“Well, I think we should risk it.. it’s the only lead we’ve got, but I’m perhaps too reliant on faith.  I want us all agreed regardless-  I don’t want my last thoughts to be regret I talked you into this!”   She carrys one of the potions.   

Belkas takes off the brightly colored hat and plays with it. "I have to say that I am curious to see where this leads, and our friendly metallic dragon didn't leave us with any way of contacting him, so we don't have any other leads to follow." 

Crowley drops onto the warlock's shoulder and says, "I'm with fast and deadly on this one. This is a bad idea that's gonna to get you all eaten."

"Mr. Chazlauth is learned and confident his plan is wise, despite the dangers."  Siobhan says.  "But if other giants are planning more attacks, all plans will have danger.  Strange hunts make strange alliances.  The dragon will act its nature and so will we and right now those are in agreement."  The firbolg woman looks down at the companions she towers over.  "I do not know though if I should come if we choose this road.  I am worried if this Clowgi ... Claugiy ...this dragon does not like giants that I would be a burden on you.  They say my people are technically giants."

"I've said whot I can, an' I'll go with ye whatever yer choice. Only ever met one dragon me entire life and ye were there, so I donnae pretend ta' be a dragon expert." Zyllith offers a shrug, "But based on tha' bloke's description alone, no' ta' mention whot tales I've heard 'bout dragons, this seems like a rioght bloody terrible idea. Might as like walk inta' tha' lizzard's gullet ourselves this. I'm still willin' ta' jump into danger with ye' all, but be sure ye' all realize how much danger tha' really is."

“I’ll do the talking.  Maybe my gender will help.  And my interest in the arcane.  And if not, well, Mystra will see me a bit earlier than I hoped.   I’d love the company on the way, however!”   Arisa smiles at her friends.  “I’m ready to go, I think.  If you are joining me, anyone have anything remaining to do in town?”  

"I will come with you," Siobhan says.  "And I am very ready to leave this place."

Siobhan looks like she would join anyone who was leaving Waterdeep, the dangers of the destination irrelevant when placed against not being in Waterdeep.

Heading back to the Blue Ewe, Belkas and Vernon complete their errands to pick up their finished equipment, and then you all make final preparations for your departure from Waterdeep, and then

Belkas

Heading back down to the grimy, dirty, dock ward in the southern end of the city, passing the Bloody Fist, the Copper Cup and the Sleeping Snake taverns once again, as well as a couple of brothels, and of course, a number of fishmongers, trinket shops, guildhalls and other shops. Finally, you come to Telethon Leatherworks, right near the Fish Warehouse, and are met by the leatherworker, who has your finished suits of armor. 

Your black spider web suit of leather has been embedded with blackened steel studs, which of course, makes it look even more bad ass, but also increases its protection, effectively now being considered a suit of studded leather. The tanner did an excellent job with the work and at 40 dragons, it's well worth the cost. In addition, he has fashioned a tiny suit of studded leather armor for Crowley. As with the people armor, this minuscule suit has been made with impeccable craftsmanship. 

The total cost of the two suits is 60 gold coins.

Leaving the shop, you tread cautiously back through the streets, keeping your eyes open for any unsavory types, like the kind that accosted you last time. Fortunately, you're not harassed by any thugs, but upon turning one corner, you come across a pair of bodies- two human men, one slumped against the edge of the alley with a dagger stuck in his bleeding gut, and one lying face up next to him with a deep gash in his side and a twisted look of horror upon his face. Upon close inspection, you recognize the man with the blade in his gut is actually one of the thugs who tried to mug you on your last trip down here. 

Judging by the wetness of the blood, it appears that this is a fresh kill, likely done within the past hour or two. 

Vernon

Heading back to Ovina's shop to pick up his gear, Vernon sees that she has done an outstanding job on his shield, adding a unicorn that's holding a flaming hammer, with the sentinel's eye as the unicorn's shield. She added quite a few of her own designs and embellishments to the hammer; markings and runes that symbolize the loose, but solid alliances between dwarves and gnomes over the centuries. Her workmanship is excellent, and when she's finished, the hammer looks even better than it did before. Today price of the repairs is 10 gp.

Before he departs, the ruggedly attractive blacksmith gives Vernon a tight, lingering bear hug and plants a fat kiss squarely on his mouth, and then reminds him of her granddad up in the Crag Mountains, who might be able to tell him the mystery of his cheese. In addition, she mentions that her cousin Diesa, also from the Crags is a crafty inventor who might be able to add some magical enhancements to his reforged hammer. She offers directions to her clan's home, wishes him well, sending him with blessings of great strength and fortitude in his battles ahead and requests that he return to see her again if he ever passes through Waterdeep again.

Belkas walks back through the streets, feeling safer, once again wrapped in leather. Crowley is preening in his new armor and striking poses on the tops of signposts. 

On seeing the two bodies lying on the ground, Belkas quickly looks around to ensure no one is watching. He casts a minor illusion of the wall itself to hide from anyone who should happen to pass by, ducks down, checks that the bodies are truly dead, and then quickly harvests the two sets of eyes, rotating them carefully to break the nerve connections, and then wraps them in a handkerchief.

He glances upwards and says, "For the record, I wasn't actively looking for these, but nor is it wise to offend the greater powers by refusing a gift so freely given."

Making sure there is still no one around, he steps out of the illusion and makes a detour to see if he can still exchange these for the gem he was seeking.

Belkas

After successfully procuring the two sets of eyes, you make a slight diversion to Ilisar's alley at the very edge of the South Ward, which happens to be conveniently on the way back to the Blue Ewe, and find yourselves once again at Isim's Items and Sundries.

Stepping inside, you are greeted by the tall, thin proprietor with long jet black hair and the flamboyant robe who you saw last time, and with a quick transaction, you are able to trade the eyes for a large polished, but uncut piece of translucent purplish red alexandrite, about two inches in diameter, that appears to contain a handful of small, white tears.

Belkas whistles happily as he walks out of the shop. He finds an alley where he can cast invisibility on himself and makes his way back to the Blue Ewe, having Crowley watch for anyone following behind. 

Seeing that Vernon hasn't returned yet, Belkas lets the rest of the party know that he will be ready to leave after a short rest, and he tells Zyllith that he found the two pairs he was looking for just lying in an alley, left behind after a failed mugging that had nothing to do with him.

In the room, he carefully cleans his gloves and then sits on the floor and focuses on his new gem. He lets the words in infernal flow from his mouth and focuses on the fear he always carries around with him. The shadows flow from the tattoos on his arms and coalesce into the hunched form of a misshapen biped cowering before him. 

Belkas looks this thing of nightmares over and nods. "Please hide yourself in the darkness under the bed. Only come out if I am attacked or call you." 

He then settles down to rest, hearing what is surely normal sounds from the street, and not the distant memory of screams. 

While waiting for the group to gather and prepare for their journey, Siobhan burns off her excitement for finally leaving by transforming into her dog form and see if anyone would like to play fetch.  

Vernon thanks Ovina, promising to make all appropriate visits for which he's ever in the area, which assumes that "I don't die to this next dragon my party is visiting. They might need my abilities more than usual..." (+2 bonus to saving throws within 10ft while he's conscious.) He may be skeptical of the dragon, but he is excited to get back on the open road, especially now that he has his shield-enhanced awareness back.

Arisa is excited to get traveling again as well..( I think the group heads out to the road.  Sorry busy days). 

Upon speaking with Blekas regarding his recent procurement she responds with a brilliant smile and a simple "Yer welcome", followed by a playful wink, leaving the matter to his interpretation.

She of course had nothing to do with that failed mugging, but she's not going to pass up the chance for a teasing joke when it's laid out before her.

(( agreed, also sorry for the silence, it's been busy the last few weeks ahead of the upcoming winter break. also had to rebuild my PC ))

With all of your tasks now competed in the city, you pack your bags and leave the Blue Ewe. You had already bid Elion farewell a few days prior, when he departed with Shalvus, indenting to travel to Daggerford. It was easily apparent that the two had become fast friends ever since they fought together in Goldenfields, and the time spent on the road and in Waterdeep only solidified their bond. 

Turning right, you walk up The High Road and leave the city underneath the north gate, as you did last time, only instead of taking a quick right along the Northfurrow Trail a few miles out of Waterdeep, you continue along for about 10 miles before turning on The Long Road. Running all the way from Miramar in the far north to the City of Spendors on the coast, the Long Road is the longest trade route in northern Faerun.

Crossing the Sword Mountains between Rassalantar and Ampail, it continues to Red Larch and Westbridge, before intersecting the Triboar Trail at the town of Tribal, and then running north for almost 300 miles through Longsaddle to its end. The Long Road is well travelled, but since it passes through a massive stretch of wilderness, there are countless potential dangers that exist along the route, which is always a fact of life in The North. Arisa knows that it's a days travel to Rassalantar, then another day to Ampail, and probably five more to Westbridge, where you'll turn east and enter the Kryptgarden Forest. 

Leaving Waterdeep, you pass by the farms and tiny hamlets that sprinkle the landscape for a few miles outside the walls, crossing a fair number of other travelers and small trading parties as you make your way along The High Road. By midday, you reach the turn for the Long Road, which is about the same place where the farmland ends and the wilderness begins. The sun is out today, shining bright, in the humid costal air, which seems considerably warmer than normal, even for late summer. The light wind helps somewhat to alleviate the heat, but not by much. 

Arisa seems happy to have left the city behind. She walks along, observing the sights and sounds of nature.   She occasionally stops to collect plants or fungi for her herbalism kit, taking notes on where things were found.  

She doesn’t mention the trouble with her magic item purchase, except she is clearly very appreciative of her companions’ assistance.   

As they walk, Belkas is lost in thought. He ponders over Zyllith's comment. Had she followed him, killed the two men, and left them as a gift for him so he could get the gem without murdering someone himself? That would be both very sweet and very disturbing.

And did the fact that one of them was a mugger from his previous encounter mean that she had followed him that time as well and seen what he had done? He hadn't noticed her, and neither had Crowley, and they had been watching for trouble.

And it wasn't as if he could just ask her. He would have to act as if nothing had happened. And maybe nothing had happened. But then why that comment and knowing smile? 

Siobhan is overjoyed to be out of the city.  There is a bounce in her step as she strides along, breathing easy in the fresh air.  Every so often, she stretches her arms out and twirls, luxuriating in the open space.  Cities, she has learned, are not only loud and chaotic.  They are also cramped and claustrophobic for a seven foot tall firbolg woman.

Siobhan ties her braids up in deference to the humidity but is otherwise unbothered by the heat.  She knows they are walking towards danger but they are also walking towards a proper forest.  One hopefully without haunted murder trees and mysterious things screaming in the darkness that are sometimes just a cat and other times a monster and occasionally both at the same time. 

She hopes there will be squirrels.

Turning right at the intersection where the Long Road splits off from The High Road, you begin walking northeast and begin heading along this prominent and well-traveled route that cuts inland through the North. At one point, you come across several boulders that lie split in half, their mossy surfaces looking gnawed and clawed. Arisa has traveled this road, and she's seen them before. They're called the "Split rocks," although she's never heard exactly what caused them to appear this way. 

You do see several squirrels throughout the afternoon, frolicking and playing in the tundra in the branches of the few stands of trees that occasionally line the road. Later on, the relatively flat grasslands begin to roll, and off in the distance you can see the Sword Mountains rising above the horizon. At one point, you spot the long-bleached, weed-cloaked skeletons of what appear to be four ogres lying in a small depression just off the trail, their armor and weapons weathered far beyond use. 

When the sun begin dipping lower in the sky to your left, you get your first sight of the small hamlet of Rassalantar up ahead.

Arisa smiles. “My mother and I used to come here to sell her remedies, and buy from the farmers.   I remember there’s an Inn here-  Sleeping Dragon, I think.  The people running it were nice, of course I was a little girl.   Waterdeep protects this place, if things haven’t changed.   It should be safe for the night.  “. Arisa says, and quickens her pace towards the village.