03 - 5/25/21 : Test for Echo
Having been summoned by her loan usurer, Raeziel Ramrider, Reilly nervously followed Davil Cedarfall into the Balladeer’s Eclipse with the rest of her party in tow. Davil sat her down with a number of his compatriots in the Black Network, including Raeziel herself. Raeziel greeted Reilly warmly and reminded her of her debt, but offered a way out; in exchange for clearing the debt, Raeziel asked for an indefinite 20% share in the profits from Trollskull Manor.
The party protested this deal, and Reilly insisted that she would pay her debt of 1,650 gold pieces back fair and square. Raeziel relented and accepted the status quo, gently hinting at the consequences if Reilly would fail to pay the money back.
Meanwhile, Yilani inquired into the possibility of joining the Black Network with Davil. Davil found the line of questioning amusing, and clarified that the recent civil war within the Black Network made such things difficult. The Doom Raiders, the sub-faction of organized criminals led by Davil, opposed the Scions of Black Hearts, a traditionalist sub-faction seeking to return to the Black Network’s original goal of world domination. However, Davil mentioned that if Reilly’s debt were to be squared away, the possibility of Yilani joining up would be considered.
After much deliberation, the party agreed that they would have to inspect their newly acquired property before making any decisions. With that in mind, they departed the Balladeer’s Eclipse and made their way to Trollskull Alley in the North Ward.
The alley was home to a few shops, two of them familiar; Megumi recognized the Tiger’s Eye, a detective agency owned by Vincent Trench, and Reilly recalled Steam & Steel, a smithy owned by Embric and his husband Avi. The party stopped in at Steam & Steel first and met Avi for the first time, and the pair of smiths offered their services in repairing parts of the Trollskull Manor. Yilani and Megumi both got fitted for new armor by Avi.
After visiting the smithy, the party made their way to Trollskull Manor to inspect the place, only to find it a dilapidated shack of a building that had long been neglected and without repair. Megumi held aloft the deed at the front door, an act which conjured the key to the building out of thin air and allowed them entry. Once inside, the party heard the sounds of children playing upstairs, leading them to split and investigate. Brooke and Megumi, fearing ghosts or some other sorts of specters, stayed behind on the first floor while Reilly and Yilani made their way upstairs to check out the noises they heard.
The source of the noises were in fact a trio of urchins named Nat, Jenks, and Squiddly, who had broken into the building through the broken windows in order to find a place to play and sleep for the night. The urchins were arguing over the rules of billiards before they were discovered by the party; in their shock they thought they were being attacked, but were calmed by Reilly and Yilani. The latter gave the urchins 20 gold to purchase bedrolls, which the kids took on as a ‘quest’ befitting ‘adventurers’ of their (admittedly miniscule) stature.
Downstairs, Brooke used the detect thoughts spell to sense presences in their vicinity, which revealed a consciousness occupying a seemingly empty space in the building. Upon being discovered, the poltergeist inhabiting the old tavern revealed itself and tried to convince the party to leave the premises. However, upon hearing that the new owners wished to repair the place and re-open, the ghost softened and revealed its true identity; Lif, the former proprietor of Trollskull Manor (before he was murdered by the owner in a crime of passion).
Wanting to help his establishment serve customers once more, Lif began to clean the place up with a spectral broom. The party decided to call it a night, with Brooke returning to his apartment while the other three adventurers and the three urchins stayed the night at Trollskull Manor.
On the morning of the Second of Freyrmond, the party followed Embric’s advice and visited the Bent Nail next door, a carpentry shop owned by the half-elf woodworker Talisolvanar “Tally” Fellbranch. Reilly gave Tally a list of needed repairs, and Tally agreed to take the party’s money and bring it to the requisite guilds for the work required. After Reilly offered her services as a woodcarver to lukewarm response, Tally locked up shop, leaving the party to meet the rest of their new neighbors.
Across the street they visited the Tiger’s Eye, where they were warmly greeted by Vincent Trench. Vincent told Megumi that there were still no leads on her case. However, he let the party know that if his services were ever required, he could be found in his office.
Further down the alley, the party happened upon Aelbwyn’s Crown, an apothecary, florist, and greenhouse owned by a kind and serene wood elf named Fala Lefaliir. Fala offered an array of medicinal herbs and potions, and kindly greeted their new neighbors. Reilly, flustered by Fala’s warmth and complementary nature, left the shop to look elsewhere. Megumi purchased some herbal teas and incense, hoping that they would help with Reilly’s anxiety. Fala explained their affiliation with the faction known as the Circle of the Old Faith, and then bade the party farewell as they made their way to the final store.
The Book Wyrm’s Treasure was occupied by an aging golden dragonborn named Rishaal the Page-Turner, who curated a massive collection of books, scrolls, and other magical esoterica. Rishaal proudly spoke of his personally crafted astrolabe that was stored upstairs, although he made mention that it was currently in use.
The party proceeded upstairs to give the device a look out of curiosity, and were greeted by a tranquil moth-like woman named Panic, as well as her young daughter Valor. Panic was the adopted daughter of Rishaal from his time at Brighthollow Academy in Darnagal and was visiting him while her wife was off ‘suffering’ among her noble relatives. Panic offered to show the party how the astrolabe functioned, and determined the constellations that presided over their birthdates:
Brooke: The Sextant, a sign symbolizing charting new courses, starting new journeys, and seeking answers to new questions.
Megumi: The Chained Lady, a sign symbolizing obligations, deep debts, and past regrets.
Yilani: The Chameleon, a sign symbolizing a change in identity, and adapting one’s self to fit new circumstances.
Reilly: The Crab, a sign symbolizing resolve in the face of adversity, and putting on a strong face against one’s fears.
Panic announced her departure soon after, needing to return to her wife’s relatives. She promised to return to Rishaal some time soon, and fluttered away after she and Valor said goodbye to the party.
Having met all their neighbors, the party decided to return to Trollskull Manor to await the arrival of Renaer.
Portraits
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