A New City ...

Deciding to break their trip at Baldur's Gate, the Party reached the city gates towards evening and were amongst the last travellers to enter before the gates were shut for the night. Stopping to ask the guards for directions to a reputable tavern or inn, they continued into the dim streets in search of the Helm & Cloak Inn as recommended.

Circling round the arcing harbour area, they had made half the distance to the inn, when muffled cries attracted their attention from a nearby street. With the rogue scouting ahead, they came round a corner to an intersection of a few streets and ally-ways, to find a group of cloaked burly individuals surrounding a slight robed figure at their feet. A tall, dark leather clad man at the group's rear was instructing them and noticed the party appear at the street corner "Dispose of the priest and ensure those fools don't leave to tell anyone".

Several of the party recognised the man as Karne, as he walked away into the darkness, whilst the thugs spread out to deal with them. Although tricky and tough street brawlers, the thugs proved little opposition to the seasoned fighters the Party were turning into. Varis spotted an opening in the fight and pulled the downed priest back to where Puck, the Gnome Illusionist, was standing, before re-joining the fray. They managed to subdue the final thug and bound him for questioning, after they tended themselves and the priest.

Rousing the priest, he told them he was Fayed, a priest of Ilmater; he had no clue as to the reasons why the group had assaulted him. The party turned back to the thug, Hobert and spent a few minutes persuading him to tell them what he knew. It proved little of much consequence, however he confirmed the man, Karne, was a Zhentarim agent and had plans to disrupt the city. One of the group, Keissen, had been sent East to recover an 'artifact' which seemed key to the plan and Karne had been intent to ensure the priest, Fayed, was in no position to interfere in any way. Hobert feared Karne would deal with him for his failure, declaring Karne to be a 'master of infiltration', he seemed resigned to receiving his wrath, probably his death; but the Party let him leave anyway and he fled into the night.

Escorting Fayed to his temple, they accepted his thanks and warned him to watch for further interference by Karne and his group. He promised to let them know if anything unusual occurred and once at his temple showed them their inn was only a few streets away. He offered to make them potions in thanks for his rescue and bade them return in the morning to collect them; the party left him and retired to their inn for the night.