Waterdeep, The City of Splendors:
Zarek leaves the company of Cassia Yaledrin at the Hospice of St. Laupsenn, the temple devoted to Ilmater in Waterdeep, and he makes his way back to the Castle Ward to find a place to stay. Then he intended to be close to Alley’s place of work, the Tower of the Order, so that he can go and visit her first thing the next morning.
Zarek first chooses the Wyrmbones Inn, but the place appears to be more expensive than he had hoped, with rooms 12 gp to 30 gp night and suites 25 gp to 50 gp, one night was simply all he would wish to afford!
The Manager was expecting Zarek to be shocked by the prices and even went to escort the Tiefling off the property but that made Zarek change his mind and he took out his valuable Coin Pouch and paid the man for a good room will all the trimmings.
This all caught the attention of the charming, beautiful, one-armed hostess. She later introduced herself as Amaratha Ruendarr.
Manager: “That is the owner and she notices every detail, and remembers the names of guests or pets, children, or mates from their last visit, a year or more ago!”
Zarek is pampered, washed and his clothes cleaned and he is fed like he was a King, or at least what he imagined a King would be fed. Zarek went to bed early with a full belly and a small sense of acceptance. Money can truly break the divide in Waterdeep.
Zarek asks for Coffee and the Manager that he will endeavour to acquire some but they had not had any before.
The next morning Zarek has an exceptional Waterdeep breakfast, checks out and heads off to the Tower of the Order hoping to catch Alley early enough that she can not hide from him.
Zarek asks for directions and he is told that the Tower was situated in the Castle Ward on the Street of Bells, near the middle of the block between Selduth Street and Buckle Alley.
Once there, Zarek notes that he can see the Tower of the Order stretching four stories tall. The Tower of the Order appears to be fashioned from stone and surrounded by a Magical Fence of Green-Sparkling Lights that coalesces into the symbols of Mystra (a greater goddess of the Faerûnian pantheon and the second incarnation of the goddess of magic) and Azuth (the Faerûnian lesser deity of arcane magic whose concerns included the perpetuation of the magical arts as a craft). A mosaic of the hand of Azuth above the Tower’s ingress is said to guard the Tower of the Order, ready to fire spells at any would-be intruders. It is considered the most spectacular Guildhall in the Castle Ward, Waterdeep.
Outside Zarek hides and watches Alley, shocked to see that she is in fact a Tour Guide for the Tower of the Order and not a ‘Magical Initiate’, that she told Zarek she was.
The crowd that she is talking to is made-up of mainly Halflings and a few Dwarves. Two Halflings standout to Zarek as they are accompanied by a tall Wood Elf that was attempting to hide his Elf Roots. Zarek listens in and finds that the Halfling are siblings called Lofty and Astrid, while the Elf is called Galdor. Zarek goes on to hear that they had intended to rob the Tower of the Order but the Elf was against it and the three of them left.
Zarek then takes the opportunity to question Alley as she asks if her crowd had any questions. Alley excuses herself and talk with Zarek.
Zarek tries to explain to Alley that she needn’t feel that he will be at her fate and he, and the Gods, decide what he does. Alley suddenly becomes the enthusiastic, happy and adventurer’s girl that Zarek became close friends with.
Alley: “Maybe this is the push or sigh that I was hoping for and the way onwards is with the help of a good friend. I need to finish my day and prepare and so I propose that you meet me in the North Ward just before dawn. We will break our fast at the Hambone’s, an exquisite eatery on Skulls Street, my treat.”
Zarek agrees and he makes his way back to the Wyrmbones Inn and he is offered a lower price for his room and given a nod of the head by Amaratha Ruendarr.
The next day, Zarek rises early and he has another unforgettable night’s sleep and find all of his equipment and clothing cleaned and some hot tea and cakes to sustain him until he gets to Skulls Street.
Zarek reaches the North Ward of Waterdeep before Dawn and, with a view of the street, he watches as the ward comes quietly to life around him. Alley arrives and the staff make an extra effort to make them both comfortable.
At first, it was so silent that the Tiefling can hear the resident a street over who opens her sash for fresh air and clears her throat. Then the birdsong begun, and shortly thereafter, they hear and then see the drays arriving with servants. These aren’t the live-in staff used by noble houses, but people hired to come and work for a day. Most of them come from less affluent parts of the city, arriving with the tools of their trade and outfitted in their customary garb: launderers and cooks in white, chimney sweeps and housecleaners in black, valets and child-minders in grey, gardeners in green, and tutors in blue.
Alley then takes Zarek to all the wards and also provides a running history of Waterdeep.
How the City of Waterdeep was founded by the Elves and how they partnered with the Dwarves.
Alley: “This is my city, ruled over by fools but filled with extraordinary people that make the City and they should be looked after and appreciated. I will show you my city and hope that you will come to cherish it as I do. Come follow me.”
Alley takes Zarek around Waterdeep, The City of Splendors, and shows him why this city is the greatest in all of Faerûn.
After see all the sights of Waterdeep Alley offers a chance of Adventure.
The City’s structure, with its Coins and Taxes, Transports signs and trafficways, its many Guilds, Nobles and Masked Lords, Its laws and Ward traditions and friendly camaraderie. All the while Zarek is walking the streets with his mouth open as he gazes in wonder at the city’s fabulous architecture.
Then Alley explains the history of the Walking Statues of Waterdeep and the Magical forces and people who made, tamed them and finally stopped them from destroying the city itself. The Holidays are next to be explained and Zarek is amazed how many of them there are.
Alley: “I offer a chance of purpose and adventure Zarek, come with me to the Yawning Portal and see what we can become. What do you say?”
Zarek: “I think I can not turn down the offer nor do I wish to do so. I would follow you to the Nine Hells Alley, let the adventure start.”
Tymora: “Be careful what you promise young Tiefling.”
The pair then make their way to the Inn called the Yawning Portal and Alley regales Zarek with her further knowledge of the Inn. Zarek now suspecting that she always had the intension of visiting the Inn or even taking the plunge into Adventuring.
Zarek didn’t realise how apt the phrase “Plunge” would be to his first experience of the Yawning Portal.
The Yawning Portal is an Inn. Built in 1306 DR on the ruins of Halaster Blackcloak’s (a notorious, ancient, and utterly insane Wizard who resided within his lair, the infamous Undermountain ) old tower, the Yawning Portal gained most of its renown for being the primary open route to the Undermountain (a multi-tiered dungeon, consisting of several inter-connected chambers and lairs located deep beneath the city of Waterdeep and its namesake mountain). The Yawning Portal’s innkeeper, Durnan (who ran the Yawning Portal Inn and considered himself the self-appointed gatekeeper to Undermountain and he was known for having explored Undermountain.), is a former adventurer of great power and renown.
The Yawning Portal:
The Yawning Portal is a place unlike another that Zarek had ever read about, let alone seen. Alley spots a table that was just freed up and the Tiefling can see that it is a rear occurrence as the Inn was packed to the rafters, literally.
The Yawning Portal is an Inn and Tavern in the city of Waterdeep that is renowned for being the primary open route into Undermountain. A well within its walls leads down into the first level of the vast dungeon complex. It was owned and run by the famous adventurer Durnan the Wanderer. The name “Yawning Portal” referred to the deep well and also alluded to the habit of its patrons to tell wild stories. Naturally, the inn was a popular attraction among visitors to Waterdeep and a common point of departure as well as a refuge for expeditions into the extensive dungeons.
Due to fires and other adventurer-related disasters, the Yawning Portal had been rebuilt several times, with a fourth floor added in one reconstruction. Typically, though, the building was big and rambling, constructed of wood and stone, and stood three to four stories high. It had a roof of slate.
Talley and Zarek sat around a sturdy wooden table lit by a brightly burning candle and littered with plates cleared of food and half-drained tankards. The sounds of gamblers yelling and drunken adventurers singing bawdy songs nearly drown out the off-key strumming of a young Bard three tables over.
Young man goes to the bar, with his two friend, and slaps gold piece down. Durnan gives him a drink in a wooden cup and a silver bell. The young man strips down to underwear as the dipping song begins.
Chanting: “Dip! Dip! Dip! Dip! Dip! Dip!”
The stripped young man is accompanied by his friends and they lower him down into the well as the patrons all start to sing.
“Deep and dark, down below,
Where only fools and braggarts go!
Monsters lurk and dangers mortal,
Few survive the Yawning Portal!”
“(Chorus – raise your mugs!)”
“Stand your ground or ring the bell,
Pray you make it up the well!
Steel your nerve and trust your blade,
Or in the depths your bones are laid!”
Frantic betting happens all around the Yawning Portal and several Eastern Barbarian’s brashly offer odds to Alley and Zarek. Zarek is in no mood to be bullied by the Barbarians and takes out his money pouch and offers to take the bet. Not wanting to seam weak the Eastern Barbadian offers odds too good to be true, 50/1.
After one minute, people start grumbling unhappily and others cheer; coins are exchanged as bets start getting resolved. Two minutes pass and still no sign or sound. At three minutes, the sound of the bell echoes up from the hole. There are groans from those who didn’t win their less than 3-minute bets. The rope is pulled up and the young man returns. The crowd goes wild.
The Eastern Barbarian is not happy but does not wish to, or because of Durnan and his able staff of Spellcasters, start any trouble.
Eastern Barbarian: here, take these 50 Dragons and I will leave the balance with Durnan.” The group of Eastern Barbarians leave the Yawning Portal.
Then all the noise is eclipsed by a shout:
Thug: “Ya pig! Like killin’ me mates, does ya?”
Then a seven-foot-tall female Half-Orc is hit by a wild, swinging punch from a male human whose shaved head is covered with eye-shaped tattoos. Four other humans stand behind him, ready to jump into the fray. The Half-Orc cracks her knuckles, roars, and leaps at the tattooed figure-but before you can see if blood is drawn, a crowd of spectator’s clusters around the brawl.
The crowds gather around and Alley and Zarek can no longer see the fight that insures.
There is suddenly a cry and it takes Zarek a while before he realises that it was Alley. Alley, who shouts, “Troll!”
Shouts of alarm suddenly ring out as a hulking creature climbs up out of the shaft in the middle of the taproom-a monster with warty green skin, a tangled nest of wiry black hair, a long, carrot-shaped nose, and bloodshot eyes. As it bares its yellow teeth and howls, you can see that a half-dozen bat-like creatures are attached to its body, with four more circling above it like flies.
Everyone in the tavern fails to react in fear, everyone that is apart from Zarek and Alley.
The Troll, which has crawled up from the first level of Undermountain to feed on tasty humanoid flesh, bringing ten Stirges with it. Once in the taproom, the Troll rises to its full height of 9′ feet and attacks the nearest enemy, Zarek and Alley. The four Stirges flying above the Troll also pose a threat and Alley and Zarek keep a close eye on them. The remaining Stirges are all now bloated, having drained copious amounts of the Troll’s blood, and fly back down the shaft to digest their meal. As the Troll regenerates, the effects of its blood loss will become less ovious.
Most tavern patrons and staffers flee or take cover at the sight of the Troll. The Stirges attack the Troll hoping for an easy meal.
As Zarek and Alley attack, they focus on slaying the Troll as it attacks the Stirges who are close to it and both Alley and Zarek are out of the Troll’s reach.
Both Zarek and Alley have the knowledge to know that they need to douse the Troll with lamp oil and set it on fire, hopefully not in the Yawning Portal as Durnan looks like the type of fellow that would ask for payment for any and all damages. Durnan does not join the fight as he can calculate that they two young adventurers needed no help to defeat the Troll, or hoped as much.
Zarek attempted to throw his flask of oil at the Troll, while Alley then fired her ‘Fire Bolt’ at the Troll. It was either nerves, or the odd shape of the flask, that made Zarek’s aim fail and the flask landed next to the Troll and Alley’s ‘Fire Bolt’ cause less damage with the oil than expected.
As the Troll moved it attacked and killed two of the four Stirges which in turn could not attach themselves to the Troll.
Zarek made some space between him and the Troll and they pair attempted the task again.
Unfortunately, the same thing happened again and the Troll was able to catch up with Zarek and Regenerate some of his lifeforce. Allet waited for Zarek’s next move, which was to draw both Rapier and Dagger then engage with the Troll, as she prepared another Spell.
the Troll swung and hit the two Stirges killing them both.
The Spell was not needed as Zarek dispatched the Troll as Durnan doused the Troll with lamp oil, set it on fire and set it back down the well.
Durnan says matter-of-factly, “You fought well.” as he passes to assess the damage caused to his premises.
After much merriment, congratulations and promises of drinks, Alley and Zarek sit to enjoy a well-earned rest and drink.
Then, left out of the crowed of well-wishers, a figure approaches stroking his moustache, adjusting his floppy hat, and tightens his colourful scarf. Gentleman: “Volothamp Geddarm, chronicler, wizard, and celebrity, at your service. I am most impressed by your derring-do, and the truth is that I fear I have misplaced a friend amid the odious violence which has recently been seizing the streets of this fair city, and I could use your assistance in finding him. You’d be well paid, of course.”