We'd tracked our prey to the finest neighborhood in all of Waterdeep: Little Marekh. Our goal was to settle the score with a local crime boss whose thugs had shown the audacity to assault my companions. It was good to be back in Little Marekh; although there is more evidence of the inferior, barbaric cultures there than would ever be allowed in one of the great cities of Calimshan, the neighborhood nonetheless contains more sophistication and refinement in a single block than exists in the rest of that entire, stinking metropolis. Here, at least, the subtle aromas of haute cuisine and Calishite pipeweed mingle with the usual miasma of feces, urine, and unwashed bodies. That our foe was also Calishite bespoke the vitality and boldness with which Calimshan has gifted her people.
We had learned the boss' name, Zalam, as well as one of his usual haunts: a tavern called Abu Shakram. Since I, Rasool yn Zyad el Dumein, am naturally fluent in the beautiful Alzhedo tongue and, furthermore, knew the place quite well, my companions requested that I enter and see what I could discover about Zalam's whereabouts. I did so, accompanied by one of my companions, and, almost immediately, an agent of the Ghazi motioned me over. He assured me that his organization had not been involved in the assault upon our persons. The Ghazi then told me that Zalam was known to frequent a Temple of the goddess Sharess named Antarang, and that he had a consort there named Savaresh. He also told me to check for Zalam at a laundry called Shivaji Ghat, which fronted a den of iniquity below.
We decided to investigate the laundry first. Myself and my companions had little luck interrogating the laundress about the supposed basement gambling house, but eventually we did find our way inside. It is worth noting that the elusive Mungo Corpulent Johnny made an appearance at this juncture. I find this Mungo quite to my liking, although his claims to be a fellow buccaneer seem rather overblown. (I've certainly never heard of him or his exploits at sea.) It is also worth noting that several of my companions showed their true colors by attempting to enter the gambling den in disguise. Because they are cowards.
Over the course of the evening at Shivaji Ghat, we learned that Zalam and his gang were headquartered at a local warehouse. We made our way to the warehouse only to find it infested with orcs. These orcs had apparently run off the previous human inhabitants, and so we left them to their squalor. The warehouse had proved a dead end.
Our last lead was the Temple Antarang and the priestess Savaresh. We entered the temple, which was exceedingly tasteful and welcoming, and almost immediately made the acquaintance of Savaresh. She explained that Zalam had been having a run of bad luck (and, hence, quite likely could no longer pay for her ministrations) and freely gave up the address at which he resided. The entire experience was quite charming and I will surely pay the priestesses another call in the future.
Our new companion, the streetwise Graycen, guided us to the slum were Zalam dwelt. I was called upon to kick down several doors in the tenement complex before we found one of his bandit "bodyguards" asleep in a chair. We quickly captured this bandit and discovered Zalam himself in a room beyond. He was accompanied by some sort of sentient ooze that he appeared to be keeping as a pet or guard animal. My companion Hank Sword (or was it Chip?) then fired an arrow at Zalam in a fit of zeal. Perhaps he had been shaken by the ooze's presence, which had attached itself to another of our compatriots in most discomfiting way. Regardless, keenly aware of the consequences should we kill a rival boss, I swooped in and grabbed up Zalam in a vice-like embrace from which he had no hope of escape. Zalam quickly took stock of his situation and capitulated. He promised not to pursue any further action against our group and, moreover, offered what I can only assume was his last remaining wealth as compensation for our troubles.
All in all a fitting conclusion in which justice was served and our demands for satisfaction satisfied. We returned to our work renovating Trollskull Manor in preparation for the festivities of Fleetswake.
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