BBG: Chapter 29

Our group was ushered through the Overhill Town by Commodore Islandwarden and a group of his troops, the halflings shouting at various people to get out of the way. Humans, Dwarves, and Elves bustling about the Market Square of the Overhill Town hastened to scramble out of the way of the wedge of heavily armed Halflings. They may mostly be equipped with Bronze, but a Bronze Blade can kill you just as easily as an iron or steel one if you were an unarmored, unarmed, merchant. As we were hustled through the Market Square, I reflected that it was possible that we could have delayed our arrival just a bit. At least enough to miss peak market hours so we weren't disrupting commerce with our arrival. It couldn't be helped, though. Arriving later could have wasted vital time.

As we passed through the Overhill Town and entered through the sturdy, bronze-reinforced, oaken gate into the Underhill Town, I looked over at Commodore Islandwarden. The Halfling Commander had a grim look on his face, his mouth set into a flat line while his brow was furrowed as if he were troubled about something. I had to wonder what was up with that, but then realized that I didn't have to wonder. I could just ask him.

"Commodore, has something happened while we were dealing with Xommyrru?" I questioned.

"The Umberlants raided Tearheim, attacking Jannathstaad and some of the outlying settlements. Your Lord is dead. He was wounded fatally seeing off the attack and died shortly after the battle. Magnus Ullrsson is Jarl in Jannathstaad now and he is demanding an answer to whether or not we will join in his counterattack." Answered Commodore Islandwarden.

"What? How?" Queried Janessa.

"A good question. There were still two-hundred-seventy-five warriors able to fight at Jannathstaad between remaining guards and militia." Mused Shavariel.

"Does it matter?" Asked Selima.

"It does not. The facts are as they are. I hope you have good news for the Council. They're in a tight spot diplomatically right now." Intoned Commodore Islandwarden.

"Xommyrru is dead and we brought proof." I responded.

"Good. You'll need it." Nodded Commodore Islandwarden.

As we traveled through the Underhill District, talking about the situation, I kept an eye out for changes in the demeanor of the various people in the district. The Smiths, Leatherworkers, and other suppliers of the Forces of Seahearth seemed to be working overtime. They were pounding out blades, fletching arrows, and boiling leather for armor at a breakneck pace. Meanwhile, halflings with wheelbarrows hustled sacks of grain, jars of pickled vegetables, and strings of salted mutton sausages into storehouses as fast as they could. It seemed that the general vibe was that no one knew if or when Seahearth in general and Hearthharbor in particular might be attacked. After all, if the Umberlants were still strong enough to attack Jannathstaad directly, they would be strong enough to do the same here.

I frowned as I saw that. It seemed the locals really needed some good news here to keep morale up. Fortunately, the death of Xommyrru should be just the sort of thing to fill that need. With Xommyrru dead, the Fleet of Seahearth could set sail again without needing to worry about sudden Brine Dragon attacks. That would allow breathing room from patrols, and maybe, if I could get the Council of Seahearth to ally with the new Jarl of Jannathstaad, they could even strike back. They would need to if we're going to have any hope of stopping the Umberlants from defiling the ancient, buried, Temple of Chauntea as Jannath and summoning an Avatar of Umberlee. I had to believe that would be the outcome of our attack on Xommyrru.

If not, then Umberlee's Avatar would decimate the Archipelago and nearby sections of the Sword Coast with tidal waves. That, by the way, would include both Baldur's Gate and Candlekeep, which would throw a big old monkey wrench into my entire reason for being on Faerun in the first place, though I didn't think Tymora knew about this until we did. Umberlee was a Goddess, after all, and Deities tended to be pretty good at hiding their plans from the sight of other Deities. If they weren't, they didn't get to keep their positions for very long, after all. Regardless, we had to convince the Council of Seahearth to join forces with Jannathstaad. There was simply no other alternative to stopping Umberlee at the moment.

We were led into the Council Hall, and I suddenly realized that the entire Council of Seahearth had assembled for this hearing. It wasn't simply Wilmin, Hilzana, and Davod Islandwarden, along with Guildmaster Bern Morgan like the last time. Two Halfling Men and One Halfling Woman, all were Elders with white hair and gave us shrewd looks as we were led into the chamber by Commodore Islandwarden, as if sizing is up to see what sort of problems we would present the Council with now. I didn't enjoy being sized up like that but had to admit that at least it seemed the Councilors were good at their jobs if they were doing that.

The First new Councilor was another Halfling Woman. She was clad in leathers that were clearly enchanted to aid in stealth and Sleight of Hand as well as having the standard suite of protective enchantments. Around her head was wrapped a leather headband that not only kept her long, white, hair out of her eyes but was also enchanted, though I couldn't figure it out from a glance. The Light Crossbow hanging off her hip, however, bore enchantments of Poison where the bolts that it fired could be mystically coated in a dose of poison before being fired. She also had a flask that I recognized as a Decanter of endless water at her hip and a bag that had a similar, but unknown enchantment on it as well.

The Second was a Male Halfling with amber robes, and various leaves and twigs affixed to his hat by some arcane process. I'd be tempted to say he was a druid if not for the fact that the magic that wafted off his equipment was clearly arcane in nature. I knew when a spell of Magic Aura had been applied to an Item so as to confuse potential onlookers, after all. Clearly, this was a wizard, though that might be exactly the sort of thing he wanted you to think. Focusing harder, a hint of the divine leaked through. Some sort of nature magic. A Mystic Theurge, perhaps? That was interesting.

Lastly, a Male Halfling in a white, woolen, shirt and brown leather vest completed the set. He only seemed to have a single magic item on his person, a hat that had a buckle on it which was enchanted to act as a directional light source to illuminate whatever he was looking at. His calloused, rough, hands seemed to be used to work, and the whole oeuvre made me think this was the Hin in charge of the various Copper, Tin, Lead, and Silver Mines on the Island. The callouses certainly seemed to indicate long familiarity with swinging a mining pick. Funny, I'd been expecting a Dwarf, though that could just be me playing into stereotypes.

"Robar the Red and Company have returned, Councilors." Announced Commodore Islandwarden.

"So I see." Huffed Hilzana Islandwarden.

"At least when you're not seeing double." Jested Bern Morgan.

"Not yet, but give it time. Today seems the day for it." Scoffed Hilzana Islandwarden.

"Enough, you two." Chided Wilmin Islandwarden.

"Indeed. I would hear what they have to say regarding their task." Nodded Davod Islandwarden.

"What task would that be, Davod?" Questioned the New Female Halfling.

"Aye, if there were adventurers on the Island, you might've let me know. My Miners had to deal with a Xvart Infestation in one of the Tin Mines by themselves." Scowled the Miner Elder.

"Erlos and Anola may not know about Xommyrru. They were quite busy at the time, after all. Perhaps it's best to add context. Or not, who am I to say?" Hedged the Mystic Theurge.

"Very well, Corbin." Sighed Davod Islandwarden.

Davod then proceeded, as nominal head of the Council of Seahearth, to reiterate the problems that Seahearth had been having with Xommyrru the Longtail for Erlos, the Miner Elder, and Anola, the New Female Elder. Anola and Erlos had both known that something was afoot, as both were in charge of different parts of the supply chain, with Anola responsible for the production of Timber from the forests and Erlos responsible for the production of metal and stone from the mines and quarries. Neither had heard from the expected trade ships that tended to buy excess raw timber, stone, and metal in weeks, though they suspected Umberlant Pirates. They had been correct, after a fashion, but not nearly in the way they had expected.

"So is the beast dead, then?" Queried Erlos Islandwarden.

"That would be a question to ask Robar and his Companions." Intoned the Mystic Theurge, Corbin Islandwarden.

"Well? Did you kill it?" Asked Anola Islandwarden.

I said nothing on the issue. Instead, I pulled out one of the things I had managed to scavenge off the Corpse of Xommyrru from my Bag of Holding. One of the beast's longsword-sized incisors was Placed on the Council Table as I leveled a cocky grin at the assembled Elders of the Council of Seahearth. They looked from the tooth on the Council table and then back to me as I tossed a shit-eating grin at them.

"What do you think?" I smirked.

"I see. And the Hoard?" Questioned Davod Islandwarden.

"Was too large to carry all of even with magic bags." Answered Shavariel.

"Yeah, there's still at least twenty grand in coins down there." Added Janessa.

"Not to mention enough of the beast's hide to make more armor out of. The salt and brine should keep the corpse remarkably preserved." Nodded Selima.

"You'll have to act fast if you want to claim it, though. The Local Sea Elves of Nelquazzar are likely to investigate soon." I warned.

"Noted." Affirmed Davod Islandwarden.

"Can we even send a group down there to claim it?" Queried Bern Morgan.

"You're right. It's under the sea." Frowned Hilzana Islandwarden.

"That's not what I meant." Refuted Bern Morgan.

"It's not?" Asked Erlos Islandwarden.

"No, between Bern's Potions as well as Mine and Corbin's Magic, adapting a party of Guards to be able to survive the crushing depths and breathe the ocean water shouldn't be an issue." Affirmed Wilmin Islandwarden.

"Indeed." Agreed Corbin.

"Interesting." Opined Anola Islandwarden.

"What I want to know is if we can spare the forces." Intoned Davod Islandwarden.

"Possibly, Uncle. I can detach a squad or two of Marines for that purpose, but no more. Especially if we'll need to fight the Umberlants soon." Informed Commodore Islandwarden.

"You did make a bargain, Elders." I reminded.

"And Jarl Ullrsson is pushing for you to agree." Added Shavariel.

"Yeah, a deal is a deal." Insisted Janessa.

"Unless you wish to go back on your word?" Questioned Selima.

"They make good points." Huffed Hilzana Islandwarden.

"For big folk." Snorted Erlos Islandwarden.

"Hey, resemble that remark!" Protested Bern Morgan in mock outrage.

"Besides, Young Janessa is Hin." Added Wilmin Islandwarden.

"Aye. Unfortunately, they aren't the only envoys we're going to receive today." Responded Corbin Islandwarden, cryptically.

"Corbin? What do you mean?" Queried Anola Islandwarden.

"Have you had a vision from the Great Mother?" Asked Davod Islandwarden.

Corbin said nothing. For a few moments, Silence reigned in the Council Hall before a commotion was heard in the Corridor Outside. It sounded as if someone was arguing with the guards, but with the heavy oaken door to the Council Hall muffling any noise, I couldn't make out specifics. However, it certainly didn't sound like the belligerent party was a Halfling. The footsteps were too heavy for that to be the case. I was betting it was either a Human wearing armor or a Dwarf. Either way, the New Arrival was clearly unexpected by everyone whose name wasn't Corbin Islandwarden. The other Councilors looked around at the door and each other before Davod Islandwarden spoke up.

"Eldon, could you please see who that is?" Questioned Davod Islandwarden.

"Of course, Uncle." Agreed Commodore Islandwarden as he headed for the Corridor.

"Whatever he says, do not believe him. The Bitch Queen seeks incredible power in the Isles. Enough to drown us all." Warned Corbin Islandwarden.

"What?" Queried Anola Islandwarden.

"What does it sound like? It's clearly an emissary from the Umberlants." Scoffed Hilzana Islandwarden.

"Quite, though the second part of that is far more interesting." Nodded Wilmin Islandwarden.

"What could that mean, I wonder? Power to drown us all?" Asked Bern Morgan.

"The Umberlants are trying to summon an Avatar of Umberlee." I announced.

"How do you know that?" Questioned Erlos Islandwarden.

"We found papers in Xommyrru's Lair to that effect." Explained Shavariel.

"Papers?" Queried Anola Islandwarden.

"Orders, Correspondence, Dispatches, and such." Confirmed Selima.

"Yeah, supposedly there's an ancient temple to Chauntea buried somewhere under Cadfael Island they're planning to dig up and defile to do it." Informed Janessa.

"Let me see these papers." Commanded Davod Islandwarden.

I reached into my bag of holding and pulled out the sheaf of proof we found in Xommyrru's Lair. Then I handed them over to the Council, taking back Xommyrru's Fang as I did so and putting it back into my Bag of Holding. Davod Islandwarden flipped through the pages, a scowl forming on his face as he did so before he was able to master his emotions. He tucked the papers away and out of sight, getting questioning looks from his fellow Councilors as he did so. He proceeded to explain his reasoning in the short amount of time that Commodore Islandwarden was able to buy by stalling the Umberlant Envoy out in the Corridor.

"I am convinced these papers are genuine. However, we cannot have them out when the Umberlant Envoy arrives unless we wish to tip our hand too early. I will share them with you all later. Until he leaves, this Council is to be noncommittal to any request made by the Umberlant Envoy, am I clear?" Demanded Davod Islandwarden.

The seriousness of the situation seemed evident to everyone and Davod Islandwarden got a round of nods and murmurs of assent from the entire Council. All of them seemed to understand that with proof of treachery, they had to play this very carefully. I was suddenly reminded of the fact that though the Seahearth Slingstone was the most powerful ship in the Archipelago, and though Seahearth Boasted a number of powerful Magic Users, the Guard Forces of the Island were actually fairly small. Between Guards and Militia, the Island of Seahearth could perhaps produce two-hundred-fifty fighting men, or halflings as the case may be. Less than Tearheim had even after the battle with Wavemistress Aud's Forces. I wasn't sure about now, of course. It was the least powerful Island in the Whole Archipelago when it came to conventional military force.

Mind you prior to all this, between Guards and Militia, the Archipelago as a whole could only put together a force of nine hundred fighting men. It was likely to be significantly less once this all was wrapped up. Given that the closest Military Power was Baldur's Gate and how Baldur's Gate relied on the Flaming Fist Mercenary Company for Defense, though, the Archipelago hadn't ever really needed more than that before all this. After all, the Flaming Fist only had one-thousand-six-hundred Men in their ranks, and had far more commitments for their troops than the Jannath’s Tears Archipelago ever had. If we managed to beat the Umberlants, though, it's likely the Archipelago would have to formally unify in order to maintain independence. I wasn't entirely certain how that would play out.

However, I was drawn out of my musings by the opening of the heavy oaken doors to the Council Room. Commodore Islandwarden led in the Envoy of the Umberlants, who as I expected, was no Halfling. Instead, it was a Dwarf wearing armor made from what looked like Tanned Sealhides that was very clearly magical. I pegged it as a suit of Plus Three Armor of Water Breathing. He had an Amulet of Natural Armor similar to my own, Boots of Speed, a Ring of Protection Similar to my own, and a Cloak of Resistance similar to my own. At his belt hung a Plus Three Thundering Dwarven War Axe of Shocking Burst, as well as an Umberlant Holy Symbol. His gray beard and mustache were seemingly groomed with sea wax and ambergris, lending them a slick, oily, appearance.

"I am Thurgrim Wavedelver, Floodtide of Umberlee. I speak on behalf of Puissant Undertow Montcalm, and all servants of the Queen of the Depths in these Isles. I have come to offer terms to the Council of Seahearth." Announced the Dwarf, Thurgrim Wavedelver.

"Terms? What terms would those be?" Asked Davod Islandwarden.

"We know that you have been sent Envoys from the Faithless, now-dead, Jarl in Jannathstaad. No doubt his successor is demanding the same as he had." Intoned Thurgrim Wavedelver, side-eyeing my Group as he did.

"And?" Pressed Davod Islandwarden.

"The Terms of the Faithful of the Queen of the Depths are thus. Just walk away. Do not join with the Fool Jarl Magnus Ullrsson in his doomed assault on the Faithful. Do this and your Island will be spared the Wrath of the Queen of the Depths." Informed Thurgrim Wavedelver.

"Or else what follows?" Pressed Davod Islandwarden.

"Bloody Desolation, for if you join with the Fool Jarl in his folly of an assault on Cadfael Island, there will you be dashed against the rocks, rendered nothing but flotsam and bloody foam upon the might sea. Those are our terms, my warning, and the Puissant Undertow's Message." Warned Thurgrim Wavedelver.

I couldn't help but scoff at that, it was all very Henry the Fifth, even though that play didn't exist on Toril. Hell, in his armor, stomping into the Council Chamber, Thurgrim even kind of reminded me of Brian Blessed from the Kenneth Branagh Version, giving his Armored Ultimatum to the King of France. Unfortunately, it seemed Thurgrim had noticed my amusement, though, as he rounded on me with a sneer on his face.

"As for you, you may think you have won by slaying Xommyrru. I assure you all you have won from us is Scorn, Slight Regard, and a swift end at the Hands of our Mistress." Sneered Thurgrim Wavedelver.

"We'll see. You aren't the only ones with a Goddess on your side." That was all I had to say to that.

"Go. Tomorrow, you shall have our answer." Intoned Davod Islandwarden.

Thurgrim Wavedelver nodded once before turning on his heel and stomping out of the Council Hall. I could already tell that hadn't been what he had wanted to hear. We would likely have to deal with some sort of shenanigans from the Umberlants this evening. It would transpire that I would be correct about that, but not nearly in the way I'd been expecting. I had been expecting skullduggery, assassination, Espionage, or something of a similar nature. I should have known better. Umberlee didn't often do subtle. It just wasn't in her nature. After all, when the sea was angry, it rose a wave up to smash you to flinders, it didn't play games with subtlety. That night, while we rested aboard the Hammerdown in the Military Dock we had been using, a flotilla sailed into Hearthharbor's Commercial Docks. The Skaug Corsairs had been sent to express the Umberlants' disapproval with being made to wait for a definitive answer.

And I would be drawn into combat with the Pirates once again. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, here's the next chapter. A meeting with the Council of Seahearth and a sudden Envoy from the Umberlants leading to an Alliance between Seahearth and Tearheim against the Umberlants and an attack by the Skaug Corsairs on behalf of the Umberlants. Turns out, Umberlee doesn't do subtle well and defaults to just smashing things when subtle doesn't work. Who knew? At least Robar and Company are likely to level up to level ten from helping to fight off the attack.

At any rate, the next chapter will be Robar and Company helping out the Guard of Seahearth against the Skaug Corsairs for Round Two. I'll also have some images out before then.

Stay tuned. . .