Session 11 – The Better Bester

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

The party returns to Kasmyr’s for the night, while Theobald proceeds for a late visit to the arsenal. Orin Vess is still meeting with Commander Elst, and the sorcerer takes this opportunity to request funding for their expedition to Neverwinter. Vess initially objects, pointing out that he has already offered the party support in the form of a loan agreement to take over Amando’s shop, but he soon relents, giving Theobald an immediate fifty guilder subvention.
On the morrow, Theobald, along with Miletus and a rested Enkidu depart. Glitterstem decides to stay behind to work on potion-making with Balint, promising to meet up with the trio at the Flame Pub in the next few days. The trip downriver is uneventful until after lunch, when Enkidu spots a group of more than a dozen armed men, along with two riders, making way along the frozen river. The trio descends and hails the group, which, as it turns out, is led by Alferd Bester. He is leading the group in response to Meerlinda’s distress call, and demands to know who the adventurers are, and where his son is. An initially tense encounter gradually becomes less confrontational as Theobald and Miletus explain how they were used by the Firehands and Amando to deliver the nails, how Amando manipulated the younger Bester, how the latter got himself in trouble with drink, women, and magic, and how the situation was destabilized with the growth of factionalism in the town, the endangerment of trade, and the apparent entry of orcs as a party in the conflict. As the conversation turns to the books the party is carrying, Bester asks to examine them, and finds a previously unnoticed letter in the Zhentar-Common dictionary. Miletus proceeds to read it, as it is written in standard elvish. Addressed from Amando to Esteleth, the letter catches a likely co-conspirator up to date since the party’s arrival in Claymore. Amando voices some concern regarding the fact that the party was not properly briefed, but goes on to say that he has taken to stirring the pot into his own hands, but if the situation gets sticky, he is planning to abscond to the town of Shining, about 40 miles to the north. Miletus states that the information exonerates the party, and makes the White Hands look overconfident.
Bester agrees to have the party accompany his expeditionary force back to Claymore, indicating that more troops should be on the way shortly. After arrival at the Riverside gate toward nightfall, the guards initially refuse him entry, but Meerlinda emerges for a private negotiation, and soon half of the Neverwinter force proceeds inside, to seach the apothecary’s shop. The area is now patrolled by the town’s guards, in case the previous proprietor returns. All seems quiet for the moment. Balint and Glitterstem have succeeded in titrating two potions from the cauldrons left over the apothecary’s fireplace, but Balint offers that he is not sure whether the final product will produce invisibility, since he doesn’t know is the proper ritual. Another study of the herbalism manual by Theobald results in discovery of a strange notation, written in draconic characters but apparently a mix of languages. Theobald tentatively concludes that Amando was likely a sorcerer. Meanwhile, Enkidu catches a quiet evening meal at the Badger. The three turn in for the night at the apothecary’s, while Glitterstem returns to his cousin’s.
The next morning finds Bester at meetings with various local authorities at the Wyrm’s Staff, though a brief conversation with him results in a plan to visit with local elves, to see if they had any contact with Amando during his stay. Asking around, the party finds its way to a small dwelling doubling as a shrine of Corellon Larethian, in the west end of town. The officiant, a quiet, embroidering, poetry-reciting woman named Lainel Coronnim, relates that Amando had lived in Claymore for seven years, but had only visited her once, about a year back. The purpose of his visit was to learn about the fall of the ancient elven land of Aman, which sank thousands of years ago. At this time, he borrowed a book (still not returned) about two mythical trees – Laurelin and Telperion, which illuminated this land. He was also curious and about legends concerning a fourth artifact ring. Lainel explains to the curious party that the three orders of elves – high, grey, and wood, are all led by wielders of three rings that were crafted long ago in Aman. These rings allowed some elves to escape the destruction and find new homes in Ulthos (or Erya), and to protect them against downfall and enemies. The legends also speak of another group, called the dark elves, who perished when Aman sank, although Lainel contends that there are spurious rumors regarding their survival. According to some surviving traditions, this group also had its own ring – Cemya – the Ring of Earth, but it must now be inevitably lost. Lainel is surprised by Enkidu’s contention that his people have their own legends about these dark elves, which he believes are grounded in truth, and thanks him for relating this. She also voices some bemusement at Amando’s interest in all this. She is somewhat critical of the White Hand, but believes their rough methods are sometimes justified, and that in any case, they are not as bad as their opposite numbers among the Zhentarim and the Harpers.
Enkidu, Miletus and Theobald then head off to see if they can discover anything about Bertram Bester’s whereabouts, since his father stated that he would not leave until the son is discovered. A visit with Meerlinda reveals that he recently learned that Bertram built a secret tunnel from the Harper’s shrine to a location outside town about a year ago to clandestinely visit Pansy before he started using the magic potions. The party wonders whether Bertram might still be there, but decides to load up on nails first – it will head to the goblin encampment right afterward. The elder Bester approves of their plan, and the trio carries off a backpack of nails from the arsenal. A final visit with Pansy, now sporting a red “A” on her dress, reveals truth behind rumors of the tunnel. Pansy gives the party a key two a door in the basement of the rectory. There is indeed a dark tunnel on the other side, but no Bester. Puzzled, the party returns the key to Pansy.

Report Date

27 Jun 2015