Episode III: Chimes at Midnight - Act I

"The Notorious Six"
12th of Sypheros - afternoon

Esan, Gerard and Morgan stepped out of the Roost after Callevus left and began making their way back to the nearest skycoach platform. On the way, they came across a chaotic scene at a crossroad plaza - a prison caravan's convicts were in the process of breaking out and killing all of their captors. They could also hear screams from nearby buildings, indicating that some of the escapees were looting. With the Watch nowhere in sight, the companions intervened, killing or capturing a rabid troll, several goblins and gnolls, and a grizzled, one-eyed gnoll named Gargrush. The Watch eventually arrived and rounded up the remaining prisoners, and the Sergeant spoke with the companions at length. They learned that Gargrush was an infamous Daask enforcer, but more importantly, six of the caravan's most dangerous prisoners escaped before the companions even arrived. The Sergeant named them as follows:

-Vrinn, a changeling thief with delusions of grandeur

-Durok the Masher, an ex-Daask bugbear enforcer who got all of his teeth removed when he failed his last boss; currently on the run from the organization

-Scrimshaw the Ivory Gargoyle; a rare breed of the malevolent winged race

-Grimgraj, a hobgoblin brawler who kills with his bare hands; has many tattoos and piercings

-Rrregla the Gasper, a creature from Khyber known as a 'choker' for obvious reasons

-Mange, a shifter reknowned for his fierce brutality and grotesque diet

The companions decided that the rewards for catching these criminals would be great, so they set out to the Citadel to learn more. When they arrived, they spoke at length with Captain Davik ir'Barrowyn, a knight in service to the Citadel (and Boranel, by proxy). Davik was very helpful, giving them detailed case files on all six escaped convicts. He also mentioned that the caravan was part of House Medani's new venture in Wroat: a brand new prison facility for long-term convicts too dangerous too keep in Sharn, but not high-profile enough to ship off to Dreadhold. They read the case files and learned that the arresting inquisitive on all six cases was Victor Saint-Demain, their old friend from the days of Ziki "the Flenser" in Oakbridge. They decided to pay Victor a visit at his home in Clifftop. When they arrived, he was cordial, though he seemed a bit more haggard than usual. He told them that he was dealing with a separate Daask-related case in the Cogs. He also gave them detailed dossiers on all six convicts, which revealed the following additional information:

-Vrinn is also known as the Cyclops, because in his favorite form he looks like a changeling with one eye. He believes (probably falsely) that he is a descendant of the ancient giant race from Xen'Drik. He also used to be a member of the Tyrants, a criminal organization based in Sharn that consists entirely of shapeshifters. They run the prostitution trade. Vrinn is currently on the run from the Tyrants, though Victor's notes don't explain why.

-Durok is extremely addicted to dreamlily; this was an asset to Victor both in tracking him down and bringing him in. His dealer is a dwarf named Creeks who lives in Callestan.

-Scrimshaw is not actually an albino; he has a rare skin disease that causes his skin to turn white and flake off. It is apparently very painful, but no priest will heal him, so he hates all clerics with a terrible passion.

-Grimgraj is a failed monk because of his violent temper, though he understands the martial techniques he learned quite well. He also has an item called a 'circlet of blasting' implanted in his head.

-Rrregla loves anise-scented cigars; she is called the Gasper not because of how she kills, but because she has a respiratory disease that causes her to wheeze and gasp frequently. She is vulnerable to airborne irritants such as pepper.

-Mange is brutal and fierce, but he is also scared witless of even the sight of silver, and may flee from it.

They retired for the evening at an inn in Callestan called the Broken Anvil.

"Drugs and Hookers"
13th of Sypheros - morning

When they woke that morning, they decided to split up to take care of several tasks at once. Esan would go to Firelight and try to find the Tyrants, while Gerard and Morgan would return to the Citadel to interrogate one of the goblins who was recaptured at the caravan breakout yesterday afternoon.

Esan had little immediate luck, though he made it known that he was interested in business with the Tyrants beyond their usual fare. Morgan and Gerard's interview with Grobij was more fruitful. Grobij revealed that he had been Durok's dealer in prison; his outside contact who smuggled dreamlily into the prison is a goblin named Smelky who lives in Fallen. He didn't know any of the Notorious Six besides Durok, but he did see a bit of the initial breakout. Vrinn was the first to get out - he unlocked everyone's cells and then made a break for it. The Six seemed to know that they would be broken out, because they didn't linger like the other convicts. As soon as they were released, they rushed out of sight in different directions, not even stopping to kill on their way unless it was very convenient.

"Turf War"
13th of Sypheros - afternoon

They met up at the Broken Anvil for lunch and decided to visit Creeks first, since he was in the neighborhood. They arrived too late, finding the dwarven drug dealer brutally murdered in the street outside his den. His face looked like it had been flensed off by a curved weapon. A bystander in the know mentioned that this hit was probably the handiwork of a Daask assassin under the employ of a local crime lord named Khelizan. The assassin in question is a devotee of the Mockery, hence the flensing. They checked Creeks' den, trying to learn what they could from the drug-addled denizens. This was apparently not much. They continued on to Smelky's in Fallen.

Smelky was helpful mainly because he was cornered. He told them that Creeks was probably killed because of the escalating violence between Daask and the Boromar Clan. Boromar controls dreamlily traffic (and thus the dealers), but dealers in Daask territory pay tribute to the Droaamites to ensure their continued existence. However, the turf wars have made some Daask crime lords more interested in denying Boromar business than filling their own coffers with tribute money, so dreamlily dealers in Daask territory have been meeting unfortunate knife- or club-related accidents in broad daylight for the past few months. Khelizan probably had Creeks killed because of this, and Smelky was concerned for his own neck as well. Smelky also told them that Khelizan was a powerful ogre mage.

They decided to visit Khelizan's headquarters in Fallen to see what his involvement in all of this might be. The best case scenario might turn him into a temporary ally in their hunt for Durok. Unfortunately, they couldn't get past Khelizan's burly ogre doorman. The companions returned to the Broken Anvil, stumped for what to do next. They received an urgent mental message from Callevus just before they retired for the evening, however: someone had put a bounty on their heads some time that day. Callevus warned them to be cautious of assassins.

"Callevus Was Right!"
14th of Sypheros - morning

The very next morning, Esan, Gerard and Morgan were attacked as they walked out the door of the Broken Anvil. Two goblin sorcerers on a balcony above blasted away with disabling or damaging rays while two massive ogres flanked them from either side of the street. After fierce fighting, one ogre was dead, another captured, and the two goblins were routed (partly because Morgan permanently blinded one of them). They learned from the ogre captive that the hit was ordered by Khelizan, though he had no idea whether Khelizan was contracted out for the task, or if he was using his own resources to kill them for personal reasons. After releasing the ogre, they decided to conduct surveillance on Khelizan's headquarters. Almost by coincidence, they managed to ambush the two goblin sorcerers en route, killing one and capturing the blinded one. When they interrogated him, they did not discover who ordered the hit, but they did learn that Khelizan was being visited by the Inspired on a regular basis. Esan theorized that there was something big going down related to the trafficking of dreamlily, Boromar, Daask and Reidra, but he wasn't sure what.

"A Precarious Situation"
14th of Sypheros - evening

They got a chance to find out when they saw an Inspired man enter Khelizan's late that evening. When he left, Esan decided to tail him, and the others followed a ways behind Esan (Corvus stayed near the psion, however). Esan followed the Inspired agent all the way to the dock district called Precarious. Esan knew that this place was full of Reidrans (and by extension, the Inspired). His mark turned down an alley and entered warehouse, but Esan crawled through a window into the warehouse instead of using the door to follow. Corvus perched up across the window, staying in Esan's line of sight. Esan discovered that there were several Inspired warriors waiting in ambush, but they were watching the door, not the windows. Esan signaled to the others with a smokestick, which meant to attack, and they sprang the trap. They dealt with the Inspired handily, killing them all.

They broke into the attached office building and discovered that this warehouse and several adjoining ones belonged to Dhal's Imports, which caters to local restaurants with various imported food products. They found the manifests, and learned that Reidra is a major exporter of said food products for Dhal's. The Sharn Watch showed up moments later (thanks to Corvus, they were forewarned). Esan slipped out, and Gerard and Morgan went down to greet them. Gerard flashed his badge around, and they managed to not get arrested, though the Watch Sergeant demanded that they go to the local station to fill out a report. He informed them that the people they killed were retainers of the chief Reidran diplomat in Sharn, a woman named Tirashana. After making sure they understood the implications of this, he released them. They retired to their respective homes, exhausted.