Go to Part 1

In this penultimate section of the Remix, we’re going to use the principles of node-based scenario design to retrofit the campaign’s fundamental structure. This work can broadly be divided into three parts:

• Strengthening the Three Clue Rule for Finding Floon (Chapter 1)
• Heavily revising the Nimblewright Investigation that leads to the Gralhund Villa (Chapter 2)
• Linking together all of the elements of the Grand Game (primarily the faction outposts and lairs)

This will primarily consist of revelation lists, the use of which is discussed in the original Three Clue Rule essay.

Where the clues on these revelation lists can be integrated into the material we’ve treated at length in the Remix, I’ve done so. In these cases, the revelation lists can be used strictly for their normal function: As a reference for helping the GM to understand and track the structure of the scenario.

In some cases, however, clues are added to other sections of the campaign which we haven’t visited in detail as part of the Remix. (This is particularly true for the material in Part 5B: Finding Floon, for example.) These clues will be called out, and the GM will need to use the revelation lists to make sure that this material is properly incorporated into those sections of the campaign.

THE REFERENCE TIMELINE

Before diving into the revelation lists, however, we’re going to organize all of the back story of the campaign (revised and otherwise) into a single reference timeline. This partly exists in order to eliminate the myriad continuity errors found in the original campaign, but mostly to provide an easy reference for the GM while they’re actually running the campaign.

RISE AND FALL OF LORD NEVEREMBER

• 1451 DR: Neverwinter is destroyed when a small adventuring party (including Jarlaxle Baenre) awoke the primordial Maegera beneath Mount Hotenow.
• 1467 DR: Lord Dagult Neverember, Open Lord of Waterdeep, proclaims himself ruler of Neverwinter and begins the New Neverwinter movement to rebuild the city.
• Lord Neverember begins embezzling money from the Waterdeep treasury.
• Lord Neverember discovers the Stone of Golorr in Neverwinter.
• When Lady Alethea Brandath (Lord Neverember’s wife) dies, Lord Neverember learns of the existence of an ancient dwarven vault beneath the Brandath Mausoleum.
• Lord Neverember gains access to the old Melairkyn Vault beneath the Brandath Mausoleum. He begins storing the embezzled money (eventually totaling half a million gold dragons) in the Vault and uses the Stone of Golorr to hide its existence.
• As an additional security precaution, Lord Neverember blinds the Stone of Golorr: Leaving the Stone in Waterdeep Palace, he keeps one of the Eyes with him in Neverwinter, secretly gives one to his son (hidden inside a mourning locket), and hides the last within the Brandath Mausoleum.
• During this time, various factions become aware that Lord Neverember is engaged in some grand scheme, of which only the contours are known. The phrase “Neverember’s Enigma” is coined.
• 1489 DR: Laeral Silverhand returns to Waterdeep and Lord Neverember is deposed.
• In the confusion of the transition of power, Lord Neverember sends agents to retrieve the Stone of Golorr from the palace. As those agents leave the city, they are ambushed by Xanatharian agents who steal the Stone.

THE GRAND GAME

• The Cassalanters retrieve what they believe to be Neverember’s Enigma — but is actually just one of the Eyes — from the Brandath Mausoleum. Their research quickly reveals that it is part of the Stone of Golorr.
• Lord Neverember sends a network of agents into Waterdeep. Many of these agents are attempting to locate the Stone. One of them, Dalakhar, is assigned to keep a watchful eye on Dagult’s son, Renaer. (Dalakhar isn’t told this, but Lord Neverember’s primary concern is that the Eye unwittingly carried by Renaer is kept safe until he can regain the Stone.)
• Manshoonian Zhentarim steal the Eye from the Protector’s Enclave in Neverwinter.
• Laeral Silverhand’s auditors discover Lord Neverember’s embezzlement. The news soon leaks.
• Zhentarim go to Xanathar to propose an alliance. Xanathar kills the embassy and takes their Eye. A gang war breaks out between the Guild and the Black Network.
• Lord Neverember discovers that Xanathar stole the Stone. Dalakhar is sent to infiltrate Xanathar’s organization and steal the Stone back. (At this point Lord Neverember believes that Xanathar has the Stone and that the Zhentarim still have the Eye they stole from him. To maintain the original siloing of information, Dalakhar is not told about the Eyes and doesn’t know to look for the one Xanathar now holds.)
• Jarlaxle Baenre arrives in Waterdeep and begins selling nimblewrights.

DRAGON HEIST BEGINS (1492 DR)

• With Dalakhar’s network removed from watching over Renaer, he’s exposed. The Zhentarim kidnap Renaer and take the Eye hidden in his mourning locket. (The PCs then presumably rescue Renaer.)
• Ches 20^th: Dalakhar successfully steals the Stone from Xanathar.
• Ches 22^nd: Dalakhar’s attempts to leave town are unsuccessful. (Xanathar tracked down and killed his extraction team before he could rendezvous with them, and he has agents surrounding Renaer Neverember’s house.) Dalakhar attempts to meet Renaer at Trollskull Manor, but by this time he’s being actively tracked by the Gralhund, Zhentarim, Cassalanters, and possibly others. Dalakhar is killed by the Gralhund Nimblewright. (See Part 2 and Part 5C.)

REVELATION LIST: THE STONE OF GOLORR

The first part of Dragon Heist is procedurally driven by investigations which are, structurally, unrelated to the Stone of Golorr: The PCs can solve the mysteries of Floon’s kidnapping and Dalakhar’s assassination without necessarily understanding what the ultimate motivation behind those crimes was.

Thus, the key turning point in the campaign is when the PCs realize what’s truly at stake and, importantly, begin to proactively drive the Grand Game.

REVELATION: DALAKHAR WAS CARRYING THE STONE OF GOLORR

• Casting speak with dead on Dalakhar or the dead Zhentarim (see Dragon Heist, p. 46, but note that we’re specifically adding that the Zhentarim knew that Dalakhar was carrying the “Stone of Golorr”).
• Questioning any number of people involved in the Grand Game (Urstul Floxin, the Gralhunds most likely, but also members of Xanathar’s Crime Guild or, later, Bregan D’Aerthe lieutenants).
• Observing Jarlaxle’s nimblewright recordsings. (Sea Maidens Faire)
• A Directive from Jarlaxle (Gralhund Villa – Arthen Manor)

REVELATION: WHAT IS THE STONE OF GOLORR?

• Researching the Stone of Golorr (see Part 6A)
• Any significant player in the Grand Game (lieutenant or up within any faction) will know that the Stone of Golorr is they key to finding Lord Neverember’s Enigma
• Faction Reports on the Grande Game (see Part 6D)

REVELATION LIST: THE THREE EYES

The PCs need to figure out that (a) the Stone of Golorr is missing three Eyes and (b) where those Eyes are being held, so that (c) they can go steal them. This is basically the core structure of the campaign.

REVELATION: THERE ARE THREE MISSING EYES

• Studying the Stone of Golorr
• Gralhund Study of the Grand Game (Gralhund Villa)
• Jarlaxle’s Report on the Grand Game (Sea Maidens Faire)
• Cassalanter Report on the Grand Game (Cassalanter Villa)
• Xanathar’s Report on the Grand Game (Xanathar Lair)
• Manshoon’s Report on the Grand Game (Kolat Tower)
• Letter to Lord Neverember (Kalain)

REVELATION: CASSALANTERS’ EYE

• If the PCs are working for them, the Cassalanters provide their Eye once they have the other two.
• Jarlaxle’s Report on the Grand Game (Sea Maidens Faire)
• Manshoon’s Report on the Grand Game (Kolat Tower)
• Seffia’s Ritual & Seffia’s Note (Converted Windmill / Response Team: Seffia)

REVELATION: XANATHAR’S EYE

• Gralhund Report on the Grand Game (Gralhund Villa)
• Jarlaxle’s Report on the Grand Game (Sea Maidens Faire)
• Cassalanter Report on the Grand Game (Cassalanter Villa)
• Manshoon’s Report on the Grand Game (Kolat Tower)

REVELATION: ZHENTARIM’S EYE

• Gralhund Report on the Grand Game (Gralhund Villa)
• Jarlaxle’s Report on the Grand Game (Sea Maiden’s Faire)
• Xanathar’s Report on the Grand Game (Xanathar’s Lair)
• Questioning Samara (Xanathar’s Lair)

REVELATION LIST: THE VAULT KEYS

• Examining and researching the vault entrance (The Vault)
• Cassalanter’s Report on the Grand Game (Cassalanter Villa)
• Vision of the Vault (Stone of Golorr)
• Questioning Kalain (Backtracking Dalakhar)

Go to Part 5B: Finding Floon