Defiance in Phlan - Quest 4 Report - A Shocking Adventure

General Summary

The Tea Kettle is crowded this evening, as the Evenfeast meal has brought many hungry patrons. A young halfling woman called Blaizette, obviously one of Freona’s daughters, wears a blue kerchief and acts as your server for the meal. She manages to keep a smile despite the busy night.   Whilst the party are waiting for their meal Blaizette approaches the table with a well-dressed halfling. "Really sorry to disturb you all" she says, "We're so busy tonight that we have no spare seat for this gentleman, would you mind if he shares with you?". The party graciously allow the halfling chap to sit down at their table. Introductions are just under way when a large half-orc dressed in a green cloak and brown leathers pulls up a chair and smiles a toothy smile at you.   “Just act normal,” he says through clenched teeth, “But listen closely.... Everyone’s life might be in danger. My name is Buhrell Caah. I represent the Emerald Enclave, a group that watches over the happenings in Phlan and beyond. I was just told by an associate that a potentially devastating magical object was brought into the Tea Kettle. We don’t know what it looks like or who has it, but I need your help in finding it. Could you split up and talk to anyone who looks suspicious, and find out if they are in possession of a powerful item? Do not let anyone know what you are doing, for the possessor of the item might set it off if he or she knows we are aware.”   After making this announcement Buhrell Caah moved over to the bar area to talk with Blaizette.   Looking around the room at this point the party saw many diverse characters;  

• A wild looking elf sat alone with her head down eating - she clearly did not want company.

   

• Two elderly and well-dressed human women sat alone at a large table talking enthusiastically amongst themselves.

   

• At another small table a man sat hunched over a notebook scribbling away furiously.

   

• Three colourfully and unusually dressed halflings sat at a table near the centre of the room.

   

• Alone at a small table near the bar sat an unusual figure for the region, a white scaled dragonborn female.

   

• Lastly, near the gossiping ladies sat a stern looking man and a female dwarf in deep, private conversation.

      The adventurers split up and start making discreet enquiries at the tables.   The conversation between Isaac and the Elven lady did not get off to a good start when he mistook her for a male elf! However, after a while she revealed to him that she was in fact a ranger in the Quivering Forest, and was back at the Tea Kettle having a few days rest. She had an unusual purple-hued bow slung over her back that she was very reluctant to hand over for examination!   Torbella headed to the table with the white-scaled dragonborn female. After exchanging some words in Draconic it became clear that the dragonborn was hiding something and seemed frightened for some reason.   Guisath, known as 'Hatrack' to his friends helped out by speaking with the halflings. They had been reluctant to talk to Torbella but opened up when they saw a fellow halfling. It turned out that Tane, who seemed to be the leader of the three, had some magic dust which created a cloud of smoke on contact with a surface. After several card tricks Hatrack managed to convince them to give him a little dust, as he thought it might come in handy...   Faelian attepted to speak with the man and dwarf but was immediately rebuffed, being told that they were having a private conversation!   Torbella then moved onto the old lady's table. They were called Evie and Esme and were very eager to share information about the other patrons of the Tea Kettle - Torbella found it difficult to get a word in! Evie wore an attractive topaz pendant given to her, she claimed, by her dear mother before her death. The pendant appeared to have a slight magic about it, never tarnishing or losing it's lustre.   Faelian moved on to the table with the lone man scribbling in a notebook. This was the 'famous' half-elven food critic Schuyler, busy writing a rather scathing review of the Tea Kettle. He complained loudly about the overuse of 'safflower' in the cooking. After some flattery he took Faelian under his wing and told of his travels and recommendations for eating establishments and Inns throughout the Forgotten Realms. He also boasted proudly of his special, magical pen that never went blunt or ran out of ink.   Through their deliberations the party came to the conclusion that the man and dwarf must be the source of the dangerous magical items. They made attempts to overhear the conversation going on at that table but due to background noise in the Tea Kettle it was difficult to catch many words.   Hatrack, reading the building tension, deftly passed the magical powder gained from the halflings to Faelian and Faelian prepared to act. As the party coordinated their actions Faelian threw the powder at the table, and as the cloud billowed out Hatrack made a grab for the man's rucksack. In the ensuing struggle the bag fell off the table, expelling a glass orb in the process which smashed on the floor. As the orb smashed on the hard floor, a black dagger-like object hit the floor, sending out a bolt of energy which struck the man at the table, lightning crackling around him and freezing him to the spot as patrons of the Tea Kettle scrambled to avoid a similar fate. As the party stood around stunned, the lightning jumped from the man to Schuyler the food critic, having a similar effect on him and then proceeded to jump on to Surruk, the Wood Elf female. As the lightning struck the Wood Elf, the man who was struck first jerked to his feet and slowly began to make his way out of the Tea Kettle. Hatrack bravely made an attempt to stop him but was thrown back by the field of lightning surrounding the human. The food critic rose and followed him shortly after, followed by the wood elf, the lightning having passed out of the Tea Kettle and onto a dwarf girl wearing a garland of flowers.   Isaac had a brainwave, recognising a link between those who had in some way been in contact with the Quivering Forest, directly or indirectly. The party ran outside and watched the scene unfold. Those who had moved slowly out of the Tea Kettle were forming up into a circle in the town square joined by others who had been struck. Faelian grabbed some flowers from the nearby florist stall and ran into the centre of the square bracing himself.....   The lightning left its last victim and jumped to Faelian. He felt the lightning course through his being but stood his ground, and after a few seconds of intense pain the lightning dispersed into the ground and was gone. The forming circle of victims broke as they all fell to the ground, fortunately all were simply unconscious. As the smoke cleared several party members returned to the Tea Kettle, making sure to grab the human male on the way in. Buhrell congratulated the party on their success in finding the magical artifact. It turned out to be an enchanted blue dragon's tooth. The human merchant, Trett, had bought it from a cloaked band he had met on the road to Phlan, and they had shown him how it could be used to heat metal. He had planned to sell the tooth on to the Ironworker's Guild in Phlan, and the dwarf lady at his table, Yanna Hammerbound, was a high-up member of the guild.   The party were rewarded by Burhell Caah and have now begun to earn a reputation as trustworthy adventurers in Phlan.