Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Archade 09-03-03, 10:37 AM	Here's a question for you... In Szith Morcane, there are Dueregar merchants and a Mind Flayer customer as well as Kuo-Toa that have travelled there. Where did they come from? How did they get in?
Cunning Linguist 09-03-03, 11:39 AM	I’m thinking the Mind Flayer and Kuo-Toa came from a "deeper level" or something like that. Since Szith Morcane was the local trade marked, so I saw it kind of like some farmers coming into waterdeep to trade. The Duergar where the merchants if I’m not mistaken, and I would think they are travelling merchants, and I ran a adventure where the players found some Duergar near Castle Crag, in the underdark. So if the players start a talk with them I say they are from that area, "they need to trade so they can rebuild there home, after some adventures was there and killed of there supreme leader"
Archade 09-03-03, 11:45 AM	Yes, I understand where they came from 'out there', but how did they get in to Szith Morcane? There's a locked gate on the commoner level to the Deep Wastes, no other exits, and even if you look at the Deep Wastes, there's no tunnel or exit to a dueregar or mind flayer settlement. Hence, my question.
Cunning Linguist 09-03-03, 11:52 AM	I think you can knock if your a underdark race and they let you in. The letter from that drow officer told his drow cousin that she should come visit, if she was not a follower of Lolth anymore. But I do see your point, there is no enter/exit in this place, and there should be. Portal? I hear underdark races use them for trade.
Archade 09-03-03, 12:02 PM	That drow cousin was on the surface. Let's assume that you can knock on the gate to gain passage. Where would you place the dueregar and mind flayer settlements, that aren't on the Deep Waste Map? Would there be another exunt tunnel off of the chasm, perhaps? If portals are used to travel (ie the dueregar are from below Zhentil Keep), where would you place the portal? My questions are because I'd like to expand the Deep Waste map slightly to accomodate these routes of commerce, and I'm curious where people would consider placing them...
Cunning Linguist 09-03-03, 12:48 PM	I think I would place the portals in the marketplace, this is a normal thing to do since a lot of races want to travel back and forth real quick, but the portals only let 3-4 creatures pass per day, or else they would be a problem with invaders. The Mind Flayer might be from Amn, but he is an adventuring type, and is travelling the underdark for adventure and fun. He stopped by this marked for supplies that he needs, since he has already killed an adventuring band, he shows signs of being the adventuring type. The Kuo-Toa are traders from there tribe, that have a lair on the Blister Trail in Cormyr. They are in dire need of food (let say they have bought the dried meat and fungus from the Duergar), they have traded rare silk (the one on the lizard) for it. The silk they high jacked from a caravan, that was trying to reach Immersea via Wheloon and Blister Trail. The Kuo-Toa need to get back home to feed there tribe, and don’t want any problems, that’s why they are backing of if the PC’s decide to attack. The Duergar might be from there lair near the Hillmarch, a band of adventures where recently in there and stole a lot of magical arms and armor, and now they are trying to work up some coin so they can rebuild there ruined home. The Duergars hate the surface dwellers even more then before, because of the attack, and they might kill them just for fun, but don’t attack before the mind flayer has done his part. “Better to attack a party that is half beaten, then attack it when at full strength right? But on the other hand, that mind flayer did have a lot of nice trinkets, perhaps we can sell those fools some trinkets for the items he has?” And I’m sure the Duergar would like to have the mind flayer killed, they are mortal enemies are they not? The Drow I think would not bother to brake up a fight between the Mind Flayer and the PC’s, perhaps instead placing bets with the Duerger on who would win, (placing there bets on the Mind Flayer) When the PC’s kill the mind flayer, the Duergar are happy, seeing that they won gold on there victory. The Drow on the other hand, are not happy about losing gold, and I think would kill the pc’s to “cut there losses”, and the Duergar might join the battle, seeing Drow are better then Mind Flayers, and thinking they could win the battle. But that is just how I’m going to play it..