Eddard's Diary: Chapter 3 (Con't)

Eddard's Really Bad Day part 1

Punching an Innocent

 

In the morning, after an uncomfortable night spent sleeping in the loft area of the warehouse, Wren asked me to go keep an eye on the orphanage while she and her charge lay low in the warehouse.  After what I saw last night, I knew that sending Wren  out today would be extremely dangerous as it seemed half the city was looking for her.  I knew that, by now, there would be a bounty out on her.

 

I changed my appearance slightly from the body guard persona.  I wore one short sword, instead of the pair, and carried the short bow.  I muddied my cloak and wore it with the hood up to conceal my identity.  Not being an expert in disguise, I didn't know what else to do, so I left it at that.

 

I made my way to the orphanage, by a round about route.  I didn't dare take a direct route for fear that I was already being followed.  I found a wall to lean against a little ways up from the street entrance of the orphanage.  It wasn't long before I saw a mercenary type- someone I thought I recognised from Minx's the night before- walk into the place.  I waited outside, and when he came out, I followed him.  He went out to one of the caravan holding yards outside the city proper.  The area he went into was obviously rich, likely Amnite, and extremely well guarded.  I noted where this camp was.  It wasn't long, though, before the mercenary I'd been following came out of the camp and made his way back to the orphanage. 

 

This time, when he came out of the orphanage, he wasn't alone.  With him, was a very young girl that bore more than a passing resemblance to the girl in Wren's care.  I didn't believe the girl was a relative of his.  I believed the headmaster had sold another one, because the first had yet to be found.  This belief forced me to do something about it.  I can't stand by and allow a young girl, whose only crime was having no parents, be collected for slavery or prostitution.  I had to act.

 

The problem was, how?  I was alone.  No back up.  No way of getting back up.  If I merely followed, and he made it back to the Amnite Merchant's camp, I'd lose any opportunity.

 

I saw where they were going, into a market square.  I moved down a street, confident of their travel path and ran to get in front of them.  I came to the entrance of an alley that led back onto the main road.  I waited, catching my breath, preparing mentally.  And then they appeared, walking together up the street.  I walked out of the alley mouth, headed for the mercenary.  As I came within half a metre of him, I shoulder charged him, knocking him off his feet.  I scooped up the girl and ran.

 

Behind me, he was calling for help, saying I had taken his daughter.  The girl's shock at being taken was quickly wearing off and she started to fight me.  I dodged with her down side streets, I tried to tell her she was safe.  She wasn't buying it.  When I could see one else around, I clocked her one, hard enough to knock her out, if I didn't do something, the mercenary or city watch would catch me for sure, and the girl would be at the mercy of whatever fate awaited her at the hand of these slavers.  I had no choice.  I also wasn't happy about it.

 

I ducked into a small one room hut, grabbed an old blanket, wrapped her up in it, and took her, again by circuitous means, back to the warehouse.

 

I wasn't followed.  I entered the place and took her up to the loft.  I gently placed her in the blanket on the straw.  Wren was no where to be seen, but the first girl was still there.  I started to explain the situation to her, telling her what happened, when there was sound of a search party in the building. 

 

All I heard was," I bet the bitch we're looking for is in here."

 

Terrific.  I got my bow ready.

Quick Notes on Eddard's Diary

There are a few things followers of Eddard's Diary need to know. 

The most important is the idea that I'm four or five posts away catching up to the current game timeline.

The other thing to note is that Chapter 4 ends with a massive fight, and I suspect that combat will take two posts by itself to write.  I am going to try to describe it as much as is practical- but there were large portions of the fight that my character couldn't see.

I hope you are enjoying Eddard's Diary as much as I am enjoying bringing it to you.

If any of you have ideas on how Eddard's might be better presented, feel free to email or comment.

Eddard: Chapter 3 (Con't)

On The Run

 

As soon as that thought entered my head, I knew it was the right one.  Mystra's Tears, what did you do Wren?

 

I knew I had to get out of there.  But instead of leaving right away, I pretended like I found her when I entered an empty room.  I stayed there for about a minute- long enough to check in on my client.  Then I walked down the stairs, and straight out of the building, taking only a quick detour to walk past Ulf, who looked completely unaware something was up.  All I said to him was "trouble."

 

I walked out of Minx's.  It took a heap of effort to keep from running, but I knew that would only draw attention to me.  It wasn't long, however, before the city watch was headed past me to the festhall.  I had made my getaway.  I headed straight back to the Inn where the party was supposed to be staying.  Garrus and Logan were in the taproom with Thoram.  Of Azzarak, Wren, or Ulf there was no sign.

 

I did what I could to alter my appearance, and then sat with the others.  Ulf did arrive very shortly later.  No one knew where Azzarak was.  As we sat there debating our best option, a street urchin arrived and gave a note to Garrus.

 

"It's from Wren," he said," it's directions to a warehouse."

 

"Let's go," I said rising immediately.

 

We walked through the streets, trying not to make ourselves conspicuous because of the late hour.  As we neared the place, we were stopped by the city watch. 

 

"We're looking for a young half-elf female.  You seen her?"

 

I let Garrus do the talking.  I suspected that my presence as her bodyguard would have been noted, and the watch may soon come looking for me.

 

"No, we haven't," Garrus replied.

 

"Do be careful," the guard said,"she is a murderer and a thief.  She is extremely dangerous."

 

Garrus nodded, "we will."

 

The guard called over to his comrades,"C'mon boys, lets try over here."

 

As the guards moved away, Garrus said, "We need to get in here,"

 

I didn't see how we were going to get in, without Wren to pick the lock, but Garrus produced a key and unlocked the door.  I never asked. but the key must have arrived with the note. 

 

We went inside the warehouse.  It looked disused, almost derelict from the inside, but once the door shut behind us, she told us what happened.

 

She came across a deal being made for a 12 year old girl- being sold by a guard Sergeant named Rogan, all happening on the second floor of Mother Minx's.  She felt she had to act, to spare someone from the life she had in Amn as a slave.  Rogan was killed, and the girl taken into Wren's protective care.  According to Wren, the girl was sold by the headmaster of a local orphanage.

 

Committing murder to save someone from slavery, it seemed a fair trade to me, somehow.  I was just happy I got out of Minx's before they got onto me.  It was because of this, that I was nominated to stay with Wren and the child. 

 

I felt obligated to try to save them all from slavery, but I wondered if it was possible.

 

I also wondered how this little escapade of Wren's would affect our chances of rescuing the others.

Eddard: Chapter 3 (Con't)

Mother Minx's Part 2

Murder by Death

 

Eventually their conversation came to end, mainly because it was time for to take the stage again.

 

When she took the stage and began her dance, I glanced around the room to check out the crowd.  As the evening wore on, I saw more and more Amnites enter the room.

 

A funny thing about Amnites, their society seems to favour ostentatious displays of wealth, and the more ostentatious, the more wealthy, generally speaking.  Where a wealthy man in Waterdeep might wander the streets merely in clothes of good quality, an Amnite will wear piles of jewellery, use expensive perfumes, and surround themselves with bodyguards.

 

I saw one such Amnite begin to make the approach to my table.  Of his six bodyguards, only two approached with him.  I didn't rise from the table, despite his station.  He was being a supplicant to me, for something he believed I had, and I wanted him to know I knew it.  Its business, not a social meeting.

 

Still, he had more questions than the last.  Took far more interest in her history than I thought was necessary.  I knew Wren was an escaped slave from Amn, and I knew better than to tell him the truth.  I told him she hired me as protection.  That her last contract ended, and she left Waterdeep, believing the city had no others that would be interested in her abilities, hiring me just before leaving the city.  That's all I knew, I told him.  Other questions would have to be asked of her, for I knew not the answers.

 

He was a gruff, arrogant man, one used to commanding power simply because he commanded wealth.  The more I spoke to him, the less I liked him.  But I could not turn him away, or aggravate him, that would blow my cover.  He eventually left, sliding me another piece of paper for Wren to look at.

 

The first merchant stopped back at my table, he asked me,"Do you know what my chances are?"

 

I said,"That might depend on what you could tell me of the Amnites in Scornubel."

 

He smiled, and told me a little of the gentleman that just my table.  He said that he was in weapons as well as rarities, but that his tastes in certain things tended towards Sadism.  I nodded, not quite believing him, but then I asked him about the slave trade in Scornubel.

 

He said "That's illegal." 

 

 I said, "Okay hypothethically, if anyone traded in that commodity in town, who would it be?"

 

He gave a name.  "Denthos, without a doubt."

 

Denthos.  I had the name.  "Is he here?"

 

"No.  Not yet at least."

 

Wren's dance came to an end, and I asked him to leave me so that Wren and I could converse in private.

 

Well she didn't come down.  And soon I noticed bouncers making for the stairway.  As soon as I saw that, I leaped from my chair and ran to stairwell.  I asked the bouncer,"What's happening?"

 

"There's been a murder."

 

"I am a bodyguard of the dancer Shara," that was Wren's alias,"I must check to see she is okay."

 

He nodded slightly.  I ran up the stairs.  I didn't see her with the crowd in the hallway.  Nor did my calls of Shara get an answer. 

 

It was then I realized that Wren had committed the murder- most likely at least.  If I stayed much longer, I would likely be arrested as an accomplice.  Mystra's Breath!

 



Eddard Chapter 3 (Con't)

Mother Minx's Part 1

The Game Begins

 

Wren and I started by going to a dockside establishment that had a seedy reputation, but apparently too seedy.  When we approached the operator about our routine, we were told we could, but the place for us was Mother Minx's.  We wanted to appeal to wealthy Amnites, because we needed to know who of them was in the slave trade.  Minx's was where they went for entertainment, so Minx's was where we went.

 

The place was big, especially for Scornubel.  In Waterdeep, the place would be considered sizable.  I was somewhat taken aback by the place, but Wren was suddenly all business.  She approached the owner. 

 

"I want to dance here," she said to him with a smile.

 

"You any good?"

 

She gave him a two minute display, and was hired on the spot.

 

She told me I was to act as a filter.  She knew she would get offers from wealthy Amnites for temporary employment.  I was to select the offers that would require her attention.  As her bodyguard, my role was also to intimidate those who would approach her with other intentions.  I didn't know if I could pull that off, I mean I suppose at six feet I was tall, and fairly well muscled.  I also knew that the two swords I carried made me look dangerous, but I also knew that I was not the biggest man in the world, hells, I wasn't the biggest man in the party.  Still, maybe I was the best choice.  Certainly Ulf couldn't entirely be trusted, Garrus would give himself away- not to mention die before he was seen in a place like this- but me?  I was smart enough to pull this off, and capable enough to operate here.

 

We went to the main room, she told me to find a table near the front, while she would go and prepare herself for her performance.  She told me before she went upstairs that once her performance began, I wouldn't be waiting long.

 

She was right.  I tried to do the right thing when she was on the stage, but I have to admit, her moves and timing was exquisite.  And she was beautiful, sexy, and alluring.  I had never seen anything like it.  In the end, I could hardly take my eyes off her.

 

"Excuse me," said a voice that drew my attention back to the table.

 

I started at the sound as a very obvious Amnite came to the table.  I quickly recovered.

 

He continued,"Are you handling her?"

 

"I am not, exactly.  I'm her body bodyguard.  I handle initial contact with clients, she makes the decision as to what, if any contracts she accepts."

 

"I see.  I would like to hire her for a week.  I'm sure she will find the pay more that acceptable."

 

"I'm sure she would," he was finely dressed, and obviously wealthy, but it was early in the evening, and I suspected his would not be the only offer on the table before long.

 

As she danced we talked some more, he even bought me a drink- a fine, expensive spirit, but I merely sipped it, being careful not to get drunk.  The conversation turned away from the immediate business, as I enquired as to the nature of his business.  If he balked, I would merely explain that as a bodyguard, it was my duty to understand somethings about the client.  I didn't have to explain, he seemed to grasp that.

 

"I have a good reputation in the town, and I am not known violence or hurting those I hire.  My business is largely in weapons, and as the Goblin war draws to an end, I suspect I'll only be here for a few more weeks, I am hopeful that she may ascent to my contract so those last weeks pass pleasantly."

 

Indeed, we did have a great conversation, and as her dance came to an end, he rose from the table, passing his offer on a folded piece of paper across the table to me.  But by the end of the conversation, I also knew he was not the one I wished to meet.

 

When she came down for her break, I briefed her on him.  She agreed with me, but met with him anyway.  That would enhance her reputation as someone for hire.  I thought about the conversation I had with him, and resolved to enquire a bit more about the Amnites in general, maybe find out who was known by them to be in the slave trade.  If I could get them talking about it, I may well learn a name or two that would bear checking.