Enraged by Giovanni’s sneakiness, I shot an Eldritch Blast his way, and we had an epic battle in which Bonkers and Haga tragically lost their lives. I, too, almost died but was brought back to health just in the nick of time by a beautiful albino minotaur named Raazmi Ironhoof. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my attack, because I suspect Giovanni is part of the Resistance, and I’m very fond of the Resistance already (more on that later). But maybe we can be friends again. I hope so. He was very charming.
Raazmi took us to the temple, where we were offered food and a clean room to sleep. But only a few hours into the night, a nothic started taunting us. He sneaked around and announced our deepest secrets to the whole room. (Raazmi has a crush on fellow cleric Nigel, but I don’t think he returns the interest.)
We tried to talk it into submission, but it finally irritated me by harming Adalene, so I Eldritch Blasted its ass. Another battle ensued, and we managed to knock him out. Nigel apologized profusely, and he and Raazmi sent him back to his original plane with an incantation. I was originally suspicious that Nigel had put him in our room to suss out our secrets, but I’ve since then decided he’s pretty cool.
In the morning, Raazmi let us know she wanted to join us on our travels. Nigel obligingly told us a few ways we could try to get out of Vlyn’darastyl, but he seemed to think it was pretty unlikely we’d manage, since all the routes seemed impossible. I didn’t really pay that much attention – I was people watching the crowds of people eating at the temple dining hall. I figured the others knew what they were doing.
After eating, we went to the docks to look for a ship that could go upstream. We spoke to the Dockmaster Captain Dirge Sunder, who was kind enough to set up a meeting with the merpeople who control these special ships.
The merpeople, Gold Lips and Kaza Mom, told us we had to be vouched for – and a good person to vouch for us would be the former politician Eel of Gold.
Now at a loss for anything better to do, Raazmi led us to a board with job listings. We saw some guards removing contraband fliers, and managed to grab one up – they were advertising the Resistance. There were a bunch of jobs, including a 5000 gp reward for dead Eel of Gold and 10000 gp reward for live Eel of Gold. Good to note.
We chose a job posing for a statue. Briefly as we were on our way there I had the fleeting worry that we were about to be petrified…and what do you know, the bitch had a basilisk. In our battle worthy of epic songs, we killed the basilisk and “artist.” Grok was almost petrified, but managed to crack out of the stone encompassing him just in time. Kinda serves him right opening his eyes. But I’m happy he made it. Losing Bonkers and Haga really shook me.
Feeling a little put out by the battle, and unsure of what to do next, we decided to go back to the temple and ask Nigel about the Eel of Gold. He was wary to talk to us, but we persuaded him that we only needed Eel of Gold to vouch for us to the merpeople – we didn’t intend on turning him in to the authorities. After all, it’s none of our business.
Turns out Eel of Gold leads the Resistance against the tyranny of the Blackwater family, who rule Vlyn’darastyl. And, much to my surprise, since Nigel seems so insipid, he is the right-hand man of Eel of Gold. I’m seeing that there’s more to Nigel than I suspected. I may have a crush on him, too.
Nigel agreed to take us to meet Eel of Gold.
Hibernator's Library 