Quote from RonanKP >>

"Maybe you should stick with us. We were maybe going to the Zhentarim enclave, if you want to join"

 Peebles nods, and agrees to accompany you. Meanwhile, an earnest deep gnome rushes from the warehouse door towards you. "Quickly! Come over here before they come back with more forces! Why are you just out here standing around!" Their eyes dart around towards the direction the Duergar left off to, then they turn and scamper back to the warehouse door.

"I agree. Let see ourselves out."

"Let's go see what those gnomes wants before Oorr.". Grimnir secure his backpack, checks a few pockets of the Duergar for any information on why they were attacking the gnome and then join the little creatures.

Grimnir, you turn up 150 gold pieces off the bodies of the duergar, but nothing else of value.

When you arrive at the warehouse door (area 6b) the deep gnome let's you all in, and shuts it behind her.

Inside is a large chamber, shaped like a cube. The ceiling is 100 feet high, and the walls are lined with niches where you see several deep gnomes peering out of. Levitating crystal platforms throughout the warehouse move between the niches and the floor.

The deep gnome who let you inside introduces herself as Gabble Dripskillet. She is extremely grateful you stopped the Duergar attack. She has no idea what prompted it. All she knows is they took her good friend, Yantha Coaxrock, a svirfneblin mage, and imprisoned her in the duergar warehouse to the South. Gabble would really prefer for Yantha to be freed. She pulls a small crystal coffer out of nearby niche and produces a black sapphire pendant on a silver chain. She says it's worth a lot, but she wants you to have it, in thanks for getting rid of the duergar, and hopefully to entice you to help Yantha. She offers the pendant to Grimnir.

"Well, thank you very much. Does it have any magical properties ?"
"I guess we can go the the duergar area and see what is going on, possibly freeing Yantha." Grimnir looks at his companions to see if they agree.

> I would like to feel if they are hiding something from me : Insight 7 + 1 (if you agree to let me cast Guidance on myself.

Grimnir adds: "I'm sorry, I need to meditate a few minutes". The dwarf then retreat form the conversation, sits on the floor and cast Detect Magic as a ritual. 

 "It seems to me that duergar have no problem killing gnomes. Why have they imprisoned Yantha?"

Gabble will tell you, Grimnir, it does not have any magical properties. But it is the most valuable thing they own. Your insight tells you they are being honest, and are very grateful for your help. The gem seems flawless.

Oorr, unfortunately, Gabble does not know why they took Yantha. They attacked for seemingly know reason just a day before, and ever since then, they have been hiding inside the warehouse.

"That is all windy. We should go checking our place first, then take a visit to the duergar."

Quote from filcat >>

"That is all windy. We should go checking our place first, then take a visit to the duergar."

 "Agreed... let's move. And you dear friends, fortify your place"

Grimnir looks at the pendant and thanks again the gnomes. 

The nose of this gnome reminds him of one type of mushrooms he kept in his bag, a Nilhogg’s Nose. Quickly he takes one from his bag and have a quick snack.

>> adv on perception (smells) for 3 hours

After conferring with the deep gnomes, you decide to check on the rest of your followers before heading to the Duergar camp. You take Peebles and head to the Western side of Mantol-Dareth, using the elevators to cross the chasm. (Area 3a) You find another market area like the one you saw on the opposite side, but the stalls are bigger, and you see traces of drow weaponry and Zhentarim symbols. It would seem this is where the Zhents and Drow do their trading. Unlike the other side though, there are no dead bodies or rampaging duergar. 

You find Aligor and everyone standing at the edge of the marketplace near the bridge to the Southwest (Area 7a). When Aligor sees Oorr, he approaches him to give a report.

"Sir, I thought it best to hang back when we scouted the area. Take a look," says Aligor. He leads you to the bridge and points to the pavilion and tables set up in the distance. You spot a group of 4 drow standing around the tables. "That's the Zhentarim Enclave. Our warehouse is beyond the pavilion. Ghazrim is probably in there. (Area 7b) The drow don't usually hang out in our area, so I thought it best to wait. The Drow Enclave is to the North (Area 4a), but there is only one drow there. He seems... rather aloof. There are also gargoyles guarding that area. The rest of the drow seem to have retreated into their warehouse (Area 4b). Oh, and then there's the gnome..." Some of Lord's Alliance members part to reveal a deep gnome.

When the gnome sees the four of you, he rushes forward, and begins speaking in a rushed and hurried voice. "You're in charge here? You have to help me! I've lost it! No... no... it was stolen! Yantha will be so mad, and I was just trying to make her happy! I just needed to trade. It's what she would have wanted... and now she's gone, and I can't find the lousy stone beast that took it! It's not there! It has to be somewhere? What will I do!?"

Aligor rolls his eyes a bit. "We can't seem to calm him down. Says his name is Flink. He was spying on the drow enclave when we found him. What should we do with him, sir, and for that matter, what should we do about the drow?"  Aligor looks expectantly at Oorr, awaiting instructions on what to do next.

Brox, you check in with your recruits. Griswalla, one of your Emerald Enclave scouts points out that the drow enclave contains gardens of poisonous mushrooms. A 20 foot tall stunted Zurkhwood stands in the center of their enclave, under which the drow that Aligor mentioned is sitting. She also points out the Gargoyles sitting along the edges of the area, keeping watch on grounds. "They actually saw us when we first approached," she says, "but we halted our advance, and they seemed to keep their distance. Probably would have attacked if we'd kept entering. There's only a few of them though, so I'm sure we could take them." Griswalla huffs a little, apparently unhappy they avoided the fight. 

Grimnir, one of your Lord's Alliance spies, Zilna, gets your attention, and draws your attention to something in the Zhentarim area (7a). "Up there, Grimnir. You can see it if you squint," she says. You look at a rocky outcropping above the pavilion the drow are in, and see another statue of some sort, similar to the gargoyles in the drow enclave. It appears to be watching the pavilion where the drow are. It takes you a moment, but sudden realization dawns on you that this is the statue you saw in your vision, and the pavilion is the area you saw Ghazrim as your scrying vision faded.

Belwar, while the others confer with the entourage, you're left with Peebles. He seems fascinated with the large gathering, but he also seems to be looking for something or someone among the crowd. Possibly the beholder he was so intent on finding. He clutches his pale leather bag close to his chest.

"Calm down, good gnome. A stone beast, you say. Does it look like a gargoyle? What has been stolen?"

Quote from AsbestosPenguin >>

Grimnir, one of your Lord's Alliance spies, Zilna, gets your attention, and draws your attention to something in the Zhentarim area (7a). "Up there, Grimnir. You can see it if you squint," she says. You look at a rocky outcropping above the pavilion the drow are in, and see another statue of some sort, similar to the gargoyles in the drow enclave. It appears to be watching the pavilion where the drow are. It takes you a moment, but sudden realization dawns on you that this is the statue you saw in your vision, and the pavilion is the area you saw Ghazrim as your scrying vision faded.

"I remember from  my scrying that the draws and the Zhents may try to work together to get rid of the gnomes and the duergars.

We will need to check on that statue. I remember that one, and I might have a nice view of the place from there”

Quote from filcat >>

"Calm down, good gnome. A stone beast, you say. Does it look like a gargoyle? What has been stolen?"

 "Her black gem! Yantha will skin me alive if I don't retrieve it, and that stone beast took it from me! Yes, yes, the gargoyle, but which one?! They all look alike!" says Flink, before his rambling becomes incoherent.

"Flink". Brox places her hand on the gnome's shoulder. "We need to tread carefully and slowly. Something is amiss here, and we cannot just fight all the gargoyles in the area. We can help you, but we need to get information first." She nods at him, but also makes sure that the much smaller gnome knows who is in charge and that she's not to be messed with. 

Then she turns to Grimnir. "We are here to meet with our Zentarim contact. Let's find out what has been going on, before we meddle with each of the factions."

She also looks at Griswalla: "Thank you, for your information. Would that large zhurkwood mushroom be poisonous as well? And what would the drows be doing with gardens of poisonous mushrooms? Do you think they use them as weapons?"

"I hate Gargoyles with all my feathers, but I agree with our Paladin friend. Pieces of information are vital, but messing with the balance of the factions here can be counterproductive. Let's go see the Zentharim, then we can help the gnome."

“I agree, let’s move”. Grimnir keeps sniffing the air to localise any hidden creature

"Flink, you better stay with us, it is safer. Do not you worry, you will please your mistress. Out of curiosity, why is the gem so important?"

"Aligor, do Zhentarim use Gargoyle? Why is there one in our outpost?"

Quote from filcat >>

"Flink, you better stay with us, it is safer. Do not you worry, you will please your mistress. Out of curiosity, why is the gem so important?"

"Aligor, do Zhentarim use Gargoyle? Why is there one in our outpost?"

Flink nods slowly. Peebles jumps up, and rushes over. "If he's going, I'm going!"

Aligor shakes his head, "No, the gargoyles are a defensive mechanism the drow use. We all have our own defenses to deter theft and spying. It's odd that one of them is watching our camp."

Thinking it wise to gather a few forces, you order most of your entourage to stay back here in the market, while you head into the Zhentarim camp to see what's happening with the drow in the pavilion and if you can find your contact Ghazrim.

When you are about halfway to the pavilion, the drow spot you, and one of them comes to the edge of the pavilion to look at you. She seems upset at seeing unexpected guests, but before you are close enough to greet her, the warehouse doors to the West (area 7b) open up, and a man walks out, followed by a floating beholder with missing eye stalks, and six other human figures. Aligor points to the man in the lead of the group. "That's Ghazrim, and the beholder is Lorthuun. Looks like they're meeting with the drow," he says. 

The drow, now caught between you and Ghazrim begin to take defensive stances. "Ghazrim! What is this," shouts the woman who was initially looking at you. She turns her attention to Ghazrim's group. "We only agreed to meet with you, not the entire enclave, and now you have us pinned in. This will not end well for the Zhents." 

Ghazrim yells back, "Stay your blades, Sirak, I'm as surprised by their appearance as you are. Let's just all stay cal..larargh!" Ghazrim's words are cut short as one of the drow, who had been skulking in the shadows of the pavilion, shoves him to the side, and leaps at the beholder. 

"For House Druu'giir!" she shouts, and then all chaos breaks loose.

Roll Initiative!

Ghazrim: 5
Lorthuun: 5
Sirak: 8
Drow Elite Warriors: 9
Assassin: 19
Gargoyle: 7
Zhentarim Thugs: 15

"Aw, bloody Hells!" 

Initiative: 15