Fianna turns the group into a typical Hillfarian family.  Toc and Mirica are transformed into middle aged parents dragging their kids around.  Fianna and Nezuj become their almost adult children and Russel the much younger surprise child.  They are wearing typical working class fare for the town. all but indistinguishable from anyone else on the street.  To the party members, though, there are obvious tokens upon the clothes that make them stick out - Each has a green stylized, if a bit shabby, shamrock on each shoulder.  There is also a green patch of the clothing near the center of each's back and stomach.  They're blended in to likely go unnoticed by anyone not in the company but all in it know what to look for in case they get mixed up in crowds or such.

     Seeing one of the elfs dive into the water, Fianna will go up to the edge of the docks and peer down after them...

Chen's twenty-five word reply: I know that tavern. They have good pastries. Especially their sausage rolls. I'm not sure what herbs they use. Perhaps while I'm there I might...

One of the elven warriors nervously eyes the child as she approaches, but says nothing. Fianna looks down into foamy murky harbor water. Some poop floats by. Not a pleasure swim then.

The childs parent approaches, and in flawless elven says, "Allies are everywhere." He winks at the elven warrior eyes him.  "We were to meet at the tavern, what is going on." 

The woman looks past her guard at him, "Your name villager?"

Toc rolls his eyes a bit, "Toc and my allies." 

She looks at the group and nods, "Our assassin wore a locket, from his mother. It is in the water, I would like to know why." 

A few moments later the elven warrior whose gone for a swim comes to the surface. He seems to be having no problems breathing in the water, having been down there for several minutes. "There is much debris. Is it straight down?"  She shakes her head, "No, out about...ten feet, straight out from the dock though." He nods and dives back under. 

Chen arrives at the tavern, and looks around.  Hmmm, no group of elves, no allies, ...and none of those little markers Fianna puts on your disguises....glancing back out, he notes several elves standing on a dock some ways out, with a family of locals....his eyes are good and he spots the kids and parents have Fianna's tell tale marks. 

Nuzej was buried in his spellbook and nearly missed the trip to Hillsfar, but he'd absolutely accompany. If there was time to ritually cast the telepathic bond on those about to teleport, while Toc was tracking down Russel, he'd do so on those teleporting from the lair.

Either way, he'd cast detect thoughts on himself as they set on their journey, primarily using the secondary function of the spell that allows detection of thinking creatures who may be invisible. He'll just keep an eye out as they walk, and as they approach the elves at the dock. Playing the part of a worried father in the city with his young one, paranoid about pickpockets and other riffraff, as a pretense to be looking about nervously. 

Russel tags along with the group. Keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. 

Chen will walk over to the dock from the tavern. He knows that he has already obstructed the Red Plumes once, and knows it might not be wise to look like an accomplice. But if the group needs to make a magical getaway, or if he needs to protect the delegation or his friends, then he would rather be in the vicinity.

Moments pass. Chen gets closer to the group, keeping an eye out. Russel is nearby, watching with keen eyes. You all wait and watch.  The elf resurfaces.  In his hand, he holds a fine silver locket.  He splashes over to the edge of the dock and is helped out of the water.  Sopping wet, and a bit smelly, he hands the locket over. Still spluttering he says, "Long'sot...is dead. He is under the water...chained to a sack of stones. Looks like he's been there a couple days. Whoever the assassin was, they were an impersonator." 

A glimmer of sorrow crosses the delegates face. She glances towards the group considering. She turns to Toc, "Let us return to your safe home here. I pray the humans will not be so rash as to convict us without letting us reveal this information. I wish we'd recovered the weapon...if it is indeed an elven axe...it will count against us...it would be good for me to try to trace it's past."

Toc nods, "I'll see what I can do in a bit. If we're all ready, let's leave this place, we really should get off the streets."

It's perhaps thirty minutes later when everyone, still wearing your disguises...are sitting and lounging about Lacy's living room. The space is crowded.  The room appears to be a group of strangers to all your eyes, though each of the unknown people, including a couple children, are all marked by Fianna's shamrock. A bucket of soapy water and some towels are off to one side where the elf cleans himself after his swim.  A plate of small cut up sandwiches and a small army of tea cups are laid across the table as Lacy serves the elves. "M'honor to be offering a place to stay to you ma'am, and it is a pleasure seeing you again. I'm glad to be able to....return to hospitality, though...my home is a bit humbler than yours I'd say..."  she chortles nervously, seemingly embarrassed by her offering.  

The delegate, whose name is Thessa, smiles and accepts a tea cup graciously, "It is the warmth of the heart that makes the best host." 

Toc looks about at everyone, "Thanks so much for all of you coming. I'm not really sure what we do next. I suppose someone should try to reach out to someone in the government to setup a talk." 

     “You traced the locket from memory?” Fianna asks.  “So you were led to the original on the body?  I ask ‘cause I’m wondering if perhaps there was anything on the assassin you did not remember from before today?  Perhaps you could try to track them that way...”

     “But no.  If it was an illusion then there’s in truth nothing to track,” Fianna says, answering her own question.

     “It is not a shock that there’s still elements which do not want the human and elves to align with one another.  Some out of prejudice, some power, some financial...  the trick is figuring which this is.”

     Assuming the axe is described, revealed or even an illusion displayed of it, Fianna would quickly shut her mouth and look to her companions.  She would sidle over to Mirica and whisper “We need return to the shop where we sold that and find out who bought it next...”

Once they are safely back in the house, Chen does indeed reveal the axe.

(Would Chen know any of the details from the infiltration of the trading office with Jahren and Jezun? If he is aware of the sale of the axe and the purchase price, it might jog his memory - but only if it's information he would have seen. I think he was not that attentive at the time)

Some tiny...niggling part of Chen's brain goes back to Jahren, and his mention of everything he found in the trading house. The sale price.....the questionable purchases...indeed it does jog his memory. He remember because he'd been planning this dumpling recipe and he was thinking about the dough when Jahren interrupted his thoughts with the boring 'intrigue'...and it had taken him a while to get back to the dough thoughts after.....

Chen apologises for keeping the axe concealed, but thought it was prudent until he could be sure who was friend or foe.

At the mention of the sale of the axe, Chen murmurs:

Um... I remember something... that Jahren mentioned. Something he found while we were searching one of those trading offices. Now what was it? He was talking while I was cooking. Sift well in sieve. Tethered net? No, that's not it. Thirty ounces of flour... Worcester lane, or was it Worcestershire Sauce? Stir for 12 minutes... No. Winter cloud? A dash of 25 percent vanilla... Pete's Wolf. Knead 15 or 16 times after rising. Reluctant dragon. Bake at... 16500! That's it!  But... I don't remember what office we were searching...

Mirica, still under disguise, studied the elven delegation. It was probably a bad time to make a remark about wise people and shrewd politicians on both sides falling to such an expected trap! But some ideas she could offer without adding salt to the fresh wounds.

"Your elven friend can probably still be resurrected and then he would be able to point his murderer". She, again, restrained from mentioning things like Toc's ability to question dead without any resurrection. "Or we can ask who the owner of the magic shop - don't remember his name, Fianna, do you? - sold the axe to. As I recall, he was very excited when saw the thing and said there was a buyer for it."

Fianna does recall where it was sold, it was called the Black Cats Emporium. Emphasis on the plural. The singular one wasn't as useful. The shop keepers name was Raymond. It's been a couple months now, but the shop keeper was sure he could find a buyer, but didn't seem to indicate he had one ready and waiting. 

When Chen reveals the axe Thessa is very impressed. The elves inspect it, and they ask Chen the tale of its origin. He recounts the story of the long lost tomb beneath the cracks of Myth Drannor. The elves listen with rapt attention.

After the story, and the questions are done, Toc taps his fingers, "If I recall Jahren's exploits, it was the Thiscan trading house that he used to set off the little war of his...which started after he broke into the safe. This is probably enough information for us to give to someone in the government, if anyone has a contact of course. I've met that one mage, Candour, but....that's really it. I believe Jahren even took the book. Perhaps if I reach out to him, he would be willing to supply the evidence."

He is quiet for a short time, and then nods, "Yes, Jahren still has the ledger, apparently kept in a safe place. He's moved on from Hillsfar....but..he has sent the book. Just now! Fantastic!"  Toc heads downstairs and comes up a few moments later with a ledger in hand. After a few moments of reading he gets to the right entyr, "Reluctant dragon.  Indeed. Chen, you have a good memory. I'm not sure if we want to secure more evidence from this shop keeper, but this seems ample information to bring to the humans." 

Nuzej, before they leave the dock, offers to help bring up the elf's body, rocks and all, with telekinesis. "It would be helpful to have this body, which is clearly not the assassin's, based on the level and nature of the decomposition. As well as the other answers we may get from it."

If he cannot see under water, he'd polymorph into a giant constrictor snake, or a giant ape, and wrestle the body and stones back to the surface to bring with the group.

Later he would ask, "Did Long'sot act any different than normal over the last few days? Anything odd? Disappear for stretches at a time? Ask you about anything odd?"

     “Umm, maybe after dark?” Fianba suggests to Nuzej.  “The city folk may not take kindly to use carrying a corpse around?”

Thessa nods to Nuzej, "Thank you for the offer. We will leave him where he is for a now and recover him later. As much as I dislike theater, a grand reveal may be necessary to convince some of the people in this city." 

Politics... Makes you do show from your dead friends. Mirica frowned a bit but did not say anything - sometimes she thought politic was a business far dirtier than even the worse of necromancy but was not going to fight the lost cause of changing things in that area. "More evidence never hurts - you can not know what would convince a particular person. But most importantly, who is going to present these evidence? Depending of the mood in the government now, that might be a risky endeavor. Can we contact Candour or Jahren's Harpers?"

With the connection made between the sale of the axe, and the Thiscan trading house....the axe as evidence, the book as evidence, and the location of the dead elf who was the supposed assassin, the elves have more than enough to clear their name.  They and the group bring this information, by ways of Candour to his boss the Archmage Behedron, and then via him to the senior council members and Yestrel himself.  

It takes only a day for the story to unfold. Lady Thiscan, the high judge and leader of the house is made to depart her role as high judge, and her house is heavily penalized via costly fines, while many of the top people in her house are arrested for treason.  It's all very political and uninteresting to the group, but they receive thanks from all involved. They even receive an invite to a celebratory ball taking place in a couple weeks that is being arranged to commemorate the signing of the new peace accord and Cormanthor protections treaty signed with the elven nation. The dead elf is revived by Mistress Zia...a high priestess of Torm. She seems an uneasy ally of Yestrel, but does as he wishes and revives the elf, though it's clear from those watching that the human priestess has a ways to go before her heart will truly accept non-humans in Hillsfar.

The rumor mill in the town is fierce. The humanist part of the population is sent to lick their wounds and fester with their hate and prejudice, while Yestrel uses his new found popularity and good will to push the city even further towards an open and fair city. Law reform and Red Plumes re-training becomes top of the list as Yestrel installs a new High Judge, a man named Alice Mysnok, from one of the trading houses open to change, and supportive of Yestrel's sweeping reform. 

It seems most of the group can now count some pretty influential people in Hillsfar as contacts they can call on if needed.

In the meantime, Toc gathers the group together for what he calls an 'information' session.  You all find yourselves back in the Myth Drannor mythllar base.  Trays of food, prepared by both Chen and Lacy sit around the library. He's brought in several chairs from....somewhere...enough for you all to sit, while he and Nuzej have prepared another of his 'presentations'. As you all get settled, he begins speaking...standing up from with Nuzej who he's already gone over all of this with. 

"First of all, thank you all so much for your help with the elves. I think...it's tough to say just how important Hillsfar and Semberholme working together to secure the area of the forest is....to...the world. It's one less safe haven for evil forces to settle in and begin causing chaos."  He looks around, a rare smile on his face.  Tic meanwhile walks amidst the group, with a pitcher of wine, serving drinks.  "So, now for the main event if you will. Some of this is going to get VERY magical theory, so Nuzej and I have kept it a bit high level. If you want the "how's" or "why's" bit we can provide more detail.  It's easy to think of the magical weave as...a fabric that is all around us, like a mass of spider webs....just behind everything.  But....it's not so simple, it operates in clumps. The Mythallars have caused some of these clumps of magic to become a thing.  From what we can tell, it would seem that Larloch was in the process of...taking these clumps...from this Mythallar, and moving them somewhere else. We did stop him, but he was able to get two 'clumps' from here, and simultaneously he stole 2 of the 8 types of magic from this Mythallars ability to manipulate magic. He took conjuration and transmutation. That's moving things from one place to another, and....changing the makeup of things. Now, we still don't know his ultimate goal, but it seems clear from the Baelnorn's notes that 'the warlock' was attempting to do this to multiple Mythallars. He seemed....almost on a quest to find them all and get the magic all to him. I would guess....to his own Mythallar in the Warlock's Crypt."  He pauses...and looks around, wondering how many of the group he's lost, if any.   "So....basically he's taking the magical from these tremendously powerful Mythallar's, and....gathering it into one place. For some ill fated plan I'm sure." 

He waits...looking around, then abruptly adds, "It was clear from the Baelnorn's notes that Larloch did NOT know where all the Mythallar were, but that he had his agents, and other Lich's out trying to figure out where they are. He undoubtedly will be seeking them out, with the goal of sapping their weave and moving it.  I think we should try to stop him."

He pauses again, looking around, then once again speaks up, "I don't think we should go straight at him. From what I've heard about the Warlock's Crypt...well....we're not ready to face a literal army of Lich's, and living magic....and all manner of terrible traps for miles before even arriving at the ruins. I think we should avoid direct confrontation, or at least try and draw him out of his home where we may have a chance. So, I suggest we try and get to some of these Mythallars and secure them. We may need support, we may need to leave people behind to guard, or at least warn us if they attempt to manipulate them, but...I believe we can summon enough allies to play support for us." 

Almost as an after thought he adds, "There are several Mythallar that are known about. One is here, the city of Thulthanthar's Mythallar....just in the other room.  One other one that is known is Nhalloth. This city fell into the sea of fallen stars over 1700 years go during the fall of Netheril, but...when the spell plague happened and much of the sea levels dropped, it was rediscovered, partially revealed in the water. But, I've heard numbers between 25 and 35 cities. Perhaps if we can better explore some of these known cities, they'll give us hints where to find the others, or we may be in for a long drawn out exploration to try and find some other leads. Either way....I believe this is the path we should follow. Thoughts?"

Chen has his mouth full, but he manages to say: Sorry, I wasn't listening. Can you say it again?

He then looks around with a grin, wipes his face with the back of his hand and says: Just kidding. Great work fellas. So we look for more of these big round magic balls. Sounds like a plan.

     "The Baelnorn has been at this... How long now?  His search?  He has a literal army of Lich another agents of all kind searching.  These Myallar you know rumor of, would he have access to the same rumor?" Fianna asks.  "To cut to the gut of it, it is sounding like we've found ourselves a lost cause.  Surely we're way behind and undermanned."

     "Don't get me wrong, I'll tag along. Sounds like a hoot.  And my Lady has given me no moves to the contrary...  I'm just saying, let's be realistic about the odds?"