Ink gives a hard look at the tressyms, before finally giving in and petting the one at his feet. He mutters, "Quill may not approve of this, but you are rather interesting."

Ink stands up straight, brings his arm up and bends it in at an angle placing his fist at his chest making a small triangle - he then beckons the tressym up.

After doing so, he looks around the room, absorbing the details, looking for iconography, doorways and windows. 

"Aye, ah'll  go wit'em, but ah'll have me another tankard o' that ale first! See ta th' horse an' cart if ye will please."  Laying a gold piece on the counter he swigs his third, followed rapidly by the wine.

Crownsguard repeats his greeting for a third time. However, there are now THREE CATS! One is on his head, “Would you like one, Flint? They are beginning to hide in my chest.”

"They seem ta be taken by ye." Flint looks around the room, careful not to touch anything fragile he puts his back to a corner.

“I have not taken them. I do not steal. That is a crime, Flint.” Crownsguard waits a moment, “That was, as you say, a joke. Ha. Ha.”

Ink audibly groans. 

“Oh...aha! People!” 

A dark-skinned human with a white, dreadlocked beard and a long staff has entered through a high-arched doorway and stands with a bemused look on his face. His blue robe sports many unique patches and pockets full of paper rolls and writing utensils.

Belatedly, he snaps into action. "Please, make yourselves at home,” he greets you warmly. “You may call me Krowen Valharrow, and these are my tressym,” he says, hurriedly bowing and gesturing around the room. “But you seem to have made friends already. Now don’t tell me, I know why you’re here! Darathra sent you, and you’re here to access the teleportation network, of course.”

He smiles and nods. “Oh! Yes. Your names, what should I call you?”

Ink rearranges his pin so that it's prominently displayed, extending the arm that was holding up the tressym, scattering it off, and extends a hand to Krowen, saying, "The name is Ink... and my large friend here seems to be overwhelmingly acquainted with your tressym."

"Yes, you are correct - Darathra gave us the key to the path here... but she did not tell us about a teleportation network. We're here seeking aid and guidance due to the recent giant activity. But please, tell of us this network."

// Ink will wait on the others to explain what they want regarding what has happened, but if no one mentions it, he will bring up the cart, the ring, and take out one of the Adamantium divining rods and share what he's learned of it, the ring, the fire giants, etc. //

Crownsguard looks toward the human, albeit with cats on him, at the mention of a teleportation network, “That is interesting. Magic has come much farther than I initially thought. How expansive is this network?”

Krowen nods at Ink and Crownsguard's questions. "Giants? Yes, I am well of aware. The Harpers are looking into it—and I have it on good authority that the Lords’ Alliance, the Emerald Enclave, the Order of the Gauntlet, and the Zhentarim are all currently taking steps to protect civilization around Faerûn from the increasing depredations of the giants. You've done well coming to us, son," he says to Ink, "and bringing your friends. We need all the help we can muster. I have a suspicion that the dragons might have something to do with this upheaval...after all, giants and dragons have an enmity as old as time itself.

"Anyway," he says, straightening, "You asked about the teleportation network. Walk with me as I explain!"  

Assuming you follow him, Krowen will lead you through another high-arched door and up a tight, winding case of stairs made of smooth black stone. "This network has been in place about as long as the Harpers, as far as I know. It is our way of getting around various headquarters without being seen. All very secretive, you know..****y for high-ranking officials. But since Darathra has seen fit to send you here, that means you get to use it, as well! Until the Harpers deem otherwise, of course. We have permanent circles all with their own sigils here in Everlund, in Mirabar, Loudwater, Neverwinter, Waterdeepm and Yartar." 

As he climbs the steps, he pauses in his ramblings and asks, "I'm so sorry, did any of you have any questions?"

"How far did we travel?"

“What an interesting question! This is Moongleam Tower in Everlund. Where did you begin your journey?”

"have the Harpers heard anything about refugees from the Halfling village of Pogglestick? or of a frost giant perhaps?"

"We think the frost giant may be Harshnag of Waterdeep," Ink adds to Rip's question.

 Ink also brings up the topic of the adamantium ring hidden within their cart and their plan to melt it at the dwarven stronghold in order to, hopefully, stop the fire giants from continuing with their plan.

He also comments, "It seems that your tressym have taken quite a shining to our friend Crownsguard - and vice versa."

"Regarding these teleportation circles," Ink asks, "how do we access them in the other cities? At some point we will have to leave wherever the circle has been scribed.  Will my pin be sufficient proof to grant access to these portals?  Also, are there any limitations as to what can travel through them?" Ink then continues to pepper him with more technical questions about teleportation and the circles, and how they function, before saying, "Sorry for all the questions - I'm an arcanist myself and am constantly striving to learn more of the Weave, its interactions with out world, and how to channel it and control it."

Ink shows him his spell book and notes on spells he's been trying to learn, seeking advice from the learned mage.

“My magic is not complicated. I focus on a target, channel my rigteous justics into a single point, and they explode. That is how all of my magic works. Is this different from yours Ink?”

"Can we get a horse an' cart through th' network? Shall we take th' ring to the forges o' Mirabar?"

Quote from Gimpster >>

"have the Harpers heard anything about refugees from the Halfling village of Pogglestick? or of a frost giant perhaps?"

Quote from jr_el_leon >>

"We think the frost giant may be Harshnag of Waterdeep," Ink adds to Rip's question.

---

 Ink also brings up the topic of the adamantium ring hidden within their cart and their plan to melt it at the dwarven stronghold in order to, hopefully, stop the fire giants from continuing with their plan.

---

He also comments, "It seems that your tressym have taken quite a shining to our friend Crownsguard - and vice versa."

---

"Regarding these teleportation circles," Ink asks, "how do we access them in the other cities? At some point we will have to leave wherever the circle has been scribed.  Will my pin be sufficient proof to grant access to these portals?  Also, are there any limitations as to what can travel through them?" Ink then continues to pepper him with more technical questions about teleportation and the circles, and how they function, before saying, "Sorry for all the questions - I'm an arcanist myself and am constantly striving to learn more of the Weave, its interactions with out world, and how to channel it and control it."

Ink shows him his spell book and notes on spells he's been trying to learn, seeking advice from the learned mage.

 "I have heard of Harshnag the Grim, giantkiller...that was years ago, of course, before he disappeared like a ghost. However, we are aware of rumors of a giants-sized vigilante roaming nearby. I hadn't thought to connect the two, but it is certainly a possibility." Krowen pauses to jot down a note on a scrap of paper pulled from a sleeve pocket.

When you bring up the adamantium ring, Krowen looks particular intrigued. "May I ask, what do you know of the fire giants' plans? Why adamantium?" 

Krowen also does his best to describe the details of the process to you, but does so in an overly technical manner. He gives up halfway through, fusses around in his pockets a bit, and pulls out a spell scroll with the teleportation circle spell written on it (Ink can read and understand the scroll, though the magic is more advanced than anything he's had to cast thus far). "Just make sure I get that back when you're done reading it," says Krowen. "Those scrolls aren't easy to make!" To the rest of you, he says, "In layman's terms, our network of teleportation circles acts like...several anchors around Faerûn. If you're anywhere the material plane, and you know the secret sigils to access our circles, you can cast the spell and create a portal to any one of the circles. We have apprentices guarding each of the circles, and these same mages can also cast the spell for you to transport you to any of the circles. No cost for friends of the Harpers. Once the spell is cast, you have around 5-10 seconds to get through the portal before it closes. OH!" he starts, pulling out another piece of rolled up papyrus, "That reminds me, here is the information. Keep it safe, mind you. It wouldn't do to have that information fall into the wrong hands! We'd have to charge you the fee for re-establishing each teleportation circle!" He chuckles ruefully at that last.  

At your mention of the tressym, Krowen looks down to see several of the cats following Crownsguard up the stairs. "I...suppose you could take one of them with you, if you'd like. Just one, mind you.

"By the way, I must ask, what kind of construct are you, exactly?" He seems puzzled by Crownsguard's appearance.

Quote from DarthAvarice >>

"Can we get a horse an' cart through th' network? Shall we take th' ring to the forges o' Mirabar?"

"Good question. I have never tried to run a horse and cart through a portal. It doesn't stay open long, but I suppose, were it moving fast enough, a horse could feasibly pull a cart through. An interesting experiment, to be sure!. We've carried all sorts of things through." Krowen thinks a bit on this. "Of course, then you'd have to figure out a way to get the horse and cart down all these stairs. And through doorways. Perhaps if they were shrunken? Or made ethereal. Yes, that might solve the problem nicely..." at this point, the old man's voice trails off as he seems lost in thought. 

"Ah...and here we are!" Krowen reaches the apex of the long staircase, and enters a small, windowless room that must be quite high up in the tower. There on the stone floor is an ornate, circular drawing through which magic seems to be effused. It is covered with glittering shapes and runes. A fair-skinned human in mage's robes rises from his chair upon Krowen's arrival, stands at attention, and nods brusquely at you.

"Nespril, these are our friends," says Krowen. "They have the Harper's leave to use the network as needed, so do be nice when you deal with them."

Quote from Awaypturwpn >>

Quote from DarthAvarice >>

Flint casts guidance on himself and uses Rip's bardic  inspiration along with Ink's mystical know how to learn more about the ring.

Arcana: 23

With Ink’s help, you come to the conclusion that this ring was once part of some kind of enormous, magical construct ("construct,” as in, a golem or juggernaut type thing). It is obviously ancient, possibly prehistoric. No tales or legends that you know of talk of anything like this. 

 Ink relays what Flint surmised of the adamantium ring to Krowen. He's surprisingly free with his information to the wizard, in comparison to his typical knowledge hoarding ways.

As they're upstairs, looking at the portal, Ink will insert the description of the tentacled necromancer, and ask the wizard if he's ever heard of such a being.

Crownsguard nods, “Thank you. In many cultures, a gift of a whole cat is considered a high honor. I do not know these cultures, but they are there.” Crownsguard pets his new companion, “I am a unique construct. I was built in Netheril. I was in stasis for several... I am unsure. Centuries? I believe centuries.”