DAY 300 (3rd Hammer)(January) cont...
It was evening and Fenrir was still in the cells under Castle Cormaeril. Sure that he would be able to talk his way out it somehow, Veddic and Arahel went to sell all their loot at Gondeth's Magaries.
Fenrir was indeed trying to talk his way out of his cell and started by requesting a guard to fetch him a 'Fire Knife'. Sodder, the wizard they had battled earlier, arrived and Fenrir turned on the charm.
He made a friend but it was not within Sodder's power to release him.
That power was Tagreth Cormaeril's alone and he arrived later to interrogate Fenrir, who was tied down to a bench in another larger room. Fenrir tried to be as friendly and charming as he could, but Tagreth kept the questions direct and simple.
From what I gather this was how it went:
Who are you?
- Raziel Lightningrod
Where are you from?
- Waterdeep
How long have you been in Westgate?
- couple of weeks
What brought you here?
- a life of grand adventure
Who do you work for?
- Day Air Watch but also
- freelancing for a mysterious third party who recently hired me to spring the Diablos.
Why did you want with the Diablos?
- see above
What do you know about the Night Parade?
- very little, the guy was a member of that?
How long have you been in the watch?
- 6 days
Who are your associates?
- Dressdelle of the watch
- Arahel
- Veddic
Where are you accommodated in town?
- small place in town
From what else I have heard about this encounter there was a bit more back and forth after that:
Fenrir: Before you go, my lord. Consider having me work for you as a double agent in the watch?
Tagreth: After your cack handed attempt at jail breaking? And proving so lose and easy with your secrets?
F: Ah, but I went softly on your guards. I did not wish to kill anyone I didn't have to.
T: That was first of your many mistakes then!
F: I did not wish you to appear weak my lord, just to do what I had been paid to do.
T: You should have killed them all, ruthlessly. I would have done.
F: (Growling) Make no mistake, I could have easily slaughtered them all!
Tagreth was affected by Fenrir's intimidation, but turned to leave anyway. The impatient warlock at that point made the fateful decision to chance his arm with an old 'friend' and called out,
'Hello dear, you're home early!'
You may remember, dear reader, that this was the phrase that summoned Bnurgstickslackskin (if he was in the mood to be summoned) and Fenrir's luck was in (well, if you consider a fifteen foot tall, four armed glabrezu demon suddenly appearing in the room lucky).
Needless to say Cormaeril near soiled his trousers when Bnurgstickslackskin appeared, his mighty bat wings filling the cell. Bnurg grabbed a guard in one of his massive pincers and held him like a child clutching a doll.
'If you could unchain me now old chap,' said Fenrir.
Terrified, Cormaeril did so, then backed out of the cell.
Fenrir helped himself to one of the magic crossbows as he left, flying out the hole that Arahel had made while she was a giant. Bnurg was too big to fit down the side corridor so for reasons only known to himself he ripped the guard he held in half, threw the two bits at the other cowering guards then snarled 'Today is your lucky day!' at them. He then dematerialised back to the Abyss.
Fenrir was halfway home when he slapped his forehead and turned back again, remember that he should really have taken Bwabazwards the diablos with him!
Back in the cells he politely requested the guards release Bwabazwards to him and with trembling hands they opened the door and let the diablos out. Fenrir carried him home through the air on his back.
He arrived at the cottage at about eleven in the evening, then with Arahel and Veddic they all took Bwabazwards to the house on Fish Street where the Night Parade dwelled.
In return for the glad return of Bwabazwards, the Night Parade told them that the portal they sought was on a small island five miles out to sea. They could provide them with a boat if required.
Also while there Fenrir finished chatting up Bezebelle, their leader, and then disappeared upstairs with her for a couple of hours of very mysterious and dream like passion.
Arahel and Veddic waited awkwardly downstairs for him.
DAY 301 (4th Hammer)(January)
At about one or two in the morning they finally made it back to the cottage and their beds. Only to be up again a few hours later to report for their Day Air Watch shift at seven.
Well, Veddic got a lie in, but Arahel and Fenrir reported for duty and were immediately called in to
Trepplemar the Magnificent's study.
When asked about what had happened up at Castle Cormaeril, Fenrir lied his head off saying they had been up there, but just at the market and certainly had not seen any big scary demons!
As ever his smooth manner managed to keep Trepplemar off their backs for the rest of the day, which they spent, as usual with Dressdelle. The weather was snow, sleet and rain so they mostly took shelter on the towers and watched for trouble from their while drinking sugary tea and eating the local food (burritos and chimichangas).
Nothing exciting happened at work so they made their way home at the usual time fairly well rested.
They found that a letter from Cavu had mysteriously appeared on the kitchen table. It was in code, but using the book 'Lady Lovelace and her many gnomish lovers' as the key the swiftly decoded it.
It read:
''
Use whatever extra funds you need to make this happen, but you need to become the leaders of the faction you have chosen. Do it gently, but do whatever it takes to make this happen. If this seems impossible at this moment, then see how far you can get investigating the Snake Gate. From what
I'm picking up from Gerty, I think that whatever you find there may help you with what you are doing in Westgate. In order to reply to this message, please write it in code and hand it to the merchant I named in my previous letter. You may expect a reply the next day.
''
Fenrir wrote a short reply telling Cavu that they were planning a boat trip out to the location of the island, but did not immediately deliver it to the merchant.
DAY 302 (5th Hammer)(January)
Day nine of Arahel and Fenrir's shift with the Day Air Watch was clear, but over cast. They patrolled around the city but it was uneventful. They talked to Dressdelle a bit, she was pleasant company. She had previously told them that she was doing 'community service' for the city of Westgate but as yet was not willing to reveal why.
After their shift they were once more summoned to the chamber of Trepplemar the Magnificent. She had obviously learned more of the events at Castle Cormaeril.
She started with:
''
Although I'm not unhappy in the slightest that you went after that old bastard Cormaeril and the Fire Knives, you brought the watch into it. This is going to cost us a lot of political capital to smooth over. I see no other way but to kick you out of the watch.
''
Fenrir once more managed to talk her round, admitting that they had been their to rescue someone. She relented and went on to say:
''
Lady Dreggleblot and then the Fire Knives. That's two big mistakes in less than ten days. One more and I've got to get rid of you, for good this time. Any more and you'll bring the watch to its knees!
''
That evening, back at the cottage, Nebulous the Rascal, their friend the jolly merchant arrived at their door, hooded and cloaked. When safely in the kitchen he offered this sage advice:
''
If I knew your plan was going to be go in all guns blazing then I would have cautioned you. My advice would have been to either use stealth to get in and strength to get out, or strength to get in and stealth to get out. Only use strength both ways if you have it and surely you must of known you needed some extra muscle when I told you how strongly defended the castle was?
And to not go in disguise is unforgivable, I'm trying not to think about it, it's an insult to plan making, really! I, of course, would have chosen stealth in and stealth out.
You'll live with this mistake for a long time. In Westgate you see, it's all about factions, and political power. It's much better to know where to apply just a little pressure, than hammering away with brute strength in the hope that this compensates for lack of understanding and preparation.
''
His advice fell on deaf ears though. Fenrir had his own way of doing things and Arahel was too young to understand most of it.
Nebulous also told them that if they planned to help him with the warehouse he wanted to knock over it would have to be this night or the next so they agreed to do it that night.
A guide took them to where the warehouse was, a couple of miles along the coast. He was a gnome called Charrlo "Chuckles" Marnon and they arrived at about eleven o'clock that evening.
The plan was that they were to deal with all the warehouse guards, then shine a light at the door to let the others know it was safe to come and start taking away the merchandise.
To start with Arahel turned into a spider and skuttled under the door. She found a large room full nearly to the ceiling with bales and boxes. In the walk ways were large skeletons, standing motionlessly.
When she reported back, they broke the main lock and entered. The skeletons were bigger than human, but easy for a powerful cleric like Veddic to deal with. Fenrir finished them off as they ran away.
The warehouse was clear, but they found a trap door at the back and opened it up. There was a ladder down to a stone carved corridor. At a crossroads they saw a flesh golem that attacked them.
Arahel turned into a tiger and went for it. As the thing was immune to magic, Fenrir could not help and all Veddic could do was heal Arahel whenever she required it. Bit by bit she tore chunks off the golem with her claws until it was nothing but a heap of flesh and bones.
They golem vanquished they moved on further into the dungeon.
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