3. Wyrm's Crossing

Stella grimaces, unconvinced. "Assassins haven't had any trouble spotting us by vague descriptions alone. But I suppose Baulder's Gate might be large enough to make that more difficult? Maybe I just need to dye my hair or something...it's fairly distinct," she says, running a hand through it. She turns to Aldous, distracted for a moment. "What do you think? Brown? Ooh, or blue! No, wait, that's too distinctive as well...probably just black like Mama..." She glances up at his red hair. "Hmm...I suppose traveling with a Silvershield might make us stand out a bit as well..."
Stella nods, opening her tome and flipping to the pages where she had sketched part of the map in the mine's operations room. "From the looks and sounds of it, it might be entirely compromised..." She flips, she freezes, stopping at the grinning skull in blood, then quickly closes it. "...How many major contacts and merchant guilds would you guess the Throne might be interested in?" she asks, thinking of the four stars in her vision, one becoming corrupted. It was a long shot, but she had to at least ask.

Scar blinks several times. "This is your first visit to the Gate, isn't it? It's no frontier town with only one or several inns for assassins to scout out. It may not be as fancy as Waterdeep or Silverymoon, but it rivals them in size. Even knowing you're here, it's unlikely assassins will be able to find you easily." He shrugs. "Perhaps your anonymity won't last beyond this investigation of the Seven Suns. But for the time being we might as well make use of it."
Scar chuckles. "Dozens? A score or more? I suspect their ambition knows no bounds, and they'll have their greedy fingers in every pie they can reach."

The Flaming Fist officer puts both hands on his desk and looks each member of the group in the eyes. "The Iron Throne is hardly the first organization of evil intent to threaten the Gate and its people, but the scope of this plot... We are going to need incontrovertible proof to face them on the scale they merit. And hopefully your investigation of the Seven Suns will be the beginning of that."

Scar rolls his shoulders, stretching muscles still firm despite his apparent age. "Have you any other questions?"

"Do you know of anyone or any businesses whom we could pay to perform research inquiries at Candlekeep? We have a few things we'd like to research there, but don't currently have the time nor the literature to enter..."

Scar rubs a hand across some of the stubble on his face. "I'm not sure, Miss Melerelel. I would probably start with the Temple of Oghma, or perhaps the Temple of Deneir. I would imagine the adherents of scholarly deities would have the most to benefit from relations with Candlekeep. Both holy houses can be found in the Temple District."

Stella curtsies and nods her thanks. "Thank you for your assistance, Scar." She takes Aldous' arm and leans into him slightly, still nervous, but mostly consoled. Perhaps those in the Temple District might be able to tell her more about her visions as well...

Aiwë turns to her friends. "So what do we think? Temple district, then turn in at the Silvershield estate, then the Seven Suns?"