Dining at the Water's Edge (Naomi)
From Toosigma
| Title | Dining at the Water's Edge |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip Mann - Naomi |
| Campaign | Convergent Threads |
| Session | Dining at the Water's Edge |
| Posted | |
| Game Date |
I used some of the interceding days to replenish some of the scrolls that I used. At the predetermined time, we all met at the Water’s Edge though it took some time to get past the Maitre D. It seems he was waiting to hear the house name of Lady Elaydren before he would escort us to a table. Shortly after we arrived, a note was passed to Hero and subsequently to the rest of us ending at me. The note was from “Lady E” and explained that she could not make it but would be in touch. She asked that we enjoy a meal at this new restaurant in her absence. Everyone ordered what suited them, and we began to enjoy the establishment without the complication of our scheduled meeting.
The dining room was fantastically themed, something like I imagine being underwater would be like. The walls, floor, and ceiling were covered with moving water displays, held in place with some sort of force effect. The far wall and part of the ceiling was made of a real waterfall that washed over the edge of the dining room and toward the Hilt far below.
Seated in the dining area, besides our group, was a quite warforged with a full meal before him. The meal was untouched, but he seemed to be more interested in the surroundings than the cooking. On our opposite side was a pair of men including an academic-looking man and an elaborately dressed dwarf. They were talking about something, some sort of “it”, that had the academic looking rather uncomfortable.
Without any sort of warning, a group of goblins stormed the dining room. One smashed a weapon into the wall near the dwarf and the academic, causing water to wash tables, chairs, and the academic toward the waterfall. Without thinking, I dove to save the man while the dwarf grabbed something from below the table and leapt through the waterfall. I paid little mind to anything else that was going on until I managed to drag him from the wash. It was only then that I noticed Hero and the goblins had gone.
The man, named Veril, was known to Kara as a member of the faculty at Morgrave University. We escorted him back, accompanied by the warforged named Moolog who was at the Water’s Edge. I had no intention to enter the University District, so I parted company with Kara and the professor at the district boarder, without regard to any path that Moolog would take. As it happened, he followed me back to the Eyrie and I went back to work.
Based on information that Kara gained from the professor, who seemed to be more than a little fond of her, the “it” was a sword that was in a somewhat confused circumstance. The sword was not actually at the Water’s Edge, rather that was a copy. It was a copy because those who recovered it demanded more money than the original price and Veril was unable to produce the sum. Evidently, the recovery crew was a contingent of Boromars which I found far less than thrilling. But, it seemed that the only way to determine the disposition of the sword and the increased price was to confront the Boromars directly.
Arriving at the Dragon’s Maw in the mid-morning, the bouncer seemed unwilling to allow us in. Moolog provided all of the necessary convincing as he drove the poor lout through the door with a very forceful shove that splintered the door and knocked the bouncer cold on the floor. This show of force allowed us to enter the establishment without any form of resistance or protest from those within the bar. I took little notice of the conversation going on between our troupe and the Boromars. Instead, I was scanning into the shadows determining how quickly we would need to escape should we be assaulted. A familiar face peeked out from behind one of his companions: Tobias. His eyes kept shifting from me to his pals on both sides and back to me, so I guess that his kin didn’t get the story behind his late night confrontation. Regardless, it was very easy to see that he had no intention of letting it go.
The agreement seemed to be that we would then drive a gnoll named Zarek and his comrades out of the area. Alas, the shoe has dropped: we are now in the middle of a crime syndicate turf war. We were to engage Zarek at the Harpy’s Den, but the details escaped me. The deeper we got into organized crime, the less I wanted to know.
The party divided for a time, with Hero doing whatever he does, Kara researching the history of the sword, and myself returning home to help Kayli out for a while. Kara came back and explained what she had found, and a messenger delivered a scroll containing a lot of information about the place that the sword was being held. A lot of information, and a lot of opposition, but I was beginning to think that we should just take the sword and not engage either syndicate.
Everyone reassembled and we went to the Harpy’s Den after Zarek. I did what I could to prepare Moolog and myself for the fight that I knew would be coming, but it proved to be for naught. Zarek, it seemed, was willing to help us attack the Boromars that had the sword in the warehouse. It seemed too simple in retrospect, but I was anxious to get out of this awkward situation and through the mess that swirled around this sword.
Not being the expert tactician, I followed closely behind Moolog as we assaulted the warehouse. Instantly, I regretted wasting all of the prep at the Harpy’s Den as I could not muster the force to enhance Moolog’s fighting. Fortunately, he is a formidable combatant and I was glad consider him an ally in this battle. The open floor was not a place for me to remain, so I made myself more difficult to hit and I dashed to the stairs leading to the catwalk. Fortunately, the enhancement worked and I slid through the attacks and drove my staff into a halfling on the catwalk. The hit was good and he was hurled from the perch to become a non-factor; one down, one to go. I then hurried toward the other one on the catwalk. I failed to discharge him as I had his friend and was struck for my efforts. One of Kara’s constructs came to my rescue and took the remaining halfling out.
I met Hero inside of the office on the second floor and he asked me if I could open the safe. I figured that it was a simple enough device, so I told him that I could. However, my efforts were cut short as a commotion erupted from below. The party of goblins that caused the commotion at the Water’s Edge showed up, followed by the Watch, the gnolls changed sides, huge fight, much confusion, and only the goblins and our troupe remaining.
In the end, Moolog was very injured but still standing. The numbers of bodies strewn across the floor in what appeared to be his path from the entrance shown him for the juggernaut that he was compared to those poor fools who tried to stand in his way. Battered but not beaten, he stood vigilant, apparently waiting for orders to continue his fight. As I ran to his side to tend his wounds, I imagined a battlefield of hundreds like him and my heart sank. I used all of the items that I had created for repairing damage and a couple of standard healing items to a lesser effect on him, but I did so without a thought. War is his life, he has said as much, but his dedication might be turned to something more individual in time. If it is within me, he will live to have that chance.
Some arrangement was reached about the sword, which transferred it to the goblins, provided sufficient money to the professor to get out of trouble, and left us with enough funds to come out ahead. Though the amount was divided between everyone, the funds came to me to help offset the costs of making items for the group. The most inexpensive items would be easily covered this way, but much more would be needed to cover the more desirable items.
I still wonder what Aramil was thinking by taking me to the ir’Tain Gala. When we went to the play, though he was still among the lowest ranking members there from my meager understanding, at least he knew people and had an agenda of who to impress. Up in the Platinum Heights, I started to see that he really was nobody in the eyes of those in attendance. Still, I felt a little ashamed that he had been so snubbed because this little bar maid was much farther out of my element than he. That is, until he slapped me, and then my sympathies had been abated by my desire to throw him from the balcony followed by the disembodied hand that he used to strike me.
I found it odd that Lady ir’Tain spoke to me as though I had been the one invited to her home because I had never heard her name until we arrived. It seems people in very prominent positions have been watching me and had conveyed their interest to our hostess. I was very pleased to just hear that Luca had mentioned me, and I hoped for the briefest instant that she would be in attendance that evening. She seemed so wonderfully enigmatic when we briefly spoke atop the theater, and I will welcome any opportunity to speak with her again. I was a little confused that Merrix d’Cannith had spoken of me because Lady Elaydren mentioned that she was working for Baron Jorlanna d’Cannith from Fairhaven, not her competing heir. I suppose I will know the truth of things when Fate reveals them to me.
A dwarf that I belatedly recognized as the one from the Water’s Edge gathered me outside in what he called “taking my measure”. It seems that my notoriety as an adventurer is quite well known in this gathering, and he made several inquiries about the nature of my work and the price of my loyalty. He seemed somewhat dismayed that I would stick to a deal even if offered a higher price, but that is simply how I am. He informed me that he may retain my services in the future, but I would not be awfully disappointed if he did not.
Cald, again, rescued me from a very bad situation. It seems that he is making a regular habit of being my guardian angel and I’ll have to do something for him to repay a debt I’m sure he would deny. I can hardly believe the gall of Aramil after what he tried to do to me! Trying to blame my brother for such an attack to make his self look the hero! Though he did not manage to really hurt me, he did tear much of my gown off, making me all-but nude before the whole party. When the guards escorted him away I became very grateful that Lady ir’Tain could see through his attempt at deception. The fact that she was also able to lend me a beautiful gown to salvage my dignity made me appreciate her hospitality even more. She said that she would give me a tour of her enormous home at some time in the future, and I think that I will try to bring Kayli and Cald along if she approves. Otherwise, I may keep Kayli up all night telling her the details of this estate!
The rest of the evening was very nice as almost everyone was extraordinarily polite and conversational. For some moments, however, it felt as though I was in the middle of some strange game. One older lady named Elara called me a whore, and an exquisite younger woman whom I had not met came to my defense before I could utter a second syllable to counter the accusation. She, Karastelle, was the most radiant woman that I have ever seen, but she wore a serene and knowing smile that made me feel she knew something about me that I did not. She too mentioned Luca, and I started to wonder if there was some connection that I was missing. However, before I could begin to converse with this woman in earnest, she was gone. Her parting words indicated that she fully expected for us to meet again and I could not help but look forward to it as well.
By the end of the night I had rubbed elbows with more important and wealthy people than I would have likely done throughout my entire life otherwise. Many seemed taken by my adventures, and I enjoyed the moment of feeling important if only for just this one evening. In reality, however, I understood all along that I would always be a bar maid who happens to adventure and tell stories for the amusement of these elites. After not hearing from Luca for so many weeks and hearing that she has spoken favorably of me in this crowd drove home that life is not of wealth and power and the games people play to obtain them. Life is about me being me; “I am that I am”, and not the value others would place on me for the moment. I did not worry about why I or anyone else is at the party, I just tried to enjoy it for what it was and nothing more.
