TGAT: Session 10

The Gralhund Villa Bloodbath

## **Chapter 3: Fireball (Cont...)**

### Scene 7: Gralhund Villa *(night)(Cont...)*

Richard Dickens ran down the stairs after the fallen Urstul Floxin and successfully stopped his wound causing further injury sparing him death and left him in the care of Emily.

Upstairs Dave D'angle and Levi Gastonne entered the guest suite that Urstul Floxin was attempted to enter to reach Lord Orond Gralhund who had barricaded himself inside using heavy furniture to block the door.

The party were able to force open the blockaded door; shifting the wardrobe, desk, and an overstuffed chair out of the way and gained entry to the guest suite. Lord Orond Gralhund cowering behind a bed in the southwest corner. Although armed with a rapier, Lord Orond threw himself at the mercy of Dave D'angle, the first person to bust through his barricade.

Speaking with Lord Orond believing himself out of earshot of his wife disclosed the following information to the party:

* *"The Stone of Golorr is some kind of ancient creature transformed into an artefact. It knows the location of a hidden vault in Dawic containing half a million dragons."*
* *"House Gralhund has been bankrolling Black Network operations in Dawic, including the plot to kidnap Renaer Neverember and the plot to steal the Stone of Golorr from his father's gnome spy, Dalakhar."*
* *"My wife was frustrated with the Zhents and their inability to secure the artefact. She gave a necklace of fireballs to her mechanical servant and sent it out to help retrieve the stone. It was careless and caught the Zhents in the fireball by mistake."*

Meanwhile as they are speaking to Lord Orond upstairs. Downstairs the party are still dealing with Urstul and they hear two loud thuds outside and the unmistakable cry of a griffon. Accompanying the arrival of the Griffon Cavalry are around twenty City Guard and a handful of City Watch, lead by Barnibus Blastwind and Saeth Cromley.

Initiative begins and the party have two rounds to make their escape, hide or stand their ground before the guards and watch enter the premise investigating sounds of screaming and battle coming from inside the villa. Matt hides under the table in the main hall, Emily held Urstul captive and prepared his wanted poster ready for the guard to read, Mark opened the main door and let the guards in who immediately seized and handcuffed him. Matt revealed himself from under the table and was captured and handcuffed.

Another branch of the guards headed upstairs capturing Richard Dickens and as Barnibus Blastwind followed he recognised Richard Dickens from his earlier incarceration. *"What are the chances of meeting two persons linked to the fireball in Trollskull Alley...? In the same manor no less?" -* Barnibus Blastwind to Richard Dickens.

Continuing upstairs Barnibus Blastwind's guards encounter Levi Gastonne in the guest suite attempting to identify the magic rune circle on the floor. Levi Gastonne asks to speak with their leader but is swiftly quietened and handcuffed. Barnibus makes his way into the master bedroom and speaks with Lady Yalah Gralhund who is still being protected by Hrabbaz. Hrabbaz is focused solely on monitoring Bushy who has just wiped his bloody fists on the balcony curtains before lying upon the chaise longue to await capture. Three guards swarm in on him and restrain him.

Lady Yalah Gralhund changes her tune from the parties earlier encounter and informs Barnibus that the party have attacked her and her family in their home and she is fortunate the guard arrived in time to stop the Zhentarim thugs from snuffing out any more lives. Barnibus is shocked and the party is swiftly carried out to a nearby watch wagon to be taken to the Castle Ward dungeons.

### Scene 8: Dawic Magistrates Court

A familiar sight for Richard Dickens as he stands in the dock facing three masked lords in their complete Lord's Ensemble. This time however he stood with his companions. One of the masked lords asked them:

> *"You have been charged with the attempted murder of a Lord and Lady, and their children. You have been charged with brandishing weapons without due cause. You have been charged with damaging property. You have been charged with the murder without justification of no more than twenty citizens. You have been charged with disturbing the peace. How do you plead?" - Masked Lord*
>
>

All party members pleaded not guilty to all charges with the exception of damaging property however they argued that any damage was merely accidental.

All party members pleaded not guilty to all charges with the exception of damaging property however they argued that any damage was merely accidental. Guff argued that they were not Zhentarim and that they were only on the premises investigating the sounds of battle and screaming coming from inside. When the party entered the property they found several dead bodies of servants having been slain by Zhentarim whom were already inside, upstairs they encountered a small number of guards defending Lady Yalah Gralhund who was behind a closed door and they intervened in the fight between the guards of House Gralhund and the Zhents but as they slew the final Zhent, the Zhent also slew the last Guard.

The masked lord questioned how four trained guards of House Gralhund were defeated by three ill equipped Zhentarim thugs and all involved managed to die simultaneously leaving only the accused alive? Bushy stated that the Guards were poorly trained and fell easily to the Zhent assault. As there were no other witnesses the twenty charges of murder were dropped, the Masked Lord believing that Lady Yalah Gralhund mistook the party for additional Zhentarim.

Barnibus Blastwind was brought to the stands and gave evidence against Richard Dickens, that he was a known Zhentarim affiliate and had been arrested fewer than a tenday ago for attempting to conceal evidence relating to the fireball in Trollskull Alley. Richard Dickens denied his Zhentarim links and explained he was merely in the area searching for clues relating to the fireball, he had been told by Captain Staget that Urstul Floxin has been spotted numerous times entering Gralhund Villa and he was investigating these claims.

After much deliberation in a private quarter the Masked Lords returned to the courtroom and gave their verdict. All party members were cleared of all charges with the exception of disturbing the peace as they should have reported this information to the City Watch rather than causing a scene, and ordered to pay 25 gp each and given an edict to not return to Gralhund Villa. They were also convicted of causing minor property damage to a chandelier and ordered to pay 100 gp between them. Finally for continually talking to the court without permission and repeatably being told to be silent Richard Dickens was further charged with contempt of court and sentenced to 63 lashes.