After spending too much time looking after a couple of toddlers, Aegon is all too keen to return to the life of an adventurer. He and the Troupe return to their search for the mayor, Berrun Ghastkill. All they know is that something has happened to him and that no one else in the town seems aware.
19 Eleint 1368
I join the others at the Belching Dragon, grateful to be rid of those two children. It’s still very early in the morning, but we decide it’s best to start our search for the mayor as soon as possible. We leave and cross the bridge over the river only to find an annoyance waiting for us.
Noober: What about now?
Ugh. I’d forgotten about him. We leave as quickly as we can. When he tries to follow us, Shar-Teel draws her Varscona and stares at him calmly. He gets the message.
We go back to the north of the town and decide to try asking one of the guards. All we get are comments about the quality of their steel. The mines may be free of Mulahey’s kobolds, but the Iron Crisis won’t be over soon.
Amnian Soldier: My sword is chipped and tarnished, but we’ll not be given new until prices come down.
It occurs to me that we haven’t checked Finch’s library at the Fenric Manor. It’s the only place left, so we have nothing to lose. As if to answer our prayers, we are approached by a woman who seems familiar.
Megan: Are you Aegon?
Aegon: Yes, I am and these are my loyal sidekicks!
Megan: I’m Megan Ghastkill, the mayor’s daughter. My mother sent me to ask you to come talk to her. She’s waiting for you in the mayor’s house.
That’s why she looks familiar. I should have known that Berrun Ghastkill had a family.
Aegon: Why does she need to talk to me?
Megan: My baby brother was taken from our house and she needs your help to find him.
Aegon: Lead on.
So that’s why they sent the messenger. A missing child. It seems that I will be looking after children for longer than I thought.
We follow Megan and she leads us to the Fenric manor. Inside we find the mayor’s wife looking distraught.
Gillian Ghastkill: Oh Aegon, I see that Megan found you. I desperately need your help. It’s so terrible I just don’t know what to do.
She grabs at my armour, almost begging and pleading as she talks through her tears. I gently place my hands on hers.
Aegon: What’s the problem…what’s wrong?
Gillian Ghastkill: It’s my son…he’s missing, gone! I woke up this morning and he wasn’t in his bed. I don’t know what could have happened to him or where he could be. He’s only eight months old. Please you have to help me! I feel something horrible has happened.
I want to help her, but we don’t have any information to go on right now.
Aegon: Is there anyone who would want to cause harm him or your family?
Gillian Ghastkill: Not that I am aware of.
Aegon: Do you have any ideas at all about what might have happened or any information for us fo go on?
Gillian Ghastkill: No I don’t. Please…you have to find him!
Aegon: Did anyone else have access to the child? A family member, friend?
Gillian Ghastkill: Only Megan, my other children, my husband, Clairis, and I were ever with him.
Aegon: Who is Clairis? One of your children or a friend?
Gillian Ghastkill: She’s my son’s nanny. We hired her two months ago. However, it couldn’t be her. She’s so good with him.
Aegon: What more can you tell us about her? Where is she from? What does she look like?
Gillian Ghastkill: Well..she said she was from Calimshan. She’s a young half-elf, very sweet, pretty, good with children and she has golden hair.
Aegon: Did she have any family or friends that you know of? Do you know where we can find her?
Gillian Ghastkill: I don’t know…she never mentioned family and I never asked her about her private life. So I don’t know about friends. Oh please, you will find him won’t you?
Aegon: We will do everything we can, Mrs, Ghastkill.
Gillian Ghastkill: Thank you Aegon, Thank you!
The babysitter is our only lead now. We should try and find Clairis the half-human. Though I don’t know if we can find her. The kidnapping must have happened a day or two ago. She could be long gone by now. While we discuss our next move, I notice an unusual gesture from Shar-Teel.
She looks at me and tries to scowl. She smiles instead and turns away quickly.
I shake this off and we go upstairs to see if we can find any clues near the child’s crib. Megan is waiting here to greet us.
Megan: Hello.
She doesn’t have anything more to say, so we go looking for the babe’s room. The first room we try is clearly not the right one, and the noblewoman inside is not happy to see us at all.
Samantha: Who are you? What are you doing in my room?
Aegon: Sorry for bothering you, we’ll be out of your room right away.
Samantha: Hmmph! Good, and don’t come back!
As soon as we leave, we are accosted by another noblewoman who is equally unhappy with our presence.
Noblewoman: Who in the Seven Heavens are all of you? Why, you didn’t even have the common decency to remove your footwear. Look at all of the mud you’ve tracked over the house! Get out! Leave! Begone!
We have clearly overstayed our welcome despite our attempts to help. We will find no more clues in this mansion, so we take our leave as the ladies stare us down.
We make our way to the bridge over the stream so we can leave town. Here, we meet another traveller returning to the town who has had her own misfortune on the road.
Jules: Can you please help me? I’ve seemed to have lost my antique pearl necklace…I just came down from Beregost and I must have dropped it on the road somewhere along the way!
Aegon: Of course, m’lady.
We leave town and make our way up the road. We travel for a few hours with nary a bandit in sight. These roads do seem more peaceful these days. The sun rises as we travel and we feel its warmth in our bones. When the path departs from the river we are approached by a figure covered in black robes. He is accompanied by a large wolf and carries with him an ornate sword and shield. When he gets close he lowers his hood to reveal his elvish ears.
CuChoinneach: Hail, it would appear by your look and demeanor that ye are in search of something, but know ye not where to look.
Is he talking about the pearl necklace? Or could he actually know about the child?
Aegon: Well met stranger: and you are correct. My name is Aegon and my party and I have been asked to find the son of the Mayor of Nashkel. But as of now, we have no clues to go on other than the baby was last seen with an elven maiden by the name of Clairis. His mother fears that something terrible and evil has befell him.
CuChoinneach: My name, fair travelers, is CuChoinneach and this is my companion and friend Madadh n’‘Sgril. It would appear that I indeed can be of assistance. This sounds like the work of a very evil creature that I have been in search of these past few months and my search is nearly over. I have traced him to the south of here. This fiend goes by the name of Lord Daerthmac, and his nature is that of the most vile and evil that should be smite from the face of Faerun. I can sense that your quest is one in the same with mine. It’s not usually my way to do so but perhaps, in light of the situations and tasks at hand, we should join forces? What say ye?
Aegon: Agreed. It is better to face these things as one, than to face them alone. Welcome to ye!
A lead, at last! And we have a new ally to help us find the child. Though I am unsure what his source of information is.
He is a ranger who has chosen to rid Faerun of any vampires he finds.
Gameplay Note
Since we have no other pure rangers in our roster, and no other classes seemed to fit the character, I’ve kept him as a pure ranger. I considered Beastmaster given his animal companion, but they can’t use sharp weapons and CuChoinneach uses a sword.
He protects himself with a specially made armour. With its dark colour it helps him to hide in the shadows.
To complement his armour he has an enchanted small shield that is also painted with dark colours.
His sword is a gift from Sehanine Moonbow herself, tasking him to slay any vampire he meets. Knowing this is his mission, I worry that Lord Dearthmac may be a vampire. If so, his kidnapping of a baby has some worrying implications.
We have our lead. CuChoinneach says that it is several days travel to Dearthmac’s castle. We are unlikely to catch up with Clairis as she will already have a couple of days head start. Our best plan is to prepare as best we can for the battles to come. Lord Dearthmac, CuChoinneach tells us, will not be defeated easily.
