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...

A Violent Counter-Offer - Waterdeep Dragon Heist, Chapter 5

Tempus Vegvisir was many things. 

He was a husband and a father, though he hadn't seen his family for months.

He was a holy man, initiated into the mysteries of Helm. 

He was road warden - traveling the Trade Way, the High Road, and the Long Road, protecting caravans from bandits and hunting highwaymen. 

He was even a student of wizardy, studying the arcane arts at the Blackstaff Academy and even joining the ranks of the Grey Hands - the personal agents of the Blackstaff herself. 

But for years he had been a member of the Order of the Gauntlet.

He learned of the Order back when he was an acolyte of Helm. He was recruited and took the oath to find and destroy evil in all its forms. It was the Order that arranged for him to become a road warden and defend the trade routes from villainy. However, the life of an honest road warden was austere and Tempus experienced the constant temptation of corruption. He decided to leave the road wardens and move to Waterdeep. There he hoped to earn his fortune as an adventurer.

However, although Tempus was no longer a road warden, nor was he affiliated with the official hierarchy of the Temple of Helm, he was still an agent of the Order of the Gauntlet - and today the order had need of his services.

On this day, Tempus received a message from Savra Belabranta, Vindicator of the Order of the Gauntlet. She had a mission for him. 

The message read: "Zhents are running extortion rackets in the Field Ward. The innkeeper of the Loose Gyre, a tavern in the ward, hasn't been able to pay up, and the Zhentarim have given today as the deadline. That means they'll be in today to collect. The innkeeper has asked for our help. Show them that we won't be intimidated by criminal threats."

CHAPTER 5

"A VIOLENT COUNTER-OFFER"

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- I'm going to preface this chapter by admitting that this week's session was an absolute cluster-bomb of mistakes on my part, leading to dissatisfied players and my own compunctious disappointment. 

This week, I made use of the product Waterdeep - Expanded Faction Missions. I have to say I was disappointed. I wanted something more like the Zhentarim and Grey Hands expansions in the Complete DM's Bundle, which expanded each mission into full mini-adventures. The Expanded Faction Missions, on the other hand, just recapitulated the missions in the book but with more words. They didn't add any actual meat. On top of that, the mission I ran for the Order of the Gauntlet had an error that ruined the entire evening - an error I should have caught.

Home Improvement

The new residents of Trollskull Manor had spent the last ten days making repairs. They hired workers to repair the collapsed sections of roof. Push'ta himself reconnected the privy drain pipe to the city sewage system. Kem had purchased furniture and everyone spent their time rearranging to their liking. 

DM - I put a bunch of furniture tokens on the house map in Roll20 and set the permissions to All Players and let the players go to town. We spent like 40 minutes of game time just arranging the furniture in the house. The players loved it. They squabbled over design choices and who got what just like real roommates.

Kem spent her week blessing some work created by Embric and Avi. One day they got a visit from a representative of the Blacksmith Guild who asked to see Kem's documentation certifying her as a member of the Guild as well as her qualifications as a certified blacksmith. She had none, saying she wished only to bless the work of these fine craftsmen in the name of Gond. The guild representative informed her that she would need to receive official recognition by the Temple of Gond in Waterdeep in order to perform religious services. If she did not, then Embric and Avi would be fined. She agreed to follow the correct procedures.

On one of the days, their neighbor Emmek Frewn, paid them a visit. Winterfrost met Emmek at the front door. Emmek inquired as to the state of their renovations and peered within to see that much of the furniture appeared to be suitable for a tavern. Emmek became angry, accusing Winterfrost of lying. Winterfrost became defensive, reiterating their intention to turn the tavern into a social club. Emmek demanded to know what the difference was. Shouting turned into insults as Emmek said something derogatory about Winterfrost being more dwarf than elf. Winterfrost tried to puch Emmek but the former prize fighter easily dodged her blow. He shoved her back and walked away. Winterfrost shouted insults at the Illuskan as he crossed the street. 

Afterwards, a chair in the tavern mysteriously fell over - a sign of Leif the poltergeist's mild displeasure. Winterfrost knew right away that Leif was unhappy they were turning the tavern into a social club and tried to reason with the spirit. In response, Leif smashed all the furniture - a sign of his intense disagreement with that plan. Winterfrost stormed back up to her room in the attic, exasperated. 

On the morning he received the message, Tempus gathered the team in the common room to tell them about the mission. He asked if anyone was interested in assisting him. They unanimously decided to help. Indeed, Winterfrost and Etlenda expressed an interest in taking the oath to serve the Order of the Guantlet. The team stopped by the Hall of Justice that morning and both Winterfrost and Etlenda took the oath in front of Savra Belabranta and other witnesses. 

DM - There was some discussion and concern about joining multiple factions, but we figured as long as the goals missions don't conflict there wouldn't be a problem. 

The Loose Gyre

The Field Ward of Waterdeep was an unofficial ward of the city, located between the inner and outer walls on the north side of town. It was in fact the city's slums — possessing the poorest living conditions within the city, was rife with crime, and served as a home to the most destitute Waterdhavian citizens.  

The Loose Gyre was a small two-story inn located on a side street. Its proprietor was a halfling woman named Lara Roundabout. She thanked the team, saying she asked the Order of the Gauntlet for assistance because she could not pay the 200 golden dragons that the Zhentarim demanded of her. The Zhentarim enforcers had promised to pay her a visit today at noon to demand the money. 

The team split into two groups and sat at different tables. Tempus and Etlenda sat at one table by the hearth while Kem, Push-ta, and Winterfrost sat at a table by the door. 

Push-ta noticed that the four gentlemen sitting at a table next to them bore the tattoos marking them as members of the Zhentarim. The word was passed among the team.

Unwelcome Guests

Tempus spotted four burly men carrying heavy maces entering the Loose Gyre. Upon entry they immediately called out Lara Roundabout, demanding their payment. Lara took shelter behind her bar.

Tempus and Etlenda stood up and confronted the thugs, informing them that this establishment was protected by the Order of the Gauntlet and that they needed to leave. 

DM - Tempus rolled Intimidate with Advantage and got a 12.

The thugs laughed and refused to back down. 

Those sitting at Push-ta's table covertly readied to attack, moving stealthily into position.

Push-ta sprang into action, bringing his club down upon the secret Zhentarim agents sitting at the table behind them. 

The room sprang into action! 

DM- the mistakes have already started happening. The original faction quest in the book called for an Intimidation or Persuasion skill challenge - three successes before three failures. The PDF expansion only mentioned one and that's what I did. I should have gone with the skill challenge and perhaps this entire fight could have been avoided.

The second mistake was adding four bandits. I improvised a bit and added them for some spice, but four thugs against a party of second-level characters is already more than a challenge. In retrospect I should have had them be two thugs and four bandits. 

A Hard Thumping

The four Zhentarim agents responded by surrounding Push-ta and ganging up on him. Push-ta fell quickly.

Two of the heavy thugs at the entrance ganged up on Tempus. Tempus soon fell. The other two thugs ganged up on Etlenda. 

DM - Because thugs get two attacks per round and attack with Advantage when they fight in groups, I was getting a lot of chances to roll dice, and as a result rolling lots of critical hits.

The four agents moved to engage with Winterfrost and Kem. Winterfrost became trapped and was losing badly so she jumped out a nearby window. 

Etlenda fell, leaving only Kem standing and Winterfrost outside. Kem was now holding off one of the thugs and one of the bandits. Two of the bandits began smashing tables and chairs in the back corner of the tavern while three of the bandits smashed the front part of the tavern. The leader of the thugs jumped over the bar and grabbed Lara Roundabout.

Once Etlenda fell, two of the thugs started smashing tables in the back corner of the tavern while the four bandits turned their attention to smashing the front area. The two remaining thugs engaged Kem.

DM - At this point, I realized mistakes above and started going easy on the player characters, ignoring bad guy turns and rolling with disadvantage. 

Winterfrost rejoined the fray via the front door, attacking one of the thugs fighting Kem. Winterfrost was quickly knocked down again. 

Two of the thugs, having run out of tables to smash, ran up the wooden stairs to the rooms above.

Behind the bar, the leader of the thugs was dragging Lara towards the back door, "We'll teach you a lesson about getting help from the Order of the Gauntlet!"

The Tide is Turned

Kem managed to turn her attention away from her assailants just long enough to say a prayer of healing for Etlenda.

Etlenda, raised from unconsciousness, in turn, said a prayer of healing on Tempus before leaping over the bar to aid Lara.

Tempus pulled himself up off the ground and immediately said a prayer of healing on Push-ta, bringing him back around, before turning to Winterfrost.

Etlenda pulled Lara away from the thug leader. Lara ran for safety with the remaining patrons through a side door. Etlenda drew his sword and, with Kem's assistance, engaged the leader in deadly hand-to-hand combat. Soon after, Tempus joined the fray. The leader soon fell before the combined attack.

At the front door, Winterfrost and Push-ta were finally able to dispatch the remaining thug and one of his lackeys. 

With the loss of their leader, the remaining lackeys picked up their fallen comrades and fled. 

Two More Upstairs

The tavern's common room was littered with broken mugs and smashed tables and chairs but was otherwise empty of opponents. The sound of more breaking and smashing could be heard upstairs.
The team was beaten and bruised. They formed up at the base of the stairs and formulated a plan. 

DM - The party was out of healing prayers. Several members of the party had a single hit point thanks to Etlenda's "Lay on Hands" ability. Upstairs were two thugs, one at full hit points, the other at half-or-less. The party faced a difficult decision - do they press the fight or cut their losses and run? They decided to press the fight.

Push-ta ran upstairs first to scout the way. He saw that the two thugs were in separate rooms breaking and smashing things. He signaled the others to come up. 

Kem brandished a crossbow while Etlenda prepared his longbow. 

Push-ta moved down the hall and yelled at one of the thugs smashing up a room. He retreated back to a position around the corner. The thugs gave chase into the hallway. They were met by Winterfrost and Tempus. After a brief fight, both Winterfrost and Tempus lay unconscious on the floor. Kem and Etlenda loosed their projectiles at the thugs, quickly dispatching them.

A Bitter Victory (?)

Etlenda revived Winterfrost and Etlenda and the party, beaten and demoralized, limped back downstairs. The entire tavern had been smashed up - exactly the outcome they were hoping to prevent. Several of the Zhentarim enforcers had been killed in the fracas but the party had been roundly defeated. 

Lara was on her knees on the street outside. She was crying inconsolably. The party hurried past in silence, embarrassed and ashamed.

 The Mystics of Trollskull Manor returned to their home to rest and recuperate.

The Following Week

The Mystics took a week off. Some worked on repairs to the house. Others pursued personal projects. 

Winterfrost conducted research to find out what had happened to Leif before he died and became a poltergeist. She learned that Leif had dedicated his life to the tavern, so much so that it became the only thing that gave his life meaning. In addition, she learned that the house was once an orphanage that was later discovered to have been run by a hag who had killed and eaten the children. During her evenings, Winterfrost rediscovered a book of magic spells given to her by her parents. She dusted it off and practiced her basic magic. 

Push-ta, likewise, returned to his long-forgotten magical studies, practicing his own spells. 

Kem spent the week praying and performing service at the Temple of Gond. 

Etlenda sought out the local representatives of the Emerald Enclave and expressed his interest in affiliating with them. 

Fireball

On the morning of the tenth day, the residents of Trollskull Manor were startled by the sound of a massive explosion. Windows were shattered, walls shook, people screamed. They looked out their broken window and saw a scene of destruction a few houses down. Smoke billowed up from the aftermath of an explosion. Charred bodies lay strewn on the street. 

To be Continued...

Hatred Surfacing - Waterdeep Dragon Heist, Chapter 4

 

Push-ta Tok paid a visit to the Yawning Portal in response to a summons from someone named Davil Starsong. He asked for Davil per the instructions and was directed towards Yagra Stonefist, the tall and muscular half-orc brawler on whose behalf he and his companions had intervened several nights ago. Yagra recognized him and shook his hand. She led Push-ta to a private back room. 

Within was a golden-skinned sun elf wearing fine clothes. He stood up and introduced himself as Davil Starsong. He thanked Push-ta for his intervention in the previous encounter and made mention of Push-ta's contributions to the "Syndicate" during Push-ta's previous life as a smuggler. Davil informed Push-ta that the Syndicate had heard good things about the "Mystics of Trollskull Manor" and was looking to extend an invitation to Push-ta, and any of his companions who might be interested, in officially working for the Zhentarim Syndicate. 

Push-ta expressed his personal interest but admitted he was unsure about his companions. Davil seemed unconcerned and sealed the arrangement by purchasing Push-ta a drink.

CHAPTER 4

"HATRED SURFACING"

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- I started this week with some one-on-one roleplay with Push-ta's player in private chat. Afterwards, we re-played the exploration of Trollskull Manor from the previous week but this time with some great room-by-room descriptions I found on Reddit. Afterwards the team did some investigation to track down a serial killer in the dock ward, using the expanded faction quest found in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist Complete DM's Bundle available from drivethrurpg.com. This week's chapter had some great role-playing and a challenging battle. Etlenda's player was traveling and missed this week's game.

The Mission        

"Someone is killing elf and half-elf sailors in the Dock Ward – three bodies so far, each decapitated by a blade in the dead of night. Look into it, will you? Methinks the City Watch could use a little help. Do a good job, and I'll make sure there's some gold in it for you."

"How much gold?"

"That's a great question, and I like where your head is at. 250 golden dragons."

"So, tell me about these murders." asked Push-ta.

"There have been three murders. As I understand it, the first murder happened a week ago near a tavern called The Sleeping Wench on Belnimbra's Street. The second murder occurred only three days ago near another tavern known as The Bloody Fist on Snail Street. The third was just last night. The body was found near a tavern called The Thirsty Sailor on Fish Street. If I were a betting man, I'd wager another body will show up soon – and once again near a dockside tavern. I don't know the taverns well enough to say if there's a pattern, but if you can figure out which tavern the murderer will choose next, you might be able to lay a trap for them."

"Who are the victims?"

Davil checked his papers, "The first victim was a an old half-elf fisher named Sigyrna Moontouched. She occasionally moved product for us. The second victim was a sailor on shore-leave named - Hmm, I don't have that information. The third victim was an elven dancer and performer named Star."

"I'm on the case."

DM- At this point I re-played the exploration of the house using the new detailed information. The players seemed to get a kick out of the added detail and appreciated the itemized list of improvements so they could prioritize what needed to be fixed. It really added a sense of realism to the scenario.

The Money Pit

The residents of Trollskull Manor had contracted an inspector to tour their new house. They went through the house, room-by-room, an identified all the problems. 

DM- the following is excerpted from https://www.reddit.com/r/WaterdeepDragonHeist/comments/9p9jc0/filling_trollskull_manor/

The engineering inspector entered Trollskull Alley from the south. He saw a mixture of shops and housing, a pretty nice neighborhood! The buildings were firmly upper-middle class, typical of the North Ward, but as he came around the corner his hopes fell into a pit, TrollSkull Manor loomed before him.

Trollskull Manor was stories tall and boasted balconies, a turret and five chimneys. Troll Skull manor WAS at one time one of the grandest structures in TrollSkull Alley. It had clearly fallen into some disrepair. Boards covered the windows and doors, he could see from the street that the roof needed work. Some of the windows were broken and had been boarded over.

Two Ravens were perched on the second floor balcony, they looked at him lazily as he approached.

There was a small deck along the front. On the right side was a wide door, its red paint had peeled off. The new owners awaited him on the deck - a human man dressed like a road sheriff, a half-orc woman dressed like a blacksmith, an elven - woman? her gender was unclear - dressed as a dwarf, and a half-orc man dressed like a fisherman. He had heard somewhere that they called themselves the Mystics of Trollskull Manor - they didn't look like mystics.

After introductions, he took out his note book and ink-filled stylus and began his tour of the house.

The First Floor

The first floor looked like it was once a tavern. Broken tables and chairs littered the floor. There was a hearth off to the left side and an L shaped bar off the back wall. Dust covered everything. It smelled like mold and old beer.

The hearth was in good shape but the chimney was completely clogged. The interior of the hearth was covered in black soot.

One of the large windows was broken.

All the wall lanterns were broken.

There was a keg that once contained beer behind the bar. It had nearly disintegrated and disgorged its contents onto the floor below, causing severe damage to the floor behind the bar. The floor sagged as he walked upon it.

There was a small plaque behind the bar, hanging on the wall. that said "Employee of the tenday: Lif"

The cellar door was completely swollen shut from the keg leak and needed to be broken to open.

The pantry was an absolute mess. It looked like mice/rats got into everything and feces and food were strewn all over the floor. The cabinets were still in good shape. They just need some major cleaning.

The kitchen was in relatively good shape but the cooking hearth was completely cracked and would need to be repaired or replaced before use.

There were no stairs to the upper level. It looked like there used to be but it was closed off to separate the tavern from the living quarters above at some point.

They descended into the cellar. The cellar smelled very musty and strongly like vinegar. It was empty, as if it had been cleaned out at some point. There was an inch of standing sewage on the floor. He could see some broken plumbing pipes hanging from the ceiling.

There were two large wine casks in the wine cellar that had long ago turned to vinegar. There was one bottle of wine that fell from a broken wine rack lodged behind one of the casks.

The Second Floor

They exited the house and climbed the exterior stairs in the back to the second floor.

The common room had a few end tables and a couch. The couch was rotten. The common room fireplace was in good shape. It appeared to have been maintained. The chimney needed to be cleaned out and some work done on it. There were birds nests in it.

The den has a nice sitting area in the turret. One of the chairs was ok. The other has a bad leg and looked like it could not support weight. The couch was completely rotten.

The bed in the first floor bedroom was rotted. As they entered, they startled a stray cat who fled from  under the bed and out a broken window.

The spare bedroom was completely empty and covered in decades of dust.

The main hallway had a small end table with a worthless vase containing long-dead flowers. There were some faded paintings hanging on the wall.

The Third Floor

They climbed the staircase to the third floor. The indoor privy was surprisingly nice and clean - it was essentially a small seat with a hole in middle connected to a wide pipe in the floor. A bucket nearby would normally be filled with water. The inspector warned the others from using the privy as the pipes were disconnected from the city sewer system.

The library was in total disarray. The ceiling had long ago collapsed after a leak or possibly a heavy snow. The twenty or so books left in the room were completely unreadable. It reeked of mold.

The private bath had a large copper tub. It was full of sludge and debris and half full of water. The water rippled a little. The inspector fished around in the tub and pulled out a large frog.

DM- I asked the players "Anyone want to reach in to the tub?" and was met with a resounding "NOPE!"

 The master bedroom was empty except for a large wardrobe. The wardrobe was full of dried up pine branches.

DM- Only one player got the Narnia reference.   

The other bedroom was plain but the bed was in surprisingly good shape. It smelled of moth balls and dust. A painting on the wall showed trollskull alley from a birds eye view.

The Attic

They climbed into the attic. One of the rooms was full of old junk and broken but repairable furniture and crates full of trinkets. The other room had a broken window. Opening the door startled two ravens in their nests and they flew out the window. 

An exploration of the turret peak revealed a single chair and an empty painting easel. The view of the street below matched that in the painting on the third floor.

The inspector tallied up his observations and presented an itemized list of repairs:

Item	Cost
Roof Repair	200 gp
Brick Repair	45 gp
Water Damage	325 gp
Broken Windows	50 gp
Replace Furniture	50 gp
Replace Kitchen Hearth	100 gp
Purchase Brewing Equipment	50 gp
Mugs, Plates, Pots, Pans, Kitchen stuff	30 gp
Cleaning and servicing the Chimneys	5 gp
Fix the Lanterns	25 gp
Fix the Plumbing	80 gp
Fix the Balcony Railings	20 gp
Replace the Sign	15 gp

DM- Thanks again to Busboy 80 for posting this to Reddit. This is amazing stuff.

The Investigation

Kem Hearthfire commented, "That's a lot of money."

Push'ta cleared his throat, "As it happens, I have a job that might earn us some money - 250 golden dragons - if you're interested."

Push'ta explained the mission to capture the serial killer. He did not mention who it was that gave him this mission. The others agreed.

After a short bit of planning, the team decided to head down to the Dock Ward to interview the owners of each of the taverns in an effort to find some clues or commonalities among the victims.

The Thirsty Sailor

The Thirsty Sailor was a noisy tavern on Fish Street run by a half-elf couple, Jens and Petra. The owners explained that Star was a performer, a dancer. His body was found in a dark alley nearby. Tempus carefully asked if Star had taken on any private clients or left with anyone. The owners were offended by the implication that Star may have been a prostitute, exclaiming that they did not run that kind of business. Their elven and half-even dancers were professional artists! Star had left alone very late, thank-you-very-much!

Petra muttered that at least their dancers didn't smell like dwarves. This was a direct insult aimed against Winterfrost who, having been raised among dwarves, wore dwarven attire and had several dwarven mannerisms. 

Winterfrost took offense and lunged for Petra. Her attack was thwarted by Kem and Tempus, who grabbed Winterfrost by the arms and pulled her outside to calm down. Winterfrost was livid and ready to fight. 

Push-ta soon joined them outside and they began their journey to the next destination. Along the way, Push-ta nudged Winterfrost, "If you want to go back later and bust some heads, count me in."

The Sleeping Wench

The Sleeping Wench was a small tavern on Belnimbra's Street. The clientele were mostly sailors of all races and origins. The bartender was an outgoing human woman named Sarah Two-Knives - a tough wiry woman with two large blades on her belt.  

Sarah explained that she knew the victim - an elderly woman named Sigyrna Moontouched. She was a regular - a fisher who owned a small boat and took her nets out into the bay. Sigyrna would spend all hours here at the tavern, not leaving until late at night. She didn't know anything about any smuggling but a small-time fisher's gotta make ends meet. She was saddened to hear of Sigyrna's murder and had no idea why anyone would want to kill a sweet old elven woman like that. Apparently they found her, decapitated, in a dark alley not far from the tavern.

The Bloody Fist

The third destination was a ramshackle tavern on Snail Street called the Bloody Fist. As they entered, the team was met with the sounds of bare-knuckled fighting and cheering elven crowds. 

DM - I jokingly described the elven applause as beatniks snapping. 

The owner and bartender was a male dragonborn named Ethylbas. 

Ethylbas was unaware that any of his customers had been murdered. He had no memory of the anonymous elf who had been killed. The only thing he remembered being out of the ordinary from three nights ago was an elf  ordering Myth Drannor Palefey Ale. Ethylbas carried many exotic drinks favored by elves - wines and ciders from across Faerun - but few ordered ale. Luckily, he had a cask in his cellar. He could remember nothing else of interest about the elf who ordered the drink save that he left at a very late hour. 

The team asked Ethylbas what other taverns there were in the Dock Ward. Ethylbas thought about it and listed them off: "There's the Muleskull Tavern on Ship Street, Selûne's Smile on Deepwater Street, The Bearded Mermaid on the Way of the Dragon, The Hanged Man on Net Street, The Pickled Fisherman on Boat Street, Soaring Pegasus Tavern on the Way of the Dragon, and The Skewered Dragon on Fillet Lane."

The Muleskull Tavern

It was past midnight by the time the team arrived at the next stop on their list - the Muleskull Tavern on Ship Street. The Muleskull was a cozy little tavern run by an elven woman named Alhazin Meadowsong. The clientele consisted of elves and half-elves. A prominent sign proclaimed that Silverymoon Bloodwine was available and, indeed, most of the patrons were enjoying that beverage.

Push-ta mentioned to the others, "I couldn't help but notice that this tavern is located near some very dark alleys very late at night. All three murders occurred in a dark alley. That can't be a coincidence."

Tempus said, "I agree. We should keep our eyes peeled and follow anyone leaving alone."

They eventually noticed one man, an elf, deep in his cups, trying to start belligerent arguments with various patrons who wanted nothing to do with him. Alhazin explained that the man was named Heldar, a regular patron with no friends as far as she could tell. She often has to kick him out around this hour.

No such encouragement was needed, however, as Heldar staggered towards the door, alone, and into the night. 

Tempus gathered the others, "Let's go."

Trapping the Killer

Heldar, the drunken elf, staggered through the late night streets of Waterdeep. The team followed but maintained a discrete distance. Winterfrost, Kem, and Push-ta continued their conversation about Winterfrost's upbringing among the dwarves of Hammerhold. Tempus turned to address them, "Please be quiet and pay attention!" He turned around and had lost sight of Heldar. "Damn!"

There was a scream followed by the sound of a butcher chopping meat. The team ran to the ally from whence the sound came. In the gloom they could see the dark silhouette of a man with two scimitars standing over a decapitated body. 

DM - Every member of the team had to make a DC 13 Perception check. The number of successes determined how the encounter started:

• 0 successes = The party doesn't spot the attack at all and the murderer gets away.
• 1 successes = The party spots the killer after he has murdered Heldar.
• 2 successes = The party spots the killer before he has murdered Heldar, roll initiative.
• 3+ successes = The party spots the killer and catches him by surprise.

The party rolled only one success, so Heldar was murdered.

Push-ta charged towards the attacker. His Tally Whacker masterwork greatclub crashed down upon the attacker. Kem loosed a crossbow bolt into the darkness but missed. 

The killer smiled and sliced Push-ta with his scimitars before turning to run down a side-alley. Push-ta bludgeoned the killer as he ran away. 

Tempus cursed as he ran to catch up. Winterfrost chose a route around the building, hoping to catch the killer on the other side.

Push-ta gave chase, attacking the killer as he fled. Kem said a prayer and sacred flame shot out towards the killer but missed. 

The killer emerged from the side alley and onto the cobblestone street. Illuminated by street lights it was clear that the killer had dark grey skin and pointed ears - a subterranean dark elf known as a drow! In his belt he carried a Lantanese pistol. 

Winterfrost taunted him, "Hey! He saw Winterfrost and sneered, "Another foul iblith traitor! It will be my pleasure to offer you as a gift to my Spider Queen!" He cast a spell onto those emerging from the side-alley. All but Tempus managed to dodge out of the way. Tempus became engulfed in an aura of purple magic. 

Winterfrost pointed her hammer at the killer. A bolt of lightning reached out from the hammer, wrapped around the killer, and drew him towards her, "You can't get away that easily!"

The team surrounded the killer, hemming him in. The killer cursed and performed a spell. He levitated into the air, out of reach from his attackers. The glow around Tempus faded.

A small bat, Tempus' wizard familiar, flittered around the killer's face, distracting him. Suddenly a loud bell pealed around the elevated killer, followed by a crossbow bolt from Push-ta. Kem sent a miraculous guiding bolt towards the killer but missed horribly.

The killer threw his scimitars to the ground and withdrew his pistol and shield. He pulled the trigger and the pistol made a loud noise like a crack! A bullet shot into the ground near Winterfrost, missing her. 

Tempus called forth another bell while Winterfrost and Push-ta peppered the killer with crossbow bolts. It was too much for the drow killer. He fell to the ground, dying.

Tempus quickly said a prayer and touched the killer, saving his life. They quickly removed his firearm and accoutrements, his boots, and any other armor or weapons, stripping him down to his underclothes.

A moment later, they could hear the sound of a whistle of the city watch - no doubt responding to the gunshot. The team gathered up their quarry and made haste to leave the scene. 

Mission Accomplished

They carried the unconscious drow gunslinger to the Yawning Portal. It was several hours after midnight and business was slow. They were stopped at the door by one of the guards, "What's this? You can't bring him in here?"

Yagra was sitting at a nearby table saw this and intervened, "It's okay. I'm expecting him. I'll take care of this." Yagra helped carry the unconscious drow to a private room and laid him on a table. Yagra then instructed a messenger to notify Davil who had a private room upstairs, and asked Kem, Tempus, and Winterfrost to wait in the tavern's main room while she and Push-ta confer in private.

A moment later Davil entered the room from a side door wearing a silk robe.

 He examined the drow, "This is our killer?"

"Yes. He used these scimitars. He said something about making offerings to his spider queen - whatever that meant. He REALLY hates elves apparently."

"I know this one. I've seen him around. His name is Soluun Xibrindas. He works for the Bregan D'aerthe." Davil grabbed the unconscious drow's cheeks, "So Mister Xibrindas really hates elves does he? Well, Mister Xibrindas, you made the mistake of killing an associate of the Zhentarim. We will make you regret that action."

Davil turned to Push-ta, "You have done well, Mister Tok. I am impressed. Here is your payment, plus a little extra for bringing him in alive." An associate put a bag of coins on the table. Davil took out a smaller bag and poured its contents into the larger bag. "300 golden dragons. You have earned it."

"Can we keep his stuff?"

"Of course. I have no use for it, and soon neither will he. Thank you, Mister Tok. You may go."

Push-ta rejoined his companions in the main room. Tempus and the others got a short glimpse of a sun elf holding the drow's face in one hand and a knife in the other while looking into the drow's open mouth as the door closed. 

"Well," said Push-ta, "We got paid, plus a bonus! I don't know about you, but I'm bushed. Let's head home."

To Be Continued...

Trollskull Alley - Waterdeep Dragon Heist, Chapter 3

 

That afternoon, the team decided to explore their surroundings. The North Ward was inhabited primarily by upper-middle class Waterdhavians, successful merchants, lesser noble families of the city, and civic workers. It was an overcast early winter day and the air outside was a cool 45 degrees. Trollskull Manor was located on Saerdoun street.

Across the street was a three-story building in the process of being renovated. Workers could be heard hammering and sawing within. A few houses down they saw a house with a black sign painted with an orange-and-black cat's eyes. Curious, they tried the door. The door was locked so they pulled the golden chain to ring a small bell. 

A few moments later they were met at the door by a dapper gentleman wearing comfortable silk robes over a brocade waistcoat and smoking a long-necked pipe. He wore a magnificent brooch of polished tiger's eye. The man was eloquent and refined with a hint of smirking detachment - like he was in on a joke of which you were completely unaware.

"Greetings. Normally I require an appointment but since you are all newcomers to our little neighborhood, I'll make an exception. I am Vincent Trench. Please come in."

CHAPTER 3

"TROLLSKULL ALLEY"

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. 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 we spend some time exploring the area around Trollskull Manor. This was a lot of fun for me because I got to do a lot of role-playing as NPCs and do various voices. Its little interludes like this that do a great job of world-building and make the setting feel real to the players. This week I'm making use of material found in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist Complete DM's Bundle (Guides, Maps, Adventures and other Resources) available from drivethrurpg.com.

Tiger's Eye

He led them into a sitting room immediately off the entrance foyer. The sitting room was lushly appointed with cushions, chairs, rugs, and fine wooden tables. The windowless walls were covered with shelves containing books and curios. There were no windows and the room was lit by small oil lamps. He graciously met each one and offered them some tea from a silver tea set. 

Trench introduced himself as a gentleman detective - he provided investigative services for a nominal fee. He referred to himself as "the Tiger's Eye", a dramatic nomme-de-plume to be certain, and thus the sign out front.

The team introduced themselves, explaining that they had only today purchased the old Trollskull Manor. Mister Trench asked if they had intentions of reopening the manor as a tavern or public house - as it was many years ago. 

 

They said that they thought they might. Mister Trench gave a wry smile and asked if they had yet encountered Mister Frewn. He explained that a man named Emmek Frewn had wished to purchase the old house and re-open it as a tavern himself. He had bid against Volothamp Geddarm and lost. Since Volo had no plans of opening a tavern, Mister Frewn directed his money into purchasing the house next door and renovating it into a tavern. 

They agreed to meet with Mister Frewn and work out any problems. They thanked Mister Trench for his hospitality. Mister Trench produced a business card - black with orange cat's eyes. They were very impressed and took note to have their own cards made soon. Mister Trench reminded him that future visits must be arranged in advance via correspondence and asked that they respect his privacy in that regard. They agreed and bade their farewell.

Emmek Frewn

The team visited the building next door in the midst of its renovation. They saw a barrel-chested man, a northerner with red hair and a magnificent red handlebar mustache. He was barking orders and directing workers in a thick Illuskan accent.

Winterfrost cleared her throat and the man turned. The team introduced themselves. The man introduced himself as Emmek Frewn, owner of this property and proprietor of the soon-to-open Frewn's Brews public house. 

The team mentioned that they owned the Trollskull Manor house next door. Mister Frewn's attitude became suddenly wary. He asked what they planned to do with the old house.

Winterfrost answered, "Well, we're thinking of opening a tavern. That's what we're here to talk to you about today. It doesn't make sense to open two taverns right across the street with each other. We think you should operate this building as an inn with rooms for the night. We'd then like to hire you to run OUR tavern."

Frewn stared at them, dumbfounded, silent.

He eventually uttered, "Are you having me on? You come in here, into my building, to tell me you're opening a tavern in the building I really wanted - the one that the idiot Volo bought out from under me for his bloody research - and offer to HIRE me in YOUR tavern?"

"Yes, that's about it. How about it? Like I said, this building could be an inn."

Frewn's voice became louder and angrier, "Oh, an INN is it? Renting rooms to travelers for a silver bloody shard a night, while I work me arse off in YOUR tavern selling YOUR spirits while YOU make a bloody right profit?"

"Look, if you think about it, it's a generous offer."

"You can take your generous - No. Wait! You know what? I'd love to take you up on your offer. Put me in charge of your bloody tavern! I'm the perfect bloody choice! I'll ensure it makes a bloody profit and runs like a bloody clock! I'm in!"

Tempus said, "I can tell you're not serious. We'll be leaving now."

Frewn was enraged, "You're damn right you'll be leaving now! I've sunk over a thousand golden dragons into renovating this building and getting it ready to be a tavern. I've already installed the bloody bar! I've got barrels of me family label down in the cellar waiting to be tapped! If you think you'll be opening up a tavern right across the street, you've got another thing coming, boyo!"

Winterfrost held up her hands, "Okay, okay! Look, what if we do something else with the property? It doesn't have to be a tavern."

Frewn's demeanor suddenly shifted. The rage was quickly replaced with polite professionalism, "Oh, well, that's different then. Best of luck to ye! I look forward to seeing what you open! Now if you'll excuse me, I have finish this work by the end of the month." Frewn turned to a worker, "No! Not there! Put it over THERE!"

The team retreated to the street, "So, do we still want to open a tavern?"

Kem Hearthfire said, "Actually, I was thinking something along the lines of one of those gentlemen's clubs."

Winterfrost wrinkled her nose, "Like a strip club?"

"No! No! You know, where rich people sit around in comfy leather chairs by a fire, smoking from pipes, and sipping brandy, with huge monster-heads mounted on the wall, and butlers, and tea, and coffee. More like a- an private social club."

There was a general nodding in agreement, Et'lenda said, "Then its agreed. No tavern. Private social club it is."

Corellon's Crown

The team continued their exploration of their surroundings, entering the herbalist's shop known as Corellon's Crown. There they met the elf proprietor named Fala Lefaliir, who's preferred pronouns were they/them. Fala was pleased to meet their new neighbors and asked if they intended to re-open that dreadful tavern - complaining of the noise and chaos at all hours of the night. The team assured them that they had no such intention but warned them that Emmek Frewn planned on opening a tavern next door.

DM- I described Fala Lefaliir as looking and acting like Perfuma from the new She-Ra cartoon. 

Steam and Steel

The team continued their exploration of the alley, past the woodworker's shop, and to the metal building belching steam and smoke. A sign outside identified the shop as a smithy called "Steam and Steel". Kem Hearthstone smiled, "Now this is my kind of place!"

They met the co-owners, a married couple named Embric and Avi. Embric was a red hot and glowing - a fire genasi - while Avi was cool and blue - a water genasi. Embric was outgoing and blustery, proud of his work. Avi was more reserved and complimentary.

The pair were happy to meet their new neighbors and were especially glad that Kem Hearthfire was initiated in the holy mysteries of Gond. They welcomed her to join them whenever she wanted.

Embric asked if they planned to reopen the tavern. He missed the old place and loved to hang out there and get rowdy. Avi expressed his preference for meditation under a cool mountain waterfall - a statement that drew Winterfrost's interest. The moon elf asked if she could join Avi sometime and Avi graciously invited her.

DM- Embric and Avi were fun to roleplay. I had good voices for each that reflected their attitudes and natures. 

Also, I asked Winterfrost's player what pronoun Winterfrost preferred to use and if Winterfrost had a gender preference in partner - or if Winterfrost was asexual. The reason I asked is because all the reference art he had sent me for inspiration for her painting above was very androgynous and the bio was intentionally vague. He said that Winterfrost does, indeed, have a very intentionally androgynous appearance but does prefer the "she/hers" pronouns. However, Winterfrost was bisexual and possibly pansexual.

The Bent Nail

The woodworker's shop was next door so they paid it a visit. The sign outside was a blank piece of wood in which was embedded a bent nail. The proprietor was a lanky half-elf named Talisolvanar “Tally” Fellbranch. Mister Fellbranch had impeccable posture and spoke in a sharp clear voice. His handiwork ranged from furniture to shields, to staves, to cudgels and even the stocks of crossbows. His works were extraordinarily beautiful - smooth and curved with a polished finish. 

Push-ta Tok asked if he made greatclubs. Mister Fellbranch assured him that made cudgels of the finest quality. He produced a long heavy piece of wood with a smooth finish and thick gnarls.

Tally's pride was beaming, "I call it 'the Whacker!' Only 100 golden dragons!"

Push-ta stared in awe, "a genuine Tally Whacker! I love it! But - I'm afraid I can't afford it right now."

Etlenda quickly conferred with the others, then turned to Push-ta, "I just talked with the others. We are willing to share our money to buy you this magnificent cudgel. We can't bear to see you holding anything other than a genuine Tally Whacker!"

Push-ta began to tear up, "Gee. ((sniff)) Thanks!" 

DM - We got a LOT of mileage out of that joke! 

We envisioned a hostile orc on the battlefield, upon seeing his hated foe armed with a genuine Tally Whacker cudgel, unable to be but a little impressed when brought down by such a fine weapon, only to spend his dying breaths disappointed to learn that it was, in fact, a cheap imitation counterfeit. The SHAME!

Anyway, I decided to treat Tally's wooden weapons as "Silvered". They're not silver, mind you. They're just so beautiful and so well-made that they do full damage to creatures that have resistance to non-magical weapons. 

The Book Wyrm's Treasure

Finally the group visited the last shop in the neighborhood - a bookstore with a painted sign showing a sleeping dragon curled around a treasure hoard of books. 

They entered and met the proprietor - a diminutive dragonborn named Rishall the Page Turner. Though a dragonborn, Rishall had the stature of a dwarf. He graciously welcomed the new neighbors into his establishment. The bookstore contained many tall shelves lined with books. Stacks of loose books were piled here and there. The store, in fact, appeared larger on the inside than on the outside.

DM - I had to take a quick second to explain to some of my more illiterate players Terry Pratchett's concept of L-Space.

Rishall complemented Push-ta on his fabulous weapon, asking if it was a genuine Tally Whacker. The others giggled. Rishall, confused, asked, "Why is that funny? It is indeed a large wha- OH! I see! It's a play on words! A double-entendre! How ingenious! I never realized that before! Oh-ho-ho-ho! How very clever!"

He froze, suddenly embarrassed, "Oh, I just realized, I thought that was his name! I've been calling him Mister Whacker for years! Oh how dreadful!"

After a few more pleasantries, he described his shop - the Book Worm's Treasure - and the services it provided.

Kem asked, "That's a very cute name."

Rishall, confused, said, "Oh yes, we get many book worms in here indeed."

"No," she said, "Because you're an - AHEM?"

Rishall suddenly got it, "Oh! Oh my! Because I'm a dragonborn, it could also be Book WYRM's Treasure! Oh I never thought about that before! How very clever! It's another play on words! Two in one day! Oh-ho-ho-ho!"

DM - Rishall was also fun to play and his not getting puns became an instantly endearing character trait.

Tempus becomes a Wizard

Upon their return to Trollskull Manor, the team saw Renear Neverember waiting for them. Renear had heard that they had purchased the old house from Volo so he came by to congratulate them and to once again thank them for saving his life the previous day. 

Renear inquired about their future plans.

Tempus answered that he was thinking of studying magic at one of Waterdeep's arcane academies. 

Renear replied, "Well, I was more talking about your plans for the old house, but as it turns out, I happen to be close personal friends with none other than the head of the Blackstaff Academy, the Blackstaff herself, Vajra Safahr! Let me pull some strings!"

Tempus found himself enrolled in Blackstaff Academy the next day. There he learned the basics of wizardry surrounded by teenagers. In a single day of study Tempus had begun his spellbook and was performing his first simple spells. 

Late in his first day, the Blackstaff of Waterdeep, Vajra Safahr, paid Tempus a visit during class. She inquired into the status of his progress and wanted to know if he was enjoying his time in the Blackstaff Academy. It was rare for the Blackstaff to take a personal interest in a student, especially a newcomer. Vajra then asked to speak to Tempus in her sanctum.

Vajra Safahr was a dark-skinned Tethyrian in her late twenties. She was slim and attractive and friendly, not at all what one would expect from the head of Waterdeep's magical community. 

She told Tempus that she had made an exception in allowing him, an adult and someone not from a wizarding family or with any arcane background, into her school. She had done so as a favor to the Neverember family. However, she had heard the story of how the Mystics of Trollskull Manor had taken on kenkus and thugs from Xanathar's guild to save someone they didn't even know. She was impressed and wanted to call upon the services of the Mystics.

She had a simple job offer - go to the hermit Hlam who lived in a cave on Mount Waterdeep, ask him a question and return with his response. This mission had no pay but would serve as a test of their abilities and their discretion. 

Tempus expressed his interest. Vajra explained that it was a steep five mile hike up the side of Mount Waterdeep to Hlam's cave. The trip there should take three hours. She would give Tempus a small grey stone, a token that should be shown to Hlam as proof of their identity. 

"I have a nagging feeling there's evil brewing in Waterdeep. Evil beyond the petty violence of brutish thugs warring in the streets. I wand you and your companions to ask Hlam what he's heard about threats to the city, but try not to annoy him or overstay your welcome."

Tempus agreed.

A Monk on a Mountain

Tempus explained the job to the others. 

Winterfrost asked, "So we're the 'Mystics of Trollskull Manor' now?"

Kem said, "Sounds like its got some legs, whether we like it or not."

The team, aware of the Blackstaff's importance in Waterdeep, agreed to the mission. 

The next morning they assembled outside the Field of Triumph on Julthoon Street and started their hike on the Cliffride. They left the road and took the trail indicated to them by the Blackstaff. The trail quickly became steep and difficult. 

The party was hugging a steep portion of the trail when a sudden cascade of rocks and debris fell down upon them. Several members of the party were trapped or immobilized. Tempus was completely buried and unconscious. Etlenda freed himself from the rubble and helped excavate Tempus while Kem freed herself and said a prayer of healing to her human companion. 

Etlenda noticed a humanoid form observing them from above - from near where the rocks came crashing down upon them. 

Manticore

The party continued up the trail and encountered an old stone bridge over a ravine. Before they could cross the bridge, a manticore - a flying lion with bat-like wings, a man's face, and a tail covered in porcupine-like quills - swooped out of the rocks and unleashed a barrage of quills from its tail. 

The quills landed at Etlenda's feet. The team quickly found cover beneath some nearby bushes and began attacking the manticore at long range using bows, crossbows, and ranged spells. 

Winterfrost stood in the open by the bridge, banging on her shield with her hammer and shouting to get the manticore's attention. The manticore flew lower to get a better shot but was, in turn, peppered with arrows and spells. The manticore howled in pain and flew away, retreating to its lair in a cave on the side of a cliff several hundred feet above.

The party briefly considered hunting the manticore but decided their primary mission was more imporant.

DM - that was a fun little encounter. There aren't a lot of purely ranged fights in D&D so it was a pleasant change of pace. The manticore is too tough for these level 2 chuckle-heads so the encounter was designed so that it simply harassed the party with quills and fled at half hit points. 

The Guard Post

A few hours later the party was nearing their destination. They passed the location from which the landslide originated. There Etlenda noticed some footprints in the dirt leading up the path. The path led through a gulley with steep sides. They footprints led to a gate built block the path through the gulley. There were three people - two men wearing the uniforms of the Waterdeep Watch and a woman wearing simple civilian attire - manning the gate. One said to the other, "They're here. Get Terrik."

The party stopped about a hundred feet from the gate. Etlenda quietly informed the others that he suspected that these were not city guards and that they started the landslide earlier. 

A city watch commander joined the other three atop the wall, "Hail! I'm Captain Terrik of the City Guard. Who comes?"

The party, showing discretion regarding their mission, introduced themselves but explained that they were simply explorers scaling Mount Waterdeep. 

Terrik told them that the way was closed and there was nothing to see anyway. He instructed them to head back.

A tense tête-à-tête ensued as the party coyly attempted to persuade the guards to let them through without mentioning their mission while the guards tried to keep the visitors from passing through without revealing their true nature.

Eventually a compromise was reached, the party would be allowed through the gate if they sheathed and secured their weapons. Then they could approach and continue this conversation without long-ranged shouting. The party secured their weapons and approached. The two guards opened the gates to allow them to enter.

Etlenda noticed that the footprints split in front of the gate, moving to either side of the gate and avoiding the area directly in front of it. He signaled this to his companions.

Once in front of the gate, the party sprang into action. Tempus moved around to the left side of the gate and clung to the wall, swinging himself around to avoid any pit traps in front of the gate. The guard drew his scimitar and slashed at Tempus as he fumbled to withdraw his hammer from the secured position on his backpack. The guard captain atop the small tower loosed a crossbow at Tempus.

A lasso made of lightning burst from Winterfrost's hammer, wrapping around the other guard. She pulled the guard towards her. Just past the threshold of the gate, the ground gave way revealing a hidden pit trap. The guard fell into his own pit! 

Kem leaped across the pit in order to assist Tempus, calling down sacred flame from the heavens but to little effect. 

Etlenda disappeared only to magically reappear atop the small tower in a puff of silver mist. Terrik the guard captain shouted at the woman, "You're the wizard! Cast some spells or something!" The woman sighed and spread her hands towards Etlenda. Flames spread out in a wide fan. Etlenda was overcome and fell unconscious. 

Push-ta moved stealthily out of sight and hid in the corner underneath the tower. Push-ta shot the guard with his crossbow as he climbed out of the pit. The guard screamed and fell back into the pit, dead.

Kem said a prayer of healing for Tempus, who had fallen under the onslaught of the guard as well as ranged attacks from the tower. After dealing with the guard at the gate, Tempus raced to the top of the tower to say his own prayer of healing for Etlenda. 

With the two other guards dead, Kerrik the guard captain and the wizard were soon dispatched. Tempus busily checked on each foe, saying prayers to stabilize them and prevent their deaths. Each of the guards, as well as the wizard, possessed tattoos of black winged snakes - they were imposters, agents of the Zhentarim Syndicate! A quick search of the guard post found three recently dug graves containing the actual guards. The team confiscated the imposters' belongings - 100 gold dragons, a mysterious wand, a flask of viscous black fluid, and some gemstones. They left the zhentarim imposters tied up - they would be retrieved and given over to the city watch on their return.

Hlam the Hermit

Another quarter of a mile brought the team to the cave of Hlam the Hermit. They entered the cavern carefully, Tempus leading the way. 

The cave within was furnished with a small cooking fire, a writing desk, and a bedroll. They found an old bald man wearing sackcloth sitting in a lotus position on a ledge high up on the wall of the cave. There was no ladder and no steps - the man must have climbed there.

Tempus approached, brandishing his grey stone. He called out, "Sir, are you Hlam? Vajra sent us to ask you a question."

The old man held up a single finger to stop Tempus from talking. An uncomfortable minute of silence passed, the old man never opened his eyes. He eventually took a deep breath and said, exasperatedly, And so it is lost. A hundred year old truth nearly unraveled. I hope you have important cause to interrupt me."

Tempus respectfully nodded and said again, "Vajra sent us to ask you a question. What have you heard about threats to the city?"

Hlam considered this before answering, cryptically, "Evil’s twin hides its face for now. Expect that to change before winter’s end."

"What does that-"

"You may go now."

The team retreated from the cave. Tempus asked the others, "Did you all get that?"

"Yes, but what does it mean?"

"No clue. Okay, let's go back."

The team descended the mountainside, picking up their prisoners along the way. They gave the prisoners over to the city watch at the first post they came across. They eventually returned to the Blackstaff Tower to report Hlam's words to Vajra. 

The Grey Hands

Vajra thanked them and asked if any of them had ever heard of the Gray Hands. Tempus was aware of them - the private security force of the Blackstaff. They worked in conjunction with the City Watch and had the blessing of the Open Lord of Waterdeep. 

Vajra told them that this mission was a test of their abilities and their discretion - a test they had passed. She invited the team to join the Grey Hands, to work as her agents in the interest of the safety of Waterdeep. She explained the benefits and obligations membership would entail. They didn't all have to join as a group - only those who were interested. 

The team considered this and asked for some time to discuss. She gave them as much time as they required. 

An Ophidian Visitor

That night, while sleeping in his new house, Push-ta woke at the sound of rustling in his room. He sat up and looked around. At the foot of his bed was a winged snake, coiled with its head reared up, its wings folded. Even in the dim light of Push-ta's night vision, he could tell the snake was jet black. The snake had a rolled up parchment tied around its neck, just above its wings.

Push-ta took the parchment, opened it, and read.

“Want to be part of something big? Speak to Davil Starsong at the Yawning Portal.” 

To Be Continued...