Week Ten

Suncarn, Aproth 29th, Year of the Shield

Having evaded the Shieldbreakers after killing a shopkeeper in the marketplace, Juliet and Erik returned to the Stone Hearth with the food they had acquired. Just as they were entering, however, they both noticed someone watching them from the sewer opening across the street. They investigated and discovered that someone was in the sewers, spying on the Stone Hearth and all those who went there. They ran to the closest entrance, 2 blocks away, gave chase to the spy, and quickly apprehended him. He was, however, just a boy, no older than ten years old. At first he resisted, forcefully, but once he saw Erik's chainmail choker his entire attitude changed.

He introduced himself as Einrich "Gino" Ginavencia, and told the party that they had helped a friend of his in the marketplace, another young boy named Lead Fingers. Out of gratitude he told them more, explaining how the Broken Shields had hired him and some of his friends to watch the Stone Hearth in exchange for food. Lastly, he said that he was supposed to report back in about one hour, to a small warehouse near the docks. Erik and Juliet, thought not entirely trusting him, brought Gino back to the Stone Hearth and introduced him to the rest of the party.

It was decided that the party would give food to Gino and his friends if they would stop working for the Shieldbreakers and work for the party instead. Gino agreed to this and, after uncovering a small sewer grate in the Hearth's cellar, left the same way he had come- through the filthy sewers of Waterdeep.

The party now knew who to exact their revenge upon and where they might be found, but Gino had said there were usually too many of them for the party to kill, around 12 or 20 men. Kelly suggested locking them all inside the warehouse and then burning it to the ground, an idea which was immediately supported by the rest of the party.

Six handcasks of oil and plenty of tinder were brought down to the docks, right to the warehouse Gino had described. A single guard, wearing the herald of the Broken Shields, watched from the roof, but otherwise things were quiet. Talyth began playing one of his flutes, with the intention of making everyone inside the warehouse fall asleep. Juliet and Erik meanwhile circled the warehouse with oil, finally throwing a cask in through the window and setting the whole thing alight.

As the warehouse quickly burned to the ground four Shieldbreakers arrived to see what was happening. Erik and Juliet quickly put an end to them, Juliet even going so far as striking one of the mercenaries in the back, three times, as he fled. (Kelly, meanwhile, was retching violently, protected by Talyth and Einor). The entire party quickly left the scene and returned to the Stone Hearth to plan their next move. Talyth was asked if he could find out how many Broken Shields there were, and where they were headquartered. He walked off into the city, leaving Einor, Erik, Juliet, and Kelly to rest and recuperate.