Alastor Crossclaw – blogpost 19

While the rest of the party is occupied with other tasks, I have chosen to dedicate my time to helping at the temple where we first arrived. My hours are spent burying the bodies, cleansing the area, and tending to the temple’s needs. However, there comes a point when I decide it’s time to return to Trollskull Manor.

As I step inside, I immediately notice the emptiness. The usually bustling street outside the manor is unusually quiet. Curious about the lack of activity, I approach a beggar and inquire about the situation. The beggar informs me that there is a resting place for vampires in this district, which explains the decrease in people on the streets. In gratitude for the information, I offer the beggar a silver piece.

Walking further into Trollskull Manor, I find it devoid of life. Smokey, the tabaxi bartender, is nowhere to be seen, and the bar stands empty. Something feels off about the place. It seems as though it has been hastily abandoned. I also notice that the plants within the manor are withered, lacking their usual vibrancy.

Determined to investigate further, I explore every corner of the manor. Along the way, I come across Liv, but when I gesture to inquire about the whereabouts of everyone else, he simply waves and offers no explanation. I take it upon myself to water the withered plants and make my way to the garden.

As I tread through the garden, I notice traces of death that seem to have passed by Trollskull Manor. In an attempt to cleanse the space, I decided to pray to Selune, hoping that her divine intervention can bring light and purity back to this place, just as the temple was cleansed through prayer. With that in mind, I send the beggar on his way with a note to deliver to the temple.

Sitting at the front opening of the manor, I continue to pray and play songs, waiting for help to arrive. I find solace in the act of devotion, trusting that assistance will soon be at hand.

As Mohan exits from Trollskull Manor, he bumps into me. He carries with him a container of ashes belonging to Andor. Curiosity piqued, I inquire about the reason for his visit. I explain that I have been devoting my time to cleansing the area and tending to the temple and that Smokey is absent. Mohan doesn’t know why Smokey abandoned his post but explains that Andor was, in fact, a vampire spawn. He hastily provides a brief summary, explaining how he had endeavored to save Andor from the curse that plagued him, together with the party. However, despite their best efforts, they were unable to succeed, and he ultimately found his final rest, Mohan tells me.
“Soo… You killed him.” I summarize distantly. Mohan is visibly shaken by my blunt synopsis, but it kind of comes down to it.

To my surprise, Mohan reveals that people could’ve been afraid of Andor when he crossed the bar, but that he was very careful not to show him. Mohan goes on to explain that Andor shared information with him, revealing that the three vampire spawns we had slain were the ones who had managed to break free from Keresta’s control.

As Mohan takes flight towards a cemetery, I continue to play my songs, seeking solace and hope amidst the trying circumstances. The melodies resonate within the quiet surroundings, providing comfort and tranquility in the face of uncertainty.

After a while, a noble-looking woman stands before me, accompanied by onlookers from the city watch. She introduces herself as High Investigator Ren and expresses her desire to enter the premises for inspection. Curious, she inquires about my deity, to which I respond that I worship Selune, not Char.

As she investigates the bar, she comments on the scent of death lingering around me, causing me to feel slightly uncomfortable. She continues her inspection, observing the surroundings and questioning my connection to the place. I explain the nature of our group and our recent activities. I respond honestly, “I have recently returned from a perilous journey through Undermountain, searching for abducted family members.”

She raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised. “Family members in Undermountain? That’s an unusual situation. Can someone confirm your story?”

“Yes,” I assure her, “one of my companions, Mohan, will return soon to provide further details.”

Seemingly unsatisfied, she continues her investigation, glancing around the bar and questioning the nature of our party. “How long have you been together as a party? Does the duration of your association have any relevance to the events I’m investigating?”

I can sense her growing impatience, prompting me to inquire, “Forgive me, but what exactly is the purpose of your investigation?”

Her expression turns serious as she reveals, “Another inn has recently been attacked, and there are signs of dark power at play. I couldn’t help but notice a similar impact here. I’m trying to determine if there’s a connection.”

As we exchange these words, the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense, the weight of her investigation hanging in the air.

Then, Mohan enters the scene, causing one of the guards to instinctively draw his sword.

“No, no, no, this is Mohan,” I quickly clarify, hoping to defuse the tension.

High Inspector Tindall, the noblewoman leading the investigation, turns her attention to Mohan and asks, “What have you and your companions been doing?”

Mohan takes a moment to compose himself before responding, “We ventured into Undermountain to confront and eliminate the evil that had been plaguing Waterdeep. However, we discovered that the evil had escaped and initiated attacks within the city. Then we found Andor, and he was nice and wanted to break with Keresta, and we took him with us back to Undermountain.”

Mohan’s revelation takes me aback. Oh my god, did he really bring a vampire spawn back to Undermountain?

The inspector, intrigued by our story, asks, “Can you explain why the vampire spawn ran, as you mentioned?”

Mohan proceeds to recount our encounter with Keresta, emphasizing her affinity for Char and how we managed to defeat her. 

Mohan adds, “According to a book I read, vampire spawn are inherently evil due to their subjugation to a higher power.”

The inspector, accompanied by her guards, decides to visit the city of the dead – where Mohan said he brought the ashes of Andor, to further investigate our claims. Mohan will accompany her, and I have to get the others.

Realizing the urgency, I take it upon myself to head to the Yawning Portal and inform the rest of our party: I cannot go through our own portal immediately, because we must gather discreetly, avoiding any unnecessary attention to the portal’s existence. I walk towards the Yawning Portal, but in an alleyway, I polymorph myself into a kitten with Tearulai’s help. I walk back to Trollskull Manor and go through the portal – immediately polymorphed back into myself as I exit. 

“Guys, come here! We have a problem,” I urgently call out to the rest of the party, gesturing for them to gather around.

I pull the white mage aside and quickly explain the situation, emphasizing the need for secrecy. “Let’s quietly make our way back. Return through the portal and inform Scarecrow to relay the news to Farryn.”

The white mage and I step through the portal, heading back to Waterdeep. Once there, we decide to head towards the city of the dead, aiming to arrive before anyone else.

As we rush towards our destination with a well-cast spell, I attempt to climb a nearby tree, hoping to find a vantage point to hide. Unfortunately, my clumsiness gets the better of me, and I end up falling to the ground with an audible thud. “Heyyy…” I mutter, slightly embarrassed. I fall in front of the High Inspector. I’m having difficulty explaining WHY I’m already there. Thankfully, the white mage comes to my aid, helping me up as we continue our hurried journey. Along the way, the inspector engages in conversation with the white mage, bringing up the fact that she witnessed my sudden disappearance from the High Road.

Acknowledging her concerns, the white mage responds, “We will gladly cooperate, and you can check the records. I am a very powerful wizard, so we can probably find a suitable explanation for everything.” Tindall interrupts: “However, please note that Trollskull Manor will remain closed as it is now a crime scene under guard.”

Meanwhile, Mohan returns to us, carrying the urn containing the ashes of Andor, and hands it over to the guards as evidence. Time is of the essence, and we need to regroup with Farryn.

“Let’s go,” I say, eager to leave the city of the dead behind. Mohan expresses his regret to the inquisitor, explaining that we are unable to provide further assistance at the moment.

“We know where to find you,” she replies ominously.

We teleport back to the portal and make our way back to Undermountain. Upon reuniting with Farryn, we inform him of our encounter with the inspector and the ongoing investigation. Mohan takes the opportunity to explain everything in detail, including the mention of Glyster, while carefully omitting any reference to the portal.

Realizing the need for rest and regrouping, we decide to take a long rest before embarking on our next adventure, which Farryn suggests should involve facing the oozes. Though we have cleared our immediate surroundings, our name and reputation still hang in the balance.

We are still thinking about all that’s happened, but we can safely say that WE are the cause of the withering plants and the spread of death. We are affected by Chars’ magic, and because the portal is OPEN, and close to our base, the evil and darkness leaks from level 17 to Trollskull Manor.