Waking earlier than he expected after the previous night's activities, Vassa rises at his usual casual pace, washing and dressing himself as he looks at the strange weapon on the bedside table. His thoughts turning towards last night's attack, the bard is in the process of poking a finger through his shredded sleeve where the drow's blade penetrated his armour to slice his shirt, when he realises that his companions may also have been targetted for attack. Collecting his gear and forgoing his standard morning facial control and vocal exercise routine before a mirror, the suddenly worried bard rushes down to the Portal's taproom to look for Silver and Phaedra, though the half-drow remembers on his way down the stairs that Kes said he was going back to the Manor.
Not seeing any of his companions at first, Vassa hurriedly calls out to Durnan in his nearly instinctively complimentary fashion,'
"Morning, Durnan. Don't suppose that you've seen any of my friends up and about yet? Still abed are they? Can't blame them in an establishment as warm and welcoming as this one, I must say."
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D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land DM Beyond the Bitter Shore DM Echos of a Burning Crown
Kestrell hears something and slowly starts to wake up.
"Excuse me. Excuse me!"
As Kestrell opens his eyes he finds a short woman addressing him from near the doorway. Next to her floats Lif.
Once satisfied that he's awake the woman starts over, "Excuse me sir. I am Cece Duststone with the Scriveners’, Scribes’, and Clerks’ Guild. I've heard that Trollskull Manor has switched hands. I'm here to speak with the owners about what it would take to re-open the tap room. Are you one of the owners? Can you ask your..."motions to Lif "..security to let me in?"
Kestrell opens his eyes, startled but trying not to show it.
"Thanks Lif, good job old boy. Let her pass now."
Kestrell gets up and rubs his eyes, then straightens a chair and motions for Cece to take it.
"Hello, Cece. I'm Kestrell Rangerson, one of the new owners. Yes, we want to get this place up and running again. Hopefully we can get some good whiskey, ale and salty nuts behind the bar."
"Speaking of which, can I offer you some coffee? Give me just a minute, I'll get a fire going and...well...there's no coffee here, but I've got some in my rations. How do you feel about coffee and hard biscuits?"
"While I'm rustling that up, what can you tell about this place? The Trollskull Manor. It sounds very regal. Much more than I'm used to. What's its history?"
Kestrell throws some logs he found yesterday into the fireplace, and uses his Tinderbox to get a fire going, then starts going through his rations looking for the coffee, and biscuits.
Lif moved back. Cece smiled, "Thank you... Lif, was it? You're still around? Very nice." She continued into the taproom and to a table where she set a binder of papers down. As she pulls up a seat she says, "Nice to meet you Mr. Rangerson. Thank you for the offer of coffee and biscuits, but I've already eaten. Would you please have a seat so we can go over some numbers?"
Once seated she starts to shuffle through the papers, "The history of manor? Oh, well, there are some stories about this place. Once was an orphanage. Before that it was owned by a thieves guild. And, about thirty years ago, the Manor was reopened as a successful tavern and inn." Looking up, she points over to Lif, "And he was its proprietor and barkeep." Lif looks over and acts as though he's tipping his hat in Kestrell's direction.
"But, that's getting off topic. I'm here to tell you what it'll take to get this place back up and running. A few months back we had a complete estimate put together when the previous owner purchased the building, but he wasn't interested in reopening it. Here's what you're looking at to reopen the business."
Cece slides a piece of paper across the table:
"Now, if you have the full amount now, that would be great and we can get started right away. If not there a some folks here in town that would likely loan you the money using the manor as collateral. Or, if you must, you can repair it one piece at a time. If you decide to go that route, please start at the top of this list and work your way down. The guild and license fees must be paid before any work can begin. And of course you'll want to fix the leaky roof and pipes before paying to have the water damage repaired. Also, the roof, brickwork, plumbing, and windows must be replaced before you can legally occupy the property." Looking over to where Kestrell had been sleeping, "Though I suppose if you kept out of sight it's not likely the Watch would notice."
Sitting up straight, Cece put on her best smile, "Do you know which way you'd like to take care of this, today?"
"Hmm? What's that? Sorry, I wasn't listening. Let me get this coffee brewed, then we can discuss. Have you ever had Ranger Coffee? It's what I do when I'm out in the woods and I don't have a coffee maker. You just bring a pot of water to boil, dump the grounds in, and let it simmer for about 3 minutes. Then pour yourself a cup. You'll get mostly coffee, and probably a little grounds. But it's still good."
As he finishes speaking, Kestrell pours two cups of Ranger Coffee and hands one to Cece. Then takes a look at the paper.
"Now, what were you saying? It sounds like this place has quite a history. Yes, we can't afford this all right now. And I can't sign any loan documents without my colleagues. They will be here shortly. Why don't you finish that coffee while we wait?"
"Can't occupy it huh? If the watch comes around and tells me that I can't occupy my own building, I'll tell them what they can occupy, that's for sure."
Kestrell pauses and strokes his chin, then muses: "And you mentioned a thieves guild? There's got to be some hidden passages in here then."
Phaedra rises, cleans herself and has a simple breakfast. The cleric dons her armour, sliding her religious vestments of Mystra over the top and gathers her mace and shield. Steeling her heart for day two with the troublesome group who seem more interested in plundering Undermountain and discussing ridiculous ideas about magic than dealing with the gang menace in Waterdeep, she buffs and then heads towards Trollskull Manor.
As Phaedra gets to the door she forces a smile and walks inside. "Good morning Kestrell...and...I don't remember you ma'am. Sorry are you one of the group as well. We have not met. I am Phaedra Starcaller, devout servant of Mystra and here by your friend Renears wish"
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Yevna Galanodel - Wood Elf | Level 8 | Druid/Circle of Spores 6 - Ranger 2 - Ravnica Nyx - Satyr | Level 9 | Rouge/Swashbuckler 5 - Bard/Collage of Lore 4 - Lost Mine of Phandelver/Storm King's Thunder
Durnan looks up, "I've not seen any of yer crew this morning. But can't say I've been looking though."
"Fair enough, Durnan. Thanks for that. I'm going to head back to Trollskull Manor. Can you please let my friends know that's where I've gone if any show up and ask. Cheers!"
Vassa will forego breakfast to head back to the Manor with the hood of his cloak up, sticking to the main streets and keeping a cautious eye out as he moves along the bustling thoroughfares. The whole way there the pre-occupied and somewhat jumpy bard keeps mulling over one increasingly familiar word in his mind - "iblith". The half-drow's right hand unconciously rubs the handle of the strange weapon that he has tucked into his belt, as he moves as quickly, yet circumspectly, as he can towards their new property.
Seeing the door to the Manor open and hearing voices from within, Vassa quietly edges up to the door, peeking around the edge of the doorframe to check the situation within. Spying Kes, Phaedra and some woman he doesn't know, the bard enters with relief, happily noting that neither of his companions seems harried or harmed. Catching the last of Phaedra's words, Vassa says cheerfully with his usual flippant tone as though the heated discussion of the night before had never occurred,'
"Hey, Kes. Hey, Phaedra. Hey... you? I don't think you're one of the group... though at the moment I can't be entirely certain. Kes, is she? It's possible that I just didn't notice. It's been a busy couple of days.
Anyway, I'm Vassa Sunstar, devout servant of myself and here by the whims of chance and fate. Soo.... what were we discussing? And is that coffee I can smell? I'd love a cup."
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D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land DM Beyond the Bitter Shore DM Echos of a Burning Crown
Noticing and not in the least surprised by Phaedra's icy tone, Vassa walks over to the table, mock shivering and hugging himself as he leans over the sheet of paper, saying after a moment,'
"Brrr. Is it cold in here or is it just me? We really do need to get these holes plugged up... Which, conveniently enough it would seem, WAS the topic of conversation.
Yikes! This is quite the repair bill. I'm not really a numbers guy and can't be certain, but I don't think that we can cover this right now... at least not all of it. Once we sell our silver bullion, we should have more of an idea where we stand.
Unless the guilds responsible for the services on this list will just take the cost in trade bars that is?
[OOC] insight check to discern the general mood of those gathered, in particular Phaedra... though the priestess is making things pretty clear, lol: 7
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D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land DM Beyond the Bitter Shore DM Echos of a Burning Crown
As Phaedra gets to the door she forces a smile and walks inside. "Good morning Kestrell...and...I don't remember you ma'am. Sorry are you one of the group as well. We have not met. I am Phaedra Starcaller, devout servant of Mystra and here by your friend Renears wish"
"Good morning Ms Starcaller. I am Cece Duststone with the Scriveners’, Scribes’, and Clerks’ Guild. Are you one of the new owners? I was just going over the costs involved in..."
"Hey, Kes. Hey, Phaedra. Hey... you? I don't think you're one of the group... though at the moment I can't be entirely certain. Kes, is she? It's possible that I just didn't notice. It's been a busy couple of days.
Anyway, I'm Vassa Sunstar, devout servant of myself and here by the whims of chance and fate. Soo.... what were we discussing?
"Good morning Mr. Sunstar. As I was saying, I am Cece Duststone with the Scriveners’, Scribes’, and Clerks’ Guild. I was just going over the costs involved in re-opening Trollskull Manor with Mr. Rangerson here."
"Brrr. Is it cold in here or is it just me? We really do need to get these holes plugged up... Which, conveniently enough it would seem, WAS the topic of conversation.
Yikes! This is quite the repair bill. I'm not really a numbers guy and can't be certain, but I don't think that we can cover this right now... at least not all of it. Once we sell our silver bullion, we should have more of an idea where we stand.
Unless the guilds responsible for the services on this list will just take the cost in trade bars that is?
[OOC] insight check to discern the general mood of those gathered, in particular Phaedra... though the priestess is making things pretty clear, lol: 7
"Yes, it is a tidy sum of money no doubt. But Trollskull Manor is a large estate. And, yes, the guilds do accept trade bars. That's sort of why they're called such. As I was telling Mr. Rangerson, If you can't afford the full amount up front there a some folks here in town that would loan you the money using the manor as collateral. Or, if you must, you can repair it one piece at a time. If you decide to go that route, please start at the top of this list and work your way down. The guild and license fees must be paid before any work can begin. And of course you'll want to fix the leaky roof and pipes before paying to have the water damage repaired. Also, the roof, brickwork, plumbing, and windows must be replaced before you can legally occupy the property."
As Phaedra gets to the door she forces a smile and walks inside. "Good morning Kestrell...and...I don't remember you ma'am. Sorry are you one of the group as well. We have not met. I am Phaedra Starcaller, devout servant of Mystra and here by your friend Renears wish"
"Good morning Phaedra. Would you like a cup of coffee and a snausage? Or a biscuit? The biscuits are a bit hard, but if you dip them in the coffee, they soften right up."
As Vassa walks in and asks for a cup of coffee, Kestrell pours him one: "Good morning Vassa. Here you go. Biscuit? Snausage?"
"Cece here says that this used to be a den for the Thieves Guild. She was just about to show us all of the secret passages."
"Yes, Yes, the licenses and guild fees first. Who should we pay all this too? Can you look at our silver bars and estimate how much we already have?"
Silver wakes up and just strolls out of the tavern deciding to walk to Trollskull manor and take the long way so that he can pick up a few coin along the way. As he walks he keeps his eyes open for lose purses and people who aren't paying attention keeping his focus primarily to those easy marks, no reason to try anything risky this early in the morning.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Taking the offered biscuit, coffee and sausage with an appreciative nod of thanks, Vassa circles the table to stand next to Kes facing outwards towards the inn door. Munching heartily on the sausage and biscuit combo, the bard says,'
"Mmm, this is good, mate. Could use a little sauce, but not bad at all.
Kes has the right of it. Yes, yes, and yes to all of that... wait, what was that about a thieves guild? Speaking of which... has anyone seen Silver this morning?
Oh and once we're done here, I've got something to tell you both."
Vassa finishes gobbling down his meat & biscuit sandwhich to sip his coffee with a pointed look at both Kes and Phaedra as he says the last, before the still on-edge bard gives the room a quick once over... just in case.
[OOC] perception check for Vassa's completely unnecessary semi-paranoid scrutiny of the room: 8
D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land DM Beyond the Bitter Shore DM Echos of a Burning Crown
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Vassa rubs his temples as though they're a little sore, muttering to himself,'
"Pretty sure I asked Volo if the place was haunted or connected to a gang HQ... *sigh* Just breathe deep, Vassa."
Looking back at Kes and then over at CeCe, the bard asks for clarification,'
"So when you say thieves guild, are we talking recent, ancient... somewhere in between? Not in someway connected to Xanathars Guild or the Zhentarim I hope? I've pretty much had my fill of those two fraternities.
And further to Kestrell's on the money questions about the work that we need to get done here... I don't suppose that any of these guilds might be willing to discount the cost of the work for services rendered by any chance? We're pretty good at taking care of tricky problems - maybe the guild administrators or masters have some difficulties that they would like seen to?"
[OOC] persuasion check to try and talk Cece into opening up on any short-cuts or discounts that might be available: 12
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D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land DM Beyond the Bitter Shore DM Echos of a Burning Crown
Silver wakes up and just strolls out of the tavern deciding to walk to Trollskull manor and take the long way so that he can pick up a few coin along the way. As he walks he keeps his eyes open for lose purses and people who aren't paying attention keeping his focus primarily to those easy marks, no reason to try anything risky this early in the morning.
As Silver walks back to Trollskull he manages to spot 5 easy marks and nabs their coin pouches. He arrives at Trollskull 5 bronze coins, 7 silver coins and 16 gold coins richer than he was.
[OOC] Couldn't find a good system for something like this so just winging it here. I'll add creating one to my to-do list. As always, open to suggestions.
Cece looks up as Silver walks in and waits for all the greetings and introductions to finish.
"So it seems you all are quite interested in the history of Trollskull Manor. That is an unusual but quite welcome change of pace. Personally, I enjoy learning the history of places here in Waterdeep and this manor has an interesting one. Get comfortable though, it's quite long."
Taking a sip of the coffee that Kestrell had given her, Cece then clears her throat and starts to tell the story...
"Back in the late 13th century this property was a safe house for the Shadow Thieves guild. We don't know how long they had it, nor do we know who had it prior. What we know was passed on by Elminster. Now, he’s been known to bend the truth and indulge in spin a time or two. Both out of whimsy and in service to Mystra. Nevertheless he is generally considered a a reliable narrator.
In the year 1298 DR, about 194 years ago now, during the bloody collapse of the Shadow Thieves guild, some of its desperate members sought to cover their escapes from the city. That is, giving themselves time to grab all the riches they could to take with them by working with evil wizards of their acquaintance to teleport and release various monsters to maraud in the city, to keep the Watch and the Lords’ agents who were hunting them busy.
One mage translocated a foraging band of trolls from the Evermoors to North Ward, and they stalked this alley, then known as Skulk Alley. The trolls slew some citizens along the alley, they perished in flaming spheres hurled at them by the wizard Tazhara Lurael, of Turmish (formerly one of Elminster’s apprentices). She was racing about the city dealing with many released-by-Shadow-Thieves monsters, and lacked the time to “clean up” properly, so some local youths ended up playing with scorched troll bones, bowling with the skulls for some years until they all disintegrated under the rigors of such handling. This is how the name of the alley changed from Skulk to Trollskull Alley. And, being this was the manor was on the corner and the largest, it came to be called the Trollskull Manor.
After some years, the manor was used as an orphanage. We believe this was around 1386. That's all I'd like to say about that.
The place then set empty until about thirty years ago, the Manor was reopened as a successful tavern and inn. Lif was its proprietor and barkeep, the Teabrook siblings, Rey and Varko, performed and waited tables, and Cynog Pumphrey served as bouncer and handyman. Times were good for several years until one night when Lif was murdered. No one knows why. The murder was never solved. Under suspicion from the City Watch, the remaining staff drifted away - the Teabrooks returned to their family in Lowhills, while Pumphrey is now working as a bouncer at The Mermaid’s Arms in the Dock Ward. I was unaware until my visit today that Lif was still hanging around.
And that's the story of Trollskull Manor as I know it."
"Cece here says that this used to be a den for the Thieves Guild. She was just about to show us all of the secret passages."
"Yes, Yes, the licenses and guild fees first. Who should we pay all this too? Can you look at our silver bars and estimate how much we already have?"
Looking over to Vassa, Cece says "I never mentioned anything about secret passages. Mr. Rangerson seems infatuated with the idea of them, however."
Pausing for another drink of coffee, "As for licenses and fees, I can accept those. Part of my duties would be to take care of securing the appropriate licenses and reaching out to the other guilds that you'll need to work with. If you have trade bars, I can certainly take a look at them and estimate their worth.
And further to Kestrell's on the money questions about the work that we need to get done here... I don't suppose that any of these guilds might be willing to discount the cost of the work for services rendered by any chance? We're pretty good at taking care of tricky problems - maybe the guild administrators or masters have some difficulties that they would like seen to?"
[OOC] persuasion check to try and talk Cece into opening up on any short-cuts or discounts that might be available: 20
"I'm sure some of the guilds may be willing to offer discounts in exchange for services, but you'd need to speak with them directly."
Pausing to finish her cup of coffee, Cece then looks back up, "I understand that you don't have the full amount. If there's any way I can get the license and guild fees today that will enable me to continue working the project. Without that, everything is on hold. If you're all planning on staying here, it would also be good to get an additional 490 gold to take care of the roof, plumbing, and masonry repairs. This will enable me to get crews in here to get the manor structurally sound so that you can legally stay here and it'll also prevent more damage from being done from rain and the like. That said, it'll take at least 5 or 6 days for the repairs to be done, so you'll still need other accommodations until then." Glancing back at Kestrell's "bed" from last night, "That's assuming you want to do everything legally. If you want to stay before then, I'd recommend not sleeping on the first floor in clear view of the street, though."
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Campaigns: DM - Waterdeep Dragon Heist PbP
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Waking earlier than he expected after the previous night's activities, Vassa rises at his usual casual pace, washing and dressing himself as he looks at the strange weapon on the bedside table. His thoughts turning towards last night's attack, the bard is in the process of poking a finger through his shredded sleeve where the drow's blade penetrated his armour to slice his shirt, when he realises that his companions may also have been targetted for attack. Collecting his gear and forgoing his standard morning facial control and vocal exercise routine before a mirror, the suddenly worried bard rushes down to the Portal's taproom to look for Silver and Phaedra, though the half-drow remembers on his way down the stairs that Kes said he was going back to the Manor.
Not seeing any of his companions at first, Vassa hurriedly calls out to Durnan in his nearly instinctively complimentary fashion,'
"Morning, Durnan. Don't suppose that you've seen any of my friends up and about yet? Still abed are they? Can't blame them in an establishment as warm and welcoming as this one, I must say."
D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist
DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land
DM Beyond the Bitter Shore
DM Echos of a Burning Crown
Durnan looks up, "I've not seen any of yer crew this morning. But can't say I've been looking though."
Campaigns:
DM - Waterdeep Dragon Heist PbP
Kestrell hears something and slowly starts to wake up.
"Excuse me. Excuse me!"
As Kestrell opens his eyes he finds a short woman addressing him from near the doorway. Next to her floats Lif.
Once satisfied that he's awake the woman starts over, "Excuse me sir. I am Cece Duststone with the Scriveners’, Scribes’, and Clerks’ Guild. I've heard that Trollskull Manor has switched hands. I'm here to speak with the owners about what it would take to re-open the tap room. Are you one of the owners? Can you ask your..." motions to Lif "..security to let me in?"
Campaigns:
DM - Waterdeep Dragon Heist PbP
Kestrell opens his eyes, startled but trying not to show it.
"Thanks Lif, good job old boy. Let her pass now."
Kestrell gets up and rubs his eyes, then straightens a chair and motions for Cece to take it.
"Hello, Cece. I'm Kestrell Rangerson, one of the new owners. Yes, we want to get this place up and running again. Hopefully we can get some good whiskey, ale and salty nuts behind the bar."
"Speaking of which, can I offer you some coffee? Give me just a minute, I'll get a fire going and...well...there's no coffee here, but I've got some in my rations. How do you feel about coffee and hard biscuits?"
"While I'm rustling that up, what can you tell about this place? The Trollskull Manor. It sounds very regal. Much more than I'm used to. What's its history?"
Kestrell throws some logs he found yesterday into the fireplace, and uses his Tinderbox to get a fire going, then starts going through his rations looking for the coffee, and biscuits.
Lif moved back.
Cece smiled, "Thank you... Lif, was it? You're still around? Very nice." She continued into the taproom and to a table where she set a binder of papers down. As she pulls up a seat she says, "Nice to meet you Mr. Rangerson. Thank you for the offer of coffee and biscuits, but I've already eaten. Would you please have a seat so we can go over some numbers?"
Once seated she starts to shuffle through the papers, "The history of manor? Oh, well, there are some stories about this place. Once was an orphanage. Before that it was owned by a thieves guild. And, about thirty years ago, the Manor was reopened as a successful tavern and inn." Looking up, she points over to Lif, "And he was its proprietor and barkeep." Lif looks over and acts as though he's tipping his hat in Kestrell's direction.
"But, that's getting off topic. I'm here to tell you what it'll take to get this place back up and running. A few months back we had a complete estimate put together when the previous owner purchased the building, but he wasn't interested in reopening it. Here's what you're looking at to reopen the business."
Cece slides a piece of paper across the table:
"Now, if you have the full amount now, that would be great and we can get started right away. If not there a some folks here in town that would likely loan you the money using the manor as collateral. Or, if you must, you can repair it one piece at a time. If you decide to go that route, please start at the top of this list and work your way down. The guild and license fees must be paid before any work can begin. And of course you'll want to fix the leaky roof and pipes before paying to have the water damage repaired. Also, the roof, brickwork, plumbing, and windows must be replaced before you can legally occupy the property." Looking over to where Kestrell had been sleeping, "Though I suppose if you kept out of sight it's not likely the Watch would notice."
Sitting up straight, Cece put on her best smile, "Do you know which way you'd like to take care of this, today?"
Campaigns:
DM - Waterdeep Dragon Heist PbP
"Hmm? What's that? Sorry, I wasn't listening. Let me get this coffee brewed, then we can discuss. Have you ever had Ranger Coffee? It's what I do when I'm out in the woods and I don't have a coffee maker. You just bring a pot of water to boil, dump the grounds in, and let it simmer for about 3 minutes. Then pour yourself a cup. You'll get mostly coffee, and probably a little grounds. But it's still good."
As he finishes speaking, Kestrell pours two cups of Ranger Coffee and hands one to Cece. Then takes a look at the paper.
"Now, what were you saying? It sounds like this place has quite a history. Yes, we can't afford this all right now. And I can't sign any loan documents without my colleagues. They will be here shortly. Why don't you finish that coffee while we wait?"
"Can't occupy it huh? If the watch comes around and tells me that I can't occupy my own building, I'll tell them what they can occupy, that's for sure."
Kestrell pauses and strokes his chin, then muses: "And you mentioned a thieves guild? There's got to be some hidden passages in here then."
Phaedra rises, cleans herself and has a simple breakfast. The cleric dons her armour, sliding her religious vestments of Mystra over the top and gathers her mace and shield. Steeling her heart for day two with the troublesome group who seem more interested in plundering Undermountain and discussing ridiculous ideas about magic than dealing with the gang menace in Waterdeep, she buffs and then heads towards Trollskull Manor.
As Phaedra gets to the door she forces a smile and walks inside. "Good morning Kestrell...and...I don't remember you ma'am. Sorry are you one of the group as well. We have not met. I am Phaedra Starcaller, devout servant of Mystra and here by your friend Renears wish"
Yevna Galanodel - Wood Elf | Level 8 | Druid/Circle of Spores 6 - Ranger 2 - Ravnica
Nyx - Satyr | Level 9 | Rouge/Swashbuckler 5 - Bard/Collage of Lore 4 - Lost Mine of Phandelver/Storm King's Thunder
"Fair enough, Durnan. Thanks for that. I'm going to head back to Trollskull Manor. Can you please let my friends know that's where I've gone if any show up and ask. Cheers!"
Vassa will forego breakfast to head back to the Manor with the hood of his cloak up, sticking to the main streets and keeping a cautious eye out as he moves along the bustling thoroughfares. The whole way there the pre-occupied and somewhat jumpy bard keeps mulling over one increasingly familiar word in his mind - "iblith". The half-drow's right hand unconciously rubs the handle of the strange weapon that he has tucked into his belt, as he moves as quickly, yet circumspectly, as he can towards their new property.
Seeing the door to the Manor open and hearing voices from within, Vassa quietly edges up to the door, peeking around the edge of the doorframe to check the situation within. Spying Kes, Phaedra and some woman he doesn't know, the bard enters with relief, happily noting that neither of his companions seems harried or harmed. Catching the last of Phaedra's words, Vassa says cheerfully with his usual flippant tone as though the heated discussion of the night before had never occurred,'
"Hey, Kes. Hey, Phaedra. Hey... you? I don't think you're one of the group... though at the moment I can't be entirely certain. Kes, is she? It's possible that I just didn't notice. It's been a busy couple of days.
Anyway, I'm Vassa Sunstar, devout servant of myself and here by the whims of chance and fate. Soo.... what were we discussing? And is that coffee I can smell? I'd love a cup."
D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist
DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land
DM Beyond the Bitter Shore
DM Echos of a Burning Crown
Phaedra raises an eyebrow as Vassa strolls in.
"Vassa" she says simply and coldly before turning back to Cece.
Yevna Galanodel - Wood Elf | Level 8 | Druid/Circle of Spores 6 - Ranger 2 - Ravnica
Nyx - Satyr | Level 9 | Rouge/Swashbuckler 5 - Bard/Collage of Lore 4 - Lost Mine of Phandelver/Storm King's Thunder
Noticing and not in the least surprised by Phaedra's icy tone, Vassa walks over to the table, mock shivering and hugging himself as he leans over the sheet of paper, saying after a moment,'
"Brrr. Is it cold in here or is it just me? We really do need to get these holes plugged up... Which, conveniently enough it would seem, WAS the topic of conversation.
Yikes! This is quite the repair bill. I'm not really a numbers guy and can't be certain, but I don't think that we can cover this right now... at least not all of it. Once we sell our silver bullion, we should have more of an idea where we stand.
Unless the guilds responsible for the services on this list will just take the cost in trade bars that is?
[OOC] insight check to discern the general mood of those gathered, in particular Phaedra... though the priestess is making things pretty clear, lol: 7
D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist
DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land
DM Beyond the Bitter Shore
DM Echos of a Burning Crown
"Good morning Ms Starcaller. I am Cece Duststone with the Scriveners’, Scribes’, and Clerks’ Guild. Are you one of the new owners? I was just going over the costs involved in..."
"Good morning Mr. Sunstar. As I was saying, I am Cece Duststone with the Scriveners’, Scribes’, and Clerks’ Guild. I was just going over the costs involved in re-opening Trollskull Manor with Mr. Rangerson here."
"Yes, it is a tidy sum of money no doubt. But Trollskull Manor is a large estate. And, yes, the guilds do accept trade bars. That's sort of why they're called such. As I was telling Mr. Rangerson, If you can't afford the full amount up front there a some folks here in town that would loan you the money using the manor as collateral. Or, if you must, you can repair it one piece at a time. If you decide to go that route, please start at the top of this list and work your way down. The guild and license fees must be paid before any work can begin. And of course you'll want to fix the leaky roof and pipes before paying to have the water damage repaired. Also, the roof, brickwork, plumbing, and windows must be replaced before you can legally occupy the property."
Campaigns:
DM - Waterdeep Dragon Heist PbP
"Good morning Phaedra. Would you like a cup of coffee and a snausage? Or a biscuit? The biscuits are a bit hard, but if you dip them in the coffee, they soften right up."
As Vassa walks in and asks for a cup of coffee, Kestrell pours him one: "Good morning Vassa. Here you go. Biscuit? Snausage?"
"Cece here says that this used to be a den for the Thieves Guild. She was just about to show us all of the secret passages."
"Yes, Yes, the licenses and guild fees first. Who should we pay all this too? Can you look at our silver bars and estimate how much we already have?"
Silver wakes up and just strolls out of the tavern deciding to walk to Trollskull manor and take the long way so that he can pick up a few coin along the way. As he walks he keeps his eyes open for lose purses and people who aren't paying attention keeping his focus primarily to those easy marks, no reason to try anything risky this early in the morning.
[OOC]
stealth to continually blend into the crowd: 26
sleight of hand for picking pockets: 13
Campaigns:
Wildemount: The Felderwin Irregulars (2020) - Balassar Silverstone - Dragonborn Fighter (Rune Knight) Lv. 5 | Rise of TIamat - Aiwin Aralana - Wood Elf Fighter/Ranger (Arcane Archer/Gloom Stalker) Lv. 9
Taking the offered biscuit, coffee and sausage with an appreciative nod of thanks, Vassa circles the table to stand next to Kes facing outwards towards the inn door. Munching heartily on the sausage and biscuit combo, the bard says,'
"Mmm, this is good, mate. Could use a little sauce, but not bad at all.
Kes has the right of it. Yes, yes, and yes to all of that... wait, what was that about a thieves guild? Speaking of which... has anyone seen Silver this morning?
Oh and once we're done here, I've got something to tell you both."
Vassa finishes gobbling down his meat & biscuit sandwhich to sip his coffee with a pointed look at both Kes and Phaedra as he says the last, before the still on-edge bard gives the room a quick once over... just in case.
[OOC] perception check for Vassa's completely unnecessary semi-paranoid scrutiny of the room: 8
D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist
DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land
DM Beyond the Bitter Shore
DM Echos of a Burning Crown
"Sauce is too spice for me. I've got a delicate stomach."
"Yes, a thieves guild. Before it's latest incarnation as a tavern. Surely we need to find out more about that."
"No, I haven't seen Silver yet."
Vassa rubs his temples as though they're a little sore, muttering to himself,'
"Pretty sure I asked Volo if the place was haunted or connected to a gang HQ... *sigh* Just breathe deep, Vassa."
Looking back at Kes and then over at CeCe, the bard asks for clarification,'
"So when you say thieves guild, are we talking recent, ancient... somewhere in between? Not in someway connected to Xanathars Guild or the Zhentarim I hope? I've pretty much had my fill of those two fraternities.
And further to Kestrell's on the money questions about the work that we need to get done here... I don't suppose that any of these guilds might be willing to discount the cost of the work for services rendered by any chance? We're pretty good at taking care of tricky problems - maybe the guild administrators or masters have some difficulties that they would like seen to?"
[OOC] persuasion check to try and talk Cece into opening up on any short-cuts or discounts that might be available: 12
D&D is a game, but it's not just a game. It's the ultimate storyboard, a campfire to share with friends, an imaginary call to imaginary arms and a ship to sail to horizons yet undreamt of...
Vassa Sunstar (half-drow bard) - Waterdeep Dragonheist
DM Ghosts of a Forgotten Land
DM Beyond the Bitter Shore
DM Echos of a Burning Crown
"I have eaten thankyou. Does anyone know the history of the Xanathars Guild or Zentarim within Waterdeep. If not i can look into it.."
Phaedras eyes wonder over the group and then come to rest on Cece.
"Maybe we should sort this out first. I have little with me to help, only the gold I came to the city with"
OCC: If no one knows anything Phaedra will use her contacts with the Harpers to find out more info
Yevna Galanodel - Wood Elf | Level 8 | Druid/Circle of Spores 6 - Ranger 2 - Ravnica
Nyx - Satyr | Level 9 | Rouge/Swashbuckler 5 - Bard/Collage of Lore 4 - Lost Mine of Phandelver/Storm King's Thunder
As Silver walks back to Trollskull he manages to spot 5 easy marks and nabs their coin pouches. He arrives at Trollskull 5 bronze coins, 7 silver coins and 16 gold coins richer than he was.
[OOC] Couldn't find a good system for something like this so just winging it here. I'll add creating one to my to-do list. As always, open to suggestions.
Campaigns:
DM - Waterdeep Dragon Heist PbP
Cece looks up as Silver walks in and waits for all the greetings and introductions to finish.
"So it seems you all are quite interested in the history of Trollskull Manor. That is an unusual but quite welcome change of pace. Personally, I enjoy learning the history of places here in Waterdeep and this manor has an interesting one. Get comfortable though, it's quite long."
Taking a sip of the coffee that Kestrell had given her, Cece then clears her throat and starts to tell the story...
"Back in the late 13th century this property was a safe house for the Shadow Thieves guild. We don't know how long they had it, nor do we know who had it prior. What we know was passed on by Elminster. Now, he’s been known to bend the truth and indulge in spin a time or two. Both out of whimsy and in service to Mystra. Nevertheless he is generally considered a a reliable narrator.
In the year 1298 DR, about 194 years ago now, during the bloody collapse of the Shadow Thieves guild, some of its desperate members sought to cover their escapes from the city. That is, giving themselves time to grab all the riches they could to take with them by working with evil wizards of their acquaintance to teleport and release various monsters to maraud in the city, to keep the Watch and the Lords’ agents who were hunting them busy.
One mage translocated a foraging band of trolls from the Evermoors to North Ward, and they stalked this alley, then known as Skulk Alley. The trolls slew some citizens along the alley, they perished in flaming spheres hurled at them by the wizard Tazhara Lurael, of Turmish (formerly one of Elminster’s apprentices). She was racing about the city dealing with many released-by-Shadow-Thieves monsters, and lacked the time to “clean up” properly, so some local youths ended up playing with scorched troll bones, bowling with the skulls for some years until they all disintegrated under the rigors of such handling. This is how the name of the alley changed from Skulk to Trollskull Alley. And, being this was the manor was on the corner and the largest, it came to be called the Trollskull Manor.
After some years, the manor was used as an orphanage. We believe this was around 1386. That's all I'd like to say about that.
The place then set empty until about thirty years ago, the Manor was reopened as a successful tavern and inn. Lif was its proprietor and barkeep, the Teabrook siblings, Rey and Varko, performed and waited tables, and Cynog Pumphrey served as bouncer and handyman. Times were good for several years until one night when Lif was murdered. No one knows why. The murder was never solved. Under suspicion from the City Watch, the remaining staff drifted away - the Teabrooks returned to their family in Lowhills, while Pumphrey is now working as a bouncer at The Mermaid’s Arms in the Dock Ward. I was unaware until my visit today that Lif was still hanging around.
And that's the story of Trollskull Manor as I know it."
Campaigns:
DM - Waterdeep Dragon Heist PbP
Looking over to Vassa, Cece says "I never mentioned anything about secret passages. Mr. Rangerson seems infatuated with the idea of them, however."
Pausing for another drink of coffee, "As for licenses and fees, I can accept those. Part of my duties would be to take care of securing the appropriate licenses and reaching out to the other guilds that you'll need to work with. If you have trade bars, I can certainly take a look at them and estimate their worth.
"I'm sure some of the guilds may be willing to offer discounts in exchange for services, but you'd need to speak with them directly."
Pausing to finish her cup of coffee, Cece then looks back up, "I understand that you don't have the full amount. If there's any way I can get the license and guild fees today that will enable me to continue working the project. Without that, everything is on hold. If you're all planning on staying here, it would also be good to get an additional 490 gold to take care of the roof, plumbing, and masonry repairs. This will enable me to get crews in here to get the manor structurally sound so that you can legally stay here and it'll also prevent more damage from being done from rain and the like. That said, it'll take at least 5 or 6 days for the repairs to be done, so you'll still need other accommodations until then." Glancing back at Kestrell's "bed" from last night, "That's assuming you want to do everything legally. If you want to stay before then, I'd recommend not sleeping on the first floor in clear view of the street, though."
Campaigns:
DM - Waterdeep Dragon Heist PbP