The Baroness deHaville's estate was enormous. Nym wondered how three people could possibly use so much space as they approached the gates. Nym tried the gate handle. "Locked," Nym said before teleporting to the other side and opening the gate for Evelaen and then re-locking the gate once she was inside.
Nym walked up to the oak double doors to the front of the house and knocked. After a few moments, the door creaked open, and an annoyed young woman peered out at them. "The mistress won't be buying anything, especially at this hour," she said, frowning.
"We're here about the Baroness' missing son and husband," Nym offered, smiling. "We have a way for her to contact them directly, which should make them much easier to find."
The woman blinked, surprised. "Well, uh, come in then," she said, gesturing for Nym and Evelaen to enter. "Please wait here while I fetch the mistress."
Left alone in the entryway, Nym looked around at the opulent furniture and huge paintings. "Strange place, this," she said half to Evelaen and half to herself.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
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"Ugh, reminds me of visits to my family's friends. Large creepy houses filled with relics of a time when they actually did things rather than just horde money." Her eyes flashed open. "I hope no one overheard that..."
ReplyDeleteFortunately, no one did as it took several ten minutes before anyone responded.
"So... you two are hear about the advertisement?" An older woman said sweeping into the room.
"Yes ma'am," Nym answered. "We would like to perform the ritual sending on your behalf to attempt to contact your son directly. Hopefully he can then tell us where he is making it much easier to find him and return him to you. The ritual costs 360 gold, although we would only ask payment if contacting your son is successful. Also, if we are able to return him to you ourselves, this cost would come out of the total reward offered. Would this be of interest to you?"
ReplyDeleteDiplomacy roll copied from update post: 31 total
??????
ReplyDeleteThe baroness nodded. "Anything to get him back!" She said sitting down between the two of them. Evelaen and Nym shared a grin before setting the components out and starting the sending ritual.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't take long before the boy appeared. He sat playing with marbles in a richly appointed cabin. Behind him, reading a scroll, was an older man with the unmistakable look of father.
Nym let out a relieved breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She was relieved the child was alive. "Child, where are you?" Nym asked softly.
ReplyDeleteThe boy responded with a childish innocence "oh, hello, we're at the family cabin south of Neverwinter!"
ReplyDeleteNym asked the Baroness, "Have you been to the cabin? Does that seem correct based on the room he's in?"
ReplyDeleteThe baroness nodded, "Yes, but I was told that the cabin was destroyed. It's far south of Neverwinter, in a sheltered cove that his family had built. He told me it had been destroyed many years ago by the collapse of Waterdeep."
ReplyDeleteNym was quiet as she looked from the Baroness to Evelaen and back again. "I think..." Nym began cautiously, "Your husband may have planned to take your son there for some time then." She shifted uncomfortably asking, "Do you know why your husband would have taken your son and left the city without telling you?"
ReplyDeleteThe baroness nodded, "Well, my husband had become the disgrace of the city for some time, he had a habit of dallying in places he shouldn't have. We fought and then he left and I was later told that he had drowned in the bay harbor after a night of visiting every brothel that would let him enter."
ReplyDeleteI'd like to make an insight check to see if the Baroness is telling the truth, and if she seems to be leaving anything out.
ReplyDeleteD20+11
17+11
28
I'm on a roll! Get it? Eh? EH?
The Baroness does seem rather distraught by the news and the story does seem plausible.
ReplyDeleteShe continues, "We'd been having problems and he felt like I was trying to control his heir and steal his family's legacy. I'm just trying to be a good mother." She says wiping her eyes. "So yes, he had plenty of reason to try to hide him away!"
Via ship, how long does a trip to Neverwinter take?
ReplyDeleteShip time will determine what Nym does next, but if she can get to the cabin and back within the remaining four days, she will likely do the following for the rest of the day up to the party:
ReplyDelete1. Ask the Baroness to set up a ship to leave as soon as possible for the cabin for Nym and, if possible, the Baroness as well.
2. Buy am Elven-style dress for the ball (Fine clothing 30 gp).
3. Perform at her scheduled birthday party (or parties).
4. Cancel any engagements for upcoming days as she'll be on a ship.
5. If any time is remaining, set up shop for a bit in the market to sell herbs, rituals, and play music for tips.
6. Return to the inn to ask them to care for Nesme while she is gone (probs room price she already paid would cover this) and get ready for the ball.
The baroness is unable to arrange a ship for you as there are so few of them at present - but she will pay 750 in advance to return the child. She hopes that will help defray some of the cost of getting closer to Neverwinter. She does suggest contacting Orlando the shipping magnate.
ReplyDeleteThen I would like to find and speak with Orlando first!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to ask around about the Baron and Baroness' relationship and personalities as well.
ReplyDeleteDiplomacy
D20+19
1+19
20
Streetwise
D20+14
14+14
28
You are told that Orlando is seeing no one, but that he will be available at the Equinox ball.
ReplyDeletePeople describe the Baroness and Baron as a lovely and charming power couple who had been rising the ranks of the city before the Baron mysteriously died.
Cool. Did the Baroness give me 750 total or 750+360 for the ritual?
ReplyDeleteNym sighed as she left Orlando Greycastle's office without having her ship problem resolved. "If Darvin hadn't let the ship go to shit, this wouldn't be an issue," she muttered to herself walking back to the Purple Wyrm Inn.
ReplyDeleteBack in her room, she counted out her personal coin and rolled her eyes at the pretty gray dress she'd tossed on the bed. "Down 50 gold in two days. That's ridiculous."
Nym moved the money from the Baroness into her 'ship funds' pouch. "At least I'm doing pretty good there... 176 yesterday plus 360 for the ritual and 750 advance today... 1286 gold. I'm half way there, Pip!" Nym hopped up excitedly, realized she didn't have anywhere to hop to quite yet, and went to hang up the dress.
Nym frowned at the dress. She had a nice green dress at home, but she didn't bring it seeing as business trips for her rarely ended in parties. "Waste of money," she said to it, straightening out the hem. "I do like the color, though..." The dress' fabric shimmered gray purple in the sun.
"Time for a birthday party, Pip!" Nym said to the fox, pulling out her lyre and lute and heading out the inn.
---
Nym was the most popular entertainment at the 11-year-old's birthday with her magic-enhanced stories and songs. After the two hour party, she thanked the child's mother and headed back to the market to sell what she could for the few hours she had left before needed to prepare for the ball.
Party earnings: 10 gp X 2 hours + 1D10 tip = 20+7=27 gp
Market earnings (2 hours as Whit calculated before): 2D20+0=18+2=20
Total afternoon earnings=47 gp
Nym's running total: 1333 gp
If Talathel was able to find Nym, she gave him 30 gp from her personal funds for an outfit.
Nym returned to the inn to get ready for the ball, pleased with what she'd accomplished. She fed Nesme and Pipper before taking a hot bath. After getting dressed, Nym pulled out her whisper stone for Illuvaen.
ReplyDelete"Illuvaen, are you there?" she asked.
After a few moments of silence, Illuvaen responded, "Yes, Nym. It is good to hear from you! How is everything going?"
Nym sighed heavily. "Well, it turns out Darvin owes 3000 gold for a lien on the ship... and it is due in four more days."
Nym heard Illuvaen rustling about before he replied, "I have about 500 gold I could put in, but I don't think I'll be able to make it to Baldur's Gate in four days. "I'll hit Yartar tonight, but Aspen will need a rest after how hard I've run her." Illuvaen let out a frustrated sigh, and Nym could hear Aspen grumble quietly in the background.
Nym giggled at Aspen's noises. "Your wolf is being disagreeable," she teased before coming back to the more serious business of the lien. "No, I don't expect you to make it all the way to Baldur's Gate. I actually had an alternative idea..."
Nym explained the meeting with the Baroness and where the Baroness had shown Nym the cabin was located along the coast.
"Hmm," Illuvaen murmured. Nym smiled. She could picture how he was likely standing, thinking about this plan. When Illuvaen was deep in thought, he tended to put a foot up on something, lean forward, and furrow his brow. Nym wondered if he'd been told it looked more princely to think like that and so started to do it or if he just naturally struck a pose when thinking. "I could enter the Wasteland from the north through the Neverwinter Wood. I'll have the advantage over any undead in the forest and will certainly hear them blundering through the underbrush."
Nym replied, "And one person would likely attract less attention from the undead anyways. Hopefully, I'll be able to get Orlando Greycastle to take me north on a ship, and then I can meet you with, hopefully, both the Baron and the child. I think reasoning with him will work; I can't imagine he'd be happy if the roles were reversed, so I'm hoping he'll willingly return to Baldur's Gate with the child."
"Yes, I was thinking the same," Illuvaen replied.
"Let me know what is going on, though, alright? The Wasteland... it's just..." Nym added, anxiously.
"I will," Illuvaen added reassuringly.
Nym smiled, despite the knot in her stomach. "Be careful, ok?"
Illuvaen chuckled, "You too, alright? You're more prone to getting yourself in trouble than I am!"
"I'll try," Nym replied, playfully.
"I love you little bird. Be safe."
"I love you too, Illuvaen. Please take care of yourself... and give Aspen some ear scratches for me?"
After finishing their conversation, Nym sat back on her bed for a good while petting Pipper and thinking about Illuvaen going into the wasteland alone. "He'll be alright, right?" she asked herself. Finally, Nym got up, straightened her dress, and headed out to the Equinox Ball.