25th Olarune, 1000 YK
- Warden went to speak to one of the neighbourhood dogs, which doesn't provide any new information. The dog is vindicated that the mail man was evil.
- On their way out of the district, they go to the guard house and ask about the attack. The Watch Sergeant goes to fetch some detectives from the Blackened Book.
- They meet Warden Balan Cord and Warden Hasal Dalian, who have some more information and ask some questions.
- Balan goes through his notes. The package was sent by someone named "Ricky Smalls", and the blast disk used seemed to be more powerful than the standard issue ones used by Karrnath. It had a wider blast radius, and the undead produced were able to propagate themselves, which makes it a war crime under the Treaty of Thronehold.
- They want to speak to Leonus Lassinus. Hasal wants to know if the Sharn Council know he's here as a Karrnathi operative operating in Sharn without their knowledge might be considered to be a spy. Leonus claims he's just a concerned citizen, no affiliation with the Karrnathi government! Lozaal then asks why he went to see the Ambassadors? Leonus tries to brush it off, but both Hasal and Lozaal see through it.
- Balan mentions that people have been asking around about someone named Greykell ir'Ryc, and the people of High Walls. The group reveal that they know Greykell, she's safe, and the Order of the Emerald Claw are after her. Presumably for her actions against them during the war.
- Balan and Hasal decide to get some countermages peppered throughout High Walls
- Hasal gives them all his business card, with instructions to leave them a message at The Citadel in Ambassador Towers if they learn anything else.
- Once they're alone, Lozaal confronts Leonus about what he's hiding. "You're here officially, right?"
- Lozaal asks Kalshana to send a message to Terfel Glas or Greykell ir'Ryc and inform them that the Emerald Claw is actively looking for her.
- Lozaal also wants Kal to send a message back to Avrahk Mbar'ost to ask them to start building a Forge and a Guard Room, and hire some guards.
- Kal casts two sendings, but Steph isn't here today so we don't have text. She sends both messages to Terfel, asking him to build the stuff and warning him about the danger to Greykell and to New Cyre.
- They then get back to grilling Leonus about the importance of Honesty and Trusting Eachother, and being aware if they're breaking the law. He asks if Leonus is here officially, and Leonus kinda dodges the question but in doing so, confirms it.
- "It depends on what you consider official capacity, I was ordered to come here by the Queen but not to make a big deal out of it. The police don't need to know that."
- Lozaal presses Leonus, saying that the news about the bomb was new to him after he saw the ambassadors, why was he told to come to Sharn? Leonus squirms a bit and then confirms he's searching for a war criminal who is a member of the Order of the Emerald Claw, Richtus Ashkir.
- Leonus explains that Richtus was an assassin, not a magical engineer, but it's entirely possible he's leading a team that does have magical engineers. He does not mention that Richtus personally assassinated Queen Mishann of Cyre, and later assassinated King Brusst of Cyre.
- Lozaal clarifies, there is a deadly assassin after Greykell, who doesn't care who gets caught in the crossfire. Yep. Lozaal asks for identifying features.
- Richtus is a dwarf, and he wears a greenish metal mask. Leonus rarely saw him without it. Richtus was also one of the original members of the Emerald Claw when it was founded at the beginning of the war, so he's getting on a bit. Oh and if you find him or think you found him, do not engage unless the whole group is there.
- Lozaal asks "even in pleasant conversation?" and Leonus says it's too risky.
- Dax points out that Leonus makes excellent bait, as he stands out like a sore bone. It's likely that Richtus already knows he's here.
- They discuss contacting Greykell, but decide to investigate Grauwand first. Lozaal comments that they don't seem approachable, and Leonus says that Karrns are like their homes: a hard, cold exterior, and a soft, warm interior. Is this a play on words because he has a hard exoskeleton?
- They go up to Grauwand and yeah it's not very welcoming. It's like a close-knit Karrnathi community.
- Leonus finds his way to the House of Hazal, where there's a little sign that indicates the presence of a temple to the Blood of Vol.
- They meet Lan Hazal, who greets Leonus with open hostility! He thinks that Leonus is a member of the Emerald Claw!
- Once they've cleared that he isn't, Lan is much friendler. Lan explains that the Emerald Claw approached him in 998, and after he refused to aide them, his wife died. He doesn't know that it was them, but he suspects they used magic.
- The party are the most suspicious thing in Grauwand for some time, but Lan reveals that there is a Vampire in Sharn that draws upon the temples blood supplies. He doesn't reveal their identity, says it's not his place.
- Lan takes them to Slogar's, a family-run restaurant that serves authentic Karrnathi cuisine. Menu below.
- Dax and Leonus had some of the perpetual stew, which is served with a still-warm, fresh load of Vedbread, slathered with onion butter.
- Kalshana's player is absent, but Kalshana is vegeterian so the only thing she can have is the potato pancakes.
- Lozaal asked for a sample of everything on the menu! They bring out a platter with a small sample of everything on the menu.
- Lan has some of the dumplings, and the pork sausages with the curry sauce. Drego has potato pancakes.
- The food costs 5 cp each! It's so good that Dax orders a second bowl of stew! Leonus slams a gold piece on the table and pays for everybody (with a LARGE tip!)
- Leonus has a moment to just bask in the comfort of home, and the joy of being able to share that with his new friends.
- Lan asks why Leonus is here looking for the Emerald Claw, what's happened? Leonus says he can't give an accurate answer as it's mostly conjecture and speculation, but they seem to be active in the city and killing people. Lan hasn't heard about the blast disk, they don't get much news from the rest of the city in Grauwand, the war alienated them somewhat.
- Leonus explains. Lan is angry, and comments that the blast disks are one of the worst things made in the name of the Blood of Vol.
- Dax has a third serving of the stew! Gotta eat the good food when you can.
- Once they wrap that up, Leonus goes and asks around Grauwand to see if anyone has seen anything suspicious. Apparently the arrival of Leonus and his gang is the most unusual thing that's happened recently, so either the Emerald Claw aren't using Grauwand as their base, or everyone in Grauwand is in on it.
- They discuss what to do to speak with this vampire. They could wait around the temple until she arrives, ask Lan to leave a message for her, or ask him to notify them when she arrives and try to keep here there until the group arrives. Options 2 and 3 are potentially dangerous for Lan, he's a cleric but she's a vampire and Leonus doesn't want to risk an innocent bystanders life for this.
- Warden suggests using Animal Messenger to try and contact her? "We've been trying to contact you about your car's extended warranty."
- They discuss maybe asking around if anybody knows her. Lozaal points out that Lan said it wasn't his place to reveal the identity of the vampire, not that he didn't know her.
- Dax asks the group to be clear in their intentions. Are they trying to contact this person, or try to find her without her knowing about it? Leonus wants to find her, to talk to her, but without her knowing about it beforehand. He's concerned that if she's involved, she'll go into hiding if she realises someone is onto her. If she is involved with the Emerald Claw, it would also reveal to them that the group is onto them, and they might disappear or even worse, they might accelerate their plans.
- Drego provides some background on vampires, that they can turn into mist to escape if threatened. He can trap her with sunlight, but that's pretty aggressive, y'know? His opinion is that vampires are monsters and should be destroyed. They thank him for his contribution.
- Dax thinks they should leave a message, even with the risk of her running. They also discuss going back to the embassy, or ask around the tea shops using Syra's name to get people to talk to them. Lozaal thinks it would be better to go with the local approach, given how close knit and insular the community seems to be. Dax agrees, it might antagonise the people in Grauwand if they go to the embassy for this. They decide to vote on it.
- They'll vote on it next week, so that everyone is present.
Slogar's Menu
- Beef rouladen. Thinly sliced beef is seasoned with mustard, and then covered in a layer of bacon, onions, and pickles, and then pan fried and oven baked. Served with pan-fried potato slices.
- Döner kebab. Toasted flatbread filled with their choice of beef, lamb, or pork, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, red cabbage and with chilli or garlic sauce.
- Karrnathi Dumplings. Flour-based unleavened dough shell wrapped around venison or beef and mushrooms, and spiced with black pepper and garlic.
- Korth Pasty. Beef, potatoes, swede, cabbage and cheese wrapped in a pocket of puff-pastry.
- Large pork sausages, spiced with curry sauce.
- Perpetual stew, continuously cooked and stewed all winter, with new ingredients added every day. Currently a base of Karrnathi Ale, and filled with root vegetables and lamb sausages. Served with half a loaf of still warm Vedbread, slathered with onion butter.
- Potato pancakes. Potato and onion grated together and then fried, served with sourcream.
- Steak pie, filled with onion gravy and served on a bed of mashed potatoes (and optionally topped with cheddar cheese.
- Vedykar Ragout, a creamy venison and mushroom stew, seasoned with parsley and lemon juice.