BALDUR’S GATE: SORROW’S FAMILY
Chapter1: Confrontation in the Marketplace: 27th of Eleasis Continued.
Sorrow has just been de-charmed by Inman although Vic has grabbed Cirilli and is planning on taking her to the family house. Cirilli is making a huge commotion and the attention of the city guard is achieved. The guards make their way over to us, and are very deferential to the two cousins. They immediately recognize and name them. The female captain addresses us saying, “Don’t anyone move. What is going on?” This is a civilian guard unit, in uniform.
She continues, “House Trelenus (sp?), what’s going on here?”
Vic sets Cirilli down on her feet. “We are having some problems with my cousin here.” (Indicates Sorrow)
Cirilli continues to make a scene yelling about the cousins kidnapping her and Sorrow, and charming Sorrow. Inman has an argument with the Guard about what has happened and what is going to occur. He keeps repeating that he wants this taken to the guard’s station house, that the truth has nothing to fear. The Captain wants to arrest Cirilli and charge her for drawing steel in the marketplace. Inman chastises the guards' tolerance of the lawlessness of the Treleneus cousins.
The cousins finally convince her that they don’t want to press charges and that they will resolve things with Sorrow at the house. Inman is furious at being gaslit by the cousins and the denial of what happened. One of them finally gets close enough to Sorrow to quietly tell him that, “Umbra is back.”
Sorrow goes white as soon as he hears this. When asked why he is so startled he responds that Umbra is Sorrow’s twin sister, whom he thought was dead.
We finally come to an agreement that we are going to return to Atalaya and Boz and then we will all go to his father’s home. Sorrow is still white as a sheet and his hands are trembling. Cirilli puts her arm through his and then grabs hold of his hand with hers as they walk back to the inn.
Chapter 2: Discussion at the Inn
When they get back to the inn Atalaya and Boz realize something has happened. The three explain about the almost abductions, the interaction with the city guard and the final words of the cousins to Sorrow.
Sorrow: “They told me that my sister is back. I have a twin named Umbra. She disappeared two years before I left Baldurs’s Gate. She seemed to have drowned, but we never found her body.”
Sorrow also explains that he has two younger brothers; one of whom was a baby when he left. The older brother was Sufferance.
We discuss and argue a bit about what to do. Sorrow really doesn’t want any of us to go to his family’s home. We don’t want him to be alone in his family home. Finally we decided to try to meet with Sorrow’s father, or at least the cousins again, in a public place, to attempt a truth spell. Sorrow finally reluctantly agrees. A note is written to his father. We ask for a place to meet where we can get a private room to talk. Sorrow, seemingly still distraught and not thinking very clearly, decides to meet at the Low Lantern Tavern at the docks. We engage a messenger via the innkeeper to take the note to House Treleneus.
Atalaya asks Cirilli if there is any chance that she will stay with Ivar at the ship. She emphatically declines, completely unwilling to leave Sorrow or Atalaya.
Chapter 3: Discussion at the Low Lantern Tavern
The entire group, including Cirilli, make their way back to the docks and then to the Low Tavern. The entire harbor area is full of fog. Numerous ravens are noted around the tavern, which is actually a three mast ship that is permanently docked. There are no sails. A wooden staircase goes from the dock to the main deck of the ship. There is an aarakocra picking up dead seagulls on the main deck as we make our way onto the ship. We get the feeling that the ravens probably killed the seagulls. We head down to the next level. The ravens continue to fly around the ship as we make our way across the deck and head down.
There is a rough looking bar with small tables within a large open area. The bartender is a tough looking woman by the name of ???
Hoping for better accommodations in a private room, Inman buys a bottle of liquor and asks for a meeting room.
She tells us to go down one deck and aft to find a meeting area. There is a lounge-like area with another bar on this deck. There are a few people in the room.
We head down another level, thinking we miss understood the bartender, but this level is awful. It smells, there are sounds of people sleeping behind some of the doors. There is no place to hold a meeting here. She had to have meant the lounge upstairs. We head back to that level.
We sit down at the bar, hoping our large party will displace the pair of strangers in the lounge. We take in the slightly better atmosphere on this level and scan the others in the lounge. One is a very different looking creature. When we question what it is, Sorrow says that “it is a devil, it’s a spine devil.” When Nevil questions him about it he adds, “Of course it is sentient. It’s a devil.”
The barkeep here is a Kenku. He takes our order and brings us honey mead and ale, passing it around. Atalaya leans over to Cirilli and warns her to drink very little here.
We hear bootsteps coming down the stairs. Vic and Imp saunter into the lounge, come up to us at the bar and squeeze in on either side of Sorrow. “How are you doing cuz?” they ask.
They grumble about having to meet him in this awful tavern and wonder why he ever thought his father would come here. There is some give and take between us and the cousins, especially with Inman who is still furious. They invite Sorrow to dinner to see his father and sister. We decided that we will go in the afternoon, not really wanting to be there after dark. The cousins leave to give Sorrow’s father the news that he will be coming to the house.
Chapter 4: War Wizard’s headquarters.
We head out, but first stop at the tower on the harbor, the Flaming Fist Headquarters. (the Headquarters for the City Guard.) We are given contact for the war wizards.
At the War Wizard headquarters, all but Inman remain outside and get ice cream while we wait for him to go in and talk to someone there.
The War Wizard, Lauren, is happy to see him. “Oh this is interesting. I wanted to talk to you (Inman).” She continues, “You would have gotten a sending from me. I would like to ask you some questions. What do you know about the Vecna cult? You are concerned about it?
Inman says that he is.
Wizard: Can you elaborate about it?
Inman tells her (Lauren) about what has been occurring. The slaving and the hag with the pearls, the Red Wizards at the Pillars of Pelagia and their involvement with the Sea Princes, The cult that had been in Somerset. All pointing to an intentional destabilization of the region, likely for the workings of larger cult activity.
Lauren asks if Inman can trust the group he is traveling with.
Inman says that he can.
Lauren asks if we know that Inman is a War Wizard.
Inman: Yes, it does not trouble them. I have seen their judgement and skill in challenging circumstances.
Lauren: “did you know a succubus was influencing the duke?”
Inman: “Yes, and we killed her.”
Lauren: “oh? we were about to search for her. Are you sure she's dead?”
Inman: “I had her head.”
Lauren: “That’s dead alright.”
The two continue to talk and Inman asks for some kind of note or summons or something to use to prove that others know about us going to House Selenus and that someone will come looking for us if he doesn’t return by 9:00 this evening. Lauren writes such a note.
Lauren and Inman discuss Sorrow’s family. She tells Inman that there is someone in the house/organization that has been supplying her with information. She wants to be sure that Inman isn’t going to compromise the info chain or the confidant in the house. Inman assures her that he is not going to do that.
Lauren wants to know his plans and when he says that he is headed to Candlekeep she wants to know why. Inman says he is looking up information to link current activities. Lauren wants him to report what he finds. Inman says of course, that he is still under their geas.
Chapter 5: At the Trelenus Family Mansion
We make our way through the city and enter the gated area of the upper city. This is a very nice section of the city. Nice large houses.
Sorrow leads us to his family’s home. It’s huge. It is better termed a mansion. There are guards in the front of the house. As we walk up, Nevil maneuvers herself into the middle of the group, so that the blessing of her goddess will reach all of us.
One of the guards comes up to us. “State your business.”
Sorrow replies, saying, “I’m Sorrow. I’m here to visit my family,”
The guard looks shocked. “Go up to the front door.”
We enter the home. It is palatial. We wait in the foyer, impressed with the grandeur of the mansion. A tiefling comes into the room from a door towards the back of the entrance hall. He is dark and tall and looks a lot like Sorrow. He suddenly leaps forward towards Sorrow and throws his arms around him. We also notice a small tiefling hiding behind the door peering out at us.
Sorrow introduces us to his brother, Sufferance. Sufferance says that he didn’t think that Sorrow was coming back.
Sorrow: Yeah, well Umbra is back.”
Nevil: How long ago did she come home?
Sufferance: “About 6 months ago. Where are my manners? Come in. Come in and sit.” He takes us into a sitting room.
Sufferance: “I’m not sure you should have come here.”
Nevil: “We figured as much.”
We again notice the pale young tiefling hanging around by the door. Sufferance pulls him into the room and introduces us to his brother Still. Still and Sorrow look each other over. Still says that he doesn’t remember Sorrow. Sorrow tells him, “That’s okay. You were only a year old.”
Nevil Says to Sufferance: “You seem to be a reasonable sort. To avoid embarrassment for your father later, perhaps in front of others, he should know we came with insurance. If we don't return by nine bells, the Red Hand will come asking questions.”
Sufferance: Are you asking me if I will go talk to him?
Nevil: “I’m not trying to be rude, if you were to delicately tell him, it might save some headache for all.”
Sufferance: “I can talk to him.” Sufferance leaves.
Still finds himself sitting in the room with strangers.
Nevil, trying to draw him out, asks him if he has any hobbies.
Still says that he reads. His blue albino eyes give Nevil a weird look. “You might have more in common with my grandfather than you know.”
After a bit he says to Sorrow, “It’s strange having another brother. I’ve heard about you.”
They talk a bit. Regarding Umbra he says, “She is different now. Strange.” He also adds, “You told people you were coming. That’s smart.”
Nevil and Still talk some more. ….. “I generally just go out at night. I can see better. It’s too bright (in the day). … Grandfather is more like me.
We eventually hear footfalls on the marble, in a hitching gait. A pale tall tiefling with marks on his face comes in. He nods curtly at the rest of us and then his eyes bore into Sorrow. “You came back,” he says to Sorrow.
Sorrow: “I came to see Umbra.”
Grandfather: “We need to talk. Privately. Come see me when you are ready.” He adds, “Umbra is in her room,” and, “Your friends can come to dinner.” His grandfather nods curtly to us again and leaves. Sorrow lets out his breath he didn’t realize that he was holding.
Still: “Umbra stays in her room. I can take you if you want.”
We all look at each other.
Still: “Are we going?”
Atalaya: (To Sorrow) What do you want?
Nevil says something about Atalaya and her being able to heal.
Atalaya rephrases her question, “Would you like Boz, your brother, to go with you?”
Sorrow immediately replies with a huge, relieved “Yes!”
\
Nevil and Still play a game of chess. He is very very good at it. He seems to know what Nevil is going to do before she makes her move.
Nevil tests if Still is psychic by imagining the most lewd things about Inman. No reaction was detected. Nevil speculated internally about the “intuition” of the lad and what he may have meant about similarities between her and his father.
Sufferance returns and takes Sorrow and Boz off to see Umbra.
**************************
Still: “He was a great warrior when he was younger. I’m not. I watch other people fight. …. I like to figure out the best course of action at things. I think I’m good at it.
Nevil asks Inman to play (chess) with Still.
A human woman comes in with a tray. It contains coffee, pastries and drinks. She enters the room from the door to the north end of the room. (Nevil looks uncomfortable, thinking that this woman must be a slave.) She looks reasonably healthy. “Can I get you anything else?”
Nevil: “No thank you.” The woman nods and goes back out the door she came in through.
Still: “Where did you learn to play chess?”
Nevil: “My grandfather taught me.”
Still: “I think my grandfather likes that I look like him. … I don’t have a lot of say here.”
Nevil: “What do you want to do when you grow up.
Still: “I don’t know.” … We don’t get a lot of visitors. I’m glad you are here.
Nevil: Just know there is a whole world out there.
Still: ???
Nevi: …. The Business….
Still: The Business. That’s very important here.
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