C2 E2: Welcome to Trollskull Manor

The PCs explore their new run-down inn and its neighborhood. This episode starts on the morning of Ches 3rd and ends on the morning of Ches 4th.

* Current Secrets
* Player Characters

## Last Time

Last episode, the PCs met each other at the Yawning Portal. There, Volo recruited them to find his missing friend, Floon Blagmaar. While investigating, the PCs discovered that Floon was kidnapped by the Xanathar Guild, who mistook him for Renaer Neverember. They were not able to find Floon before the Xanathar thugs decided he knew nothing, and killed him in one of their sewer hideouts. However, they did discover that the Zhentarim had stolen something out of a secret compartment in Renaer's mourning locket.

On their return to Volo, he was disappointed but fulfilled his end of the bargain. Kind of. He admitted that he was running low on cash while waiting for royalty payments, and instead offered the property of Trollskull Manor. It turns out to be a bit of a fixer-upper, but certainly worth more than what the PCs were originally offered.

## NPC Visits

Order of visits:

* Staget
* Jalester
* Paper bird
* The Emerald Enclave's cat messenger
* Savra
* Blackstaff

### The Watch

* Captain Staget arrives with the code legal
	+ He heard the PCs were on the scene at Candlestick Lane and wants to hear their story
	+ "Renaer was quite impressed with you, I must say. He's been telling everyone of your heroics and bravery. I suspect you'll have some visitors over the next few days."

### Order of the Guantlet

* Savra Belabranta of the Order of the Gauntlet arrives to recruit Kaavu
	+ Savra acts like the Mandalorian: terse, expository, unembellished, unpolished.
	+ Savra wants the PCs to put a stop to two fights in the Dock Ward (p. 39)
		- Make three successful Charisma-based checks before failing three, or else fight four thugs
		- Rewared: Admittance to the Order and 150gp

### Harpers

* A paper bird message arrives for Ladro Lamora and Petunia from the Harpers
	+ "Renaer tells us you're a good bet. He's bought you tickets to the opera tonight at the LIghtsinger Theater in the Sea Ward. If interested in work, meet Mirt at intermission in Private Box C. Formal attire is required." Tickets to the new opera, *The Fall of Tiamat*, are enclosed.
	+ Mirt wears a fine suit. PCs notice a silver pin of a harp within a crescent moon on his lapel. wants the PCs to find a talking horse that's a spy (Maxeene).
		- When found, Maxeene can be convinced by charisma or by bribery (apples, hay, etc)
		- Maxeene gave a ride to a sun elf and his half-orc bodyguard (Davil Starsong and Yagra Stonefist)) on Ches 1st. They were dropped off at the Yawning Portal. They talked about hiring spies to root out the Xanathar Guild hideouts.
		- Reward: 100gp, closer to being admitted to the Harpers
	+ Note: Mirt & the Harpers do not care if the PCs are part of another faction, and in fact prefer that they are so they can more effectively spy

### Force Grey

* Vajra Safahr, the Blackstaff, uses sending to reach Rentommen Highpike
	+ "I am Vajra Safahr, the Blackstaff. Come to Blackstaff Tower in the Castle Ward at once. Bring your friends."
	+ Vajra needs the PCs help ascertaining threats against the city. First, she needs the PCs to seek out Hlam, a monk who lives in a cave on Mount Waterdeep, and ask what he's heard about threats to the city. She warns the PCs that Hlam is a grouch.
		- Climbing the mountainside requires a Constitution saving throw, or the PCs get exhaustion.
		- Convincing Hlam to share information requires a charisma check. On success, he says "Evil's twin hides its face for now. Expect that to change before winter's end."
			* failure: Vajra says "well, that's about as much information as I expected. thank you for checking."
		- Reward: 100gp and the Blackstaff is happier about you

### Emerald Enclave

* A white, fluffy street cat follows Tovarish around until he interacts with it. When he does, the melodious voice of Mellanor Fellbranch, a druid, comes out:
	+ "Interested in joining the Emerald Enclave of druids? Come meet us at Phaulkonmere in the Southern Ward."
	+ Mellanor is a humourless but friendly groundskeeper of Phaulkonmere, a nobleperson's compound.
	+ Mellanor needs someone to stop living scarecrows from terrorizing Undercliff farms.
	+ Reward: 75gp and admission to the Emerald Enclave

### Lord's Alliance

* Jalester Silvermane arrives at the door and offers all the PCs to join the Lords' Alliance
	+ Jalester is a bit stuck up and rigid. He says, "Being an agent of the Lords' Alliance is not some dilly-dawdling job. It is active and there are difficult tasks. We expect you to work hard and complete the missions assigned to you in a timely manner. We are the wall between security and chaos."
	+ Mission: protect a group of dungsweepers for a tenday
	+ Reward: 50gp and admission to the Lords' Alliance

## ~~Werebear Hunt?~~

~~The PCs must find the killer of Buldrak Brickrock, Ulbrecht Richmond, to collect the reward (400gp).~~

~~Timeline of events: Buldrak ran a pawn shop in the dock ward. He fenced items for the Zhentarim Network. The Xanathar killed him and tried to frame Ulbrecht, a Zhentarim agent who has been seen dating his sister, Ilde Brickrock.~~

### ~~Node 0: Buldrak's Bait~~

~~A small but surprisingly smelly bait and tackle shop in the dock ward, squeezed between two nondescript residences. Harpoons, spears, and nets hang on the wall. Behind the counter is a wall of numbered buckets and a chalkboard. A barrel labeled "BYO Bait Grabsack - 1 Half Moon" sits in front of the counter. It has been roped off by the Watch, and you see two dwarven sturdy boots sticking out from the top.~~

* ~~A note from Ilde Brickrock, denying that she had been dating Ulbrecht Richmond despite the rumors (A)~~
* ~~A second ledger hidden in the office listing an inventory of fenced goods & regular payments to "Zara Nelson". The bookmark lists an address just around the corner. (B)~~
* ~~In both ledgers is a frequent customer, Ulbrecht. He is listed purchasing a lot of bait, but no equipment. He also is listed selling a lot of dock supplies: rope, rations, sails, tools, etc. (C)~~

### ~~Node A: Ilde Brickrock's House~~

~~Ilde talks to you through a cracked door, but doesn't let you in. She is dressed in all black.~~

* ~~"I told him not to fence for the Zhents! No good could come of that! And now look, he's found dead in his warehouse!" (B)~~
* ~~"He never liked my love, Ulbrecht. Wanted me to marry a dwarf. But I told him Ulbrecht was a good man with a steady job on the docks!" (C)~~

### ~~Node B: Warehouse of Fenced Goods~~

~~Around the corner from Buldrak's Bait is an unmarked, locked door. It looks like a house, but is oddly quiet. This is the address you have, though.~~

* ~~To-do list: "find gift for Ilde, pay insurance money to Zara Nelson" (A)~~
* ~~A box labeled "Useless Junk Ulbrecht Finds". It's filled with trinkets and useless items that seem to have come from the docks themselves. (C)~~

### ~~Node C: Ulbrecht Richmond on the Docks~~

~~Ulbrecht is a longshoreman who is just sitting down to a guild-mandated break when the PCs approach. He is a tall, impressively bearded man with broad shoulders. There is a winged serpent tattoo on his right hand. He is on edge as the PCs question him.~~

* ~~"Ilde and I have been together for more than a year now, and Buldrak just couldn't understand our love. He was being very possessive of Ilde—wanted her to marry a dwarf, no doubt." (A)~~

## Key Locations

* Exploring Trollskull Alley
* Trollskull Manor

## Secrets Divulged

*What might the players learn?*

* Trollskull Manor is haunted by a former owner
* There is a rival bar nearby that is concerned about their business

## Todo / Happenings

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

* Meet Nat, Jenks, & Squiddly
	+ told there was a trollskull that haunted the place
* Meet Lif, don't immediately kill. Promise to reopen the tavern
* Hyustus Staget arrives and asks about improvements
	+ Tells them about guilds, etc
	+ Tells them that people will be looking to hire them soon
* Everyone shows up and petitions the PCs
	+ Basic explanation of factions and jobs appears
	+ Jalester: Capt Vimes type voice, but stuck up and obnoxious
	+ Savra: Mandalorian style, helmet visor always down
	+ Vajra: Polite, MBA businesswoman
	+ Melannor: humorless
	+ Mirt: jovial Winston Churchill
* Jobs complete:
	+ Order of the Guantelt level 2
	+ Force Grey level 2
	+ Emerald Enclave level 2
* Start with talking to the horse next time

next time: guild relations as they rebuild,

Potential money making quests:

* Bully a non-guild member into joining
* Quietly neutralize someone who is giving a faction trouble
* Investigate a noblewoman's husband
* Collect the bounty on a wanted criminal (Bearish man who is wanted for murder, 300gp reward.)