Jakama’s Darkness spell disperses, and the street is shown to be empty of either Floom or his captors. Yagra approaches to suggest they interrogate the remaining Kenku. The group returns inside to discover there are still three on the lower floor of the warehouse. They move cautiously down the stairs, spying several bodies under the raised walkway. These unfortunate fellows bear the tattoos of the Xanathar Guild.
The group members make it clear that they come in peace, and the friends spend some time getting information from them. This takes some time: kenku are a cursed race. They are only able to speak in words they have heard from others. Calista tries sign language, to no avail. Jakama is able to get “Capture! Floom!” from two of them. Does this mean that Floom was intentionally taken by the Xanathar Guild? But then what explains all the bodies with Xanathar tattoos? A mystery.
The group learns from Paderick and Yagra, who both have familiarity with the Guild, that there are Xanathar hideouts all over the city. They believe it is possible poor Floom has been taken to one of the larger ones with an entrance located in Waterdeep’s cemetery. Paderick knows it is hidden beneath the stone with the last name “Youse.” Gamely, the group follows.
Dramatis Personnae
Calista (Reni)
Fenmyar (Freddie)
Galadin (Andrew)
Jakama (Rowan)
Lexomel (Rex)
Obsidian (Jase)
As dawn breaks, the party solemnly walks Coffinmarch Avenue to enter Waterdeep’s City of the Dead. “Here it is,” Paderick says and points.
Before them, there is a marble monument with “I. C. Youse” inscribed on its front. Atop the monument, a tall, weeping angel stands, her arching wings trailing behind her. The angel’s delicate hands gesture toward the ground…suspiciously, the party thinks. Each of the adventurers takes a turn exploring the statue to see if a catch, button or switch can be located. They push, twist and move every part of the immovable marble angel they can think of, but have no luck. The statue remains still, giving no clue to the secret of the hideout. Grrr!
Finally, Galadin has the idea to touch the tears carved on the angel’s face. Carefully, Jakama climbs atop the monument, balancing up on the plinth. He presses the left tear streaming down the angel’s face. Immediately, Jakama feels a shudder move through the stone and the front face of the monument pops open. In the pale morning light, the friends can now see that a narrow staircase has been revealed. It travels downward into the earth, and the steps look worn down, as if by the passage of many feet. Steeling themselves, they descend into the darkness as the entrance shuts behind them with a click.
They arrive in a room filled with stone coffins. Each is topped with a carved effigy of its occupant, with arms folded across chests. One of the coffins is pulled away from the northern wall, leaving a gap. Another has a damaged lid. In the center of the western wall, a steel door with a lock is secured with a lock, there is no key in evidence.
Obsidian tries to use his dagger to pick the lock. No luck. Fenmyar’s Ray of Frost spell likewise does nothing to affect the door. Curses!
Calista readies a Firebolt spell after using pigments from his disguise kit to draw a Xanathar tattoo—an orb with ten short spokes—on the back of his hand. Not perfect, but maybe in the poor light no one will notice it’s a fake. Fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, Galadin recruits some of his comrades to drag the displaced coffin even farther out into the room, to check if there is something hidden beneath it. Still no luck. The group elects to lift the heavy stone lid as a team. Instead of a secret entrance to the hideout, the coffin actually contains a mummified body. One bony hand of the mouldering skeleton sports a gold ring, and the robes are closed with a gold pin and belt. The group argues about whether to loot the unfortunate occupant and elect to leave the unfortunate fellow in peace. Instead, they replace the lid and keep looking for the hideout’s entrance.
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