"That's a stupid plan! NOT brilliant! Stupid as hell!" Neera shrieked.
"No. Not in a million years, no," Jaheira crossed her arms.
"I can't believe you would suggest such a thing!" Imoen yelled.
Branwen just glared.
"This cloak will literally save our lives. Multiple times. Just imagine, looking back to this day, over the broken bodies of your comrades, and thinking, 'I should have done it. My friends would have lived. I would have saved the realms. If only I put away my pride and just did as Sonny asked'," I pleaded. I pulled out the, ahem, exotic dance costumes. "All you girls got to do is put on these on!"
As the ladies tried to smother me with pillows in our room at the inn, Khalid coughed. "There are easier ways to distract your target without dressing the ladies as exotic dancers."
Algernon was going over some trade documents when he heard a knock at the door.
"Room service!" came a young voice behind it.
"I didn't order anything," Algernon called back.
"Complimentary, ser. Feldepost would like to appreciate your patronage with our finest vintage and house specialty. A whole roast boar."
A WHOLE roast boar? Algernon played with his mustache. He considered himself as a connoisseur of fine foods, and had a healthy appetite, but that was simply too much for a single person. Still, he should at least give it a try.
Algernon opened his room door, and a halfling in staff uniform wheeled in a covered trolley with wine bottles. The halfling placed the tablecloth over the table, placed cutlery, wine glasses, even a flower with a vase. The halfling then pulled the chair for Algernon, which he gladly sat in.
"I must say, service has improved at Feldepost's as of late," Algernon said, pleased.
"We aim to please, ser," the halfling said. The halfling held a napkin to put over Algernon's neck, but stopped short and eyed his cloak. "Ser, may I take your coat first?"
"It's a cloak son, and yes, you may."
"A more brilliant cloak be hard to find, ser," the halfling said, and helped him out of it then placed the cloak on the hanger by the door. The short halfling couldn't reach so had to use a long stick to place it.
Algernon thoroughly enjoyed the service, what with the halfling cutting each prime piece of roast onto Algernon's plate and served him wine personally. All too soon it was over, he could eat no more. He dismissed the halfling and the food, leaving the fine vintage at the table to enjoy at his leisure. The halfling gave a bow, and wheeled the trolley out.
Out of a sense of suspicion, Algernon eyed where the inn staff had placed his cloak.
The cloak was still there, behind the door.
Satisfied, Algernon decided to have a nap. He locked the door, and even latched it, then lay in bed.
Meanwhile, I was quickly getting out of my inn staff outfit in the next room and running off with my prize. Producing a fake cloak at such short notice was extremely difficult, but we managed somehow. Thankfully it only had to look vaguely like the genuine product when hung on a rack. The Potion of Master Thievery had long expired, but I didn't need it due to the way we had worked the switch.
With the effects of both the Tome of Leadership I had used and my new cloak, I now had 21 Charisma! Discounts, ahoy! We'd have to wait for Neera to properly identify the proper use of the cloak's magical ability to charm things though.
When I got back to the gang, waiting in the Red Sheaf, I said, "I still think my idea would have worked better. Exotic dancers is a way better distraction, no need to get roast boar and fake cloak."
"Dare I ask why you even have those dresses prepared in the first place?" Imoen asked.
"A man got to have passions," I offered. "I'm a great purveyor of fashion."
"But they're in our size," Neera muttered.
"I, uh, always wanted to share my passions with you lovely ladies," I said with my best reassuring smile.
The ladies of the party looked at me in consternation. Isn't my 21 Charisma supposed to help me talk my way out of these situations?
Jaheira grabbed a pillow. "You girls hold him down. I'll finish him for sure this time."
Khalid face-palmed.
After another near-death experience and being saved by Khalid, we went around bringing tidings of loved ones to people in Beregost, but fortunate and unfortunate.
To the Colquetle's, we returned the amulet and gave our condolences for the passing of the young Colquetle family. We told them of where the bodies were buried, and left the poor patriarch to his mourning. Perhaps in more peaceful times, they would be able to visit their graves and build better memorials to the poor things.
"I see the hobgoblins gave at least one of you a bad time. I'll be sure to let people know what you've done for me," Mr Colquetle said, looking at me in particular.
To Mirianne, we brought the letter from Roe which reassured her of his safety. She thanked us dearly for the good news for she had been waiting for word of her husband Roe for some time, and gave us a Ring of Protection +1.
"Thank you so much for all the sacrifices you have made for us," she said, looking at me in particular.
On they way to back from Mirianne's a little girl came walked right up to us. "Excuse me ser?"
She was talking to Khalid. "Have you seen a party of adventurer's led by a halfling? A lady named Officer Jai asked me to find Sonny's party and tell them to meet her at the Jovial Juggler."
Khalid knelt down to the little' girls level. "That would be us, little one. You did well in finding us. Can you tell us more about this lady?"
"She's with the Flaming Fist. She paid me a gold piece to find you and was very nice to me."
"Sounds like a nice woman indeed. You've earned your gold piece, child. We will go meet her when we are able," Khalid replied.
How about that. Khalid doesn't stammer at all while talking to children. Wonders never cease.
"Thank you. You folks are nice too," the little girl said. As she was about to leave, she turned back and said into Khalid's ear, "What happened to him?"
She was looking right at me.
"He's been punished for bad behavior," Jaheira said quickly in her husband's stead. "Hurry along now, don't keep your mummy waiting for you."
"Mummy isn't waiting-"
"Shoo!"
The little girl wasn't the last person who came to find us along the way.
A specific preeminent mage of the realms was waiting for us on the way to the Jovial Juggler Inn and Festhall."Ho there wanderer, stay thy course-" Elminster cut his usual spiel short upon catching a glimpse of me. Taken aback, he asked in alarm, "What happened to thee, Sonny?!?"
I couldn't actually see my face, but from everyone's reaction up to now I had some idea it wasn't pretty. The ladies were particularly enthusiastic in smothering the life out of me the second time.
"Viscous, violent vixens happened to me," I responded to Elminster. "More savage than any assassins thus far."
"I… see. Yes, I'm quite familiar to headstrong women myself," Elminster said, while he gave a sidelong glance to Jaheira, who blushed and tried her best not to look him in the eye. "From the time we have been apart, I've heard little else but thy exploits, of dangers overcome and troubles endured. Yet I was not expecting thy greater threat to come from within."
There was a certain mischievous grin in his eye when he said the last part. Jaheira grumbled silently to herself, much to Khalid's amusement.
In spite of the pain, a smile crept up my face. "My exploits were not nearly so significant to warrant the attention of the great Elminster, surely?"
It was at this point Branwen's eyes widened. Ah, right. Folks don't normally recognise Elminster on sight. She wasn't there the last time we met Elminster, and isn't acquainted with him the same way Jaheira and Khalid are.
On the other hand, Neera was looking left and right, still trying to figure out what the fuss was about. Fancy that.
"I fear I cannot divulge any more on that regard," Elminster said, "I will offer a small tidbit of information, though thou hast likely heard the same from another source already. The bandits thou dost seek make a habit of traveling in the northeast. A search in that direction will no doubt yield fruitful results."
Peldvale and Larswood were indeed in the northeast. As usual, the old man was uncannily well informed.
With that, Elminster took his leave, walking away on foot like a commoner.
"Indeed, information from our contacts colludes with your current report," Xzar said with his head held aloof, like a superior giving orders to his underlings. He did a little wave with his hands in a direction. "Northeast raids have intensified. The last time it was like this, the raids lasted weeks. Nothing goes in, or out."
Xzar and Montaron met us at the Red Sheaf. Spending more time at Feldepost's the didn't seem like a particularly good idea at this point.
Was he actually waving in towards the northeast, or just doing a show with his hands?
I turned to the rest of the party. "That means we will have time to see to other issues before continuing our main quest."
"Wot's this now," Montaron butt in, "Yer not be forgetting ye be working on our time, POSSIBLE recruit? If yer wanna be part of our organization, ye best be focusing on our interests."
"Maybe your organization's interests hasn't proven itself important enough to prioritize," Jaheira said, giving the pair a sharp look.
"Who is this upstart, POSSIBLE recruit?" Xzar made a face at Jaheira, completely nonplussed by her glare. "You would do well to discipline your underlings, lest they offend their superiors."
"Superiors? I highly doubt that," Jaheira snarled.
Khalid put a hand on her back, gave her a pointed look. Jaheira pursed her lips and visibly leaned back.
"That's right, submit to yer superiors," Montaron laughed it up.
"Would not our contributions in the Nashkel Mines grant us clemency with the mysterious organization? Or the information that Flaming Fist officers are cut of from Baldur's Gate and looking for partners in ending the bandit raids?" I asked. "What word from superiors of our induction? I would hope that communications with them are not disrupted by the bandit raids."
We had met Officer Jai earlier, the officer from the Flaming Fist. Her contingent was cut off from Baldur's Gate in the north. That's just how bad the bandit raids were in the northeast. It would appear that until the bandits were permanently dealt with, the city of Baldur's Gate was facing severe logistic issues in moving their troops. In an effort to clear the bandit threats, or at least reduce it, Officer Jai was offering rewards for bandits killed, scalp by scalp.
Xzar and Montaron would definitely be relaying what was happening here to his superiors, assuming they could. From the way they were behaving, I was beginning to suspect they were both cut off from their superiors in much the same way. They were being too showy, overplaying their hands. This meeting with Xzar and Montaron has proven itself to be fruitful, in spite of their best efforts to divulge nothing of note.
I was also rather certain Jaheira and Khalid were not cut off from the Harper network in the same way, what with the visit from Elminster himself. No doubt the thought of the Zhentarim being cut off from reports on going-ons in the Sword Coast would fill the two Harpers with glee.
"You are not privy to conversations between superior officers, nor lack thereof. Such privileges are earned, little greenhorn. Privileges you have not earned," Xzar said, maintaining his aloof voice. He did a little wave again, this time aimed at us. "Fine, go do whatever. 'Tis your induction into the greater network at stake."
I smiled through gritted teeth. If he calls me little again, he's going to lose some of his.