A HOME COMING AT THE INN
Crossing the short lawn from the manor house takes you into the busy back yard of the Inn. Dust is kicked up on the packed earth of the drive as a laden wagon pulled by 4 draft horses comes in and parks itself near one of the rear doors of the Inn. Loud clanging can be heard coming from the open doors of the stables and 2 stable boys are finishing saddling a Dun mare for a waiting patron out front.
A carpenter saws timbers on sawhorses on the left side of the stables. 2 giggling servant girls are walking from the well back to one of the rear entrances into the kitchen, stopping to speak to the driver of the wagon. The yard is a bustle of activity.
As you approach the rear of the Inn, avoiding the wagon and heading to the short steps leading up to the rear porch, you see a few men on the back porch. It is apparent to Gar as he approaches that the man standing at the bottom of the steps is Marin, the head blacksmith/ stable master. He is wiping his forehead and looking up speaking to a tall, lean man who you recognize immediately as Tellin Burr, Gar's father.
The other occupants sitting on the porch are a rather plump, merchant looking fellow, a wizened looking grey haired man in common clothes and a handsome, muscular, middle aged man in fine clothing and a long sword at his belt. Tellin looks up in astonishment as he sees the group approach, and an impossibly broad smile encompasses his face and he moves quickly to embrace Gar in a tight hug. Tellin welcomes Gar and his comrades home and introduces him to his friends on the porch. There is much to discuss and tales to swap and memories to re-live together.
TELLIN'S FRIENDS
Domarask Thembul
"Dom" is a wealthy independent merchant who is based out of Selgaunt. He is jolly and jovial and very outgoing on the surface, but he is also a very shrewd business man and he is very perceptive and he learns a lot in his travels. He frequently spends time at the Dice and is an old friend of Tellin's.
Thom Rennal
Thom is a newer friend of Tellin's. He is a plaisir Ménestrel (Glee Man), one of the venerated minstrels who travel Sembia bringing joy to children, and reciting sagas and song to young and old alike. Glee men are much revered in Sembian society and a talented one can go very far. Thom is one such man. He is a wealth of information and a master at playing the game of houses. He is the person who knows who is who and what is going on in politics in Selgaunt and the rest of Sembia. He has recently decided to take up residence at the Inn, performing as the feeling strikes him.
Lord Haelimbrar
Lord Haelimbrar is a Lord of Imphras II, War Captain of Impiltur. He has come to Selgaunt to see about hiring mercenaries. So far he has not had much luck - Most mercenary outfits seem to be already busy. He has only managed to acquire 100 men.
NEWS AND RUMORS AT THE INN
1. Trade has been severely disrupted coming from the Moonsea. This is no doubt due to the ongoing fighting between the cities of the Moonsea. They do not even seem to be following traditional alliances, and all cities view the others with suspicion if not all out hostility. Privateering is rampant on the Moonsea and many ships have been sunk or seized by their rivals.
2. Piracy on the Sea of Fallen Stars has been particularly vicious this season, and several fat merchant vessels from Selgaunt have been sacked. The Merchant Council is furious and has expended coin from their deep vaults to patrol father afield with their warships and have taken to hiring sea going mages to travel with some merchant ships for defense (A few fireballs should settle the issue).
3. Ties with Cormyr are continuing to be strained. This has increased in the last ten-day as Cormyr has accused Sembia of piracy and potentially an all out act of war at the sinking of one of their trade envoy vessels by a Sembian Free-sail, which is hotly denied by the Merchant Council. Tensions have greatly increased in Daerlun, on the border of the two nations.
4. The days are getting shorter. In the northern regions of the Moonsea and further north it is as dark as midwinter already. This seems like dark sorcery coming out of Zhentil Keep, and the Zhentarim are no doubt behind this.
5. Adding to the low crop yield this season, the blight continues to get worse. Cormyr is hardest hit with a complete loss of crops in their tubers and a separate blight seems to be hitting their leafy vegetables as well. Their vegetable exports have collapsed and they are importing more and more from other nations and city states around the Inner Sea. Sembian merchants have taken advantage of this situation and increased their prices accordingly. Some of this blight has been seen in the Dales and Sembia, but the epicenter seems to be Cormyr.
6. Umberlee's fury is being felt on the Sea of Fallen Stars. This has been a bitter storm season on the Inner sea and is among one of the worst in living memory. She has taken many ships and blasted the shores of various towns and cities along the coast.
7. Four days ago there was an Earthquake in Saerloon. It caused minor damage and injuries, most of the fury of the earthquake seems to have been centered on or around the Tower of Mysteries (Temple to Mystra).
8. The High Council of Merchants has levied all mercenary companies in Selgaunt (If not all of Sembia), so that a percentage of their mercenaries must stay in Selgaunt and cannot be hired out. This has left the various Mercenary Companies quite unhappy with potential revenue losses. In the end, they know that to operate in Sembia, they must comply. The Council is up to something.
9. The Death Ship of Selgaunt Bay has been sighted again after decades. It has already left 2 bodies in it's wake, their shriveled husks washed upon the shore. Many in the city are on edge but the majority consider this a ghost story told to them as children. They say the last appearance of the Death Ship was over 30 years ago and at that time had claimed at least a dozen people before it vanished from the shores of the Sembian Coastline.
10. The Hulorn has called for a massive engagement celebration next month. There will be a tournament and city wide festivities to entertain the masses. This will be his third engagement in as many years. Whether it works out or not, people are looking forward to the event regardless.
11. Chondath and Sespech are on the brink of war, as Sespech has been actively hunting Chondathian patrols and ships. General Vandemar Cordwin is calling for open warfare.
12. The Red Wizards have been paying bounties on members of the Emerald Enclave, including any priests, druids or rangers affiliated with the three.
13. Entire villages in Turmish have been discovered with all of the inhabitants slain by monsters and the Assembly of Stars is considering asking the Emerald Enclave for assistance, despite their tumultuous relationship.
14. Powerful wizards are being mind-controlled by the Red Wizards (or possibly the Cult of the Dragon); many have already fallen including the Simbul & Vangerdahast, the latter of whom is corrupting the mind of Azoun.
15. Two purple dragons have been spotted sinking a ship in the Reach. These are different than the numerous black dragon sightings that have come from southern Turmish and Sespech.
16. A group of Vampires have taken over one of the pirate isles and although they pirate as well, they do not answer to the pirate king.
17. Magic is on the decline. Due to the increasing darkness magic has become less reliable as well. Sembians seem to be the first to have noticed it and it might be centred here.
18. Westgate is seizing shipments of foodstuffs, claiming that they are required for security. Ship captains that frequent the city or have strong ties with local families are receiving fair compensation, but others are just getting a pittance.
19. Several large roving whirlpools have opened in the Reach, draining into to the elemental plane of water.
20. Lycanthropes are actively hunting and recruiting in the dales. Were-tigers, were-boars and of course werewolves have been reported in every dale and every township in Sembia over the past month.
More to come in Part 3: (Exploring Selgaunt and gathering clues)