The Zhentarim Warehouse:
Zarek takes command of the situation and tells Alley to wait outside while he attempts to enter the Zhentarim Warehouse.
Alley gives Zarek 2 Hand Crossbow Bolts and explains their ability:
Walloping Arrow: This ammunition packs a wallop. A creature hit by the ammunition must succeed on a DC 10 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Zarek: “If you stay-put I can then send a ‘Message’ to you and keep you informed as to what we have inside. And thank for the bolts”
Alley move over to the south-west corner of the Zhentarim Warehouse and hides as best she can in the shadows. From where Alley is she can see the front gate and the side of the fence, the only ways in and out of the Zhentarim Warehouse.
Zarek heads to the south of the fence that borders the yard in front of the Zhentarim Warehouse and waits for the few passers-by to leave before he endeavours to climb over. This is Zarek’s first burglary proper in the City of Waterdeep and the pressure gets to the young Tiefling as he begins to climb the fence his Rapier gets caught and he makes a racket as he deftly hops over.
The Rogue lands next to something laying on the floor, some two foot long, black and with wings?
Zarek: “A Black Flying Snake, this must belong to the Zhentarim but what does it mean or be used for?”
Zarek looks closer and can see that the poor creature is transfixed by and arrow. The arrow itself had not distinguishing features that would give a clue as to who’s it was.
The Zhentarim Warehouse stands at the back of an outer yard behind a high fence. The gate on the fence isn’t locked. The building’s three points of entry-a front door, a large warehouse loading door, and a painted-over window. The front door has a sliding peephole that can be opened from the inside.
This is where Zarek stands and listens out for enemies within. The Tiefling can hear the sound of someone, or something, rummaging through wooden boxed or create. The Rogue decides to avoid all the ground floor entrances and heads for the roof and the only loading door situated on the north of the Zhentarim Warehouse.
Zarek once again make far too much noise as he begins to climb the front face of the Zhentarim Warehouse, as this time his equipment clangs and scrapes, as the Rogue scales the Zhentarim Warehouse like he was a Spider.
Tymora must have been watching over the pair because it was the very fact that the Rogue went up, that saved him for being seen by the creature that pull back the sliding peephole.
Zarek find a slanted roof made of clay tiles and make every effort not to make a noise this time and successfully traverses the whole roof and reach the edge of the Zhentarim Warehouse above the first-floor loading door. Zarek climbs down quietly again and perches on the ledge in front of the door. From here the Rogue can see that the door is attached to a metal rail above the door and the door itself runs on two metal wheels that roll along the rail.
The Zhentarim Warehouse First Floor:
Zarek: “This door looks unused or at least going to make enough noise to wake the dead in the ‘City of the Dead’, I need to push the odds in my favour.”
Having thrown his 2 Flasks of oil at the Troll in the Yawning Portal, long story, Zarek only had what he stored in his Backpack and used some Fatty Bacon doused in water to grease the rail as best he. The plan was then to open the loading bay door and enter, having first listened out for anyone beyond the door. The Rogue hears no one or nothing inside.
Everything was going well, no had seen the Rogue clinging onto the loading door and his plan was working great so far. As Zarek opened the loading door the last few inches before he slipped inside the room, the wheels made a screeching noise as the fatty pork slipped off the rail. Zarek now had a decision to make go in and close the door or close the door and hide outside on the ledge. Zarek chose the ledge and quietly closes the loading door behind himself.
Zarek: “Maybe it is time I chose a god that would smile on me once in a while, or should I sell my Soul to a Demon who can offer the Power to change my fate?”
Zarek hear the noise of the door to the room beyond being opened and was throw by the noise of something entering the room. Not the sound of boots, slippers or feet entering the room, but the low clippie, scuffing sound. Then the Rogue hears one door being shut after another and them silence once again.
Zarek open the loading door once more taking extra care to re-grease the rail and he makes no noise.
The upper floor holds a suite of offices that seem to get little use by the Zhents if the thick dust is anything to go by. The rooms have desks, chairs, and bare shelves covered with grime and draped in cobwebs. Harmless rats skitter about.
Mounted above each office door is a steel alarm bell. The bells are connected by wires which descend along and down to then disappear into the walls.
Zarek listens at the southern door, from which the creature entered the room, and the Rogue can hear the fail sound of a burly Sailor singing a shanty.
Sailor: “here once was a ship that put to sea, the name of the ship was the Billy O’ Tea, the winds blew up, her bow dipped down, oh blow, my bully boys, blow (huh).”
Zarek: “Zhentarim Pirates guarding the Warehouse, but from who?”
Zarek makes his mind up and decides to check the offices to the west before he moves out to where the Zhentarim Pirates are. Before the Rogue attempts to open the door and enter the other office, he deftly takes the Bell Spring and hides it within an empty cabinet.
Zarek checks the door to see if it is lock and listens out for any other noise and hears none. Before he enters the room Zarek casts his ‘Disguise Self’ Spell and takes on the appearance of the Zhentarim Thief that was trailing him and Alley in the Field Ward and met his demise at their hands. Zarek enters the room to find another area that seems to get little use by the Zhents also covered in dust. The room has a single desk, chair, and bare shelves again all covered in cobwebs.
Zarek stops this time before he enters the room and checks the dusty floor for any form of tracks.
“Well done you little scally.” Zarek can imaging Iomhar saying to him.
Zarek can clearly make out fresh boot marks entering this room along with marks that he deduces is someone being drag into the room. Then faintly onto of those footprints the keen-eyed Rogue spots claw marks of an avian origin.
Zarek: “What are these from, Giant Birds?”
Zarek realises that he is unarmed and draws his Rapier and which in turn gives him more courage to continue in his new career.
Zarek: “I have only just realised that I have been encouraged to put myself in these dangerous situations by sweet Alley, I need to watch her impetuousness when it comes to agreeing work.”
Zarek spots another 2 Bells mounted, like the other, above the two western doors in this room, which also had a window on the northern wall. The Rogue searches the desk and chair and is rewarded with vital clues which hopefully mean Floon Blagmaar must still be alive.
First Zarek can see that there are ropes and the arms of the chair and Blood Splatters on the chair itself and the desk. Then on the desk itself the Rogue finds an elaborate, Ivory Mourning Locket with the profile of a woman carved in relief. Yet, the Ivory Mourning Locket had been smash and the Rogue makes out a (now empty) secret compartment inside it, “Very interesting.” Thinks Zarek.
“The plot thickens as this is not the gaudy, 6-inch bas relief of a unicorn’s head on a chain of blue pearls that Volo mentioned was always worn by Floon.”
Zarek then checks the remaining two rooms at the westside of the room and both were empty and unused for many moons.
“Top marks, sound, you’re all made up now and no Bizzies behind ya.” Zarek once again remembers Iomhar’s encouragement when he made sure to check everywhere, especially behind you.
Zarek then elects to return to the first room and listen out once more to see if he can hear anything from either the Zhentarim Pirates or Bird Creatures. This time the Tiefling can hear the faint melodies singing of a female, Elven.
Elven Maiden: “It be an evening star, shines down upon you, it be when darkness falls, your heart will be true,
you walk a lonely road, oh, how far you are from home.”
Zarek: This make no sense now I have heard the Elf?”
Steeling himself, the Rogue believes it is his duty to investigate further and make sure he knows what he is letting himself and Alley in for. Zarek silently opens the southern door and peers into the top floor of the Zhentarim Warehouse.
At first Zarek can only make out a hooded figure, kneeling and waiting with a drawn Shortbow. The figure appears to be keeping a watch on the ground floor area of the Warehouse.
The open second level is stacked with crates where it overlooks the main warehouse.
Then the figure turns and the Rogue can see the side profile of the figure as its illuminated by the lit lanterns hanging from the walls.
The creature is unknown to Zarek, but he can see they are feathered humanoids and members of the Zhentarim, but where are the Pirate and Elf maid that he heard earlier? The creature wears ill-fitting cloaks, robes, and rags. These garments cover the soft, sleek feathers of their bodies, shrouding their bare arms and legs. They tread lightly when they walk, on talons made for grasping the branches of trees and seizing prey from the lofty skies. Soft as the wind they move, so as not to draw attention to their shameful forms.
Zarek, feels braver than he should have been, opens the door a tiny bit more and then uses his Mirror on a Stick to peer to the west. There he finds and other of these Birdmen.
Just before the Tiefling moves back into the office, closing the door behind himself, he spots the now common sight of Blood on the floor of the Zhentarim Warehouse, along with feet and legs of bodies on the floor.
Zarek: “Some gang war I guess.”
Zarek quietly moves back to the closest room to Alley’s location and send he a Magical communication on the form of a ‘Message’ Spell.
Alley agrees to go around to the northside of the Zhentarim Warehouse and then a rope would be lowered to allow her to join Zarek in the offices. All goes according to plan and the two Adventurers plan their next move.
The Plan:
The plan that the pair came up with was to have Alley use her ‘Sleep’ Spell on the two Birdmen and hope that they do so silently enough not to alert the other possible enemies.
Alley: “They are called Kenku Zarek, not bird men.”
Alley explains in her best actor’s voice that: “Kenku are birdlike folk who once soared the skies and sang enchanted songs, but a curse stole their wings and transformed their voices. Now kenku slip through the shadows of cities and the Shadowfell, trying to recover what they’ve lost. To some, this means seeking an end to their curse; others search for magic or contraptions to allow them to fly and sing again.”
Alley get ready to cast her Spell as Zarek opens the door slightly, making it sound like the door popped open by itself due to not being closed properly by the Kenku. The Kenku get to the door and Zarek pulls it open and Alley moves out to cast her ‘Sleep’ Spell and Lady Luck was with her as she manages to Spell both. The open by the door is caught by Zarek and carried back into the office, while the other flops in its crouching position and maintaining the appearance of watching over the ground floor.
Zarek: “these Kenku are unerringly light.”
Zarek then moves over to the west and can clearly see the Warehouse ground floor. Tables and chairs have been carelessly tossed across the floor. The corpses of a dozen men lie along the walls, their rapiers and daggers lying nearby. On the north side of the area, stairs rise to an open level above. At the northern end are creates that looked to be stacked in well-ordered fashion.
Tree short, Kenku avian creatures with long beaks and black feathers look over in surprise from where they stand in the middle of the warehouse. Each wears a hooded cloak and wields a Shortbow and carries Shortsword. One of the Kenku was by the front door, pacing, while looking about the Zhentarim Warehouse and making no noise as he did so.
Here another plan is hatched as Alley and Zarek target 2 of the Kenku closest to the doors, meaning the last Kenku had a more difficult escape route.
Zarek Misses with his bolt which lodges itself in the create used as cover by the Kenku. Deciding he needed to follow-up on Alley’s prediction and grabs the rope hanging from the crane and swings down to the Warehouse floor and dashes over to the Kenku.
Alley his the Kenku that was walking around and it fails to stay on its feet and is knocked prone. Alley rushes over to the top of the stairs.
Zarek engages with his Kenku and does damage but not enough to knock it out. The third Kenku then fires its Shortbow at Zarek, and luckily for the Rogue, the Kenku misses.
The Zarek is faced with his Kenku who makes a perfect faint and then thrust, which should have entered between his fourth and fifth rib, but Alley saves his life as she casts a Spell which not only make the Kenku miss, but also empowers the Tiefling with the creature’s force and he is able of knock the Kenku out cold.
Alley also has better luck and manages to knock her Shortbow Kenku out with her bolt.
The prone Kenku is quickly unarmed, tied-up and gagged. So was the two sleeping Kenku on the first floor. Zarek begins to interrogate the Kenku leader and he found it harder than he expected. After several questions that the Kenku didn’t answer Zarek asked what the Zhentarim wanted with Floom the Kenku answered:
When kenku speak, they mimic sounds and voices they have heard before. Under interrogation, they repeat the next phrases:
Kenku Leader: “In a deep voice with an orcish accent: “Xanathar sends its regards.”
Zarek asks where Floom was and the Kenku responds:
In a thin, nasally voice: “Tie up the pretty boy in the back room!”
Alley: “they can only mimic what they have heard and of that what fits the question, so to speak.”
“Where have they taken him?” asks Zarek
Kenku Leader: “Follow the yellow signs in the sewers.”
Zarek asks more questions but gets no answers until he asks who Xanathar was and the Kenku replies:
In a scratchy voice: “No time to loot the place. Just get him to the boss.”
Zarek goes over to check the dead bodies and discovers the corpses belong to Five Human Zhentarim sell swords (the same ones who kidnapped Floon and Renaer?) and Seven Human Thugs, all of them clad in leather armour. Each Zhent has a black tattoo of a Winged Snake on his neck or forearm, and one of the thug members has a Black Tattoo on the palm of his right hand that looks like A Circle with Ten Spokes Radiating Out from Its Circumference (the symbol of another game Zarek thinks to himself).
Zarek remembers spotting the door under the stairs and is determined to leave no door unchecked.
The door to this back room hangs loosely on broken hinges. The cramped chamber beyond smells strongly of sour fish and vinegar. It is filled with discarded ropes, canvas tarpaulins, and splintered wood from smashed barrels. Zarek’s keen ears find Renaer Neverember hiding here, having slipped free of his rope bonds. The Tiefling can hear his ragged breathing coming from under a tarpaulin at the north end of the room.
Renaer is unarmed. Marred by grime and the lingering stench of rancid pickled herring, he speaks with grace and articulation, as befits his Noble Upbringing. His trust is easily gained but impossible to restore once broken.
Zarek asks him what happened.
Renaer Neverember: “On the night of the abduction, I was concerned that Floon was too intoxicated to find his way home by himself and offered to escort him. The two of us were jumped by Five Thugs as they left Fillet Lane and headed north on Zastrow Street.”
Renaer Neverember goes on to say he feels guilty that Floon was taken, since he believes (correctly) that they mistook Floon for him. Renaer wishes to help search for Floon if asked, and Renaer armed himself with a dagger and a rapier scavenged from the dead Zhents in the warehouse.
Alley asks Renaer Neverember why the Zhents kidnapped him, he gives the next truthful reply:
Renaer Neverember: “The Zhentarim thinks that my father embezzled a large amount of gold while he was Open Lord, and that he hid the dragons somewhere in the city. They think they can find it by retrieving the information from me. The Zhents thought I knew something about all of this, but I don’t. My father and I haven’t spoken in years.”
Renaer Neverember explains how Zhentarim agents snatch himself and his friend Floon Blagmaar and brought them both back here.
While questioning Renaer for a long while in the offices upstairs, they realise that Mourning Locket is important and take the locket from Renaer.
Renaer is hauled back down to the room under the stairs and tied up next to Floon Blagmaar. Upstairs, the Zhentarim break open the locket, remove whatever was inside, and give it to a courier to carry out of the Zhentarim Warehouse.
Renaer believes that the Zhentarim didn’t even know it was there.
Floon is then hauled upstairs for questioning (Renaer thinks the Zhentarim wanted to see if he is worth a ransom).
Xanathar’s Guild Agents then storm the warehouse. They quickly find “the prisoner” (i.e., Floon), assume he’s Renaer, and several of their agents hustle him out of the Zhentarim Warehouse. Meanwhile, Renaer takes advantage of the confusion downstairs to slip his bonds and hides.
Xanathar’s Guild Agents do a perfunctory sweep of the warehouse and then take off, leaving the kenku behind to kill any Zhents who show up.
Renaer Neverember: “That’s when you both saved me and I will be forever in your depts. If there is ever anything I can do, you need just ask”
Alley: “I WILL, hold you to that.” Alley has not heard of the Xanathar Guild, but manages to retrieve all of their Hand Crossbow Bolts of Walloping.