C2 E20: Zhentarim Heist

This episode begins the morning of Tarsakh 2nd. It contains the heist with the Xanathar team on the Zhentarim headquarters.

It ends with the PCs on the Scarlet Marpenoth the night of Tarsakh 3rd.

* Current Secrets

## Last Time

*What happened in the previous episode? Probably smart to link it as well.*

Last time, the PCs took a boat beneath Waterdeep to Skullport, and entered Xanathar's lair for the first time. They watched some gruesome fights and Tovarish scouted around the hideout for the location of the beholder's eye. Unfortunately, they didn't find it. They did discover some interesting parts, including a torture chamber, the barracks, and a catacomb of beholders.

At the same time, Ladro was negotiating with Ahmaergo, the beholder crime boss's majordomo. The dwarf was interested in the PC's plan but suggested they go bigger than the original plan. The PCs accepted an offer of 5000gp to steal the eye from the Zhentarim (minus a fee for "borrowing" any Xanathar henchpeople and dimensional shift scrolls).

Now, they meet up in the morning with the Xanathar team at the Orb Confectioners candy shop and safehouse to explain the plan to their henchpeople. How will they get to the extradimensional sanctum, and how will they open the astral vault in the library?

## Offscreen Events

### Upcoming Events

* Tarsakh 5th, Goldenight: Xanathar's Goldenight Bash. PCs plan to stage a heist. Vevette Blackwater will stage a competing heist.

* Tarsakh 7th, Guildsmeet. On this holiday, guild members gather in their halls for the announcement of new policies and a celebration of business concluded for the year. These gatherings culminate in a gala festival and dance sponsored by several guilds, which lasts from dusk till dawn and overruns the Market, the Cynosure, the Field of Triumph, and all areas in between.

* Tarsakh 10th, Leiruin.
	+ In times long past, Waukeen caught Leira, the goddess of illusions and deception, attempting to cheat her in a deal, and buried her under a mountain of molten gold as punishment. A commemoration of that event, Leiruin is the day for guild members to pay their annual dues and for guildmasters to meet with the Lords of Waterdeep and renew their charters for another year. In the evening, the Leiruin Feasts are held, in which gold coins (and other golden treasures) are baked into random items of food to be won by those who are lucky enough to receive them.
	+ The Cassalanters are throwing a birthday party gala celebrating their children's 11th birthday on this day.

## Onscreen Events

*Where do we expect the players to go?*

* Cassalanters deliver their invitation to the Leiruin Feast "in honor of their twins' ninth birthdays" on Tarsakh 10th today
	+ "The Master of Villa Cassalanter has received The Lady & Lordship's commands to invite *the A Nu Start Tavern owners* to the Feast of Leiruin on the evening of Tarsakh the 10th, 1492 D.R., at the 8th evening bell."
	+ A personal note in Lady Cassalanter's hand: "Please, you must complete your mission before the 10th, or our children are doomed. Send word of your progress soon."
* Planning
	+ How many henchpeople are the PCs recruiting? (200g each + 750g for extra *plane shift* scrolls or + 250gp for extra *teleport* scrolls)
		- 8 henchpeople: 4 veterans, 4 duergar, 2 bugbears
	+ How do PCs plan to get to the sanctum, and what is their plan when they arrive?
		- 1 big group, trying to rush the teleportation circle
		- meeting at nightfall at the first door to Kolat Towers
			* doors open to the courtyard
* Kolat Towers (Alexandrian)
	+ Barlgura has been summoned successfully and is part of the adversary roster
	+ PCs kept their teleporter signet ring, but Sidra Romeir (the door guard) will chide them for this
* Extradimensional Sanctum
	+ Manshoon's Report on the Grand Game (pdf, text)
	+ The vault is in the library, area E9
* Xanathar Guild heist planning
	+ Considering getting the Zhentarim and the police to raid Xanathar's Goldenight Bash

## Todo / Happenings

*What did those fools get up to this time?*

* received the Cassalanter invitation
* visited Vajra Safahr, the Blackstaff
	+ alerted her to the Goldenight Bash and Zhentarim's attack on the Xanathar
	+ tell her that three scrolls connect to form the map to the enigma
	+ Ladro flatters the Blackstaff, is she perhaps plotting a coup?
* prepared for the heist on the 2nd
	+ Tovarish spent the day with the gnomes in the bar repairing the *Scarlet Marpenoth*
		- on the third and fifth, the gnomes will be on standby on the submarine
		- in the meantime they are building a reverse keg stand machine
* the heist happens the nightfall on the 3rd
	+ barge in with the Xanathar team, kill or knock out anyone in the first two rows
		- Sidra is knocked out and Manafort is left tied to a chair
		- team finds but ignores the barlgura-summoning apprentice magicians
	+ teleport to the extradimensional sanctum (minions leading) and start a big fight
		- Quickly dispatch the guards and lieutenants (Vevette is not present right now)
		- Havia Quickknife escapes, Urstul Floxin surrenders
* PART 2
	+ Urstul Floxin has surrendered, but chews a poison pill instead of being found alive again
	+ PCs encounter Manshoon, who strikes a deal with them
		- PCs agree to raid Xanathar and strike a decisive blow, and Manshoon will give them his Eye of Golorr
		- Meanwhile, Tom figures out the gesture to open the arcane vault
	+ PCs acquire the second eye and Manshoon's report on the grand game
* PCs then convince the Xanathar troops that they were supposed to be killed on the mission, but they were double agents for Manshoon
	+ Remaining troops get recruited to work in the Zhentarim organization (without telling Manshoon)
	+ PCs recruit Manafort the chef to work at the A Nu Start Inn and return to plan the Goldenight bash
* Return to Scarlet Marpenoth to regroup
	+ PCs send message to Xanathar: "your minions stabbed us as soon as we got there and were working with Manshoon! We got the stone but are laying low until we feel safer."
		- sent via Paper Bird message to Ahmaergo
	+ Tovarish puts the second eye into the Stone of Golorr and questions it
		- learns that the final stone is IN Xanathar's fish
	+ Plot the concurrent Xanathar heists
		- Blackstaff's organization
		- Zhentarim counterattack (Barlgura causes havoc, and the previous Xanathar members insert themselves back in
		- Cassalanter agents to summon demons?
		- New party in the tree person mechanisms
	+ Tom scries on the Cassalanters, who are desperately trying to cobble together money to save their children
		- they say they are 200k short of the 999,999 dragons they need
		- Lady Ammalia says that if their agents aren't successful, they will send hits
	+ PCs tell Cassalanters they will send more information tomorrow morning

PCs are shopping before the next episode!