Public Reprimand

The Hand of Destiny was kept under house arrest for the rest of the day until an investigator could come by to interrogate them. This would be the third time they were investigated since coming to the city. The tavern was closed down for the day and even the regulars went on to other taverns or homes. At least, for once, they were completely free of anything to do. They couldn’t leave or even go downstairs. 

They spent a boring night under surveillance. Kariss spent her time trying to reach Zenriel through scrying and then, at night, through the Dream Spell. Aleera and Kaladrax snuggled up and spent time together. Milo and Hepolita were climbing up the walls. They were both caged animals, they hated being told they couldn’t go where they pleased. They spent their time sharpening blades and concocting ways of possible escape. 

In the morning, an elf showed up to demand that they be brought before the Open Lord. He was rude and his demands were delivered with disdain. He stomped off with guards surrounding the group on all sides. They were marched through the city towards the government offices where the Open Lord conducted her business. The elf was silent the entire time. Eyes straight ahead, he never spoke a word, never even introduced himself. 

They reached the office of the Open Lord and were ushered inside by their guard. Once inside the tension in the shoulders of the elf melted away and his shoulders slumped gracefully as only elves could. He turned to the party and, in a surprising change of demeanor, apologized for his rude behavior. He explained that the Open Lord could not be seen favoring one group over the other and while they were not under duress here, publicly, it would be treated as a reprimand. After his explanation, they were escorted to a private waiting room to meet with Laeral. 

She came into the room after a few moments and addressed the group. She let them know that since the main attack had occured away from their property, they weren’t being viewed as directly responsible. However, she warned that they could not afford many more scandals. People were allowed to live here as long as they paid the taxes and followed the rules. Any actions that even came close to disrupting life in Waterdeep could be grounds for losing their business and their citizenship being revoked. 

The group nodded their understanding and, after being told that the investigation was lifted, they were allowed to go home. Aleera tried to steal a trinket for herself but found the wards too strong. She was forced to leave a small music box behind when alarms went off. She still loved lifting things, it was a part of her. Now, she had to be more careful. Their status in the city was dependent on them behaving themselves. 

They went back to their accommodations at the tavern. After making sure they had enough provisions for the rest of the day they opened back up and the regulars came back. People, intrigued by the scandalous rumors circulating, also came to drink and hope to be a part of some crazy adventure. The group themselves were so exhausted from the ordeal of the last couple of days that they just wanted to rest some more, this time without a guard. They spent time researching the vaults and where Zenriel might be. 

Kaladrax put up his Magnificent Mansion in one of the closets and invited anyone who wanted to spend the night inside. Kariss slept outside with Milo and Hepolita. On her part, Kariss wanted to cast Dream again to try and reach Zenriel. She hoped there would be a time when she could reach her. They didn’t really have any other options as there were no other clues as to where she could be held. All they saw was that it was a Masked Lord but there were so many in the city that the right one would be difficult to find. 

For their part, Aleera and Kaladrax were tired of the surveillance and just wanted some privacy. Since they had the mansion all to themselves one thing led to another and they ended up sleeping together that night. They slept soundly and safely in each other’s arms while their friends slept in their rooms at the tavern. The night went on in calm silence.