The morning air was cold as Endrin roused from his day dream with a start, something seemingly spooking the young gnome. The Outersteads of Zadash were drawing near. The party wound their way through the crowded sprawl of tents lining the city’s walls and gates, Conan stopping briefly to offer coin to a young beggar in need. Soren, who had visited Zadash once before, led the party to a modest inn in the Outersteads known as the Leaky Tap. Here, the group stabled their horse, put up their cart and established a base of operations from which they could explore the former Julous capital. The charismatic Triple J found himself a bit off his game as he tried to interact with the tavern band. Put off by their racist attitude, the half-elf proceeded to de-pants the dwarf hornist, causing great commotion and much laughter within the inn.
With their base needs met, it was time for the party to get down to business here in the city. After asking around a bit and a failed attempt to hit on a portly dwarf woman, the party made their way to the Valley Archive of the Cobalt Soul. Despite name dropping Hush (Shakaste) Curator Edna Ienarth of the Cobalt Soul remained wary of helping the party decipher the nefarious tomes recovered from the subterranean sepulcher a few days prior. To earn her assistance, Edna requested a show of faith from the party. She instructed them to go get a beat on Zadash and see if they could find a way to help make the city a better place for all.
With their task before them, the party proceeded to take care of some personal matters first before reconvening at the Leaky Tap. Endrin and Soren spent the afternoon at the archive researching the idolatry behind the hand and eye effigy that appeared multiple times at the sepulcher. Together they uncovered that the idol represented a Betrayer God, one known only as the Whispered One. Endrin also proceeded to look up some information on the Kryn Dynasty to the east, a civilization of surface dwelling Drow, while Soren spent the remainder of their time finding what information they could on the Cerberus Assembly. Meanwhile, Triple J and Conan hit up the Pentamarket, the heart of commerce in Zadash, to sell and buy some new armor.
Later that evening, the group gathered once more at the Leaky Tap. Triple J bought shots for all, while Soren eyed down a mysterious hooded figure returning the gaze. The figure up and left out the back door and the stalwart warrior followed without hesitation. Emerging into the cold muddy alleyway behind the inn, Soren lost track of their target. They pursued further down they alley before being cut off by two rugged looking thugs. The thugs asked Soren to come quietly. Soren refused, now noticing three more thugs coming up behind them. Strength in numbers won the day as Soren was easily surrounded and knocked unconscious. None the wiser, Endrin, Conan, and Triple J went about their conversation and merriment in the Leaky Tap for a time before eventually realizing that the fourth member of their band was now missing.
The curious triplet spilled out into the alley behind the inn. Triple J’s keen eyes quickly noticed signs of the recent scuffle and the trail of muddy footprints leading away from the inn. The group gave chase, eager to save their new friend. Through the Innerstead Sprawl they wound and searched, drawing ever closer to what they hoped was Soren. The party eventually made their way to the Evening Nip, a dive bar in a rougher part of the Sprawl. The party split, Conan and Triple J heading for the bar while Endrin explored another alleyway. A pair of yellow eyes greeted Endrin, the set belonging to a drug addled goblin hiding behind a crate. While Endrin didn’t find Soren down the alley, he did acquire a red button, a broken pocket watch, and a copper chain from the shady creature. Inside the Evening Nip, Conan and Triple J shared a rough pint of “the empire’s finest,” and took the dwarven barkeep at his word that no wrongdoers had come inside.
The three reconvened. Endrin told Triple J and Conan of the strange salesman and their ears perked up and the mention of the mushrooms also available for purchase. Triple J proceeded to relieve the goblin of quite a few. With still no signs of the missing Soren, the group returned to the Nip to investigate a little deeper. After being spat at by the sole patron, Triple J began knocking on the walls and floorboards of the rickety establishment, hoping to find some sort of trap door. The half-elf’s sleuthing drew the ire of the barkeep, Clive. This time, Triple J didn’t buy Clive’s claim to ignorance and proceeded to viciously mock the dwarf, inciting a small tavern brawl between Clive, Triple J, and Conan. The dwarf got in a cheap shot on Conan’s soldiers before the fighter pinned him to the bar with his greatsword. Triple J stuffed one of his recently acquired shrooms down the grizzled old barkeep’s throat, and suddenly Clive felt like talking.
Loopy and delirious Clive revealed that there was a hidden establishment below the Evening Nip. However, he told the group that they needed a password to enter… he then proceeded to tell the group the password, “We bring many gifts.” Clive showed them to the secret door behind the liquor shelves and the group descended below.
Meanwhile, Soren began to come to in the center of a raucous thieves’ den, head still throbbing, vision blurred. Stripped of their possessions and face coverings, they were greeted by a beguiling voice. The voice belonged to an aqua skinned individual who introduced himself as the Gentleman. He informed Soren that he had been offered an enormous sum of coin to capture them alive and return them to the buyer. The crime lord revealed he had other plans for them, however. The Gentleman offered Soren the chance to serve him for a time instead of being sold off, as the Gentleman saw great potential in the young warrior’s talents. Soren bartered for nuggets of information in exchange for such service, to which the Gentleman agreed.
Around this time, Conan emerged into the Gentleman’s hideout/subterranean tavern, followed closely by Triple J and Endrin. Immediately, the fighter made eye contact with a beautiful young platinum haired woman sitting across from the Gentleman. Conan knew in his heart that this young woman was indeed the missing Soren. As the group approached her, Soren looked back up to the Gentleman and said, “So, what do you need me to do?”
