Chapter 7: Back in Jalanthar

It is true that a reward makes it much more likely for them to put efforts into defeating the inhabitants of the keep. Kardalis bringing up the Thay is definitely not the best topic, calling them 'dabbling children' surely doesn't make it better. Unable to hide her ire Imarra's eyebrows lower as she glares over to him for a moment, his apologetic look causing her features to soften again "Compared to the Netherese all current masters of the arcane would look like dabbling children, if the stories and artifacts are anything to go by. It doesn't change that these dabbling children command dangerous powers guided by their evil intentions.".
Trying to not focus on the Thay Imarra suggests "Surely it would be good to clean out the keep and maybe have a look at the Netherese artifact, but since we are already on a contract, we can't guarantee it. If pursuing the inhabitants of the keep risks our main goal of retrieving Jarvin Gaurraven, we should see to secure it first." before looking to Bran and saying "Despite how much I would like to defeat the cause of the undead and clear the danger out of the keep.".

A hooded drow with a severely scarred face and a band over her right eye suddenly approaches the table. She wears dark clothes and leather armor, and two scimitars and a crossbow hang from her waist. Her sole pale eye observes them with the keen alert a lone, old wolf having survived its pack might exhibit interacting with the young of another pack, and this gaze coupled with her missing eye and heavy scarring indicates that this woman has seen a lot of loss, pain and suffering in her life - something entirely common for drow, especially for their kind's exiles and houseless..  

Kaleidra Jaerdrazzi: "Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I couldn't help hearing mention of Whisperwind Keep. I am Kaleidra Jaerdrazzi and my house and I are currently quite interested in Whisperwind Keep and its current residents. If you are planning an assault on the keep, I am certain that your group and mine would benefit tremendously from working together... I would prefer to discuss the matter under more private circumstances however. As I'm sure you all know well enough, our kind and our business isn't exactly perceived with favor here on the surface... "

"I do not intend to mitigate the danger of the tattooed ones, Imarra, but emphasize the power of the Netherese and their and their work with the mythallar"
As the drow approaches, Kardalis leans back and narrows his eyes, knowing the surreptitious nature of their kind better than most.
Taking consideration of her request for privacy he uses the drow hand language to sign a question to her.
"Your house abbil? Here?" gesturing widely with his last question, referring to the surface at large.

Kaleidra answers Kardalis's inquiry with a concise series of drow hand signs, while awaiting a verbal response from whoever speaks for the group.  

Drow Sign Language:

DC 16, with a +4 if Drow or Half-Drow on the roll, Knowledge (Local) check to recognize the House name:

Continuing their conversation in sign "This has been my place for decades, you can see I am half-blood...we will speak more later"
Speaking out loud Kardalis suggests to the others "I do not trust her, but I think she is worth hearing"

Kaleidra Jaerdrazzi: "That is all I ask, really. To be honest, you would seem like naive fools to trust me already, when we've only just met. Trust is something that must be earned, just as loyalty is something that must be proven. Misplaced trust will quickly get you killed where I come from..."

Amra Braegen: "We'll hear you out, Kaleidra. Since everyone is finished with their Evenfeast, I suggest we move upstairs to the lounge area on the third floor of the tower, where our rooms are, and continue our conversation there, in private - hear what our new acquaintance here has in mind."

As all of you know by now, an old, round keep tower rises up from the middle of the circular, scrap metal-roofed stone compound, once the main defensive fortification of Jalanthar, now the hamlet's sole tavern and inn - the establishment better known as the Crowing Cockatrice. A round stairwell inside the tower allows for easy access to each of the tower's floors, most of them turned into bedrooms for those of the Cockatrice's guests who are paying to stay the night. Amra has booked all the rooms on the third floor of the tower, and it is in the lounge area on that floor, that the moon elven Kelemvorite wishes to continue the party's conversation. The blue-robed elven theurge gets up from the table and strides swiftly but discretely towards the tower, expecting the others to follow close by, without drawing unnecessary attention to themselves on the way...

The secret conversation between Kardalis and the dark-elf is somewhat worrying Imarra as she tries to figure out if it is just a habit of them or that they are trying to keep something from the others. For a moment she even ponders if she might end up talking rashemi if they meet someone from her home.

Once the decision is made to discuss further in a more private area, Imarra rushes to stuff another mouthful of bread with some meat between her teeth before following and a few smaller bits of meat for Nadra, who already starts bemoaning that she can't sleep away the day in front of the fire. After she puts Nadra down so the cat can follow beside her and she frees her mouth, Imarra questions Kardalis "I only know about drow from stories, what should we expect?", while keeping some of her attention on the drow.

Kardalis shakes his head slowly "Expect that they will try to take advantage of you. Expect that they will turn their back on you at their earliest convenience. If you are useful they will try to use you as long as they know that they profit from the relationship. Not all drow are the same, and this one seems...different, but she does not seem dishonest...yet."
Kardalis shrugs almost apologetically "I'm sorry if the answer you were hoping for was more optimistic, but I have lost the ability to give the drow the benefit of doubt long ago"

The five adventurers ascended the spiraling stairway inside the Cockatrice's central tower until they reached the third floor. When everyone had entered the lounge area, Amra closed the door to the stairway behind them and sat down in one of the comfy chairs around the lounge room's large table, which was surrounded by such chairs and a nice dark red sofa. Myrdin went over to the window, peered out one time and took a standing position, leaning against the wall next to the window. Bran Brighthand took a chair at the end of the table and Kaleidra Jaerdrazzi sat in the sofa.



Amra Braegen: "Alright, Kaleidra. I am more than slightly interested in hearing what you had in mind and how and why Whisperwind Keep and the Kreels have garnered the attention of your house." She reached for the wine decanter with a pale, long-fingered hand and poured a glass for the drow and one for herself, then passed the decanter to Brighthand. The Tymorite declined the offer but passed the decanter to the next person...

Kaleidra Jaerdrazzi: The scar-faced drow took the glass offered to her, took a sip and smirked with pleasure at the wine's delicious taste, before replying in her stoic, slightly raspy voice: "Where do I begin? Until rather recently, our house was having a lot of success in Ched Nasad. Within the last couple of decades we diminished two rival houses above us and thus earned ourselves a much improved position within the city,  with considerably more clout, wealth, slaves, serfs and power, mostly due to the cunning of my sister, Yinica Jaerdrazzi, our house's Matron Mother and High Priestess of Lolth, but also thanks to an ancient Ilythiiri artifact agents of our house were lucky enough to procure - a statuette of Lolth, imbued with an abundance of magical essence that our mages could tap into it, allowing us to gain the vantage on our rival houses and topple them. Then disaster struck. A burglar managed to sneak into our house and steal the artifact and before you knew it our house was left vulnerable in the sight of our new rival houses, attacked and diminished. We lost our position as a recognized house in Ched Nasad and those of us who had survived left the city in shame. We settled in a cave closer to the surface and began work to recuperate and rebuild our house, in the hopes of one day returning to Ched Nasad, to take our revenge and regain our position. We began sending agents to the surface and soon, through a pure stroke of luck, we learned that the statuette was in the hands of the Kreels. Since then we have secured a cavern in close proximity to Whisperwind Keep, and are currently at work digging a tunnel to one of the natural caverns which are part of the keep's dungeon, so we can mount a surprise attack...

The answer from Kardalis does not instill much confidence in the partnership with the Drow they are discussing. On their way upstairs Imarra contemplates how she might be able to help assure that the Drow don't turn around on the group after they take care of the enemies and attack them.

Following into the room Imarra decides to sit down on the sofa as well, in the hope she might be able to influence Kaleidra enough to not backstab the group. Of course her intent was based on the idea that the drow lady would do that in the first place. Running her hand along Nadra's back while listening to the explanation Kaleidra gives, the witch then asks "So, can we understand that you would attack Whisperwind Keep either way? What then led you to seek us out?" and simulaneously suggests via the empathic link that Kaleidra's lap would be a really comfy place. Not one to miss the opportunity Nadra gave a short meow which Imarra understood as "good fish", the price for a cat's obedience, before she moved over to Kaleidra, deceptively purring and seeking to be pet.

Kaleidra Jaerdrazzi: Kaleidra firmly pushes Nadra the cat away: "Please keep your familiar off me, and yes, we will attack the Kreels and retake what is ours, either way. If we coordinate our attacks on the keep however, we both stand a better chance at success. All we really want is the Lolth statuette, and to exact vengeance upon those who stole it from us. You can have whatever else the Kreels and their minions might have of value..."

Acting apologetic about Nadra trying to get some love from the drow, Imarra grabs the cat and puts her back on her own lap "Please excuse her, she thinks everyone loves her.". Thinking on Kardalis' words that the Drow will turn their back on them once they exceeded their usefulness, Imarra can't stop worrying that they might try to get rid of them at the same point. With that in mind she tries to come up with a way to make it seem like they can have more uses afterwards. If only she knew more about the drow, she might be able to guess their future actions better. Unsure what they might find enticing, Imarra suggests "If this attack goes well it might lay the founding stone for further beneficial alliances and trade between the people here and your house.".

Kaleidra Jaerdrazzi: The drow smirks blatantly as if to indicate that alliances and trade with surface dwellers isn't really something her house has a need or want for: "Yes, well, we'd really like to conclude our business here on the surface as quickly as possible, so we can return to Ched Nasad to exact our vengeance and reclaim our position in the house hierarchy. Regaining our honor is the only thing that really matters to us at this point, and the Ilythiiri statuette is the only thing we really need to see this ilindith accomplished. Spilling the qu'lith of the rivvin who stole the statuette from us shall serve as a warning to any other thieves that might scheme on stealing from us in the future, and is thus a part of that same ilindith..."

Amra Braegen: "We appreciate your forthrightness, Kaleidra. Sensible as it is, we shall however need time to consider your proposition and discuss among ourselves in private. Where shall we seek you and your house out in case we decide to work with you on a joint assault?"

Kaleidra Jaerdrazzi: "There's a ravine to the northeast and below of Whisperwind Keep, leading to a maze of ravines. If you keep to the left through the ravines, you will end up at the entrance to the cavern where our house is camped. Consider carefully. We'll attack the Kreels no matter what and reclaim what is ours, and trust me when I say that you would rather want to be on our side than in our way... Thank you for your time..."

With those words, Kaledira Jaerdrazzi rises nonchalantly from the sofa and exits the third floor of the Crowing Cockatrice's central tower...