Orphans & Organizations: session 11

Counter-espionage

17 Eleint - four days from Brightswords.

Davil pays me a platinum coin to tell him who hired us to identify the person who hired us. He also cautioned me to know as much as possible about who I work with and for.

He also gives me a big picture overview of of the internal conflict in the Zhentarim. Irstul Flocksun is Davil's counterpart in the three-headed serpent faction. Davil asks me what I plan to tell Mirt and offers me another task: someone is targetting elves and Davil asked me to find who has killed three elves and half elves in the Dock Ward, around the Mule Skull Tavern. I should find out what I can or else guarantee that the problem won't recurr. Davil gives me a pebble with which to contact Marsaili when the issue is resolved.

I suggest to Vivi and Zephyr that we should discuss this back at the manor.

On the way, Vivi looked for paper sellers and while she doesn't see anything specific, she realized the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors needs the same kind of paper as Rishal.

There's a Magist's Guild tower on our way back to the Manor. Vivi walked in, as if she'd been there a hundred times. A member is working at a desk across from the entrance, doublefisting quills and writing with both while talking with us about paper used for scrolls. Upon condition of discretionary selling, the Magist would provide a recommendation.

As we're leaving, we notice a set of doors watched over by an ornate statue, which isn't made of stone - perhaps bronze? It looks like parts of it have gears inside!

A soft open

We wanted a runner and a server as well. Maybe another person behind the bar, depending on what Lif thinks. The Manor can comfortable fit up to 40 or 50 people, standing.

Instead of offering real kitchen offerings, we decided to have breads and cheeses ready for patrons.

Our other considerations:

• servers - need to hire!
• management - Azthoran to handle on Brightswords
• entertainment - Vivi looking into recruiting family or students from her bard school
• promotion - handled by Volo
• security

Debriefing

We talk about what happened in the Yawning Portal and decide that our loyalties are more to each other than our respective organizations.

After getting our story - and allegiances - in line, we stop by The Bookwyrm's Treasure to talk with Rishal. He sounds happy to agree with the Magists Guild's terms.

Zephyr bought a Wand of Secrets and I bought a Scroll of Comprehend Languages. I also left a note at Corelyn's Crown for Fala, telling her that we're helping Rishal get another paper source and that we can mediate between them when she returns.

After finishing at the Bookwyrm's Secret, Vivi sends a message to Mirt inviting him to the Manor to report in and discuss an investment. Lif was excited about being the main bartender and wanted to be part of hiring help. We thought we would need two servers and a runner who could help pour beer if needed. Vivi told us that two copper a day is the minimum we could pay for servers and that we could expect it to cost six gold per day to run the bar.

Bar prep

Zephyr began brewing a specialty ale that would be smoky both in flavor and actual presentation to keep with Trollskull Manor's theme of spirits and ghosts.

I look for somewhere to get our opening supplies - bread, cheese and brewing supplies. The baker I found isn't anything to write home about and I didn't get any kind of a deal. The other supplies - brewing, firewood, cleaning, etc - are high quality and saves us a pretty good amount.

Vivi starts looking for bar staff - two servers and a runner or barback - and wants to pay a little more for reliable people. The first candidate - a youngish male dwarf namaed Baraht - seems reliable and we hire him. The second - a silver fox half-elf named Davavor - gives kind of generic answers but Vivi thinks he's ok. The last is a dragonborn woman named Arabis that Vivi has a hard time undersanding, she only spoke Draconic. I stepped in to interpret and (after being invited) Lif surprised her by appearing right behind her! After the shock wore off, Lif showed that he can write in Draconic to communicate with her.

After finishing hiring, we heard a loud rasping at the Manor door.