C2 E17: Three-Heist Monty

The PCs, having broken in to Kolat Towers as Manshoon's lieutenant Agorn Fuoco, are planning how to draw the second and third eyes out of hiding. Meanwhile, they find themselves in hot water with the city after the attack on the Sea Maidens' Faire.

This episode begins in the middle of Laeral Silverhand's emergency hearing on the Drow incursion, the morning of Ches 29th. The Highcoin Ball, hosted by the Cassalanters, is tomorrow, the 30th. Xanathar's fighting tournament is on Tarsakh 5th, Goldenight.

* Current Secrets

## Last Time

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

Last time, the PCs arrived in Manshoon's sanctum after teleporting from Kolat Towers, the Zhentarim base of operations in Waterdeep. They were in disguise as Manshoon's lieutenant Agorn Fuoco and recruits, who had previously been ambushed by the PCs and sent to live at the United Forlorn Field-Ranch (UFFR). While there, they told Vevette Blackwater, another lieutenant, that there was a mole in the top levels of the Zhentarim organization which allowed the rival Xanathar Guild to acquire a second Eye of Golorr.

In an audience with Manshoon himself, Ladro (as Agorn) claimed that the Xanathar killed his previous team. He reported again that the Xanathar have a second Eye of Golorr, and was instructed by Manshoon to get the Stone of Golorr. Manshoon also instructed the new recruits report to Vevette.

Back at A Nu Start Inn, the PCs found Fearless Frank waiting with a request: he wants one of them to be his champion in the upcoming Xanathar Prize Fight on Goldenight, Tarsakh 5th. Also, the gnome engineers they rescued from the *Scarlet Marpenoth* have installed a conveyance device to bring drinks around the bar.

Finally, the PCs attended the emergency hearing held by Laeral Silverhand, the Open Lord of Waterdeep. She claimed that her team has identified the last known person to visit the *Eyecatcher* before it burned down in the middle of the harbor two nights ago.

## Offscreen Events

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

### The Highcoin Ball: Ches 30th

* Urchins have been hired as staff and plan to snoop like the PCs do
* Cassalanters are trying to figure out what happened to the Eye of Golorr that was stolen from them
	+ shipping in a number of truth serum–like drugs to put in specific peoples' drinks
		- without intervention, will learn that
			* the Gralhunds had the Stone of Golorr before the fracas
			* Jarlaxle Baenre has other drow agents in the city

### Open Lord Investigation

* Ladro was the last non-crewmember seen heading to the *Eyecatcher*, the ship
* Crew members rescued from the ship reported seeing at least three other people
	+ Believes that one of the crew members was also working with Ladro, because no one recognized Tom
* Jarlaxle was searching for the Stone of Golorr, which is related to Neverember's Enigma
* There are three other Drow spies operating in Waterdeep: Fel'rekt Lafeen, Krebbyg Masq'il'yr, and Soluun Xibrindas
	+ All three carry ornate Lantanese firearms
	+ All three are masters of disguise
* The submarine *The Scarlet Marpenoth* was mounted under the *Eyecatcher*
	+ Ruins were not discovered in the wreck
	+ Currently unaccounted for, but Laeral would like to know where it is

### Xanathar Guild

* preparing for the tournament
	+ banners
	+ snacks
	+ merchandise
	+ collecting dossiers and setting up odds for the contestants
* trying to suss out where the Stone of Golorr is
	+ if PCs impersonate Xanathar Guild it will cause confusion in their ranks

## Onscreen Events

### Leaving the Emergency Hearing

Laeral: "We have identified the last known person to go to the *Eyecatcher* before its destruction and are pursuing all leads aggressively. More information will come as events warrant. We consider this to be a grave matter and are employing all means at our disposal."

Observant PCs will notice the City Watch tailing them back to the A Nu Start Inn, but none make a move.

#### Second Waterdeep Bank

PCs want to pretend to steal the Stone of Golorr as the Xanathar, and will leave behind a thug's body to be identified.

* how do the PCs get a body?
	+ raid the morgue
	+ kill a thug randomly on the street
	+ convince a thug to join them on the heist & Joker them
* plans of the bank & vault
	+ PCs pretended to hide the stone in the Public Vault
* bank & vault security systems
	+ Arcane Eyes in each bank vault
	+ 6th-level wards on the vault doors, with a spoken password ("changes every shift"). Triggering the wards summons two Barlguras
	+ Private Sanctum spell on the Lord's Vault
	+ Physical guards
* method
	+ smash & grab
	+ stealthy break in
	+ social engineering (pretend to be someone pretending to be them)
* other treasure that is in the vault

#### Zhentarim Eye of Golorr

* Why would the Zhents move their Eye?
	+ likely they will use a fake to flush out the mole that Ladro said was in the ranks
* When moving the eye, Zhentarim will use an *Italian Job* style: multiple caravans taking different routes between safehouses

#### Tournament Roster

Noska Ur'gray (DH p 213), a dwarf enforcer with a crossbow for a left hand, runs the tournaments

Team 1:

* Eshbar the Magnificent, a vain and proud male Dragonborn
* Boda Gilla, a female dwarf who wears plate and wields a mace
* Mesym the Impure, who is known to use poisoned weapons
* Bouldereye, a one-eyed half-orc

Team 2:

* Kaavu Icestrider, a newcomer
* Balda Proudfang, a dwarf who is not all she seems
* Ghaveith the Bloody, a brutal northerly fighter
* Wiso the Whisper, a halfling known for stealth and sneaky tactics

Team 3:

* Meloon Wardragon, an adventurer
* Olestrund Quiverbottom, an elf ranger
* Bilcorin the Tinkerer, a rock gnome artificer who never wears footwear and uses what he calls a "gonne"

The Zhentarim are planning a separate heist on the night of the fight, but they will not tell the PCs because they suspect Agorn/Ladro is a mole.

### NPCs visiting

#### Laeral Silverhand

The morning of Ches 30th, the Open Lord Laeral Silverhand visits the PCs to discuss Ladro's involvement in the fire at the Sea Maidens' Faire. She currently knows information under "Open Lord Investigation", above.

Laeral is visiting to intimidate the PCs into compliance and learn who they work for. She wonders if they are an asset that can be turned. Her primary goal is to stop underground wars and secondary goal is to recover/prevent others from recovering Neverember's Enigma.

## Todo / Happenings

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

* PCs are leaving the hearing
	+ Vajra goes to look for her team, will send any information she gets
	+ Petunia finds Renaer Neverember in the crowd
		- Petunia is wearing Jarlaxle Baenre's eyepatch, but puts it off to cataracts
		- Renaer is trying to figure out who did it (for gossip) because none of the main groups left a calling card
* PCs return to the inn to re-evaluate their plan
	+ Kaavu is interested in how much people pay attention to "calling cards" left at the scenes of crimes
	+ expect Agorn Fuoco to be executed if he reports another failure—"you have failed me for the last time"
		- potentially get the Wazoo to print an obit for Agorn so that the Zhents don't look for him and the Xanathar look responsible
* PCs will not actually break in but will stage the aftereffects of the heist
	+ plan to use the Feign Death spell to "kill" Agorn Fuoco and have "Xanathar" guild members take his body
		- Tovarish and Tom will be Xanathar Guild members (Tom will be confused for a random thug if he is seen)
		- Kaavu, Petunia, and Ladro will be Zhentarim—will be themselves but with tattoos
	+ collected costumes, prepared the anonymous tip, made fake blood, etc
		- Paper bird message to the Zhentarim: "I believe the Xanathar Guild is going to steal part of the enigma from the 2nd Bank of Waterdeep tonight. In the event of my death know that I tried to stop them. But now that they have two stones I believe they will have a head in this race."
		- plan to send after they stage the "heist"
* Tovarish and Tom sneak up to the perimeter of the bank successfully
	+ Guards inside (unseen by Tovarish and Tom) but not outside
	+ Tom makes a minor illusion sound (breaking glass) and Petunia does thaumaturgy to attract attention
		- Tovarish pretends to be holding something under his cloak and shouts at the "Zhentarim", who shout back and identify Tovarish and Tom as Xanathar agent
		- Tovarish makes druidcraft to sound like he threw a rock and yells
	+ Two guards on top of the bank are watching the fight as well as someone from across the street
	+ Tovarish casts Feign Death on Ladro and Tom yells "Let's get out of here!"
		- Kaavu yells "I can't believe our Lieutenant Agorn is dead!"
		- Petunia goes through the motions of cure wounds to attempt to save Ladro, but he is already dead
		- Petunia and Kaavu pick him up and take him into an alley
		- Tom makes the Xanathar gang sign out of the fake blood
	+ As they leave, alarms and lights go off at the bank
		- Tovarish stuffs his cloak in a dumpster that will be easy to find
* Waterdeep Wazoo in the morning (Ches 30th): "Break in at the Second Waterdeep Bank??"
	+ "Late last night, thieves ostensibly from the Xanathar Guild were seen leaving the Second Waterdeep Bank with a valuable artifact. Witnesses at the scene claim there was a fight in which Agorn Fuoco, a high-ranking Zhentarim mercenary, was slain. His body is yet to be recovered but the combatants drew a grisly Xanathar Guild sign in what the Wazoo can only assume was his spilled blood. The Bank has yet to announce what was stolen or how much, though they were quick to say that the gold and treasures in their vaults were untouched. The Wazoo is following this heist closely."
* PCs in the morning stake out Kolat Towers to watch for a buildup of troops
	+ Manshoon is overly secure in his sanctum and won't move the Eye without convincing
	+ PCs want to send Ladro in as a different recruit to figure out what's happening

**TODO:**

* where is Ralston Highpike?
* what is Laeral's course of action investigating Ladro?