As the wine splashes over Genny's head and down her shoulders, she vanishes as completely as all the others.

Dral hands Astra a damp cloth and winks. "Cheers!"

One by one, you all materialize and find yourself sitting in an immaculate parlor that contains austere furnishings and about a dozen domesticated tressym. These winged cats are similar to Zeek (Nirzeg's familiar) in size, though each has distinct markings. The cats lounge about the interior. One of the tressym strides casually up to each of you in turn, rubbing up against your legs. 

“Oh...aha! People!”

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

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

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

"I'm Astra." She said after she appeared in the room. Once she had finished with that, she walked over to Genevieve and started to dry off her head with the cloth that she took from the bar.

For maybe the first time, Rasa's teammates see him look a bit nervous, his usually confident, charming demeanor shedding and becoming shaky, uncertain, at the sight of all the cats. Zeke never bothered him--he knew Nirzeg had him under control--but the sheer number of tressyms here made the birdman feel decidedly... outnumbered. He shuddered a bit as one brushed up against his leg, doing his best not to be rude to his new host.

"Ah'brasar. What is this about a teleportation network, you said?"

Derrikoth bows slightly, "A pleasure, master Valharrow. I am Derrikoth Toknal, of House Toknal," he blinks, "A teleportation network? Here?"

Nirzeg sobers up fairly quickly, or at least appears to as he took in the surroundings with greater interest. "Useful intel." He murmurs, then with a bright smile adds, "You can call me Nirzeg. A fellow practioner of the Arcane, or so I suspect correctly?" The githyanki quirks a brow at Valharrow. "And unlike my companions, not as surprised by all this shit. I'm sure Everlund is pretty ******* prime real estate. Real question is where we can take'm, what we can take, and do ya happen to have some spell scrolls just, ya know, lying round?"

Genevieve thanks Astra for cleaning her up, the construct very quickly putting on another wig and hat now to feel comfortable again. She looks to Krowen and bows formally. "Unit XJ9, but please call me Genevieve." She leans in a little bit and whispers. "You should try and make your teleportation network thing better suited for warforged who are unable to drink. I did not enjoy having to pour liquid on my head, thank you very much."

Krowen Valharrow gives a quirky smile to Nirzeg and touches his own nose, but answers the others first. 

He rapidly assess Genevieve: "Intriguing...a construct with impeccable articulation and languages. Gnomish? What a fine work of art. Sentient, are you? Magic suffuses you. My, my, my."

He stands there admiring Genny in awkward silence for all of 12 seconds before snapping back to attention.

"Yes! The teleportation network. We, the Harpers that is, have a network of permanent teleportation circles that we utilize for our travel. Very closely guarded secret, you have to be a high level Harper or a trusted ally to gain access. It is here, through this area." Krowen will lead you through a doorway and explains the particulars of the network.

You learn that the circles are located in Everlund, Loudwater, Mirabar, Neverwinter, Waterdeep, and Yartar. In each location, a Harper spellcaster is always at the ready to cast the spell, should the party require it. Krowen assumes none of you know this particular spell, and tells you that it's really not necessary, since there will always be a mage on hand to send you through the circles.

"Very, very, interesting~" Nirzeg practically purrs along the way. "And, rather convenient as well for reports back to Waterdeep, as well as obtaining goods we would not otherwise be able to find so far from that hotbed of opportunity." He goes on, rubbing his chin and grinning in far too much delight. "Will need to stop by Yatar as well. Still have that nice piece of armor back in Triboar to retrieve... Eventually!"

indicating Valharrow lead you down a narrow hallway and up a steep, winding set of stairs. The tressym that had originally been friendly with you all follows you up the stairs, leaping from step to step.

The stairs bring you to a circular room with no windows. A runic circle lies on the floor, and a an apprentice mage lies propped up against the wall, asleep in his chair.

“Flewen!” Valharrow’s voice barks at the apprentice, who starts and nearly falls out of his chair.

“Sorry, archmage, many apologies,” the human mage mumbles. “Just resting my eyes. Ready for duty, sir.”

After a brief exchange where the archmage chews out the apprentice, he introduces you and explains that you are to be given complete access to the teleportation network until further notice.

When he has shown you the teleportation circle in Moongleam Tower, Krowen produces a small wooden coffer from out of thin air. “Darathra sent me this for my birthday a few years back. I have never had need of it, but given your current task, I surmise that you would be able to make very good use of the content.”

The coffer’s interior space is divided into six compartments, each of which contains a rolled-up spell scroll. The spells written on the scrolls are dispel magic, fly, magic weapon, sending, tongues, and water breathing. A fine gold ring, which Krowen informs you is a magical implement for storing spells, is tucked into a small crevice on the right side of the coffer’s interior.

Unless he is otherwise delayed, the archmage begs your leave, telling you that he has an errand to run before it gets too late. He stands in the circle and begins the ritual to use its magic.

(if you wish to ask the archmage any questions, now is the time!)

Nirzeg is practically salivating as he stared wide-eyed over the coffer's contents. "Ah... understood, Master Val... Valharrow." He shakes himself, hurriedly wipes off the saliva. "Are there any spells, ah, already cast within that ring already, out of curiosity? Not that these aren't a boon enough, of course. Just curious." Once he had his answer one way or another, and unless stopped by the others, Nirzeg more than happily scoops up the scrolls, and starts rubbing them against his face. The ring he is more hesitant to take, and gives the others an uncomfortable look. As soon as at least someone else claims it, he breathes a sigh of relief as he immediately steps out to -....

"Ah! One more thing! How do we, uh... leave, exactly? When might we see you again? Annnnd-.... hm... Thank... you? Hn. That tasted funny in my mouth."

Rasa chuckles to himself at the site of the Nirzeg's innocent elation, a companion who, thus far, Rasa has seen smile only as part of a sarcastic joke, feigned cordiality, or a cynical sneer.

"These gifts are most generous, Señor." Rasa says to the mage, bowing deeply. "Before we depart, may we ask--we are looking for one giant of particular note. A friend to smaller folks that goes by the name Harshnag, yes? The solamente lead we have on this Hashnag is a rather, eh, sweeping range of mountains. But if anyone would have more information about a possible location, I presume, it would be the Harpers, yes? Have you heard of this giant? Do you have any information that might help us, err, narrow our search?"

“Harshnag, you say? Harshnag the Grim? Yes, I have not heard the name for decades. I...er...suppose I could delay my journey in order to look for the giant. Yes...hmm.”

The dark-skinned archmage looks very excited at the prospect of finding such a famous adventure. He steps away from the teleportation circle and draws a ball of clear crystal in the same manner as he produced the wooden coffer. He holds the globe in one hand, and lifts his free hand to begin casting a spell.

“Now, give me a moment,” says the wizard. “Oh...I don’t suppose you would have anything that belongs to this giant? A lock of hair, a personal belonging? Even a painted or sculpted likeness?”

(Feel free to add anything here. The archmage will attempt to scry Harshnag’s location in the meantime)

As Valharrow casts his spell, the sleepy apprentice mage will give you directions as to how to leave the tower by foot, and says to simply show your Harper pin for re-entry. “There’s an arcane lock to get up here, but we will see to it that you’re able to bypass it.”

"No personal items and no picture, I am afraid. But perhaps if this doesn't work, is there a way to send this Harshnag an, ehh, arcane message, tal vez?"

The archmage finishes his incantations, then stares in disappointment at the crystal ball. “It’s muddled,” Valharrow says finally. “Perhaps he is purposefully occluding his mind, as one would do naturally when hiding. Or he could be dead. Hard to say.” He stows his crystal ball, and turns back to the teleportation circle.

“As to contacting him directly... unfortunately, I have never met the legendary Harshnag. He was a bit before even my time,” says the wizard, winking a crinkled eye. “I have no way of personally contacting the giant. If I recall correctly, he operated out of Waterdeep. This was about a century ago, but there could be records there that would aid your search. Besides that, I can guarantee you that the Harpers will be keeping their ears to the ground, but as giants are out in force these days, looking for one particular frosty giant is a bit of a task.”

"Well that's fan-*******-tastic. Shit! A pox upon that choweder headed wonder mutt!" Nirzeg turns away, rubbing his forehead and shaking his head. "Well, it's a good ****'n thing we have access to the network ain't it? I got some business to take care of in waterdeep anyhow, so I'll see what I can look into over night there and will be back in the morning. Just don't go running off into the sunset without me, is all I ask." He request of the team, eyeing them each with a varying degree of skepticism.

Valharrow gestures towards the circle. "After you," he says. "Apprentice Mage Flewen, please initiate the sigil sequence for the Waterdeep circle."

Flewen gets to work waving his hands over the permanent circle, and the runes on the floor once more start to glow as they are activated. 

Derrikoth snorts, "I can't even tell where the sun is, in here. Waterdeep isn't so bad a place to be, we can do some shopping while we're there."

He steps into the circle with Nirzeg.

In Waterdeep, Derrikoth looks around the city with the help of Rasa, both of them spending 100 gp to look for magic items. Derrikoth is looking for a shield, +1 while Rasa is looking for a Pearl of Power.

Persuasion (DC 15): 23

“Did someone say ‘shopping’?!” Genevieve pipes up, grabs Astra by the arm, and hops right into the circle.

Genny takes in the sights of Waterdeep all the while looking for specific magical items for her and Astra to look good in. Or use and look good using. Same thiiiing. (Wands of the War Mage)

Persuasion: 16

Nirzeg snorts and smirks at Genny. "Try not to sound too excited." Looking to Flewen, he gives the apprentice and said, "Mind sending word to that Inn Keep of yours of our extended departure. I'll be sure he's compensated for keep'n the horses.... Oh, and, uh... Similar to the help that'll show up tomorrow..." He frowns. "I'll just be back on the morrow... settle all that shit."

With that said, the Githyanki has no more before they each are teleported back to Waterdeep. From the moment of his return, Nirzeg practically hits the boots running in finding lodgings for the workweeks. Places he know would be comfortable for his time spent pouring over tomes after tomes with largely on Zeek's more direct aid.

Declaring: Information about Harshnag(preferably exacting locations frequented in the past, or of significance to the person)
Workweek #1(DC 10): 23.

Declaring: Information about Tomes that radiate Necromatic Energies.
Workweek #2(DC 10): 20.
(2nd week subject to change depending on if Dark Book still seems to emanate magic).

Attempting One Night to Inscribe Magic Weapon into spell book.
Arcana(DC 12): 9, if Zeek can help here as well: 8.

Lifestyle: Comfortable - Paying 20gp in total by the end of the 2 Workweeks.
Inscribing Spell from Scroll to Spellbook: 100gp (from Promissory Notes)
Research: 200gp in Total(from Promissory Notes)