Truth be Told

We flee up the stairs, but our pursuers are gaining on us quickly. Eira is in the front. She stumbles, but I am able to catch her and prevent us from tumbling down. We increase our pace and finally make it to the top. Just when we emerge one guy catches up with us, but I’m able to kick him in the chest and he stumbles back, probably taking a few folks with him down the stairs. That should buy us a few seconds. Going back the way we came, we don’t manage to close the door completely, but at least we’re now back in the sewers. More and more people are coming, even from other directions within the sewers. Well, we don’t lose any time. We make it to the ladder close to the hideout, and I go up last, to make sure we’re not followed. I see a few Kenkus and Bugbears chasing us. Maybe they saw us, maybe they didn’t, I can’t be sure, but we paid a dude waiting in the sewers to pretend they didn’t see us. Hopefully that throws off a few of them. Once up, we take off in different directions to regroup at the Yawning Portal, a big, well known tavern.

As I arrive, I sit down at the bar and wait for everyone to arrive. Eira is first, and gives me a wink to head upstairs soon. I wait for Pyotr, and together we go up. I feel we’re watched by someone as we go up, and mention it to the rest of our group. Eira and Kallista seem to have good connections to the tavern owner Durnam, and it turns out he knows the guy who watched us. His name is Meloon, and we could potentially hire him to help us. We discuss with him that we pissed off the entire Xanathar thieves guild, which seems to make him a bit nervous, but not too much. In the end he leaves and gives us some privacy to discuss our next steps.

Pyotr tells us he also stole some red gems while he was getting the stone’s eye out of the big glass bowl. Before coming back here, he sold a few at the market for quite a bit of money. Now he offers us 50 gold each. A+ dude. Very generous! Of course I accept. After quite some discussion about what to do next, we make our way over to the Cassalanters. Eira wants to give a status report on her search for the stone. Turns out that was a job the Cassalanters offered her a few days ago. Maybe we can get them to provide protection from the thieves guild. I’m curious what’s up with the stone, but also worried. Kallista is quieter than before. As we leave the Yawning Portal, I keep my eyes out for Meloon, but can’t see him anywhere. Damn, he might have made a good ally.

At the Cassalanters’ place we’re quickly asked in, after Eira mentions the status update, and after a while we get to speak with the lord and lady of the house. We were able to clean up a bit from the sewers, while their butler Willifort waits for us to get ready. Feels good to get rid of some of that smell at least. We’re offered something to drink, and I ask for water. Water? Why didn’t I ask for a beer? What’s wrong with me? I guess it didn’t feel right in this noble place. We get our water and they put some cucumber slices in it. It actually tastes really good! Maybe I should try to put some cucumber slices in my beer next time.

Eira gets to the point rather quickly. We have the stone, and we’re hunted by the Xanathar thieves guild. It’s unclear if they were able to follow us here, but better safe than sorry. As the lady whispers something into her husband’s ear, the only thing I can overhear is “stone” and “help”. I guess they want to help us, great! Eira talks to them some more and we offer some basic information. She bargains for more information from the lady of the house, and I think she might be onto something. The lady hesitates, but in the end she tells us that their children were cursed, and that her son’s soul is very likely somewhere in hell. That’s what they need the treasure for, and our help. Now it’s time for us to show them what we got, and Kallista brings out the stone with the two eyes. I get a bit queasy whenever I see this thing, but the lord and lady seem very excited. The butler produces the last remaining eye, and hands it over. Kallista and the Cassalanters exchange some looks, and as Kallista pops the third eye into the stone’s last empty socket, she blacks out and collapses onto the floor.