C2 E9: Gralhund Villa Fracas

This episode begins the evening of Ches 22nd, the same day as C2 E8: Fireball's events. At the beginning, the Gralhunds have the Stone of Golorr and the PCs are outside the Gralhund Villa. The Zhentarim team led by Urstul Floxin is about to make their move in.

* Current Secrets
* Player Characters
* Alexandrian: Fireball & Investigation
* Alexandrian: Gralhund Villa
* High-level revelations

## Last Time

Last time, the PCs were surprised in the mid morning by a large fireball outside the A Nu Start Inn. The instigator was able to escape after a brief pursuit, but witnesses identified it as a nimblewright with a floppy hat and van dyke beard. It targeted Dalakhar, a friend of Renaer Neverember's and his father's agent. Dalakhar intended to meet with Renaer about a matter of great urgency and value, but nothing was discovered on the body. The PCs then talked to Captain Zardoz Zord of the Sea Maiden's Faire, who informed them that the nimblewright in question was owned by the Gralhunds.

In the midst of this, the PCs had a very suspicious meeting with the Cassalanters, the richest noble family in the city. They revealed a terrible curse had been bestowed on their children, and they hoped to hire the PCs to find the money from Neverember's Enigma and give it to them to help their children. The PCs accepted, but kept their guard up.

Finally, the PCs made it to Gralhund Villa in the late afternoon and investigated. Tovarish explored the house as a spider while Ladro and Tom tried to bluff their way into Lord Orond Gralhund's confidence. The plan is foiled when the butler notices them casting a spell on Lord Orond, and the two flee. Kaavu and Petunia, meanwhile, kept watch outside the Villa (mostly Petunia). She notices three separate teams surreptitiously monitoring the house: Zhentarim thugs, Xanathar Guild gazers, and Bregan D'aerthe drow. They regroup a few alleys away as a light rain begins to fall.

## Onscreen Events

### Urstul Floxin's Plan

Urstul wants to enter the house quietly through G6 – Pantry, make a rush through G8 – The Great Hall, go up the stairs, and capture Lord Orond, Lady Yalay, and/or the children before the guards can fully mobilize. With hostages in hand, he believes they can negotiate for the Stone of Golorr and then leave.

This is what their raid looks like, broadly speaking (assuming the PCs don’t intervene):

* Urstul Floxin and 8 Zhents in black leather armor rendezvous with the 2 watchers and then all of them approach along the villa’s rear wall and pick the lock to the Pantry (G6).
* Inside they are surprised to discover two servants (the head butler and the cook) using the pantry for an illicit, late night romantic liaison.
* The halfling cook makes a run for the Kitchen (G5), screaming bloody murder. Which is, in fact, what the Zhents do: They murder both servants.
* The cook’s screams, however, alert the head maid who was working in the Laundry (G7). She comes to see what the fuss is all about, entering the kitchen to see the Zhents cut down the cook in the opposite doorway. She turns and runs back through the laundry screaming.
* Floxin curses and tells half of his men to chase her down. They catch up with her on the backstairs to the Servant’s Quarters (G19) and kill her. A couple of other servants who were coming down the stairs run back up, raising the alarm, and the servants eventually barricade themselves.
* Meanwhile, the head maid’s screams have alerted the guards in the Great Hall (G8). One of them runs out the front doors and circles around to the Barracks (G4) to raise the rest of the guard. The other three move into G7 and begin fighting the Zhents there.
* This actually works to Floxin’s advantage slightly, leaving the Great Hall (G8) empty. He and his force rush from the Kitchen (G6) into the south end of the Great Hall (G8), but before they can head for the stairs, two guards on patrol in the Parlor (G9) walk out the door. Urstul and his men attack, driving the guards back into G9 and killing them.
* Lord Orond emerges from the Library (G12), where he’s been studying late. Urstul, still in the hall just outside G9 sees him, gives a cry. Lord Orond flees up the stairs while Urstul and his men give chase.
* The guards fighting the Zhents in the Laundry (G7) are mortally wounded and fall back almost simultaneously into G8. The Zhents they were fighting give pursuit and kill them.
* Upstairs the guards in the Upstairs Foyer (G13) have already barricaded the doors to the Master Bedroom (G16) where Lady Yalah and the children are. So when Lord Orond comes rushing upstairs, one of the guards ushers him into the Guest Suite (G15). The guard is killed by Urstul Floxin as he shuts the door on his lord.
* Meanwhile, guards are pouring out of the Barracks (G4) and entering the house through both the Great Hall (G8) and the Kitchen (G5). They engage the second Zhent force in G8.
* Upstairs things are looking bad for the Gralhunds, with Urstul’s Zhents dispatching the other guard in G13. The Zhents downstairs hold the line and manage to kill a total of eight guards there, but after two Zhents are killed they’re forced into a fighting retreat up the stairs.
* A furious melee breaks out at the top of the stairs while Urstul desperately tries to break down the door in the Guest Suite (G15b) to reach Lord Orond and take him hostage. Some of the Zhents manage to break down the door to the Master Bedroom (G16), but are then forced to turn and fight as the guards come pouring up the stairs.

### Expected Outcome

not set in stone!!

* PCs end up with the Stone of Golorr
* Potential rooftop chase (p72)
	+ Gazers swoop in during the chase
* If PCs don't get the stone, it goes to a Faction Outpost

## Todo / Happenings

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

* Tovarish notices Zhentarim thugs crossing above the alley towards the Villa
	+ Kaavu heads up to the rooftops and helps the rest up
	+ The PCs keep an eye on the Zhents—who are planning—as they decide their next move
* Urstul & the Zhents move in, so do the PCs
	+ Ladro climbs to the servants' quarters as they barricade the door and learns the Zhents are moving in
	+ Ladro: "I'm not \_that\_ kind of hero" and slips out the window again
	+ Kaavu jumps across the roofs and misses, landing heavily on a nearby wall
	+ Tom, Petunia, and Tovarish enter the Great Hall and see the large melee happening
	+ Ladro & Kaavu move to a different window to avoid the barricade, discover it's the wrong side
		- Kaavu runs down into the hall and Ladro goes up to the next window
		- Ladro breaks into the kids' room and scares them, but calms them and tells them to hide under the bed
* Ladro takes the Stone of Golorr from Lady Yalah after a brief conversation and reunites with the party
	+ Urstul Floxin runs off after being "interviewed" by Petunia
		- Reveals he was after the Stone of Golorr
		- Petunia warns him to stay away
* All go to the study
	+ Why are there so many naked men statues? DM note: Secret switch by pulling on a dick
	+ Tom gathers Gralhunds' notes on the Grand Game
* PCs exit after a further brief search to avoid the guards
	+ the Drow faction team start shooting as the PCs exit
	+ Kaavu fights some drow fighters while the other PCs attempt to mount horses
		- no one knows how to ride a horse and the door is locked
		- spellcasters burn the stablehouse down trying to escape
		- sharpshooters keep firing at the PCs as they flee
* PCs eventually make it safely back to the A Nu Start Inn and regroup
	+ Rentommen Highpike reads Lord Gralhund's journal and discovers an invitation to the shipwright's ball
	+ PCs know they have been watched after taking the stone and are worried about their safety
* A Bregan D'aerthe attack team comes for the PCs in the middle of the night
	+ PCs fend it off and find a note on one of them (see Krebbyg Masq'il'yr's *Sealed Letter to Fenerus Stormcastle*

### Secrets Divulged

*What did the players learn?*

* Gralhund's faction notes on the Grand Game
* Lord Gralhund is in the closet
	+ hosts wrestling matches in his study
	+ writes terrible erotic poetry