Session 47

The fight outside the warehouse is over.  As everyone starts to look around and regroup you hear shouted orders and multiple footsteps approaching.  Young Kiki races up, and apologies that she couldn't get ahead of Carlos.  She also warns you that the town guard are on their way.  She vanishes as the guards arrive shouting for everyone to lay down their weapons.  Between Quincey, Jeb and Clementine you manage to persuade the guard captain (Cpt Ford) to stand down.  He checks out the warehouse and Jeb gives him a few bottles of good wine as "thanks" for his assistance. He says he'll send someone to take away the bodies shortly.  Before that happens though, you search them.  Kora's Staff of Thunder and Lightning is found, and Iggy takes it.  She is also wearing a necklace - which Garlan identifies as being from the Thieves Guild of Waterdeep.  Tyr is wearing a ring that Artieryos recognises as being from a royal elven house that was almost wiped out about 300 years ago. Rumours abound that the youngest son of the family escaped.  Carlos too, was wearing a ring - which Jeb recognised as identical to one his father always wore.

About this time Arabella emerges from the warehouse. Clementine is puzzled because the place was empty.  Arabella reveals that there are secret tunnels connecting the warehouse and the Alderidge home.  She takes a look at the ring Carlos was wearing and identifies it as one of a pair that Lorenzo and Cornelius had made to celebrate their friendship.  Jeb breaks the news to Arabella that he didn't frame Blaize Renham as she had suggested, and she is a little unhappy - wondering what her new role might be.  Clementine insists that Daria join the conversation, and Daria indicates she would be happy to have Arabella to mentor her as she takes control of the Trenzuli empire.  Jeb suggests that their might be an opening for Arabella to work with Ruprecht as well.

Everyone retreats into the warehouse for a restorative drink, and Arty suggests cracking open one of the bottles of Fey wine.  It is the best wine any of you have ever tasted.  Clementine has worked out the value of the smugglers consignment and pays you out, less her 20% commission.  Jeb uses the rest to re-summon his Imp. Arty decides that he would like to visit the House of Knowledge to see if he can find out any more about the ring Tyr was wearing.

The rest of the party decides it's time to check out the Trenzuli mansion.  Quincey and Zatha take the front door, while Garlan, Iggy and Jeb investigate the secret tunnel.  On the way Iggy seeks help from the Potioneer's Guild for the side-effect of the potion that has him convinced that the sky is falling.  Bevel tells him he needs a level 5 Greater Restoration spell, but that Rem can supply a tea that will temporarily alleviated the symptoms.

Quincey and Zatha arrive at the mansion and knock - but there is no answer.  They break down the door and begin exploring.  In the lounge room a portrait of Lorenzo Trenzuli over the fire-place attacks them as they enter the room.  Meanwhile the rest of the party find the hidden door and enter the tunnel.  The reach a door that has an Arcane Lock Spell on it, which Garlan knows must be opened with a password.  Looking at Lorenzo's ring, Jeb sees that the name of the original gang that Lorenzo and Cornelius ran with - the Penny Pinchers - is carved inside.  He speaks the words, and the door opens into a cellar. 

There is little to see in the cellar, although a concealed door at the foot of the stairs resists all efforts to open it.  Leaving it for now they continue up into the house - meeting up with Quincey and Zatha on the ground floor.  The efforts of the group manage to disable the painting, and you search the room - finding a few valuable ornament.  Heading upstairs you locate Carlos' study - protected by another living portrait - this one of Carlos.  It manages to cast Crown of Madness on Zatha, forcing her to attack Jeb, but it is quickly destroyed.  On the desk is a letter from Carlos to Erodh Falvaul in Luskan indicating that he planned to take over the Alderidge Merchantile Company.  Garlan opens the trapped chest and finds the money that was to pay the smugglers (1000 PP), as well a a scroll of Icy Reflex and the ledger of the Velvet Glove. 

Heading back downstairs the party has one last attempt to open the concealed door in the cellar.  This time they succeed - releasing the Gelatinous Cube behind it.  Once triggered, the one on the other side of the secret door also drops down.  You manage to deal with them both, and Jeb gets the final killing blow.

Back at the Silver Sword Jeb finds his patron Zaburra waiting in his room. The Gulthias tree is cowering from her and she offers to take care of it.  When Jeb accepts she kills it with a wave of her hand.   Jeb knows it is highly unusual for Zaburra to leave the Nine Hells.  She explains that she needs him to go undercover in Glasya's legal bureaucracy.  They believe there is a mole there, working for Levistus, and is that is so they are all in peril.  Jeb will go in as a new lawyer and attempt to ferret out the mole. Jeb will be based in Malbolge - the 6th level of Hell, Glasya's domain.  As one of Glasya's minions he is responsible for writing contracts to entrap souls - especially the souls of the good. On occasion he will be expected to venture out into the world to verify a particular piece of information. She can't say when he'll be back, and she offers him the chance to say farewell to his family and friends.  Instead he writes a brief note saying he had to run and leaving 200GP to be forwarded to Halia Thornton in Phandalin.

When he is ready to go Zaburra steps forward saying: "There is one thing I'm afraid I failed to mention.  In order to work in hell you cannot be mortal."   She reaches out and stops Jeb's heart, then with a whisk of her hand she takes him with her to Hell.