4/23/2005

Players: Kathi, JC, Chris
Characters: DM & Salaisee, Elendil & Cyrus, Billi

Begin at the Inn of the Grinning Cleric. Cyrus needs to replace his breast plate and Salaisee informs him that she does know of an armorer in town. She also tells us that we've been invited to Moorwalker Mansion for dinner tomorrow to dine with the Lord and Lady. Billi wants to know if it's a party but Salaisee says she specifically asked to not have a big party as she knew we'd be heading off for home the following morning and figured we'd want to get an early start.

Elendil and Billi accept the offer of baths (Billi more at Elendil's direction than out of any personal desire) and Elendil is only mildly surprised when a lovely young cleric accompanys him to his room and stays to help to rub the stress out of his shoulders and back. As she comes around to scrub his chest he pulls her into the tub with him and the two have quite a lovely time washing each other and exploring the joys of cleanliness and closeness.

The temperature the next morning is still in the mid-40's and (as seems to be par for the course) it is naturally still overcast and rainy. Just as Elendil is up out of bed, humming to himself as he gets ready, Salaisee comes to knock on his door and make sure he's awake. He calls out cheerily for whomever it is to come in and he smiles at his beautiful companion as she enters.

"I'll be down in just a few minutes." He promises.

After breakfast we head off for some well needed shopping. The first place we visit is a shop called Brocade and Lace. Salaisee has apparently been here before as evidenced by the proprietor greeting her warmly and stating that her dress for the evening is ready for her to try on. Before doing so she requests courtiers outfits for the rest of us (for our dinner with the Moorwalkers) and Elendil requests an outfit of silver, grey and blue. The propreitor returns with what is basically a nicer version of his travelling clothes, complete with high soft dark grey boots. Salaisee is radiant in her red velvet dress with gold trim and Billi, true to character, chooses a rather loud multi-colored outfit with a simple white shirt and black hat with purple plume. Only minor modifications are needed to the evenings outfits and they'll easily be ready in time and will be delivered to Moorwalker Mansion.

Since our clothing expedition has taken up the remainder of the morning we next head off to the Blue Grape restaurant. On the way we pass by a black, hard stone keep (Moongleam Tower) which is the harper stronghold of the surrounding area. Once at the restaurant, which is itself an indoor orchard, we have a leisurely lunch complete with two bottles of the house special wine. Salaisee asks for another bottle to go as she believes it will go nicely with our next destination. She leads us through the open air Bell Market, past the Hall of Elders, to a tall columned building which turns out to be a private bath house. Billi decides to go swimming in the pool and Elendil and Salaisee take up into a private batch. Billi uses several Prestidigitation spells to turn the swimming pool into a wave pool (much to the dismay of some of the other patrons) and when one of the bath house employees comes to inform Salaisee that he is behaving inappropriately Elendil volunteers to go retrieve him.

"Billi, come on and join us! We're going to open up that bottle of wine." At Elendils urging Billi cancels his spells and returns to the private bath chamber where the three of us polish off the last bottle and leave the bath house with a nice buzz. At the recommendation of the bath house mistress we go next to the Cats Stash tobacconist so Elendil can purchase a pipe and a small pouch of weed. A moon elf comes out from the back to wait on us and Billi picks out a pipe for Elendil (which the halfling insists on paying for) while the cleric finds a nice smooth, mellow tobacco and purchases a couple of ounces.

We set off then for Moorwalker Mansion and use the large brass door knocker to announce ourselves. A tall older man opens the door and welcomes us to the Mansion. He shows us to our rooms and informs us that our belongings have already arrived but that the clothing has yet to be delivered. Billi immediately tests the bounciness of the mattress and is delighted to find it wonderfully so.

Elendil relaxes for a bit before dressing and then, at Pedaro's knock, follows Billi and Pedaro to retrieve Salaisee. She is having some trouble buttoning up her dress in the back and Elendil is delighted to assist. They then join Lord and Lady Moorwalker for some before dinner drinks. Cyrus is already there with his feet up on the coffee table enjoying a beer. We are "treated" to some of Lord Moorwalker's discourse on local politics and political strategy and just as it is about to get uncomfortably boring Pedaro announces that dinner is served.

After dinner we adjourn to a sitting room. Not long thereafter Lord Moorwalker presents us each with an envelope containing a bank draft for 250 PP good at the bank in Silverymoon and then he and Lady Moorwalker excuse themselves for bed leaving the four of us (and Pedaro as Billi has asked him if we would like to join us) alone for a relaxing evening of conversation and a friendly game of dice.   Elendil enjoys a pipeful of his new tobacco as we play and thanks Pedaro for the glass of dwarven brandy which Salaisee has agreed that she would like to try as well and subsequently discovers she likes very much.

After 23 rounds of "Poker Dice" Cryrus ends up the big winner up 13 GP, Elendil is up 9, Salaisee down 7 and Billi down 15.  We help each other up the stairs to bed (still enjoying the nice buzz) and then sleep soundly.

The next morning we thank Pedaro again for the nice breakfast and then set off to a would shrouded in fog. It begins to lift at lunchtime and we discover that we've already reached the Striding Giant Rapids. We continue travelling after lunch and make camp as dusk begins to fall, each thankful for an uneventful days travel. First watch is quiet but during second watch Elendil hears several groups of creatures approaching. They're obviously trying to be quiet and sneak up on us but are failing miserably. Orcs!

MELEE

Elendil casts Bulls Strength on himself and then goes to rouse the others. There are eight in total, two of which are larger and obviously in charge. We dispatch them fairly easily and drag the bodies a short ways off to keep the scavenging vermin at a distance. Cyrus takes third watch which is uneventful with the exception of a brief torential downpour that drenches everything and puts out the fire. We travel throughout another uneventful day and find a well used campsite (complete with pre-stacked firewood) and settle in for the evening. The night is bright with stars and peaceful until third watch when we are attacked by two hungry red tigers.

MELEE

During the battle Salaisee is seriously wounded by the raking maul of the female tiger but Billi comes first to her aid, followed by Cyrus and Elendil after they've dispatched the male. After the battle Elendil casts Cure Serious Wounds on Salaisee (following one of her own) and then Cure Light Wounds on Cyrus. Since it's almost dawn anyway Billi goes ahead and starts working on breakfast and we are able to get a good early start to the days travel. We get back to Silverymoon that afternoon and split up for the day agreeing to meet up at the Dragonfly Cave for dinner.

Elendil stables Sander and the other horses, visits his apartment to drop off his stuff, and then goes to Fortune Hall for a Restoration. He tithes a good portion of his adventuring gain to the temple and then goes to visit his father. Arondar has two surprises for him. The first is that he has met someone special, a woman named Shannon. They met at the market when a thief tried to steal her purse and Arondar stopped the miscreant by "making a fist and allowing him to run into it". Elendil smiles at the imagined visual and congratulates his father on both stopping the thief and meeting someone (a true Lady as Arondar describes her) after all these years since his mother passed away.

The second is that someone has left a letter for him. Elendil takes the beaten and stained parchment from his father and can tell that the wax seal has been broken (although he doesn't believe for a second that Arondar was the one who did so). He reads the letter silently and although he tries to keep himself composed while doing so there is obviously something that shows on his face as he finishes.

"Elendil, what is it?" Arondar asks. "Is something wrong?"

Many thoughts and possible replys cross Elendil's mind but he makes no immediate reply. The letter is from his half-sister Tilandra whom he hasn't seen or had word of in nearly 20 years. It says, with broken grammer and spelling, that she has come across something she describes as "very odd and very valuable" and that she doesn't trust anyone else to help her discover what it is and what it's for.

Elendil looks up at his father. "I... I almost feel as if I've seen a ghost." He pauses to look down at the letter again.

"It's just some unexpected news." He says finally honoring Teal's request to not say anything to Arondar. "Nothing serious, just something I'll have to look into."

He reads the letter again comitting the name of the tavern in Old Town to memory at which he is to leave his reply and then steers the conversation away from the letter asking for more details about the new love in his fathers life.

As dusk approaches Elendil and Arondar make their way to the neaby Dragonfly Cave and discover that Billi's grandparents (the owners) have closed it to all but our party members so they can relax with us and hear about our adventures without having to worry about keeping up with other guests. Just as dinner is about to be served however there is a knock at the door and Bethalon admits a small troop of musicians he's contracted for background ambiance and entertainment.

We enjoy a leisurely meal (complete with sticky buns for desert) during which Billi relates our adventures as only he can. Afterward, Elendil walks his dad home and then returns to his apartment in the Palace District. Sitting at his small desk he takes out the letter from Teal, reads it again, and then pens his reply. Allowing a few minutes for the ink to dry he then gets his large grey overcloak and makes his way to the Dancing Goat tavern in Old Town.

Taking a spot at the bar Elendil orders a pint of beer and simply observes the barkeep and tavern staff as he quaffs it. Then, when the bartender asks if he'd like another, Elendil replies that he would. When the man returns with the mug Elendil asks him if he's the regular bartender, and then hearing that he is, lays the letter down on the bar.

"I was told to leave this with you so that it might be retrieved by it's owner." He says searching the mans face for a reaction. "Someone is trying to contact me discretely and I wish that the conversation remain so." He sets a platinum piece and a gold piece he'd had palmed down on the letter as emphasis. "Please make sure that the lady in question receives my message."

"Now good sir, what do I owe you for the beers?"

Elendil returns home wondering what a meeting with his long lost sister will bring and what it is that she could have found that would make her contact him after all these long years.

End of session.

End of DM Rotation.