The Grayhaven City Gates

Grayhaven is the largest city you've ever seen, just judging by the amount of traffic passing in and out of the massive gates. There's even activity in the sky, as a flight of three hippogriffs soar past overhead. The huge barred doors are swung wide open to merchants and travelers of all types, who pass through the massive walls after careful review by the watchful city guard.

Dugal guides the caravan into a wide dirt lot off to the side of the gates, where a dozen other wagons are already being unloaded. Immediately the tumult of activity begins, voices coming from all directions. The merchants of the caravan hop down and are pressed upon by prospective porters eager to be hired to take their wares in through the gates while city officials press through the crowds to evaluate the goods and assess the appropriate tariffs. Some of the goods are destined to be sold in the Market Square, others are earmarked for delivery to parties in the city who ordered them, while still others are directed to ships bound for other ports.

As each wagon is unloaded, Gavath leads the team off to one side, into an area that Dugal has paid to be set aside for his caravan. Then the half-orc unhitches the horses and leads them off to a nearby paddock where he pays to have them guarded while rest and graze for the days that it will take for Dugal to find merchants bound for Mara. Each driver sweeps out their wagon, then gets in line at the gates, waiting for entry into the big city. Flint's job is easy enough, as Findal was a tidy passenger and there's little mess to clean. So Flint offers to help clean Belany's wagon further before he joins the line at the gates.

As the merchants finish their negotiations, they return briefly to say their goodbyes and to pay Dugal the rest of his fees.

Belany's lips twitch in an almost-smile as she thanks the party for rescuing her wares. She also thanks Flint for his help with her wagon, and then offers money to Findal again for the cleaning his magic provided. "No, no, no - I wouldn't dream of it!"

Swelvie blows a kiss in Turighe's direction. "Maybe I'll see you again sometime..." Turighe blushes and bows low: "It would be my pleasure." Princess frowns at the redheaded merchant's back as she sashays into the line at the gates. A wealthy noble delegation approaches with much pomp, carrying a palanquin escorted by heavily-armed guards. They stop, and the person within the palanquin address kar'Javon. The dwarf bows low and climbs into the palanquin without a word. Tesko alone has not hired any porters, and before too long, an armed cadre of heavily-armored warriors bearing crossbows arrive, escorting a team of black-clad porters. Tesko gestures, the porters heft his sealed crates, and they depart, surrounded by the warriors looking in all directions, clearly wary of attack by the Five Guys or their agents.

Findal pays the dwarven caravan master his fee and looks up at the city walls. "Exciting, isn't it?" he crows in his piping voice. Dugal turns to the party and hands 25 golden suns to each of you: Adran, Bramlin, Elowin, Gunter, Morik, and Princess. But as Princess leaves to talk with Turighe and Gunter bids his farewells, Dugal addresses the gnome: "You've been a good traveling companion, and I hope that you're happy with the services I've provided." Showing an awareness of your agreement to escort Findal, he's clearly speaking so that the four of you can also hear: "So I feel it's fair to give you a warning. As I was settling accounts with the officials, I heard some of the guards say that they're looking for gnome wizards, to take them in for questioning. I don't know why, but they've got the magecatchers out." He smiles then, the rare expression creasing his face in unaccustomed ways. "I know you can't have done anything wrong, but you might want to avoid any misunderstandings..."

Findal nods and grips Dugal's arm in gratitude too deep for words. Dugal nods. Then he looks each of you in the eye in turn and adds: "I can try to give you a few minutes more by keeping the officials busy for a bit longer. Good luck!" The dwarf hurries off and starts to loudly complain to the customs agents and his guards about how high the tariffs have become.

Findal turns to you, his protectors. "This sounds like it will be more work than I thought. If they're looking for me, that may mean that someone has learned about the artifact and Tykus' research. It'll be best to avoid attention until we can enter the city, meet Tykus, and figure out what's happened."

There is a big line of people waiting to get in, but the guards seem to be letting people through with only cursory questions. As you watch, Gunter is let through the checkpoint and enters the city. Princess, who never accepted Findal's offer of employment either, is busy flirting with Turighe (and has made noises that she might sign up to guard the caravan on the return journey).

How do you want to get Findal into Grayhaven?

As you wish!