C2 E18: The Second Eye

This episode begins midday on Ches 30th as the PCs are staking out the Zhentarim Guild headquarters, Kolat Towers. They have just performed a fake heist on themselves at the Second Waterdeep Bank to try and lure the Zhents into moving their Eye of Golorr. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have worked: the Zhentarim are not moving it.

Tonight is the Highcoin Ball at the Cassalanter Villa, and tomorrow is Tarsakh 1st, Caravance, the first night of Waukeentide. On Tarsakh 5th, Goldenight, Xanathar's Big Bashy Fight Tournament is happening.

* Current Secrets

## Last Time

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

Last time, the PCs left the emergency hearing and regrouped at the A Nu Start Inn. They prepared for and executed a very effective fake heist on the Second Bank of Waterdeep, pretending to be Xanathar Guild members stealing "a valuable artifact" from the vaults and also killing Agorn Fuoco (in disguise). They also sent a paper bird to the Zhentarim to spur the organization to action.

The next day, the PCs camped outside the headquarters but didn't notice any activity. Unsure how to spur the Zhents on, they plan their next move.

## Offscreen Events

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

### The Highcoin Ball

Ches 30th: The Black Viper will sneak around the Cassalanter Villa during the Highcoin Ball and discovers there is a secret door in the wine cellar. Nat, Jenks, & Squiddly have been hired as bus-urchins and also attempt to snoop. They will tell the PCs of screams they heard coming from the top of the house, but all the other servants ignored them when asked.

### Upcoming Events

Tarsakh 5th: Zhentarim members will stage a competing heist against Xanathar's Eye of Golorr.

Ongoing: The PCs are under surveillance from Laeral Silverhand's forces via continuous Scry spells.

### Xanathar Guild

* preparing for the tournament
	+ banners
	+ snacks
	+ merchandise
	+ collecting dossiers on betters and setting up odds for the contestants

### Zhentarim Response

If the PCs go into Kolat Towers, the Zhentarim there will tell them to report to Vevette Blackwater at Yellowspire (use winter version of Old Tower, DH p79). The priestess, Amath Seccent, was friends with Agorn Fuoco. The Zhents are preparing to stage a trap for the Xanathar Guild and want to use the PCs as bait. They want to flush out the mole that Ladro told them when he was masquerading as Agorn.

The Xanathar attack team is led by Korgstrad and carries **A Directive from N'Arl Xibrindas** indicating the holders should get "properly outfitted" by Grinda Garloth. The Xanathar team also carries a +1 weapon. The Zhents will leave one Xanathar guild member alive—Ralston Highpike.

\*\*\*\* The PCs helped the Xanathar Guild team fend off the Zhentarim ambush. **Krogstrad**, the Xanathar team leader, will send Ralston Highpike (aka "Prepsqueak") to other teams warning them of ambushes. He'll take the PCs to the Sewer Hideout 2.

### NPCs visiting

#### Laeral Silverhand, the Open Lord

Laeral Silverhand has bought out every seat at the bar and has moved her office here while she waits for the PCs to return. She currently knows the information on Open Lord's Investigation into the Drow Spy Ring.

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. If she sees Ladro's firearm, she will wonder where he got it.

## Todo / Happenings

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

* outside Kolat Towers, waiting for activity
	+ plan to disguise Ladro as Kaavu in disguise and send Tovarish in as well Ratatouille-style
	+ Manafret the cook tells Ladro & Tovarish to go to Yellowspire and meet up with Vevette Blackwater as part of "the Zhent response" to the situation
* PCs go to Yellowspire
	+ Ladro disguises himself as Tovarish—players wary of repercussions from the Emergency Hearing
	+ Ladro and Petunia notice two City Watch following them from Kolat Towers
		- Laeral is keeping tabs on the PCs and may think they are working for the Zhentarim now
	+ After some questioning, the PCs accept the task of escorting the fake "eye of golorr" as bait
		- Meanwhile, Amath Sercent converts the publisher of the *The Targe* (a broadsheet that offers vitriolic rants on all manner of topics)
* PCs walk into the ambush
	+ plan to turn to the Xanathar mid-fight, Tom will say the keyword when he gets confirmation that the Xanathar will negotiate
		- keyword is "pumpernickel"
	+ Tom purchases some lollipops and gives the codeword to the dwarf behind the counter of the Orb Confectioners
	+ The fight breaks out and the PCs try to negotiate with the Xanathar
		- Midway through the fight and the PCs have so far killed some grunts on each side
		- No negotiation progress through the fight
	+ Eventually Ladro stabs a Zhentarim and the Xanathar fighters believe the PCs
		- able to kill all the Zhents before they run away—no survivors
* Korgstrad leads the PCs into the sewer hideout
	+ There they meet Thorvin Twinbeard, who directs them to the gladiator games via Terasse Estate tomorrow night (Tarsakh 1st)
		- Tells them to meet Nar'l or Ahmaergo to negotiate a deal to launch a heist on the Zhentarim
		- Kaavu thinks he is supposed to be fighting
	+ The PCs return to the A Nu Start Inn and lose their tails along the way
		- Ladro follows the tails... back to the A Nu Start Inn
* PCs meet the urchins outside the inn
	+ The urchins excitedly tell the PCs about their plan to explore the Cassalanter Villa while bussing tables
* PCs enter the A Nu Start Inn and run into Laeral
	+ She questions the PCs about how they learned about the nefarious activities at the Sea Maidens' Faire
		- PCs talk about the assassination attempt
		- PCs also talk about the nimblewright spy network
	+ how was Jarlaxle spying through the nimblewrights?
		- PCs talk about the Mechanisms and the necromancer in the Graveyard
	+ how many lieutenants?
		- at least two, Laeral knows there is a third somewhere
	+ what happened to the *Scarlet Marpenoth*?
		- it sunk, there is a dragon
	+ two city watch that have been following the PCs return and report back to Laeral
		- Ladro overhears them reporting back the PCs position and events, but they do not report affiliations
* Gnomes at the bar say they can fix the ship in 5 days and 200g, thankfully Laeral paid 250g for buying the bar
* PCs plot their next move
	+ Kaavu and Ladro will hang around the Cassalanter Villa to make sure there aren't mass killings
	+ Tom may send his familiar to the party to spy as well
	+ Other tasks
		- Get ready for the recon mission into the Xanathar hideout (tomorrow, Tarsakh 1st)
	+ PCs make money on their bar, Petunia's shop does very well (see Business Upkeep)
* next time:
	+ PCs need to figure out what to do in the day and what they want from the visit
	+ talk to Urchins about what happened at the Highcoin Ball
	+ gladiator games

**June 30th:**

* talking to urchins in the morning
	+ Learn that there was an odd screaming coming from upstairs that sounded like a person in pain
	+ only able to hear the screaming when in servants' areas
	+ other servants ignored any questions about the screams
* during the day
	+ Petunia and Ladro go to the matinee opera
		- why has the gang war festered for so long? everyone wants control of the city
			* neverember's enigma will tip the scales decisively
		- do the cassalanters take VIP guests?
			* Mirt doesn't trust that the curse exists
		- Discovered that the Xanathar used to have the Stone of Golorr, but it was stolen by Dalakhar (and eventually recovered by the PCs)
	+ Kaavu, Tom, and Tovarish go to the Yawning Portal to talk to Davil Starsong
		- a friend who was waiting tables at the event heard the screams
		- said he was paid handsomely for ignoring it, so he ignored it
		- Talked to Estele Rsoznar and learned there is a secret door in the wine cellar that she couldn't open
* at the gladiator games
	+ Terasse Estate / on the way to the games
		- Tom watches through his familiar as they pass under the city to Skullport, sees the Guts & Garters Inn, and the tunnel (T intersection to the inn, the dock, and Xanathar's lair)
* loose ends:
	+ who is the necromancer? a Rosewind
	+ what's going on with the dryad mechanism?