(G286 16/08/2016 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ, HK) SS1

(G286 16/08/2016 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ, HK) SS1

And so, dear reader, I will leave my own adventures there for now! It wasn't long before I was back in Waterdeep though and via various sources, mainly my brother Corum, I heard of more thickening of the Vanguard of Sertrous plot.

It was only a few days after my return to Weyloon that it all kicked off again when Cavu the Cursed  started getting together a group of people to sent back to Kingsholm (via the yuan-ti portal near  Hommlet).

You may remember he had used Oz and Fenrir in the past to gather together clues as to where the Sword Merthuvial and the Ephod of Authority were buried. He already had the clues from Jade, Freddorick, Marten and Bardel. Now he could send agents to the graveyard of Kingsholm, dig up the last three bodies (Bokk, Banjax and Wulfgar) and learn the grave that the sword and Ephod were buried in.

He had also recently sent Mathmoss and Cale Cresthill to Hommlet to locate the last remaining yuan-ti portal to Kingsholm.

Remember also, dear reader, that this quest had connections to the Blood War in Waterdeep and it would be difficult enough to take on the Vanguard of Sertrous by themselves alone as it was, but add to that the  following complications and you can see that Cavu and his agents would really have their work cut out for them.

I will now list the 'complications':

The Devils : The 'clever' ones in the Blood War. At this time Gillaird DeRosan had been dealt with but the Devils had brought in another even more powerful player; a mysterious woman that as yet remained unnamed. However, Hallistar Blatt (a seemingly innocent wizard at the Watchful Order of Magisters and Protectors) was still around doing her dirty work.

The Demons : The 'chaotic' ones. Having dealt with DeRosan and the splinter group the 'Blood Drinkers', Fenrir was, as much as possible, trying to break his links with the Glabrezu demon Bnurgstickslackskin.
The wily old demon still had other agents in the city though and was finding other ways to weedle his way into the Thunderstaff family. The Demons were 'winning' the Blood War at the moment though.

The Grey Hands : Both Oz and Fenrir had come to the attention of Malliantor of the Grey Hands (the  group of high level adventurers that guarded Waterdeep) and she now knew of Cavu. She was keeping an eye on things, but the Grey Hands had problems enough as it was without looking for more.

The Harpers : The Harpers had expressed an interest in 'Helping' against the Vanguard but for reasons of his own Cavu had refused them.

The City Watch : Corum had help Cavu in the past and was willing to help, in his capacity as a Civilar in the Dock Ward watch.

Maaril the Dragon Mage : This powerful wizard was back in the city again. He was generally seen as a friend to Waterdeep (as it was he that held the Dragonstaff which protected the city from dragons) but he had a connection to the Demons that he kept quiet.

Royus Aderbrent : As it was his son Ellis that was used to tattoo the Logos onto Anya he has had a keen interest in everything connected to Fenrir and now knew about Cavu and the Vanguard.

The Temple of Kossuth : Not allied to either the Demons or the Devils but generally mistrusted by the people of Waterdeep due to their fire loving nature they knew a lot about Cavu via their connection to Veddic Carver, one of the senior Kossuth clerics in the city.

As you can see, dear reader, these were complicated times! Poor Cavu would have to navigate through this briar web of powerful players in order to reach his goal.


DAY 260 (26 Uktar)(November)

Let us start with Veddic Carver then. He, you may remember, was a Cleric of Kossuth (the fire god) and I had known him as a crew member and later part owner of the Sea Wyvern.

He had also been up to his neck in the whole DeRosan affair. Had been present that fateful night that Anya had been turned into a Vengeance Demon and had been locked up at the Artemel Villa with Raya when Fenrir and Corum had gone to Darkness Deep.

After DeRosan was transported to his own private hell in the Abyss the Artemel Villa had no more reason for holding onto their 'guests' and Veddic and Raya were bundled into a cart and dumped in Dock Ward.

And of course, after all that, Veddic joined the party of adventurers that entered the Undermountain in search of Barndel.

They returned, having successfully completed the mission, some days later and the party members all went their separate ways.
Over the following weeks Veddic worked with Jamella and Jhassin II (of the Hiilgauntlet Villa) setting up a shrine and improving relations with Waterdeep.

Deverrick Hiilgauntlet, who had died the night of the Vengeance Demon when the Villa was attacked by the Grey Hands, was offered a resurrection but (probably wisely) decided to stay dead.

And so, his replacement, Jamella Dotrok (Parry's older sister), teleported in from Thay as his replacement.
She was an 'Inferno Dwelling Mongoose' and the new Eternal Flame in Waterdeep. She was pleasant natured but strong willed and once she found out about Cavu and the Vanguard she, basically, said to Veddic;
'You are the resident Blood War expert! Go down to the Singing Sword and see what you can find out. Stick to Cavu like glue and report back to me anything interesting.'

This he did.

That night he met Cavu, who was in the process of hiring some agents to send to Kingsholm. So far he had recruited:

Billitoppe - a rock gnome scout born and raised in the city of Waterdeep. His parents were minor merchants in the city and I am lead to understand that Billi had recently been with a band of mercenaries outside the city harrying the remains of the Orc Horde of Obould Many-arrows. They had also spotted and encouraged his new found mental abilities.

Arahel - a mysterious being from the jungles of Chult. Initially she appeared as a elf male but as was found later she was a young (very young) killoren. Despite her youth, the wander lust of the killoren had struck her and here she was in Waterdeep. She was a druid and shapeshifter.

Veddic joined them. They were also briefly joined by some other hooded figures who Cavu talked to and arranged to meet the next day. They were introduced as Corum and Fenrir and they would be escorting them part of the way to Hommlet where the yuan-ti portal was.

After this, Hallistar Blatt arrived and he and Cavu had a very cryptic conversation.
'Shame, I really liked that painting' sighed Cavu, 'And you can't be more original? I mean, again?'
'What can I say, she's stepped up production at the bottling plant,' replied Blatt almost apologetically.

Blatt then left and Cavu asked Veddic,
'Do you still have that gnomish chromotographer?'
Veddic checked the time and Cavu then asked them all,
'Soon then. How may weapons did you bring?'
Billi popped upstairs to get his bow and returned just in the nick of time.

Cavu sent the bar maids up to clean his room, then the innkeeper to the cellar to get some wine and just as the doors were closing suddenly three man-sized jars appeared in the room from nowhere.

The jars then burst open and three mummies clawed their way out. Veddic turned two of them and then lumbered off into the night, out the back door of the inn.
Meanwhile Arahel turned into a tiger and attacked the other one while Billi fired off arrows that were rendered much more lethal by his mental abilities.

Three more jars appeared and three more mummys burst from them. Veddic used his Turn Undead powers again and the mummys headed for the street and the fighting went outside. Arahel turned into a Hill Giant and followed.
Veddic battles one of the mummys at the bar and the back swing of his spiked chain ruined the painting that Cavu was fond of (a group of dogs playing cards).

Cavu followed the mummys that had gone through the back door and shouted on his body guards (who were in the stables) to help him finish them off.

Meanwhile out in the street Veddic, Billi and Arahel fought the other three. One by one the mummies were killed off but it was a tough struggle and Billi had to use some fancy foot work to stay out of trouble. Arahel, sadly, although powerful, was not so used to the tactics of combat and allowed herself to be trapped and beaten to death by one of the mummys just as it too was finished off by the others. As she died she turned into her true form, a short green skinned girl.

If only I had been their to advice her I would have told her 'Turn into an eagle! Take to the air where they cannot harm you and summon crocodiles! Lots of crocodiles!'

Well, it was a shame, but it was to be far from the last we would hear about this strange and innocent creature.