Ep. 105 Suspicious Minds

## Watch

Suspicious Minds | Khyber Shards #105 | D&D 5e Actual Play

—Pog

## Synopsis

Esri is led by a street kid down an ally between a pair of towers, to Findire's door. He gives the kid another copper to call him out. Findire opens the door, and narrows his eyes at Esri. Esri gives a silver to the boy, and tells him to not just do what strangers tell him to for copper. The kid grabs it and runs off. Findire notes that Esri looks better off. Esri invites himself in, and Findire leads him into his simple appartment. It has a bedroom, and a small kitchen in one corner of the room, and an old stove that serves as the main heating. There's a table and a couple chairs. Hung on the wall is the only item of obvious value: a very fine polearm that has a curved blade at either end. Findire puts a kettle on. Esri casts detect magic, and sees mostly mundane magical items like a cleansing stone and a firestarting enchantment on the stove.

They make some small talk, and Esri asks if Findire has heard of anyone calling himself Gerald Goodblade. He feels some debt towards him. He asks about his enclave; Findire says some of his kin wondered about it when Esri disappeared. Esri is surprised both that they noticed, and cared enough to come looking. Esri asks if he's looking to sell anything, and offers his Vambrace of Fortitude. He's looking for something that will help if he gets hit.

Findire takes Esri to his shop. He sets a box on the counter, and inside is a seed. A hull has split and a seedling is curling its way out. It was sprouted in a manifest zone to Thelanis, and it's got a bit of sentience to it. With a command, it will wrap around something—useful for climbing, grappling, and those sorts of things. He reaches down and touches the seed, and ivy stretches out and starts wrapping around Esri's hand. He offers to sell it for the friend discount of 170 gold, or a swap for the gauntlets. Esri offers his entire 130 gold, and Findire accepts that. He tells Esri it's called Feywood Ivy.

Esri asks if Findire knows about Sorin, but isn't surprised when his old acquaintance hasn't heard of him. Findire *is* aware of people who used to come looking for gifted children, but they haven't been around much. It's the Children of Khyber that do that, now.

*"Well, glad to see you're alright. Folks that get out don't usually come back. Nice to see that sometimes that's not because they've died."
—Findire*
Since he gave away all of his gold, Esri swipes away a kebob from a street vendor. It's bad.

They all reconvene on the ship, and update each other on what they've been up to. (Ari, of course, leaving out the bit about biting a stranger.) They discuss what to do with the sword. After a few hours, Malcolm comes down to the hold. Ari asks if he would like to go to the Principalities instead of Stormreach. Malcolm is suspicious why they would have business with the Bloodsails—necromancers who fly blood-red sails. According to tales, they have undead sharks follow their ships around to take care of anyone who goes overboard when they attack. The ships themselves are haunted and they'll send swarms of poltergeists to attack other ships.

Malcolm helps them figure out pricing for a few options on how to get to Regalport, and then leaves them to discuss in private. They talk for a bit, and decide it's better to just return to Stormreach. Ari tells everyone he'll let Malcolm know, but instead uses his vampire charm to convince Malcolm to take them to Farlnen. He tells everyone that Malcolm changed his mind, and he actually *does* trust them to take them with just the promise of a favor.

The group is not pleased that Ari has changed plans, and things escalate until Ari is sounding so suspicious that Esri casts *Greater Restoration* on him. Ari *Counterspells.*

*"Pog, I need someone to grab him."
"What are we doing? Why are you two magic-ing?"
—Esri and Pog*
It gets heated. Pog tells Ari they're going home; Ari keeps arguing that the only reason they didn't like this plan before was the cost, and that's been solved. Esri goes to Malcolm, and with a cloud of spores, casts *Dispel Magic* on him. Malcolm seems confused, and Pog goes to grab Ari. He looks at Pog, says, *"Be seeing you,"* and turns into a bat and flies away.

## Spells

* **Ari**
	+ Counterspell againt Esri
* **Esri**
	+ Detect Magic
	+ Dispel Magic
	+ Greater Restoration on Ari
	+ Guidance

## Quotes

"What does Dispel Magic look like with Esri?"
"Gross."
*—Philip and Colin*

"Well, if I'm not just doing favors for Thora? Standard rate for a chartered airship's about a thousand gold a day. I'm not, properly speaking, licensed, so I can knock that down some. "
"To ten?"
"Uhh, no. Not to ten."
*—Malcolm and Pog*

"Malcolm, I'd also like to point out, death doesn't necessarily mean that you don't get your favor."
"I know you think that was reassuring—"
"Yeah!"
"But it's not."
"Oh."
*—Malcolm and Shade*

## References and Footnotes

1. ↑ With the help of Shade's borrowed 100gp.