Gray Hand Member:
CHES 16th (THE CLAW OF SUNSETS)
Zarek creates his Magical ‘Familiar’, which he calls ‘Joe Strummer’, and it comes forth in the form of an Owl, his intention is to send it to look for the Manticore that they now know is hiding in one of the caves in the mountainside.
Manticore’s Lair:
Joe Strummer is sent by Zarek to investigate the caves, while he and Alley keep hidden below. Joe Strummer finds the Manticore hiding by one of the cave mouths, overlooking the bridge below.
Without climbing equipment, it would be difficult to climb the 100’ feet up to the lair and failure would result in a 20’-foot-fall or 60’-foot-fall, think the Rogue.
The Manticore looks to be keeping a close eye on the area below the mountain side and it was extremely fortuitus that Zarek was searching the area stealthily.
While Zarek’s familiar, Joe Strummer, is within 100’ feet of him, the Rogue can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, he can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears for a short amount of time, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar animal chosen has. During this time, the Arcane Trickster is deaf and blind with regard to his own senses.
Joe Strummer fly’s back down to the two Heroes and they make a plan of action as to how exactly they would deal with the Manticore.
Zarek and Alley chose to create the static image of an adventurer, using their ‘Minor Illusion’ Cantrip, and once attracted to the decoy, they would attack the Manticore with their ‘Walloping Arrows’, hoping to knock the Monster clear out of the sky.
Between Alley and Zarek, they cast the ‘Minor Illusion’ Cantrip a few times, to create a slightly moving image, and Alley added its voice with her ‘Prestidigitation’ Cantrip. The ‘Minor Illusion’ was of an Old Sage Cleric.
The Manticore then flew down and fired 3 Tail Spikes at the ‘Illusion’, the spikes passed through the ‘Illusion’ and the Manticore realised he had been deceived.
Zarek fired first with his Hand Cross-Bow and using the ‘Walloping Arrows’ and he did hit the Manticore but it was not affected by the ‘Walloping Arrows’. Alley tried next and was also able to hit the Manticore, as they both were Hiding, and this time the Manticore failed to avoid the arrows Magical affect. The Monster plunged to the ground, landing with an all might crunch of bones and the creature lay virtually dead on the ground.
Zarek dispatched the Manticore and put it out of its misery.
Zarek then sent Joe Strummer into the cave to take a closer look around. Within the small cave, the Manticore has stored a half-eaten, dead body, and there is also a coin purse with 10 Green Agates (20 Gold Dragons Each), worth an amount that the Rogue could not decern at the time, when retrieved by the Owl. Zarek takes a close look at the dead body and can clearly see that it had all the hallmarks of being a real Waterdeep City Guard.
The two adventurers continue to travel up Mount Waterdeep, both not knowing what further obstacles they would encounter next or what test Zarek would need to confront.
After 4 ½ miles of travel, the path starts snaking into the mountainside itself. Steep cliffs now surround the path on both sides. Zarek continues to check for tracks, and any signs of the Humanoid figure that started the Rock Slide, notices six pairs of humanoid footprints going up the mountain, visible now that the trail is protected from wind and weather by the cliffs.
One set of tracks seems to have come down within the last day or two and gone back up, running as they did, very recently.
Zarek: “Look, this one this is a set going down today and running back up again.”
Alley: “Another member of the City Guard?”
Zarek: “Something strange is going on.”
As the two Fieldward Heroes continue on, they find a small guard post blocking the narrow canyon. Two square Towers flanking a wall battlement with a large double gate.
Drakkan and Otira (A Male Human Zhentarim Bandit & Female Human Apprentice Wizard) now known to Alley and Zarek, stand on the battlements dressed in City Guard Chain-Mail Armour and Blue and Gold Uniforms.
The two City Guards peer out from over the 10’-foot wall. They spot the two adventures coming up the trail and they call out for one Captain Terrik, a handsome human man dressed in a Guard Captain’s uniform steps out onto one of the towers guardhouse’s roofs to investigate the situation.
Terrik welcomes the party from a safe perch behind the wall on the guardhouse’s roof.
Captain Terrik: “Hail! I’m Captain Terrik of the City Guard. Who comes?”
Zarek introduces himself and Alley. For some reason Alley does not seem too happy that her said her name. Later on, Zarek realised that Alley may not wish to announce herself openly to the authorities or those not known to her. Zarek then remembers that there are quite a few parties that might want to know where a certain Zarek and Alley lived or operated, due to their dealings.
Possible Bad Agents:
- Fieldward Chimera addicts – Jail.
- The Civilar Alonzo Redhawke – Chimera Involvement.
- Zhentarim Network – Silver Bars & Painting.
- Zhentarim Rogue and Fighter – City Watch Questioning.
- Xanatharian Guild – Rescuing Floom and Renaer.
- Zemk Duergar Xanatharian Sewer Outpost – Attack.
- Nihiloor Mind Flayer Xanatharian Sewer Outpost – Killing Intellect Devourer.
- Duergar Mind Master Spy – Killed Operative.
Zarek: “Why may this be I wonder?” The Rogue thinks to himself.
Zarek then attempts to explain that they are on a mission from Vajra Safahr and the Rogue shows his Gray Hand token and then tells Captain Terrik they’ve come to speak with Hlam.
Captain Terrik tries to warn them off.
Captain Terrik: “Me and my men are here to make sure no one disturbs the old geezer’s meditation. And it’s good we do, I wouldn’t want to bother that old monk, if I was you. He insisted we let no one trouble him. Even hit Drakkan here upside the head just for trying to bring him some food and drink!”
Zarek insist that they must speak with Hlam, while Alley keeps silent allowing Zarek to execute his task.
Terrik obliges and tells them:
Captain Terrik: “Alright then, that’s on you. Come help push the gates open”.
This turned out to be a lure, Captain Terrik just wanted one or two of the adventurers to step into a hidden pit trap in front of the gate before his men attack.
As Alley and Zarek approach the gates Alley is first to spot the hidden pit trap, surreptitiously points it out to Zarek and then Zarek commands Jos Strummer to fly up and over the battlements.
The disguised Zhentarim bandits have dug a 5’ feet wide, 15’ feet long and 10’ feet deep trench in front of the gates and covered it with canvas, dirt and rocks.
Captain Terrik orders his men to attack.
Alley choses to cast her ‘Chromatic Orb’ Spell at the Female City Guard, Otira, while Zarek cast his ‘Sleep’ Spell at both the City Guards hoping to put them both to ‘Sleep’.
Drakkan is hit by the ‘Sleep’ Spell and fall to the ground. This then allowed Zarek to think he would be able to jump over the Pit Trap, cling onto the Gate and then climb up to the battlements knowing that Alley would deal with Otira, hopefully that is.
Otira is not so lucky as Drakkan and she is struck by Alley’s ‘Chromatic Orb’, the bard chose Lightning Damage, and the is instantly electrocuted with sparks shooting from her burnt out eye sockets. Otira, the Female Human Apprentice Wizard, acts at the same time as Alley and she fires a ‘Magic Missile’ at the Bard from a Wand that she had in her hands.
Zarek hears Otira use an Elven word to command the Wands ability as he clings to the gate and sees a Wand fall onto the canvas covering the Pit Trap.
Otira: “Fete.” Which means ‘Fire’ in Elven.
Alley is struck and damage by the ‘Magic Missile’ at the same time that Otira falls dead on the battlements.
Zarek can hear the noise of more City Guards behind the closed Gates and thinks his idea to jump across the Pit Trap, onto the Gates, and climb up onto the battlements was good until he struggled to climb up the gates and found himself sliding back down and making no progress at all.
The Gate that Zarek was holding onto is then pulled open and the Rogue is confronted by two more false City Guards, Alf and Mirka. Catching the Rogue in a precarious position they both attempt to strike the clinging Tiefling with their Scimitars. Alf misses the Rogue but Mirka manages to catch him and draws first blood.
Alley is then able to fire her Hand Cross-Bow and aims at Alf but is unable to hit her mark.
The fight continues as Zarek performs a perfect ‘Lunge’ with his Rapier and manages to thrust his blade into Mirka’s eye, through into his brain and as he drew his Rapier a single drip of blood fell down his cheek before falling dead.
Alley then fires her Hand Cross-Bow at the remaining false City Guard, Alf, and she manages to hit said this guard. Then suddenly from the tower stairs rushed Captain Terrik with a Heavy Cross-Bow in Hand. The false Captain of the City Guard aims and fires at Zarek but the Heavy Cross-Bow miss fires and the Bolt buries itself in the chest of poor Alf, killing him instantly.
Captain Terrik runs away back up the stairs and into the tower.