Session VI: Tensions and Curiosities

General Summary

Soon after arriving at Trollskull Manor again, the party sees a figure sneaking up on them, who turns out to be Irven. Irven explains to the party that he was kidnapped and kept prisoner by Zhents in the Field Ward. He managed to escape and shows the party three letters that he managed to grab from the Zhentarim hideout. One letter, written by Urstul, addresses Cassius and asks him to stake out a Xanathar hideout where the Stone of Golorr might be hidden. The second one addresses Urstul and is written by an Ardragon Ragna. It talks about certain preparations happening in the eastern provinces and the bribing of commanders. The last letter, which is half-burned, talks about the transport of weapons, armor and a few paintings to a Zhent warehouse. The name of the street where the warehouse can be found is bearly readable, but the party can discern the letters 'ers', and Holtz quickly figures that it probably concerns Three Daggers Alley in the Dock Ward. The party decides to check out the warehouse and head to the Dock Ward. When they arrive in Three Daggers Alley, they find it mostly empty, except for two individuals standing guard in front of a building. The party approaches and a fight quickly breaks out, which ends with Kairon throwing one of the guards right through the door, behind which a large group of Zhent thugs is waiting for them, fully prepared for battle after hearing the commotion outside. A tense fight ensues, during which reinforcements for the Zhent even pour in from a back room. The party manages to cut down all their foes, but not without Irven, Xiaobo and Kairon getting knocked unconscious. Holtz goes and searches the back room, where he finds a table, some closets in which he finds a health potion and a good amount of gold, and a hatch in the floor. Holtz uses the health potion to heal Kairon, who moves a closet over the hatch to make sure there aren't any more suprises. In the meantime, Emerald searches the crates in the warehouse, which she finds to mostly contain weapons and armor. After searching the warehouse, Holtz, Kairon and Emerald tie up the only surviving Zhent member and begin to question him. He doesn't seem to know much however. He tells the party that he justs guards the warehouse and helps transport goods from time to time. He does identify the leader of the warehouse, Connor, who also has been killed by the party. When they search Connor, they find an interesting belt with a dagger and some gold, but nothing else. Now that they have found out as much as they could, the party decides that its safest to head back to Trollskull Manor before any more trouble comes their way. They carry Irven and Xiaobo out of the warehouse and onto a dray, and head for Trollskull Alley. When they arrive there, Esmeralda and her children are still there, cleaning the tavern a little bit. The party asks her to give them some privacy while they rest in the common room. After a few hours of rest, Xiaobo and Irven wake up again, and the party begins talking about what to do next. They decide that's it is probably best to head back to the warehouse and tie up any loose ends that could lead the Zhentarim back to them. When they arrive at the warehouse, everything seems to look just as they left it. When they get to the back room, however, they notice that the closet has been moved off of the hatch again. When the party goes and investigates what lies under the hatch, the find an underground tunnel that leads to what seems like a small office and a storage room. Everything there seems completely cleared out and empty, safe from one painting that they find in a crate. When they head back upstairs, they find a duergar guarding a human in black chainmail and with the symbol of a flaming sword on a necklace, who seems to be talking to the corpse of Connor. The duergar and the human are suprised and try to flee, but they are quickly cut down by the party. The human is left alive and interrogated by the party. While he does seem more knowledgeable than their previous captive, he is also tight-lipped. The party, with some intimidation from Kairon's part, manages to pry out of him that he is named Ramon, and that he was sent by Cassius, who wanted him to find out what happened in the warehouse. Cassius would be waiting for Ramon at the Great Drunkard after his mission was completed. Having heard enough, Kairon quietly ends Ramon's life. Now the party is left alone in a warehouse full of corpses, bruised and bloodied after a long day of fighting, discussing their next move.