[ERCHANT MADNESS
Characters who look around the bazaar notice a number
'vdd things:
A duergar merchant can't s top insulting customers
\·hen they are trying to sell something, but becomes a
picture of politeness when they want to buy.
- ~ number of duergar merchants give different prices
· 'buy or sell every time they are asked about the
'a me items, and insist that the characters dealing
•.vith them are the ones changing their terms. - .\ duergar merchant suddenly turns invisible in the
middle of a transaction. but keeps speaking as if noth-
·ng has happened. - .\ duergar merc hant threatens to kill the characters as
a haggling technique, the n denies ever saying so. - -\ duergar merchant constamly asks the opinion of a
nonexistent twin brother. claiming that he is invisible.
~.-!..SA'S DEAL
..a Henstak is a female duergar mt::mber of the
-rchant Council. She's a canny caravan master and
.,des herself on always arriving at her destination
ead of schedule. Tf the characters ask around for
rchants who know how to reach the surface. they are
-ected to Ylsa. Though she has no caravans scheduled. time soon, s he does make the characters an offer.
lisa invites the characters into her well-guarded
.ce. where she shows the m a pile of coins and jewelry
mall over th e surface world. The hoard consists of
gp in mixed coinage. three gold rings worth 25 gp
·h. and two gem-inlaid necklaces worth 250 gp each.
- .e bas tracked the pieces to derro. who usc them to
: for food. If the characters can figure out how the
rro are gt::tling s urface currency andjcwelry, Ylsa will
ovide the adventurers with directions for at least the
·u stage of their journey. including valuable advice
routes to Blingde nstone (sec chapter 6) and the
ormwrithings (see chapter 12).
LROKI
~entivc cha racters can s pot a curious figure darting
·ween the stalls and s hops of the Blade Bazaar. Every
~e they roam th e market. they have a 20 percent
.illce to see a derro dressed in rags styled as an
·tation of a fancy jacket. wearing a wide-brimmed hat
~h two tentacles from a displacer beast sewn into the
· s crown. A large satchel hangs from his shoulder.
~he's always muttering to himself.
Duergar merchants glare scornfully at this derro. and
"'"will discuss him with the characters. If a character
"A=> about him in the Ghohlbrorn's Lair. a successful
X 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check.} ields up the name
"'Droki.'' and identifies the wily derro as a courier and
plier of goods who works for disreputable employers.
Catching Droki (see appendix C) is the objective of
... ts from Errde Blarkskull (see "Ovcrlakc Hold") and
rtokkar Xundorn (see "Themberchaud's Lair"), but
,e characters pursue the courier openly, he flees for
\est Cleft District Pursuing characters quickly lose
_ t of the dt::rro as he vanishes into the crowd. See
- nding Droki" in the "Whorlstonc Tunnels" section
for more information on what Droki is carrying if the
characters catch him.SIGNS OF PURSUIT
Tf the characters arrive in Gracklstugh with a drow
pursuit level of 3 or higher (see "Drow Pursuit" in
chapter 2), llvara has already sent a party a head of
them, guessing correctly that the escaped prisoners
might seek refuge with the duergar.
Characters with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score
of 15 or higher spot six drow watc hing them in the
Blade Bazaar. One of them is Xalith Masq'il'yr, a female
drow allied with House M izzrym. Any of the party's
PC companions who know the duergar well can guess
that these drow won't wam to auract the ducrgar's
attention to their "lost property:· Doing so would likely
involve having to pay the gray dwarves a reward for
the adventurers' capture. This gives the characters a
chance to evade their pursuers, but they need to stay
out of sight
Xalith s peaks to the duergar only if the c haracters
are arrested. Otherwise, she sends a messenger to
llvara and makes sure the characters don't go anywhere
without her knowing. If the characters fail to lose
themselves in th e city (sec "Gracklstugh and DrowCHAPTER 4 I CRACKLSTUGH
6J