Janky, examining down the unbarricaded hallway south from the duergar and brawler room, makes out a half orc with a clenched fist of fire standing threateningly atop a redhead. No redhead should be so treated, and the party rushes to the rescue. But half-orc Grum’shar is only half of the problem when the party encounters a mind flayer attempting to enthrall Smoll on his way out of the room and into an escape portal he activates by placing a stone eye into the pedestal set into a 10 spoke eye carving on the floor. The third half of the problem is the mind flayer’s pet brain-dog devourer who stuns Reade into profound ignorance. Putting down the brain-dog does nothing to enlighten Reade. After slaying Grum’shar next, the party meets liberated Floon who confirms their current understanding of a kidnapping botched by mistaken identity.
Exploration of the area reveals a privy occupied by grey ooze; Grun’shar’s fanny pack containing an orcish spellbook; a chest of two healing potions, 16 gp, 82 sp, 250 cp; the stone eye which deactivates the portal when Luth takes it off the pedestal; and a secret door in the back of one cell which takes the party through a brief, yet filthy, earthen tunnel into a basement storeroom being guarded by giant rat Roscoe of the Shard Shunners. The party leaves by way of the hostel above and out into the street of spices.
Floon is returned to a grateful yet suddenly impoverished Volo who compensates the party with a quitclaim deed to Troll Skull Manor. The manor is a money pit but has a lot of potential as a tavern in the tavern desert that is Troll Skull Alley. Before their dreams as tavern proprietors can be realized, the party will prevail upon a growing Rolodex of local characters to attract work on the merit of their reputation as problem solvers.
When Reade and friends are summoned to Black Staff Tower by sending spell, it seems as though leader Vajra Safahar of the private army Gray Hands aka Force Gray might eventually offer some paying security work IF the applicants can pass a test of locating Hlam, a cave hermit of Mountwater Deep, to inquire as to any threats on the city.
- Roscoe, the giant rat who guards a storeroom under a halfling hostel on Spice Street, is a contact for the Shard Shunners, although they might only accept other giant rats as permanent members.
- Fala Lefaliir is proprietor of Corellon’s Crown, an apothecary / herbalist source.
- Vincent Trench is proprietor of Tiger’s Eye, a private investigator whom Janky has befriended.
- Tally is proprietor of Bent Nail, a source for wooden furniture, bows, shields, staves, and like that.
- A pair of genasi are proprietors of Steam and Steel, metalworks.
- Dragonborn Rishaw is proprietor of Bookworm’s Treasure, a bookstore. Rishaw may also be available for translations.
- By Raynar’s reference, someone named Mirt has arranged opera tickets for this evening at Lightsinger Theater in the Sea Ward which might prelude a business meeting in private box C during intermission. Or, in the worst case, could just be opera.
- A white cat has discretely invited Togy to join the Emerald Enclave at Phaulkonmere in the Southern Ward.