Eberron PbP Story Hour – Chapter 7: Now where is that door?
Kolthak looked around warily. “I think we’ll not want to linger here overlong.” He started looking for anything that looks like a valve cluster. He saw a lot of tunnels leading off to different places, but no valve clusters.
Jebber looked around slowly, on his face a guileless expression of wonder. “How remarkable, that people and … other people can eke out trade together in such a place.”
Kolthak broke out the map and tried to make sense of where the cluster was in relation to their current location. Unfortunately, the map simply led from the cluster itself to the location of the foundry, not to the cluster itself from the sewers.
Jebber’s voice, coming from the nearest stall, seemed a bit too loud. “Hello, my good merchant! Might you have a recent map of the area for sale? I fear mine may be out of date.”
Jebber was standing at a stall run by a dirty halfling. His wares were dirty and, at first glance, didn’t seem very useful. He smiled at Jebber’s approach. “Why would you need a map, my good sir? I have everything you need right here! What is it you’re looking for? I’m certain I can provide it!” He gave Jebber a dirty grin.
“We’re looking for the remains of another group who was down here investigating rumors of trouble by a couple of the valve clusters. So if you happen to have an up to date map of nearby valve clusters, I’ll be glad to compensate you for it. If you know of any recent trouble around any specific valve clusters, I could possibly compensate you for that as well.”
The halfling smiled even wider. “But of course I do! What kind of merchant would I be if I didn’t have a map of the clusters down here. I don’t happen to have one on me but I could get you one for, say, 10 gold pieces.”
“What is your name, friend? I’ll give you two gold for the map, one gold for the rumors, and six gold more on our way back if both prove accurate. Also, you will be first to know of any new dangers encountered on our route.”
“Stainez, my friend. My name is Stainez. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask for the money up front. It’s better for business that way, dontcha know? Lots of people you can’t trust down here.”
“I understand completely. Three for the map, two for the rumors. If we come back alive, first dibs on the information will still be yours, Stainez.”
“5 for the map and 2 for the rumors,” Stainez counter offered.
“Four for the map, two for the rumors. Did you want first dibs on our return information, or are we to sell that elsewhere?”
“Deal, good sir! Cash up front, of course.” He held out a dirty palm.
“Cash up front means before we depart, not before we see the map, my friend Stainez.”
Stainez frowns. “But that wasn’t the deal, sir. I said cash up front and you agreed. We have an arrangement and I expect you to keep up your end of the bargain.”
“My friend, you are keeping something from me. I would know what it is. Honesty is a precondition to any bargain. Yours is beyond reproach, is it not?”
“Of course it is, friend. Which is why when you agreed to ‘cash up front’ I trusted you. Now it seems you are nothing but a liar and a swindler. I would ask that you leave my stall so that others may peruse my wares.”
Kolthak drifted over to where Jebber is talking to the halfling. “So lad, are you having better luck then I did? Not too hard to manage though.”
“I thought I’d found a likely source, but this fellow is trying to strongarm me into paying for a map he doesn’t have. Perhaps we should try our luck elsewhere. What do you think?”
Kolthak looked at the halfling, then back at Jebber, with an odd look on his face suggesting disbelief at the claim of him being strongarmed by an unarmed halfling less than half his size. “My good halfling, what seems to be the trouble? I can hardly believe that a merchant such as yourself would sell something you don’t possess…”
“I never would do that, friend,” answered Stainez. “I just expect my customers to be honest and keep up their end of the bargain. ‘Money up front’ is not a new concept. Regardless, it is done and I ask that you both leave so that I can attend to other customers.”
“Ah well, we shall just have to spend our coins elsewhere. I’m sure there are those here willing to trade information for gold…”
On the other side of the stall, Shrapnel was talking to himself. “Maybe I should attempt to strong arm this fellow then… let’s see… I could threaten to eat him. That might work. Or maybe I should try to convince him in a more subtle manner, perhaps implying that I’m a wanted warforged…”
Lealani, who had been hovering near the stall, spoke up angrily. “How much is that thing you are arguing about?”
“Six gold pieces, ma’am,” answered Stainez.
“Here, I pay. Show the damned map now!”
“Thank you, friend! Now, I don’t have the map on me but I will have it tomorrow morning. Be back at dawn sharp and I will bring you your map.”
“We’ll see you here then,” Kolthak said as he turned towards the rest of the group. “Shall we look around a little and see if we can find any valve clusters while we wait for the next day? Or we can always ask around a little more to see if anyone can help us find it without a map?”
“We can wait until tomorrow or start look around again. I’m not much of a people person, but I will help anyway I can,” said Ilyra.
Jebber looks from Koltahk to Ilyra. “I do hope we haven’t just bought him a nice vacation somewhere. I felt he was concealing something.”
“You worry too much! His shop is still here, and I’m sure he knows better than to try and cheat a dwarf.” Kolthak shrugged. “Besides, Lady d’Cannith offered us a thousand gold for this heirloom, what matter a half dozen or so?”
Kolthak looked around the area a little, remembering his unsuccessful attempts at information gathering when an idea occurred to him. “I thought of something. That fellow over there with the spread of stuff, the Rats Market I think it was called? I’d bet get got those things from the lower parts of the tower. He probably knows where to find the valve clusters, or knows someone who does. Let’s go find out.”
As they looked around, a male goblin waved them over to his wares. “I’ve got a rare stick of sealing wax, only partially used, for a mere sixty coppers,” the goblin merchant says. “Or maybe you could use this fine woolen blanket with just a hint of mildew? Only thirty-nine coppers. How about a skewer of boiled rat meat? For you, just five silver. Or, perhaps, if I could point out the way to a certain valve cluster, what would it be worth to fine explorers such as yourselves? One hundred silver?”
Kolthak walked over to the goblin and his wares. “Boiled rat? I’ve usually seen it fried, how’s it taste boiled? You know where to find the valve cluster we seek? How do you know which we seek?”
Jebber meandered over at the mention of exotic food. “I’ll try the boiled rat. Always interested in local specialties.”
They each handed five silvers to the goblin and he gave them each what looked to be a boiled gray meat. “I might have what you seek. But it will cost you. How much are you willing to pay?”
While the two were eating rat, Lealani scanned the crowd. She noticed one of the people, someone who looked like a shifter, staring at the group pretty intently. Once he saw that Lealani has noticed him, he turned and walked off down the nearest tunnel.
She turned to the group, “Did anyone else see that rather shifty fellow staring at us so intently? I wonder who he is…”
“Miffy mookimg femmow?” Jebber asked through a mouth full of rat. He choked down the last of the rat boil, wiped the grease from his fingers, and got ready to run.
“Are we going after him?” asked Ilyra.
“Going after who?” asked Kolthak. “I didn’t see anyone; besides, we need to remember what we’re doing here anyway.” He turned back to the goblin. “You said you might have the answer we seek? Why don’t you tell me what you are offering, and I’ll tell you what it’s worth to us.”
“I charge you 100sp for the information,” answered the goblin.
“For that price you’ll tell us how to find the cluster we seek?”
“Of course. I take you there myself.”
“That sounds quite fair, but let me check with my companions to ensure they are ready.” Kolthak turned to the rest of the party. “This excellent goblin has offered to take us to the valve cluster we seek. I suggest we go along with him as he only wants 100sp to take us there.”
“Here,” Rathan reached into his pouch, extracted 10 gold, and handed it to Kolthak. “This better be worth it.”
“There is no reason for only one to bear this expense, we all stand to gain from it.” Kolthak handed Rathan back six of the gold pieces and replaced them with ones from his own pouch to hand to the goblin. “I’m afraid we don’t carry such a quantity of silver with us, so I hope this will do as well.”
“This will do nicely. Follow me.” The goblin folded up his blanket and started walking. He led them through numerous twisting and winding tunnels. While not numerous enough to get lost, it would have taken a very long time to find it on their own. Eventually, he pointed out a narrow passage that led to a staircase that descended deeper into the tower. E-213 was stamped into the archway above it. “That lead down to valve cluster E-213. You on your own now.”
“This does indeed look like where we need to be. I thank you for your assistance, and will see you when we return.” Kolthak handed the goblin another five silver in thanks.
After he left, Kolthak spoke up. “Well, is everyone ready to continue our explorations?”
Jebber answered, “I’m ready. But, uh, it concerns me a bit that he knew which cluster we were after without being told.”
“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” Shrapnel wondered aloud. “I’ll follow behind these monkeys, so as that I will be able to retreat if it comes to that! However, I’ll inform them that I’m just…watching their backs! BRILLIANT!”
As they climbed down the stairs, Ilyra thought she saw a glint of metal out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly, a warforged appeared from the shadows, his rapier piercing the air with deadly efficiency. As he landed directly behind Shrapnel, he growled, “You have the provost’s journal!” It’s obviously not a question. “Give the book to me, and you can live to see another day. Refuse, and we will make your deaths slow and painful.” He attacked Shrapnel but his blow missed by mere inches. Ilyra, not being surprised by her foe, raised her crossbow and fired but the bolt went wide.
As the group made ready to fight, they all heard the sounds of metal scrapping on metal and a lot of splashing. The water near the bottom of the stairs moved as something obviously just fell into it.
“Not another one! I’ll take care of whatever is in the water!” Kolthak yelled as he kept an eye on the water, ready to attack anything hostile that climbed out.
Ilyra once again fired at the warforged but missed. Shrapnel raised his fist and yelled, “Why is it always me you ugly metal bastards?” before connecting with the enemies face.
Lealani cast a daze spell on the warforged. It shook its head and just seemed to stand in place. Jebber decided at that moment to fire a crystal shard at the warforged but missed as well.
Once again, they all heard the sounds of metal scrapping on metal and a lot of splashing. The water near the bottom of the stairs moved again as something obviously fell into it.
“Way to go! Pound that cursed metal troublemaker into scrap! And you in water, I hope ya stay there till ya rust, it’ll save me the effort of smashing you into pieces!” Kolthak shook his axe threateningly, ready to bash whatever came out of the water.
Rathan kept an eye on the water and shouted, “Hit it hard, Shrapnel!”
“What the heck is in the water there?” Lealani yelled out.
Ilyra once again fired her crossbow but has a hard time aiming it through Shrapnel’s movements and misses.
Suddenly, two feral looking shifters came charging around the corner, ready to strike!
“Come get it ya furry bastard!” Kolthak took a swing at the first one to approach! His axe connected with the enemy’s side, opening a deep gash. It let out a howl as it was badly wounded.
“Trying to surprise us? It won’t work fiendish being!” Rathan stabbed at the same the furry that Kolthak hit. He easily connected and it fell in a heap, bleeding profusely. The other shifter stepped up and clawed at Kolthak. Unfortunately for the shifter, the blood on the ground made it hard to get firm footing and he slipped up, missing Kolthak.
At the same time, Shrapnel’s punch caught the warforged in the jaw, sending it to ground swiftly. Suddenly, a small ball of metal detached itself from the warforged, sprouted winged, and flew off into the tunnels, away from the party. Jebber attempted to hit the ball with a crystal shard but missed the tiny metal item.
Once again, the party heard the sounds of metal scrapping on metal and a lot of splashing. The water near the bottom of the stairs moved as something obviously fell into it.
The shifter growled and swiped at Kolthak with both claws. Unfortunately, one of them landed a stinging blow to Kolthak arm.
“Why ye furry faced bastard!” Kolthak took a swing at the shifter with his axe. “Take that!” The shifter’s head separated from its body and it collapsed.
“Good swing, Kolthak.” said Rathan approvingly.
Lealani also nodded. “But are you alright? You took a nasty hit. Also…” she moved down the step towards the water and peered into it where the sound was coming from. “What was that?”
“Be careful, my Lady. I fear we are not alone down here.” said Rathan as he put his hand on Lealani’s arm.
A quick chill shot up Lealani’s bare arm as Rathan laid his hand there. His respect and concern for her were both very… attractive. She smiled up at him. “Thank you Rathan, I will be certain to be careful.”
“Aye, I should probably take care of this injury before we press on. I may need that arm yet.” Kolthak used his foot to scoop the decapitated head into the water.
“Let me see that wound, friend,” said Jebber as he cast cure light wounds on Kolthak.
The group looted the bodies and took whatever supplies were necessary. This place was going to be a lot more difficult to survive than any of them had imagined.
“What a terrible and disgusting place,” Ilyra wondered “Hey Kolthak, nice bolts you found. Do you mind if I keep them? I don’t see anyone else using a crossbow.”
Lealani peered into the passageway and saw a tunnel to the left that goes on for a while. A few seconds later, one of the grates on the side walls lifted up and sewage poured through into the water.
“It’s the sewer grate, I guess. There is a big tunnel here too. I don’t particularly want to be walking through the muck… do we need to continue this way?”
“I think so. Kolthak, care to take lead again?” asked Rathan.
“Is anyone still in need of healing?” Jebber asked.
“Thank ye for the healing, nice to have the bleeding stopped.” Kolthak moved past Lealani to take the lead after dumping the decapitated shifter corpse in the water to see how deep it was. It
was shallow enough that he was able to move through it reasonably well without swimming. He took the lead and started moving towards the T at the other end hallway.
They made their way through the muck. When they got to the intersection, they looked left and then right. To the left, they saw another large grate. It was obvious they weren’t going that way. To the right, they saw the tunnel continued for a distance but there was a hatch on the left wall.
They made their way toward it. The circular metal hatch, set into the tunnel wall and engraved with arcane runes, was the sealed door that Elaydren told them about. In the middle of the hatch, a glowing circle of mithral depicted the same icon as on Bonal’s journal—the ancient symbol of House Cannith that predated the founding of the Kingdom of Galifar itself, a stylized anvil and hammer.
