Chapter Ten: Seeking out Power (success!)

After a week or so in Crescent City, back from their visit with the Ragged Man, the Starborn are set on finding a way to get to their Starborn Signature Items. They have spent time talking with Governor Malthus, Archbishop Vigilance Derrick, attempted to contact Lord Raglan of one of the thieves' guilds and even sought out the forbidden religions of the Avillon pantheon. They visited the bank, asked some questions and investigated Ombar Lutz, but have made little progress.

Finally, some things seem to be breaking their way . . . sort of. Many of the heroes are contacted by various people offering information and/or warnings:

• Kettle meets a fellow dwarf from Underdale by the name of Zebedo Shieldheart. Zebedo tells Kettle that an unusually large number of drow have been seen in and around Calraza of late. In fact, nearly a dozen have been captured or killed in the deeps near Underdell.
• Rygorh's swamp elf friends check into the rumors of rebellion. While they can find no direct evidence of such rebellion in progress, they do bring news that several swamp elf villages have been destroyed and/or abandoned in the face of the demon head vargouilles that have become quite a menace in the swamp. Many of the swamp elves have fled to Crescent City and there are quite a few beggars/refugees congregating near the dock area.
• A swamp elf beggar approaches Dinah asking for help. She offers up some copper coins and he asks to speak with her alone. He warns her that Archbishop Vigilance Derrick has it in for the Starborn. He says that he is a slave to the Church of Marius and a servant in the great temple. He has overheard that the Archbishop fears that the Starborn, with their strange powers, will upset the delicate balance of power in the city. The Starborn represent powers beyond that of the Church of Marius. They are a herald of the end of the Church's power in Crescent City . . .
• A messenger finds Rygorh while he is out and about in town and tells him that Lord Malthus seeks a private meeting with him. Rygorh eventually seeks out this meeting, but his impatience gets the best of him. After waiting about fifteen minutes to meet with Lord Malthus, Rygorh leaves in a huff.
• An acolyte of the Church of Marius approache Alev and tells him that Archbishop Vigilance Derrick would like to meet with him and sets a date and time for the meeting.
• Alexander Shaw, a priest of Old Heakun, seeks out Neil. It seems word has gotten to him that Neil is seeking non-Marian priests in town. Alexander advises Neil that there are three shrines in town dedicated to the gods of the Avillon pantheon. He agrees to meet Neil at the Pig and Whistle and later show him where the shrine to Old Haekun can be found.
• An acolyte of the Church of Marius comes to Casey to warn her that the archbishop fears for the safety of the Starborn. One of their companions, a halfling called "the Knife" is feared to be an assassin working against the group. Casey and Alev agree to discuss this with Archbishop Vigilance when they meet him.
• A rogueish type approaches Seebo and tells him to come to the Merry Jackdaw after 2:00 am and he might be able to meet with Lord Raglan . . .

The heroes investigate these many leads over the next couple of days. Eventually they are granted access to the old rogues' maze. Lord Raglan asks Seebo to assassinate Dark Mariah's second in commmand. Seebo refuses, but instead offers cash for the right to enter the maze. Lord Raglan agrees. Alev gets permission from Archbishop Vigilance Derrick for the Starborn to enter the hospice and go into the maze underneath.

The heroes manage to best the maze with ease. The tricks and traps of the place are no match for the combined wits and abilities of the heroes. They avoid fights, outwit the tricksome parts and bypass traps. Eventually they find themselves in the "throne room" of the King and Queen of Thieves where they recover a pair of magical gloves which are clearly Seebo's Starborn item.

The bank proves to be a bit more of a head scratcher. With no interest in breaking in and robbing the place the Starborn try to find a way to "legitmately" aquire their items. After a great deal of investigation they learn that they must have the proper key to provide to the bank teller to open the vault of Ombar Lutz. In stunning move of cleverness they open up a new account, pay for one year's worth of fees and get a key to their own vault. They then have the key enchanted with a single use of knock such that it will open a single lock with which it is brought into contact. Returning to the bank, Alev presents the key as the proper key to Ombar Lutz's vault. The key works and the heroes manage to get the rest of their gear without bloodshed and without robbing the bank!

Now fully armed and ready the Starborn have decided to handle the menace of the Valjean Plantation once and for all before moving on . . .

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