Editing QB the bard (section)

==== 06 October 2011 ====

Back at the broken anvil the party takes a well disserved brake with a nice meal. Lady Elaydren and het demands can wait a few hours more. 
After a few drinks QB excuses himself to get some fresh air. Outside he quickly looks for a abandoned alleyway. With some quick words and arcane gestures he makes a illusionary crate around him. “Now I can finally take a good look at these maps, that inn is way to unsave” QB mumbles to himself as he unfolds the paper. 
The map shows a area between Darguun and the Moorlands. “I have traveled all around the world, but I never felt the need to go anywhere near there” QB tells the rats that have been joining him. 
Putting the map away for later QB starts to read the journal named ‘my time with the tribe in the shadow marches’. Lost in the memories of his homeland QB forgets all about the time. 
 
What seem to be hours later QB looks up again from his book. The crate he created must have disappeared when he lost his concentration. 
QB looks into the now empty streets, it was dusk when he left the party but now it was pitch dark. QB preferred the dark in cities. With his darkvision he had a advantage over all the humans, especially since most people thought he was human to. 

Yawning he step back into the inn, it was a long night and they might as well look for some rooms for the night. 
But when he entered the inn he found it strangely deserted. Only the bartender and some old drunk were still in the bar. All of his fellow party members had left already. To make things worse it looked like the drunk wanted some company. QB hadn’t even reached his table before the drunk was hanging over him “in your bag, with the courtesy of Lady Elaydren, don’t open it here”  the drunk whispered quietly. QB didn’t know what to think about this so he swung his fist at the drunk, and to his amazement he missed badly. Like a sick butterfly the drunk swaggered off again to his seat at the bar. 
QB shook his head, this wasn’t his day. Just like with the map QB returned to his alley to look at his bag. “If that drunk put something nasty in my bag I will give him a reason to drink” was all that filled QB thoughts as he searched. 
To his suprice he found a small pouch containing a map of the city, a letter, a ring and 1100 gp. 
The letter read: 
“My deepest apologies that we do not meet as planned. I cannot risk it under the current circumstances. Several members of House Cannith have been taken hostage by the lord of blades. 
There will be a meeting to negotiate the release of Lord Bob on the 11th of Eyre in the land of Darguun. Any action my house makes will endanger all the hostages. 
I need you to travel to Darguun to release the other hostages before the meeting in 39 days. You will of course be richly rewarded for you trouble, both in money and in favor. 
To guide you on your way I have hired a elven wildmen. The ring will glow when held against his.
Inside the pouch you will find a payment for you past work and traveling expanses for the next journey. Please make hast.” And was signed with a large X. 

At least no one could accuse Lady Elaydren of being a spy with her ‘secret signature’. Anyone who would have found this message would have know it was her. 
“Oh well” QB thought “at least I got paid, and more money is on its way”. That is until he arrived at the stables. It was very clear that someone had just emptied them a few moments ago. 
Asking around it became clear that two humans and a warforged had made their way out the east gate. Rumor was it that they had lost the favor of Lady Elaydren and house Cannith after failing to perform their task. 

“this really isn’t my day “QB thinks “first I smell like a sewer, lose my party, get groped by a drunk and now I lost everyone again”.
Free of any obligations again QB wandered the town for a few days.  

After a incident concerning some items that had not belonged to him QB decided that he fancied a bit of wilderness again. Some people might say he was chased out of town, banished or on the run for the law. QB didn’t like to call it that, the truth was so crude sometimes. 
So it came to be that QB set off to Zilargo, here he might find some clues’ about this map and some fewer enemies.