Following the discussion with Sister Garaele the party exit The Yawning Portal and head into the shopping district of Waterdeep to purchase suitable refinery for their meeting the following day with the nobles. Once they have made their resplendent purchases they make their way back to Trollskull Manor and spend the rest of the afternoon and long into the evening relaxing in the tavern, speaking with the locals and consuming a not too insignificant amount of ale...and water. Awaking the next morning with varying degrees of headaches or in Sigrid's case, fullness of bladder, our heroes make their way downstairs where Ozen has prepared for them a mighty breakfast. Spirits are on the up following the bountiful feast and as the cutlery clatters on the emptied plates, Sigrid stands and says that she has some more shopping to do before the meeting at The Jade Jug. With bellies full the rest of the party discuss the forthcoming meeting and how they should approach and question each of the Nobles. Their planning is interrupted some time later when Sigrid burst through the tavern doors carrying 3 rather splendid plants. Puzzled looks spread across the faces of the seated party members as she walks over to them and places the flora on the table. "Don't worry, I have a plan" she says, "now come on we need to get our best threads on". The group head up to their rooms and emerge resplendent in their finest garb, Ozen has to do a double take as they stand in the empty tavern, who would have thought that these fine looking gentlemen and lady were the very same people who had slain dragons, captured enemies, and kept the odd questionable trophy or two. With a few minor adjustments of collars and hems the party exit Trollskull Manor and head through the streets in the direction of The Jade Jug.
Walking through the streets of Waterdeep the group are subjected to a number of glances from passers-by, they were, after all, beginning to get a name for themselves as the Heroes of Waterdeep. After some time the sounds of hawkers calling out sparse wares, the clink of tools and muffled laughter drifting from low-lit taverns begins to fade into the background. The narrow streets widen and the atmosphere shifts subtly as the group enter the more affluent part of the city.
"This must be the posh bit" says Finn.
"What makes you say that?" asks Farraine.
"It's not covered in shit" replies the Halfling.
It is a little before Noon as the party stand at the steps of The Jade Jug, a well dressed Doorman nods and tips his hat in a polite welcome and opens the door as they ascend the steps and enter the Inn. Now, our heroes have seen many a tavern and inns on their adventures but they have never seen one like this. Even the word Inn is an insult to the splendour and elegance that oozes from every corner of the establishment, from high vaulted ceilings that, from Finn's perspective, might as well just be called the sky, hang large, intricate chandeliers. Smartly dressed waiting staff glide around from table to table like some kind of aristocratic automatons. A man with a suit so sharp it could cut through sound, strode over to them and bid them welcome before taking their cloaks and directing them to a private booth where Sister Garaele is sat waiting for them. Taking their seats at the table Garaele greets them and conversation soon turns to business. Garaele briefs the group on the three Noble lords and lady they will be meeting as the finest food is placed on silver plates in front of them. Ozen's creations have never disappointed them but the effect these culinary delights have on their taste buds is like nothing they have ever experienced before. Unseen by everyone, Finn manages to sneak a number of items into a napkin which disappears into the dark recesses of his fine cloak. A small commotion is heard as staff hurriedly swoop towards the entrance as the three nobles step into the opulent lobby. They are guided over to Sister Garaele and the Party who all respectively stand to greet them.
The Lords and Lady sit at the table as the party and Sister Garaele move to a more private booth at the rear of the establishment. "Who would you like to speak with first?" she asks. "Lord Roznar, I think " replies Garrick. Garaele heads back and returns with Lord Malthos Roznar who sits down as the curtains are drawn, shutting them off from the outside world. A tall man with dark, greying hair, his fingers bedecked with expensive rings, Lord Roznar is slightly thrown off when Sigrid proceeds to present him with one of the plants. Thanking her for the unexpected and slightly unusual gift he sets it to one side and settles into his chair. Finn proceeds to enquire as to why Lord Raznor is advocating so heavily for the relaxation of trade regulations on magical goods. The noble proceeds to explain, rather enthusiastically, how he has been invested in the wonders of magical objects for a long time. It seems he is genuinely intrigued in such things and has a desire to learn more and improve the understanding of these fantastical objects. Finn suggests that it is important to understand that not all magical items are safe and that should these restrictions be lessened in any way then they will need to ensure the safety of the populace is maintained. Raznor it seems had not really considered the downsides of such a policy but is receptive to the introduction of safeguards and inspections. During the questioning he mentions that he is looking for items to complete his own personal collection that he had purchased from The Old Xoblob Shop, items of a draconic nature. Once again Finn warns the Lord that he needs to be careful in his pursuit of material things, a thirst for knowledge is all well and good but there are some things that should remain forgotten.
It seems the party are content with the information they have managed to gather and Lord Raznor stands, the party thank him for his time, Sigrid reminds him to take her gift with him as he turns and heads towards the exit. Sister Garaele then leads Lady Ithana Irlingstar over to the booth, Sigrid, once more presents her plant and then, to the surprise of the rest of the party excuses herself and proceeds to exit the building. She quickly finds an alleyway and morphs into the form of a black Raven, taking to the skies she follows the coach of Lord Raznor.
Back in The Jade Jug, Lady Irlingstar is speaking with our heroes, Garrick is asking the questions as it seems Finn is too engrossed in the beauty that sits before him. Ithana explains to the group of inquisitors that she wishes to open up the city's business opportunities and believes that the current status quo is unfair and discriminatory against the dragonborn people. Garrick asks what has prompted her support of such a policy and for how long. It turns out that she has been working closely with the trade guilds for some time and for that last 3 months has been championing for the inclusion of the Dragonborn trades guilds to have equal footing here in Waterdeep. Lucian asks if she has considered the social impacts that such a change might have given current that the Dragonborn have historically been a largely misunderstood race. Ithana is slightly taken aback by such a question as it seems it is not something she had considered, but she takes the advice onboard and agrees to ensure that all parties benefit should the proposals be adopted and that the city and its people remain safe and prosperous. As she gets up to leave Farraine reminds her to take her gift and she smiles warmly and heads towards the exit.
Finally it is the turn of Lord Edgar Kormallis to face the questioning prowess of the Heroes of Waterdeep and the botanical gift. Kormallis has been requesting the expansion of mining operations in the sword mountains and rerouting trade to the Moonsea. Garrick is quick to the point and asks about the safety of the mining process, particularly in areas with potential dragon lairs and what he hopes to gain out of this expansion. Surprisingly, Kormallis says that he doesn't seek any personal gain. Garrick then proceeds to reel off a series of rather blunt questions; what about the rumours of the mining expansions benefitting the Cult of the Dragon? Has he been consulting with anyone in the Sword Mountains? Why these mines? Why now? Kormallis is quick to answer, almost as if he has been rehearsing for this very moment. With the interrogation going nowhere fast Garrick draws the meeting to a close and a rather grumpy Lord Kormallis exits The Jade Jug with a new houseplant tucked under his arm.
Sister Garaele walks over to the party and asks how things went, they tell her that none of the nobles seem to have considered the possible negative impacts of their plans and that Kormallis was especially suspicious. Sister Garaele agrees with this conclusion and Farraine suggests that it might be an idea to keep an eye on his movements and who he contacts over the next few days. As they exit The Jade Jug a Raven swoops into the alleyway and a moment later Sigrid emerges and joins the rest of the party as they begin to walk off in the direction of Trollskull Manor. During their journey they discuss their next steps. They are free to continue their investigations with relative impunity and they need to get to the truth of each of these threads before them. Truth potions and similar spells are going to be extremely useful in their endeavours and Lucian and Garrick agree to look into the arcane elements whilst Sigrid will work on the herbal side of things. Farraine and Finn agree to take up surveillance duties and after stopping off at Trollskull manor to get changed into more suitable attire. Finn takes Ozen to one side and hands him a bulging handkerchief, "Give these a try and see if we can get some of them on the menu". Ozen nibbles at one of the items and his eyes sharpen, a smile creeps across his face, "Oh absolutely Sir...absolutely"
Finn and Farraine head off towards the not so humble abode of Lord Edgar Kormallis, Farraine suggests that it might be prudent to stop by the nearest City Watch office and let them know of our intent to loiter. Finn agrees and as they approach the steps of the Watch House a familiar guard steps forward, Seth Crawley the guard they had met during the Watch's investigations of the fire outside of Trollskull many months before. Farraine explains that he and Finn are working on a special investigation and shows Seth the scroll of authority. The guard scans the contents and hands it back. "Well everything appears to be in order how can I help?". Farraine tells him that we will be taking part in an impromptu stakeout of the Kormallis estate, should they receive any reports of suspicious characters hanging around. Finn asks the guard if he has heard anything lately involving Lord Kormallis but Seth says that the word on the street is that the Lord has simply become more reclusive than usual recently. "Well, should you hear of anything in future please do get in contact with us, you know where to find us and there will be a cold ale waiting for you" says the Halfling. With that Finn and Farraine head off to continue their investigation. The pair arrive at the gates of the Kormallis Estate and take up position on a low wall opposite, they are by no means being subtle here and after a short period of time one of the guards walks over to them and asks what is their business. Farraine simply replies with the truth "We are scoping the place out, keeping a close eye on your master". The guard, confused by Farraine's honesty heads into the large house and returns a few moments later and resumes his post. It's going to be a long night.
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