Vacation in Stormhome: Around Cliffwash > Harston Heights > Xen’drikan Embassy

So, I head over to the Xen’drikan embassy to see what’s up with the hometown crowd. It’s right next to the Q’barran embassy, so apparently, they like to stick the jungle types near one another. A lot of talkin’ goes down while I’m here so if your sick of readin’, you may want the TL:DR version:

Met Thaddan (from Xen'drik) and Amw (Q'barran) and had a nice talk about all sorts of fun, interesting, sad, and upsetting stuff.

Anyway…

There’s a pale, gecko-like Lizardfolk chattin’ with a Xen’drikan*, sharing lunch (some sort of tapas plate), and laughing. When they notice me, both jump up and bow, and while the Lizardfolk appears curious, the Xen’drikan recognizes me as a Tabaxi and starts speaking in rapid Xen’drikan (see note below) to me, apparently quite happy to see another person from home. He’s more than happy to swap stories and provide advice about the area. From good taverns and restaurants, to the upcoming festival, as well as places to avoid. He also gives me his contact information in case I get in trouble. Me get in trouble..? Of course not. The Lizardfolk introduces themselves as Amw (Aumwe), the Q’barran ambassador, and politely warns me that if I’m not good at swimming that I might want to avoid the Harpy in the Droaam embassy a couple of rooms over, as she hates felines after some business with a Manticore. Yikes! As I actually DO hate swimming I think I’ll take that advice. Even though I’d love to talk to a Harpy (my sad face appears briefly). I also take note of some of the more interesting things to do at the festival.

We shoot the sh… we talk for a while where we share the latest info we each have from Xen’drik and I let them know I’m staying at the Nixie and that it would be cool if they ever wanted to hang out. Thaddan, the Xen’drikan, is quite the talker and is happy to get some other news about home, and since I’d just gotten a letter from the fam before I left Sharn, my news seems more up-to-date than his. Don’t they got some kinda sending stone connection to keep the info flowing? Whatever.

Anyway, he explains that he’s here to help evaluate artifacts as well as make sure any that are smuggled in are returned to where they need to be, and is as much a cultural ambassador as any of the others. Of course, I find this fascinating. I say, “I always supposed the majority of items went through Sharn, but after seeing the ships and dockyards here I can imagine you can occasionally find yourself quite busy. That being said, I promise you that the few Xen’drikan ‘artifacts’ I have with me were legitimately gifted or purchased by me. I don’t walk around town with a lot, but I do have this,” and I pull out the obsidian dagger gifted to me by the Biting Ant clan and offer it up for Thad to see, hilt first of course. He inspects the dagger with interest, taking note of my courtesy, and after a brief bit of inspection, he manages to discern it’s goblinoid, and then jungle goblin, but can’t place the exact tribe. I briefly tell him the way I got it, and he nods and congratulates me on the successful contact. As far as the history of the dagger, he says he’d heard about goblins that were capable of moving their cities, but never had the fortune to meet a tribe that flung their homes through the air! He has seen the houseboat tribes, however, and gestures to a small carved doll on his desk. “The Roving Quippers gave me that, said it’s supposed to give me luck. Maybe it has, seeing as I’m an ambassador now,” he chuckles, and returns the dagger to you, also hilt-first. He also explains a bit more about people smuggling artifacts, “It’s true that everything has to pass through Sharn, legally, but I’m sure you can guess how greasy favors can be when it comes to wheels, and if you’ve got a good enough captain and a fast and small enough ship, you might be able to stormskip straight around and not need to hit Breland or Zilargo, and once you’re out of the major nations… Well. Stormhome is definitely a destination for the wealthy, so things for the wealthy are to be found here, obtained one way or the other.”

The embassy (read: large office space) is still getting its footing, and so is, to quote, “crammed in with all the other baby nations that nobody really believes yet.” He’s made friends with Amw over the similar climates of home, and says they’re considering seeing if a small group of Q’barran Lizardfolk wouldn’t have better luck contacting the reclusive Saurian Lizardfolk of Xen’drik than any of them “warm ones.” However, Amw’s people are wary of them due to something about crests and dreams. Thad doesn’t quite understand, but Amw insists it’s important, and he believes the lizard. Of course, I reply, “That’s a great idea! Please, keep me up-to-date on your progress with the Q’arran/Saurian Lizardfolk. If you’re open to it, might I put you in touch with a certain professor at Morgrave that has an interest in the various Lizardfolk cultures. It is possible, again if you’re open to it, that some project funding could be found through the university if you were to allow them a chance to observe and study the interactions.” Both Thaddan and Amw seem cautiously optimistic about the excursion, and when I mention the professor I know, Awm brightens up considerably and names the same one I had in mind. Awm apparently knows them, as it was originally the professor’s idea to send an Ambassador to Stormhome in the first place. Coincidence? I think not. I think this plan is going to work out well for them.

Thad says if I haven’t seen it yet, there’s probably still that “ceremonial warrior’s armor” in Belgeth, it just came in a couple days ago. Hey! That’s the armor I just saw yesterday. I tell him about that and we share a little info. It seems Amw was the ambassador that noticed the feathers and swirls had Couatl connections. Thad mentions the armour was picked up by some adventurers who apparently had fought and killed, and he quotes the crew here, “A big red mean-ass dinosaur-lookin’ bastard who nearly took Tavio’s head off with a bite when he jumped us”, and who figured the lizard’s stuff had some value when they looted the carcass. They claimed they had gotten lost, but based on what Thaddan has heard, he’s not sure he believes them. Apparently these Lizardfolk are reclusive enough that even if the group had been lost, they were more likely to stay out of the way than get involved, so either the Saurian Lizardfolk had good reason to jump them or they provoked a fight deliberately.

Thaddan moves on and says he might come by to the Nixie, but Amw seems reluctant to go, and scoots their tail around their feet, mumbling something about “rude stepping.” I, in turn, give my tail a flick upward and take it into my hand. “I understand the dangers posed by the lack of perception of those unfortunate enough to not have the glory of a tail.” I give a slight smile, “I am fortunate that mine is maneuverable enough to keep from underfoot but would not want to put you in a position where you may be uncomfortable. Still, the invitation is open to you if you care to go. And the first drink will, of course, be on me.”

Thaddan, at least, seems quite interested in spending time in a more normal-ish zone of Stormhome. Amw still seems a bit shy about it, especially once they mention the rude stepping is rather intentional, and (with some effort) curl their tail up more so I can see a spot where it’s kinked, like it broke and didn’t heal right. “There’s a lot of people here who think us Lizardfolk are going to steal their livelihoods as sailors and dockhands, because we can swim and are safer in the water,” they explain. “And even ambassadors aren’t immune to, uh, accidents. The last few times I’ve been down to the docks to see my kin… Have not been nice, though I will not shirk my duties.” They seem a bit down, before quickly shaking it off, offering a small, if sad, smile. “I do not envy the Warforged who have it worse. Were it not that they would sink sorely into the muck at home, I think we would rather welcome them, poor souls.” Thaddan pats the Lizardfolk’s shoulder with some sympathy.

“Wait, what??? Intentional? I had seen some Lizardfolk working in and around the docks area. It looked like they were doing legitimate work that wasn’t replacing other workers but was something that their specialties were optimal for. I didn’t realize the issues you were having. Do you know if this is primarily here, in Stormhome, or do your brethren see the same terrible treatment in Sharn, Korranberg, Pylas Maradal, and other cities? I’m guessing, since you are ambassadors, you discussed the issue with authorities or already know they are part of the problem…?” I continue to look upset for a while longer as the discussion proceeds on to the Warforged. This talk goes on a bit more but I’ve already (probably) bored you with it and moving into the politics and business practices around shipping and dock work won’t help here. Suffice it to say that Lizardfolk and Warforged are getting kinda screwed and, right now, the Houses and governments don’t seem to care too much about it.

As far as the festival, some of the specials are to include cloud-sculpting, fireworks, and an aericrobatics show (sounds pretty awesome). Apparently there’s a troupe of birdfolk dancers who have been hired this year, something about a special occasion with a Lyrandar.

Both Thaddan and Amw sound fun to be around and if I can help with answers to anything they might not know, then I tell them will do so. Although, I probably won’t be in town for a whole lot longer. Either way, I’ll be stopping back by to hang with them as long as they’re cool with it.

* Note on “Xen’drikans” within this campaign: They are descendants of Lhaazarian “explorers” who setup in what is now Stormreach. They managed good relations with the Drow in the Upper Penisula of Xen’drik (after some initial setbacks) and the two groups intermingled over the next thousand-plus years creating a half elf/half human race that became known as the Xen’drikans. Their language, Xen’drikan, is a hybrid of words and idioms from both common and ancient elven.

The creation of this subset of “half-elves” was due to a conversion of the Tomb of Annihilation campaign into the world of Eberron.