Finding Floon - Waterdeep Dragon Heist, Chapter 2

Kem Hearthfire was eating a lunch at the Yawning Portal. In walked her friend and adopted half-orc sibling Push-ta Tok, accompanied by an elf dressed like a dwarf, a human priest of Helm, and the tallest beefiest prettiest eladrin she had ever seen. 

Push-ta came right to her table, "Good, I thought we'd find you here. Okay, here's what's happened so far."

"Last night, we were hired by famed explorer and author Volotham Geddarm to find his friend Floon Blagmaar - whom he feared had been kidnapped. During our investigation, we soon discovered that Floon had indeed been kidnapped, mistakenly as it turned out, by members of the Zhentarim Syndicate. We tracked the kidnappers to their hideout only to stumble across the scene of an assassination.

"After defeating the kenku assassins, we found Ranear Neverember, son of powerful nobleman Lord Neverember. Ranear had been spending the evening with Floon and was with him when they were kidnapped. The kidnappers had mistaken Floon for Ranear. Ranear managed to escape and hide when the kenku attacked. Some of the kenku left with Floon before we arrived, saying something about following the yellow marks in the sewers.

"Soon afterwards the Watch arrived to escort Ranear home. 

"I know where they took Floon, or at least where they entered the sewer - don't ask. We're getting ready to go in and save him.

"Anyway, we're gonna need some more help. There's 22 gold dragons in it for you if you help us. So, what do you say?"

Kem stared dumbfounded at her friend and his new acquaintances as they breathlessly awaited her reply. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She carefully wiped her mouth with a napkin and picked a small bit of meat out of her tusk and flicked it away. 

"Okay. I'm in."

CHAPTER 2

"FINDING FLOON"

The Adventurers:

• Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Neutral Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter. The daughter of elven diplomats, raised among dwarves.
  
• Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin. Exiled from the feywild and raised by wolves. While exploring the Feydark he crossed over into the Underdark and emerged into the Mortal World.
• Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm.
• Push-ta Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue.
• Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond.

DM- Kem's player missed last week so we quickly added her to the party. There was some discussion about whether they needed a long rest or not but they decided that rapid action was called for. So after a short rest - they ventured into the sewers of Waterdeep!

Navigating the Sewers

Push-ta led the party back to Candle Lane. He quickly found a grate in the street which served as a maintenance access point to the city's euphemistically named "Stormwater Drainage System". The smell was terrible. 

Push-ta explained to the others, "This is where they entered. We just have to follow the yellow marks to the drop point."

"How do you know this?" inquired Tempus. 

"That's not important. Hurry. There's no time!"

The party descended the shaft until they stood in a narrow tunnel. A stream of yellow-brown liquid flowed down a brick-lined channel. The tunnel's cross-section was shaped like a seed, round at the top and tapering towards the bottom. It was just tall enough for a short man to stand erect - the party members were forced to crouch. A single person could easily touch both side walls with their hands. 

Push-ta located a yellow chalk drawing of a circle with ten radial lines, "This way."

Gazer Guard

They traversed the sewers in single file, following the trail of chalk circles with radiating lines, for nearly an hour. Despite the pitch darkness, the elf, eladrin, and two half-orcs were able to see as in by dim moonlight. Even the human, invoking his faith of his god, was able to navigate the gloom. 

They approached a Y-shaped intersection. Through the dim shadows they could see the silhouette of a floating orb about the size of a grapefruit.  Winterfrost forged ahead in an attempt to move past it. She was suddenly grabbed by an invisible force that attempted to push her away. She fought against it! She then felt a tinge of fear overcome her. She grit her teeth and pushed past it. 

The orb revealed itself have one large fist-sized eye in its center and four smaller eye-stalks. It was a lesser beholder-kin known as a gazer! 

Kem Hearthfire stepped forward and called down holy vengeance upon the aberration in the form of sacred fire from above but the gazer dodged aside. 

The gazer once again tried to push Winterfrost away but she stood her ground. Kem Hearthfire felt a feeling of friendship and belonging with the gazer - but she overcame those false emotions - the gazer was her enemy!

Etlenda charged the creature, slashing it with this sword, while Winterfrost shot a whip of lightning from her hammer. The lightning missed and the gazer chuckled its glee. 

Suddenly a miraculous bell pealed, summoned forth by Tempus' holy wrath. The gazer vibrated, its eye balls rolling. It was shaken! Kem followed with a prayer of her own, smiting the beast with sacred flame. The holy radiance caused the floating eyeball monster to wither and die like a grape into a raisin. 

Xanathar's Guild Hideout

The party came to a T-shaped intersection. There was a platform built into the tunnel passage to the left leading to a door. As they moved past, goblin archers loosed arrows from narrow windows in the brick wall on either side of the intersection. 

Etlenda moved in front of one of the arrow slits and covered it with his shield while Push-ta ran towards the door. 

Winterfrost, Kem, and Tempus jockeyed to look into the other arrow slit. Kem called down sacred fire on the goblin archer within. The goblin yelled and retreated through a rear door. 

Push-ta moved quickly through the door and down the hallway to the other goblin's position. He and Winterfrost soon had the goblin cornered. The goblin threw down his bow and surrendered. Push-ta hit the goblin on the head with his hammer, knocking the creature unconscious.

Winterfrost bound and gagged the goblin in a nearby store room while the rest of the party caught up. They descended some stairs and turned right. The corridor led to an unoccupied room filled with primitive beds. Winterfrost and Etlenda moved to the next door on the far wall. 

They could hear the sound of men arguing while moving heavy furniture. 

The Situation

Winterfrost threw open the door and the party charged into the room ready for battle. Instead of an ambush they a dwarf with lumpy grey skin and spiked hair helping the bald thug who started the altercation at the Yawning Portal the night before. They were desperately stacking beds and furniture against a door in the back corner of the room. A lantern in the corner illuminated the room. The bald man said, "Zemk, it's not working!" The gray dwarf angrily shot back, "Dammit, Krentz, I KNOW!"

The pair turned to see the intruders and the grey-skinned dwarf shouted exasperatedly, "Don't just stand there! DO SOMETHING!"

The bald man said, "Wait, who are you?"

Winterfrost spoke in Undercommon, the trade tongue of the Underdark, "We're here to help. What's the problem?"

The bald mad eyed them warily. The grey dwarf paused in thought. Suddenly what looked like wet cement began oozing around the door. 

The dwarf replied in Undercommon, "Its a griseous putrescence from the bowels of the Earth - it welled up from the black pits through our bloody latrine!"

DM- Winterfrost rolled a 7 on her Deception but the duergar rolled a 6 on his Insight. 

Winterfrost assured the dwarf, which she knew to be a duergar, a type of dwarf native to the Underdark, that she and her companions were here to help. In Common speech, she told her companions to prepare to fight a gray ooze. She ordered the pair to step away from the door. 

Push-ta readied his wooden greatclub and prepared himself. The duergar and the bald man retreated from the door. The door flew open and a heavy lump of animated wet cement burst out, falling upon Push-ta. 

The metal rivets in Push-ta's studded leather began to melt under the corrosive acid secreted by the gray ooze. Push-ta slammed his greatclub into the semi-solid mass of the ooze. Etlenda loosed an arrow into the mass, piercing its thick membrane. 

Tempus pointed at the gray mass and a sonorous bell pealed, causing the ooze to vibrate chaotically before exploding, sending fist sized gray clumps spattering against the wall. 

The Jig is Up

The duergar offered his thanks and spoke to Winterfrost in Undercommon, "My name is Zemk. This is Krentz. How does an elf come to speak the language of the Underdark? You are not drow."

Winterfrost replied that she had grown up among dwarves and had spent much of her life underground, including expeditions into the Underdark. In fact, that was where she had met her companion Etlenda. 

Krentz interjected, "Wait! I know you! You were at the Yawning Portal last night! You're with the Zhentarim!" 

Winterfrost was taken by surprise, "I assure you, sir, we are not."

"Lies! You and your friends here jumped to the aid of that Zhentarim assassin, Yagra! She probably sent you here to kill us!"

Etlenda said, "No, we're just looking for someone."

"Liars!" Krentz drew his short sword and attacked Push-ta, who had shoved him the night before. 

Tempus smashed Krentz with his warhammer. Push-ta swung his heavy club, knocking Krentz unconscious.

Zemk put his fists together and shouted the magic phrase, "Anuk Chock!" and became the size of a giant! 

Kem responded with a prayer to bless her weapon with white-hot holy radiance. 

Tempus attacked Zemk, Push-ta struck him in the back of his giant leg, knocking him to one knee. Etlenda followed up with a savage slap against the giant duergar's face with the flat of his longsword. Zemk fell to the floor, unconscious, and reverted to his normal dwarven size.

The party bound them both, putting Zemk in the previous room on a bed but leaving Krentz in the latrine from whence the gray ooze emerged. 

Boss Fight

The party navigated a long corridor and entered into a well-lit room decorated with tapestries on the walls. Several lanterns provided illumination. 

On the floor in the center of the room lay a good looking man with red hair - he was wearing once fashionable clothes, now torn, matching the description of Floon Blagmaar. Floon was lying face down on the floor, tied and gagged. He had been beaten and tortured. A half-orc wizard stood over him, his foot on Floon's back.

A goblin wielding a short bow stood by an set of double-doors on the right. He pointed to the intruders and said, "See? I told you Zemk and Krentz would be useless!"

In the back of the room, on a throne-like chair placed upon a raised platform, sat a humanoid figure with clammy purple skin, his head looked like an octopus with writhing tentacles around his mouth and chin. He wore dark leathery robes and a mask with goggled eyes. In his left hand he carried a walking stick - the top of which resembled a large eyeball. In his lap sat a strange four-legged creature the size of a small dog - the creature's body looked like a large brain with four legs! 

DM - Tempus' player interrupted - "Wait! Isn't that like a level 17 creature or something??" I said, "Yep." The players were starting to get nervous.

The half-orc wizard glared at the intruders, then turned back to the alien creature sitting on the throne - "Sire! How was I to know this was not the Open Lord's son? Allow me to rectify this grave error! Allow me to slay these interlopers!"

The alien creature stood from his throne and put his pet brain-with-legs onto the floor with a tiny pat, "Very well, Grum'shar. You may deal with these vermin whilst I apprise the Master of the new circumstances."

The alien creature seemed to glide across the room to the exit on the right. He opened the door and closed it behind him as he left. 

DM - The players said, "Wait! He has a MASTER?" They were really starting to get nervous.

Grum'shar the wizard stepped towards the party, put his thumbs together with his fingers pointed outward, and a wall of fire erupted from his hands, engulfing the party!

Intellect Devoured

The party, who had been clumped together around the entrance into the room, was badly burned. 

Tempus retaliated with his warhammer, slamming it hard into Grum'shar's chest. 

The goblin loosed an arrow but missed.

Etlenda slashed at the wizard with his longsword but the Grum'shar quickly raised a magical shield which deflected the attack! Kem drew down sacred flame but Grum'shar nimbly dodged out of its way. Winterfrost's warhammer was likewise deflected by the magical barrier.

Push'ta aimed his crossbow and loosed a bolt, striking Grum'shar. The wizard fell!

Suddenly, Etlenda grasped his head in great pain. He buckled to his knees and fell to the ground! It was evident that the creature resembling the brain with legs was responsible for this psychic assault.

Tempus turned his attention to the brain-creature, attacking it with his warhammer. 

The goblin, meanwhile, continued to harry the party with his arrows. Winterfrost took an arrow and fell to the ground!  

Kem knelt next to Etlenda and bestowed a miracle of healing. 

DM - What follows is the actual conversation.

Kem's player: "I cast Spare the Dying on Etlenda"

Etlenda's player: "Don't you have any healing spells left?"

Kem's player: "I have one. I was going to use it on Winterfrost."

Etlenda's player: "Shouldn't you have two slots? What happened to the other?"

Winterfrost's player: "She used it to do 1 point of damage in the last fight!"

Etlenda's player: "Ah, ((sarcastically)) well that was 1 point of damage well spent!"

Other players: "ha ha ha!"

Kem's player: "Yeah, well, I thought he was going to be a tougher opponent."

Etlenda's player: "Sure. Well, if I might suggest - if you use your last spell slot on me, I can heal others so they can fight. If you just Spare the Dying, I stay unconscious."

Kem's player: "Good point. Very well."

Etlenda gasped as he regained consciousness. He got up and pointed at Winterfrost. Winterfrost, in turn, regained consciousness and sprang to her feet. 

The brain-creature attacked Tempus with its claws and the cleric fell to the ground. Kem then clutched her head and reeled from its psychic attack but was able to fight it off.

Etlenda pierced the brain-creature with his sword, killing it, while Kem prayed for Tempus' safety. 

The goblin loosed one more arrow, missing, before it turned and fled through the double doors behind it.

Etlenda restored Tempus to consciousness while Winterfrost and Kem cracked the door to peek into the next room. They could hear the echoing foot-falls of the goblin as it ran away down other corridors. The room was otherwise empty save for a strange column in the center of the room carved with mystic runes. In the middle of the column, about chest high, was a spherical indentation.

Push-ta examined behind the tapestry to the left and found a small room with a loose flagstone on the floor. He removed the flagstone and found a rough-hewn tunnel. 

"Hey! I found a tunnel! Should I check it out?"

Etlenda said, "We are getting Floon and leaving - IMMEDIATELY!"

Winterfrost closed the door and returned to help Etlenda carry Floon, "We do not want to find out what squid-face calls MASTER!"

"But- but- SECRET TUNNEL!" cried Push-ta.

Tempus picked Grum'shar's satchel off the floor, "Come on, let's go!" 

As they retraced their steps into the sewer, they were once again plunged into darkness. Tempus touched Floon's forehead and bestowed upon him the miracle of night vision. 

A Good Deed

The party, with a grateful Floon, emerged from the sewers over an hour later. They took no chances and returned to the place they entered. They smelled terrible - covered as they were in sewage and blood. Floon knew a nearby bathhouse where they could wash up and change their clothes. 

The party found Volotham Geddarm sitting at the Yawning Portal at the appointed time. They presented Floon. Volo and Floon shared a happy reunion and Volo was grateful that his young friend was safe. 

Volo, smiling, turned to the party. His smile turned into embarrassment as he patted himself down. “The advance for my next manuscript is a little late and I confess that I have but few coins to spare. But never let it be said that Volo reneges on a promise. Allow me to present something much more valuable.” He holds out a scroll tube. “The deed to a remarkable property here in Waterdeep! We'll need a magistrate to witness the transfer of ownership. I'll arrange a meeting with one after you've inspected the estate and deemed it satisfactory.” 

The party agreed, pending an inspection of the property. 

Trollskull Manor

The next day the party met Volo at the location of the property - a magnificent if run-down old abandoned manor house in the North Ward. The four-story house was once the home of a tavern on the main floor. 

Volo said, "I purchased the property several months ago while doing research for my next book - Volo's Guide to Spirits. I finished my book and no longer need the property."

Kem asked, "Is it haunted?"

Volo replied, "It's a magnificent property. You won't be disappointed."

Etlenda said, "That's not a no."

Tempus added, "'Volo's Guide to Spirits' you say?"

Winterfrost was practically giddy, "WE'LL TAKE IT!"

The magistrate, a tiefling named Kylynne Silmerhelve, produced the deed and title transfer paperwork, "Everything has been prepared. If you are ready, please sign and provide a drop of your blood." She put a needle onto the end of her finger. 

Everyone signed the transfer title and provided a drop of blood, which Silverhelve collected in small glass vials. She closed her eyes and whispered a small incantation. Thunder could be heard rolling faintly and far away. She opened her eyes and smiled, "The pact is sealed. The property be thine."

"Uh," asked Kem, "What was the blood for?"

"That is for my OWN use." the tiefling replied cryptically, "Good day."

"Excellent!" said Volo, "So, when I write about you, what should I call you? What's the name of your team?"

The team looked at each other - were they a team now? Well, they met yesterday and now they owned a house together! 

There were a few half-hearted suggestions and a few facetious non-suggestions.  

"The Gang of Five?"

"The Mystic Force Five?"

"Spite Pirates?"

There was a collective shrug.

"Oh come now, I wish to record your exploits in my next book, and I'm facing a deadline."

Etlenda said, "Its the kind of thing we really should grow into. We just met yesterday."

There was a thump from behind them.  Volo's new manuscript was mysteriously lying open on the bar top. Its pages turned, flip - flip - flip, and landed on an entry:

POLTERGEISTS

Volo clapped his hands, "I've got it! I shall call you the Trollskull Manor Mystics!"

The manuscript slammed shut angrily. An invisible force threw it onto the floor.

TO BE CONTINUED

DM - The party leveled up and started making plans for their new home. They were very excited about having a base of operations and the feedback so far has been that they really enjoy this campaign.