Session 9: The Marvelous Captian Zord!

General Summary

We pick up where we left off: Action choices: 1.) Use magic umbrella to hunt down the other nimblewright. 2.) Ferret out the connection between the Drow and his boss. A.) Possibly have Bob wear the Captain’s appearance to draw out suspects. 3.) Look into the Sea Maidens Fair   We choose to investigate the Docks and the ship. Lauren and I will lead the search. The group splits up a bit, but we continue down the actual wharf.   There are many 3-masters in port right now; we encounter a older Dwarf with a scar across his eye that seems to be the Dockmaster. Two garish ships are taking on cargo, but not our ships; They are the Hellraiser and the Heartbreaker. I play jaunty sea shanties to put the dock people at ease   A man dressed in purplish exotic dress with an overcoat and a plumed hat. He gives me 3 platinum for my performance!   We check out a ship in drydock, as it may have sent out the Drow to make money while it was occupied. IT carries the name of Blue MArline; not our ship.   We now go hunting for a ship trying to be a little too nondescript. A midsized ship of 20-30 passengers and some cargo, a bit tattered and poorly maintained. IT is named The Antelope.   The last ship is large, with nice wood decoration. It is a lot heavier, and built to defend itself and be oceangoing; the crew looks a lot rougher. IT is named the Indomitable.   The wandering portion of the party overhears that the Dockmaster’s name is Murdrak Adtharn. Jared asks the Dockmaster “How much gold to ask about a ship and also that I was never here?” The Dockmaster directs us to Zord, a captain of one of the garish ships. He also indicates that the “Sea Maidens Fair” is the name of Zord’s fleet, not a ship.   I play an encore performance for the two ships while Bob presents himself as a common Drow. The crews take notice of him and he inquires about the fleet’s captain, with whom he feigns to have business. His attempt at persuasion is less than stellar, and they ask for a message they can pass.   When Jared approaches the ships, the magic umbrella starts to twitch! Jared acts intimidating and tells the ship’s guards we’re investigating their black market dealings and other matters. His intimidation works! The crew will notify the Captain and we will return at sunset. A transport ship, Eyecatcher, will meet us.   The umbrella speeds up near each of the ships, so two signals. Feng will warn the Lords’ Alliance of the situation, and Bob takes a carriage to the House of Inspired Hands to pass the message that we’ve found at least two nimblewrights at the Docks.   The dragonborn lady tells Bob that Nimblewrights are rare, but not unheard of. They can be had from the area of Luscan, and are sometimes used for transport and labor. Bob talks with Nimh about automatons; and he only offers the tidbit that the “Sea Maidens Fair” group does carnivals, spectacles, parades, etc. He also has no special details to share about his automaton for puproses of identification.   Feng fills in the Lords’ Alliance on our progress. Upon name-dropping Captain Zord, they recognize Zodious Zord. He is, apparently, quite the entertainer. Also, he receives some distressing news of a personal nature.   Clarification: Harko was the bandit we caught, and is currently in prison.   Lauren and I are taken to the Eyecatcher as entertainment, and the rest are an investigatory team for the Lords’ Alliance.   The CAptain’s didning captain is very lavish, with a wonderful repast. The captain, Zodious Zord, greets us. I play dinner music, while Feng begins the discussion in a respectful manner. Zord indicates that they worked with teh theater guild the previous week, they sometimes carry textiles, and have used their normal crew. Feng inquires about any Drow in Zord’s crew, and Jared’s umbrella is steadily moving. Zord balks at Drow in his crew and asks for clarification.   Feng relates the story of the cave fight and our knowledge of the specific Drow, as well as his connection to the Sea Maidens Fair. The mention of Harko elicits a response of connection: Zord enjoys dabbling in the base, yet exotic. On the automaton front, the Fair’s nimblewrights never leave the ship. Zord is apparently from Luscan. {ED: Luscan has a sometimes adversarial relationship with Waterdeep, is more militarized, and they sometimes fight over Neverwinter.}   Zord disavows Harko, and Jared gets intimidating and rough with Zord. The conversation gets more serious, but Zord refuses to escalate in the face of provocation.   I pitch the idea of our group replacing the unlamented Harko in Zord’s dealings, with the benefit for Harko that he can continue his business uninterrupted, and the group can draw out the Drow’s boss. Zord says he will consider this tempting offer.   Feng continues on Alliance business, and asks after his brother. Zord says that Feng’s brother is on the Heartbreaker, taken in after a drunken dockside escapade. The Heartbreaker’s crew will release Feng’s brother forthwith.   After observing some form of remote communication between members of Zord’s crew, I ask about the method. It seems to involve enchanted earrings.   Upon leaving, we observe at least twenty deckhands on a larger ship. We are rowed back to the Dock Ward and collect Feng’s brother. He is terribly hung over, it would seem.   In the morning, Feng reports that his brother had some dealings with our Drow, and he will continue to ply for information. JAred and Bob search for automatons, and find evidence of one in a Noble villa. Bob puts together that the guy who ran from the fireball attack (remember the fireball attack? it was kinda important.) may have found his destination at this villa.   Feng seeks an antidote for his brother’s sickness, which seems like more than a hangover. He also obtains dispensation from the Lords’ Alliance for our quasi-criminal undercover work with Zord.   Upon regrouping, Fend recognizes that the villa is the Gralhung villa (one of our forged signet rings). Gralhung are minor nobles in the city: wealthy, but not a Great House by any stretch. He performs research about this family, and will report his findings, if relevant.