With another year, mostly gone the harvest season begins once again. Our adventurers have traveled much this year and their deeds have begun to find their fame across the realms they traveled, but no more than the city of Waterdeep.
Waterdeep, also known as the City of Splendors or the Crown of the North, was the most important and influential city in the North and perhaps in all Faerûn. For this reason it was considered part of the Western Heartlands of the Realms, even though it lay 150 miles north of Daggerford on the shores of the Sword Coast. The city sat "slightly above the 45 degree north latitude line on Toril."The road to Waterdeep was well paved and well patrolled. The city was the hub of trading from the mineral-rich lands to the north, the merchant kingdoms of Amn and Calimshan to the south, the kingdoms of the Inner Sea to the east, and the sea kingdoms and traders to the west. Waterdeep's authority extended between thirty to forty miles from its walls.
Waterdeep was named for its outstanding natural deep-water harbor, and the city that grew up at this site became the commercial crossroads of the northern Realms. More than 100,000 people made their home in the city proper of Waterdeep. The city sprawled northward from the sea, spreading along the flanks of Mount Waterdeep, which used to be home to the Melairkyn, a mithral-mining dwarven clan, and the entire length and great depth of the mountain was riddled with passages and tunnels, most of which were occupied by deadly creatures whose presence in the mountain predated the founding of the city itself. The halls of Undermountain located beneath the city were a popular target for adventurers, who enjoyed the close vicinity of the city's main taverns and temples where aid could be purchased through donations.
Although the adventurers have not been there long, they were quickly tracked down and given a vague invitational note:
“You have been personally selected to attend a dinner banquet in the presence of Baron of the House of Blackenbal whilst he discusses matters of upmost importance to him. Please bring this invitation to his estate on the hour of the 6 two morrows for today.”
This invitation was stamped with an insignia of a cutlass signaling the sign of the House of Blackenbal.
With their curiosity peaked, the adventurers find their way to his manor on the date and time provided. As they arrived they show their insignia to the guards and are quickly shown to a room with a large dinner table with ten chairs. Appetizers are already on the table showing a large helping for fresh baked bread, cheese and fruit.
Looking around the adventurers see three other people (totaling of only them four in the room). An awkward moment passes as the individuals stare at each other, trying to size the others up…
Tiriel takes to chance to layer some cheese on bread and eat a few bites of fruit as he looks over the attending guests. " Some good appetizers here. I don't suppose any of you happen to know why we are here?" He says around a mouthful of food.
Tiriel is a well muscled human man with pale skin, white hair and eyes. His hair is pulled back in a tail to the back of his head. His dinner clothes are dark silks with red accents. and a leather coat with a high collar.
" I would assume you all are in this for the money like myself, or do you just not like to disappoint a needy Baron? "
Cenny is a gaunt looking individual. He is a half elf with golden yellow eyes and bony arms. He wears ragged leathers that look like someone has dragged them through the forest where they had been torn by thorns.
Around his neck is a heart shaped locket and at his side is a staff shaped like a serpent.
”You would assume right, sir. Even though the wild provides what I need for survival I like some luxuries from time to time which requires gold. I was hoping to earn some myself.”
Tiriel smiles at the response of Cenny and looks him over. " Yes, I think we can all do with some luxuries from time to time. He leans in the chair back and eats another grape. He looks intently at Cenny's eyes. "You have some interesting eyes for someone that seems so rough and tumble. I'm Tiriel, what's your name?"
It is apparently possible by looking into my eyes to see that I have witnessed unspeakable horrors.
Tolstoy wanders around the city of Waterdeep, shopping for items before receiving the invitation from the Baron of the House of Blackenbal. He enters the dining hall and observes the appetizers available before nodding approvingly. “A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.”
The adventurer lowers the hood of his cloak to reveal that he is a Tortle. The tired expression on his face does not match his young age. There are hints of scars on his body that can just barely be seen from the edges of his coverings. He is armed with a longbow on his back and shortswords at his sides. A pair of bracers on his wrists sparkle peculiarly.
The Tortle grabs a piece of fruit on the table and munches on it before turning to the others. "Anyone up for a game of cards?" he asks, shuffling a deck produced from his pack from which a long piece of rope also hangs.
1. ♤ 2. ♡ 3. ♢ 4. ♧
Tolstoy places the deck of cards face down on a table. "Can you guess which of the four symbols this card is?" he asks, motioning towards the card on the top of the deck.
Herman, the oldest and most frail looking human you’ve ever seen, rigorously gums a piece of bread into mush careful not to damage what few teeth he has left.
the man smiles whole heartedly at the tortules remark and nods approvingly.
”yes sir, yes sir, Ive always said life is a gift not to be squandered...why, when i was a young man...”
the old man trails off into a long winded story of regrets, love, and mutual respect, oblivious to whether or not anyones listening.
reaching for a soft cheese next to him, you see that his bones twist and ache grotesquely. joints seem to crack and pop with only the slightest of movements and his posture keeps the old man slow, hunched over, and stiff.
Looking at him, one may wonder what is keeping that old body held together.... certainly something dark and unnatural.
”...yes sir, and that was the last time i went for a handful..”
Cenny replies to Tiriel, “I go by Cenny my new friend and I would love to know your name as well.”
Cenny looks down at his body. “Eh, I know I look rough but I don’t prefer this form so I don’t spend much time worrying about my clothes. I just need to be in my human form so I can communicate and am not attacked.”
Cenny smiles, “So you noticed my eyes. Yes, they are a gift and have marked me as protector of my forest. Your eyes tell a different story friend. They speak of much pain.”
Cenny turns to the Tortle and the Wizard.
”It is a pleasure to meet you two as well. I’ll pass on the cards for now. I wonder what the baron has in store for us. We are certainly a diverse group of individuals.”
The group continues to chat for a few minutes before conversation is interrupted by the doors opening behind them. A short man in his 40s wearing a set of fancy green and black clothes comes in followed by four guards adorning swords, shields and plate. The short man heads to the front of the table and lets out a loud cough before saying "Welcome to my humble home I am Baron Blackenbal. Now let us take a seat and begin, but first... Dinner!"
He pulls out a bell from inside his cloak and rings it. A group of 5 servants quickly enters the room, clearing the table and setting it for dinner. Once the plates and utensils lay on the table, the food arrives with the main course being a large fish stuffed with fruit.
As the group sits down and look at the food in front of them, the Baron begins to speak..
"So you probably wonder why I have brought you here." The baron continues to chew his food and grabs a drink "Well you guys are heroes and all and I need a rescue of someone. He was a dear captain of mine that went on a dangerous mission delivering some very expensive cargo of mine... " the Baron leans and and whispers loudly "in the Shadowfell" He then sits up and lets out a loud "Ha! How cool is that ya?" Before taking another large bite of the fish..
The Baron clears his throat again and says "Don't worry, it is the harvest season and the boundaries between us and the shadow place is thin. I have an easy way for you to get there." He leans over and drinks his wine then says " and back of course.. Ha!"
He pushes his plate forward and signals a servant who brings him a large cup of pudding with white whipped cream on top. "Easy enough right? And of course I'll pay you all handsomely. You guys have a price in mind..." He looks around at the group befor saying louder "Don't be shy! This is the fun part of business!"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Realizing that nobody is interested in playing, Tolstoy puts aside his deck of cards. "Very well. If you want to be happy, be."
He turns his attention to the others, counting three with his index finger. "You all don't look like the type to come from luxury. Only natural, I suppose. That's the crowd I'm used to working with."
Tolstoy draws a card from the top of the deck. "As long as the higher ups are paying..." he says, turning his head to the Baron. "Life is inconceivable outside of society."
84
Tolstoy draws a 10 of clubs ♧.
"About 1000 gold pieces sounds appropriate for this kind of mission. That may depend on how much you value individual life."
Tiriel flinches and spits up his wine a bit at the mention of the Shadowfell.
Tiriel looks around the table incredulously. " You all do know where the Shadowfell is right? I've spent more time there than I would like, and I would say if this man is so precious to you, I would ask for twice as much at least. And I would like to hear some gurantees about getting us there and back."
Tiriel does his best to hide his excitement at getting to walk in the Shadowfell and slay some of the entities there once again.
Upon being approached by Herman, the Tortle continues: "I mean 1000 each of course... Your idea does not sound bad either, old one. The name's Tolstoy."
Reacting to Tiriel, Tolstoy squints his eyes to sense if there is anything unusual about.
Primeval Awareness (PHB, pg. 92) As an action, you can expend one ranger spell slot (1 minute per level of spell slot) to sense whether any aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, or undead are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain). This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or number.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
36
Tolstoy does sense undead, fiend and celestials in a 6 mile radius, but being in the heart of Waterdeep and its population of over 130,000, this is not uncommon.
The Shadowfell is a reflection or “echo” of the Prime Material Plane. It is a bleak, desolate place of decay and death where necrotic energies and shadow magic runs rampant. It is much darker, more ominous than the Prime Material Plane. It is filled with a diverse population of creatures of its own creation or from various other planes both fair and foul.
This plane is very important part of the cosmos as it is the destination of souls once it has departed from a body. It is the domain of the dead, the first stage of what will be the final leg of the journey of a soul.
On this plane, color seems to lose its luster and everything seems grayer and less vivid. Those who enter the plane slowly lose their desires and goals making them a husk of what they once were.
Creatures that visit this plane must always be weary of the despair that it imparts on them. Spending too much time or being too emotionally drained can drag even the most cheerful adventurers to an state of hopelessness and potentially death.
Blackenbal listens to the group name their price and grows and grin when he hears Herman's price. He takes a drink of wine and says "Leave it to the old man to know his worth. 5000gp each if you complete this task of rescuing my captain, but only if you leave tonight and rescue him with due haste. Everyday that my captain is not here, my enterprise grows weaker. Now, fill your bellies and then I will fill you in on the details of the mission."
The group finishes their dinner and is well fed. After dinner the Baron stands up and says "Follow me."
He and his guards lead the group deeper into his mansion heading towards the center of the house. He stops in front of a large door and opens it, revealing a dark, large library. Upon coming into the room, the guard closes the door leaving the room in pitch darkness. After a brief moment, one of the guard lights a small lantern, adding just enough light in the room to see the outlines of the bookcases.
The Baron begins to speak "Once through the portal, you will be in a small house of mine in the city of Gloomwrought in the Drowned Quarter. I have arranged a boat to take you out of Gloomwrought towards the last known location of my lost captain. You can rendezvous with him at the tavern called The Sunken Skeleton. Be wary however, the locals of Gloomwrought will not hesitate to trick you in attempt to gain your possessions... Including your life. In order to locate my informant, you should say to him when he asks why you are in Gloomwrought 'A cheery cruise in the night.' If it is my informant, he will respond with 'It is never cheery and always dreary on the water.'"
The Baron finishes by asking "Now if you do not have any questions, I can show you the way.." He moves to a bookcase about halfway down the wall and pulls a book. A soft click fills the room as the book case begins to swing towards the baron revealing a hidden wall with a rectangular frame on it. Upon closer inspection, the frame holds what appears to be a mirror, but the reflections return only black and gray.."
After finishing their questions, the group embarks into the mirror..
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With another year, mostly gone the harvest season begins once again. Our adventurers have traveled much this year and their deeds have begun to find their fame across the realms they traveled, but no more than the city of Waterdeep.
Waterdeep, also known as the City of Splendors or the Crown of the North, was the most important and influential city in the North and perhaps in all Faerûn. For this reason it was considered part of the Western Heartlands of the Realms, even though it lay 150 miles north of Daggerford on the shores of the Sword Coast. The city sat "slightly above the 45 degree north latitude line on Toril."The road to Waterdeep was well paved and well patrolled. The city was the hub of trading from the mineral-rich lands to the north, the merchant kingdoms of Amn and Calimshan to the south, the kingdoms of the Inner Sea to the east, and the sea kingdoms and traders to the west. Waterdeep's authority extended between thirty to forty miles from its walls.
Waterdeep was named for its outstanding natural deep-water harbor, and the city that grew up at this site became the commercial crossroads of the northern Realms. More than 100,000 people made their home in the city proper of Waterdeep. The city sprawled northward from the sea, spreading along the flanks of Mount Waterdeep, which used to be home to the Melairkyn, a mithral-mining dwarven clan, and the entire length and great depth of the mountain was riddled with passages and tunnels, most of which were occupied by deadly creatures whose presence in the mountain predated the founding of the city itself. The halls of Undermountain located beneath the city were a popular target for adventurers, who enjoyed the close vicinity of the city's main taverns and temples where aid could be purchased through donations.
Although the adventurers have not been there long, they were quickly tracked down and given a vague invitational note:
“You have been personally selected to attend a dinner banquet in the presence of Baron of the House of Blackenbal whilst he discusses matters of upmost importance to him. Please bring this invitation to his estate on the hour of the 6 two morrows for today.”
This invitation was stamped with an insignia of a cutlass signaling the sign of the House of Blackenbal.
With their curiosity peaked, the adventurers find their way to his manor on the date and time provided. As they arrived they show their insignia to the guards and are quickly shown to a room with a large dinner table with ten chairs. Appetizers are already on the table showing a large helping for fresh baked bread, cheese and fruit.
Looking around the adventurers see three other people (totaling of only them four in the room). An awkward moment passes as the individuals stare at each other, trying to size the others up…
Tiriel takes to chance to layer some cheese on bread and eat a few bites of fruit as he looks over the attending guests. " Some good appetizers here. I don't suppose any of you happen to know why we are here?" He says around a mouthful of food.
Tiriel is a well muscled human man with pale skin, white hair and eyes. His hair is pulled back in a tail to the back of his head. His dinner clothes are dark silks with red accents. and a leather coat with a high collar.
" I would assume you all are in this for the money like myself, or do you just not like to disappoint a needy Baron? "
Cenny is a gaunt looking individual. He is a half elf with golden yellow eyes and bony arms. He wears ragged leathers that look like someone has dragged them through the forest where they had been torn by thorns.
Around his neck is a heart shaped locket and at his side is a staff shaped like a serpent.
”You would assume right, sir. Even though the wild provides what I need for survival I like some luxuries from time to time which requires gold. I was hoping to earn some myself.”
Tiriel smiles at the response of Cenny and looks him over. " Yes, I think we can all do with some luxuries from time to time. He leans in the chair back and eats another grape. He looks intently at Cenny's eyes. "You have some interesting eyes for someone that seems so rough and tumble. I'm Tiriel, what's your name?"
It is apparently possible by looking into my eyes to see that I have witnessed unspeakable horrors.
Tolstoy wanders around the city of Waterdeep, shopping for items before receiving the invitation from the Baron of the House of Blackenbal. He enters the dining hall and observes the appetizers available before nodding approvingly. “A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.”
The adventurer lowers the hood of his cloak to reveal that he is a Tortle. The tired expression on his face does not match his young age. There are hints of scars on his body that can just barely be seen from the edges of his coverings. He is armed with a longbow on his back and shortswords at his sides. A pair of bracers on his wrists sparkle peculiarly.
The Tortle grabs a piece of fruit on the table and munches on it before turning to the others. "Anyone up for a game of cards?" he asks, shuffling a deck produced from his pack from which a long piece of rope also hangs.
1. ♤ 2. ♡ 3. ♢ 4. ♧
Tolstoy places the deck of cards face down on a table. "Can you guess which of the four symbols this card is?" he asks, motioning towards the card on the top of the deck.
Herman, the oldest and most frail looking human you’ve ever seen, rigorously gums a piece of bread into mush careful not to damage what few teeth he has left.
the man smiles whole heartedly at the tortules remark and nods approvingly.
”yes sir, yes sir, Ive always said life is a gift not to be squandered...why, when i was a young man...”
the old man trails off into a long winded story of regrets, love, and mutual respect, oblivious to whether or not anyones listening.
reaching for a soft cheese next to him, you see that his bones twist and ache grotesquely. joints seem to crack and pop with only the slightest of movements and his posture keeps the old man slow, hunched over, and stiff.
Looking at him, one may wonder what is keeping that old body held together.... certainly something dark and unnatural.
”...yes sir, and that was the last time i went for a handful..”
Cenny replies to Tiriel, “I go by Cenny my new friend and I would love to know your name as well.”
Cenny looks down at his body. “Eh, I know I look rough but I don’t prefer this form so I don’t spend much time worrying about my clothes. I just need to be in my human form so I can communicate and am not attacked.”
Cenny smiles, “So you noticed my eyes. Yes, they are a gift and have marked me as protector of my forest. Your eyes tell a different story friend. They speak of much pain.”
Cenny turns to the Tortle and the Wizard.
”It is a pleasure to meet you two as well. I’ll pass on the cards for now. I wonder what the baron has in store for us. We are certainly a diverse group of individuals.”
The group continues to chat for a few minutes before conversation is interrupted by the doors opening behind them. A short man in his 40s wearing a set of fancy green and black clothes comes in followed by four guards adorning swords, shields and plate. The short man heads to the front of the table and lets out a loud cough before saying "Welcome to my humble home I am Baron Blackenbal. Now let us take a seat and begin, but first... Dinner!"
He pulls out a bell from inside his cloak and rings it. A group of 5 servants quickly enters the room, clearing the table and setting it for dinner. Once the plates and utensils lay on the table, the food arrives with the main course being a large fish stuffed with fruit.
As the group sits down and look at the food in front of them, the Baron begins to speak..
"So you probably wonder why I have brought you here." The baron continues to chew his food and grabs a drink "Well you guys are heroes and all and I need a rescue of someone. He was a dear captain of mine that went on a dangerous mission delivering some very expensive cargo of mine... " the Baron leans and and whispers loudly "in the Shadowfell" He then sits up and lets out a loud "Ha! How cool is that ya?" Before taking another large bite of the fish..
The Baron clears his throat again and says "Don't worry, it is the harvest season and the boundaries between us and the shadow place is thin. I have an easy way for you to get there." He leans over and drinks his wine then says " and back of course.. Ha!"
He pushes his plate forward and signals a servant who brings him a large cup of pudding with white whipped cream on top. "Easy enough right? And of course I'll pay you all handsomely. You guys have a price in mind..." He looks around at the group befor saying louder "Don't be shy! This is the fun part of business!"
Realizing that nobody is interested in playing, Tolstoy puts aside his deck of cards. "Very well. If you want to be happy, be."
He turns his attention to the others, counting three with his index finger. "You all don't look like the type to come from luxury. Only natural, I suppose. That's the crowd I'm used to working with."
Tolstoy draws a card from the top of the deck. "As long as the higher ups are paying..." he says, turning his head to the Baron. "Life is inconceivable outside of society."
8 4
Tolstoy draws a 10 of clubs ♧.
"About 1000 gold pieces sounds appropriate for this kind of mission. That may depend on how much you value individual life."
herman leans in closer to tolstoy with his hand cupping an ear.
“ehh? 5000g you say? sounds fair. honest wages for honest work I always say”
Tiriel flinches and spits up his wine a bit at the mention of the Shadowfell.
Tiriel looks around the table incredulously. " You all do know where the Shadowfell is right? I've spent more time there than I would like, and I would say if this man is so precious to you, I would ask for twice as much at least. And I would like to hear some gurantees about getting us there and back."
Tiriel does his best to hide his excitement at getting to walk in the Shadowfell and slay some of the entities there once again.
Upon being approached by Herman, the Tortle continues: "I mean 1000 each of course... Your idea does not sound bad either, old one. The name's Tolstoy."
Reacting to Tiriel, Tolstoy squints his eyes to sense if there is anything unusual about.
Primeval Awareness (PHB, pg. 92)
As an action, you can expend one ranger spell slot (1 minute per level of spell slot) to sense whether any aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, or undead are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain). This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or number.
36
Tolstoy does sense undead, fiend and celestials in a 6 mile radius, but being in the heart of Waterdeep and its population of over 130,000, this is not uncommon.
Cenny takes a drink and then sits it down pondering.
"I believe 1,000 gold pieces per sounds fair to me."
Tolstoy senses the same presence that he has been since his time in Waterdeep, but nothing particularly unusual.
He glances at Cenny. "Something is certainly unusual about this one, though." he remarks. "A shapeshifter?"
Cenny turns to Tolstoy.
"Indeed. You will soon see my preferred form as soon as we enter the Shadowfell."
“shadowfell...shadowfell...im sure ive read of it....memories not what it used to be”
herman tries to recall what he knows regarding shadowfell
history: 15
"Plenty of shapchangers wandering this city. Probably not even as rare as your kind here Tolstoy. Been a while since I have seen one of your kind."
History check
The Shadowfell is a reflection or “echo” of the Prime Material Plane. It is a bleak, desolate place of decay and death where necrotic energies and shadow magic runs rampant. It is much darker, more ominous than the Prime Material Plane. It is filled with a diverse population of creatures of its own creation or from various other planes both fair and foul.
This plane is very important part of the cosmos as it is the destination of souls once it has departed from a body. It is the domain of the dead, the first stage of what will be the final leg of the journey of a soul.
On this plane, color seems to lose its luster and everything seems grayer and less vivid. Those who enter the plane slowly lose their desires and goals making them a husk of what they once were.
Creatures that visit this plane must always be weary of the despair that it imparts on them. Spending too much time or being too emotionally drained can drag even the most cheerful adventurers to an state of hopelessness and potentially death.
Blackenbal listens to the group name their price and grows and grin when he hears Herman's price. He takes a drink of wine and says "Leave it to the old man to know his worth. 5000gp each if you complete this task of rescuing my captain, but only if you leave tonight and rescue him with due haste. Everyday that my captain is not here, my enterprise grows weaker. Now, fill your bellies and then I will fill you in on the details of the mission."
The group finishes their dinner and is well fed. After dinner the Baron stands up and says "Follow me."
He and his guards lead the group deeper into his mansion heading towards the center of the house. He stops in front of a large door and opens it, revealing a dark, large library. Upon coming into the room, the guard closes the door leaving the room in pitch darkness. After a brief moment, one of the guard lights a small lantern, adding just enough light in the room to see the outlines of the bookcases.
The Baron begins to speak "Once through the portal, you will be in a small house of mine in the city of Gloomwrought in the Drowned Quarter. I have arranged a boat to take you out of Gloomwrought towards the last known location of my lost captain. You can rendezvous with him at the tavern called The Sunken Skeleton. Be wary however, the locals of Gloomwrought will not hesitate to trick you in attempt to gain your possessions... Including your life. In order to locate my informant, you should say to him when he asks why you are in Gloomwrought 'A cheery cruise in the night.' If it is my informant, he will respond with 'It is never cheery and always dreary on the water.'"
The Baron finishes by asking "Now if you do not have any questions, I can show you the way.." He moves to a bookcase about halfway down the wall and pulls a book. A soft click fills the room as the book case begins to swing towards the baron revealing a hidden wall with a rectangular frame on it. Upon closer inspection, the frame holds what appears to be a mirror, but the reflections return only black and gray.."
After finishing their questions, the group embarks into the mirror..