Chapter 1: A Friend in Need

Renaer seems conflicted about accepting Alastriona's help but his condition doesn't allow him to make much of a refusal. When Xelia says the Floon's name, however, he stops immediately and spins around with a surprising burst of energy to look Xelia in the eyes. His own are full of surprise and hope.

"What did you say? Yes, they took Floon, and he is absolutely in danger. How is it that you knew he was here? Who are you all?"

He shares his answer to Xelia's questions in turn as you answer his.

"Floon and I were strongarmed by Zhents on our way out of a bar and taken to this warehouse. They weren't the usual kind of Zhents though: I've worked with them before and I know their methods are sometimes questionable but they'd never stoop this low. Or maybe they would, but they'd be smarter about it. It just doesn't add up."

"Then these bird men showed up - is it day time right now? I guess that would have been last night. They were led by a Svirfneblin. They murdered everyone except Floon and me, and then left with Floon. It pains me to say it, but I think they mistook him for me, on account of my face being smashed up."

"Is it just the Stone they want? Why would they want such a thing?" Xelia speaks slowly and deliberately, like they're having tea and a chat.

"Do not be alarmed by Stitches. He's with me and was not involved with this... unpleasantness." She gestures at the murdered individuals laying on the ground. The ones not actually killed by Stitches, that is.

Alastriona shifts herself behind and to the side of Xelia as the tabaxi continues her conversation.

"Don't worry Stitches, I am all too familiar with being tarred with the same brush. You won't get that treatment from me. But who are you all? And who is Floon to you?"

Alastriona pulls out the page ripped from Volo's book, as though showing identification.

The young fire Genasi runs his hand through his orange hair as the conversation unfolds.

"Would you have any idea where they might have taken him?

Hearing Vatra's question Butler nods "Our friend here might be able to help in that regard". He addresses the Kenku again "Can you lead us to were ever the boss is? To where your friends took Floon?"

The Kenku responds with a vigorous nod. His voice takes on the affections of a fish hawker: "You won't find a better deal in all of Waterdeep this good day, sir!"

He raises on hand and utters in the same Orcish accent from before "The access tunnel is down by the..." his voice trails off as he leaves out the crucial bit.

Then he raises another hand and sings in an elven woman's voice: "♫ You will always be the one that I regret. How will I let you go? ♫"

Then he crosses his two hands as if offering an exchange.

Renaer takes the paper from Alastriona. It takes him a moment to realize it's Volo's writing.

"Volo sent you? Alright then. I'll be right back."

Renaer limps back into to the warehouse and from among the dead Zhentarim thugs and Xanathar's Kenku assassins, he returns with a dagger and rapier. While he is buckling their scabbards onto his person, he answers Xelia's questions.

"Here's what I've gathered so far. My father alledgedly embezzled a considerable sum of gold while he was Open Lord, which I don't doubt for a quickling's heartbeat, and the Zhents think that he hid the dragons somewhere in the city. From the sounds of it, you can find it by using an artifact called the Stone of Golorr, which was in the hands of the Xanathar Guild until recently. Apparently, someone stole it. The Zhents thought I knew something about all of this, but I don’t. My father and I haven’t spoken in years."

"Floon was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Zhents nabbed him too. Xanathar must have caught wind I was held up here and sent them -" he gestures at the Kenku "- to come get me, but they grabbed the wrong human."

He finishes the last buckles on the weapon straps.

"Understandably, I am a bit bent out of shape over all this."

Stitches begins hauling the bodies of the dead kenku out of the yard and into the warehouse. He doesn't make eye contact with the survivor, but he listens carefully. Other kenku were always the best sources for new words.

He sings a bit of applause at Renaer's expression of solidarity, then begins searching the kenku corpses.

Butler stares at the kenku for a moment before moving the crossbow from pointing at them "ok then, here’s the deal. You lead us to where your friends took Floon and you can be on your way....trust me though if you so much as think about double crossing us things won’t end well for you. We got a deal?

Alastriona takes the paper back from Renaer and watches as the fallen kenku bodies are brought into the warehouse, but she remains by Xelia's side. Her attentive stance indicates her readiness to move once everything has been decided.

Stitches goes through the bodies of the Kenku. Including the survivor's gear there are:

• 6x Shortbows and Shortswords - moderate quality, serviceable but nothing special.
• Plenty of Arrows* - similar quality
• 6x Leather armor - similar quality
• Matching drab-coloured hooded tunics - not certain if they are meant to be uniforms; they bear no insignia, but they are matching.
• A few dozen nibs between them (we'll round it up to 1 gp).
• An iron key, found on the surviving Kenku.
• A poem about flying written on a scrap of paper.**

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* Probably don't need to track ammo in an urban campaign too closely. Consider your quiver full.
** Poem is High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. of the Royal Canadian Air Force, WWII. Access to Canada is technically canon in the Forgotten Realms, so...

The surviving Kenku vigorously nods his acceptance of Butler's offer.

"You won't find a better deal in all of Waterdeep this good day, sir!" he repeats, the splashy, fleshy sound of freshly caught fish being dumped into wood bins included.

As the items are laid out and revealed, Alastriona feels drawn to the piece of paper. Unexpectedly, she detaches from Xelia's side and picks up the poem. She holds the scrap upside-down as she inspects the writing, tracing her finger vertically across the page in a delicate and light touch.

Her eyes mist over, and Alastriona folds the poem in half to store it in her jacket.

Vatra picks up one of the hooded tunics. "Not really my style but you never know when you need to be a little more subtle."

Butler spares a glance for the gathered gear but doesn't take anything other than trying to retrieve as many of his crossbow bolts as possible.

Prince holds up the key. "What does this open?" he asks the kenku prisoner. "A cell door in the Château d'If? Hmm... Milady's chest of love toys? Teehee! The Xanathar's stamp collection?"

Butler arrives at the door, which is locked. Torch light reveals that a seemingly basic door has been substantially but subtley reinforced. In stark contrast to the rest of this dilapidated building, the knob and lock mechanism are shiny brand new, and there is fresh sawdust on the floor.

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The prisoner shrugs at Prince's questions. He points to a Zhentarim corpse and mimes a smooth pick-pocketing motion.

Butler shouts down to the others "Door up here's locked, might be worth seeing if that key works"