The trip back to Waterdeep was uneventful, and thankfully, the weather was pleasant enough that it wasn't too much of an inconvenience to have people walk and take shifts. Law enforcement and the proper Orders are alerted you have arrived and the prisoners are taken care of, much to their gratitude.

Carrhae: Your heart sinks a bit when you return to your Order hall and give your report. Ready and prepared for a reprimanding, you are surprised to hear the Commander explain to you that just because you didn't find anything, doesn't mean the investigation is lost. She implores you to continue the search, and to not give up hope. The information you have given the Order was well more than anyone has brought so far, and you ponder on the wisdom you have learned in your journey so far, as you depart. 

You are now level 5.

Trini: The journey back to Waterdeep gave you a chance to do what you do best, socialize, keep people entertained, and make sure they were taken care of. While being explained the situation from Bruldenthar was something you didn't expect, and quiet possibly in a scope you had only heard in stories made real, it gives you time to reflect on your actions, your experiences, and makes you wonder if you can truly make a difference in the world now that you know it. Something inside you said yes.

You are now level 5.

Strife: Bold of you to assume you know more than a dwarf historian, but ok =P You had good intentions, though. While in Waterdeep, a woman and a man walk up to you who look like they belong to some sort of special branch of law enforcement here in town. The woman shoves a letter into your hand, and have looks on their faces as if this task was completely beneath them. As you read the letter, it's a restraining order to never speak or get near Bruldenthar again. The woman gives you an annoyed look. "Leave the dwarf alone. Understand?" They both walk away, the woman tossing a comment to you in the air, "..nice bells, by the way." You think about all of your experiences you've had with this new group so far, giving you plenty to contemplate over. Should I go on? Should I not? Is this right for me? Maybe someone else could just..fix this elemental problem..?

You are now level 5.

Mercy: To say that Gerde was overjoyed was an understatement. You spend the evening with them talking more about the Elemental issue and what it's causing in the Sumber Hills. It gives you a lot to think about and whether you're cut out for the job, but Gerde and Bruldenthar have plenty of dwarven wisdom to share with you, and even discuss the potential sights and possible things to expect should you decide to go out there again and tackle the growing problem with your friends. You leave their home with many things to consider, and have grown wiser from the experience.

You are now level 5.

"... and I also want the lobster too, and we'll share an order of the rotisserie hare, and my lovely lady here will have the forest glen salad. Oh, and another bottle of wine, will ya?"

"At once," confirmed the waiter before departing with a purposeful gait. Augusto's two guards were seated at an adjacent table, and though not the same two individuals Strife had originally encountered, they were no less brawny nor less armored. Upon spotting Strife and sensing that she intended to approach, they stood up and placed their hands over their weapons.

This caught Augusto's attention, and after a momentary glance at Strife through squinting eyes and a scowl, Augusto recognized the bard and gestured to his guards to be seated. He seemed not at all pleased to have his meal with the astoundingly gorgeous Duchess Yalira interrupted, the two of them dressed to showcase the finest imported fashions that money might buy in Waterdeep.

"Augusto, it is I, your loyal servant-"

"Yes, I know you! That damn delegation thing. You're... what's-your-face, the librarian chick. Good news, I don't even care what ya screwed up. Swing by the office when-"

"We found them! Can you believe it?! They're here now, we brought them back! Mostly. Isn't that tremendous?"

"You found their bodies? Whatever, I don't even-"

"No, no, they're alive! We rescued them! Well, my friends did."

Augusto looked intently at Strife, strongly suspecting she was attempting to put one over.

"No, really! So we hurried back here. But there's some huge trouble brewing. These cultists, split into different elemental factions, and there's even a lich! You will want to summon all the-"

"What the troll's testicles are you talking about? Are they rescued, or not?"

"Oh yes, they are! Well, except for, like, three of them. We figure two of them are-"

"Wait, wait! So now you're telling me they're not all rescued? So what are you doing wasting my time, interrupting my meal, and leaving those other two poor bastards out there to suffer who knows what?"

"Three. There's three others. You got mad last time when I didn't report-"

"Why do you disrespect me like this? You owe me, Stress, don't think I've forgotten, and now you're adding to the bill," he pronounced before turning his attention to the Duchess. "You see what I have to deal with? I have to do everything for these idiots."

"Strife. My name is Strife. But you're not grasping the danger, because-"

"The danger is my appetizer gets cold and then my associates tax your health for that. Stop futzing around, stop congratulating yourself on a job not done, and go get those other two. Beat it, kid," and with a nod to his guards, they stand and once again lift Strife to carry her out of the restaurant. Augusto raised his glass to toast Yalira as Strife's protestations gradually faded into the background.

"Wait a second! There's three missing- but these cults are big! And dangerous! And a lich! You need to get all the senior people, organize an expedition- I'm just a lover, not a fighterrrrrrrr..."

As Carrhae exits headquarters, she feels reassured by her commanders words. She also feels stronger, not just in body but also in spirit as she reflects upon everything she's learned from this journey. After spending some time to pray and contemplate the wisdom her superior gave her, she returns to the rest of the party. "As you might know, helping you find the missing delegation was only part of my mission. I still must locate the remains of my fallen comrade so that he may receive a proper burial. I'd be deeply thankful if you choose to assist me in my quest, but the five of you have already gone through great perils in this quest and I will not ask you to put yourself in danger again for my sake. If this is where we depart, I will accept that and consider myself all the happier for having known all of you."

Zephyr was stuck. When making their way back to Waterdeep, realization kicked in; Barry was in Waterdeep. The real Barry. No doubt the Harpers took note of him still being around town and if Zephyr showed up with this mask then he might as well have turned himself into the guards as soon as he saw one. The Harpers knew Barry, they could easily tell who the fake was if questioned, and it only made Zephyr upset. He should have come clean a long time ago. He should have said something. ‘Hey guys I’m not actually Barry, I’m Zephyr, a disgusting, faceless little rat—‘

He half listened to the dwarfs story, his mind focusing on what he was going to do when they got back. There was a moment he contemplated murder, but Zephyr wasn’t the kind to do that. It was his fault after all. Maybe if he didn’t meet the intoxicated man that night, maybe if he didn’t want to go on an adventure, maybe if he just stayed where he belonged this all wouldn’t have happened. This adventure turned into something more than anticipated. Zephyr wanted to flee. You were lonely for how many years? What’s being lonely for a few more?

Zephyr looked over to his teammates—no—his friends. Would they understand?

The knot that formed in the back of his throat didn’t disappear when they made it to the city. He purposefully lagged behind to throw on his cloak again.

It’s for the best isn’t it?

Earlier, arriving at Waterdeep:

Strife was keeping herself on the outer fringe of the procession, mindful of not antagonizing the Dwarf any further. She noticed Barry dropping somewhat behind and headed over to confer with him.

"Wow. This Dwarf guy, huh? He knows a lot about this cult stuff. I think he's worried, maybe even in a panic. I tried to explain I might have solved at least the water part of the equation, and all thanks to his books, but he shut me down. Doesn't want to hear it. I guess he's too stressed out. I understand. Obviously it's way more than any of us are prepared to deal with. But the Harpers will get it sorted, right?"

Later, in Waterdeep:

"They did the same thing to me! 'Go get the rest,' without even a word of thanks. But that's fine. I know how glad those delegates were to be freed, and they owe their very lives to Mercy and Daewen. We did a good thing even if we don't get any credit," Strife commiserated with Carrhae.

"But what about these cults? And the lich? Won't your order take charge of handling this giant mess before everyone dies? I mean, if I'm supposed to rescue the three that are still missing, I would appreciate having an army or two to back me up."

"My Captain only asked me to continue the search. She gave no indication that I'd receive any aid, unless the five of you wished to provide it. Unfortunately, the Order of the Gauntlet isn't much for carrying out preemptive strikes, so they won't deal with the cultist problem until they've actually taken action against the continent. I'm afraid that if the cults are to be stopped, we'll have to do it ourselves, unless Trini, Daewen, and Barry can convince the Harpers of the need to assist us."

(Updating Zephyr's part as soon as I get done with life's boring tasks. And Daewen, too.)

"I guess technically we are not finished with our original quest, but that part seems almost unimportant compared to what's going on with the elemental cults.

"I will try to help you recover the body, and maybe you can help find those still missing? There's every possibility these overlap, so solving one may aid the other. It just seems like we're losing sight of the real threat, which nobody else is paying any heed to, either. And I am worried about the danger of returning to the monastery, but that's where I think we will have to go to pick up the trail.

"Finding the lost delegates and the body are perhaps feats within our grasp, as we did somehow miraculously rescue the others. I think it will require all of us to stand even a chance. But as for us stopping this other business with the elemental prophets, I fear we are gnats pestering a dragon."

"I share your concerns about the monastery. I don't know too much about them personally, but from what Mercy described, it sounds like a creature that wouldn't have too much trouble killing the six of us. However, there's still two other places we haven't investigated: Feathergale Spire and the Temple of the Crushing Wave. Perhaps one of those locations holds either the body of my comrade or Desenya Norvael, who was captured by flying bandits and was separated from the other captives. As for the elemental prophets, our superiors, or at least my superiors, seem to have enough confidence in our skills to be able to deal with them."

It occurs to Trini to walk away from all this. Maybe take a trip out of town and visit her parents and little sister. The thought occurs to her and then she immediately banishes it. She wouldn't be able to return home if she just left all this for someone else to solve, if she just left her new friends to take on world ending danger on their own. She'd hate herself and it would never leave her mind. If she stayed behind or went home it would always be in the back of her head. That she could do something. That people were out there that still needed rescuing. That her friends were probably in danger at this very minute. 

"Well, you have my bells along for the ride Carrhae.  There are still people out there who need our help, and this elemental evil business seems serious. We should at least look into it more. And if Miss Desenya was taken by flying bandits, maybe Feathergale Spire is a good place to start?"

“For what it’s worth, I say we go back to the monastery.” Mercy stepped out of the shadows, smiling at her friends. “That lich won’t bother us unless we mess with his laboratory, and two of the three missing are somewhere beneath.” She leaned on the table the others sat at, a small leather pendant of a cloth mask swinging forward on its cord about her neck. “I know a couple tricks that can get us in easy enough, even with the increase in security smart folk would employ.”

After a moment, she sighed. “I figure the monastery’s also old enough, at least the underground is, that it could be one of those haunted places Bruldenthar was talking about.” She looked around and frowned. “Where’s Zephyr? He run off, thinking we’d get mad when we found out he isn’t Barry?”

"Wait, what? What do you mean he isn't Barry? Who have we been traveling with for the last few weeks then?" Carrhae couldn't recall the significance of the name Zephyr, but Barry had been a huge part of why they were able to succeed in their mission. She allows Mercy to explain her observations regarding this Zephyr individual and how they managed to take on the persona of Barry. "Well regardless, we still owe this Zephyr our thanks. They still helped us on our mission and if what you said is true about them not being the real Barry, then they did it despite the fact that they didn't have to. Anyone have any ideas on how to find a master of disguise?"

"Oooh, good point." Trini grins when she sees Mercy, glad the rogue decided to come back. She wasn't sure if they'd see her again after they all came back.  "We'll have to go back there eventually anyway, and--- wait, what? What do you mean Barry's not Barry?" Did she space out too much back on that wagon and miss some important revelation. 

“You didn’t...?” Mercy gawked at them for a moment before collecting herself. “I’m sorry. It’s just...You’re all so much smarter than me, I figured if I’d been able to piece it together, surely you knew...” She sat down and cleared her throat. “It was little things, really. When he introduced himself, he seemed quite uncomfortable and quickly asked to be called Zephyr. And you all took him at face value, but I’m sure you realize that my trust is a bit harder to win, so I watched all of you in those first few days. He kept to himself as much as I did, talking more to the Traveler than us. And then I saw a look in his eye one day that I know too well...”

Closing her eyes for a moment, Mercy fell silent. The moment was just long enough to feel awkward before she continued. “It was a look I’d seen on my own face when I was a child. Wondering what was wrong with me, thinking I was ugly, the monster everyone kept telling me I was. I just wanted friends back then. I felt lost and alone. And Zephyr’s eyes told me the same story.” She shook off the ghost of her past and looked at them. “There’s also the fact that he worships the god of shapeshifters.”

"Now that you speak of it, he did mention when I asked him how he came to worship the Traveler that he was alone for a great amount of time. He mentioned that he was in a place with enough books for three libraries and that he had come across an amulet of the Traveler, which stoked his curiosity. He wasn't able to learn much from his research about the Traveler, but he started to follow the Traveler anyway and that helped ease his loneliness. I never made the mental connection between the Traveler and shapeshifters until now. I don't quite possess the aptitude for investigation that you do. But he might've given us an accidental clue to finding him. He said that the place he was at had enough books for three libraries. There aren't too many places with that many books, so I imagine that if we find a place with lots of books, we find Zephyr. I also have a spell that can be used to locate objects. Perhaps I could concentrate on something he's carrying and that will lead us to him." 

"I never picked up on those small details Mercy noticed. But like many of you, I sensed he was holding back and reluctant to meld into a close knit group with us. I did have a report that said Barry was rather on the low end of the aptitude scale when it came to Harper fundamentals, so I was a bit concerned he might not really be skilled at all. To placate my suspicion, I sort of ran a test, but he passed no problem. At the time, however, he cautioned me not to try to deceive a deceiver, so I was wary for a time thereafter. Now that comment seems especially relevant.

"If this whole entire time Barry wasn't even Barry, I don't even know what to say. That is amazing. He didn't just completely fool the cultists at Rivergard, but had me thinking I knew him almost as well as if he really were my spouse. I have this idea in my head about Barry, what he's like as far as personality, his politeness, his naivety about certain, um, adult things, one might say. To think that might all be a front is incredible. So then who is Barry? -I mean Zephyr. What's he really like? What is his true appearance? I am massively curious about the person we have spent all this time with and who played a vital role in steering us to success.

"It may be that he left for the reasons that have been suggested. I'm of course not going to try to force him to continue on with us if that isn't his wish. But I would at least like to say 'thank you' if we are parting company. I really hope he sticks with us because there's so much I want to ask and learn about the process of portraying a different person. We may need to do more of that, and he's the best. But most importantly, I need to know he's okay and not being pried away from us against his will.

"Carrhae, I think your Locate Object method is the most promising. Though I agree any library presents a likely place where Barry -- where Zephyr might go, we won't have much success just asking everyone if they might happen to be our former 'Barry'. Zephyr would simply answer 'no', assuming he doesn't want to be found, and then we are none the wiser.

"In my regular profession, I do lots of reading and research, and though I may have stumbled upon a reference to The Traveler here or there, overall, there's very little written on this subject. At least not in the main references in broad circulation. Thus, if you designate a symbol associated with The Traveler, that might lead us to Zephyr almost as swiftly as if he were guarded by Ogres!" Strife smiled at Daewen with great pride.

Carrhae ignored the erroneous directions of her Shadar-Kai comrade and allowed Strife to guide her around the libraries of Waterdeep, starting with the largest ones where it seemed like it would be a match for the location that Zephyr described to Carrhae. Upon arriving, Carrhae closed her eyes and focused her mind around the image of the amulet that she saw Zephyr pull out. She said a quick prayer to Sune while concentrating. "Please, allow me to find this amulet so that we may once again be in the presence of it's bearer."

Daewen the Investigator (TM) is on duty, assisting Carrhae in her attempts to find Zephry (Investigation: 5)

 ...She's not good at this investigating thing...yet...and leads her friend to the newest noodle shop instead.  Oh, I thought you meant Zephyr Noodles!  My bad.

*puts on dm hat* Roll Perception, my darlings!

Perception (+1): 8