Hello everyone, welcome. I am continuing on my account of Drow Rhyll’Zt Zau’Und in our current DnD 5e game. In the last installment, the party heard a tale of ancient evils, elemental champions and future errands. Our party Patron needed some time to chase down a lead so the party split up to do our own thing. Rhyll’Zt made contact with a member of the Thieves Guild of his acquaintance to see if he had any jobs worthy of his skills. Of course, there was. A Doctor who had purchased guild protection had suddenly disappeared (without paying) and now needed to be found. Being an urban ranger, this suited Rhyll’Zt, who now goes to the Doctor’s place of business to start his “Rescue Mission”
Dramatis Personae
Rhyll’Zt Zau’Und – Drow Ranger played by Me.
Vuldin – Dwarven cleric played by Pete.
Cassiea Ea – Tiefling Sorceress played by Simon.
Torrin – Dragonborn Barbarian played by Alexander.
Nissa Timbers – Gnome Rogue played by Sarah.
Clatter – Kenko Rogue played by Amalie.
Part 4
I got to the Merchants Quarter and had no trouble finding the Doctor’s office. It was the one with the angry mob outside it with only a handful of guards. I considered sending word to Skip. A crowd with all it’s anger directed one way is potentially ripe pickings for a gifted thief. Not me, I’m not stupid. Anger can turn, but other thieves might try and maybe they even would get a few coins, rather than being torn apart by an angry mob.
Amusingly I saw Torrin, our Dragonborn, walking past the crowd lugging a storage crate. He spied me eyeing the crowd and trudged over.
“What are you doing here?”
“Just a little bit of work, same as you.” He didn’t seem inclined to believe me.
“That crowd is angry because the Doctor has gone missing. Fortunately he had the presence of mind to make arrangements with my clients, which means that someone like me would be called should he ever vanish.”
A small tendril of smoke leaked from his nostril. “You’re searching for someone who is missing? You?”
“I don’t care where the money comes from, so long as it is good. A Doctor needs found, or a box needs carried. Makes no difference to me.” Admittedly I believe lugging crates is more suitable for Torrin, and beneath me. Plus, “rescue” pays better I wager.
“Fine, whatever. Stay out of trouble.” I smiled a fake smile at him and wished him well on his way. He grumbled under the crate as he walked off.
Before he could turn or change his mind I slipped into an alley between two nearby shops and darted to the path that ran behind the shops. Oddly, none of the angry clients had made it to the back, so I dug out my house breaking tools and slipped into the building locking the door behind me.
I was in a storeroom where the doctor kept many medicines or the powders used to make them. A search revealed nothing. I snuck into the front of the shop being careful to not be seen by the mob outside. There was a locked cash register and a drawer full of documents. I rifled through documents, most of which were receipts for prescriptions. However, one was not.
It was a note that simply read “I need you here now”. The paper had the sigil of Strig’s Sister City, Ursa Dei. Interesting. I searched through the receipts to see if there was any indication of anyone who previously lived in that city, and as fortune would have it, there was. I grabbed that receipt and the receipt book (might as well sell it to the guild, lots of sick people needing their medicine…) and slipped out the back.
It didn’t take long to track down the man named on the prescription. He answered the door after three knocks. I don’t think he was pleased to see me, fortunately my boots are sturdy and having doors slammed on my foot is not unusual for me.
“Good afternoon, good sir,” I can be charming when I want to be, “I understand you are a client of the doctor down in the Merchant’s quarter.”
The balding man rubbed his gut. “Aye, what of it?”
“I don’t know if you know, he has disappeared. I hope that doesn’t pose you any medical problems?”
His face fell slightly. “Uh…was needing some more of his pills actually. Disappeared you say?”
“Regrettably yes. However, I believe we can help one another. You are from Ursa Dei, originally I mean?”
“Yes…why?”
“I have been employed to find him, and I believe the trail leads there. As a patient of his, who is from that city, you might have chatted to him about it. Small talk. Do you know of any reason he might go there?”
“Yeah, he has an office there.” He rubbed his gut again and he looked pained.
“Thank you, you have been most helpful. As it happens, the people who asked me to look for him will shortly be in the dispensing business. I’ll make sure they know to come see you.”
He grasped my hand and nodded his head vigourously. “That’d be appreciated…”
I heard a rumbling noise from his gut and he looked at me in alarm. Then I noticed the smell. “I’ll make sure they visit you first on their rounds.”
He looked grateful and run back into the house, presumably to the privy, slamming the door again. My boot was now removed and the door crashed shut, blocking the smell of his illness back inside. If this was the standard type of client the Doctor had, I couldn’t blame him for fleeing.
Travel to Ursa Dei was most commonly done by teleport ring in the Mage Ward. I had a contact there so he was next.
I hate the Mage Ward. Every time I go in it makes me wanna puke. I understand it is all the magic flying around. I passed by two guards laughing at a chicken when entering. With that calibre of guard I really wasn’t sure why the guild didn’t rule the city. As soon as I got past the guards the nausea hit and I puked. A lot. When my guts stopped misbehaving, I righted myself and hurried to the teleport ring to find my contact. He confirmed the Doc had gone through a few days ago, to Ursa Dei as suspected. It was going to cost 800g to travel there even at guild rates. I think Skip can that foot that particular bill.
I returned to the cut purse and informed my Halfling associate of the Doctor’s last known location, and sold him the prescription booklet. True to my word, I even asked that his first client be the man with the shits. Clatter arrived at this point having finished her job. She had done a pretty good job forging all the permits the local pet store needed to sell Mimics. Wonderful. That isn’t going to bite us in the arse…
We left Skip to his drinks and met up with the rest of the group. Vuldin apparently had a fun day pursuing criminals in the Mage Ward, whilst Torrin was hefting crates (Clatter and I were better paid as it turns out, by a long way…hah). Casseia had simply passed the time in peace away from people.
That was when Nissa dropped some pretty heavy news on us. “I think I may have made a mistake…”
She was holding a gem as big as my hand engraved with the initials of the Necassio Conclave.
You missed out the part where, briefly, the city was lit up by a flare of bright light from the Mage Quarter as Amazing Guardsman of Adventures and Protecter of the People In Alleyways Vuldin used Radiance of the Dawn to see down an alleyway and randomly obliterated a whole bunch of shadow creatures.
There are 2 reasons that I didn’t include that story (3 if you count that I forgot). Firstly, Rhyll’zt didn’t see any obliterations and lights over the Mage Quarter isnt that unusual. Second, if he had known he probably wouldn’t care unless it was likely to cause him problems. That all being Said, Pete is going to send me his account of Vuldin’s adventures and you’ll be able to read about it here too.
Neither of the rogues’ little mishaps have been back to haunt us yet. I’m sure we’ll be fine. Yup. Certain of it in fact.
what could possibly go wrong?
Oh many things. Many horrible things. Especially if I keep sparring with Chris cause I try to figure out just how to play Clatter. I’m great at getting him in trouble.