Report: In response to Richard Beruan's poster of notice concerning a drown slave ship containing children in large numbers, Seeker Philip, Captain Knight Baelister retainer of the Archibald House, Ordinant Lathae (the writer), and a friend of Baelister's named Gorgen set out to survey the Traensyrian port and gather information to devise a plan to capture the slave ship. Most importantly we wanted to know the size of its guard and its destination. We ruled that the Duergar had no use for children slaves, nor did Fort Mur, or Sslal'teesh. Chabzash and Ysinode were not on the lake. Intryzz could be suspected, having a certain appetite.

We went through Noctivir Island from the water. After we arrived, Gorgen reported his findings upon the ship: hundreds of children, torture rooms, and a thin crew of drow. We took the opportunity to attack, deciding that if we waited for a later date to attack then the ship may become more heavily guarded, and the trip to the docks more dangerous. We rushed to the boat and began fighting its crew, until we came to the ship's helm. Gorgen cut the ties to the docks, and drow wizards began attacking us with fireball spells. Philip, Baelister and myself attempted to used the ship's machines to sail it out of the port, and we did so.

We planned to make for the shore of the Darklake near the Mushroom Farm so we could evacuate the children to Upper through the relatively safe mines. We toiled to put out flames while Seeker Philip steered the ship using its drow machines and magic around the lake. When we neared the canal to Sanctuary the ship's controls began flashing and making even more bizarre noises than before. The ship veered into the canal despite our commands using the control paddle. We were beset by the malicious fey that reside in the Dark Canal and had to fight them off on the upper deck. The Ship then drifted into Lower and began to sink in the Canal Ward.

The Children were evacuated. Some scattered, wild and afraid. Others followed Baelister to the Archibald manor. A man named Popper was one of the first people to arrive and began to beckon the children to follow him to the House of Light. My senses caused me to strongly distrust this man, senses which are afforded to me by the vigilance of the All Seeing Eye, Helm. When I saw this man leading children away things fell into place in my mind. We had eliminated all possible destinations for the vessel on the shore except Sanctuary. When the ship drew near the canal leading to Sanctuary it sent itself in as if it were designed to do such by its magic and machines. Furthermore, the first person to arrive at the moored remains was this man who began enticing children to follow him away. I believed, and still do, that Popper was a part of this whole ordeal, perhaps be bought the children from the drow.

There are three results of this spur-of-the moment operation which must be acted upon. I apologize on behalf of our four-man team for the trouble we have caused the settlement but these issues should be dealt with: First, the children must be cared for and sifted into Sanctuary. Apparently Baelister is handling this with Archibald’s help. Contacting him would reveal more. Second, the reason why the ship sailed here must be discovered. There was a plot behind this entire ordeal involving Sanctuary and hundreds of children. There is a good chance this Popper was an accomplice of the plot. Third, there is a sunken drow vessel in the Canal Ward. It is rife with drow magic and mechanics. The helm sported magical seeing-glasses, levers to power the wheels which propelled the ship and a control which steered it. All of these thing should become Sanctuary’s property and be studied for salvageable use.

Vigilantly Ordinant Lathae [A simple drawing of a stylized open eye follows]

[On Marshall's copy] I sent a copy of this to the council as well as you. Show it to the Watch if you will. I thought that these matters, especially the third point, would be of dirrect interest to you.