An so, with Fenrir slung over Durz's shoulder they made their way towards the town of Pedestal. None of them had ever been in the Underdark before, and from this distance the settlement looked almost pretty, its few green lights twinkling in the darkness of the Great Grotto and reflecting across the Sunless Sea.
Arahel felt along way from the world she was used to, there was no trees or flowers, just mushroom and strange twisted roots.
As they got closer to the town they saw that the wide, sloping base of a massive column was built up with streets, walls, and hundreds of elaborate structures. A few glimmered with faint illumination, and here and there, lanterns shed green light in small pools separated by gulfs of shadow. Portions of the small city were completely collapsed and obviously abandoned, though others showed clear signs of habitation and upkeep. A great wall surrounded the lowest edges of the city, and upon that edifice, hundreds of rusty spikes pointed toward the cavern's high ceiling. Rotting heads adorned scores of those spikes.
The city gates were no more than half an hours walk away and they arrived at the broken down and half barricaded portal to find it guarded by more fish faced people. These were kao-toa, nasty fish headed fellow that attacked immediately with their javelins and spears.
They were no match for Durz, Billi and Arahel (who turned into a bison). Three were killed quickly, one ran away and the other tried to surrender. Durz walked over and killed the thing with one sweep of his axe.
The streets of Pedestal were pitched black, except where the occasional green everburning lantern still hung. The houses were either derelict and empty, or boarded up with the occasional chink of light shining under a door or between shutters. This was not a welcoming place.
The continued on, taking turnings in the streets at random until they came to a crossroads that had a dried up fountain in its middle.
There was a dark dwarf stood at it and as they approached she said,
'What business have you here, sun warts?'
They approached to make conversation, but were then ambushed, crossbow bolts flying at them from all sides. Arahel, still a bison, went charging off to root around in an abandoned building and chase one of them away. Durz and Billi burst into a nearby building and attacked the dark dwarf rogues that lurked within.
Once more it was a one sided fight, these roguish low-life's were no match for seasoned fighters like Durz and Billi or a powerful druid like Arahel. One was killed and three were captured.
Throughout it all Fenrir lay on the road where Durz had put him.
Billi, a good natured gnome at heart, organise the bringing of the three captured rogues into one of the abandoned buildings. They waited a while, none of them were healers (not even Arahel!) and did not know the best way to deal with a dwarf that was close to death.
In the end, after a couple of hours of waiting, they used the pine cones that Cavu had given them to heal them. The first had not been tied up, so after answering a few questions about Pedestal he jumped out the window and cheesed it.
The other two gave much the same information and in the end they released them also. The first one had warned them about not messing with the Assassin's Guild, but if this was the best they had to offer none of them were that concerned.
The rogues had told them that the best place to go in Pedestal for directions and assistance (if you had the coin) was a place called the Dripstone Inn and inquire after the owner, a gentleman known as Es Sarch. The Inn was several streets away but the directions had been correct.
Lights of every hue streamed from the windows of the sprawling three-story building. Conversing voices, snippets of song, and the clatter of crockery spilled into the street. Odours of exotic tobaccos, yeasty drink, and barbecued meat suffused the air. The wall facing the street was a sculpted formation off flowstone, like dozens of drooping hands, apparently built up from water falling somewhere high above. Here and there, stone faces leered out from the deposits.
As they entered conversations near the entryway wet quiet as many patrons in this common room looked over the new arrivals, particularly Arahel who was still a bison. Few of the faces seemed welcoming, and most that did looked hungry or insane. Dusky dwarves, wild-eyed derro, slim drow, and stranger creatures sat or stood in the dozen or so lantern-lit niches scattered about the large, high-ceilinged chamber.
A central bar was stuffed with bottles, casks, pipes, vials, cigarillos, and less familiar paraphernalia. Cloaked in white linen, a humanoid figure stood behind the bar. Four servers moved about the room, similarly shrouded. A side door apparently opened into a busy kitchen that was alive with the sounds and scents of cooking. From a great stone chair across the common room, a humanoid figure observed, wrapped in and hooded by a crimson robe that had a complex pattern of eyes on it.
Despite being a bison, Arahel was left alone by the patrons of the inn. Bill led them over to where the cloaked figure sat and introduced himself.
It was Es Sarch of course and as a gesture of good will he used a Remove Curse spell to remove the domination from Fenrir. He explained that they had had a run in with Imaug the Aboleth, a powerful monster that attacked travellers around the Sunless Sea.
He seemed interested in finding out about their business and the exchange of information began. Billi remembered the note they had found on the corpses back at the Earth Node and handed it to the strange patron of the inn.
Sarch told them it was written in yuan-ti and read it out,
Fadheela,
I have been delayed. My servants carry the king's bones and all the items of his champions that I could find. Merthuvial I cannot locate. l shall spend a bit more time trying to find it, but I am sending these on so our rendezvous is not compromised. Please give the Vanguard my regards.
l shall be along shortly.
-Xeron
He went on to tell them that he had heard of Fadheela and could find out what they needed to know in order to locate her. In return for doing this, he would set them two small tasks.
He explained:
"The first task involves Rikaryon's Isle, it is an immense island of fungus glimmers atop the Sullen Sea west of Pedestal, and I have been told that it releases dangerous digestive and luminescent spores into the air around it. These spores create a dim blue light, which you must have seen as you came to Pedestal, but they also slowly destroy fleshy creatures, including my undead agents. Those who live in this so-called Great Grotto are more susceptible to these spores. Sending anyone from Pedestal to the isle to collect what I seek would mean that creature's death. But for you surfacers, the threat should be minimal. Growing upon Rikaryon's Isle, as it is called, is a mushroom for which those here in Pedestal pay dearly. Its cap is a sovereign remedy against the plague that tumbled the ruling drow from their altars and thrones.
Journey down to the dock west of here on the Sullen Sea, find a seaworthy craft, a few are left, and head out to the isle. The mushrooms I seek are obvious, black with red spots in the shape of tiny hands. You can't miss them, though you might have to venture to the isle's centre to find them. Bring me at least ten.
The second task involves the a Dusklorn Matron. The disruption following Pedestal's fall lasts even unto this hour, though I must admit the vacuum provided by the fleeing drow has been to my advantage. Consider, though, that the reason this City did and does not completely collapse into chaos is due to my efforts. Nearly everyone here appreciates my influence. Bur gratitude doesn't last, and others seek to displace me."
Es Sarch's voice fell to a whisper. "The Assassins' Guild has decided to seek an alliance with House Dusklorn. If my agents were to disrupt this burgeoning accord, I fear I'd do more to cement the relationship than diffuse it. I ask you to eliminate or drive off Elessarwa Nledoor, matron of the house and a psychotic to boot.
I have knowledge of a hidden route into her secret torture chamber, where she slinks away from her duties to the Dusklorn to apply her savage arts to hapless victims she takes from Pedestal's alleys. I have arranged matters so the Dusklorn will believe her death to be the work of the duplicitous Assassins' Guild. That will be the end of that."
Finally, once they agreements had all been made, the drank and ate at the inn. It was Underdark food, but perfectly edible. Billi tried the cockroaches in cold green sauce. Arahel stuck to the milk, although the milk of what, she wasn't too sure.
Billi talked to some svirfneblin that sat in one of the dark recesses (svirfneblin are Underdark gnomes dear reader) and learned a little of the city. It had once been a drow settlement, but after an event known as the Plagueburst, they were all but wiped out. Now the city was riven by inter faction fighting between the gangs and guilds.
Fenrir also tried his hand at talking to the locals, with mixed results. He tried some dark elves (drow) and brought over a round of drunks,
'We want nothing from you,' said one of them.
'Oh I didn't realise I was talking to lady elves,' said Fenrir cheekily.
The elves got up to leave and one of them whispered in his ear, 'You've not heard the last of this, human.'
Next he tried a table of small blue skinned fellows. He did not know he was dealing with derro, a species of sub-dwarf that are insane to the last man (and woman). They were happy enough to gibber away to him though,
they were part of a gang known as 'The Inheritors' and counted derro, grimlocks and kao-toa amongst their ranks.
The said they would soon control the whole city and had just recently taken control of the south gate.
Fenrir smiled and nodded. He hadn't been awake at the time, but he was aware of what had happened that day at the gate. Eventually he bid them farewell and joined the others.
They also arranged rooms for the night, they would spent the night at the Dripstone Inn.
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