A letter from Bloodstone

If you want to be a successful adventurer, you must be truly exceptional.

Take me as an example: My maxed INT score implies, I'm a genius. I would not say that I'm more clever and more brilliant than can possibly be imagined, but close to it. I've also maximum DEX, which gives me superior hand-eye coordination, agility, reaction speed, reflexes, and balance. It all boils down to the fact that I don't need armor to protect me in combat, chances are, that my opponent will not score a single hit in combat. And finally CHA! OK, Gareth Dragonsbane has more charisma, but hey: Who gets the girls? I never had difficulty to find loyal henchmen and I usually get positive reactions from others.

So I'm a master thief and a skilled magician with many magic items, including an ebony fly figurine of wondrous power and a defender sword +4. But I would not have reached anything with a nine-to-five attitude.

One of my core competences is that I can deal with unexpected difficulties - and that is exactly what is most important now: To make that clear, I'm not talking about waking up thirsty, with a terrible headache and having missed breakfast and lunch. These are the things you come to expect, as normal consequences of drinking exotic alcoholic beverages in significant quantity. I was very well prepared for this: The Pampered Traveler is not only the right location, to consume the expensive and potent firewine of the Rashemaar, but also the place, where you recover from it's inevitable side effects.

The unexpected difficulties appeared in the form of an inconspicuous letter sealed with a Crossed Pick and Sword - the family crest of House Tranth. It was an official letter from the Baron of Bloodstone. Being a master spy, I did not have to open the letter, to know its content. Even an urchin from the docks of Waterdeep would have easily guessed that this letter from Gareth Dragonsbane could never ever contain the requested gp to secure the funding of the current mission for the next quarter.

My headache was still bad, but that did not matter. The most important thing was the current mission. I had to get my act together and find a solution ...

What did Riordan tell me yesterday? House Vandree changed its allies. Hmmm ... No. That won't work. But there was something else, Riordan insisted on. What was it? It was something about matron mother Anthiela being in Menzoberranzan. No. Who cares about the dealings of the 17th House in a drow city? If it were House Xorlarrin, the third house, that would be a different thing ...

Ah ... I remember: Riordan was wondering, if the high priestess Fini'they was scheming against Anthiela. But that would not help either. Those things are happening all the time within the noble houses of the drow. Lolth is a cruel, capricious goddess, thought by many to be insane. She delights in setting her worshipers at each other's throats, so that the strongest, most devious and cruel will survive to serve her.

The new allies had strange names. Something like "thayan convergence" ... Hmmm. Yes! That's it. This will work! House Vandree's new alliance is led by the red wizards of Thay! Brilliant! Great intelligence. House Vandree obviously works on an alliance between the drow of Menzoberranzan and the Red Wizards of Thay. I'll have to flash out some details in my report to Gareth, but this should definitely be sufficient, to justify further investigations.

Despite my headache, I started to write my report. After I finished the first paragraph, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" I said. "But I don't have much time."

"I was right." Cousin Riordan was really exited. "This was more than a simple change of allies."

"Off course." I replied "The Menzoberranzan and Thay unite against the Kingdom of Damara and the free realms!"

"Indeed. I thought, you did not really listen yesterday" replied Riordan "but I can prove it: Moredryss Vrinn works for various Red Wizards as a hired killer. Before she appeared in Neverwinter, she has been employed by the anti-Tam faction to work against the necromancer’s allies. We can attribute the death of a young Red Wizard that has been mysteriously killed, to Vrinn’."

"Great Job, Cousin Riordan. Baron Gareth Dragonsbane needs to know this." it is important that people you work with get positive feedback from time to time, even if they are family. "I need you to write a detailed report with all the relevant facts. We don't have much time, so hurry up! In the meantime I'm organizing an audience with the Baron. It is of utmost importance that I can present our report as soon as possible. You can stay in my room and start immediately. I have to go and get something to eat. See you."

Who is Moredryss Vrinn?

"We really need to know, what matron mother Anthiela is up to." I said to Cousin Riordan, when he returned to our H.Q. in Waterdeep. "... and you must try this! It's jhuild, the potent firewine of
the Rashemaar. I don't know, where they got it from. Rashemen is the most isolated and mysterious nation of the Unapproachable East."

Off course, this was some sort of a rhetorical question and I knew the answer: The pampered Traveler in the noble district of Waterdeep, was the location to be, if you are looking for excellent lodging and exquisite food and beverage. So it was quite clear, that, if anyone in Waterdeep could get jhuild, it would be Brathan Zilmer, the owner of The pampered Traveler who was also Guildmaster of The Fellowshoip of Innkeepers. It's not the cheapest accommodation in the city and and certainly not low profile, but it's close to the Yawning Portal. Even better, the rich and famous of Waterdeep automatically assume that you must be a VIP, if you can afford your stay here. This puts you on top of the invitation lists for every nobleman's party. It was indeed a great idea, to set up our mission's H.Q. here.

But I'm not the only bright mind in the Bloodstone Army.  Gareth Dragonsbane, holy knight of the Order of the Golden Cup and Baron of Bloodstone not only pays the bills for this mission, but he also sent Riordan Parnell, my cousin, to make sure that all the money spent turns into valuable information about the schemes of our enemies.

"I'm not sure matron mother Anthiela even knows about the recent developments." Riordan responded, before he tasted the firewine. "I have double checked this fact: Matron mother Anthiela was not in Neverwinter, when the new alliance was formed and she is has not returned from her trip to Menzoberranzan until now. The day before it happened, Anthiela talked to Fini'they and pointed out that there were really important issues to be resolved and those issues required her full and personal attention."

"Nothing new!" at this point of our coversation, my cup of jhuild was only half full or, if you like, already half empty, whereas Riordan had not even touched his. "But did you know that Rashemaar firewine sells for 15 gp or more (depending on where it is sold) per pint in such distant places as Amn, Waterdeep, and Cormyr?"

"No. Why is this relevant?" good cousin Riordan was so focused on House Vandree that he completely forgot to maintain our cover and play the role of rich and famous daredevils from Damara, seeking thrill and pleasure in Waterdeep. "But do you know that Moredryss Vrinn, a rank and file member of House Vandree, could easily be mistaken for matron mother Anthiela?"

Moredryss Vrinn

"So what?" my cup was empty. Riordan had not touched his and I had to put our mission first, so, with a slight of my hand, I swapped cups and drank it.

"Guild records prove, that Moredryss somehow acted as matron mother, kicked the subsidiaries, disbanded the alliance and signed the order to join the new alliance!" Riordan insisted. "Yesterday, she left the guild and joined the Dragonkights on invitation of Relonor Hun'ett!"

Moredryss at the Great Hall of the Thayan Convergence.

"We'll discuss this tomorrow." I was suddenly so tired, I had go to bed immediately. I barely made it to my room and fell into a deep sleep for 12 hours. Later, I woke up with a throbbing head, thick tongue, and a miserable desire to crawl under a rock.

New Allies

On 06/24/2019 House Vandree disbanded the alliance with Haus Vandree, Banksie and Torilian Arcane Order and joined the alliance of Die Tayanische Konvergenz after an invitation issued by the Drachenritter von Chel'El'Sussoloth.

The guild name of the helm guild Die Tayanische Konvergenz translates to "The Thayan Convergence", which implies some connections to the infamous red wizards. With a guild level of 15, one can assume that it has some powerful members.

This was a move, I did not anticipate. Given the fact, that the alliance with House Xorlarrin did not meet the expectations of House Vandree, it was clear that House Vandree was looking for alternatives. This makes sense, because the allies of House Vandree were much smaller and did not show the dynamic growth of Anthiela's own guild. But the timing and the circumstances raise questions.

We know that House Vandree has close connections to the Corrupted Alliance and to the Rangers of the South. Members of House Vandree are often seen in parties with members of the aforementioned guilds. Reliable, well informed sources say, that House Vandree was founded by former officers of the Rangers of the South with the strategic goal to be a subsidiary.

The name of the sword guild that invited House Vandree implies some drow roots as it translates to "Dragonknights of  Chel'El'Sussoloth". With a guild level of 10, it is also more powerful than the Rangers of the South.

Cousin Riordan has joined House Vandree and found evidence in die guild archive that there was a convention of senior guild officers at the beginning of this year, in which options were discussed.

Riordan Parnell at the Guildhall of the Dragonknights.

Riordan had the impression that Fini'they Vandree, high priestess of Lloth, was preparing the guild for a new alliance with Zhenthil keep or the Fabeled Alliance. But this did not materialize. From the minutes of the meeting one gets the impression that the members of House Vandree would rather stay alone than being part of a very active high profile alliance. Maybe this is a lesson, matron mother Anthiela took from the Rangers of the South, being kicked from the Corrupted Alliance for no apparent reason.

The guildhall shows the strength of the Dragonknights.

Questions remain. First and foremost: The only person that could form the new alliance is the matron mother. To receive the invitation, House Vandree had to leave the alliance. A head guild of an alliance, such as House Vandree at that time, has to kick its subsidiaries to disband its alliance. After this, it can join the new alliance. But Riordan knows for certain, that matron mother Anthiela was not in Neverwinter, when the alliance of House Vandree was shifted! Was this a coup by Fini'they?

Truth lies in the eye of the beholder

"Let me show you the city." i said to Riordan leaving the pampered traveler.
"I've been here before." cousin Riordan replied quickly "About thirty years ago, before I met Gareth Dragonsbane in the Bloodstone Lands, the lords of the city of Waterdeep hired a team of adventurers to investigate an evil coming from beneath the city. We entered the city's sewer, but the entrance was blocked by a collapse. Later I learned this had been caused by Xanathar, the eponymous beholder. Our team descended further beneath the city, going through dwarf and drow clans, to Xanathar's lair, where we finally engaged our primary target and killed the eponymous beholder."
"And then?" I asked.

Riordan's adventuring party.

"Nothing." Riordan replied.
"Nothing?" I could not believe it.
"Nothing!" was the answer.
"No reception by the lords? No victory party? No girls? Really nothing?" I just wanted to make sure, we were talking about the some thing.
"Nothing. ... No. Wait. There was something." Riordan conceded "I almost forgot that: A small blue window appeared out of nothing and told us that the beholder was killed and that the we were returned to the surface where we were treated as heroes."
I knew, he was right and said "These were the old days, you could either have adventure or nice looks. No one wanted to waste scarce resources on windows dressing." Riordan interrupted with a chuckle "unless you had an amiga!" - "Yeah! Right again!" I fully agreed with Riordan on that point "Today, everything is different. Nobody would enter a dungeon without a good reason. And style is important."
"So where would you suggest, we spend this night?" Riordan asked.
"Well, let me think. We could go to the Singing Sword or the Mighty Manticore." I replied.
"No, that sounds boring. How about the Yawning Portal?" Riordan said with a sly smile. He is so knowledgable in regards to the goings-on and his suggestions turn out almost always great for those who are seeking shelter or adventure. Obviously, cousin Riordan had done his homework on Waterdeep and couldn't resist the temptation to seek Undermountain —just for the fun of it.
If you ask anyone in Waterdeep about Undermountain, you'’ll be sat down and given a tale or three; whether the tales are meant as warnings or as braggadocio depends on the teller. As you can see from above, those that truly know of Undermountain are not quick to divulge its secrets, only its portents. Folk intrigued by talk of the Realms’ most dangerous dungeon make it a habit of visiting the Yawning Portal or the Bowels of the Earth, where such tales are constant.

Cousin Riordan

"We have to talk!" Whenever I hear these words, I don't expect anything good. Things usually turn out worse, if those words come from a person, who truly knows me. And if this person was sent by stuffy Sir Gareth Dragonsbane, paladin of Ilmater, holy knight of the Order of the Golden Cup, Baron of Bloodstone and King of Damara, the party is over.
"What in the name of Lady Luck are you doing?" asked Riordan Parnell. Cousin Riordan is an infamous bard, usually wandering around the Galena Mountains. He is the cornerstone of the Spysong scouting network, and considers himself personally responsible for all of its members. As if he weren'’t busy enough designing the infrastructure of the spy network, Riordan also weaves most of the ditties that carry the coded messages back down to his allies in Damara.
"Gareth Dragonsbane wants to know, what is going on! We have not heard a single word from you, since you reported the upgrade of the lumberyard!" the pleasant and friendly voice did not quite fit with the strict message he was conveying. "I did not understand in the first place, what you were up to, when you talked Gareth into financing this so called reconnaissance mission into obscure dealings of a minor drow house. Where did all the money go, you took with you, when you left Bloodstone village a tenday ago?"
Well, that was an easy one. "Waterdhavians generally work hard, make large amounts of money as a result, and play hard, too. By night, taverns do a steady trade, and the festhalls and nightclubs—there are many in the docks area, and a few in all of the other city wards—are wild, crowded places, to say nothing of the private parties in homes, the villas of the nobles, and guildhalls." I was sure, this would explain everything to cousin Riordan. His life has been a rollercoaster ride between riches and poverty, but whatever his present financial state, Riordan is always ready for adventure. He enjoys equally stealing a kiss from a fair lass or hunting down the bandit army.
"I understand. I'm not sure whether the Baron of Bloodstone would approve, but I fully trust in your expertise in such delicate matters" said Riordan.
"I knew that you would see the potential of my plan. Do you have the requested additional gold with you?" I asked. "Off course!" replied Riordan. This is my cousin, a real thrillseeker, living his life to the fullest and always on the edge of disaster.

Lumberyard upgraded

Fini'they upgraded the lumberyard 04/18/2019, about a tenday after enhancing the mine. House Vandree now only needs to collect the resources for the farm before their guild hall can be expanded to level 5. How did they do it? I don't know. We have to investigate.!

Mine upgraded to level 2

Waterdeep - City of Splendors! That's the right place to start my reconnaissance mission. As I wandered the streets of the city from shop to shop to find the best prices for the things I needed, a sense of awe filled my thoughts. OK, I've seen cities in the Bloodstone Lands before, but compared to Waterdeep, even Heliogabalus was a small farming community.

The colors! My eyes were drawn from place to place so rapidly it dazzled me. Such kaleidoscope of hues: the brilliant gowns and sparkling veils of noblewomen; the fluttering brightly painted shop windows; and the horses and carriages of the wealthy dressed in full, colorful regalia. This was my city!

My nose tingled with tantalizing smells. Sweetmeats and pastries mounded in abundance at the stalls of street vendors. Aromas from the kitchens of the finest chefs in the Realms wafted from restaurants and inns, mixing with the salty sea air. The perfumed scarves of passing maidens left scented trails through the throng, invisible tendrils to tug the heard-strings of every living man.

It did not take long for me to find an appropriate inn. The pampered Traveler, in the Castle Ward, at the crossing of the Street of Bells and Selduth Street is highly rated (its proprietor, Brathan Zilmer is Guildmaster of The Fellowshoip of Innkeepers).This inn in the noble district of Waterdeep was indeed the right location for this missions H.Q. And after the war was won, Baron Dragonsbane has enough gold to fund this all.

Being at the right place and spending enough money is key to success in my business. Gareth Dragonsbane would never get any information with his righteousness and oath of poverty. Fortunately, he has me to spend his money.

By the way, I really got some brand new information about House Vandree:

Today, the high priestess commissioned the upgrade of the mine.

Fini'they celebrates the improved mine

After the marketplace and the quarry, it is the third stronghold structure, that reached level 2.

Recent stronghold development

The next milestone of House Vandree is to upgrade the lumberyard. Which seems quite an ambitious aim, given that there are no "vouchers" for Tyranny of the Dragons treasures.

Next target is lumberyard

The Vandree Alliance is only level 8. Much room for improvement here. Total members are 230, of which most (140) are in House Vandree.

The Vandree Allinace

House Vandree has an unique title structure. As one would expect, there is one matron. Second in command is one high priestess. The bulk of the senior officers are weapon masters. Only 3 spellcasters made it into the senior officer ranks.