DAY 284 (19th Nightal)(December)
Arahel spent the day in the tavern as she was not prepared to do anything until her armour was ready.
Fenrir went into town to do some clothes shopping as he only had the outfit he had arrived in and wished to present a more dashing figure around Westgate. Among other things he bought a very fashionable hat. In Westgate the height of fashion was a wide soft hat with feathers around it.
DAY 285 (20th Nightal)(December)
Today Arahel's armour was ready to be picked up and the cottage they had rented was also ready for habitation.
The cottage was close to Thessar's House. Thessar was a retired mercenary who now spent his time telling stories and drinking beer on his porch as well as acting as an agent for sellswords.
Fenrir wisely arranged with a local locksmith to get new locks fitted of the most excellent quality on the front and back doors.
The moved in the gear they had taken with them from Pedestal, including a magical 'Field Provisions Box' which could feed up to fifteen people and several horses a day.
They spent the rest of the evening settling into the cottage. Harvel would not be moving in with them.
DAY 286 (21th Nightal)(December)
Today Harvel decided to earn his fee and start looking into getting Fenrir and Arahel 'in' with the
Night Masks.
To that end he went to look for someone known as 'Rudolph the Snitch' (asking a friendly watchman that he knew called Lushyr Myan) and eventually found him in a crows cage hanging from a gibbet on the southern road into town.
Harvel tried to bargain with Rudolph - a good word with the watch in return for help contacting the
Night Masks. Rudolph only wanted out of the cage though. Harvel walked away, probably expecting to be shouted at to come back, but in this case his bluff was called and Rudolph remained silent.
What he didn't know was the Fenrir had followed him, with Arahel as a wee puppy in his pocket. Invisible and flying they witnessed the whole exchange. When no one was looking Fenrir turned visible then walked up to Rudolph and agreed to come back and release him that night in return for his help. Rudolph readily agreed.
Meanwhile Harvel went to the Bent Mermaid and tried another of his informers, a man known as Shady Doug. He arranged for Doug to meet his 'clients' then returned with Fenrir and Arahel who were back at the cottage.
After some haggling they agreed to pay 200 gold for an introduction to a mid-level Night Mask and a 'Red hot tip' for the noon race at Bleth Track tomorrow - a horse called 'Two In the Pink'.
They next located Yntar Shieldblazon, a bard, in another tavern and Fenrir asked him a few questions about Yuan-ti in the city. Yntar remembered some trouble with them about ten years ago, involving the Fire Knives (an assassin's guild) and activity in the 'crypts', but said he would need a bit more time to gather more detailed information. They agreed to meet again the next day.
They went back to the cottage after that and in the evening Fenrir went and rescued Rudolph. When you can fly and be invisible this is no task of great difficulty, although it was noticed by people on the street. Westgate does have an aerial 'Giant Owl Patrol' but they were not called out.
Back at the cottage Rudolph was very grateful to Fenrir for saving his skin. He went on to say he would gladly help get them friendly with the Night Masks and that he just needed to go sort out a few things and he would meet them the next day at the Bent Mermaid.
He left the cottage, skulking out into the dark night.
All this time Arahel had been in bed.
DAY 287 (22th Nightal)(December)
Fenrir spent the morning at the race track and was delighted that when he bet 1000 gold on his horse it came in first! Since it looked like the race had probably been fixed though he had trouble with the bookies, but did get all his winnings in the end. He made an enemy of one of them though, a tough fellow called Hrumkle the Bookie.
At the Bent Mermaid, Shady Doug had also made a packet so when they met him he had a girl on each knee, a cigar in his mouth and a feather boa around his neck.
'Good day at the races lads?' he called as they came in.
They talked for a while and Fenrir asked if Doug had seen Rudolph the Snitch. He then hinted that he, Fenrir, had rescued him. Doug then said,
'Well, if Rudolph was in a crows cage then he was there because the Masks wanted him there. They would have rescued him if they wanted to. He wasn't called "The Snitch" for nothing you know. He'll have legged it, be well away from the city by now. Next time use the old noodle eh?'
Doug then went on to tell them to meet a man called Tormstar the Scarred at the Spitting Cockatrice at midnight that night. It was just down the road from their cottage in fact.
Doug also warned Fenrir to make sure and give Tormstar a good reason for why he wanted to join the Night Masks as they would be highly suspicious of someone from out of town.
On the way back they located Yntar Shieldblazon again and in exchange for a few coins learned that the yuan-ti had been seen around a place on the docks known as The Silver Star warehouse.
This had been ten years ago though.
Harvel spent the rest of the day 'doing the rounds' then found a good spot to watch the Spitting Cockatrice from.
DAY 288 (23th Nightal)(December)
Fenrir and Arahel walked down the road to the inn they were to meet Tormstar at. Arahel was in the form of a weasel.
One of the guards at the door said, 'Here mate, no weasels.'
Fenrir replied, 'Ahh, I'll just put it round the corner...'
He then went around the corner and Arahel jumped into his hat.
It also took a small bribe to get in after that.
While he had a drink at the bar a very attractive woman came to him and said, 'Follow me.' Fenrir did as he was bid and was lead to a private room upstairs where he was met by Tormstar.
Perhaps the ale he had been drinking was stronger than he had thought, because if he had had a plan at all, it evaporated into beer fumes.
He told Tormstar that he and his two companions wanted to join the Night Masks and Tormstar asked, 'Where are your companions tonight?'
He replied, 'If you don't mind I'll keep that under my hat.'
Arahel giggled a tiny weasel laugh from her hiding place.
Fenrir then said he had come from Waterdeep and was on the look out for new ventures. He then went on to display his ability to fly and to turn invisible.
'All very good,' said Tormstar. 'But this isn't a knitting circle. If you're companions want to join then I have to meet them.'
'Well,' said Fenrir lifting his hat. 'This is Arahel.'
Arahel hopped down, then turned into her normal form of a green skinned girl.
'Ah, a kiloren, I see,' said Tormstar. 'And your other companion?'
'...wishes to remain anonymous.'
Fenrir went on to explain about Harvel and wishing to be helpful wanted to inform Tormstar that Harvel now worked for him and anything he had done in the past against the Night Masks could perhaps be forgotten about. Tormstar hadn't heard of him, but did say,
'Bring him here, and your other friend. Then we can talk again.'
Fenrir realised he had put his foot in it. He had meant that Cavu was the "third man" but he had no idea who he was. Also, he pondered later, it might have been best not to mention Harvel at all.
'Well...' he said. 'Our third member is out of the city, perhaps I should have mentioned him...'
'You seem like powerful people, you look more like adventurers than thieves to me. Find a crypt and raid if for treasure. That's my advice.'
Fenrir then went on to talk in terms of an alliance, rather than joining the guild and Tormstar said, 'You can hire the guild if you need something stolen, or something killed.'
'What about information?'
'Yes, that too.'
'What can you tell me about Snake Gates?'
At this point, dear reader, you may be forgiven for letting your jaw drop open as Fenrir casually revealed one of the main reasons he was in the city to a powerful member of the local thieves' guild!
Be that as it may, Tormstar did reply, 'I'll see what I can do. Come back tomorrow.'
Fenrir and Arahel walked back to the cottage, the young warlock thinking to himself that if Ozborne had been around he would be getting a telling off by now. That wily rogue was much better at this sort of thing, Fenrir reflected.
And so, obviously, he unwittingly led the Night Masks right back to his house. Harvel, who had waited outside the Cockatrice in the shadows observed a stealthy figure follow the warlock and druid all the way back.
Harvel snuck up on the figure who lurked in the trees by the cottage. He noted it was a female.
'See anything interesting?' he asked.
'I don't know what you are talking about,' she said, but she did leave.
Harvel noted that she was dressed in leather armour and had a knife on each hip.
He then went inside to talk to Fenrir who told him that he'd made rather a mess of everything. Harvel was not too happy about his name being dragged into things but did realise that while he
had the protection of Nebulus he was safe from the Masks.
It seemed that Fenrir was off to his usual rocky start, but perhaps, like in Waterdeep, he would find a way. Gertrude always seemed to have faith in him to not necessarily do the right thing when it came to it, but to at least do the thing that moved things in the direction that she was hoping for.
What was her plan? Who knew? Not even Cavu at this stage. Gertrude played the long game and she did indeed move in mysterious ways, her wonders to perform.
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