Betrayal at Gralhund Villa - Waterdeep Dragon Heist, Chapter 7

 

Tempus ran upstairs to find three dead or dying goons. He paused to say a prayer to spare the dying. A fourth man sat on the floor. He was covered by a net and petting three winged snakes. Half his face had been recently burned and his clothing was badly scorched. Etlenda stood guard over him. The man looked exhausted and resigned to his fate. 

A smaller man dressed like a noble was reunited with a woman who appeared to be his wife. A tall half-orc wearing the livery of the noble house stood near the woman - obviously her bodyguard. The man called out, "Yalah, my dear! Are you safe? Where are the children?"

"They are hidden and safe, Orond. They're in their room," she nodded, indicating a door to the right, "Go see to them. It seems we have guests."

CHAPTER 7

"BETRAYAL AT GRALHUND VILLA"

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor:

• 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. Husband and Father.
• Push-ta Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue.
• Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond.

DM- Fun session this week as the player characters clean up in the aftermath of the battle at Gralhund Villa, chase the loose nimblewright across the town, and take on a side-job to defeat a necromancer in the City of the Dead. 

Gralhund Villa

Tempus cleared his throat and introduced himself, "I am Tempus Visvigir, Road Warden. My companions and I were outside investigating an unrelated matter when we heard battle within. We apologize for entering uninvited." Tempus addressed his question to the husband to test a theory, "My lord, what happened here?"

Orond hesitated and looked at his wife, "Um."

Yalah replied for him, "Orlond, go see to the children. I will handle this. Captain of the Guard, send one of the men to summon the City Watch at once!"

Orlond nodded and fled into the adjoining room. One of the guards left down the stairs to summon the City Watch.

"We thank you for your intervention. You see, we have been held hostage for a tenday by these vile Zhentarim agents! My brave and LOYAL guardsmen managed to free themselves today and fight their way to free us. We are indeed lucky you came along to assist them!"

The guards shuffled their feet uneasily. The half-orc growled at them and they quickly snapped to attention. 

"My lady, we believe this man on the floor here was involved in an incident earlier this morning in which a fireball was detonated not far from here. The fireball was thrown by a mechanical man called a nimblewright. Have you seen this nimblewright? Do you know why it might be targeting this man?"

"This man is their leader, Ustul Floxin! I know nothing other than he is a bloodthirsty savage who deserves to be hanged for his crimes! I have no knowledge of a fireball or a nimblewright!"

DM - Kem's player said to me, "I'd like to make an Insight roll to see if she's lying." Etlenda's player said, "Let me save you some time. OF COURSE SHE'S LYING!"

"My lady, may I speak with your husband and your children?"

"Why?" Yalah said, suspiciously.

"I simply wish to ensure that he is healthy and well."

 "Can't you see that we have suffered severe trauma? Why can't he be alone with his children?"

"Madame, I have experience with this sort of thing and can provide sympathetic consolation."

"Very well, but please be brief. Hrabbaz, go with our guest to ensure their propriety."

DM - Tempus rolled a natural 20 on his Persuasion.

Tempus joined Orlond in the adjoining room. Orlond was hugging and checking on the safety to two boys, one ten years old, the other thirteen. Orlond seemed annoyed by Tempus' intrusion. 

Tempus noticed that there were three beds for two children but said nothing. The half-orc bodyguard stood menacingly behind Tempus, watching his every move.

Tempus gently inquired if Orlond felt safe or if there was anything Orlond needed to confess or if Orlond needed any help or assistance of any kind.

Orlond was insulted by this intrusion and demanded Tempus leave immediately. Hrabbaz grabbed Tempus by the shoulder and politely but firmly directed him to leave. 

Tempus didn't push his luck. He returned to the others, "We're done here. We should go."

Urstul Floxin's eyes grew suddenly wide. He grimaced. He looked up at Etlenda with a pleading look while making subtle gestures towards Yalah. He grit his teeth as if to say, "Don't leave me here with HER!"

Etlenda gave the subtlest nod, "We should wait for the City Watch."

Urstul breathed a sigh of relief. As if on cue, the whistles of the City Watch could be heard downstairs. 

Tempus introduced himself and his companions to the City Watch. As Etlenda handed Urstul over to the watch, he said to the man, "Remember this courtesy. I doubt Lady Gralhund would have showed you such mercy. If the situation is every reversed, I hope you will remember what we did for you. Before you go, is there anything you need to tell me?"

Urstul grinned but kept his secrets to himself.

Loose Ends

The team retreated to Trollskull Manor. The next morning they made plans to search the city for the missing nimblewright. Etlenda had once again changed appearance. He now had yellowish skin and green hair - despite the cold outside, today he felt like spring.

As they gathered in the common room to discuss their plans, Push-ta entered the manor with a male dwarf. Push-ta introduced his companion as Jorn. He said Jorn would be staying in the manor house for a ten-day, he'd stay in Push-ta's room and will keep out of the way. Jorn had even promised to help with some of the home repairs. Jorn introduced himself but spoke in a strange voice that seemed - odd. Push-ta hustled Jorn along with an awkward grin, saying, "Okay, well, that's enough of that. We'll be moving along now. Sorry I can't help track down the - whatever - today. Have fun!"

Everyone was polite and smiled and waved. 

Once they were gone, Etlenda stopped smiling and turned to the others, "Okay, that was weird, right? It wasn't just me?"

The team continued their preparations and set out to search Waterdeep with the nimblewright detector. They spent the entire day following a winding path through the Sea Ward with no signs of the nimblewright. The exploration did introduce them to some of the sights and locations of the Sea Ward. 

The following morning was colder. The skies were gray and it was beginning to "smell" like snow. The team focused their search on the Field Ward. The detector began to whirr about three hours into their search. They triangulated the source to a decrepit alley filled with trash. 

They cautiously entered the alley with weapons stored and hands free. Suddenly a humanoid shape wearing an old hat and tattered cloak rose out of its hiding place beneath the pile of garbage. It was the nimblewright. It glanced around quickly looking for an escape route.

Tempus spoke with gentleness in an attempt to convince the mechanical automaton to surrender peacefully. In response, the clockwork man threw aside its cloak and brandished a rapier.

Etlenda shouted, "Grab it!" Tempus, Etlenda, and Winterfrost rushed forward and grabbed the nimblewright, wrestling it to the ground, pinning its limbs, and disarming it. Kem followed up by binding the nimblewright with rope.

The nimblewright had been captured!

DM - D&D doesn't really have good rules for dog-piling onto a target, pinning it, and disarming, so I came up with some on the fly.

Step 1 - the first attacker makes a grapple check using Strength (Athletics) vs the target's choice of Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics). A success confers the Grappled condition on the target.

Step 2 - the second attacker makes a grapple check as above. A success confers the Restrained condition on the target. 

Step 3 - a third attacker makes a grapple check as above. A success confers the Incapacitated condition on the target.

Shove - An attacker can make a "Shove" attack, using Strength (Athletics) vs the target's choice of Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics). A success confers the Prone condition on the target. A prone target that is grappled, lacking movement, cannot stand up from their grapple.

Grappler Feat - If any of the attackers has the Grappler feat, they can skip to the next step. For example, Restrained at Step 1, Incapacitated at Step 2, etc.

Escape - The grappled target, as an action, can attempt to escape with either a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) skill check vs. a Strength (Athletics) skill check made by all of its attackers. Each success against its attackers removes one step. Restrained to Grappled to Free. Incapacitated targets, lacking actions, are unable to escape. 

For example, a target trying to escape from two grapplers makes a Strength (Athletics) check of 22 vs. the Strength (Athletics) checks of each of the attackers: 15, 18. The target escapes. In a different scenario, the grapplers scored: 19 and 24. The target is no longer Restrained but is still Grappled. 

Some passing city watch heard the commotion and investigated. Tempus was surprised to encounter city watch in the Field Ward. They explained that because of the recent violence between the Zhentarim and Xanathar's Guild, they've been forced to work extra shifts and go to places they wouldn't normally go. They were exhausted and annoyed. 

Tempus explained the situation to the watch officers. The watch officers didn't care and went about their business.

After the scuffle, Kem Hearthfire searched the nimblewright, finding a folded piece of paper in a small pouch. She secreted it away for later inspection.

They returned the nimblewright to the House of Inspired Hands. Valetta thanked them for their service in retrieving the wayward automaton. She paid them 500 gold crowns and, as a bonus, gave the team four gifts - special inventions of the House of Gond:

• Adjustable Stilts. They increase the height of any humanoid wearing them by 2 to 5 feet. 
• Backpack Parachute. If it has sufficient time and space to deploy properly, the parachute allows its wearer to land without taking falling damage. 
• Barking Box. While activated, the box barks whenever it detects vibrations within 15 feet of it, as long as the box and the source of the vibrations are in contact with the same ground or substance. A switch on one side of the box sets the device to emit either a small dog's bark or a large dog's bark.
• Matchless Pipe. A switch made of flint is built into the bowl of this fine wooden smoking pipe. With a few flicks of the switch, the pipe lights itself.

They accepted their gifts and left the temple. Back on the street, Kem opened the folded piece of paper she had confiscated from the nimblewright. It was a map showing directions from Gralhund Villa to a location in the Field Ward near where they found the automaton. An X on the map indicated a word "Thrakkus". 

Thrakkus

The team decided to head back to the Field Ward to investigate. Snow was starting to fall, leaving a light dusting on the ground.

They arrived at the location indicated on the map and found another decrepit alley. Within this alley was an ancient windmill - its blades having been removed long ago. Much of the windmill appeared in decay and occupied by squatters. There was a butcher shop on the ground floor. A sign hung on the door saying, "Thrakkus is out. Will return in a tenday."

Etlenda said, "Well, I guess we'll return in a tenday."

DM - I had given Etlenda his faction mission for the Emerald Enclave, but they were starting to dive into the meat of the mystery plot. I knew once they started down the mystery trail, things would go quickly. I wanted them to complete some side quests first. So I threw out the sign. At first it was one day. Then, when the group needed more time, I made it two days. Now I'm making it a tenday. The players were cool to play along.

The Grave Robber

That afternoon, as they returned home, a white cat sat waiting on the steps. As they approached, it said, "Etlenda, the Emerald Enclave needs you."

The white cat relayed to Etlenda the following mission: “Sir Ambrose Everdawn, a grizzled old champion of Kelemvor, has offered to help the City Guard catch a necromancer who’s stealing bones from the City of the Dead and animating them as skeletons. Sir Ambrose could use your help, if you’re not too busy. Report to Sir Everdawn tonight at dusk for instructions.”

Etlenda asked the others if they wished to join him and they agreed. It was still mid-afternoon so they decided to go to the City of the Dead to scout it out while it was still light. The snow was falling but people were still strolling through the park-like cemetery. Children were gathering balls of snow and hurling them at each other like icy missiles. 

The team walked the perimeter of the wall, looking for cracks or points of entry. They found only the main gates. Towards dusk they found the staging center near the graveskeeper shack for the guards assigned to protect the City of the Dead. They met Sir Ambrose Everdawn. Sir Everdawn was hesitant to allow untrained amateurs on his search detail. Etlenda made the case for their assistance. Sir Ambrose conceded the argument and accepted them onto the team. 

Sir Everdawn briefed the team on the recent grave robberies, showing them the scene of the most recent disinterment. Not only had the body been dug up, there appeared to be evidence that the body within was trying to claw its way out - indicating reanimation before disinterment. He assigned the team to the southern half of the cemetery. He and his night watchmen would patrol the northern half. He gave them all tin whistles to blow in the event they encountered the grave robber.

DM - The mission said the team had a cumulative +10% each night of encountering the grave robbers. i was going to have it happen on night one anyway but I rolled and got 03, so its legit.

That night, as they patrolled the snow-covered cemetery, they came across six skeletons digging up a grave under the supervision of a halfling-sized figure wearing a heavy cloak. As they approached, the halfling turned and hissed, "Cheese it! The fuzz! We've been made!"

At the command of their halfling overseer, the skeletons threw down their shovels and grabbed weapons - two with crossbows and the rest with short swords. 

The team rushed forward, closing half the distance between them and the skeletons. The halfling cast a spell and became invisible. The team could hear the crunching and see his footsteps in the snow as he fled down a path. 

Etlenda grabbed Tempus' shoulder and the pair magically vanished in a puff of silvery mist. They reappeared next to the invisible halfling. 

DM - Dang, I wasn't expecting that! I was planning for the halfling necromancer to make a quick getaway. I should have used Misty Step instead. I was going to have the halfling cast Fly and fly away invisibly, but they're both Concentration spells so he could only do one at a time.

While the skeletons engaged the others in deadly combat, the halfling cast fly upon himself, making himself visible. He took flight into the night sky. Tempus prepared a spell that would halt his flight. The halfling looked back at Tempus, his eyes aflame with magical power. Etlenda put his arm on his friend's shoulder, "We better let this one go." Tempus growled in frustration, "Noooo! Fine!"

DM - Tempus' player said "Wait! I've got something that can stop him!" I sighed and said, "Look, the necromancer was not meant to fight you yet. Do you want four more thugs like the other week? If you want to engage him, I'm going to bust out Fireballs and Cones of Cold, and you can't handle firepower of that magnitude!" Tempus' player groused but Etlenda's player said, "We better let him go." Tempus' player said, "Fine!"

The remaining skeletons were soon dispatched. Tempus blew his tin whistle to summon the other night watchmen. Once they arrived, Tempus cast a spell to magically move the dirt away from the grave, revealing a skeleton within. That skeleton was likewise destroyed and the dirt replaced. 

Sir Everdawn said, "A halfling necromancer, you say? Well, he might return. Would you be able to return for a few more nights?"

DM - It was 10:30 and Winterfrost's player had to log off - he was still recovering from a recent surgery. Kem's player also said she was feeling tired and would probably log off. I was ready to call it a night a little early but I said "We can do one of Tempus' faction quests pretty quick with just two of you if you want." Tempus' player and Etlenda's player said sure.

Deepwater Dragon

The team returned to Trollskull Manor and slept in. Later that day Tempus received a telepathic message from the Blackstaff, "I have need of your services, and maybe one companion. Are you available?" Tempus replied that he was.

Tempus and Etlenda met with the Blackstaff. She told them, "A young bronze dragon has taken up residence in Deepwater Harbor. It startled a few sailors recently but hasn’t hurt anyone. Confront the dragon and learn its intentions." She gave them each a potion of water breathing with which to complete their task.

The pair took a small boat into the Deepwater Harbor where the dragon had been seen. They swam towards the bottom. A curious and precocious bronze dragon emerged from a barnacle-encrusted shipwreck on the sea floor and swam towards them, meeting them halfway.

"Greetings, humans! I am Zelifarn. You can deliver your offerings here in my new lair. Come, this way. I'm sorry, I can't help but notice that you aren't carrying any treasure. OH! Magic bags! Very classy! I like it! Come, this way!"

Tempus apologized and instead introduced himself and Etlenda. He said they did not come to bring treasure - they were tasked with determining the dragon's intentions.

Zelifarn looked disappointed. When he realized he wasn't getting treasure, he dismissed the pair and swam away.

Etlenda called after the dragon, "Wait! I have an offering!" Etlenda emptied his pockets of maybe 5 gold pieces, all he had, onto the deck of the shipwreck.

Zelifarm came back, excitedly, "Oh? Oh. Is that it? Will there be more?"

"That's all I have at the moment. There might be more," explained Etlenda, "But only on the condition that you tell us what your intentions are. The Blackstaff wants to know."

"Oh." The dragon breathed out bubbles in a sigh, "Her. Tell her I won't interfere with the city or its people. You may go."

"Thank you." Etlenda and Tempus returned to the surface and delivered the information to Vajra. 

DM - This faction quest required Tempus to succeed at a Wisdom (Insight) skill check. He failed. Etlenda put money down so I allowed him a second chance. He succeeded. Event hough Etlenda isn't a member of the Grey Hands, I gave the Renown to Tempus. I had the dragon say, "Also, please tell Vajra, this guy's all right. She should give him his Renown anyway."

Next Week: The Windmill

DM - one of the big challenges I'm having with this campaign is fitting in all the faction quests in and around the mystery. Some of the faction quests are simple skill challenges which can be completed in 30 minutes and only take up half a day or less within the campaign. Others need a week and involve lots of investigation and combat. This really disrupts the flow of the main mystery.

Fireball! - Waterdeep Dragon Heist, Chapter 6

 

The morning air was cool and gray. The temperature was cool but temperate. People were wearing coats and hats but there was no need to bundle up.

It was early winter in Waterdeep.

Etlenda, known to the elves as "Exile", no longer felt like winter. He had worn his winter season since coming to Waterdeep. He had been pessimistic and wary. Today, Etlenda felt content. He felt happy. He finally had a home, a place to belong. Today he felt like Autumn. 

His appearance changed also. No longer was he the blue-skinned white-haired creature of the cold. Today his skin was the color of pale gold and his hair was auburn and brown. 

Autumnal Etlenda strode up Saerdoun Street towards Trollskull Manor. It was mid-morning. People were out and about doing their morning chores. The shops and stalls were open. Children were playing.

He saw four halflings busking across the street from the manor. Two young halfling women were playing instruments, a flute and a fiddle respectively, while two young men danced a merry jib. Passers-by threw nibs and shards into a collection bucket. Etlenda had seen them before. He struggled to remember their names. The two women were named something like "Steve" and "Trombone" while the two men were "Pinehearst" and "Villanueva" - or whatever. Etlenda was raised by wolves deep underground until he was found by a dwarven expedition. The concept of "names" was still strange to him. 

Etlenda smiled and threw a few silver pieces into their bucket. Steve, Trombone, Pinehearst, and Villanueva smiled in return while they tipped their hats and curtsied. 

Etlenda returned to the manor and found his friend Winterfrost cleaning up the broken remains of tables and chairs in the old tavern room. "What happened here?"

Winterfrost glared at Etlenda before darting her eyes towards the bar, "Why don't you ask Leif the poltergeist? Apparently he wants us to open a tavern or nothing."

"But we're not opening a tavern."

"Shh! Not so loud!" Wintefrost pointed at the debris, "Apparently Leif dedicated his life to running a tavern, so that's all he wants us to run."

"Well, did you maybe try finding out what Leif wants? Maybe we can-"

Etlenda was interrupted by a massive explosion across the street. Windows were shattered, walls shook, people screamed. They looked out their broken window and saw a scene of destruction where the halflings had been dancing. Smoke billowed up from the aftermath of whatever caused the explosion. Charred bodies lay strewn on the street. 

CHAPTER 6

"FIREBALL!"

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor:

• 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. Husband and Father.
• Push-ta Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue.
• Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond.

DM- This week was a massive improvement over last week. I carefully studied the chapter and found three potential weak spots in the story.

1. There's an explosion and they don't even go out to investigate.

2. They go out to investigate but as soon as the city watch arrive, they hand off the investigation and go home.

3. They find the villa but choose not to intervene.

Luckily, the Complete DM's Bundle has some good suggestions for how to overcome these weak spots. As it happened, I only had to use one. 

The other thing I did was roleplay that little morning walk above so that one or more of the PCs got a chance to meet and know personally some of the victims. I wanted them to feel the impact of this attack. I didn't want the victims to simply be street people. That worked like a charm.

Oh, and once again, never let your players name your NPCs - see above.

After the Blast

Etlenda called an alarm and the Mystics of Trollskull Manor assembled in the common room. They ran out to the site of the blast where a throng had already begun to gather. They quickly assessed the situation. Were there any survivors? Was anyone injured? Did anyone see what happened?

Fala Lefaliir, the owner of Corellon's Crown, said they had seen something from their shop, “I was watering plants in the greenhouse on the second floor of my shop when the blast blew out some of the windows. Lucky I wasn't injured! Through the smoke, I saw a cloaked man take something from the body of a dead gnome, then start limping away. He was badly burned and casting glances over his shoulder, like he was afraid someone might be following him. He was headed toward the Bent Nail.”

A woman dressed like a wealthy noble reported, “I tell you, it was not a man. More like a puppet shaped like a man. A puppet without strings. It was on the rooftop. It hurled something into the crowd below that caused the explosion. I saw those halflings burned alive! I saw them!”

Kem Hearthfire remembered that she had seen something resembling that description - a puppet without strings shaped like a man - lurking at the House of Inspired Hands where she had spent much of the previous week. 

A twelve-year old boy said to Winterfrost, “Right after the explosion, I ducked behind a rain barrel. Then I heard a ‘plop' and found this in the barrel.” He showed her a necklace with two beads. Winterfrost asked if she could have it. The boy hesitated but Winterfrost was able to talk him into parting with it. 

Emmek Frewn, who had seen the incident from the entrance to his new tavern, reported that he had seen the gnome rushing towards Trollskull Manor being pursued by three cloaked men.

Tempus sent his bat familiar, Edward, above the roofs of the nearby buildings where the woman reported the puppet. Push-ta climbed a nearby drain pipe to gain access to the same roof in case anyone tried to get away. They found nothing.

Winterfrost and Etlenda set off after the cloaked man, asking passers-by if they had seen such a man. They followed the reports past the bent nail and back onto Saerdoun Street where they lost the trail.

Tempus quickly examined the bodies of the victims.

• One elderly female human who was out for a walk. No one could recognize her.
• Two cloaked male humans clad in leather armor with sheathed longswords. The two men both had tattoos of black winged snakes on their arms. 
• Two female humans and one male half-elf dressed in plain clothes carrying baskets of recently purchased sundries.
• One male gnome wearing a burned cloak and clutching a dagger. The gnome's boots were covered in the partially dried excrement from the city's sewers. The gnome's purse contained what felt like gemstones. Tempus left those be - noting that the gemstones were not stolen by the cloaked man who escaped, so simple robbery was not the motive.
• Two female halflings who had been playing a flute and a fiddle, and two male halflings who had been dancing.

The Watch Arrives

A griffon bearing one of the elite riders of the Waterdeep City Watch circled overhead.

Tempus saw a contingent of twenty Watch hustling up the street led by a Watch Officer and a mage. The mage introduced himself as Inspector Barnibus Blastwind of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors. The Watch Officer was Sergeant Saeth Cromley. 

Sgt. Cromley was a meek figure with thick glasses, constantly taking notes in a small book. Magist Blastwind was a rotund figure full of bluster and command. 

Sgt. Cromley directed the twenty Watch guards to cordon off the scene and begin questioning witnesses. He immediately instructed Tempus and Kem to step away from the bodies and refrain from touching anything. Inspector Blastwind demanded someone report to him what happened here. 

Tempus introduced himself as a Road Warden and gave a summary of events in the form of an official report. 

With the arrival of the Watch, Push-ta climbed down off the roof, reporting no sign of the "puppet". Soon after, Winterfrost and Etlenda returned form their pursuit.

Inspector Blastwind asked the team some follow-up questions. Sgt. Cromley had difficulty keeping up in his notes and was constantly asking the team to pause to spell someone's name or repeat an answer.

Based on the team's testimony and assessment, Inspector Blastwind put together a picture of events:

The unidentified gnome was in a hurry to reach Trollskull Manor, for reasons unknown to the residents of the manor. The gnome was pursued by three agents of the Zhentarim. A third party, a "puppet without strings" threw a bead from a necklace of fireballs at the gnome. The bead detonated, killing the gnome and two of the pursuers, along with a number of innocent bystanders. One of the pursuers survived, took something out of the gnome's pocket, and fled the scene. The "puppet" on the roof likewise fled and could not be found. 

Carts arrived and Sgt. Cromley directed the removal of the remains of the victims to the North Ward Watch station so they could be more closely inspected. 

With the removal of the bodies and the clean-up of the scene, the Watch took their leave. Sgt. Cromley took contact information for each of the residents of Trollskull Manor in case of follow-up questions.

DM - It should be noted that at no point did Winterfrost mention that she had the necklace of fireballs on her person. 

Nim's Secret

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor discussed their options. On the one hand, the investigation was controlled by the City Watch. On the other hand, who was this gnome and why was he headed to Trollskull Manor? He obviously wanted their help. Something was up and it involved them. They decided to conduct their own investigation, contrary to the parting advice given by Inspector Blastwind.

Kem, an initiate into the mysteries of Gond, told the others that she had spent the previous week volunteering at the House of Inspired Hands, a temple and workshop dedicated to Gond. She knew the high priestess there, so they had an "in". 

The team went as a group to the House of Inspired Hands. Etlenda noticed a thin humanoid wearing a long tattered cloak standing atop the roof. The humanoid released a small mechanical bird. The bird's wings fluttered but it quickly lost altitude as it looped through the open air in a rapidly descending spiral. The bird flew directly at Etlenda's head but the eladrin moved quickly out of the way. The bird hit a nearby wall and exploded into cogs, springs, and small delicate parts. The humanoid darted out of sight towards the center of the building's roof. Tempus sent his bat Edward to follow the "attacker" but found no evidence of them - as if they had vanished!

The team entered the temple. Etlenda, incensed by the near miss, scanned the room for his "attacker". Kem requested an acolyte summon the high priestess, Valetta. While they waited, she gave a quick tour of the many wonders on display in the Hall of Exemplary Inventions. 

A moment later the team was met by Valetta, a dragonborn priestess of bronze dragon ancestry. They told Valetta about the attack and the sighting of a small puppet-like being on the roof. Kem reported having seen a similar being here at the temple. Etlenda added the near-miss outside the temple. 

Valetta sighed and said it sounded like Nim, the nimblewright - a gift from a Lantanese wizard. Nim was an humanoid automaton given magical life. It lived in a small room in the attic. However, Nim had been on the roof of the temple all morning. Valetta led them to the small wooden stairs that led into the attic space where it was stored.

The trap door that led into Nim's attic space was locked. Tempus attempted to pick the lock but failed. Etlenda said he was going to break the door open. Valetta, intervened, "You will NOT! This is a holy temple of Gond! You will NOT break any doors! Find another way!"

Tempus sighed and cast used his newly learned magic - casting a spell to magically open any lock. 

They burst into the cramped attic space and found the thin mechanical being hiding beneath a pile of junk. They quickly found Nim and pulled it out. In one end of the space was a workbench, on which was an array of partially finished automaton creations - including parts for other humanoid nimblewrights. A hatch in the ceiling led onto the roof - this explained the nimblewright's quick disappearance earlier. 

Nim could not speak but could communicate using gestures and simple hand signs. 

DM - This provided a challenge for remote gaming via VTT. I had my camera on and the players could see me, but I also had to narrate what I was doing without saying the message outright. Luckily the players did really good 

An interrogation of Nim revealed that a month ago it had constructed another nimblewright. This nimblewright fled into the city. Nim had no knowledge of a necklace of fireballs or any murder plot. Nim showed them a handheld device it had constructed that would indicate the nearby presence of a nimblewright. It demonstrated it upon itself. The team was satisfied with his answers.

Valetta scolded Nim for its actions - Nim's workshop was to be confiscated and Nim was to be confined to its space. Push-ta protested this treatment, for surely Nim was innocent! Valetta informed Push-ta that a servant of Gond must take responsibility for their creations. Etlenda pointed out that Nim was simply being punished, it wasn't being disassembled or anything. 

Valetta continued, reiterating that servants of Gond must take responsibility for their creations and that they would take responsibility for Nim. She offered the team 500 gold dragons to return or destroy the wayward nimblewright. The team agreed. They took the Nim's nimblewright detector and left. It was mid-afternoon.

Gralhund Villa

As the team left the House of Inspired Hands they soon realized that the maximum range of the Nim's nimblewright detector was 500 feet. This meant they would have to search the entire city. They decided to start in the North Ward, where the attack took place. Etlenda devised a search route to follow starting on Thunderstaff Way.

DM- Etlenda's player drew the search route on the map and I created a small token with a 500 foot diameter aura so the players knew where they were. 

The nimblewright detector began to spin and whir not long into their journey. By the time they reached the intersection of Stallion Street and Pony Way, they had detected a nimblewright across Horn Street within a large walled noble estate - notably in the direction the robed survivor had fled earlier this morning. 

The walls surrounding the villa were 12 foot high. The wrought-iron gate was closed and locked. Etlenda thought he heard something within and shushed the others. He could hear the sounds of fighting and screaming. 

"Something's happening inside! We need to get in there!"

Tempus pointed out, "Are you sure? Breaking into a noble estate is a serious offense. Maybe we should summon the Watch?"

Winterfrost looked around, "That would probably take at least twenty minutes. We need to act now!"

Push-ta moved across the street to act as a lookout while Tempus took out his lock picks. The team stood around him to shield him from view as he went to work on the gate. To his surprise, the lock on the gate was magically warded, his lock picks were unable to enter the keyhole. 

He put away his picks and cast a quick spell of opening. The magic dispelled the ward but the gate was still locked. He used his picks again but the lock was beyond his ability. 

"Just get out of the way!" said Etlenda exasperatedly. Etlenda kicked the gate open, breaking the lock and drawing the attention of several passers-by. 

They entered the compound. They saw a groundskeeper and his two mastiffs across the yard. The groundskeeper looked at them and grumbled.

Etlenda and Winterfrost ran as fast as they could towards the main house - the source of the noise. Tempus moved towards the grounds keeper, calling out to him, announcing their presence and intentions and imploring him not to interfere. Push-ta hid behind a nearby tree - poorly.

The groundskeeper ordered his dogs to attack, shouting, "Kill the intruders! The shadows will eat their fill this evening!". The two heavily-muscled dogs ran towards Tempus and Push-ta. The groundskeeper threw down his shovel and began running as well, waving his hands and arms around and making profane gestures. A glowing scimitar miraculously appeared next to Push-ta, attacking him! 

Push-ta left the safety of the tree to intercept the groundskeeper. The groundskeeper reached out and touched Push-ta with a single finger. Push-ta staggered back, overcome with inconceivable pain. 

Tempus paused, "Well - uh - that's- that's not good!"

Winterfrost burst through the entrance into the main house. She immediately saw the bodies of eight slain guards wearing the livery of House Gralhund lying on the ground. Two burly intruders were rifling around the room looking for valuables. They turned and saw Winterfrost.

"Oy! It's that elf lady what interfered with our boys in the Field Ward last week!"

"Back for more, eh? Come on, then. There's more where THAT came from!"

Winterfrost held up her finger as if to say "Just a moment."

Etlenda magically appeared between the two thugs in puff a silvery mist. Sparkles danced in front of their eyes. They each turned and looked at Etlenda, saying, "Oh, hello sir!"

Etlenda said, "Don't worry about her. She's with me."

"Oh, of course!" they said, "Our mistake."

"Winterfrost, thank you so much for triggering the next wave. Now go see what's taking them so long to defeat a simple groundskeeper."

Winterfrost gave an embarrassed smile and a small salute before returning to the yard to help her companions.

Outside in the yard, Tempus had knocked one of the attacking dogs unconscious while Push-ta killed the other dog. When the dog died, its body became wreathed in an aura of shadow that slowly sank into the ground - causing Push-ta no small consternation.

They turned their attention to the groundskeeper who had admirably held his own far beyond their expectations by issuing profane curses and channeling the power of dark gods. 

Winterfrost soon joined the fray, passing Kem who was running into the house. With Winterfrost's help they were able to dispatch the groundskeeper.  Having finally secured the yard, they turned and ran towards the house.

Inside, Etlenda had heard the clash of steel at the top of the stairs. He ran upstairs to find three more thugs engaged in battle with three guards wearing the livery of House Gralhund. The three guards were defending a set of double doors. He could hear someone trying to kick in another door through an open doorway in the next room. 

Kem ran into the house and up the stairs, joining Etlenda. The pair engaged the thugs, lending aid to the beleaguered guards.

Tempus and Winterfrost entered the house but the way was blocked by the two thugs, "Welcome back, elf girl. I see you brought your other friends. Ready for us to beat you up again?"

Tempus said, "Stand aside, we're with Etlenda."

"I don't know who that is, but he ain't here right now, is he?"

DM - I had to remind the players that the two thugs were charmed by Etlenda and considered Etlenda their friend. The other player characters were not covered by the charm. 

Tempus sent his bat, Edward, to harass the thugs. In response, the thugs smashed the bat, eliminating the distraction. Tempus cried, "Edward! No! You bastard! It costs me ten gold pieces to cast that spell!"

After a brief fight in the doorway, the thugs were eventually dispatched. Tempus and Winterfrost ran upstairs to help Kem and Etlenda while Push-ta searched the dining room below.

The team, with the help of the guards, were able to quickly eliminate the thug invaders. Etlenda told the guards they were there to help. He directed one of the guards to see to their master in the room beyond while the other two guards were to help him with whoever was kicking in the door.

Etlenda entered the next room - an indoor bathroom with a copper tub - just as the intruder kicked in the door beyond. The intruder was a human man wearing a long cloak. The man had recently suffered severe burns to half of his face and his clothes were still scorched. 

After the man kicked down the door, he called out, "There's no use hiding, Orond! Give me back the stone or your family dies!"

A man hiding in the room beyond fearfully replied, "Ur-Urstul! I- I don't have the stone! I don't know where it is!"

Kem threw a net over Urstul. Urstul turned and faced Kem and Etlenda behind him, "Who? What?"

Etlenda readied his sword, "Throw down your sword and surrender! If you cooperate, you'll live!"

Urstul saw his fallen companions on the floor behind Etlenda and Kem and considered his options. He sighed and threw down his sword and held up his hands.

"I give up."

To Be Continued...