XLIII. Special Deliveries

Miae and Green Arrow decided to make for Greyhawk primarily via sea, which would speed up their journey considerably. From the Underdark adit near Lake Spendlowe, the two adventurers made their way to the territory of the Sea Princes, where they took ship from the port of Monmurg. About two weeks of sea travel got them to the town of Hardby, where they found that two weeks at sea was enough for them. So, they went by land the rest of the way to Greyhawk, where Eclavdra’s wares could most easily be obtained.
By land, that is, unless it happened by be swampland. Which they entered on their third day of travel. Two days, and a battle with a black dragon later, they finally entered Greyhawk. "Better check in with headquarters," Miae suggested. Green Arrow heartily agreed.

A few days later, Miae and Green Arrow also reported to the Enterprise and met with Tisiphone. They provided a full report of their observations and activities, in particular their dealings with Eclavdra.

"You have done well," said Tisiphone. "You may have opened a door that will prove most advantageous for us. Continue with your task for Eclavdra. We will fill your order within a few days, and then you can return to the Vault." She eyed Miae and Green Arrow–especially Green Arrow. "Whatever you do when you meet with Eclavdra again, stay respectful, and above all, don’t ask foolish questions! She is extremely powerful. A lot more powerful than either of you."

They took their leave after the meeting. Green Arrow paid a visit to the Enterprise’s Weapons/Supply department, on the Enterprise’s secret demi-plane. He also picked up a bracelet of friends. "Never can tell when I’ll need a friend," he thought to himself.

When their order was ready, the two adventurers, with a wagon laden with Eclavdra’s goods, were transported to the adit. Four relatively uneventful days later they arrived at the Black Gate. Several hours of bureaucratic delay later, a group of Eclavdra’s minions arrived to take delivery of the goods. Miae and Green Arrow then headed into the city, where they sold the cart and checked into the Far Night Inn.

A few days later, the two adventurers were summoned to Eclavdra’s presence again. "You follow orders well–for surface-dwellers," the noble drow priestess remarked, with casual disdain. Miae bowed; Green Arrow remained silent. Eclavdra then drew out a small box and gave it to a servant standing by, who in turn presented it to Miae and Green Arrow. Inside the box, they found two items: Green Arrow’s ring of minor spell storing, and Miae’s medallion of thoughts! "A small reward," said Eclavdra. "Continue to please me, and more will follow." She turned to the servant and slapped him. The servant bowed, suppressing his pleasure.

"And now, you will provide me with information." She explained her requirement to the two: they were to make contact with the leader of the Vault’s "Rakes" faction, a half-drow outcast named Jalvan, and report their findings. "He is no doubt aware of you by now. You should have little difficulty in making contact: he fancies himself allying with all manner of outcasts, let alone surface-dwellers, in pursuit of his foolish dreams for his fellow rabble."

She dismissed the two with orders to report all they learned from Jalvan.

Now we’re in it, thought Miae to herself.

And so for the next few days, Miae and Green Arrow frequented the common room at the Far Night Inn, keeping an eye out for the roguish and slightly disreputable-looking fellow whom Arnold had previously pointed out to them. Eventually, they spotted the agent.

Miae sidled up to him and introduced herself. "I think we have some things in common," she purred. "Really?" replied the agent. "Yes. We both know Arnold, for one thing," Miae answered. "Can I buy you a drink?" Green Arrow asked, inserting himself into the conversation. The agent warily agreed, and the three headed to a quiet corner of the room.

"Arnold said you’d be good people to know," Miae began.

"And?" replied the agent.

"How long have you been with Jalvan?" Green Arrow clumsily inquired.

Hmmm, the direct approach, thought the agent.

"Forgive my nosy friend," Miae apologized.

"I’m new here. I’m direct," Green Arrow explained, to which the agent replied, "Directness can be dangerous here."

"Than . . ." Green Arrow started to say, before Miae clamped her hand over his mouth. "Maybe we could be of help to each other," she said. "Arnold spoke so highly of you!"

The agent considered her for a moment, then replied, "I’ll pass it upstairs and see if anyone’s interested."

A couple of days later, the agent returned. "Come with me," he told Miae, looking warily sideways at Green Arrow as he did so. The two followed the agent into the Ghetto of Outcasts, to a place called the Tavern of Nines. He spoke quietly to the doorman, who, satisfied with the password, let them in. The agent led the two to an upper room, a darkened, curtained area, then left. When he had gone, a curtain parted, and a dark figure appeared.

"So, Arnold suggested you make my acquaintance?" Jalvan remarked, sizing up Miae and Green Arrow. Then they sat down to have a talk.

The next day, Miae passed on a report on their meeting with Jalvan to an agent of Eclavdra. She also advised that she was making another trip to Greyhawk soon and would gladly obtain any additional goods the mistress might desire.

Before leaving, Miae and Green Arrow met up with Firiona and Lina, both of whom decided to accompany them back to Greyhawk. The two spellcasters had an interesting tale of their own to relate: while Miae and Green Arrow had been busily dealing with the mistress, the ladies had decided to . . . explore the local Underdark! A week’s worth of wandering through numerous side passages and dangerous caverns led to a brief but desperate battle with a white slaad (an apparently inexperienced white slaad, for all its chaotic wounding ability), and a fine find of a treasure chest, before their return to the inn.

While Miae and Green Arrow were acting on Eclavdra’s orders, Arnold was acting on orders from the Enterprise. It hadn’t gone easily for the rogue.

"We are displeased with your performance," said Tisiphone to Arnold after hearing his account of his misadventure. "There were many ways to avoid the fight with House Godeep, all of which should have been obvious to you. To start with, you could have withdrawn from the poisoner’s shop rather than killing him! Not to mention not provoking the poisoner in the first place." Arnold bowed his head but said nothing, too embarrassed to reply. "You could have fled. You could have surrendered and attempted to escape. You could have surrendered and waited for rescue. You could have tried to pay off Godeep to leave you alone – which very likely would have been successful, and something the drow would have expected."

Arnold began to protest, but Tisiphone raised her hand. "I’m not finished. It was not certain that you would have been "tortured into revealing everything about the Enterprise."" She got up from her seat the conference table and walked toward Arnold’s seat, visibly agitated. "Your failure to follow instructions has severely compromised the Enterprise’s interests in the Vault!" she exclaimed. "You’ve undone almost all that you’ve accomplished over the last several months, and have made it difficult or impossible for the other party members to continue their own missions in the Vault!" Arnold muttered the beginnings of an apology, but was cut off again.

"Save your apologies for someone who cares," said Tisiphone icily. "This organization does not tolerate failure." She took a deep breath. "You will remain here at headquarters and submit to further evaluation, before we decide how to handle this mess you’ve created." She then turned and exited the room, leaving the stunned Arnold in the care of her less-than-sympathetic assistant.

The "evaluation" took several days of questioning, as well as recourse to various magical spells and devices. It appeared, after the evaluation was completed, that Arnold has unknowingly been subjected to a powerful enchantment. It seemed that someone had wanted Arnold to provoke House Godeep! The leading theory was that Arnold’s cover had been blown somehow, and that some other house had decided to make use of him to make trouble for Godeep, at the same time disrupting his network of informants.

Things went easier for Arnold after that. He wasn’t entirely faultless, since he had somehow or other compromised himself, but the greater blame lay with whichever drow faction had subjected him to the enchantment. Nevertheless, with his cover gone, the Enterprise ordered Arnold to withdraw from any further action in the Vault, and to report to Edward in Greyhawk immediately, placing himself at his service until he received further orders.

A week later, Miae, Green Arrow, Firiona and Lina arrived back at Enterprise headquarters in Greyhawk to report. They were unaware that Arnold had reported. Nor did they know that Arimir and Elana had also checked in. Some time previous to their return, Edward’s penitential duty with the Church of Hieroneous had been completed. He remained at the church to train some more novices, until after a few weeks he received a summons from the Enterprise. Edward then took his leave and also reported to the Enterprise.

Things were about to get interesting again.

Tisiphone briefed Edward on Arnold’s recent activities. "We expected better from him," remarked Tisiphone, to which Edward heartily agreed. She then addressed Edward.

"The Enterprise has an important mission for you," she began. "It may seem rather unexciting, but be assured that it will prove to be of the greatest significance." Edward nodded. Tisiphone then instructed Edward to proceed to Sigil, where he would meet up with, and keep an eye on, Arnold. "Keep him out of mischief until we decide what to do with him," she added. "My pleasure," replied Edward. He made a mental note to retrieve his special armor from the Enterprise armorsmiths he had commissioned before he set off for Sigil.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Enterprise headquarters, Arnold, along with Arimir and Elana, were receiving instructions in the use of a new and highly experimental article recently devised by Enterprise weaponsmiths: the "R-bomb".

"Arnold, you indirectly helped us to produce this device," said Mathasuntha, the Enterprise’s Research director. "It includes a modified form of the "gunpowder" you and your associates discovered on Arth." She went on to explain the structure and operation of the device.

"The R-bomb is essentially a container within which are disposed three specially prepared, and specially reduced, staves of power. The remainder of the container is packed with an explosive material that is derived from "gunpowder." Once you light the fuse, the device detonates, and the detonation breaks the three staves of power. Result: a triple-power retributive strike!" Mathasuntha exclaimed with glee, then continued. "You will be given several of the devices to take with you."

"Where are we going?" asked Arnold.

"You are to report to one of our safe houses in Sigil," answered Mathasuntha. "Once you are there, you will receive additional instructions in preparation for a very important mission." She faced Arnold and looked him straight in the eye. "We trust, Arnold," she said emphatically, "that you will carry out this mission in the spirit in which it is assigned, and that you will act with discretion at all times. Is there anything in these orders that I need to repeat?"

"N-n-no, ma’am," stammered Arnold, abashed. Obviously he had a lot to live down after his recent escapade in the Vault.

"Good," said Mathasuntha. "You will cooperate with all Enterprise personnel in Sigil, until the next phase of the mission commences." She then asked Arimir and Elana if they had any questions. Neither did. At least, none they cared to ask at that time.

Firiona and Lina, when their time came to report, were instructed to continue their studies at the Spire of the Encyclic. "Learn all you can," Tisiphone told them, "but keep a low profile. I am certain I need not convince you of the need for discretion." "No need at all," agreed Firiona, nodding to Lina as she answered.

A few days later, when Miae and Green Arrow met with Tisiphone, they found that their shipment of goods to the Vault had just been increased by one scroll case.

"This case contains information of the most sensitive nature," Tisiphone explained. "We wish to have it delivered to the high priest of Vecna resident in Erelhei-Cinlu." Miae and Green Arrow both looked at each other in shock, then at Tisiphone again. "Why, in the name of Olidamarra’s lute, are we giving info to Vecna?!" exclaimed Miae. "And what is this info anyway?"

"The Enterprise’s reasons are good in our view," replied Tisiphone. "But I will tell you this much: the information on the scroll and the map lead, we believe, to the location of the Sword of Kas."

"That’s an extremely powerful artifact!" Miae practically shouted. "Why do we want Vecna to recover it?!"

"It is enough for you to know that we do want Vecna to recover it," answered Tisiphone. "Can you carry out this mission, without question, without hesitation? You should know that the highest levels of the Enterprise have faith in your ability to do so, but if you have any problem with doing so, say so now and nothing will be held against you."

"We can do it," Miae said. Green Arrow added, "Even if we don’t know why."

"Good," Tisiphone said. She then took Miae aside, retrieved a second package and gave it to her. "Take this, but do not open it until the time is right. You’ll know when that time comes." Miae nodded. She turned to Green Arrow. "Well, we have our work cut out for us."