Ladrengielle – blogpost 11

We get directions from Cal’al to go to a foundry to enter middle and higher Skullport. Borac takes a while to catch up, but when he joins us, we enter the foundry. Inside, many iron bars and weapons are stored. We ascend the staircase and enter middle Skullport. All the houses are connected by bridges.

Francissy wants to do some research and find a library. We think there should be one in higher Skullport. In his turn, Borac wants to go to a blacksmith. We split the party for a bit. Francissy and I walk on the bridges and through a stone-carved tunnel. We ask for directions to a kobold we see inside that tunnel. He tells us that there is no library here: we need to go to Undermountain. As for a tavern, we’ll have to go to middle-Skullport. A cartography store is located in lower Skullport: The Sword & The Sextant.

Kharrum and Borac catch up, and together we make way for the tavern. I don’t really know where it is… I did not really pay attention to the Kobold. Along the way, we see a lot of empty houses and enter some of them. We still haven’t found a tavern when a dwarf crosses our path and seems to know Kharrum. Kharrum recognizes the dwarf and talks to him. The dwarf says the high priestess wants Kharrum to return to her for a new quest. Kharrum immediately wants to leave and says his goodbyes. He gives Francissy his pouch and runs off with the other dwarf in the opposite direction. I am flabbergasted. How can he leave us?! Well, maybe it’s for the best: I think he would have attacked me if he had known I am a warlock.

We walk further and see some light coming out of a building. A Dragonborn with a staff stands in the middle of the room and introduces himself as Falrax. He is a member of the Harpers. I tell him the story of me bringing the pouch to Cal’al and show my Harper-pin. He offers us a place to sleep and directs us to the inn: Guts & Garders. We decide to go to the inn first – but Borac is distracted by a cartography shop one level down. Falrax also informs us about Tasselgrin (Tas), who has more information about Hallister. So, in the end, we make way to the card shop. Two Halflings (Will & Oliander) run the store. They sell maps of the whole of Undermountain. However, they are expensive. They don’t want to strike a deal of some sort, so after a while bickering about the price I say: ‘You’re not worth my time.’, and we exit.

We walk to the inn next. We see a woman behind the bar and an Orc. We again order Wyrm Whizz, but this time Francissy makes it taste like Kharrums’ dwarven ale. We toast to Kharrum: TO KHARRUM, and we drink.

At that point, we see a green Half-Orc appear with a handaxe and shield in hand, also enjoying a Wyrm Whizz. I can see he has tribal tattoos and white drawings across his face. We introduce ourselves. His name is Pethar and he was abandoned by his party a while ago. I can tell he has some sort of elemental powers: he can shoot lighting and water from his hands! Pethar challenges Borac to a fun fight tomorrow morning. As it turns out, Pethar is also an entertainer: he performs a big show in the tavern. I’m very interested, but maybe that is the booze talking..?

Pethars’ room is number seven. We’ll meet him tomorrow morning: he will tag along on our exploration of Undermountain. We return to the Harpers and get some rest there. In the night, I see a flaming ball of light floating through the streets. It seems like a dream, but I realize I’m awake.

In the morning, we go and get Pethar. Francissy introduces his new familiar Nic to us: a snowy owl. Pethar is very excited when we walk to the fighting wing of Skullport. It is a tiny house with a bat-like roof. We hear a lot of yelling: the fighting has already begun. A halfling and a gnome are fighting in the pit below; upstairs, someone is inning bets. Borac bets a whole lot of money on the gnome. I figure out that Pethar is the reigning champion, but I’m not scared for Borac: I know he has some tricks up his sleeve. The yelling grows louder: the halfling has broken the gnomes’ neck.

Next up are Borac and Pethar. I cast message to Borac: ‘I got your back.’ Pethar misses Borac most of the time, and Borac hits Pethar pretty hard. It seems like Borac is on the winning hand. However, Pethar suddenly hits him really hard. Borac then smashes Pethar really hard in the face: Pethar floats through the air and crashes to the ground. Pethar succeeds in hitting Borac one last time and then falls knocked out to the ground. I congratulate Borac when he walks upstairs again. He has won fifty gold pieces and wants to go again. I bet a hundred gold pieces on Borac. His next opponent is a dwarf. The dwarf fights dirty and hits Borac a couple of times. I get mad and cast vicious mockery on him – dealing some damage. On Boracs’ next attack, he hits the dwarf knockout. This fight gains me 150 gold pieces! As a sign of defeat, Pethar gives Borac his belt after he’s woken up. There are no more opponents for Borac to fight, so we decide to grant Francissys’ request to find a library or someone who knows a lot: Tasselgryn.

We find an old shop (‘The Poisoned Quill’) and are greeted by an old grandma – Tas. It takes a while before I realize that Tas is short for Tasselgryn. She sells potions and tells us stuff about magical items. Furthermore, she can make teleportation circles. That could come in handy sometime. She can produce health potions – Borac immediately orders ten of them and takes ten with him now. For the ordered potions, he needs to come back tomorrow. While Borac is frustrating me by counting all loose coins to pay Tas, she tells us that she often drinks tea with ‘Hal’. I get that she means Hallister. According to her, he is a control freak and has a pocket dimension to escape to. He is not an evil guy, she says: his heart is in the right place. He wants the best for Undermountain – and her. Apparently, Tas is educated by Hallister. We walk outside again after thanking her. Suddenly, we have to move back inside – Francissy totally forgot to ask for a library… I sigh and follow everyone back inside. I would prefer to take action and leave this place.