The Mysterious Figure- Davil Starsong
- Following the events of WoW C3.S6.12 The Cassalanter Bargain, our party found themselves facing a mysterious figure who had just killed Urstul Floxin
- The figure stepped forward, pulling back his hood to reveal the impossible—Davil Starsong
- Davil crooned: “Did you miss me?” Gasps rippled through the room—he was supposed to be in prison. The tension in the air wavered as disbelief washed over the group.
- The dim light caught the glint in his golden eyes—warm, magnetic, and strangely reassuring. As he surveyed the room, a hush settled. Davil stooped to the smouldering pile that Urstul had left behind. From his fingers, he retrieved two signet rings, turning them in his fingers before slipping them into a pouch inside his coat.
- Davil continued: "Zhents, it’s good to see you. Let’s stop the infighting. We are not enemies—we are family. If you need to blame someone for Urstul’s death—blame me. I’ve got it on good authority he’s the one who got me arrested in the first place.”
- “And when I heard the The Overseer had been taken out? Let’s just say I couldn’t resist dropping by to hear it for myself. Thank goodness we still have so many friends in the city guard.
- “’l’ll have to return to my cell before dawn, or I’ll have the whole city after me, but before I do—we should discuss who will fill this newly vacated leadership post. I certainly can’t lead from behind bars. We need someone who can rebuild trust among our ranks, someone who can find the stone and clear our name, my name."
- “From what I’ve heard, Urstul’s fatal error was failing to build trust with his best asset—the Lost and Found team."
- "Your crew have gotten closest to the Stone. You survived what others didn’t. And through all the chaos, you’ve shown you have the wits to navigate this game"
- “No matter what your grievances were with Urstul—let’s bury them with him and move forward. If it was about pay, or ambition, all you had to do was ask. All of that is out the window now because I have news for you. I am recommending the Unknown make a bid to lead the Zhentarim. You will chart your own path. You don’t need to work for anyone, because people will be working for you. But I will be perfectly clear, this is your last chance to prove your loyalty.”
- "As for any potential dealings with the drow— just know, we Zhentarim are the only players in this game who have your long term interests at heart. Jarlaxle will throw you to the wolves the moment you are no longer useful to him. His only loyalty is to coin. He certainly is a charming scamp, but underneath there is a cruel and calculating villain. Don’t forget he is the same man responsible for the destruction of Neverwinter 50 years ago.”
- Davils turned to Ziraj the Hunter- "Ziraj, I’m curious—why didn’t you speak up more when Urstul was questioning them? You were the only one who saw what really happened down in the Overseer’s arena."
- Ziraj crossed his massive arms and grunts. "That’s true. The truth is, there wasn’t any hard evidence they were working with the drow. But there wasn’t any evidence they wern’t either. When they started attacking Urstul tonight it brought back my suspicions."
- Fearonuh asked Ziraj- “And why did you attack me when I tried to free you from the rubble after we fell down through the floor of the arena?”
- Ziraj answered: “That broken axe… when I grabbed it, rage came over me. There is some magic in that relic. I didn’t mean to attack you, I promise.”
- Davil shifted the conversation: "Well I hope we can all move past this. So, who would of the Lost and Found would step forward from your group to lead us. Who among you has the most leadership experience?
- After a brief silence, Fearonuh spoke up. She said she had the most leadership experience, and she would volunteer to lead. She revealed that she had risen to lead her orc tribe in her younger years, including leading them into battle against a rival orc tribe. This was new information to even her friends, something Fearonuh had been hiding from her dark past.
- Davil said he thought this sounded like a great resume and that she would also bring wisdom from her many years in this world.
- Fearonuh also shared her picks for her Executive Committee:
- Vice President: Metatronia
- Master of Coin (Treasurer): Bartholomew Glockenspiel
- Master of Arms: Bruce
- Master of Recruitment: Pyper Runecut
- Davil wished them the best and recommended that they call a chapter meeting soon, before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
- After a slightly tense conversation with Kaevja Cynavern and Agorn Fuoco, they made plans to call a chapter meeting three nights from then. Then the party left for Trollskull Alley.
A Restless Night for Fearonuh
- As Fearonuh slept, she dreamt that she stood atop a lonely mountain summit—biting wind, snow-covered.
- Above her, she heard the call of an eagle and saw the same one-eyed golden eagle she had dreamt of before. Then, a shimmering portal ripped opened in the sky like a wound through time.
- Through it, the first Orcs emerged—lean and wide-eyed, wrapped in crude furs and desperation. They did not charge. They walked. Burdened. Quiet. Parents carried sleeping children. Elders leaned on staffs of bone and horn. Refugees, not warriors. Their leader carried an impressive double headed axe, something about it reminded her of the relic she had found under the Overseer's arena.
- Fearonuh watched in silence as the leader leads them down the mountain slopes and disappeared into Toril.
- The portal sealed. The wind returned.
- Then the dream shifted, and Fearonuh now found herself standing in a vast, starlit void—silent, cold, and timeless.
- Out of the darkness a figure coalesced before her. It was tall and robed, but its form is made of shifting starlight, as if constellations were poured into the shape of a sage. It had no face, and yet she felt its gaze.
- The figure spoke to her: “Fearonuh, it is my calling to guide people like you, to awaken their true power. I wish to help you lead the Zhentarim and perhaps even the orcs. Will you come with me?” The future extended a hand towards Fearonuh.
- Fearnonuh reached out and grabbed the figure’s hand, and she felt the dream shift yet again…
A Morning with Ziraj
- The next morning the party members work up and began their day, only to realize that Fearnouh was missing. They searched her room and found no signs of struggle, only a note in her handwriting. The note said she needed to clear her head before the Zhentarim election, and that she was going to be gone for two days. Some party members were a bit suspicious nonetheless.
- Then they were greeted by Ziraj the Hunter, who divulged that he had been spying on the party during the night and saw a figure appear in her room, standing over her bed. He said he had been spying on them because he still wasn’t sure if they were working with the drow. He also told the party he had been thinking about Davil’s mysterious appearance the night before and that it just “didn't feel right.” Ziraj had been in an adventuring group called the Doom Raiders with Davil and knew him quite well. Ziraj said he didn’t think that was the real Davil. With some good insight checks the party could tell that Ziraj was telling the truth.
- The party was concerned for Fearonuh’s safety and they discussed going to snoop around Yellowspire, an old tower that Jaraxle had told them had been Urstul’s base of operations.
- Vonna didn't think going to Yellowspire was a good idea with tensions with the Zhents still quite high and the prospect of the Lost and Found taking over leadership of the Zhents just a few days away. Vonna had also received a letter from her adoptive father, High Priest Hykros Allumen, inviting her to the Halls of Justice. They hadn’t spoken in over two years. He said he wanted to congratulate her personally on taking out the Overseer and that they had much to discuss. Vonna opted to go see Hykros instead of joining the party at Yellowspire.
Yellowspire
- The party arrived to see that Yellowspire was a run-down looking two story tower with a thatched roof. However it was quite defensible with no windows on the ground floor, only one door, and only arrow-slit sized windows on the second floor. They saw no guards posted outside.
- They knocked on the door and a guard opened a peephole and spoke with them. He said they couldn’t come in, that it wasn’t a good time. After a bit of prodding, he agreed to let only Ziraj in. He was more trusted by the Zhents, having been in a leadership position as part of Davil Starsong's executive committee.
- The party made a plan to have Ziraj attempt to go inside with Bartholomew's familiar Ruffles tucked inside his armor. That way, Bart could see and hear through Ruffles.
- This plan worked and Ziraj was welcomed inside. He was brought upstairs where Agorn Fuoco and some other Zhents were in the process of torturing a captive male Drow. The party was immediately concerned that the drow would divulge they were working with Jarlaxle, but it seemed like he hadn’t cracked yet.
- Next, the party hatched a masterful plan to help the drow escape, but without getting their hands dirty. First, Bartholomew Glockenspiel and Pyper Runecut turned invisible using magic. Then TMM05 pretended to malfunction and began ramming against the outside of the tower. The guards came outside to investigate and Pyper and Bart slipped inside. The guards started bashing TMM05 with their maces.
- Bart and Pyper went upstairs and cast fog cloud, obscuring the entire room where the torture was taking place. The drow was able to slip his bindings in the confusion and cast levitate on himself. He floated up to the roof were he got a helping hand from Bruce, who had scaled the tower. Bruce pulled him up through the thatching and told him to meet them back at the Lost and Found Tavern. The drow escaped unseen, scampering across the rooftops. Bart misty stepped out through one of the arrow-slits while Pyper calmly walked back outside, remaining undetected while invisible.
- Meanwhile, Ziraj, the guards, and Agorn realized the drow had escaped and they all ran outside. They saw the commotion with TMM05 and joined in attacking it. Ziraj used Command to have TMM05 run away and then grovel. At this point TMM05 pretended to be done with his malfunction.
- The Zhents were a bit suspicious of the whole situation, but Metatronia was very convincing in explaining the TMM05 malfunction and that seemed to placate Agorn. Metatronia offered to help inspect the foundations to ensure no major damage had been done and asked to see the basement.
- Agorn showed them the basement which was fairly small and nondescript except for a locked door that he refused to let them inside. He said that only members of the executive committee were allowed inside, and that they’d be able to go in soon enough, if the upcoming election went their way. Metatronia decided not to push the issue further and the party was about to leave Yellowspire…
- TO BE CONTINUED…