Zamar goes and looks for Whistler. He sees him handing a letter to a courier at the door. He turns and nods his head at Zamar. "Good morning, sir."

Zamar looks a little uneasy as he approaches. "Good morning, Whistler. Do you have a moment? I have been wondering about the origins of this house."

"Of course," he says. He heads over to one of the best furnished areas of the house and takes a seat. "What is it you would like to know?"

"Who owned this house previously?" Zamar asks. "And have you noticed anything strange since moving in?"

Mr.Whistler blinks at you. "Strange? What do you mean?"
"Supernatural?" Zamar suggests. "Ghosts or spirits. That sort of thing."

Mr. Whistler blinks again. "No. Nothing like that. Please tell me, what happened?"

He hesitates, not wanting to appear crazy. "I have a habit of sharing my day with Lera's mother, who died in childbirth. I tell her about her daughter and hope in my heart that these prayers reach whatever plane her soul is on. But I never hear back from her. At least, not until I came here. The first night, I saw her face in candle shadow and she reached for me. I brushed it off as exhaustion. Last night, she spoke to me and I felt her hand brush through my hair. She only stays for a moment before disappearing. I want it to be her, but I am no fool. There are many other things that can pull memories from your mind."(edited)

Mr. Whistler ponders what you've said for a few moments. "Perhaps you are still quite exhausted from the past couple days? It was a strange few days for all of us. Regardless, I will do some research into the previous owners and the history of this building."

Zamar studies the Kenku carefully. He's hiding something. He knows more.

Zamar responds, not wanting to press for more information. At least not for now. "Please do. And please keep this between us. I don't want to upset Lera until I know more."

"Of course," Mr. Whistler said, bowing his head slightly. "Do you know if any of your comrades have been experiencing these strange things?"

"I do not." Zamar admits, "I've been hesitant to bring it up."

"I'd be most curious to learn more if you hear anything." He nods, adding an air of finality to the subject. "At any rate, I will do some research and let you know what I uncover. Now, if there's nothing more, the Carpenters Guild will be here soon. Have you given any thought to any alterations you may wish to include in your living space?"

"I will keep you informed," Zamar says. "As to my quarters? Expansion as the others have requested would be fine. My needs are pretty simple."

"Very well, sir. Please, have a good day." With that, Mr. Whistler walks over to the desk and writes something on a piece of parchment, then places the parchment into a pocket.

"What's on that paper," he wonders. And with that, Zamar heads back to the common room with all manner of unpleasant thoughts swirling through his head.

(Insight check: 19)

Perrin spends his night whipping up something small and edible up for Lera and the others. It is in the kitchen where Lera shares her ideas of having an "adventure" for Polly. Perrin readily agrees and they spend some of their night in that kitchen discussing the details of this adventure. Afterwards, Perrin goes into his bedroom says a quick goodnight prayer to Yondalla and then goes to sleep for the night. When he wakes early the next morning he starts the day with another quick prayer followed by heading to the kitchen to make the group some breakfast. Nothing complicated just some bacon, eggs, and toast. He'll leave a note for Lera that he'll be back shortly; he needs to do some shopping first. On his way out he'll remind Whistle of the list he gave him yesterday that had his requests in it for his room. With that Perrin heads out into the city hoping to find what he needs in the city. 

Perrin's shopping trip to get a Potion of Healing was uneventful as he just got a potion for the going rate. However, as Perrin is scouting the bazaar for spices, chocolate, and various other sundries, you see a crowd gathering around a vendor. "Every spice imaginable!" He calls out. "This is the last one... yours for the low, low price of fifty dragons!" Someone from the crowd says, "Can you pull cinnamon from it?" There's gasps and a little coughing as a small cloud of cinnamon falls over the crowd. The vendor is showing off a small belt pouch. He reveals to the crowd that it's completely empty and there's a small applause. "You ma'am!" He says, pointing to a random crowd member. "What spice would you like to see?"
"Sugar!" She says. "And sugar you shall have!" While everyone is watching he reaches into the empty pouch and reveals a handful of sugar. He pours the sugar into a small kid's hands. "The sweetest you'll ever taste!"

Perrin decides to check out the vendor and makes his way to the front of the crowd. "How does it work!?!" Perrin shouts

"Magic!" He says, smiling at the potential customer. "I can tell you have your doubts, my friend." His grin widens, "Say the name of the spice... any spice... and reach on in." He pushes the pouch closer to you to allow you to reach inside.

Perrin reaches his hand in and says "Saffron"

As he places his hand inside Perrin feel something soft enter his hand. Perrin withdraws his hand and between his fingers is the perfect amount of saffron for a ten person meal. Perrin tentatively smells and tastes the spice. It smells and tastes just as perfectly harvested saffron should. The man hunkers down closer and says, "Fifty gold crowns, my friend. This is my last one. Each day it will replenish its supply of any spice in the world, gotten from the kitchens of the gods."

“And where may I ask is the kitchen of the gods because I’d very much like to visit.” Perrin jokes

"Wouldn't we all!" He bellows. The laughter of the crowd catches you off-guard. It's as if they're watching, wide-eyed, to see what this noble halfling will do.

“I need to make sure I get my money’s worth. I don’t like to use magic of any means in my cooking because it never turns out right. What’s more of the limitations of this pouch? How much can I pour out? Have there been any ill effects of someone using these spices in their cooking?”

"As all good things, the magic can run out to be refreshed the next day. But the herbs, spices, seasonings, they are not made of magic." He gestures over the crowd, "It is like a portal to a never-ending supply of the best seasonings the world has to offer. They are as natural as you and I merely transferred from one place to your plate." He starts to lose interest in the potential sale as you ask these questions and looks over the crowd for another potential buyer.

Perrin thinks about it and attempts to read the man for any signs of lying. 

The saffron was as good, if not better, than some of the best herbs you have sampled. He seems to be genuine. Somehow he has created a way to get real herbs from one place to another without destroying the natural quality of them. You get the sense that this is, indeed, his last one, as his cart is already packed and a team of laborers are waiting for him to finish this last sale before they leave Baldur's Gate.

“Alright, sir you got yourself a deal. I’ll purchase your last pouch for 50 gold” Perrin eventually states

His eyes dart back to yours and he calls out, "The last one is sold to this wonderful halfling here! I hope everyone will get to taste the amazing foods that he creates." He kneels down to you and adds with a whisper, "You will get six more uses out of this. The magic will recharge at the rise of the moon. There is no spice beyond your reach now." He hands the small pouch to you and turns his palm up awaiting his payment.

“Thank you.” Perrin Hands him the gold and proceeds to put the pouch on his belt

//Persuasion for general shopping: 1d20+4 = 3+4 = 7. Insight on Salesman: 1d20+1 = 18+1 = 19. Spent 100 gold for a Potion of Healing and a Heward's Handy Spice Pouch//

Group 'Polly's Adventures'

Woe is still organising stuff, humming a tune. When she sees Zamar coming back downstairs, she'll approach him. "Good morning, Zamar, I was thinking, now that we have a little time for ourselves, and after I left yesterday without Lera, maybe I could show the two of you the city? It has a lot of fog and dirt, that is true, but there are some truly magestic spots as well!" Then Woe realises that Zamar is not really listening to her. "Oh, I guess it is on me to check up on you today! Are you feeling alright? You are not quite looking to be yourself!"

"Oh, Woe, I'm sorry. I'm a bit lost in thought. I've had an...unsettling night. And Whistler knows more than he is letting on. I'm worried about what we may be getting ourselves into here." He shakes his head. "But you were saying something about the city?"

"What are you talking about? Where do these worries come from? Yesterday you were excited and full of energy!" Woe wonders.

Singe wakes, surprised to see that he did not fall off again. Singe changes into a nice pair of clothes, far from his fanciest, but a fine pair for a long day of study. When Perrin isn't looking, Singe does char his bacon to a crisp but readily enjoys the breakfast. He packs his bag, paper and his quills and carefully, a bottle of ink. Upstairs, he find Mr. Whistler finishing his breakfast at his desk.

"Mr. Whistler, I have some specifications for my room I'd like to discuss, as you said the carpenters' guild is coming today."

"Ah, yes, very good." Mr. Whistler moves the plate out of the way and picks up a quill, ready to take notes. "What are your requests?"

"I would like it expanded 15 feet towards Perrin's room as well as a bookshelf and a desk be added."

The kenku nods as he makes note of these requests. "Very good. Anything else?"

"Yes, well..." Singe weighs his options, "I'd like to have a practice space. Especially as I begin to comprehend higher level magic, it may become... explosive and flamable. It might also be benificial for our other spellcasters."

Mr. Whistler scratches a claw across his beak. "Space at the moment is a little short. However, we have that large storage room. I don't foresee us using that much space just for storage. Perhaps we could build a wall and create another room in there." He scratches down a few more notes. "What exactly would you require for such a room?"

"A wall of wood right? That might cause a house fire." Singe pauses, "Actually, forget about it. Other people probably have more practical applications for it."

Mr. Whistler blinked at Singe. "We can have a stone wall put in place. You're right that it could benefit the others, as well. Is this something you do not wish to do, after all?"

"Yes, it's better used as something less likely to bring harm to our new homestead. I have two more questions for you, Mr. Whistler, well, three. Well, two." Mr. Whistler nods, looking slightly confused, "First, does the party have a writ into the upper city?"

"A writ? Not as such. But, Mr. Viscardi has been making deals with many of the interested parties that live and do business within the Upper City. I've been reassured our budding guild will have access, especially since our first job comes from the Hall of Wonders." Mr. Whistler blinks at Singe, awaiting the next question.

"Second, what happened to the men two nights ago? In particular the one who's skull was, well, you know."

"Oh... oh dear, yes." Mr. Whistler looks sad for a moment. "I took care of that. You have no need to worry. We were prepared for something like that to happen. I'm actually quite surprised there weren't more deaths."

"I'd like to worry." Singe counters, looking perturbed.

"What is it that you are worried about?"

Singe frowns, "I have seen wizards do miraculous things. My mentor in fact could see into my mind, she could be anywhere in the world in an instant, she could even speak to me during long talks with other countries all with the power of her mind. I have heard of wizards reshaping reality to bring people back from the dead!"

"So you're worried about repercussions?"

"Yes, but it's more, personal," Singe breathes in, "I didn't give that man a fair chance, I was unthinking and rash, leaving that man a corpse in the street. Tymora knows he deserves a second chance and I aim to give it to him. I may never be powerful enough to bring him back but I want my own failings to be the thing keeping me from saving him. In short, I want to know where he is."

"I see," Mr. Whistler said, nodding. "He is to be buried within the next couple of days. His family has been informed, and all expenses were paid by Mr. Viscardi."

Singe nods "Thank you." Just before he leaves, "Actually, I do have a third question; what's your preferred nomenclature? Mr. Whistler? It feels a tad formal."

"Usually, yes. I'm Mr. Viscardi's assistant and like to keep things professional when dealing with his business matters. However, you may call me Whistler."

Singe thanks the kenku once more and heads to the High House of Wonders.

After eating Perrin’s real and delicious food, Lera is finally ready for bed. She changes into her night robe and lays in her bed for a few minutes. Sleep does not come, and so the teenager rises and leaves her basement room to return to the roof, for another moment under the stars.

She doesn’t get lost this time, which is good. The ladder still wasn’t fixed, but there was a rope.

“That’s handy,” She mutters to herself before climbing up. Once on the roof, she notices a semi-familiar form, meditating in the darkness. "Shanolia?"

The Elf remains quiet; she was just entering Trance, and so she was more than a little annoyed at the sudden interruption.

“Well, I came up here to be alone, and you probably did too,” Lera bites her lip nervously. “But, uhhh, maybe you’re asleep? So I’m... just going to sit down, if that’s ok with you.”

"Silly girl, Elves do not sleep." She opens one eye, peering at the girl. "You do not need permission, this roof is your safe place as much as it is mine."

“I don’t want to disturb your peace and quiet,” Lera shrinks back, feeling very small compared to the mysterious Elf.

"Do not worry, young one. The quiet was far from peaceful, and it is nice to have some company." She notices the look of unease on her face. "Come, sit with me."

“Alright,” Lera sits down awkwardly, looking to the stars instead of her party mate. She can’t exactly talk to her mom now... “Soooo...”

"I apologize if my appearance is... off-putting. I assure you, you've no need to fear me."

“No, it’s not that,” Lera sighs. “I just- normally come up here to talk to myself. And it’s a little embarrassing to do that in front of someone, you know?” Shanolia nods.

"I understand. We all have our need for escape; be it prayer, nourishment, or solitude for solitude's sake. I will not judge, speak as you must."

Meanwhile, Koll is off to the side, sitting on the ledge and Lera finally notices him when he speaks.

"You know, I was thinking perhaps we could build a garden up here on the roof, sometime? A place for quiet reflection. Maybe some night-blooming flowers? I don't know - I have no skill with plants. Do either of you?" When he doesn't receive a response, he stands and walks to the rope. "This seems to be a popular spot for private meditation. But it's not going to work if we're all up here at once. I will take leave. Goodnight." He gives each of the girls a friendly nod and descends the rope.

Lera jumps a little, surprised that she had missed Koll. “Good night,” she replies softly as the monk takes his leave. Following a moment of awkward silence, the sorcerer finally speaks up. "I’ve never grown a plant before,” No response from the Elf. “It seems funny that we all decided to make the roof our special spot.”

"Perhaps, though I wouldn't call it my 'special spot'. So far, I've only come here to eat, so as not to scare the child."

“Little kids don’t care about gross or scary stuff, they normally think it’s cool,” Lera replies softly. “It isn’t until we become adults that we learn to fear things.”

"If you could observe what is beneath this cloth, I assure you would rethink your statement." Shanolia retorts, a hint of sorrow in her voice.

“You know what they say about assumptions,” Lera shrugs. “They tend to cause more problems as we worry about the what-if’s then if we just dealt with it.” Shanolia chuckles softly.

"Wise, for a girl of your years." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "If you wish to be alone, I will not bother you further. Good night, young one." She descends the rope, leaving the young Aasimar alone to her thoughts and the stars.

Polly's Adventure

Later in the morning, Zamar goes to find Lera. "All right, troublemaker. What is your plan here? Going to get us fired?" He winks at her.

Lera is still in bed. “S’ too early,” she mumbles, rolling over and pulling the pillow over her head.

"And when would her majesty like to arise?" he prods.

Lera only groans in response, throwing one of her pillows at her father.

He throws them back, laughing and calls over his shoulder as he walks out, "I'll be in the common room practicing when you are ready to make your entrance." As he leaves, he let the facade drop, still a bit shaken by his earlier experience and concerned over Whistler's reticence to share.

Lera emerges grumpily about 20 minutes later. Once woken, it’s hard to go back to sleep. Especially when someone is playing the blooming viol right outside her door. She emerges still a mess, wearing a rumpled nightgown and wild hair.

"I'm sorry. Did my music wake you?" he asks, knowing he'll pay for the jab later.

Lera grunted in response. “You call that music?” She mumbled before heading to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she came back with a cup of coffee.

“Yes, I do.” He said. "And so did all of the people who voted for us."

Lera came back into the room a few minutes later, sipping on her cup of coffee. She plopped down on the ground, waiting for the caffeine to take effect.

Zamar plays a soft but mournful tune for her.

Lera creates the minor illusion of a giant two-fingered salute behind her.

Zamar plays a funeral dirge.

Lera narrows her eyes but does nothing else to escalate the situation.

Zamar stops playing and walks over to sit next to her. "In all seriousness, how are you, child?"

"Fine," Lera mumbled into her cup of coffee. "I did not get enough sleep two nights ago, so I was catching up today."

"Sorry. I would have left you alone had I known. Need anything?"

"More coffee," Lera grunted.

"Coffee. Right. Coming up!" and so saying, he heads to the kitchen. He returns with a steaming mug full of strong coffee for her.

"I could have grabbed that," Lera frowned, still taking the coffee.

"Trying to make amends," he says. "I don't like being the cause the cause of your frown."

Lera shrugs, taking the second cup and sipping it. “Well, thanks, dad,” she smiles. “You doing ok?”

"Settling in. These aren't the best accommodations, but they aren't the worst. I just need to get used to it. I'm sure I'll be fine once I get some better sleep," he assures her.

When Woe hears Zamar and Lera talking, she comes out of her room. "Good morning, Lera! Your father told me about your plan to take Polly out on an adventure today. I thought I could show you all the city at the same time! What have you planned so far?"

“Are you kidding? This place is so cool!” Lera was apparently now awake enough to show excitement. “I get a room all to myself, and- hi Woe!” Lera smiled at the other bard.

Looking at Zamar and Lera Woe continues: "If it was just the two of you, I would take you to a large open marketplace, called The Wide, which dominates the northeast portion of the walled city, The High Hall, seat of the city government, back to the High House of Wonders, which besides being a place for mechanical wonders is also a large temple to Gond - and the last time we were there we didn't even begin to marvel at the wonders that are inside!! And then probably the Seatower of Balduran, a small fortress in the center of the harbor... But I am pretty sure that Polly would get bored by most of it. We need to find something with animals or a fair... let me think..."

At this point, Perrin walks in holding a bag of chocolate. “I got the chocolate Lera. And look I also got this handy cooking pouch.”

"Cooking pouch?" Zamar asks. "That sounds interesting."

“Yeah. It holds all the spices I could think of in this tiny pouch. I just put my hand in, name a spice, and it appears. The best part is they’re not magically created spices. They’re actually natural the pouch just acts as a space to store it. Unfortunately, it has a limitation on how often you can use it.”

"I have faith that you will put it to good effect," Zamar says reassuringly. "I bet you could pull just two spices out and make something amazing."

“I appreciate your confidence in my cooking.”

“Alright, so where the plan currently sits is that I’d like to take Polly on a brief tour of the city. At the end, we’ll end in the Upper City and try to find those pirates from earlier and let her play with them. We’re going to make a little obstacle course treasure hunt, and then they’ll find chocolate coins at the end,” Lera said rapidly, finally taking a pause to breathe. “Speaking of, can I have some chocolate, Perrin?”

Here you go. Its bazaar bought so...”

"Sounds like a fantastic plan. Let's get on with it, right after breakfast." With this Woe will get up and bring the leftovers of Perrin's breakfast from the kitchen to share with everybody. "Good morning, Perrin, this looks like a cool pouch! Specifically, once we're in the jungle and no bazaar in sight!"

“What preparations do we need to make for Polly? I can’t imagine we just walk into the East wing and just grab her.”

“I was going to walk into the East Wing, tell Whistler where we are going, and then take her,” Lera smiled. “Don’t see why that’s so complicated.”

"I very much assume that Whistler already knows that we're supposed to take her out. I cannot imagine her over-protective brother would not have made sure she is wearing the correct clothing etc. Perrin, maybe you can prepare a little picknick lunch for all of us, that will be easier than relying on the street vendors for food. Little kids are fine one moment and starving to death/throwing a tantrum the next. Also, do we have anything that could help with transport? How is Mr. Piggles outside? Will he just walk with us?"

“I can make some sandwich for lunch. As for transport well, Polly was riding Mr.Piggles the other day so I assume that’s normal. If not walking never hurts anyone."

“No, see, that was the deal I made. We have to tell Whistler where we’re going, otherwise, I’m not allowed to take her out.”

"What I meant is, of course, we tell Whistler, but I am sure he has already arranged everything for her to be ready to go out."

“Yeaaaah,” Lera thought back to her last conversation with Viscardi. She somehow doubted he would prioritize getting her ready to go on an outside adventure. “You know what, I’m going to go check on her and grab her. You guys can deal with all of the detail stuff, right?”

"Sure!" Woe winks at Lera.

“I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready.” Perrin then makes his way to the kitchen to makes some sandwiches.

"I'll be sitting here thinking of all the ways this could go horribly wrong," Zamar jokes

“Don’t worry, pops, it’ll be fine!” Lera said as she left the room. “Everything’s gone great so far.” The sorcerer then went off to the East Wing to find Mr. Whistler and then Polly.

As Lera heads upstairs, Mr. Whistler is at the front desk, going through some paperwork. He looks up as she approaches. "Ah, good morning!"

“Good morning!” She smiles warmly. “How are you today?”

"I'm well, thank you. Any big plans for today," he inquired.

“Actually, yes,” Lera beams. “I talked to Viscardi last night, and he said I could take Polly out as long as I told you where we’re going.”

Mr. Whistler nodded. "Yes, he informed me. Apparently, he also informed Polly last night, so she's already up and ready. She had breakfast in her room, but she hasn't been out yet. She's very excited, I would have thought she'd be downstairs banging on your door already." He chuckled to himself. "At any rate, there are a few ground rules we need to go over." He gave Lera a pointed look. "These are important if you wish for Mr. Viscardi to trust you with taking Polly into the city."

“Of course, I want nothing more than to make sure Polly is safe and happy,” Lera nodded. “Should I be taking notes?”

"Oh, a note taker, I see," Mr. Whistler said, sounding slightly surprised but happy. "If you wish, but it's fairly simple. Limit the number of sweets and sugar she has. It will do her no good having a diet of only sweets. She needs a well-balanced diet. There are plenty of fruits in the kitchen that can substitute for cake and candy. Make sure she drinks plenty of water. You'd better take some extra for Mr. Piggles, as well. He'll get quite thirsty on this little trek of yours. She's going to insist on walking, but Mr. Piggles isn't just her pet, so please make sure when she gets tired, she rides. She might fight it, but you have to be firm with her. Little girls need structure." He taps a claw against his beak. "Oh dear, I feel like I'm forgetting something. Oh dear, oh dear."

Lera does not take notes. “I feel as if the thing you are forgetting is probably the most important.”

"This is why I keep notes," he replied, distracted. It's obvious he didn't take notes on this particular subject. "Make sure she's back well before dark. It's very important she's back before dinner."

“If I get her wet or feed her food after midnight will she turn into a goblin?” Lera asked earnestly, trying to be helpful.

Mr. Whistler blinked at Lera, confused. "No, nothing like that. Mr. Viscarid insists on having family dinner together. He'll be very upset if she misses out."

“Of course, of course,” Lera nods very seriously. “Last chance to give me tips. Anything else I should know?”

"Just..." Mr. Whistler pauses, almost like a nervous parent. "...keep her safe."

“Mr. Whistler, I can assure you that I want nothing more than to make sure Polly is happy and safe,” Lera gave an awkward curtsy. “I’ll run and fetch her now. Thank you for the help and advice.”

He continues to tap his beak as Lera walks away. "Oh! Please do bring Polly to see me before you leave. I have a few rules for her, as well."

"Understood!" Lera calls over her shoulder before going back to Polly's room. She knocked three times in rapid succession on the door. "Polly! Are you ready to go on an adventure?"

The door flew open, and standing before Lera was Polly, dressed in her adventuring clothes, complete with wooden sword and shield. "Lera," she screeched. Quickly, she covered her mouth, and pulled Lera into her room, closing the door behind her. "I'm so excited," she said, much more quietly.

"Why are we whispering?" Lera whispered back.

"I don't wanna bother E. I don't know why, but he's letting me go with you! But..." Polly looks away. Following her gaze, you see four different piles of broken dolls. It looks like she's trying to find all the pieces and fix the dolls she broke. "I'm in trouble. I'm grounded for a week. How did you get him to agree to let me go out?"

"I told you, I'm the best at persuading people," Lera whispered, giving Polly a small wink. "I'm sorry I got you grounded, I hope this makes up for it."

"You didn't!" She looks away embarrassed. "I got myself grounded. I was naughty and rude."

"Well, maybe next time we'll try not to break your dolls and we'll go with my way right off the bat," Lera smiled. "Are you ready to go? We just need to say goodbye to Mr. Whistler before we leave."

Polly nods quietly. "Come on, Mr. Piggles!" Upon hearing his name, the pig stood up from his pillow and walked over to the girls. He was already outfitted with his saddle and looked ready to get things underway. All this conversation was boring.

Lera holds her hand out to Polly, inviting her to hold hands. "I am so excited!" She stage-whispered.

Polly looked at her hand holding the wooden sword, over to the hand holding the shield. She looked like she wanted to hold Lera's hand, then she got a determined look on her face. "Adventurers don't hold hands!" Taking the lead, she headed out the door, into the main section of the Guild Hall. There, Mr. Whistler was pacing, nervously. "Ah! Polly! So good of you to join us." He quickly walked to her. "Now, you are to do everything Lera tells you to do. She's in charge of you, and I won't have you arguing with her." Polly nodded, silently. "Be sure to drink plenty of water, don't get too much sun, and stay at Lera's side at all times. No wandering off." Again Polly nodded.

"I'm an adventurer, and I like holding hands," Lera shrugged. She listened carefully to Whistler's instructions, her heart sped up with excitement when she found out she would be in charge. This was going to be exciting! "Thank you, Whistler. Any last minute things before we join the others?"

"Oh dear... Do you have food? I should have packed something for you. And make sure you have water!" Mr. Whistler began to nervously make his way toward the kitchen. "Do you need a snack before you go? Did you go potty? What about Mr. Piggles? Did you feed him?" The questions kept coming, rapid-fire, with Polly answering "uh-huh."

"Mr. Whistler, Perrin has packed us a wonderful lunch that I am sure is amazing," Lera smiled.

Mr. Whistler stopped, fidgeting in spot. "Oh, wonderful!" He looked around at the room, then at Lera and Polly, blinking, as if he was unsure of what to do next. "Right. Well. I have things to do." He pointed a claw right at Polly. "Be good." Polly saluted him, saying, "Yessir!"

"I'll be good too!" Lera called back before leading Polly to the basement where the others were. "Alright, Pols, we have a bit of a pirate adventure planned for today. Do you like pirates? I love pirates. What is your pirate name going to be?"

"Ooooh," Polly whispered. "I... I dunno! If I had a peg leg I could be Polly PegLeg! But I don't." She frowned, deep in thought.

"We can always pretend you have a peg leg?"

"Yeah! Then it makes sense why I right Mr. Piggles!" She got excited again. "Polly PegLeg!"

Lera pushed open the door to their common area. "Alright, ye landlubbers," she announced their entrance to the others. "This here is Cap'n Polly PegLeg, and we're ta take her on an adventure... Arrrr."

Polly followed in, grinning from ear to ear. Mr. Piggles waddled in and flopped down in the middle of the floor, clearly unimpressed.

Just before the door opened, Woe had bound a piece of black fabric arcoss her left eye and taken out the drums. When Lera announces the arrival of Polly PegLeg, Woe gives a drum roll... Then she pokes Perrin and whispers: "are there any kitchen scraps that we could feed Mr. Piggles? I want to make sure he is well fed before we even take off." Then she takes her backpack and puts the rope and the full waterskin inside. "WoeWobblyEye - ready to adventure and to follow the one and only Pirate Captain Polly PegLeg!"

Zamar laughed. "And is that her fearsome mount, Pig Leg?" Zamar takes out his Viol and starts playing a sea shanty.

Perrin salutes back “Pirate Pintsize Perrin; here to provide food.”

“And I be Lera the Red, and Whistler put me in charge, so all ye sea dogs must listen to me.”

"What about you, Lera's dad?" Polly asked, bouncing happily in front of Zamar.

“I be Zamar the Silver!” He shouts. “And I be reminding Lera the Red not to get too big for her britches!” He winks at Polly.

"She's Capt'n Lera the Red!" Polly bounced back to the door. "C'mon! Let's go before it gets too late!"

“Aye, aye, first mate Peg Leg Polly!” Zamar makes an exaggerated salute and falls in line behind the procession.

“Ye heard our charge, I be the captain,” Lera grinned. “So, do we have any other preparations or are we ready to go?”

Polly rushes up the stairs, yelling down behind her, "Cooome oooooon!" Then as an afterthought, "Come Mr. Piggles!" The pig grunts and follows, slowly, up the stairs. 

The group then heads out into the city.

Polly's Adventure

Polly PegLeg spends the day out with Zamar the Silver, Lera the Red, WoeWobblyEye, and Pintsize Perrin. It seems as though its been years since she's had so much fun. With WoeWobblyEye as their guide, the group explores the great sights that Baldur's Gate has to offer. Both Lera and Zamar learn of various taverns within the city that they can ply their trade, making a mental note to return to those locations later in the week. Polly grows closer to Woe throughout the day, and soon she realizes just how great this team of adventurers are.

The food Perrin prepared is eaten in The Wide, a large marketplace known for its trade. The smell of spiced meats mixed with the atmosphere of colored tents and wide open spaces makes it the perfect resting spot. Muscled delivery boys make their way through the tents carrying massive poles strapped to their backs. Just out of reach, a large amount of baskets swivel and sway with each step. You all eat next to The Beloved Ranger, a statue of Minsc delicately holding his famous hamster, Boo.

As the afternoon winds down, Polly spends more and more time riding atop Mr. Piggles. Used to travelling long distances, the pig seems to enjoy the exercise. Polly's eyes shoot open when she hears a boy shout from an alley, "Aye, aye, Captain Shark!"

Polly's Adventure

"There be our new pirate allies,” Lera smiled, turning into the alley. “Ahoy there Captain Shark!” She greeted the motley crew. “How be the seas today?”

"It's Captain Scourge and his first mate, Bonnie!" Captain Shark Exclaims. The small pirate crew rushes over, their sticks waving in the air. Captain Shark stops short of the group, eyeing you all, "You've got a pretty large crew now!"

"Aye! That we do! " Zamar shouts. "But we never forgets our friends!"

Polly eyes both of you, confused. "Captain Scourge? Bonnie?"

“Today I’m Captain Lera the Red, and this is my first mate Polly Peg Leg,” Lera smiles, motioning for Polly to join them.

“Pirates go by many names,” Zamar explains. “Helps confound the Pirate Hunters.”

Mr. Piggles steps forward, sniffing Captain Shark, ultimately snorting into the boy's face.

Captain Shark reaches a hand out to Mr. Piggles, weary of the large pig. "Does he bite?" He asks Polly.

"Only if I tell him to," Polly said, squinting at the boy.

Lera minor illusions a pirate flag where the normal skull is replaced by a pig’s. “Cap’n Shark, Cap’n Polly PegLeg, we’d like to take you on a small pirate adventure, if that’s alright with you,” the sorcerer announced her plan grandiosely. “I hear there be a treasure of sweet gold hiding somewhere around here.”

Polly eyes the other pirate group warily, but simply nods her head in agreement.

Captain Shark helped my dad and I get the treasure map for your brother’s scavenger hunt, as well as giving us a gift, Lera messaged Polly secretly. They were nice kids, and I thought you’d have some fun with them.

I... I guess, Polly messages back, and Lera gets a sense of hesitation from her.

When I was younger, I never got to play with kids my own age, and I always felt like I was missing something. I just didn’t want you to miss out on that same thing, Lera replied. If you don’t have fun, we can always peel off and do something else.

No, I... just... never get to play with kids my age, either. Mr. Piggles was my only friend, before you came along. What if they don't like me?

"Is this a real treasure map? And is she a real pirate too?" Captain Shark asks. The girl pirate with the bandanna eyepatch walks up and puts her hand out to Polly. "I'm First Mate Patches," she says. "When pirates parlay there's never supposed to be any bad blood between them. Parlay?" She asks Polly.

Polly slowly reaches out and shakes the girls hand. "P-parlay? Uh... sure."

"Alright mateys!" Captain Shark calls out. "We're teaming up with the... the... " He asks, "What's the name of your ship?"

“That’s up to Cap’n Polly PegLeg.”

Polly's eyes open wide, as she stares at everyone looking at her. "I... I dunno..." she says quietly, feeling overwhelmed.

“How about we be the Scarlet Dawn,” Lera looks at Polly, seeing her struggle. “Just like the name of our Adventuring Guild.”

"Okay," Polly says, nodding. "Scarlet Dawn!"

“It’s good that our two ships be teaming up, because there’s quite the treacherous adventure ahead to retrieve the treasure,” Lera narrated. “Now, the physical map to the treasure has been lost to time, but there is a magical map that still remains. But to reveal it, everyone needs to stand in a circle and say the magic words ‘lera eínai foveró’ all together.” Anyone who knows Celestial would know that the magic words actually mean ‘Lera is awesome.’

Polly cawls off Mr. Piggles and joins the other children in a circle, all of them attempting to say ‘lera eínai foveró’. There are many mispronunciations of it, but they all manage to get out some form of the phrase.

Zamar casts prestidigitation creating a compass in Polly’s hand. As he does, he says “This is a magical compass. It will point the way and then disappear!”

As soon as the incantation is said, Lera cast mold earth on the ground before them. A multicolored treasure map appeared in the street, the X near the Rose Portal. Between their current location and the X were three obstacles. “The Bones of he Earth,” “The Breath of the Gods,” and “The Fires of the Forge” read the labels that corresponded to each illustrated stop.

All of the children, Polly included, ooh-ed and ah-ed over the magical map. While the other children were fascinated with the map itself, Polly tugged on Zamar's sleeve. "I don't know how to use this," she whispered to him.

Zamar gets down on one knee next to Polly. “OK,” He says. “I will explain it before I summon it again. That was my fault. The compass is magical. It will appear in your hand and an arrow will tell you which way to go. Then it will disappear. Whenever you want to know which way to go again, say the magic word ‘direccio!‘ and it will reappear. Are you ready?”

Woe plays musical clues in the background... While they set up and explain, she will play a slow rhythm drum beat accentuating the 'spells'. Once the procession of kids and adults will start walking, she will take out the bagpipe and play a pirate march. At each obstacle, she will switch back to using the drums for added suspense...

Zamar will accompany her on the Viol looking for places to harmonize.

Polly nodded and said the magic word. "Direccio!" When the compass appeared in her hand again, she saw the arrow pointing her in the direction they needed to go. "This way!"

chocolate there, Lera messages Perrin. As the children approach the approximate place that “The Bones of the Earth” obstacle had been illustrated, she cast mold earth again. She made three pillars in the ground, each a little less than a foot wide and two feet tall. They were spread just far enough apart that a child could step easily from one to the next, but not too easily. She then laid down a minor illusion around the small pillars, making it look like the ground was littered with bones.

Perrin will quickly make his way to the Rose Portal to hide the chocolate.

As the children began to see the obstacle, they all groaned at the bones. "Ew! What died here! We're supposed to go across that?" said the little girl.

"These are dinosaur bones, creatures that still roam on the island of Chult. Huuuge monsters, terrifying every creature around them just by their roars..." Woe is drumming again. First slow, then faster, imitating the heavy legs of the dinosaurs pounding the ground. "These dinosaurs here died a long time ago. They were not clever enough to walk over the stumps... Can you do it? Help each other, make a long chain of pirates! Pirates never leave a crew member behind!" The drumming gets faster again...

I can do this, Polly thinks to herself, forgetting Lera can hear. She crawls up on the first pillar then helps the next pirate up. Slowly, the children help one another across to the second, then the third.

Every time, they manage to get someone across there goes a BOOM BOOM BOOM... They are doing fantastic. Then someone slips and the whole group gasps.... hhhhhhhh but the other kids are holding tight, not letting go of their crew member, and manage to pull the child back up into safety.

Polly is confident that Lera won't let anything happen to her, so she takes the lead, encouraging the other pirates on. "Come on, guys! We can do it!"

Zamar adds to the excitement by adding dramatic chords as the children leap from rock to rock.

The tiny pirates stumble their way across the small obstacle course and make it the other side. They high five each other at the end. "Wow Polly, you're so brave!" Patches says with a big grin on her face. Captain Shark stands victorious. "Where to next, Polly?" He asks.

"Uh... um..." Then Polly remembered. " Oh! Direccio!" Magically, the compass appeared in Polly's hand again, showing the direction. "We gotta go that way," she said pointing.

The kids start rushing off in the direction that Polly pointed. Patches grab her by the hand and pull Polly along. Mr. Piggles fast-waddles to keep up.

Let me know if you ever need a break, Lera messages Polly quietly. They continue to weave through alleyways until they arrive at “The Breath of the Gods.” Lera winked at her father, who knew exactly what to do. Using prestidigitation, he created puffs of air that disturbed the leaves between them and the end of the obstacle.

Captain Shark looked at the obstacle, concerned. "What do we do?"

“That be the breath of the gods! If it touches ya, ye’ll be turned to stone! Time yer steps carefully!” He winks at Woe.

"Ha, the last time I tried it, I got hit by the first blow! But Capt'n PegLeg, you're much more agile than me, little old WoeWobblyEye" Woe bends down, whispering in Polly's ear... "You can do this! Trust in yourself and we make sure everything is safe!"

Polly nodded and turned to the other pirates. "Okay, we can do this! Just stay out of the air!" They took each other's hands, easing around the puffs of air.

Zamar carefully places the puffs to be tantalizingly close and yet not too close to alarm the children.

Once they are halfway through, Woe adds puffs coming from above, which cause squeaks from the kids, ducking down and having to commando crawl from here. "You look like dangerous snakes, this is great!" Woe shouts, giggling herself, then she winks back at Zamar.

Polly screamed as a puff of air flew up before her face, causing the rest of the pirates to squeal. Polly changed course and led the pirates safely to the other side.

“That was a close one!” Lera exclaims. “But you pirates did a great job. Onward?”

Woe just looks at Zamar and she knows, that compass will not appear until this kid had some water and food. They will share some dried fruit and dried meats (1 ration) between all the children...

“Let’s take a story break,” Lera backs up Woe as the children sit down to have a snack break. “Stories and snacks, two of my favorite S words.”

"Aww," Polly whined. "But I wanna keep going!" She plopped on the ground, pouting as she and the other kids began to have a snack.

“I’m sorry to slow you down, but I’m getting hungry,” Lera frowned apologetically. “Besides, my dad has a really good story planned.”

Polly sat quietly while the other children chattered away among themselves.

When Woe looks up to the sky, she realizes suddenly, that the afternoon has advanced considerably. She tries to move the kids along as she remembers that Lord Viscardi wanted them home for dinner... "Pirates, until we get to the next obstacle, I would like you to walk in pairs. Sometimes there is a need to be able to find out if you're with your friends or if something changed them. In between your pairs, tell the other pirate a little story of yourself, a secret, that you have never told anyone. Then, if you are ever unsure if these are your friends, you can confirm that they know you by asking about that secret!" With this, Woe is hoping, Polly will have one of the children to join in a direct conversation, so she feels to be part, to even be trusted with a secret...

Polly looks around and counts the pirates. 1... 2... 3... She counts seven, including herself. She watches as the other children pair off, leaving her alone. She bites her lip, looking a little sad, and climbs onto Mr. Piggles.

"I'll play!" Woe says and waves over Captain Sharky "Wanna hear my best-kept secret?"

Captain Shark leaves his partner, First Mate Patches, and heads over to take Woe's hand. His cheeks are red as he does. Patches walks over to Polly and offers her hand with a whisper, "I don't get boys...." She glares at Woe as she says this.

Polly climbs off Mr. Piggles, and takes Patches hand. "Boys are silly. My brother is a boy and he's weird." As the group hurries along, Patches and Polly giggle and whisper to themselves.

Woe smiles at Captain Shark. "So, my secret is that I have been born in the Feywild... "

His eyes go wide and his cheeks color a deeper red. 

"But you cannot tell anyone!!"

"Ma dad says faeries are the messengers of love..." He whispers over to you.

There's a burst of laughter from Polly and Patches, before they go back to whispering.

"Well, you know, your dad seems to be a wise man!" Woe smiles to herself. "And what is your secret?"

As the girls are giggling, you hear Polly whisper, "...it's true! I see them!"

For now, Woe decides not to react to the girls, but she makes a mental note to enquire with Polly after...

//Woe Perception: 7 to hear what Polly is saying//

They approached the final obstacle, the Fires of the Forge, which was heavily inspired by the obstacle course Lera had so recently gone through. She minor illusioned dancing flames on the ground in five foot area. “Now, for the final and most difficult obstacle,” she announced. “Just as some of the most precious metals, the most stalwart adventurers must pass through fire to prove their worth. If you be worthy, you will pass through the flames unharmed. If your heart isn’t true, however, they will consume you and turn you to ash.”

The kids approach the flames cautiously, Patches hanging on to Polly's arm in fear. "No way am I going to walk inside fire," Patches says. You can see she's already sweating.

Mr Piggles appears unfazed though. Walking right through the flames, he plops down in the middle of them and rolls onto his side. Polly panics for a moment, but Captain Shark touches one of the dancing flames and announces, "It isn't even hot!"

“You must be worthy then,” Lera winks. Captain Shark hesitates for a moment, then looks up at Woe. Biting his lip, he takes a step into the flames. He waves over for another kid to join him, and one by one they start making their way into the flames. Polly is the last to enter, finally working up the courage to step in. Once in, she rushes over to Mr. Piggles and tackles him with a hug. "Don't do that, you silly pig. I don't want bacon for dinner tonight!"

“Mr. Piggles is the most worthy and bravest pig I’ve ever met,” Lera said softly to Polly on the other side. “He was never in any danger of turning into bacon.”

Polly scratches Mr. Piggles on the belly. "So, we made it through the three obstacles. What's next?" This was followed by a chorus of pirates. "Yeah! What's next?"

“That means we’re close to the treasure, do you remember where the X marked?” Lera asks expectantly. “Then run and find the treasure!”

Polly doesn't know what the Rose Portal is, but the other children do. "Come on! This way!" They all start running in that direction.

"Polly, you can use your compass again! But you can already see the top of the Rose Portal ahead, this is the structure, the map pointed pointed to, where you will find the treasure! Come on!" Woe is taking her hand and they are running together after the children... Then Woe will help Polly to find Perrin and the hidden chocolates. Making sure that she'll be the hero of the day. With prestidigitation she will produce a fine glittering/golden line leading to the Rose Portal. "Lera, can you please message Perrin and find out where exactly he/the chocolate is hiding? And maybe tell him to try that Polly is the one finding him?"

Hey Perrin, where did you hide the chocolate? Lera messaged Perrin, before looking back at Woe and messaging her. If you try too hard to manufacture Polly as the hero, she will know. Let it happen naturally and she will be happier.

No problem, Captain, Woe smiles over to Lera. She is a natural with kids!

Perrin whispers back “It’s in a bag in a little tree hole right outside the Rose Portal. I’m sitting underneath the tree watching it.”

The pirates rush toward the Rose Portal, but Polly pauses, pulling Woe to a halt. "Wow! Look at that building! It's so pretty! What is it?"

Zamar raises an eyebrow to Lera as if to ask where the compass should point.

"It is a shrine to Lathander, beautiful isn't it!" Woe narrates.

"It's so pretty! Can we go in there?" Polly couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful structure.

Its right under Perrin’s butt, Lera messaged her father. “Next time we go out, I’d love to take you in there,” Lera smiled at Polly. “But we do have to get you home by dinner. Otherwise E is not going to be happy with me.”

"Oh... okay," Polly said, a little disappointed. "Direccio!" The compass appears in her hand again and all the children look to see where it could be pointing. They rush over toward the tree that Perrin is sitting under. "Is he the treasure?" asked Patches, sounding very disappointed.

“Sweetie, I’m always a treasure. But why don’t you look a little farther up.” Perrin then points to a hole in the tree that is a little above Perrin’s eye level.

The pirates all scramble over Perrin, trying to be the one who finds the treasure. Eventually, a bag is withdrawn. "What's in it? What's in the bag?" The bag is opened and they all squeal as they see gold.

Thanks for your help, Lera messages each party member in turn.

“No problem” Perrin whispers back. “Now why don’t you guys try bending the gold with your teeth. I bet you’ll get a sweet surprise.”

The pirates all dipped their hands into the bag and pulled out a coin each. While the others inspected the coins, Polly promptly stuck hers into her mouth and bit down. "It's chocolate!" The rest of the children followed suit, squealing with delight.

Perrin will make sure the chocolate is divided evenly amongst all the kids. Looking at the sun he’ll say “Lera, we should be getting Polly home now.”

"Hey, I'm in charge here," Lera winks at Perrin before turning to the children. "Pols, I'm afraid it's time to go home now."

"Aww," Polly whined, but crawled up onto Mr. Piggles. "I wanna play more!" The rest of the pirates also start whining, but Captain Shark speaks up. "We gotta get home for dinner! Pirates, head out!" They all say their goodbyes and head toward their respective homes. On top of Mr. Piggles, Polly begins to yawn.

I hope that was a worthy expedition for you, Lera messages to Polly. She gets no response, however, as Polly is already fast asleep. With a triumphant smile, the Pirate Crew return to the Guild Hall.

After spending one day with Polly and the others on a pirate adventure Perrin decides to make good of his promise to Madeline and teach her how to cook. 

Madeline soaks up your lessons during the course of the rest of Perrin's downtime. Soon she has a small menu of items she's able to cook well. It doesn't compare to your own cooking, but at least it's edible. She grows somewhat attached to you in the kitchen and you both start working naturally together when you team up on a particular dish. You learn she's usually very separated from people, an odd quirk of her personality. While others are emphatic, empathy doesn't come easy to her. She brushes off the emotion as if it never occurred.

//Roll for teaching: 1d20+1 =17+1=18//

Singe trudges back from his first day of research. He takes out his notes and places them on his bed. he then walks across

"Hey Woe?" Singe stands in Woe's doorway awkwardly, not sure if he should come in or not.

"Hi Singe, what's up? Haven't seen you around much!" Woe says, just arrived back with the rest of the pirate crew.

"Yes, I've been doing a lot of research into portals, and adding a few spells to my repertoire."

"Sounds like important stuff! Good on you for doing all the research!"

"Yeah, but, well, see, I need a few more coin. About 35 gold pieces to be exact." Woe holds her head sideways and raises an eyebrow, "Spell scrolls aren't cheap!"

"I might be able to help. But I might need a favor in return..."

"Uh oh, you're the first one I've come to so let's here the favor first."

"Nothing major, I am just after advice and you're the only one I can talk to..."

Singe frowns, "What is it?"

"Maybe this is a mistake. Never mind. I'll find a way." Woe reaches into her purse and takes out 35 GP. "Here. Use it well."

Singe takes the money, "No really, is there something I can help with?"

"Remember when I told you I was still working as a Functionary. I... I need to get close to Lord Viscardi. To find out what his game is. It will be useful for all of us as well to know what he is playing..." her voice trails off.

"Yes?" Singe is reminded of another time one of two of them was nervous to share something.

"I don't know. I had a plan at our first dinner, I wanted to seduce him, get close to him. But I couldn't do it. Now I am not sure about where my loyalties lie. I want to find out, I don't even trust Viscardi myself. But somehow I feel he wouldn't share important information while being intimate. If you have any idea on how to find out more, I'd much appreciate your help... And please keep this between us. I feel silly for sharing in the first place, I know better than to do so. But when you told me your past, I dropped my guard... Again, I should have known better. Apologies for even asking. For dragging you into this mess."

"One moment," Singe leaves and comes back with a chair, he sits "I think it's only fair, I tell you that I'm a dead man walking, you tell me you can't get information about our employer. As I suspect you know, you never begin with the source, you do background research. What do you have so far?"

"Do you think the baron is still after you? I expected you'd be safe now that you're back. Are you researching into what might be going on there? Are you even suspecting foul play here in Baldur's Gate? Is that why you took your leave of absence?" Singe waves off the questions and gestures for her to continue, "I don't have much. Just wanted to start looking into the story that Viscardi told us at dinner... about what happened in Cormyr. I am thinking about befriending Whistler - if such a thing is possible... and of course hang out with Polly as much as I can..."

"That would work, that would work... It be easier than my idea." Singe muses.

"... aaaaaand what's your idea?"

"It be to go to Cormyr. Viscardi has brought the most loyal of his group, Polly and Whistler, with him to start a new life. That means as much as you push them, they won't budge. Now, former servants... Old pals... Viscardi's gone, what do they have to lose?"

"I doubt Polly is loyal - but she also won't know too much. Whistler, yes, probably impossible to really get good information... To go to Cormyr in a timely fashion is impossible. It would probably take 3 weeks to get there... but I'll just ask my contacts, maybe there are other people who have arrived from Cormyr in the last two years..." Thanks for jogging my brain to think 'outside' the box and not concentrate on the 'box' too much... but man, that 'box' is good looking!!"

"Polly is also, what, six? She knows that her big brother wants to establish himself as a reputable business man, she suggests an adventurers' guild. Don't think of him as box, think of him as a.. cobweb, things get stuck in him and he's connected in ways we don't understand."

"Yep, 6. Well, it seems to be working. I wonder what Viscardi gets from the gnome as payment for sending us to Lantan... Haha, not at all. It was just a play with words... but cobweb is good!"

"Money, I suspect."

"Nope, otherwise that would be 'payment' - he said: what Grasalfan can give the guild is worth more than any money..."

"Good ear, I missed that, especially with all that talk about portals. I think it's either recognition or something at the portal site, nothing too important."

"Hm... I don't agree with you there. But I guess we'll find out. I am very excited to go out to sea, I have never been on a boat bigger than those leaky row boats we had on lake Esmel. Thanks again for this conversation. If you find anything about Cormyr in your studies, please let me know!"

"It's on the list!" Singe stands and takes the chair back into the common room.

Woe meets Viscardi

After the group returns from the pirate-treasure hunt, Woe is exhausted. She likes children, but to entertain them all day is another matter. Still, she thinks, she made progress today. Polly seemed interested in her and trusted her. Hopefully soon Polly would be trusting enough to allow Woe a glimpse into their past, into the doings of her brother. 

After Polly and her brother had their family dinner, Woe took the chance to approach Lord Viscardi when he was sitting at the big desk, preparing for his departure. She had just taken a few moments to cast ‘disguise self’ on her, again taking 15 years off her appearance, and made sure her hair wasn’t escaping from the braid. She also used a little perfume. 

“Lord Viscardi, I am sorry to disturb you. I am very well aware that you are busy, preparing for your trip. I wanted to assure you that while you are away, we will help Mr. Whistler look after Polly. I think she enjoyed her day with us today. But of course, soon we will be on our trip to Lantan. Can I ask you what Grasalfan has promised you instead of payment? He seems to be buying much influence over our group, I would very much like to know if we personally are entering some sort of binding contract not only with you, but with him as well.”

Lord Viscardi sets his quill aside and stands at your presence. "Hello Woe," he says. A slight smile spreads across his face when you mention the contract with Grasalfan. "Grasalfan specializes in the mechanical. One of his fascinations is with flying machines. I believe he plans on taking one with him on your journey. Well, he's got one even larger than that and he's offered it to the guild as payment once it's complete." He rolls his shoulder to stretch out a kink. "I know we haven't had much time to get to know one another, but I hope to rectify that upon my return."

"Wow, a flying machine! That sounds like adventure indeed! We could cross distances in a fraction of the time! We could see the world from above! Whole mountains in a single glance! Oh, what an exciting prospect!" Woe leans towards him, her face glowing at the future that awaits her within this guild. She then gathers herself. "It would be my pleasure getting to know you! Please have a safe trip. We will do our best to make you proud with our trip to Lantan."

"You as well, Woe. We have an exceptional group of people here, and I'm happy you're a part of it."  He turns back to his desk and resumes his work.

Woe runs down the stairs, she cannot wait to tell the others that they might be trying out flying machines in Lantan...

Woe talks to Polly

Woe inquires with Mr Whistler where she could find Polly. He tells her that she's grounded to her room for the rest of the week. However, he then asks if Woe can bring her breakfast to her, in her room. Woe catches a quick wink from him before he returns to work.

"Thank you, Whistler, I'll take it to her." Woe knocks on Polly's door. "Good morning, Polly! Are you up? It's Woe! Can I come in?"

The door quickly opens with Polly shushing you. She pulls you into the room, glances into the hallway, then quietly closes the door. "You have to be quiet! You're not supposed to be here. You'll make E angry." She spots the food Woe is holding and grabbed it. "I'm starving!" She sat at her little table and began to shovel food into her mouth.

"I am bringing you your breakfast, so I have an 'excuse' to be here" Woe winks at Polly. "How was family dinner last night? Are you sad that your brother is leaving for what must be almost 4 weeks?”

Polly stopped eating, her expression changing slowly. "Yeah... and you guys are leaving too. I'll be all alone."

"I am sorry, Polly. I know it is hard to be alone. I also am very aware that Mr. Whistler is not really a playmate, is he? He loves you very much and takes good care of you. Maybe he would even take you out for short walks... once you're not grounded anymore!" Woe sits on the floor next to Polly. "And when we're back from our adventure, we'll tell you every gruesome detail! I have just heard that we're taking some kind of a flying machine with us! How cool is that!"

"Flying machine?" Polly pondered this a moment. "Will you bring it back so I can see it?"

"For the guild we're supposed to get a big one!! You will see it for sure! Maybe you can even come on a trip one day!" Woe realises she is making promises for the future that she may not be able to keep... "Anyway, how was yesterday? Did you enjoy the treasure hunt?"

"Yeah! It was fun! I wish I could do things like that all the time."

"Those kids were nice! How did you like first mate Patches?"

"She was nice. They all were!" Polly exclaims.

"I could tell, you were laughing the whole way! What did you talk about?"

"We told secrets, like you said!"

"Well, then you better hold on to your secrets" Woe winks at Polly, then she turns serious again. "Polly, I wanted to let you know that I think you're a great girl. If there is ever anything you wanted to know that you cannot ask your brother, or anything you needed to share, I am here for you. And I will keep your secrets!" Woe holds her pinky out. "Adventurer-pinky-swear!"

"Secrets are fun," Polly giggled and wrapped her pinky around Woe's.

"I'll come see you again every day before we leave. It was good talking to you, Captain PegLeg!"

Polly salutes Woe then goes back to breakfast.

Woe downtime

//roll to find out how many pieces of lore Woe can find out by carousing 1d20+5  = (6)+5 = 11 (persuasion) -> two pieces of lore

The Banquet 

Woe gets word that there's a visiting noble from Cormyr. Nixon tells her that the noble is attending a small banquet in the Upper City in honor of a recent trade agreement. Woe is pretty sure she can grease some palms to attend the banquet, so she does. It's nice to have such noble food after suffering the past couple days with Madaline's cooking. She's getting better with Perrin's guidance, but a cook she is not. You find your opening and swoop in to speak with the noble. He smiles at the sight of you, sees your pin, and says, "A representative of Lord Viscardi. Oh my... so this is where he's run off to."

"Dear Lord", Woe bows her head. She is wearing an elegant long dress  and she has her hair open, just pinned up on the sides. It almost falls down to the floor in large soft waves. "may I ask your name? I am Woe Norvyre. I was lucky to be accepted into his adventuring guild. I had never heard his name before last night. How do you know of him?"

His eyes linger a bit longer than comfortable before he replies, "I am Jahdoh Turcassan. A guild of adventurers you say... that is interesting indeed. Please give him House Turcassan's greeting when you see him again." He accepts a goblet of wine from a serving maid and returns his attention to you, "He has a particular taste in women, Eldon does. How you're not on his arm right now is quite the mystery. Is he here?" He feigns looking around before returning his attention back to you.

"No, he has left the city for business in Waterdeep. Are you in the building business as well?" Woe will also exchange her empty goblet for a full one. She'll take a small sip in her mouth and swirl it around just a bit. Then she'll close her eyes in delight while swallowing it.

"Not really," he takes a moment to remember your name, but it comes to him, "Mrs. Norvyre. We're more into the trade business. The wares coming from Chult are marvelous, and we've just struck a deal with some very promising traders."

"Please, Miss Norvyre. My husband died 5 years ago, he died adventuring in Chult. After a few years of bringing his affairs in order, I have decided it is time to go adventuring myself. Tell me everything you know about Chult! Oh and their wares, yes beautiful!! This is so exciting! And of course about Viscardi. I would hate to work for someone who I don't know anything about. He is from Cormyr, isn't he? Are you from there too?" With this Woe hooks her arm under his arm and smiles warmly at the noble, like a naive noble woman who only heard stories of adventures but has no clue what she has gotten herself into.

The Lord enjoys your company for the evening, and likes it even more that he gets to wear you around his arm. He gives you bits and pieces of information throughout the night, but doesn't give you anything tangible until the night wears thin. You get the sense that he's played this sort of game before and he knows what you want. At the end of the night he finally asks, while you're both sitting at a small table watching a small group play, "What is it that you want, Miss. Norvyre. I've enjoyed this night and I'm apt to give it to you."

Woe sighs. She thought she was better at this game than she was. She would have to be more subtle next time. But for now she would take the offer on "I would like to know why Viscardi left Cormyr. He mentioned that Cormyr and its people turned their back on them after his parents death. There must have been a reason."

"I never met the man personally," he finally admits. "His father, yes... but Eldon was always off doing his own things. I'm pretty sure every tavern in Cormyr has a bastard with his name on it. After he died in the attack on their House, he became obsessed with finding out who killed the Viscardis. It's a mystery even today...." He pauses for a moment, "The Death Curse lasted nearly two months, so Cormyr though him dead again."

"I am not sure I understand. He has died before and was resurrected?"

"Tymora's insurance, we call it in Suzail. Nobles pay to protect their eldest from death," he nods to Woe.

“How did he die?”

"They found what was left of his parents and him in the master bedroom. The people that killed them left nothing but ashes. Tymora's insurance takes a finger from the eldest and raises him upon death... that's all I know of the tragedy." He takes a sip from his wine and leans in. "Miss Norvyre," he adds. "Would you like to come with me to visit my ship tomorrow? I do enjoy your company."

"I would very much like to see your ship tomorrow.  This was such an interesting evening! You have so many stories to tell, Lord Turcassan! What time would suit you?"

"I'll be meeting with them mid-morning, Miss Norvyre. Though... I can accompany you if you wish to have this evening continue." As he says this he puts his hand in yours. Its the first time you notice he's missing his pinky finger.

"Ohhhhhh hihihi" Woe giggles like a little girl. "What an offer, nobel Lord! It is very unfortunate that all the adventurer need to be back at our accomodation at night. We take turns to take watch, we are not allowed to all sleep at once. And my watch is about to come up. But I will gladly spend the day with you tomorrow! What is your ships name? Is she in the main harbour?" Woe pets his hand. "Oh, I see, you also have an insurance on your life! How incredible and brave! You must be pleased the death curse is over!"

He nods, noting your unease. "She is called The Memory. Ask the harbormaster and he'll point you to her. Though I imagine she won't be nearly as beautiful as you are. Miss Norvyre," he says finally, standing. "It was a pleasure. May I walk you out?"

"The pleasure is all mine! Of course!" Hand in hand they leave the  mansion. Then Woe will kiss him on the cheeks and leave with the promise to see him the next day...

[[OOC: Just for timeline clarification. The attack on the Viscardi household was 1 1/2 years before the Death Curse. Viscardi was killed during the attack and brought back with Tymora's insurance. The death curse occured about 6 months ago, the same timeframe that Viscardi said he left Cormyr. Lord Turcassan said that Cormyr thought that Eldon had probably died during the death curse.]]

Koll takes the opportunity of the days given before they set out to Lantan to devote his energies to spiritual pursuits. It is what his master, Eeneko, imprisoned for life in the dungeons, would have wanted. The Ilmatari monastic order of the Broken Ones, however, to which Koll and his master swear allegiance, is a peripatetic one with no true monasteries. Koll knows, though, that there are many different Ilmatari orders where he could worship and offer his service.

In a small, quiet square of Heapside, he finds a shrine to Ilmater, the god of Martyrs and Patient Endurance. The Shrine of Suffering is an unremarkable stone structure where the poorest Baldurians can receive free meals and enough coppers to pay their way through the city's gates. The structure stands at the entrance to a series of crypts, where for a small donation, anyone can have a dead friend or loved one interred in the vaults. Once the person's bones have been picked clean by the city's rats, a worshiper of Ilmater takes them into the attached ossuary chambers and stores them by type. The shrine offers the only kind of holy ground that the poorest of Baldurians can afford for last rites.

Koll introduces himself to the primary caretaker of the shrine, a priest of Ilmater called Brother Hodges. With him are his two children, a girl and a boy, both of which are in their late teens. Brother Hodges seems at first a little reticent about Koll; some of his tattoos seem to clearly mark him as a criminal. Koll reveals the one on his chest, the bound hands of Ilmater, entwined with flowers. "I am a dedicated servant of the Broken Ones, and would be humbled and honoured to serve the shrine in any way I can."

Brother Hodges smiles and puts Koll to work right away. Koll, for the next few days, helps in feeding the poor and homeless, interring bodies into the crypt, and sorting the remains in the ossuary. He learns about Brother Hodges and his two children, named Hansen and Sissa. They lost their mother, Brother Hodges' wife, over ten years ago and have been caretakers of the crypt ever since. Of his two children, Hansen is the most devout to Ilmater, always reciting passages and pledges as a way of explaining any action or thought. His daughter; Sissa, however, takes a keen interest in Koll. She watches him practice his martial arts during breaks. On the second day, she asks Koll about his service to Ilmater.

Woe downtime - The Harbour

On the next morning Woe will wear something elegant, long white trousers and a blue and white striped top with a matching blue scarf. She'll have rolled her hair up into two rolls on each side of her head - a bit like a princess in a story a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. 

Woe will go down to the harbour and ask the harbour master: "Excuse me, I am looking for the boat 'The Memory' belonging to Lord Turcassan."

The harbormaster looks up from his scroll, then looks back down. He then looks back up again, swallows, and says, "M'lady.... I... are you..."  He thinks for a moment, "I'll be sure you are escorted to the ship safely."  He turns around and calls out, "Hurste, Floyd! Escort Lady..." He waits for her name.

"Has Lord Turcassan arrived yet? He is expecting me. Does The Memory land here often? I heard she is bringing in wares from Chult! Oh how exquisit!..." Woe just keeps talking, she doesn't seem to ever stop... "Does The Memory mostly bring gold? Or even diamonds? Ohh, I am so excited to see her!... Oh, yes, sorry, lady Norvyre... I have never been on a ship this big, back home, we only paddle out onto the lake..."

"Lady Norvyre!  Yes... of course." He facepalms, "The Memory is a beautiful ship... it uh... " He looks at his scrolls, flips a page, looks at the next, "Brings in..." Flips to the next page, "Ore!  Yes of course... it is our best..." he flips another page, "Silver? Ore?? Ship???" He's saved when Hurste and Flyde arrive. He coughs and says, "Please take m'lady Norvyre to The Memory. Lord..." He pauses for a moment, "Turcassan is waiting for her." He raises an eyebrow and nods off in the direction of the ship.

"Yes of course!" Hurste says, "Follow me m'lady."

Woe is a little confused. What kind of harbour master doesn't know his ships? She thinks to herself. Woe is guarded. "Hurste, Floyd, hello." She says when they start walking. "So, why do I need a two-person escort?" 

"Mr. Fletching is new, ma'am. He just started." Hurste says as he leads you onto the docks.

"And the docks ain't no place for a lady like you..." Floyd adds.

They lead Woe to one of the ships. The Memory is nearly indistinguishable from any of the others. You see Lord Turcassan standing outside talking to the captain. When they see you, they put their conversation to a hold and focus on your arrival. "Miss Norvyre, I feared you may not make it. Please," he says, "allow me to introduce Captain Segred. He works very closely with the Flaming Fist and their mines to bring copper to Faerun."

"Thank you, Floyd, Hurste" Woe will drop 1 GP into the palm of each of the men. Then she will step/jump easily onto the planking of the ship and shake Captain Segred's hand. "Captain, you have a nice vessel here!"

"She is the best on the Sword Coast," Captain Segred responds. "I will admit she's seen a thing or two that none others will ever witness, but she's endured." He offers his hand as you jump on the gang plank, but your impressive display of hopping aboard without assistance is noticed. Lord Turcassan follows him up on the plank. "Though we specialize in ores, m'lord," the captain says, "We're able to bring nearly any ware you wish. You've shown interest in spices and leathers... this we can provide in abundance as long as demand is strong."

Captain Segred seems to be a local of Chult, his skin is dark and his accent is thick.

"Ohhh, do tell of these adventures! I have only just become an adventurer myself! I am so excited, by the end of the week we will be on a boat!! Are you from Chult?"

"I am," he responds. "You have a perceptive eye." The compliment is masked in the obvious, but his attempt at a compliment is admirable. "Have you been there, m'lady? The food there is its hidden luxury." He nods over to Lord Turcassan as he says this, "The spices make all the difference."

Lord Turcassan rolls his eyes, only seen by you.

"No, I have not. Spices, yes, so lovely! Without spices food is bland, we're so lucky to have you bringing those riches over to our coast! I have never been on a boat larger than a 2-people row boat! I am very excited to have been invited to see your ship! But I am hoping to be able to see Chult one day. Or maybe one of the other islands! Have you been to the Moonshae Isles, or the Nelanther Isles? Or even Lantan?  I cannot wait to see all of them!”

There's a slight laugh from the captain, "The Moonshae islands are impossible to get to, Nelanther is full of pirates... but Lantan..." He smiles, "Lantan has changed since its return to Toril. While Chult is a beacon of the tropics, Lantan is but a wasteland of its former self. They've learned to survive on trade and have adopted a lifestyle that combines magic with their old mechanical beliefs. They've changed in the years, so I've been lead to believe. We have some crazy goblins in Chult, but in Lantan nearly every gnome has gone mad. Not a fun place to visit..." 

Lord Turcassan gestures and asks, "Shall we inspect your hold?"

The captain smiles, "But of course, my lord." He gives you a nod before lifting the gates and escorting the Lord and Lady to the lower holds for inspection. Before he does, he tells you both, "The protector of the bay of Chult left a few scars on The Memory, but she's strong and she survived."

"Who or rather what is this protector of the bay of Chult you speak of?"

"Aremag, of course..." He points to one point where the dragon butted against the hull, "He demands tribute before entering the bay, but we're always prepared. More than gold.... he loves narwhal. Feed him, and he's as docile as a pig in a slaughterhouse." 

"Very good," Lord Turcassan  says. "It seems more than adequate for what we're looking for. What do you think Miss Norvyre?" He asks. "Should we accept this vessel?"

"I am not sure I understand, Lord Turcassan."

Both the captain and Lord Turcassan turn towards you with a perplexed look.

"I think she means to say," Lord Turcassan says, "How is this dragon of yours our problem? Either you deliver the wares or you don't." He gives you a very slight nod, "If you can't, we'll find another ship."

The captain nods, as if in understanding, "The dragon of Chult is not a problem.... we can pass him without worry as long as we get enough food to feed him."  He looks over to you, as if pleading, "I'm sure m'lady was just being cautious."

Woe looks it over. She can feel the tension growing between the two men. "The vessel looks fine to me. And the captain seems experienced! I am sure they will do great work for you, Lord Turcassan."

He nods, as if judging the same thing for himself for the very first time, "Very well," he says. "Thank you for your time, captain. I will let you know of House Turcassan's decision."  He nods to you, as if expecting you to follow him off the ship.

"One more question, Captain, what did you mean when you said the gnomes in Lantan all became crazy? What is causing this?"

Lord Turcassan stops as he reaches the top of the storage plank. "Well Mrs." The captain responds, "They've basically forgotten their old beliefs..." There's a cough from Lord Turcassan and the captain seems to remember his place. "But what is important is that we've got plenty of space for m'lord's wares."

You're led back to the docks and Lord Turcassan nods at his appraisal of the ship, "We shall let you know if your vessel is fit for our wares," he says. As he walks down the docks he gestures for you to follow.

"Thank you Captain" Woe winks at the captain and quickly follows the Lord up the stairs.

"Would you like to enjoy a hot drink in this Cafe just opposite the harbour?" Woe asks Lord Turcassan

"You're a natural at this Miss Norvyre. I think we had him nipping at the bit the whole time." He gestures for you to lead, "I think I could do for a hot drink."

They have a lovely one hour conversation before the Lord has an appointment that he can't miss... Woe signals that she has to go in the opposite direction and that she hopes to see him again when he is back in Baldur's Gate...

Once Lord Turcassan leaves, Woe will head back to the harbour. "I would like to see the Captain of 'The Memory' again, I think I left my scarf on the boat"

"The memory...." The harbor master starts scrolling through his scrolls again....

"I know the way. I'll be right back" And Woe starts walking towards the ship.

He looks as if he's about to object, but stops short.

When Woe arrives, she'll jump on board again. "Captain, are you still here?"

The Captain seems to be supervising the the re-tying of some rigging, but stops when he notices your arrival. He makes for a slight bow and say, "M'lady Norvyre...."

"I am still really interested in your adventures. A lady like myself doesn't often get the chance to speak to a real captain, with so many stories to tell!" Woe nods. "Would you please continue to tell me about these islands?”

Captain Segred, a bit surprised at your return, looks past you to see if the Lord followed. Seeing nothing, he gestures for you to follow him into his cabin. He tosses the bit of rope he has in his hand to one of the crewman. "What specifically did you want to hear about, m'lady?" He asks, his thick accent even more apparent now that he doesn't have to host a potential client.

"Just the end of your excurse about Lantan. You started by telling me about the old believes you said the gnomes forgot - and that it makes them go crazy. Have you been to Lantan yourself?" As the captain stays silent, Woe continues:  "I can see that you don't trust me. And I understand. I have only met Lord Turcassan yesterday and he insisted to show me your boat. I have been part of the noble circles of Baldur's Gate for a while now, but I am about to become an adventurer, with a lot of luck I have been accepted into the new adventuring guild of Lord Viscardi - the Circle of the Scarlet Dawn - and there is rumours that we will go out to the islands soon. Now, see, I am a landlubber if you have ever seen one. So I am trying to catch up on what is happening at sea, on those islands. I don't want to look like a stupid middle-aged widow, the others laughing at me. So I thought, I would ask you!"

"You are going to Chult?" He asks. "Or no... you are going to Lantan." He sits over at his desk and gestures for you to have a seat. "You see... Lantan is closed from foreign trade, has been since their return to our world. What, specifically, m'lady, do you want to know?"

"I didn't say anything where we are going. We don't actually know yet. They said, likely an island. What happened to Lantan? And what are the dangers for people who go there even though it is closed?"

"An island close to it, you say?" He thinks a bit. "I don't know what island this might be, but I know that if you plan on going to Lantan, you had best have a local with you. They are..." He thinks a moment for the word, "Xenophobic? They do not like foreigners."

"No, I meant, it could be any of the islands out there. Maybe Chult, maybe Lantan. What about Chult, how is the situation there? With the death curse done and all, is trade improving?"

"Why yes, it is." He says, leaning back. "Trade is Chult is blossoming more now than ever since this death curse has been lifted. Baldur's Gate has the most presence, so no need to not feel welcomed there."

"And what about those pirates they wrote about in the Baldur's Mouth? Are they a growing problem?"

He scowls at the mention of pirates, "They are always a problem." "Hm. How do you deal with them?" "We fight them, of course. My crew may not look it, but they can wield sabres as well as any pirate, if not better." He gestures outdoors as he responds. "You cannot live in a place like Chult without knowing your way around weapons."

"Very well. Thank you very  much for your time, Captain. I was wondering, if you could keep your ears open for me. You know, let me know when you hear rumours about what is happening between or on any of those islands. About the pirates or any other dangers out there. I assume you will be landing regularly in the Baldur's Gate harbour? Would a compensation of 10GP be enough for your efforts?"

"Please, M'lady. You do not need to do that.  If you find yourself in Port Nyanzaru, come visit me at the Thundering Lizard. If you are leaving within the week, I will most likely be there. We can talk more, yeah? Maybe you can try some Tej with me. It is the best drink Chult has to offer. Not overly sweet, but sweet enough to make one as beautiful as you blush." He stands and offers his hand. "May I walk you out?”

"Of course. Thank you"

During Singe's third day of research, before he can get all of his books settled, a familiar mask walks in to the library, "How are you Shanolia?"

Shanolia jumps slightly, not expecting to meet anyone she knew, "I am alright. How are you? I presume we are here for similar reasons?"

"I'm here researching portals, you?"

"I, as well. Find anything of note?" She sits next to Singe.

Singe scowls, "No. These texts are circular, I read one text pointing me towards another, which in turn refers me to another and then it references the first book!"

"I see." One text catches Shanolia's eye next to Singe. It seems to be a compilation of notes. The title is unreadable, but she sees one page sitting out that's written in Abyssal, "Hey Singe, pass me that page?" She gestures towards the offending page.

"Traditions of the Universe? Yes, of course, I doubt it'll be much use. It's one of a kind, a collection of notes by a planar traveler. Each section appears to be written in the language of the plane. It's not recognizable as Modron, so I doubt it's about Mechanus, rendering it a sidebar."

Shanolia takes the book and reads the Abyssal passage, softly muttering to herself in the archaic tongue, "The passage seems to recall first-hand experience to a place called 'the Abyss. It's as if he's traveled to every plane of existence!" She flips the page, visibly excited, "If he'd ever visited Mechanus, I'm sure it'd be detailed somewhere within this text."

"Yes he did, and the passage is in Modron." Singe sighs.

Shanolia finds the page that Singe is referencing. It's in an odd language... one she's never seen before, "This is true, and sadly that is not a tongue I can comprehend."

"No kidding. Not even Grasalfan's magic can read it."

"So I suppose hiring a translator is out of the question then?"

"Grasalfan said only someone who lived in Mechanus would be able to translate it."

"Perhaps..." She whispers softly, "Does this library have texts on code-breaking?" She asks aloud.

Singe blinks, "Is fire hot?"

Shanolia smiles beneath the mask, "And where might they be located? I believe I have an idea."

"Ask Seamus, don't be too... harsh, he has the entire collection in his head."

Seamus leads you to a corridor of the library that looks nearly forgotten. "Even the fabled White Room of Candlekeep would be jealous of our lore on code-breaking. Good luck," he says. You get the sense that the librarian lives for this sort of research and breakthrough. It sustains him.

Singe picks up his notes and books and follows Shanolia, "It will be better if we work together, we may be more productive."

"My thanks." She nods to the pale half-orc, before beginning to pull books down and flip through them quickly, "With enough time, perhaps we may decipher this text ourselves."

Grasalfan visits at some point during the day. He smiles at Shanolia as she's concentrating on her odd symbols, but tells Singe, "The girl is in some kind of catatonic state, from what I've been told. It's as if the disease has wasted away a large portion of her brain." He looks defeated, "There's nothing that we can do for her...."

"What's the disease?" Singe asks.

"We honestly can't tell..." He responds.

"Disease?" Shanolia looks up from her various books.

"Saw a girl trying to escape the upper city, she was sick, I talked about it at that dinner."

"Ah. At dinner I had an... unwelcome voice in my head. The bard's daughter. She can be quite helpful with that spell, but also quite bothersome."

"Invest in lead. No clerical magic worked?"

"Nay," he says. "They've tried everything from spells to herbs. She's gone...."

Singe frowns, "Thank you Grasalfan." He turns back to his books and Shanolia returns to her own, determined to crack this code before they set off.

Shanolia's code breaking eventually leads to a breakthrough in the text. They learn a single word, "iron", but often time that's all that is needed to crack a code. Given more time, the notes of this strange planes traveler will be revealed.

Singe comes up with a sort of breakthrough as well. One of the texts that he had previously forgotten seemed to be a resource of considerable note. When combined with the notes of this traveler, he's able to gleam that Lantan's portal ran on the seismic activity in the region. It was often referred to as a non-magical portal due to this revelation, but the gnomes of Lantan felt it wasn't enough for their experiments. They wanted this experiment of theirs to open no matter what the land provided... so they continued to improve it.

"Hey Singe?" Shanolia whispers almost inaudibly.

"Yes?" Singe replies at a normal level.

"Do you reckon... do you think Perrin hates me for what I did?"

Singe pauses. "No, I don't think Perrin hates anyone. I think he's disappointed in you. He's disappointed in me.”

"Is that truly any better? I am the antithesis of his beliefs- of your beliefs. I steal without hesitation, I lie without a second thought..." She contemplates her next statement, as if even she doesn't believe it. "And I kill with no remorse, no regrets."

"What is this then?"

"This is... No. Remorse is weakness. They'll just as soon drive a blade across my throat as they did my--" She shakes her head sharply. "as they would shake my hand."

Singe frowns "Who?"

"When your face is emblazoned on the bounty board within your home village, nigh everyone resembles a bounty hunter."

Singe smiles "Bounty?"

She reaches for her blade cautiously. “Don't even think about it.”

Singe laughs "What do you think I'm going to do? I have no interest in a bounty, well, not in that sense." He pauses for a moment. "How did you end up with a bounty to begin with?"

"Let's just say there's someone very powerful looking for me. Someone I used to look up to for guidance."

"What did you do?"

"I was framed for a crime I didn't commit. I aim to clear my name."

Singe nods, taking the response as satisfactory. "One last question for today; How do you know the language of the Abyss?”

"That is a tricky question. I suppose the answer would be from a fellow rogue friend of mine; a Tiefling with an interest in exotic tongues. Poor soul, he walks with the Spider Queen now."

Singe opens his mouth to speak, he closes it, then repeats. Finally, "Yes, I suppose he is." Singe clutches the luckstone hanging around his neck.

She continues to grip the handle of her dagger. "I want to trust you - all of you - but I will need you to trust me in return. Can you do that?"

“I can only speak for myself. I can trust you.”

She loosens her grip slightly. "I suppose that is the most I can ask for right now. I apologize if I come off as a bit hostile at times. Can never be too careful, you know?"

Singe smiles “Yes, I do. It’s getting late; Perrin is probably preparing dinner.”

She nods and closes up her books.
"Shall we go, then?"

After reserving the books with Seamus, you both return to the guildhouse. The next day, the research picks up again.

(After spending nearly half the day in books on cryptography Shanolia begins to make out more and more of the notes on Mechanus. She learns that the realm is made up of a network of gears and clockwork devices. The modrons there work as tenants of law, righting any chaotic elements that may arise. The language seems to use numbers primarily, and it's the patterns in the numbers that seem to make up the whole of a command. Whoever wrote this book had to have had familiarity in a number of languages that most people never knew existed.

Shifting focus to modrons after Shanolia's revelation, Singe learns of the hierarchy of the modrons. Each has its own job ranging from organization to combat to law, programmed at creation to do exactly one job. When they die, they disintegrate into a pile of ash and their essence is returned to Mechanus so that another modron can be created. Though the texts don't give details, he feels the notes that Shanolia is handling may delve even further into the types of modrons.)

(Final day - Both uncover a handful of various types of modrons. They learn of the Monodrones - Basic laborer modrons, the Duodrones - Supervisors to the monodrones (some rumored to pick up speech of humanoid races), and the Tridrones - The common combat variant of the modrons. They don't learn the specifics rather than their common roles within Mechanus.)

"Shanolia?" Singe says on the last day as they're reshelving the books.

"Yes?" She inquires, turning her head towards him.

"Remorse isn't a weakness. Admiting that you did something wrong helps you grow, makes you stronger. Recognizing that you may have unfairly taken a life will make you a better adventurer, friend, and person."

Her gaze drops as she begins to feel cornered. "The few lives I've been forced to take unfairly will haunt me forever, this I know. Those men may have had wives, or children, that will never see them again - and as a daughter who lost her mother it is a fate I regret bestowing upon anyone - but my mind always goes back to the same question; what if I had hesitated, and it is I that lay dead on the loose cobble?” She pauses to take a very shaky breath. "It very nearly happened on that first night. I owe my life to the little man and Half-Elf who saved me, and yet I cannot bring myself to pray for the lives I've taken." The book in her hand begins to crease as her grip tightens, her voice breaking slightly. "Perhaps I don't deserve this life. Perhaps they should've let me die. Perhaps..." She throws the book down, sits on the ground, and begins softly crying.

Singe picks up the book, making sure it wasn't damaged and then shelves it. He then kneels down beside Shanolia. "Everyone deserves a second chance. And none of the Scarlet Dawn will fall while I still stand." He stands back up and extends a hand.

She sniffs, accepting his hand and returning to her feet. "I apologize... that was far from appropriate. Is the text alright?"

"It's fine." Singe says.

"Well, we should probably get going,” She shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Perhaps that girl, Madaline, is preparing dinner again? I've still yet to give her my regards on that peach crepe, though that feels so long ago."

"I have an inkling she wasn't the only one in the kitchen."

"You may just be right, though who are we to judge? As long as the food's good. I just wish I could eat with everyone else, perhaps get to know the others more."

And with that, they set off back to the guild hall, their research turning up far more than they had hoped when they began.

The rest of the week went by in a blur for Lera. She spent her days with various party members and Polly, trying to keep whoever was hanging around company, but mostly getting in the way. The teenagers one triumph was that through a very clever and very secret plan involving berries and head scratches, she had managed to get Koll Jr. to follow her around.

Mostly, however, she got caught up in her father’s capers.

Zamar’s first scheme involved getting even with the people who had tried to mug him outside of the Counting House. Neither Zahuv was known for their forgiving nature, so Lera was always game for a good revenge plot.

“We can’t scope it out from inside,” her dad had warned her. So instead, they had watched from the shadows. They had to wait for ages, and Lera quickly grew bored. Luckily, something happened before Lera could accidentally set anything on fire.

A small group of the hooded figures on the rooftops were on the move, Zamar picking out their target. The father daughter duo followed quietly behind, the thieves more occupied with their target than the people behind them. Just as they were about to strike, the two mages made their move.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Zamar announced their presence. Lera stood behind him menacingly, throwing a ball of light from hand to hand. Before they could respond, Lera had dropped the ball of light, replacing it with a firebolt aimed at their feet.

“I can start aiming for their faces next,” Lera had grinned, beginning to form another ball of flame in her hand. The thieves ran, apparently easily spooked. “Yeah, you better run!” Lera called after them. “Don’t mess with the Scarlet Dawn!”

Zamar frowned, probably readying himself to give a lecture on the fact that revenge should be more than just a little scare. It just so happened to be Lera’s luck that he noticed the agape noble before he had the chance to scold her.

“My lord, are you alright?” Zamar was quick to attend to the merchant, a very tall, middle aged, balding man in simple blue robes.

Cornelius Bobington was very grateful to his charming saviors. He was a little fussy, but he just happened to own a small (but thriving, he was quick to reassure them) general store. “I can find anything! If it’s in this city, I know where it is,” he had bragged. “Even if it isn’t mine. You know what they say, us Bobington’s are especially good finders.”

As dad always said, a friend will always come in handy.

During the evenings, Lera would often take dinner to the grounded Polly. She felt partially responsible, but both girls quickly found that Lera was really bad at fixing dolls. It was uncanny, but they would somehow get more broken as time went on. They abandoned attempting to fix them when Lera came to visit, opting to lay on the bed with the illusory stars above and share stories. Zamar joined them a few times, weaving amazing tales that wowed Polly.

After dinner, Lera and Zamar would visit taverns to perform. Old habits died hard, and even though they didn’t need the cash, Zamar had an itch to sing. While Zamar brought down the house, Lera would charm her way through the audience. After years, they worked together like clockwork.

The bartender at the Waiting Swain, a jovial man named Graff Daleman, took to the Zahuvs like wildfire. Zamar’s performances were popular enough to drum up extra business, and Lera was enjoyable company. He enjoyed sharing stories about his two sons and wife, and Lera enjoyed listening. By the end of the week, Lera’s lemonades were on the house. Which was good, because Graff made the best lemonades she had ever had.

During one of her father’s performances, Lera had become enamored with a woman in the crowd who had a really cool hat. She was supposed to be chatting up the entire audience, but Lera stopped at the woman’s table because she had to introduce herself. Madame Angeline Vadoma was ostentatious, outspoken, and utterly wonderful. The fortune teller’s fingers were heavy with rings, which Lera was quick to compliment.

Madame Vadoma found Lera to be a darling, instantly charmed by the sweet girl who showered compliments on her. Lera found Madame Vadoma fascinating, as she told stories so different from the ones her father always shared. The sorceress would often visit Madame Vadoma’s usual table during the rest of the week.

While many of her evenings were spent doing something she had become used to, every part of the week felt new and exciting. Still, Lera found herself counting down the days until they could set sail on their adventure...