Chapter Three -The Errand “Just Across Town”

Hammer 11-12, 1371 D.R.

            During a couple of days in which we weren’t to leave Dagger Falls, we had a rather incredible experience much farther away than any of us had ever dreamed possible.  We had returned from our initial trip to the Dwarven Safehold and, while having a stop at a local establishment, ran into some trouble.  Let’s see, where to begin...

            We had now adventured a little bit and earned some needed cash for the clothes on our backs but were not members of the adventurers’ guild in town.  Unknown to us, we were supposed to be paying a local tax to help support the city on anything gained while adventuring.  We were told upon our arrival to go see Commander Galthammer.  When we arrived at the barracks, we met Captain Briggah as he was yelling at his troops.  Some morale booster if you as me.  He gruffly escorted us to the Commander’s office where we tactfully handled the situation and agreed it wouldn’t happen again.

            Next we went to relax a bit and have a good meal.  We went back to Cedar’s new favorite restaurant where a very attractive waitress named Marlee was a server.  Marlee was very flirtatious with Cedar and it was very interesting and fun to watch Cedar’s confident and knowledgeable demeanor reduced to a humble schoolboy who knew not what to say in return.  This facade did not last long as she brought over a glass with a little flame burning in it that wouldn’t go out.  Cedar, without thinking of his personal safety, grabbed the glass, ran for the door, and launched it out of the building just second before it exploded into a FIREBALL.  It was also our luck that it was Captain Briggah who came to investigate and instructed us not to leave town while he looked into this instance.  Someone was looking to level the tavern and/or kill someone in it.  Today Cedar definitely saved all of our lives thanks to his knowledge, recognition, and quick action. 

            During our shopping before having dinner we had visited the Tooka’s shop where he had many unusual things.  We were offered some “Mortuary Bandages” in exchange for the dragon parts (teeth, scales, etc.) we had collected and decided to think about it.  He also offered us an incredible sum if we would simply deliver a jar of stuff to an acquaintance across town.  He was offering a very large sum but said it shouldn’t take more than a day, two at the most.  As we were not allowed to leave town anyway, we accepted but would return to complete the transaction as dusk may be a better time to travel and we were hungry for lunch.

            When we returned we were ready for our trip (it wasn’t even hours to walk across town) and found a large jar with purple liquid, red veins through it, and an occasional eyeball showing in the jar.  It was sealed but was to be delivered to a man named Daragool who could be found at the Dustman’s Bar in “The Hive”.  The jar was handed off twice and then we were told to use his back door to avoid being seen leaving at this hour.  We were off and found ourselves instead in the middle of an alley in a city bigger than any ever seen before.  We were no longer in Dagger Falls any more.

            We found ourselves in the Major city of Sigil.  Sigil is a city filled with many building all very tall, of various designs, and having pointed roofs, which is also known as the City of Doors or The Cage.  They are all lined with blades both up to the roof and along the edges.  They seem to be worried about aerial attacks on the city for some reason.  The races that inhabit the area widely varied from demons and devils to c celestials and many other races.  The gods, as we know them, do not have any power here and the power in charge is called the “Lady of Pain”.  We are now traveling the planes - maybe a little out of town but we’re only going across town.

            Upon arriving we were almost challenged immediately.  A creature of a reptilian nature attempted to knock over Oskar down.  Oskar wisely avoided the conflict and we got off with a verbal slap to stay out of the way.  Etain the Quick, a Tiefling who claimed to be a “tout” (tour guide), immediately approached our group.  Cedar seemed overly paranoid about trusting him as a guide.  I mentioned he at least knew the turf of the town, as we did not.  I never mentioned that I trusted him but Cedar seems to think I did.  Even evil creatures have information that can be worthwhile and pertinent.  I think he still holds my Father’s employment against me - I guess I’ll just have to prove myself further.

            Oskar mentioned that he had heard from Holly of the Paladins Guild that if he was in the area he should stop and see someone named Fall From Grace who lived here.  On the way to see her we ran across many things and situations.   First was Tarin, a centaur like ram who has a friend in trouble.  He asked us if we’d get some paperwork from a man named Gadwik who resides in Curst.  Curst is the gate town for the planes of Carseri - a very evil place.  This paperwork supposedly will prove a friend’s innocence.  We would need to return the paperwork to the Hall of Records in Sigil where the laws are made by the Guvners.

            We also learned about the Fated who are the keepers of all transactions and taxes.    We also ran into the Harmonium who wear red plate armor and follow peace as long as it is their variety of peace.  We then ran into Vamniss Softhearted at the Civic Feast Hall.  She is a Sensate and directed us to Fall From Grace at the Hall of Sensual Delights.  She believes that one should sense everything and try it all, as this is the way of the sensates.  Interesting advice and kind of like adventuring - living it all.

            We then found our way to the Hall of Sensual Delights and what a place it was.  A venue of the best that could be offered to all of your senses from incredible artwork and ladies to beautiful music, poetry, and stories could be found here.  Oskar was there to see Fall from Grace and that is when we all learned she was a succubus with long blonde hair and bat wings.  Oskar met with her for quite a while as we waited in the incredibly tempting reception area.  When Oskar returned, he looked as if he found more questions than he got answers too.  He said he now had a lot to think about and reconsider.  I’d love to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.

            Next we continued on to the Hive part of town.  First was a stop by a peddler named Beno selling scrolls with keys to the language for Berks (people like us).  A few of us bought in and they ended up being a bust but we were able to get the correct translations later on.  Etain then lead us into a trap where his five other thugs had mugged an older gentleman.  We fought the group defeating them with the help of another person named Dreelahanan (Dreel for short).  Cedar took a severe stab to the back given by Etain and Shane made sure he did not get the opportunity for another.  We also recovered a +1 Long sword that was glowing off the thugs.  Dreel had long ears and said her was an outland ranger.  He also said his race was an Asalmar which is the opposite of a Tiefling. 

            The old gentleman that had been mugged, named Daravil, gave us a box containing a Mirmar.  It’s like an encyclopedia of the planes written by those who have traveled it in the form of a metal skull that records the information and repeats it when needed.  He also asked us to save his daughter who was trapped in the Walking Ship and that we’d know it by it’s one green eye.  We still hadn’t completed our trip across town and had acquired a second future job to aid another.  Dreel offered to take us to Daragool but didn’t know where exactly to find him but knew of someone that would know how to find him.  Dreel also pointed out the incorrect information on the language sheets and let us know that true registered touts wear green scarves to identify themselves.  Etain was no tout at all.

            Our next stop in the Hive was at a place called the Smoldering Corpse Bar.  The story has it that the smoldering corpse is a guy who screwed up big and The Lady of Pain imprisoned him in a fire gate.  No one dares release him.  Here we found a man by the name of Ebb Creakknees.  He is a former member of the Harmonium and he gave us final directions to find Daragool.  He also said that we could find him here in the future.  An offer we many need to call on indeed.

            On the way we passed Fell’s Tattoo Parlor.  This place makes magical Tattoos on a person for differing purposes.  We may need to visit this place again.  After all, magical tattoos would be magic items that couldn’t be removed in a strip down (unless someone was using a blade of course.  But who does a Detect Magic on someone’s tattoos in the Realms and Daggerdale in general.  I could see it in Waterdeep but not in the Dalelands.

            Finally we arrived at the Dustman’s Bar and were introduced to Daragool.  He is 8’ tall and carries two battle axes.  He is a celestian - a Proxy of Oden.  We found out that the jar contained 6-7 restless souls of paladins who had been serving evil.  Petitioners are what souls of those who follow a power (god) are called and these souls would have gone to serve evil.  Somehow the Tooka has a way to collect them and Daragool has a way of destroying them before they became tools of evil.  We found out the key to the gate was a jar that two or more people had recently handled and it would be in the same place as we had showed up.  Dreel gave Cedar a scroll of summon monster that was attuned to Sigil as the summoning spells do not work correctly here.

            We returned uneventfully to our starting location, activated the gate, and stepped through to find ourselves back in the Tooka’s shop.  We stayed for a while to chat about what had gone on in Sigil.  He talked with us a bit about the shop he used to have in Sigil but now resides here due to a tax calculation misunderstanding.  (I know we have been finding it challenging to calculate our taxes for last adventure and now this one for the city.  I couldn’t imagine doing that for a business.)  He appraised the sword and Mirmar for us as they were now non-magical (Cedar said something about losing power in different planes), paid us our handsome reward, and we left to find it the morning of the 12th of Hammer. 

            We still had a long day ahead of us.  On the way home Captain Briggah informed us they had found the body of a Red Wizard of Thay and are assuming he was the caster of the fireball.  He said we were now free to leave the city again.  Little did he know.  I just found it hard that they would immediately assume he was the culprit - I suppose an incorrect solved crime is better than an open one.  We’ll see if the attacks stop and if he has made a correct conclusion to his case.

The Songs and Stories of my Life,

Kerith of the Dalelands