Kythorn 4, Waterdeep

The little bat barely had time to introduce himself to me as my familiar “Pratt”— I had summoned him while attempting to identify an item using a spell scroll from much further north (so that tower was on this world!) and then promptly got sucked into the astral plane before he could reach me. The poor thing had been flapping around for days, lost. Most gnomes get burrowing creatures for familiars, but then, most gnomes that get familiars are mages. I shall have to determine whether a bat can juggle or sing....

I would have asked right then, but we saw some unusual (though maybe not for Skullport) activity nearby. Four people across the street from us were lugging an unconscious, chained halfling into an alley— and the halfling was Flin! Almost as one, the three of us determined this was our way of redeeming ourselves for our inability to act at his trial. Seren, followed by Pratt, flew down the alley after them, in time to see them duck into a building. She came back with the information as Soveliss and I were already making our way towards the spot. Soveliss did a quick check of the door for traps and we hastily passed through the door ourselves. We were in a dimly-lit, decaying hallway with three doors. One door took us to a room with a collapsed ceiling— no footprints, so obviously not the route taken by Flin’s captors. Another door led us to a room with a table and chairs, but was otherwise empty and lacked any other exits. The remaining door opened into a room filled with crates and barrels, but Soveliss spotted a hidden door. He got it open and we found steps leading down. So far, this was easy! The dragon-elf started down the steps, followed by myself and Seren. Suddenly, there was a “click!” followed by an exclamation of dismay by Soveliss as the stair treads turned into a slide; we all shot downward another twenty feet, landing between and on spikes at the bottom. I quickly cast a healing spell on Seren, who had landed badly, while Soveliss tossed a grappling hook and rope up to the ledge of the pit. Pratt flitted up and helpfully declared it the best hooked-ropey thing he’d ever seen and was sure it was secure; Seren scrambled up that and found footing, so we followed.

We found ourselves at the door to a temple of sorts. There was a rather large room with pillars supporting the ceiling, and an altar at the far end, with the symbol of the evil god Cyric depicted above it. And on the altar— the unconscious halfling! Unfortunately, the four people we followed where there as well, and they weren’t human— at least, not anymore.

I had started to sing a song that would have struck fear into their hearts had they been beating, but dropped it in favor of a weapon. Seren called upon the power of her goddess to turn the zombies, but something about the unholiness of the place was making it difficult. So, she threw oil on the closest creature and I lit that. The undead thing went up in a blaze and was quickly destroyed. She was then able to successfully turn the other three, who went behind the altar to cower.

Getting into the room was difficult— it took several attempts for us to pass over the threshold. When we did, I cast a spell I knew could effect undead, knocking them off their feet long enough for Soveliss to run to the altar and grab Flin, after which we took off like bats out of the nine hells (sorry, Pratt!). We barreled down the alley to the portal and hopped through— arriving in... an alley.

This alley didn’t have the oppressive feel of the one in Skullport, and after a few moments, we were confident that we were, indeed, in Waterdeep. Soveliss felt a little odd carrying what appeared to be a lifeless halfling through the streets; I couldn’t tell what was wrong with Flin, but Seren looked him over and determined he’d been drugged and would sleep it off. So, we found our way to the Dripping Dagger Inn and got a pair of adjoining rooms.

Soveliss went off to find a place to bathe while Seren and I kept an eye on the halfling. We were prepared to see the fun-loving Flin we had met on the githyanki ship, so were surprised when he awoke that he did not remember us, or much of what he’d spoken of on the ship, or how he’d arrived in Waterdeep. Soveliss returned with dinner and also attempted to convince the somber halfling that we meant him no harm whatsoever, but eventually we had to just let him go out into the city on his own, with the suggestion that he come back to these rooms (Soveliss had procured them for a 10-day) when he was done roaming. Seren and I are going to sell some of our (and Kor’tac’s) gear we no longer need in the marketplace— perhaps we’ll find something good to buy, or something else to do. We’ve only been home for a few hours and I’m all ready to find our next adventure.