When the Party wakes up they have a quick breakfast and are given the following letter from Ilyana:
Thank you for the warning. Remind me to teach Kali the sending spell when next we meet so you aren’t subject to finding a sending bowl to communicate with me in times of urgency. Although I should prove to be enough to defend the town against 3 small dragons and their novice riders, Kelara is on her way back, having secured an alliance with giants.
They then head out to the stables where they meet the stable hand. Twelve Quick Minds is 23 year old human stable hand with blue eyes and dark hair. He is about 5’11 with and athletic build that is more than likely due to his work with the dragons that frequent the establishment. After having a small discussion with him and making sure their dragons will be in good hands, they head out.
The Party decides that their first stop should be Black Staff Tower to warn Khelbaen Arunsun about the vision seen by Renalia. As they enter they are led to a garden in the back where he is maintaining some of the flowers. He doesn’t put much stock into someone having the power to catch the drop on him and stab him from behind, but he thanks Kali for the warning. He also agrees to send word to Mirt the Moneylender as well as Carreigh Macumail of the visions they were both in. Diz attempts to climb the Black Staff Tower with little success but does seem to earn the favor of Khelbaen in the process. Khelbaen agrees to put in a good word to the Elf Queen for them to see if she will allow their passage to Evermeet. The Party also learns that Khelbaen doesn’t seem to want to be involved at all in the politics and squabbles amongst the Dragonriders, preferring to keep to himself and his studies.
The Party then heads to The Market. Kali overhears some gossip in regards to a wedding that is being set up at the Cynosure. She learns that the marriage is between Tehss Maerklos and Edwind Helmfast, and that Tess has been quite the Bridezilla. Burr recalls that the Maerklos family were one of the local brewers in Waterdeep providing some of the finest beer in the city. He points out their coat of arms on the side of the building which is separated into 2 sections. Upper: feminine eyes and lips on a pink field. Lower: Five black bendlets on a deep green field. He motions to the other coat of arms which shows a purple background with a white moon and sea foam, black and purple waves, and crimson ship hull and orange sails, deducing that the Helmfast family must have something to do with shipping.
They stop at Burr’s favorite food stall, Eilean's Maztican Delights, which serves an assortment of maize tortillas and breads with various toppings as well as sells some of the best foods to be found in the far off island of Maztica. Burr helps the others order and after filling up they head out to do some shopping.
The first shop they visit is Foolscap and Quills to see if there is anything of note. It is an excellent resource for all manner of fine paper and parchments, quills, and inks. The proprietor, Master Dunaer's, specialty is bound books, and he carries an excellent selection of tomes already bound with empty pages. They also see a poster for the Stationers’ Guild and take it to send back to Navin in case he would want to join the Guild with his shop being so up and coming.
As the leave the store they see a small boy selling papers calling things like:
- “Body theft in City of the Dead, necromancy suspected”
- “Sewer workers caught in gang skirmish”
- "Noble lord kidnapped into slavery years ago; impostor wears his boots!"
- “Festhall lady revealed as doppleganger! Make sure your husband is truly your own!”
They purchase one and see two main stories on the front page. The First was about a possible Nereid sighting down by the Sea. The second was about a fire at the Angry Coxswain in the Dock Ward. The description of the suspects rings familiar to the party as Team Anghst and they make a note to check it out once they complete their shopping.
They spend some time in Velstrode the Venturer’s where they pick up a Vest of Slow Descent for Diz, a Cloudspun Robe for Kali, and a pair of Shoes of Tippy Tappy for Burr. Their final stop before heading down to the docks is Nureene’s Marvelous Masks. Here they get to pick masks at random for 100 GP each. Burr obtains a Rebreather Mask and Kali chooses what turns out to be a Patron’s Overwhelming Favor Mask. Diz has a bit of a harder time, first choosing a Deathmask of the Whiteface. Against her better judgement Nureene allows him a repick for an additional 100 GP and he obtains a Blood Knight Mask.
They then head to the Dock Ward in search of the Angry Coxswain, seeing their dragons flying out above the Griffon statue getting some exercise. When they get to the Coxswain, it is burnt almost to the ground but being rebuilt. Burr, being a Waterdeep native, decides to see if he can poke around for some information. The proprietor, Ramas Shehepset, offers him a special drink in the back triggering the rumors Burr now remembers of many people going missing after nights at the Coxswain and ending up being sold in the slave trade. He quickly retreats to the dock where Kali and Diz are waiting.
They find three ships currently docked. One seems to be the honeymoon vessel for Tehss Maerklos and Edwind Helmfast with a large Just Married sign strung across it. The second is a small dingy of not much beauty. The final ship turns out to be that of Carreigh Macumail. His sailors are heading into the city for some time off as Khelbaen has sent word of the horrible vision of the crew being laid waste. The Party has a fun idea of switching the Just Married sign to the dingy to see the Bridezilla lose her mind when they come to the dock to depart. With a distraction by Diz, Burr and Kali are able to sneak onto the ship and swap the banner. Noticing that it is beginning to get closer to dusk, the Party heads back up north to the Singing Sword.
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