C2 E10: The Game is Afoot!

The PCs have obtained the Stone of Golorr from the Gralhunds and have a lead to Fenerus Stormcastle's House.

This episode starts the morning of Ches 23rd. The Shipwrights' Ball is Ches 25th.

* Current Secrets
* Player Characters
* Faction Outposts (Bregan & Cassalanters)
* Outpost & Lair Revelations

## Last Time

Last time, the PCs saw Zhentarim thugs break in to the villa through the pantry. They heard screams and sounds of fighting inside. Thinking quickly, Ladro Lamora jumped from their rooftop perch to the second story window and found servants barricading the door. Declaring "I'm not *that* kind of hero," he slipped out and pursued an alternate way in.

Meanwhile, Kaavu Icestrider attempted a similar jump and crashed into the villa wall. He managed to pull himself up into the second level while Rentommen Highpike, Petunia, and Tovarish of the UFFR follow the thugs' path into a fight in the Great Hall. Tovarish wildshaped into a bear to scare off guards and thugs alike while Ladro acquired the Stone of Golorr from Lady Gralhund.

The group goes to Lord Gralhund's last seen location, his study. Unfortunately he is not there, but left his work out as he fled seemingly in a hurry. As they investigate his side hobbies, Tom gathers up his notes. Back at The A Nu Start Inn, Tom reads the notes and discovers an invitation to the Shipwrights' Ball in a few days. Overnight, a team of drow attempt to take the stone, but the PCs fight them off and discover a note referencing one Fenerus Stormcastle.

## Onscreen Events

*Where do we expect the players to go?*

* Fenerus Stormcastle's House
* Sea Maidens' Faire
* researching the Shipwrights' Ball

### Mission: Rosewind Society

A letter appears in Ladro Lamora's room attached by string to a rare vintage from Baldur's Gate. Inside is a note and a further sealed envelope:
"Dear friend, please plant this scathing expose in the office of *The Waterdeep Wazoo* tabloid publisher Gaxly Rudderbust. Leave the story on his desk with this rose. Do not be discovered. -the Rosewinds".

* inside the envelope is an expose on devil worship among unnamed Waterdavian noble families
	+ mentions orgies and secret deals with demons behind closed doors
	+ claims the corruption is rife throughout the society world: "this corruption is through the top and bottom of the ruling class"
	+ alleges that several demonic devices have found their way into the hands of nobles with the wrong aim
* PCs can break in while office is closed during lunch or after hours
	+ after hours, the printers in the basement are working but Gaxly's office is empty
	+ guards patrol the outside grounds and one on the roof

### NPCs visiting?

#### Vincent Trench

* pores over some papers in a corner booth with a brandy
* heard about the "fracas" at Gralhund Villa with four teams
	+ everyone knows the Zhents and Xanathars are at it, but "seems like there are two factions unaccounted for at the villa"
	+ "I wonder what the cause of all that is. Must be something important to the Grand Game"
* Knows the location of a Xanathar armorer (for a price)
	+ Grinda Garloth works to outfit Xanatharian agents with high quality equipment
	+ If the PCs pay well or persuade, he also says that she outfits gladiators for fighting in his lair

## Todo / Happenings

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

* PCs try to figure what to do with the stone
	+ Loudly fake hide it in a safe deposit box at First Waterdeep Bank
	+ send a second team to "stealthy" hide it in a safe deposit box at Second Waterdeep Bank (1g /month)
	+ Actually hide it in a bag of holding that Ladro carries
		- ask Vincent Trench to buy a bag of holding for them (400gp) secretly
	+ purchase window repairs (5gp) and did the labor themselves
* Vincent returns to the bar and orders a brandy
	+ PCs buy the two boxes and store Floon's old necklace & a note in the Second Bank vault ("enhanced security", deeper in the vaults and behind wards)
* Try to figure out what the Stone of Golorr does
* Go to talk to Davil Starsong about work
	+ points to 3rd Zhentarim mission
	+ paying for information on the Brass Mechanisms
		- PCs tell him about the necromancer and the Phoenix Mechanism
* PCs go to investigate Fenerus Stormcastle's House
	+ intimidate the man into handing over the messages he has
	+ go back to the inn and decipher the messages in their possession
	+ learned that the messages were taken back to the Sea Maidens' Faire
* Talk to Vincent Trench more
	+ learn about the mechanisms
	+ discover the name of Basilisk, Eagle, Dryad, and Phoenix Mechanisms
* Ladro gets the Rosewind mission & completes it easily
* PCs pursue the Dasher Snobeedle quest & finish it
* PCs warn Savra and Vajra that the drow have infiltrated the Shipwright's Ball
	+ Vajra says she will warn Captain Zord that drow have infiltrated his organization

next time: the ball!

DM note: Cassalanters have a Brass Mechanism related to demonology