Jenlin Keenpast is one of the most renowned merchants in
Brazenthrone as well as the
Underdark as a whole. It's said she can acquire any item found in the
Underdark and that she's never lost a single caravan in all her years running goods throughout the
Underdark's many caves and tunnels. She prides herself on always arriving ahead of schedule, which is her favorite amongst her many methods for earning more coin.
Journey Into the Underdark Arc
On the Path to Brazenthrone
The adventurers of the Thaig Expedition first met Jenlin on their way to
Brazenthrone. She was accompanied by the
Silver Falcons Squad Sixteen, whom she'd hired as guards when her normal men fell ill, and was setting dynamite to widen the pathway enough that her wagon could get through. These efforts were interrupted, first by an argument between the leader of
Squad Sixteen, Sergeant Keebler, and the adventurer
Elycia Mirais and then by an attack from a pack of wolf-like
OoPAs. In the battle that followed, Jenlin displayed her ability to hold her own in a fight as she summoned a spider-shaped
iron defender from her cart to aid her and threw fire bolts at the wolves.
Though they had fought alongside each other, much animosity remained due to some past history between
Elycia and the
Squad Sixteen elves. Despite this, Jenlin approached the adventurers and introduced herself as the top merchant in
Brazenthrone and all the Underdark, which enraged
Gobo. The goblin declared that Jenlin was his rival, his nemesis, though she seemed to have no idea who he was. Ignoring him, she expressed her gratitude to the adventurers to helping to protect her and her goods. She gave them her card and told the adventurers it would allow them into the part of
Brazenthrone where she conducted business (albeit under escort from the guards), which was normally closed off to non-citizens. Several of the adventurers wished to purchase magic items from her, though Jenlin insisted she'd just walked over to say thanks and that any business could be conducted later. She had a schedule to maintain if she was to keep her reputation of never losing a shipment and always arriving on time.
Brazenthrone's #1 Merchant
It wasn't even two days later when Jenlin met the adventurers again. She and her usual men (they having recovered from their illness and the elves of the
Silver Falcons having department) were sorting inventory in her warehouse when one of her boys yelled that the adventurers were in the waiting area. Jenlin welcomed them and commented on their recent audience with
Yolheimsu'um, informing them it was the talking of the normally uneventful town.
Bogo asked that she keep her ears open about anyone trying to fleece a particularly rare book and Jenlin immediately put two and two together about what
Yolheimsu'um had wanted with them, though refrained from commenting on the adventurers quest directly. With that bit of business out of the way, the adventurers began to inquire about items useful to them.
Bogo was interested in sturdier armor that he could wear without disrupting his druidic magic and Jenlin believed she could have something equivalent to a breastplate ready for him the next day. He also inquired about an elven cloak, and though Jenlin stocked the item he refrained from buying it there due to the high.
Elycia had interest in expanding her breastplate
Adamantine Armor into a full set of plate armor; Jenlin sold her the remaining pieces at a reduced rate, seeing as the newly minted paladin already had the chest piece.
While shopping, the adventurers asked Jenlin if she'd heard anything about
OoPA attacks nearby. She told them there'd been several attacks against the city's entrances, which were crushed instantly and showcased the monsters complete lack of self-preservation instinct. Attacks against travelers out in the tunnels were the real problem and she marked two spots on
Bogo's map where caravans were reported to have been wrecked recently, one to the north and another to the east. While the northern site was technically closer, the eastern spot could be reached faster due to closer proximity to the roads. The group opted to take the road more traveled and headed out intending to investigate the east location first. They said they'd be back later and Jenlin mentioned she intended to stay in
Brazenthrone instead of traveling with her trade caravans like usual, at least until the
OoPA attacks died down.
A Favor for Friends
Roughly two weeks later, the adventurers (now calling themselves the
Delvers of Secrets) returned to Jenlin's shop looking for a favor. They'd recovered a damaged item they needed a dwarven smith to repair and were looking to have the work done by someone who could keep it a secret. Jenlin inquired whether that was because the item was valuable or because if might go boom if mishandled. They ensured her it was the former and Jenlin, having heard much of the group's exploits and rise to status as local celebrities in the past two weeks, said she'd introduce them to someone she knew if they took her out for some drinks. She told them to come back at noon the next day and she'd take the adventurers to meet the smith.
That next day, Jenlin led them through the city streets to a ramshackle shop on the edge of the river with a waterwheel on its side and loud clanging coming from within. She had to bang on the door several times before the building's inhabitant heard her over all the clanging. A soot covered duergar in an apron opened up, took one look at Jenlin, and shut the door in her face saying something about "never again, not after last time". Jenlin told the man she'd already apologized about the thing with the giant spiders (emphasizing he still owed her for saving him from the arachnids). He reluctantly opened the door back up and Jenlin motioned for the adventurers to explain why they were here. The smith believed he could fix the crown but said it would take a few days, telling the adventurers to come back then. With her part of this little deal done, Jenlin took her leave to get back to running her business.
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