Doing Right the Wrong Way (City of Splendors #7)

Zloton,
 
Well, I’ve had a busy day, and it likely is about to get busier. Due to last night’s...antics, I slept late. I was the last to go downstairs, shambling from the privy down to the kitchen where I found everyone along with Jenks, Squiddly and Nat, waiting for me. They had brought their score of dubious food, so that I could flavor it into something more passable.
 
I, of course, did so with gusto, and as we dined, Jenks seemed fascinated by the process. He asked if it was transmutation. I was impressed he recognized the distinction. I wonder if he wants to pursue wizardry as a career. I suspect he may have the drive for it. Anyway, in the moment, he wanted to know if I changed the quality of the food. I had to break it to him that regrettably, I could only make dubious food taste better, not actually improve their nutritional value.
 
Besides food, the kids also brought something else: a copy of the Dove Crier. It was an issue from the 17th, so a couple of days ago, but it was about how we had saved Renear (and Floon, though they only referred to him as a ‘hapless nobody’). They reported some basic facts about the adventure—that Volo and gang violence was involved, but thankfully, they did not deem it important to report about particulars concerning us. Mentioning me in a paper could have obvious consequences. There are only seven or so Thymari in the city after all, and someone we could name could connect the dots.
 
Now that our child eating tenant has vacated the premises, we more extensively discussed living arrangements. Pete of course has claimed the cellar from the very beginning. Flynn took what once was the master bedroom unsurprisingly. Nettie took the tower which has a window that allows her to wave to Ristrien who naturally took what once was the library.
 
I chose the room above the kitchen, for obvious reasons.
 
We were discussing what we needed for my cooking (pots and pans and the like) when a courier arrived.
 
With a letter from Mirt.
 
You would admire it, I think. It was a threat worded like surrender, a bribe written like shrewd business. He claimed that he had given up, that we were smarter than he thought, he said he’d give us 2000 dragons, not as a loan, but as straight payment, and would drop any further hostilities.
 
I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about that letter. It might not be in draconian, but it reads like the letter sent to my father after the devils trampled through the family’s property. Different city, same carrion birds.
 
A wave of helplessness came over me. The feeling is an old friend of mine, I know. But...but, all I could think was what was the point of fighting this. We don't have anyway to restore the unicorn, and no way to prevent Mirt from taking it by force. We don't even know if the unicorn is *real*.
 
With that said, as Nettie pointed out, the fact that he’s willing to negotiate implies that he won’t steal it, but it also implies he doesn’t want it to go to trial. That makes her suspect that there really is something criminal going on.
 
I have a confession that will delight you: I was tempted. I've already sacrificed everything to spare the Gethmara from this sort of corruption. Why should I be called upon to do it again? I just want to spend what little time you've given me doing what I love, doing what I came here to do. And those dragons could allow me to see my vision realized in time. It felt like being given one chance to make a different choice. “Have you learned from the past?” the universe asked me, and I am forced to reply:
 
“No.”
 
In the end, I am who I am. As much as I want to complete my mission before I'm gone, I will complete it as myself or not at all. And if I was cowed by investors hiding behind corruption and wealth into selling a living thing, I would be no better than those who turned a blind eye to what was done to my family.
 
I'm sorry, Zloton. That is not me.
 
Pete was dead set against giving him the statue from the beginning. Nettie joined his stance and I was with them by the time Pete said to her, "we underwearless people have to stick together.” (no, I’m not explaining it).
 
Once we all agreed to that, the next thing we agreed was that we needed to act before the 24 hour deadline was reached. We considered going to a magistrate, but first we needed to check if our letter to Laeral Silverhand went through, as she is still is our best bet.
 
So we decided to go first to Algeroon and to take the statue with us, which meant we had to conceal the statue during the trip.
 
It's...hard to justify what followed, but Nettie said she wanted to ride the disguised unicorn, and one thing led to another...well, none of us had the power to animate the unicorn in motion, and Nettie really seemed taken with the idea…anyway, I told her we could put the statue on my disc, she could sit on it as Ristrien disguised it as a statue of a majestic black horse. Then, we decided to use the opportunity to promote the restaurant, and everything spiralled
 
As the disc following me is part of the limitations of the spell, I led our...parade. I stepped out onto the street, and for the first time in years, I wasn't being stared at.
 
Thirty feet back, Pete, who magically disguised himself as the hag, was being prodded by Flynn with a sword. Heidi sat astride a black horse with flowing water for a flowing mane (courtesy of me). She sang of the hag's defeat and our restaurant and whatever else she could think of. A curtain hung from the statue's concealed horn that acted as a banner—a banner with a message that changed every time Ristrien had to reset the illusion. Things like
 
“The Holey Hag! Coming soon to Trollskull Manor!”
 
We killed the hag, so that you can drink a flag-gon”
 
“Holey Hag; I don't get paid enough for this.”
 
The weird thing was we came up with this plan basically without input from Pete. I'd argue me and Nettie were the primary instigators.
 
No, Zloton, I haven't gone mad. I would not give you that satisfaction.
 
It was an excellent marketing ploy and we had kept the statue safe in a refuge of audacity. Every face in the street was turned to gawk. We passed beggars to merchants to Flynn’s family mansion. *Everyone* knows the restaurant is coming.
 
Nat had told us Mirt had child spies, and I confess I take wicked amusement in imagining the children trying to explain this to him.
 
Perhaps the fear of the hag had turned us giddy, but we had the energy of a carnival. While on that subject, I saw quite a few flyers advertising a carnival that had just come to town. People ignored their signs when we showed up. I hope we didn't steal their thunder with our dramatics.
 
We approached the tower like the day before, but for once I used my membership to let us in. I was ahead of our procession for one. Ristrien had brought up the rear and it would have been inconvenient for her to change her position. But more than that, Ristrien did not look enthused to being seen as responsible for us in that moment.
 
After all, the wizards were on a whole less impressed with our float than the common men of the streets. I could make out mentors critiquing our technique. As I am only a dabbler, such criticism washed over me, but Ristrien was annoyed by such judgement. She gave plenty a gesture I have seen used as a symbol of disrespect and contempt. I heard another mentor be quick to point out to his apprentice that it was not required for the somatic component of her illusion spell.
 
Eventually, although it took many more hours than it would otherwise have, we made it to Algeroon's office.
 
Carina was there as always. I remembered that strange planes were her speciality, so I brought up Ristrien’s theory about demiplanes and our building being on a nexus. It interested her, but it was clear she was taken aback by my interest. Makes sense, I suppose. I can't imagine many are interested in creating a demiplane exclusively to make an aquarium room for a prospective restaurant.
 
In any case, it wasn't the purpose of our visit, so we put further discussion of it on hold. I hope I get to continue it.
 
We updated Algeroon on the situation, but he had no news. The letter he sent had no response. We stressed that we had 18 or so hours left, and that we needed to see Silverhand now.
 
That meant we had to go to Silverhand directly as a traditional petitioner. The line however, is endless and even if we waited eighteen hours straight, chances are slim of getting in. However, having letters from significant people might get us pushed further up the line.
 
So, who important do we know?
 
Volo of course, but this is one of those times that wouldn't be useful.
As the paper reminded us, we know Renear, that's significant. Flynn has his father. That's two. It's not much. But it's something.
 
So we split up. We left the statue with Algeroon. He said he didn't mind so long as it was only for a few hours.
 
Flynn went to his family's manor; he felt like it would be best to have that conversation alone. Pete went to investigate "something fishy" and the rest of us went to find Renear.
 
We laid out the facts before Renear. Nettie did the talking, stressing our concern over our desire to do the right thing.
 
Renear said the Blackstaff might have the power to restore the unicorn statue, but he has reason to believe that the Blackstaff, for whatever reason, is on bad terms with Silverhand. He said that he was willing to ask her if she was able to restore the unicorn, but implied that she would not be helpful politically. Odd, I know.
 
Renear cheerfully gave us the letter, along with some additional information. Jalister Silvermane is some sort of clerk that works at the palace. Renear said asking for his name and talking to him would be way more effective at getting us inside compared to actually asking for Silverhand.
 
He brought up something else. It's unrelated to this business, but it may be important later. Renear wears a Locket with a picture of his mother. It's missing a black pearl which he thinks he may have lost during his abduction. He was hoping we had seen it. None of us remember such thing, but I intend to look out for it.
 
We returned to the Algeroon's office and met up with Flynn. He had gotten his father to write the letter although not without some dressing down. Apparently both his father and his older brother saw our little parade. He naturally avoided details, but bottom line: his father said that he was forbidden from wearing the family crest while making such a scene in the future. Probably understandable.
 
Pete showed up eventually, with an interesting explanation for where he had been. During our earlier procession, he noticed several friends on the street missing from their usual places on the street. He and the Baron made separate investigations, apparently, and although his own efforts proved unsuccessful, the Baron found out from other rats that people had been abducted off the street.
 
A cold pit formed in my stomach. The obvious answer is that it’s related to the increased gang violence, but I could not help but dread. I know it’s silly. I mean...really. What *are* the chances that both mysterious citywide abductions that I end up investigating lead to cult sacrifice? That’s just...implausible. In any case, it warrants further scrutiny. The result cannot end up worse than how my last one ended.
 
But one should always deal with their creditors before they get too carried away. We retrieved the statue and concealed it as we travelled to what they call Piergeiron’s Palace. It’s pressed up against Mt. Waterdeep, a majestic view of white walls and blue roofs.
 
It was official and imposing, but Renear was right. Asking for Jalister Silvermane turned out to be the correct way. He was far more receptive to our pleas and show of letters than the normal man at the gate.
 
He led us to this parlor? Waiting room? I'm not sure, but it's been a little while here. I've passed the time writing this and...oh. That's him coming back. I hope to fill you in soon.
 
 
Zloton,
 
I think I may fall in love with this city. Here I’ve been snidely comparing Waterdeep to what was once our home, and yes, it is similar. Yes, it has carrion birds and the poor souls who they feed from, but here, so unlike Djerad Thymar, decency can be rewarded.
 
We went before Laeral Silverhand and I can see why Algeroon reveres her. She *is* an imposing woman, but she listened to Nettie attentively. Nettie, by the way, should be praised for her speech. She concisely and eloquently expressed the sincerity in which we all approached this issue. I could not have spoken for our case any better.
 
Silverhand was hard to read. She listened to our explanation with a politician’s neutrality, and when Nettie had finished, there was a brief silence where I truly could not tell you what she would do.
 
Then she spoke to the room: “You were right about them," and out of the Open Lord’s *closet* emerged Mirt.
 
I silently panicked and Nettie voiced my protest, “But the unicorn’s alive!”
 
“It isn’t,” Silverhand replied, “although it is very well enchanted to act like it.” Only then did it become apparent that this all had been a test by Silverhand, proctored by Mirt. I take it not many in adventuring business would have remained so committed to helping a statue, even amidst threats and bribes. Then again, as I would happily point out: we aren’t really in the adventuring business—we’re in the restauranteering business.
 
It is hard to adequately describe my relief, *all* our relief. Nettie *hugged* Mirt. “You’re not an asshole?!” Pete exclaimed to which Mirt replied, in good humor: “no one said that.”
 
I felt so certain that I was about to spend the rest of my life warding off a vengeful investor and guild debt that to suddenly have that weight lifted is a euphoric sensation. To think that my moral code is not getting in my way of my life, but in fact is the reason why I, why *we* are being chosen? It almost makes you believe in noble gods.
 
Don’t worry, Zloton. I’m not becoming my sister.
 
You are probably wondering though: what mission is the Open Lord of Waterdeep recruiting us for that required such an elaborate character test?
 
Well, I’m still processing *that* information so I’ll be more comprehensive a little later, when I’ve fully wrapped my head around it. Hopefully, I can write soon.