"Guild Intrigues"
Session Date: 02-10-01
DM: Chris
Characters participating: Asher, Alark, Arya, Quillathe, Quintus, Raethe, Lady Shera, and Fletcher
Synopsis
1) The Fellowship decides to spend the evening celebrating their recent success, their first, in the city. They choose Volodar's Stardust Inn, one of the "in" spots in Ravens Bluff. Asher is scheduled to meet them later in the evening, after he attends a meeting at the Seeker's Guild. Fletcher Greene, newly arrived in the city, accompanies them.
2) After some dancing and drinking, the loud explosion is heard. It is loud enough to rattle the windows of the inn. The patrons are concerned and some go outside to see what's happening. Several of the Fellowship go outside and notice the glow of fire several blocks away, in the nearby Sixstars neighborhood. They quickly gather their horses and ride towards it.
3) Arriving, they discover it is the Seeker's Guildhall that is in flames. A small crowd has gathered to watch the Red Ravens fight the fire and look for survivors. The Fellowship lends a hand, anxious to find if Asher was here when the explosion happened. Fletcher "works" the crowd to find if anyone saw anything before the blast. Raethe prowls the area looking for anyone out of place. He notices a woman in robes, with spell pouches and wands, standing at the front of the crowd. Quintus works an Augury and learns that Asher is indeed somewhere in the guild house. Before long, he is found barely alive by Quillathe. Quintus heals him and they carry him to the back garden area. Three other survivors, the guild masters, are taken to the temple of Lathander for treatment. An overzealous reporter for the Trumpeter, Tycho, corners Quintus for awhile.
4) Fletcher and Raethe unsuccessfully try to question the suspicious woman. She shows great indignation at Raethe's subtle accusations that she knows something. Before leaving, she intimidates Fletcher so much that he backs away. Arya follows her as she leaves the scene.
5) Rydon, an Order of the Mystic Flame member, arrives by magical means shortly after the fire is put out. He begins to look through the ruined study. He speaks with Quillathe and Alark to thank them for helping see to the safety of guild property.
6) The Fellowship retires for the evening after Arya returns to report that the woman eluded her just up the street.
7) The next day Quintus and Raethe go to Cask's to Order and speak with Eddard Quinn on the matter of Amrose's debts. Quintus buys his debts with a magical ring and informs Eddard that Amrose is not to gamble with him any longer. Quintus also tells Amrose that as he owns his debts, he orders him to quit his job. Amrose follows but tells Quintus that he fears for his life, as he's been involved in Eddard's forgery business. Quintus tells Amrose that he will take care of things and that for the winter, Amrose will work for the Fellowship and be paid twenty five gold a month.
8) Deciding to scare Eddard, Quintus returns with the Fellowship in tow the next morning. He blackmails Eddard in exchange for Amrose's safety. Eddard agrees to take no action on Amrose on pain of his forgery being revealed to the Trumpeter.
9) The Fellowship goes to the Trumpeter offices to speak with Tycho. They believe he may have more information on the guild hall explosion and be willing to share. He joins them for lunch and reveals the name of the mysterious wizardress standing in the crowd, one Lady Melzin. He also reveals her address at Ondrelspires in exchange for going with the Fellowship for the scoop. Asher recognizes the name as that of the woman he met during the guild meeting. He sends her a note asking for a meeting at Volodar's at her earliest convenience. By the time the Fellowship returns to Sundersides a response is waiting.
10) The Fellowship arrays itself throughout the Stardust Inn that evening as Asher secures a table for himself and Lady Melzin. She arrives and their verbal wordplay begins. Asher dances around the subject of her opinions on the guild for the better part of the night. Finally, using her knowledge of Savras and his followers, Melzin turns the tables and asks pointed questions of Asher that he cannot lie about. Asher gets the feeling that she is responsible for the blast, as she expresses her ardent opposition to a merger with either organization and mentions that perhaps the blast was meant for the guild masters and not the members. Lady Melzin gets Asher to reveal that he believes her responsible and that his companions are scattered throughout the inn, waiting for trouble. Through several trips to the bar and during one of Lady Melzin's trips to the women's room, Asher confers with the Fellowship as to a course of action. Since all they don't have proof and she didn't come out and admit it, the Fellowship agree to let things progress and look for an opening later. Asher ends up going on a carriage ride, with Arya and Alark following, and spending the night with Melzin.
11) As the other members leave the inn and go down the street to the stable, they are jumped by Eddard's thugs. The leader is a mountain of a man that they saw at Eddard's business. The fight is quick and the Fellowship wins, taking one of the would be assassins captive and turning her over to the watch. Quintus sends a letter to Eddard the next morning informing him that the agreement they made has changed. Any attempt on the Fellowship as well as Amrose will result in the information about his forgery reaching the Trumpeter.
Please refer to the Experience Log for this sessions awards.