You started at Murkham, shortly after Bras died.
While Bras’s men were busy taking care of their master’s body and possessions, Forint took the opportunity and paid his respect to the dead by robbing him blind. After he discovered the not so small fortune Bras was traveling with, he started regretting not having a larger carrying capacity… He ran off with the loot, and buried it (did you remember to draw out a map with “X marks the spot”, to make treasure-hunters’ lives easier?)
The rest of the group (except Forint, who chose to sleep on his treasure and Ivillious who chose to sleep on the ground), meanwhile, went to the local tavern (completely ignoring Mystra’s warning). You were all saved by being finicky misers, for when you found out the outrageous prices the tavern owner wanted for the dirty and run down abode she offered you, you decided to sleep in the tents Waldik offered you for free.
After a good night’s sleep, and just before you set out with the caravans on your way to Blackdeath, Seamore had a short little chat with Bras’s cleric to Lathander (good god of the sun). The only thing of interest the bloke said was that he was ordered by Bras to become a cleric, as Bras though it would come in handy in his travels, and healing is so hard to find in the city.
You traveled two days with the caravans (Forint tried another thieving attempt, but the wagons were too heavily guarded this time), and at the afternoon of the second day reached the outskirts of Blackdeath and entered the area known as “The Stormy Plane“; the storms referring to the magic storms that begin from this area. All the magic wielders of the group (i.e. everybody), felt the drain and change of magic in the plane, although the divine magic casters felt it less than the arcane casters in the group. As you walked through the plane, there were some areas where you felt no magic at all, some where you felt extra strong surges of magic, some where you felt as usual, some where you felt the existence of magic – but not as strong as you usually feel it, and some where you felt magic behave in a totally different way than you’ve ever felt before.
Theodrid decided to try and cast detect magic. What he saw was a psychedelic storm of magic auras, forever changing – sometimes extraordinarily powerful, sometimes weaker than usual, sometimes changing into wild or dead magic zones. The strange thing was that the auras did not remain in place, but kept constantly moving over the desert plane – a terrifying storm of uncontrolled and seemingly unpredictable magic. These effects also extended themselves to the shadow weave, but to a lesser extent.
As you neared the city gates, you began to see the effect the city has on the people that call it home. All the guards checked their weapons, tensed their bodies and kept a close eye on what was happening around them and all conversation stopped as you walked through the scorched and dead plane. And speaking of dead, half buried skeletons started appearing on the ground around you.
A short while after that you encountered the first of Blackdeath’s city guard, in the shape of two well equipped ogres, standing before the gates. The gates themselves were heavily guarded and patrolled; the city wall was formidable, and the guards’ weapons and armor of the best possible kind. Near the gates you saw one of the most famous placards in Alanasia – the source of many jokes and sayings:
“Welcome to Blackdeath.
Thieves are not allowed!”
The two ogres, standing a few dozen feet from the gates, have a unique and important role in filling Lord Accor’s coffers: they are “Flarers”, and as such their job is to provoke all that enter the city, in hope that they, in return, will say or do something that will compromise them – opening an opportunity for blackmail, eventually. These guards are trained to insult more than to attack or defend, and the result of their presence at the gate costs many a traveler his money and merchant his merchandise.
Waldik took the ogres’ abuse as coolly as he could (surprisingly, the guards already knew of Bras’s death, and so did other people in the city. Hmm…), paying his way through the gates, while Waldo took the opportunity to confess to the guards that he is a murder suspect. The guards (Buzik and Gruum) were delighted to hear that and demanded an outrageous sum (5,000 gp) so they would “forget” what they just heard.
Theodrid used intimidate and suggestion to influence the guards into letting you all in for free. He succeeded in influencing Buzik, who told his friend Gruum to let this one slip, just for once. Gruum in return, very kindly bashed him on the head, and while the two were busy rolling around on the floor, biting, kicking and scratching each other, you slipped in. Not exactly what Theodrid had in mind, but good enough, and perhaps a hint for future times…
Waldik met you after the gates and congratulated you on your success in bypassing the guards. He told you where Bras’s house is, and asked that you did not drop by until noon the next day – to allow the family some time to mourn alone and accept the news. He told you to find yourself a nice inn to sleep in, suggesting the “Dragon’s Teeth” or “The New Inn“, before leaving you and repairing to his late master’s home.
Meanwhile, Loran is busy doing helpful work for the guild – like finding out if the rumors of Bras’s death is true. As shortly after Bras’s caravan arrives his house is hung with grass green hangings and flags (green, as all with knowledge(local) know, is the color of mourning in Blackdeath. Those with knowledge(history) know why…), it appears that it is. Loran then disposes of his followers, and follows you all into the “Dragon’s Teeth” tavern, where you meet up with Halim Trumbar, your contact in the city. He suggests that you all go to a more quiet place (and a much more expensive one, at that) – the “King’s Fingers” hotel and restaurant.
You all went there, with Loran following you, and Forint playing “catch as catch can” with him (and catching him too!). While you all sat down and had a nice long chat with Halim, and and excellent meal, Loran and Forint had a “romantic” evening out – at a separate table. And while you learned many interesting facts about the city and about Bras, Forint managed to cleverly con(vince) Loran into organizing a meeting between him and the guild’s leaders.
Little did both know that while they were talking, the guild was busy falling apart from inside…
