Waterdeep: Dragon Heist - Session XXI

## Navigation

Session List

Last Session: Session XX Cat & Mouse

Next Session: Session XXII A Bad Time to be a Zhent

 Basics & Rundown

Out of Game Date played: 2020-05-09

Session Title: An Assimar & a Nimblewright

In-game Date: Tarsakh 21-22 1583 DR

Location: Waterdeep

Player Characters: (Alphabetical order)

* *Choo-Cha* (Cory)
* *Gooz* (Aaron)
* Järna (Claire)
* *Julian Bellafontaine* (Matt)
* *Thola* (Julianne)
* *Tyr Dithias* (Garrett)

## Back at Base (Tarsakh 21)

When *Choo-Cha, Thola* & Järna get back they see *Gooz* & *Julian* 69'ing on top of bar. They stop & *Gooz* & *Julian de*scribe how they escaped the Gralhund Villa. After they talked they rested for the night.

## News & an Invitation (Tarsakh 22)

While eating breakfast they read the new issue of the Waterdeep Wazoo published on Tarsakh 22 cover story that reads as follows:

The City watch was alerted yesterday afternoon that a small ape was climbing around the Villa's exterior & pummeled a half-orc throwing her out of a window. As the watch descended they realized this was only part of the picture. as they entered the compound the carnage unveiled itself as 30 people had died in the fighting.
It started tenday ago when the Black Network took over the complex and held everyone in it as a hostage. Lord Gralhund secretly gathered enough weapons so he could heroically cast of the Zhentarim invaders. Lord Gralhund was found unconsciousness next the lifeless body of a prominent member of the Black Network, Urstul Floxin. Luckily the Villa's heroic guard killed or repelled the rest of the invaders saying that a goblin & human posing as lawyers were also in the villa at the time an attacked the villa's guard. Hrabbaz, the half-orc captain of the villa's guard, told the Waterdeep Wazoo that the human did introduce himself as a famous bard, but forgot his name as he had never heard of him. Unfortunately, for the investigators this may ensure these two "lawyers" will never be brought to justice.
Lady Gralhund did say that there was a hostile nimblewright present with the Zhentarim force and that this nimblewright stole many valuables including a necklace of fireballs. This nimblewright may be responsible for, what is now being dubbed as, the terror in Trollskull Alley several days earlier when a fireball killed a dozen people and critically injured many others.
This has led to a massive crackdown on Black Network members across the city, raids were performed last night taking many prominent agents of the organization into custody. When we inquired into who was taken into custody the City Watch did not comment.
This is not the first time the Gralhund family was embroiled in a scandal. Earlier this year from unknown but reliable sources the Waterdeep Wazoo learnt of a secretive devil worshiping cult at the upper echelons of Waterdeep's noble families (Session XI). When the Waterdeep Wazoo asked the investigators, Barnibus Blastwind & Saeth Cromley if they recovered any proof of this cult when the city watch stormed the compound they told us that they do not comment on active investigations.
Several mysteries remain of this case. Why was there a large ape kidnapping an unconscious half-orc? Where are the Goblin & Human Lawyers? and why, why dear reader, was there a druid in the stables that had shape-shifted into Lil' Lancelot, the beloved show pony?
One thing is for certain, the search for the missing nimblewright is now on.

The party determines that there was a lot of falsehoods in the newspaper article and that they should visit *Barnibus Blastwind* to set the record straight.

## A Meeting with an Investigator

Everyone, except *Julian* & *Choo-Cha* wait outside while the rest of the party talks *Barnibus Blastwind*. They attempt to help old women cross the road but no-one wanted help.

*Gooz*, *Thola* & Järna tell *Barnibus* that the *Gralhunds* were working with the nimblewright & that the construct was not aligned with the Zhentarim. *Barnibus*, skeptical, asks how *Gooz* how he knows this. *Gooz* reveals that he was in the villa at the time because he did have a legal case that he needed to talk to the Gralhunds about. *Barnibus* still slightly skeptical but nevertheless happy about this new statement asks about the other "lawyer" / "famous bard", *Gooz,* lies & says that *Julian* is injured & that is why he could come & give a statement. *Barnibus*writes down the entirety of the statement now believing *Gooz.*

When the party exits *Barnibus's* office they are confronted by a large **Fallen Aasimar** (*Dithias*) being release from custody & *Carp Alderleaf* following afterwards who is visibly angered.

*Thola* recognizes *Carp &* asks what is wrong. *Carp* says that *Dithias* killed his prized show pony, *Lil Lancelot*, & since the crime did not happen in the City, so *Dithias* cannot be charged. *Dithias* vehemently denies that he killed the show pony. *Thola* tells *Carp* that she will talk to *Dithias. Dithias* tells Tholathat he has never met *Carp* in his life. *Thola* clarifies that *Dithias* was on a quest with her recently & knows for a fact that he has met *Carp*. She decides to leave calling him an asshole.

When *Thola* regroups with her party she points out *Dithias* as that asshole. The party starts talking to *Dithias* skeptical about her judgement of character & grows a liking the *Dithias* that ends in including her in the party. *Thola & Dithias* get into religious fight about their respective gods Selûne & Eilistraee.

## House of the Inspired Hand

As they approached a mechanical sparrow is sent out from a silhouetted figure from the top of the Temple of Gond. *Dithias* says this mechanical bird is an abomination to nature attacking it with his trident shattering the mechanical sparrow. *Choo-Cha* picks up the pieces to return it to the temple.

They enter & inside the Temple of Gond is open & abuzz with activity there acolytes & many marble pedestals with wondrous creations or miniaturizations of larger creations made by members of the temple through the years. *Valetta*, dragonborn priest of bronze dragon ancestry seems like the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. The party asks after the escaped **nimblewright** named "*Helux*". She dismissively says that makes sense many people are looking for the **nimblewright** now that it has committed several serious crimes, but it has been wanted for months now. She gives the party some information about the **nimblewright**, saying that *Helux* just appeared & no one took credit for it's construction. When pressed she reveals that it is odd because **nimblewrights** are only ever gifted to the temple by **Lantenese wizards**.

*Choo-Cha* asks if she can see the **nimblewright** that is living in the temple so she can have a frame of reference & see this magnificent wonder. *Valetta* agrees & leads the party up a long flight of stairs to the top of the tower. When they arrive she curses as *Nim* has changed the lock again, *Julian* casts knock to unlock the door. *Valetta* thanks him & he kisses her hand allowing her to go in first.

The players enter a domed sunlit workshop with long forgotten, as well as some half completed creations. Eventually, *Nim* the **nimblewright** comes out using simple sign language towards *Valetta*.

*Dithias* casts Necrotic Shroud upon seeing *Nim* making *Choo-Cha*, *Julian* & *Gooz* frightened. *Valetta* casts a spell towards *Dithias* wiping out half of her health commanding her to stop. *Dithias* drops the shroud & *Valetta* drops her spell, angrily expressing that if she does anything like that again she will cast again & that the party can ask a few questions but no more as her hospitality has run out.

*Choo-Cha* asks *Nim* about the **nimblewright** *Helux*in which *Nim* reveals that he was *Helux's*creator & that he did it because he was lonely, only to have *Helux* run away months later. *Valetta* who is conveying this over sign language is angered by this revelation. *Choo-Cha* & *Gooz* press on further to ask if there was any way they could help *Nim's* friend. *Nim* gives the party a magical device of his own construction named "Nimblewright Detector" that can detect a **nimblewright** other than *Nim* up to 500 feet away.

*Valetta* ushers the party downstairs & offers the players 600 GP if they can bring proof of destruction of *Helux*to herself. *Julian* presses why & *Valetta* retorts that a sentient **nimblewright** like *Nim* is unique & special but if *Nim* continues to create new & possibly sentient **nimblewrights** that spells trouble for humanoid species. *Dithias* asks what the reward would be to destroy *Nim* & *Valetta*, visibly disgusted with the **Fallen Aasimar**, replies that she does not wish that to happen.

The party heads back to Spooky's to rest up before their city wide search of the missing **nimblewright** beginnings.