C2 E8: Fireball

This episode starts the morning of Ches 22nd. At the end, the Gralhunds have the Stone of Golorr and three faction teams are watching the Gralhund Villa.

* Current Secrets

## Last Time

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

## Offscreen Events

*Did anything happen offscreen before this episode? Will anything happen offscreen during this episode?*

## Fireball!

### What Happened

* Dalakhar (a gnome agent of Dagult Neverember) was attempting to meet with Renaer Neverember at Trollskull Manor.
	+ He was being tracked by agents from the Gralhunds, Zhentarim, and Cassalanters
* A team of Zhentarim agents led by Urstul Floxin tried to stop Dalakhar as he came down Trollskull Alley
* The Gralhund nimblewright used a *necklace of fireballs* to launch a fireball
	+ The nimblewright was observing the scene from a nearby rooftop
	+ The fireball killed Dalakhar and most of the Zhentarim agents.
	+ Urstul Floxin was not killed but was incapacitated
	+ Renaer Neverember was injured in the blast but not killed
* The nimblewright jumped off the roof, took the Stone of Golorr from Dalakhar's pockets, and ran off
	+ eventually it returned to Gralhund Villa, but cannot be traced there immediately

### Questioning Witnesses

**Main revelation:** nimblewright was responsible for the fiery deaths

#### The Crime Scene

Seven people are dead at the crime scene.

* An elderly female human who was out for a walk (not identified)
* Two cloaked male humans with black flying snake tattoos on their arms
	+ they wear leather armor
	+ they carry longswords that are still sheathed
	+ Speak with dead: seeking something that Dalakhar was carrying, worked for Urstul Floxin, and came from Yellowspire
* Two female humans and one male half-elf dressed in plain clothes (servants of a North Ward family, killed while running errands)
* One male gnome (Dalakhar)
	+ his cloak is burned and he is clutching a dagger
	+ there is dried waste on his boots, suggesting he has been in the sewers recently
	+ Speak with dead: he was carrying Stone of Golorr, the Stone reveals the location of the vault hiding Neverember's Enigma, stole the Stone from Xanathar, he was coming to meet Renaer.
* One female halfling with a compass rose tattoo on her left palm (a The Rosewinds operative)
* One body is carrying a mostly-burned note. The only legible writing is "Jarlaxle Baenre"
* Renaer Neverember was caught in the blast but not killed
	+ He had arranged to meet with Dalakhar at A Nu Start Inn
		- Dalakhar had sent a message urgently requesting the meeting
		- Renaer saw Dalakhar approaching and went out to greet him
	+ Dalakhar was an agent for Dagult Neverember
		- He was assigned to "keep an eye on" Renaer. He was not very subtle about it
		- He disappeared abruptly a few weeks ago, just before Renaer was kidnapped by the Zhentarim
	+ Renaer doesn't know what Dalakhar wanted.
		- "The message only said that he was carrying something valuable for my father but was unable to deliver it. He wanted me to help."
* Witnesses:
	+ Some didn't see anything, heard the explosion, rushed into the street, windows blew out, smell of bodies
	+ Some saw a nimblewright throw a bead
		- Construct made of copper and pale wood
		- Red robe and foppish red hat with a feather
		- Long, stylized Van Dyke beard
		- Clockwork mechanisms constantly whirring under the skin plating
	+ Some saw the nimblewright approach Dalakhar's body and take something. It ran east but good luck tailing it.
* Urstul Floxin
	+ Rough looking man whose face is criss-crossed with scars
	+ Gives real name when questioned
	+ Claims to be heading to a nearby store, doesn't know what happened, and was knocked out
	+ If pushed, claims to have seen a " mechanical angel of death moving amongst the bodies" that turned and ran away

City guard arrives after four checks and shuts down the PC's investigation (p 45). Renaer will push the PCs to keep investigating.

### Investigating Nimblewrights

**Main revelation:** Captain Zord of the Sea Maidens Faire sells nimblewrights

**Rumor/investigation:** The nimblewright performing in the Twin Parades is owned by the Temple of Gond (p 46).

**Owners of Nimblewrights:**

* Temple of Gond/House of Inspired Hands (p 46).
	+ Does NOT have a detector!
	+ Appearance: it has "hair" consisting of multi-layered, overlapping metal feathers
* Bowgentra Summertaen, Lady Master of the Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors
	+ Nimblewright is serving as a majordomo at the guildhouse
	+ Appearance: Featureless/mannequin head (no eyes, mouth, etc)
* Lord Labdar Adarbrent, head of a noble family
	+ Owns the fourth-largest shipping fleet in the city, strong ties to the Master Mariner's Guild
	+ His nimblewright is a guard in his villa's front hall
	+ Appearance: Black onyx eyes. Face fixed in a permanent scowl. Wears the house tabard
* Lord Corin Dezlentyr, wizened half-elf patriarch
	+ Own a villa in the Sea Ward. Family rose to prominence in the 13th century as caravan masters, traders, and explorers
	+ Nimblewright was purchased by his swashbuckling, headstrong daugher Hermione Dezlentyr
	+ Appearance: Right eye is a green gemstone glowing faintly. Dressed in traditional swashbuckling gear
* House of Wonder/Temple of Mystra
	+ Obtained the nimblewright to reverse-engineer it, though haven't finished yet
		- In doing so, they've discovered the clairvoyance crystal wired into their nimblewright. It has since been removed
	+ Appearance: Feminine body shape, dressed in a simple white ronbe. Silver "hair" has been carved resembling a bob cut
* Mother Tamra's House of Graces, a finishing school for up and coming young ladies
	+ Located in Castle Ward on Mendever Street
	+ Nimblewright is serving as a housecleaner

**REMINDER**: the Cassalanters contact the PCs asking for help.

* Messenger: "Excuse me, you have an appointment with the Cassalanters coming up!"
	+ Opportunity to "accidentally" meet the children, Terenzio & Elzerina. They come running through the entrance hall while the PCs wait
	+ Lady Cassalanter comes out to get the PCs and escort them to the Reading Room (Area C4). From there they can see over the Butterfly Garden (C25), where the children are playing. Victoro is there too.
		- Black dragon head is mounted on the wall of the room.
		- Victoro Cassalanter's journal is on a side table here in an unlabeled leatherbound book. Mostly contains dry observations on atlases and history books. Investigation check can find notes unrelated to the reading:
			* "Neverember's dragons are an answer to our prayers"
			* "The Cassalanter mausoleum. Inform YG"
			* "Golorr is an aboleth. Now it all makes sense."
	+ Tell PCs modified version of their plight:
		- Twins were cursed at birth by Asmodean cultists to lose their souls on their ninth birthday (this year).
		- Cassalanters have discovered a ritual to save them, but it requires a sacrifice of "one shy of a million gold coins".
		- While quite rich, they can't raise that monstrous sum. If they could find the money Neverember embezzled, they could.
		- Gaze wistfully at the children frolicking in butterfly gardens
	+ Willing to cut PCs in on 10% of the money (50k dragons)

## Todo / Happenings

* Morning routine
	+ Tovarish wakes early
	+ Tavern likely opens 10 or 11am, brunch crowd
	+ Ladro is not a morning person
	+ Tom wakes early to make pancakes and bacon
	+ Petunia does not stay at the inn but settles her store and heads over mid morning, as the tavern opens
	+ Kaavu is usually last one up but immediately goes to work
* Fireball happens on Tovarish's way to meet Melannor
	+ Kaavu runs into the street and looks for the cause of the explosion
		- Sees the nimblewright searching for something and running away
	+ Tovarish looks for the urchins, who run towards the explosion and start
	+ Petunia runs to heal people
	+ Ladro climbs a building
	+ Tom comes out a moment later to help
* Kaavu, Tovarish, and Tom pursue on foot. Ladro pursues on the roof
	+ Did not catch the nimblewright
* Petunia searches the sight of the explosion
	+ Finds Renaer Neverember, looking for a friend (Dalakhar) who is now dead
	+ Interrogates him
		- Dalakhar was an agent for Dagult Neverember
		- Disappeared a few weeks ago, and suddenly resurfaced with this message
		- Message said that he was carrying something valuable for Dagult, couldn't deliver it, and needed help
* Watch arrives, all go into the tavern to debrief
	+ Urchins turn up and show a necklace of fireball, used (2 remaining)
* PCs go to Captain Zardoz Zord at the Sea Maidens' Faire
	+ Meet with him under the guise of buying a nimblewright
	+ Tell him that Renaer Neverember was caught in a blast related to Neverember's Enigma
	+ Zord informs them the nimblewright in question was purchased by the Gralhunds
* PCs go to talk to Melannor in Phaulkonmere, tell him about the explosion and learn a bit about the mechanisms
* PCs go to the House of Inspired Hands to learn about nimblewrights
	+ meet Nim and learn a bit
* Cassalanter's courier delivers the appointment message
	+ PCs were suspicious but accepted the offer on the premise that they could renegotiate once they had the money
* PCs go to investigate Gralhund Manor
	+ Tovarish wildshapes to a spider to explore
	+ Ladro and Tom attempt to enter and talk their way through
		- Try to bluff as Blackstaff's agents, but Lord Orond sees through it
		- Tom attempts to cast suggestion on Orond, but the butler sees it and breaks it up
		- Gralhunds throw Ladro & Tom out and send for the watch
	+ Kaavu & Petunia keep watch and notice the Zhentarim, Xanathar, and Bregan D'aerthe teams
* Ended with PCs outside the villa, contemplating the next move