The Dread of Ghosts and Investors (City of Splendors #4 Part 2)

Well, I don’t know about you but I had a busy day, and it started before the sun even rose. Ristrien took first watch and I took the second. Flynn took over for me, but try as I might, I could not fall comfortably back to sleep. Soon a chill came over me, and then I realized the whole room had gone very cold. It took my drowsy mind some time, but I eventually recognized the environmental cue of our ghostly tenant.
 
I looked up just to see Flynn fly across the room and slam into the wall. Something was choking him. Flynn quickly broke the invisible hands holding him, no sooner had he done so, stools flung about and tables clattered to the floor in quick succession. By then naturally everyone in the room awoke.
 
Nettie put her hands on her hips. "I just fixed those. Can we talk?”
 
The tables kept falling so I said in the best imitation of my father’s voice, "use your words."
 
There was a moment of stillness and then a scream in my ear. "Begone from this place!"
 
"Why not?” Nettie asked. “Don't you want friends?”
 
Then Leaf was gone. Neither Flynn nor I could properly sleep after that. We began the morning exhausted. Pete though, as he was enthusiastic to tell us, slept well and had very good dreams.
 
When I said, "I'm glad" I may have put a little more vitriol than I intended. He did not improve my mood by explaining a plan so stupid, I will not taint your ears by recounting it. It probably isn’t that bad, but I was not in the most tranquil of mindsets and that does paint one's perception. He then was speaking of his god’s glory and I reminded him that “not all gods are good.” He agreed, immediately singling out Bhaal. I don’t know who this Bhaal is, but if Pete thinks he’s bad news I shall take him at his word.
 
Our first order of business was to visit Undermountain Enterprises. Volo said Tobias knew Jaharna, the original owner, so we decided to talk to him.
 
The clerk said that Tobias was not there right then, but he gave us a magic handmirror to talk to him. Flynn held it in front of us and said Tobias' name. By the way, upon asking, the clerk said Tobias was an Ambassador for Clan Melairkyn, so Flynn calls him Ambassador Tobias now. I found that funny.
 
Flynn was admiring his reflection when Tobias' white mutton chops bloomed into view, giving Flynn a brief fright. Tobias giggled at that. "That's my favorite part."
 
Apparently, he was in a Dwarven Temple, half a mile under the city. Even though he wasn't present in the flesh, Nettie showed him the “Armwarming gift” she made him, a present she also enthusiastically showed to the clerk before the call. It was a long knitted mitten to cover his whole bare arm. She worried that he got cold. He seemed...touched by the gesture. Nettie also said she could a knit matching scarf. Such a thoughtful person. Anyway, onto more relevant things.
 
Apparently, he was talking to Jaharna about us. She said she would drop by when she had a chance, but in the meantime, she told him some interesting facts.
 
About 70 years ago, she owned it, then she sold it to a family of dwarves, who then fell on hard times, and sold it to an old lady who turned it into an orphanage. It turned out that she was actually a hag who was eating the kids. City watch caught on, and got the help of the Order of Protectors and Mages to destroy her.
 
Leaf the Bartender owned it afterwards, and perhaps her spirit still lingers, or she buried the children in the house and their spirits still linger, but eventually something drove Leaf to madness and suicide. And Leaf definitely still lingers. Someone asked if we should burn it to the ground, and perhaps I bristled a little too much at the idea. I said very firmly, “Do not set fire to my property.”
 
Tobias’ advice was straightforward. Stop trying to communicate with him, and shock the ghost full of arcane, and magic weapons. He demonstrated by showing us his short sword on fire and his frost short sword. He was baffled at our hesitancy to destroy him. "Aren't you adventurers?" he exclaimed.
 
"No,” I replied bluntly. “I’m just a chef.”
 
"You are not just a chef," he said with a scoff.
 
"Why do people keep saying that!” I cried. “Rishaal said the same thing. I am a cook!"
 
Tobias gave me a peculiar look. It is difficult to describe that knowing expression. "You're not just that.”
 
I did not know how to argue with his tone.
 
We left his shop to plan in the street in case Leaf would listen in while at home. We decided to take Tobias’ advice. We went to our tavern with new resolve, and so, we began. Nettie and I sang working songs as she mended and I cleaned. Don’t laugh. I can hold a tune, mostly. Pete’s singing was something to behold though. He made up many ghost taunting titties. Then he sang that he was a better bartender than anyone in the building. Naturally, that’s what got Leaf to punch Pete.
 
The room grew cold and Nettie cast her spell “faerie fire”. It made all our outlines light with a blue glow, including a once invisible male figure with bartender clothes.
 
"Hello Leaf,” Nettie chirped, “how you doing, boy? We wanted to talk to you"
 
Ristrien added, "You've been naughty, so you're about to be checked out." Ristrien’s librarian jokes will always make me laugh.
 
Leaf’s response: "Leave, leave, leave."
 
"Why do you want us to leave?” Nettie asked. “Are you trying to protect us?"
 
He only gave her a crazy look and swung a wild punch that thankfully, due to her stature, missed. Flynn swung at him with more success, but I will note that the blade seemed to slow before it landed, weakening the effect. I dare say Tobias was right. Normal weapons have less effect on the undead.
 
Nettie got me excited by talking about my culinary future, but I still missed with my ray of frost. Yeah, we must be traditional afterall. Ristrien missed with her purple stamp as well, but Nettie encouraged her to not lose heart.
 
Pete then said, rather sternly, "I want to make something clear. You are not getting any tit tonight." He summoned his spectral rat claw and grabbed at him. It dug in and it almost seemed like he was pulling Leaf back to the grave. Leaf tried to retaliate, but the claw unsteadied him, and he missed Pete.
 
Flynn yet again did not miss his mark, and then neither did I! My ray of frost actually hit something! The Ristrien’s stamp hit hard right after that and Nettie inspired Pete to do his claw thing again. Flynn hit again. Leaf missed again. He was too busy muttering in that terrifying voice, "Closing time. Closing time."
 
I blasted him with frost. The last time I hit I could not be sure if I was doing much damage, but with a clearer view, I’ve realized that my blows were having about as much effect as Flynn’s sword. Note to self: common steel and frost are not the most effective ghost murdering methods. Even so, I still hit him with enough that he faded, murmuring a final "get out" as he left this world.
 
I am inclined to feel sorry for the poor man. He was driven mad by forces beyond his control and it seems like he was trying to warn us of those forces. I suppose we must deal with those when they manifest themselves.
 
Pete was not so wary. He sang a song of our triumph so magnificent that I briefly wondered if he had bardic powers as well as his apparent clerical power.
 
Pete announced to the street that the ghost was dead. The kids arrived with Squiddly complaining at how Janks snored. They asked if we dealt with the ghost, which we of course said that yes, we did kill it, but that our troubles may not be over. Pete told them of the hag, miming eating children and all. Janks naturally was shocked. We told them to tell us if they hear anything that could help us or even just interesting.
 
It was about then that Flynn and I took a nap. We were both exhausted from the unpleasantness from the night before. While we were out, everyone else took the kids out to lunch. They brought back sandwiches for me with warm bread, meat and cheese. Nettie was kind enough to describe the bakery in animated detail. However, when I asked her for specifics of the location and the name of the meal on the menu, she sheepishly said she couldn’t recall. I was forced to only take notes on the flavor. I’ll fill in the location details once I find this establishment. Frustrating, but I can’t fault them for not taking notice. It’s not their life’s work and it was thoughtful of them to bring anything at all. I’m just glad this business isn’t close. The nearest tavern is like six streets over. It’s wonderful.
 
While we ate, Pete told the story of our fight to kids. They were mesmerized. When Janks signed a translation, Nat admitted that she spied magic through the windows during our fight.
 
Eventually, a fancy carriage pulled up in front of our manor. Out came Renaer and Mirt who turned out to be a dashing mustached fat man. The kids were still there, but they stayed quiet. Even Squiddly was cowed into silence and he, as I have discovered, is a rather talkative kid.
 
Mirt gave himself a self guided tour. We pointed out some of the problems, told him that “we gave Leaf a termination of service", and told him the fees we knew about, as well the ones we anticipated.
 
He was notably unintimidated by our numbers. He literally said, “That’s it?” In the end, he gave us a quest. Since we pressed, we know that if we fail to complete it the interest is 3.5%. Not bad. And what is the task I hear you ask?
 
Well, he apparently left the city for some time, and while his house was vacant, a minorly magical unicorn statue—that he received from a friend—was stolen off its premises. Through divination, he pinpointed its location as somewhere in Blue Alley, a hard to find blue cobbled road. It’s an enchanted place. The people who venture down it either come out with stories or not at all. Mirt said that it was made by a wizard as a training course or something. In any case, lost things in Waterdeep tend to end up there. Seems like a rather hardcore lost and found policy to me, but this city is nothing if not dramatic. Mirt needs his statue returned, and if we do, he will give us 1300 dragons.
 
Pete asked if you were required to be a virgin to carry the unicorn statue. Flynn naturally said he should stay far away if so. Honestly, based on the quiet, I don’t think any of us are virgins. I jokingly wondered if long term abstinence counted. In any case, Mirt assured that our purity was required.
 
We thanked this Mirt and then he left. What followed was much discussion. Nettie didn’t “feel good about it.” She was concerned that Mirt was trying to trick us into breaking the rules. She is a good follower of the rules and doesn’t want to accidentally steal something unlawfully. As a fellow believer in law, I sympathize with her concern, but I don’t share it. I don’t know. I just think Mirt has an honest face. Ristrien was also unconcerned, citing that she preferred spirit rather than letter when it came to law. She kindly gave me some background on Mirt.
 
Mirt is a former partner of Durnan in their Undermountain expedition (that explains the obscene wealth). While Durnan reacquired the Yawning Portal, Mirt built a spectacular mansion. He was a former Masked Lord who did a terrible job at hiding it or something, because everyone knows at this point. He’s not one now though. He left Waterdeep, abandoning his mansion for so long it was given Silverhand. Mirt returned recently, but he did not reclaim his house. Silverhand and him are friends. There was an attempted coup last year and Mirt took the house of the masked Lord who instigated it instead.
 
Even with all this, we agreed that we needed more information, so Ristrien and I went back to the Tower of the Order. I know, third time in four days. I’m really making up for lost time, aren’t I? We did research on Mirt, his statue and this Blue Alley. This is what we came up with:
 
Mirt is a collector of fine arts. The unicorn statue was a part of his collection. It’s enchanted, but that’s apparently common for art pieces. It was likely stolen by the Blue Alley itself. How you ask?
 
Well, apparently it was built by a reclusive, possibly evil wizard long ago to amuse himself with the people attempting to reach the riches within and usually dying. It’s been a sort of early challenge for adventurers. The creator himself may or may not still be dead, but it still functions autonomously by stocking itself with treasure stolen from wealthy houses, constantly changing its traps, and removing the corpses of the adventurers that fall to its tricks. It’s assumed that it’s kept up through magic, however some theorize its maintained by bored wizards and nobles who watch and gamble on the outcome of those who attempt it. How charming. It’s off Ivory street in Sea ward. The street has no official name, called only Blue Alley for its blue cobble slag stone surface. As the traps change, there is no real way to prepare for it, so we returned to our manor with less knowledge then we wished.
 
Once back, we got an update. Nettie went to visit her room in the Yawning Portal, while Flynn and Pete watched the kids. I’m told Squiddly repeated the question Janks asked the day before to Pete “Are you a wizard?”
 
To which he replied that he was “a representative of the god Ratikins.” I’m starting to wonder what that actually means. Is he a cleric, an avatar, or what? It remains puzzling.
 
Pete eventually left Flynn to watch the kids, so he could go to the establishment down the street. You know, the one that...concerned me. The sign out front now says "Froon's Breweries" and Pete tells me it had a human proprietor along with some other unnotable employees. I relax, but I still find myself wary. It was not in use a couple of days ago. It only began its business right after we moved in. Coincidence? Probably, but it still gives me pause.
 
There is more for me to fret about in the meantime. Flynn gave the kids a tour of the lower tavern and he heard three children footsteps from upstairs, meaning the ghosts are not dealt with; the hag’s victims are still lingering, and Leaf really was trying to warn us.
 
So, yeah. I hope to write tomorrow, but between ghosts and Blue Alleys and… you know, other more expected happenstances, I can never promise I will. We’ll see.