Beyond Waterdeep

[steveflam]

Brethana follows Inovidil through the big city nervously. What is this place? How do people live in these "homes"? She fervently hoped that they would leave the city and head towards this Dalelands that Inovidil had mentioned earlier

"Psst Inovidil" Brethana says too loudly to really be considered whispering,"Will we be leaving here soon?This place makes me feel nervous and I'd rather go to this Dalelands you mentioned to me earlier. Can we hurry please?".

Brethana looks around nervously, hands clenching and unclenching at so many people around. Never had she seen so many people in one place!

[VAN]

With a smiley face Inovidil barely gets Brethana nervosism, she is so happy to have returned that even the elf's comments doesn' touch her.

"Oh, come on Brethana Waterdeep is the biggest city of the North, a very beautiful city. We have only a month here and you just want to hit the road... don't worry though, we will leave very soon for Shadowdale. I want new adventures too. The wizard I'm going to visit is one of the most famous here, he is unbelievable. He seems an old man with beard, smoking a pipe, but I think he is the most powerful wizard in Toril and believe me there are plenty of wizards at this land. Oh, I'm so excited when I think about it, me Inovidil a simple witch, something more than apprentice I'm going to Elminister. I hope only that we can find him, he travels a lot too you know."


OOC> I think we have waited a month before leaving again.

[steveflam]

Ooc: yeah I think so

"Another mage????Inovidil you know how I feel about mages, present company excluded of course. Do we have to? I dont like being all shut in in this "city". There is too many people. But if you think it can help us I'll follow but I'm not going to be happy about it"

Brethana looks around nervously as people pass her by, some smiling others looking strangely at her

[VAN]

"We will not rest for long time to Shadowdale, I'm sure that Elminister has some very powerful steps further more than my father, so I want to meet him get some spells adn then go back. If we don't have the great honor to meet him you can always consider our journey a way to have some encounters and kill some monsters that I bet you have never seen before."

With a wink at the elf, Inovidil continues:

"As about the city, don't worry we will not stay for long time here neither. We are looking for my friends Renad and Elvira. The first one is a human cleric and the second a woman rogue halfling. I have had many adventures with them at the past and I consider both of them more friends than simple companions. Then we will go back to the tower and get my brother Kel. You have met him once remember, he was the tall guy with the great sword. Kel will be glad to follow us, he is the only one to our family that is not a wizard and he gets any opportunity to throw himself in adventures. My brother has a friend, an elf ranger Thalar. His ability with the bow is quite legendary among his friends. I don't know him very well but since he can stand Kel I be the will a great companion too."

Inovidil laughs at her last remark.

OOC> For sure this 1 month everyone from our party (except Jerg maybe) has been to Inovidil's tower and has met her parents and siblings.

[steveflam]

Ooc: Sounds good to me!Let the month pass so we can move on out. Fair?

[steveflam]

Ooc:After many days of reestablishing his network of spies(HE has been gone a while), he meets with a certain Johvahd and upon proving his credibility does secure safe transport to Zhentil Keep. ..... We see him a bit later

[VAN]

Ooc: Sounds good to me!Let the month pass so we can move on out. Fair?

Actually now we play after the first month. Inovidil has passed this last month among her family. Then she decides to go to meet Elminister.

[ewancummins]

The city was HUGE, larger even that Il Aluk had been before the Great Upheaval. Jamethon was impressed. It seemed very old, though parts of the town were obviosuly of newer construction. The streets were crowded and the harbor was teeming with ships. This must be a major trading center, he thought.

He didn't draw too many stares from the locals, who seemed used to foreign travelers. His pistol and musket did attract some notice- evidently the locals had heard of gunpowder weapons , but very few had actually seen them. The dialect was some form of Vaasi. People understood him readily enough.

Jamethon took up Inovidl's offer of staying at the tower. He soaked up what he could from her and her family about the surrounding country. None of it sounded familiar to him. This land of Faerun must truly be another world, just as that demon Lodissio had said. After four weeks at the tower, he'd grown restless. Travelling with Inovidil seemed like it might be a good idea, but he was eager to leave now. Unsure of his goal, he returned to the city. Before he left the tower , he thanked Inovidil and inquired as to her future travelling plans. He hoped they'd meet up again, further down the road. His mind was fixed westward, as it had been since the day of the portal crossing and their arrival in this world.

Jamethon hadn't much money, but he had enough to get lodgings in Waterdeep for the first few nights. After that, he was going to need money soon. He needed a place to stay, and more powder and shot, rations, etc.

Jamethon was having dinner at the boarding house he'd settled on, enjoying the conversation of the other guests. They seemed to be mostly fellow travelers, itinerant types like himself. One of the men was discussing a country he had visited, someplace called Lantan. The description lingereed on the lovely women and fair green landscapes, but there were other interesting bits.

''In Lantan, they are all mad for gonnes, gears, and such gew gaws, '', said the fellow- a sailor by the look of him. ''Friend Jamethon here has a gonne they'd love to see, 'tis marvellously made. ''

Jamethon smiled at the compliment. His musket had taken many hours of hard work to make, as his skills were limited. After all, he'd chosen the seminary over continuing his apprenticeship. It was pleasing to hear that someone else thought he'd done a good job on the gun.

'' Maybe I should go there'' said Jamethon. It sounds like a pleasant place, and I find myself unwilling to remain here indefinitely. I should like to travel soon.''

They continued the conversation, other guests drifting in and out of it. By the end of dinner, Jamethon had resolved to see Lantan , the Nelathers, and many other countries besides. Retiring to bed, he dreamt of ships.

In the morning, Jamethon went down the the docks looking for a ship bound to Lantan.

The Hippogriff was a cog of good size. She looked stout enough, though he was hardly an expert judge of such matters.

The ships mate was seated at a rough wooden desk on the dock, signing men onto the crew. Jamethon took a place in the short line. A few minutes later he reached the head of the line.

''What's yer rating?'', queried the mate, scowling at Jamethon's landlubberly appearance.

''No skill at seamanhip at all, actually, ''

'' Eh, then what use will ya be?''

Jamethon patted his rapier. ''I can fight if the ship is attacked, but moreso I bring the protection and help of holy Ezra with me.''

''Ezra? Who?''

Jamethon wasn't surprised, the local heathens had seemingly no knowledge whatever of his goddess.

''Ezra is the great goddess of my home country, which is far away from here. ''

''Oh, well a priest of some kind then? Any useful skills?''

''I am a fair hand at gunsmithing, healing, and I can do simple works of chemistry- is any of that useful to you?''

''I can ask the ship's physiker if he needs an assistant. If you prove a poor one, we'll set you to pumping the bilge. ''

Jamethon soon demsontrated his competence to the ship's doctor, and proceeded to board and stow his gear.

The crewmen cast off and the ship was away, moving out across the harbor under full sail.

Jamethon paused on deck, looking out across the deep bay at the city.
A softly whispered prayer of thanks crossed his lips. Ezra watched over him, even here in this strange new world. He felt that she was far away, yet her gift of divine power remained constant. Whatever adventures awaited him here, he'd face them with courage and faith.

[ I edited the post to reflect staying with Inovidil and the others at her tower. Jamethon has a desire to travel west acoss the ocean, but he'll be seeing Inovidil and Brethana again. ]

[ewancummins]

Mirtul 19 ,1369 DR

We've made port at an island called Mintarn, after over a week at sea. The sailors have liberty of the port, and with no pressing duties aboard ship, I am resolved to explore the town for myself.


- Mintarn is a fair sized town. It reminds me a bit of Martira Bay. The port district is full of sailors, whores, petty merchants, and bravos. Nothing I cannot handle, if there's trouble. Arms are worn openly here, so no bother on that account.

I noticed a gallows well stocked with hanging thieves and murderers. Always a sign someone with good sense is in charge. The local Tyrant, so he's called, seems to be keeping the peace well enough.

I spent most of the day talking with sailors from other vessels about what lies to the the south. Apparently the inhabitants of the southern islands are more advanced than the people of the north. Some of the sailors though my pistol was Nelanther made. The Nelanther isles lie between Mintarn and Lantan. It sounds as if it's a dangerous stretch of water. I'm told that the pirates who infest the region are mostly inhuman creatures, but cunning as true men. Dwarfs and elfin folk are real enough , but lizardmen and orkes? Never heard of such things. Still, I'll allow for the benefit of the doubt. This is a new world, things are bound to be strange here.

[ewancummins]

unsure of exact date , 1369 DR

I finally convinced them to return my journal. Apparently they cannot read it.

Orkes I have yet to see, but lizardfolk are real enough. I can attest to that, as could the crew of the Gryphon, were any left alive.

Even now it chills my heart to think of the attack. The lizardfolk pirates attacked us while we were becalmed off the Nelanther run. The ship's warlock couldn't raise wind for the sails in time, and their galleys overtook us. The lizardfolk fired one volley from their bows and pistols then boarded our vessel. It was hand to hand combat from then on. The scaly creatures are expert swimmers , so when the combat degenerated into grappling, they just grabbed crewmen and leapt overboard. In the water, is wasn't a fair contest. Poor sailors never really had much of a chance. Some of them probably didn't know how to swim to begin with.

I survived by barricading myself in the captain's cabin after I realized the fight was hopeless. I managed to get the cabin boy inside, wounded but alive. I couldn't save anyone else.

The lizardfolk left me in the cabin and waited for the wind to fill the sails. They then beached the ship and began looting in earnest. They carried away the bodies of my erstwhile shipmates, to bury them- so I thought at the time. Horribly, the truth is that they were eaten, not buried.

When we hit the beach, the lizards broke open the cabin and rushed us. I think I killed two or three. Beruen died fighting. I was knocked out.

When I awoke, I was at the bottom of a deep pit, with sunlight streaming through the wicker cover above me. The cover was too high to reach. Lizard faces stared down at me , expressionless. I have no idea how long I was down there -a day or two I suppose.

I have since learned that they spared me because of my finely made pistol and musket. They have not seen flintlocks before, and their chief wished to know where I obtained them. He still has my musket, sword , and pistol- as well as my charges and shot.

I told them I was a gunsmith and had made such weapons msyelf. They immediately released me from the pit and I was set to work converting and repairing their pistols and arquebuses. Two lizards always followed me as guards, so I was not able to escape.

The powder here is inferior. It produces much smoke, but lacks the power of fine blackpowder. I asked one of my guards who makes their powder and they looked at me with what I took to be a quizical tilt of their heads. They told me it was magical and came in crates from Amn, wherever that is. The materials were a secret, as well.

I implied to the chieftain that I could possibly make him better weapons if my notebook were returned to me. They just returned it this morning.

I am pleased to learn there are many bats on the island, and that it is a volcanic island to boot. I already know the location of their middens. This should work, with Ezra's blessing.