I dont have it ....just an rumor from a guy who new a guy etc ... Ahtara: I will go to the Sharn Shrine of il-Yannah to medicate and debrief what has occurred so far with the Enlightened Havakhad. To hear his wisdom and discuss plans for uncovering any Dark Dreamers within the underground organisation as well as having a guiding influence on the people tarnished by shadow. You enter the shrine and immediately feel a calm otherworldly peace. The smells and the sounds calm you and remind you why you enjoy being here. If it weren't for your missions you might choose to stay here indefinitely. You find your way the Enlightened Havakhad who is propped up by many cushions in a comfortable chair watching the comings and goings of the temple. As he sees you coming he raises a frail arm and makes the sign of contented peace. "Ah, Ashana", he says in a frail yet powerful voice, "I have been waiting for you. I have much to tell you. But first, please tell me of your coming and goings in the outside world". He gestures for you to sit and you position yourself on the floor at his feet. You tell of your adventures of the last few days and he nods and smiles. "Yes", he says, "I can see you are in the right place to sway many from a path of darkness and onto the path of light. Just remember there are always those that are too far down the path of darkness and you must find a way to excise them without losing your own influence to make further change. Subtlety will ever be your friend. You have done well and I can see you have the makings of a champion within you". He slowly raises up to more of a sitting position and looks you in the eye, "but I have more to tell you. I have had one of my premonitions". As he speaks you start to see images in your head. A spire, an ancient goblin blade, a swirling darkness filled with tentacles. "I see the darkness approaching and when it arrives it will have always been here. You will find a place where this world and the world of dreams mingle and you will enter the darkness to save the light. More than that I do not know. I apologise for being obscure, I know exactly how annoying it can be. But hold my vision in your heart, this is still some way in the future and you have much to accomplish in the meantime. Stay, meditate and enjoy the space. The world will send you a message when you are required again. You have earned a little rest". With that he sinks back into his cushions and falls asleep. You spend the next two weeks in the temple meditating on what he has said. Dresk It's amazing how, after the events of that day, everything just returned to normal. Go to work, go home, go to work, go home. While you spent much of your adventure scared and in danger, it kind of reminds you how much you enjoy the adenaline. Hopefully something more interesting comes up soon.
