Intro
- Following the events of WoW C2.S1.04: South Ward Saviors, Zhent Initiation, the characters oversaw renovations at the newly renamed Lost and Found Tavern. They had a soft opening and did a week of solid business selling breakfast. They made a profit of 40 gold.
- Recently Istrid Horn, the beloved "Master of Coin" from the Zhent leadership council was kidnapped and dumped on the steps of the palace. She was bound and had a confession note pinned to her, corroborating the rumors of the Zhentarim being involved in the embezzlement scandal of Dagult Neverember. She quickly joined Davil Starsong in the custody of the City Guard for further questioning. In response to this dirty ploy by the Overseer, Urstul promised to avenge Istrid and led a mission to assault a Tavern known to be a Thieves Guild gathering point. Vonna participated in the mission and infiltrated the tavern using her feminine wiles, and used a eversmoking bottle to get the mobsters to exit the building. In the chaos, the building burned down, but Vonna helped all the innocent bystanders escape.
- One day they saw a parade pass by. It featured all manor of performers, as well as several exotic animals. Most astonishing was was a huge roaring dinosaur, an Allosaurus. They learned this parade was put on by the Sea Maiden's Faire, a traveling carnival troop that sets up at the docks each summer. The party made plans to go visit the carnival and put up posters promoting their tavern's grand opening in a few days.
Carnival Games
- The party arrived at the dockside Sea Maiden's Faire and played several fun carnival games including Catch Pinky (a greased pig), Hammer Slam, Axe Throwing, Knife Throwing, The Longshot, Memory Match, Village Idiot, Pie Eating, and a Talent Show. Pyper won the talent show with a dramatic telling of her (made up) encounter with a dragon, complete with displays of fire magic. TMM05 won the pie eating content, even though other contestants felt it wasn't fair competing against a living furnace. The party turned in their tickets for an array if fun prizes.
The Greatest Show
- The contests had been overseen by a handsome Ringmaster in a tophat who seemed to be captivated with with Metatronia's good looks.
- The party then attended the Big Top show, and were dazzled by Ringmaster Zardoz Zord and his company of performers, featuring several different acts. Captain Zord concluded the show by causing a rose to magically appear in the hands of every woman in the crowd. The crowd erupted with applause and a shower of roses, as everyone raved about the Greatest Show.
Suspicious Incidents
- Metatronia saw that her rose had a small note attached to it, which read:
- "To the haunting drow beauty who captivated me tonight: I can’t shake the feeling that you and I are kindred spirits. Have we met in another lifetime? Would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner this week? If so, leave word with my crew, and they’ll help arrange things. If it makes you feel more comfortable, feel free to bring a friend or two. -Captain Zardoz Zord"
- The note made Metatronia paranoid, thinking perhaps Captain Zord was from her dark past growing up in Drow society. Bruce also noticed sailors on the docked ships glancing at Metatronia. Metatronia hid inside TMM05 while the rest of the party snooped around the carnival for clues.
- They saw a vendor advertising Lantanese Imports, including clockwork men called Nimblewrights. These looked similar to their cnstruct acquaintance N8 Unit
- They also visited the "Menacing Menagerie" inside one of the docked ships. Fearonuh used her Speak with Animals spell to converse with a few of the caged beasts, many of whom seemed unhappy or drugged. She spoke to an Axe Beak who said she was a human woman who had been turned into an Axe Beak and pleaded for help her before they were kicked out by the crew.
- Meanwhile Metatronia was unsettled to observed the human sailors using drow sign language. Metatronia then revealed to the party her true backstory: she had been raised in the the Underdark in the fanatical Drow theocracy devoted to the spider goddess Lolth. Metatronia told them she had been a powerful noble, but was forced to flee when Lolth and the other nobles turned on her.
- Metatronia felt she needed to get to the bottom of the mystery, and decided to take Zardoz up on his invitation for a date. However, she left word inviting him to meet her at the new tavern for the date feeling safer on her home turf.
Crab Confrontation
- The group had also seen a crab vendor named Grannie Grinda's. They remembered that they had recovered a note from the body of the mage they had killed in the events of WoW C2.S1.04: South Ward Saviors, Zhent Initiation that referenced the The Thieves Guild, Waterdeep being directed to acquire weapons from Grinda Garloth.
- The party attempted to question the old woman about weapons but she had a good poker face and began packing up soon after they left her stall.
- They later tracked Grinda to the nearby Mistshore slum. On the way they encountered a stray Akita who snarled and chased them to the doorstep of "Grannie Grinda's Crab Shack" (Grinda Garloth's Workshop). She gave them some crab meat to appease the dog and told them that the dog had been nicknamed Slumbeare by the neighbors. Apparently it helped guard the neighborhood from violent thieves. Being well past closing time, Grinda shooed the party away and locked her door.
- The party then noticed a strange looking bird watching them and Bartholomew Glockenspiel quickly used Misty Step to teleport into the air in an attempt to grab it, but fell awkwardly. After failing at that, the group shot the bird out of the sky. Inspecting it closer, they discovered it was a clockwork seagull.
- Next, they heard a rumbling sound coming from under the docks and a giant mechanical crab emerged from the water. It attacked the heroes with its massive bladed claws. Then they heard Grinda casting a spell from inside it, and were blasted with a cone of icey magic. The bird also briefly came back online, before Pyper Runecut blasted it out of the sky again with a jet of fire.
- Next the crab's devastating spin attack smashed Vonna against the wall, knocking her out, and gravely injured others. Bruce, Fearonuh, and TMM05 struck back, engaged the crab from all sides. They expertly smashed the legs and arms at key weakpoints, eventually disabling it.
- As soon as the crab was disabled, Grinda Garloth was ejected out onto the dock and continued to defend herself with a hypnotizing spell and an array of magic items. However, the party's onslaught quickly overwhelmed her. As she was about to take her last breath while being crushed by TMM05, she gasped "I never should have built you!" She then fell unconscious.
- To be continued...