Go to Part 1

This is a special guest post from the players in my Dragon Heist campaign, as requested by the participants in the Alexandrian Hangout Club. I’ve been running the campaign in a series of weekend intensives (generally playing Friday-Sunday), and when the Hangout Club members heard what the players had done for one of these weekends they demanded more details. I offer it here because I think it could be useful to other groups who have opened their own tavern.

A NOTE FROM EDANA’S PLAYER

We were now running a tavern and my character wanted it to feature really good food, to set it apart from the other tavern on the alley which had terrible food. I had the idea that each of the things on our menu could reflect our individual (and varied) backgrounds. I asked the other players what their characters’ favorite meals were and we made that our menu. That’s how we ended up with:

Pirate Stew – a shrimp and sausage gumbo served over rice
Sun Skewers – chicken, tomato, pepper and lemon skewers with lemon potatoes and pita bread
Ardeep Roast – wild boar barded with bacon, pears roasted with walnuts and bleu cheese and mashed potatoes
Il Timpano – delectable pasta pie served with fresh baked bread and greens
Soup du Jour – this was my inside joke about my character, who has a background of taking on new personas every couple of decades or so

The Il Timpano was something of a joke; since we are playing in weekend-long intensives I had cooked some simple meals that we could all share instead of ordering food all weekend. Beforehand I had sent out a poll for what meals people wanted, and left a write-in option. One of the players has been obsessed with Il Timpano ever since watching the episode of Binging with the Babish featuring the dish:

I think was just trolling me by writing it in. So when I asked him his characters favorite meal, of course that was it.

Since we were planning a second weekend, I secretly thought that maybe I could do a thing where I cooked our menu. It was a bit intimidating, but I’ve trying to take on cooking challenges, and this would for sure be one. I spent the month between sessions studying several versions of the recipes, picked the base recipes to follow (though there was certainly some improvisation as it went) and made my plan.

Friday dinner – Il Timpano
Saturday lunch – Shrimp gumbo
Saturday dinner – Kabobs and lemon potatoes
Sunday dinner – Roasted boar and pears

THE MENU

THE RECIPES

For the Il Timpano the Binging with the Babish recipe was used for the timpano dough and layering, and I used his ragu recipe, too. I used storebought pasta for the inside, and our local butcher makes some excellent meatballs.

For the Shrimp Gumbo I used this recipe as the base, but for the okra I fried it in a pan for a few minutes and added it in close to the end, to try and keep it from getting slimy. I also probably used a lot less than the full pound.

For the Kabobs, I used Mediterranean-style chicken kebabs for the marinade, but I used cherry tomatoes and yellow bell peppers for the veggies. They’d have been better grilled, but oven-roasted was fine. The lemon potatoes were excellent, and I recommend the recipe.

For the Roast Boar, there wasn’t a recipe to follow, it was mostly about finding the boar and then using the right technique. I found several places online that sell wild boar, and ended up going with D’Artagnan. I ordered two of these mini roasts, wrapped them in bacon and roasted them in the oven until they reached 145 degrees. Boar is a lean meat, so the bacon keeps them juicy as they cook. For the pears, all that is needed is to cut them in half, scoop out the core, sprinkle on bleu cheese and walnut pieces and roast for about 20 minutes. I had a recipe for them that was more involved, but by the end of the weekend I was running out of steam and this simple approach returned amazing results. The mashed potatoes were also pretty basic – boiled red potatoes with cream and butter.

Special Thanks to Sarah, Peter, Heather, Chris, and Erik.

Go to Part 1

RENAER NEVEREMBER

Appearance: A tousle of shoulder-length red hair. Piercing, blue-green eyes. Slim, lithe muscles beneath clothes that are stylish but practical.

Roleplaying:

• A flair for diplomacy.
• A love for good drink.
• A share of his father’s temper and as much of his mother’s wits.

Background:

• Estranged son of Dagult Neverember, former Open Lord of Waterdeep and the current Lord of Neverwinter.
• Lives off the sizable inheritance left to him by his mother, Lady Alethea Brandath.
• Member of the Harpers.
• Renaer’s great-great-granduncle was Kulzar Brandath, a pirate.
• When Samark Dhanzscul, the former Blackstaff, was assassinated by Khondar “Ten-Rings” Naomal, Renaer and several of his friends stumbled into the plot and rescued Vajra, the rightful heir of the Blackstaff. (See Blackstaff Tower.)

Brandarthall: Four-story residence in the Sea Ward. Formerly Neverember Manor, but Renaer restored its original name in his mother’s honor.

• Friends have an open invitation to use the house as they please.
• Madrak: White-haired halfling butler. Knew Renaer’s mother; promised her to keep an eye on Renaer. Madrak’s son Bramal and his children oversee the Brandath estates.
• Gate to Varadras: Turning a stone rosebud outside the garderobe at the hallway past Renaer’s office causes the garderobe to drop out of sight and a stone staircase to rotate down from the ceiling. Shoving a metal bench over the top of the stairwell causes it to reset from the top. The stairs lead to a hidden rooftop rose garden, where there is statue of a kneeling elf maid; for as long as water is poured into the statue’s hands, a portal opens to Varadras.

Varadras: Built by Renaer’s ancestor Varad Brandath. About 100 miles due west of Beliard, near the Stone Bridge northwest of Waterdeep. Various passwords (“Kamatar,” “Palnethar,” “Dorneathr”) cause hearths and torches to flare to light.

• Varad was one of the last students of Khelben “Blackstaff” Arunsun, and later friends with him and also Pikar Salibuck (Madrak’s father, Osco’s great-grandfather).
• See Chapter 9 of Blackstaff Tower for additional details.

Black Tears: Founded shortly after Vajra became Blackstaff, the Black Tears were meant to “follow in the Blackstaff’s wake” just as the Tears of Selune follow in the wake of the moon.

• Members: Lord Torlyn Wands, Osco Salibuck, Eiruk Weskur, Harug Shieldsunder, Laraelra Harsard, Meloon Wardragon, Parlek Lateriff, and Renaer.
• Roarke House: Meeting place of the Black Tears, in honor of the memory of Vharem Kuthcutter and Faxhal Xoram, friends of the Black Tears’ who fell in battle defending Vajra and the city. They are interred in sarcophagi bearing the crescent moon and star in catacombs beneath Roarke House, near the location where Faxhal died. Roarke House is decorated heavily with moons and star, as Volam Roarke was a devout worshiper of Selune (he also financed the restoration of the House of the Moon after the Spellplague). The Roarkes lost their fortune and the Brandaths acquired their properties around 1440 DR. Renaer also owns a neighboring warehouse and the Gildenfires festhall on the opposite side of the warehouse.
• Rook’s Hold: The Rook was a thief of some repute in the 14^th Roarke House connects to his hideout, which was located in the subterranean crypts after which Skulls Street was named. The Black Tears have resecured it.

Stats: Iluskan Swashbuckler (DH p. 216)

• Chaotic Good
• Languages: Common

VAJRA SAFAHR, THE BLACKSTAFF

Appearance: A surprisingly young woman, with an unruly tumble of black hair above piercing green eyes. She prefers practical clothes of a blackish-purplish hue, with a long coat covered in elven-inked designs.

Roleplaying:

• Eyes narrow when she’s impatient.
• Drums her fingers on the shaft of her staff.
• Makes snap judgments about whether or not she can trust someone.

Background:

• Born in Tethyr to the paladin Tamik al Tamik al Safahr and Parama yr Manshaka.
• Grew up in Sheshyr House in Tethyr with several older siblings.
• Came to Waterdeep and briefly joined the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors before becoming the apprentice of Samarck Dhanzscul, the former Blackstaff, in 1476 DR. They later became lovers.
• In 1479 DR, Samarck was assassinated by Khondar and Centiv Naomal. Vajra became the Blackstaff’s heir, but was not yet fully prepared to assume the Blackstaff’ mantle and was captured by Khondar.
• Vajra was rescued by Renaer Neverember, Laraelra Harsard, and their friends, who also helped her reach Blackstaff Tower so that she could fully integrate the personalities of the former Blackstaffs. (See Blackstaff’s Tower for details.)
• She made Laraelra Harsard the new Blackstaff’s Heir.

Key Info:

• Controls Force Grey, a corps of elite adventurers who work with Waterdeeps’ Guard and Watch to deal with situations that require their expertise.

Stats: DH, p. 217

LARAELRA “ELRA” HARSARD

Appearance: Sharp, strong cheekbones along with long black hair frame a pale face. She dresses practically, usually wearing a heavy woolen cloak covering an oiled leather tunic, pants, and sealskin boots.

Roleplaying:

• Assumes that anyone not belonging to the working class is a fool or a villain or both until proven otherwise. Often sniffs dismissively at their assertions, although she’s gotten better at controlling her hot tongue.
• Tries to blow away errant black hairs that fall in front of her face.
• Believes Renaer is too foolhardy and trusting. She will try to protect him from his own mistakes.
• Sighs heavily if anyone confuses her name with Laeral Silverhand and tells them to use her nickname.

Background:

• Daughter of Malaerigo Harsard, the guildmaster of the Cellarers’ & Plumbers’ Guild. Their relationship became strained as a result of Malaerigo’s dislike for Laraelra’s sorcery and Laraelra’s advocacy for workers’ rights in the guild (particularly when it came to tackling anti-dwarf racism in the ranks).
• In 1479 DR, she hired Meloon Wardragon to help her protect a dwarven team of cellarers repairing a damaged sewer tunnel. They heard the tortured cries of a woman in pain. Investigating, they discovered that the cellar they were hearing the cries coming from belonged to Renaer Neverember. (In reality, it had been secretly rented out by Renaer’s father.)
• She and Meloon confronted Renaer, who joined them in investigating the tortured womans’ cries and rescued Vajra Safahr, the Blackstaff’s Heir who had been kidnapped by Khondar. They, along with several of Renaer’s other friends, helped rescue Vajra and get her to Blackstaff Tower, where she assumed her rightful place as the new Blackstaff.
• Vajra made Laraelra Harsard her apprentice and named her the new Blackstaff’s Heir. (See Blackstaff Tower for details.)
• She briefly dated Renaer around 1482 DR. They both recognize that this was a huge mistake.

Key Info:

• Her friends call her Elra.
• Knows the sewers and other passages beneath the city like the back of her hand.
• The Blackstaff’s Heir. She can wield a Blackstaff and channel Vajra’s power through it.
• Vajra’s right-hand woman in running Force Grey.
• Member of the Black Tears.

Stats: Swashbuckler (DH p. 216)

OSCO SALIBUCK

Appearance: A halfling with curly, chestnut-brown hair and long sideburns. He wears silver rings in his left ear and nostril.

Roleplaying:

• A charming, boyish grin.
• A finely developed palate for fine wines and liquers.

Background:

• Grandson of Madrak Salibuck (Renaer’s butler) and son of Ellial Salibuck. One of his aunts is named Delalar. Not to be confused with Osco Salibuck the Elder, who was his ancestor (and a former associate of Khelben “Blackstuf” Arunsun).
• In 1479 DR he snuck in the magical mansion of Varadras (see Renaer Neverember’s character background) and was discovered there by Renaer and his companions raiding the wine cellars. He joined them in returning Vajra Safahr to Blackstaff Tower and seeing her securely ensconced as the Blackstaff. (See Blackstaff Tower for more details.)
• He was invited to become a founding member of the Black Tears.
• Osco has been employed for several years as the Chief of Household Security for the Roaringhorn family. (Note: This family is engaged with the Great Game, although their efforts are currently far astray. See the Cassalanter’s Report on the Grand Game for details.) Be became close friends with Zelraun Roaringhorn after preventing his death as the result of an undead curse dating back seven generations. Lately he’s had his hands full trying to keep up with the escapades of Harchan Roaringhorn, the young heir.
• Zelraun Roaringhorn (LN male Chondathan human archmage) is seventy-four years old, but has taken enough potions of longevity in his life that he still looks like he’s in his forties. Zelraun’s brother, Tylandar (LN male Chondathan human noble), is the younger brother at nearly seventy-years old, but actually looks his age.

Key Info:

• Member of the Black Tears.

Stats: Spy (MM p. 349)

• Brave: Advantage on saving throws vs. being frightened.
• Halfling Nimbleness: Move through the space of any creature that is a size larger than your own.
• Lucky: When rolling 1 on 1d20, reroll the result (once only).
• Small size
• Speed 25 ft.
• Languages: Common, Halfling
• Has a dagger named Osco’s Luck. (A simple stone dagger with a red, cabochon-cut jasper stone in its pommel. Its name is engraved in Trade Common on the blade.)

LORD TORLYN WANDS

Appearance: Mahogony hair with a fully beard. He wears silk shirts unbuttoned to reveal the top tufts of his hairy chest. His stomach has just a little middle-aged padding about it. He has surrendered to the fashions of the court, but insists on wearing practical, waterproofed boots.

Roleplaying:

• An avid book collector, eager to discuss the most recent titles he’s acquired and those he’s looking to acquire.
• A booming voice, full of mirth.
• Although a happily married man, he still flirts shamelessly with men and women alike.

Backdrop:

• Married Natasha Phullbrinter in 1483 DR. His sister is Nhaeran Wands. He became the head of the Wands family in 1479 DR after his cousin, Hurnal Wands, was killed during the Khondar affair that led to Vajra becoming Blackstaff. (See Blackstaff Tower for details.)
• He’s been friends with Renaer Neverember since childhood. His father was a dear friend of Lady Alethea Brandath before her death.
• Although initially reluctant to join the Black Tears, he secretly supported them for several years and helped Renaer fund their activities. Later, he officially became a Black Tear during the Codswallop Affair (although his participation is still largely one of support rather than active duty).

Key Info:

• Member of the Black Tears.

List of Rare Books: Lord Torlyn has either recently acquired or is currently seeking.

• The Salt of the Abyss by Ableworth Dirkley, being a collection of poems inspired by various demonic incursions on the material plane.
• I Remember Him by Piergeiron, a copy that was once owned by Renaer (who lost it in a bet).
• Eladrin Friezes of the 11^th Century as Collected by Lord Wendell of Cormyr
• The Day of Fire by Tussaud
• Essays on the Nature of Love by Lord Fulgin Athara
• The three volumes titled Truth, Beauty, and Love by Alyssa of Athkatla
• The Celestial Tower and Tower of the Infernal by Alyssa of Neverwinter
• Arienthil’s Journeys in the Moonshae Isles

Stats: Noble (MM p. 348)

EIRUK WESKUR

Appearance: A handsome hawknose juts out from between hollow cheeks. He has tightly curled black hair and wears black robes stitched with arcane patterns of silver thread.

Roleplaying:

• Holds his elbows out and up from his body, forming a kind of platform with his hands from which he gestures.
• An uncanny knack for spotting what people are seeking to hide or deny.
• Steadfastly loyal to those who have earned his friendship.

Background:

• Joined the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors in 1473 DR.
• He became friends with Vajra Safahr during the brief period during which she was a member of the Watchful Order and before she was apprenticed to Samarck the Blackstaff.
• During the period in which Khondar was using the Watchful Order to hunt Vajra, Eiruk realized that Khondar had someone impersonating the Blackstaff. He defected to Vajra’s cause and assisted Renaer and his companions in escorting her to the Blackstaff’s Tower. (See Blackstaff’s Tower for details.)
• His mother’s name was Ainla.

Key Info:

• Founding member of the Black Tears, backup heir to the Blackstaff (after Laraelra), and current Maester of the Journeymen in the Watchful Order.
• Loves Vajra, but knows she only returns it as a dear friendship and has come to terms with that.
• Knows that Bowgentra Summertaen, Lady Master of the Watchful Order, has acquired a nimblewright.

Stats: Mage (MM p. 347)

HARUG SHIELDSUNDER

Appearance: Harug is old. His face is craggy even for a dwarf’s. His features look like melted candlewax roughly hewn with a sharp stone.

Roleplaying:

• The most cantankerous dwarf in the city.
• His shoulders are sagged with a weary weight (although he can still shake it off when he puts his mind to it).
• If you demonstrate your solidarity with the dwarves, he still stand fast by your side through any trouble.
• “Sewyrm shit” is one of his favorite curses.

Background:

• Harug was a tunnel worker for the Cellarers’ & Plumbers’ Guild.
• In that work he became friends with Laraelra, who was the daughter of the guildmaster (Malaerigo) but also a steadfast advocate for workers’ rights in the guild (particularly when it came to tackling anti-dwarf racism in the ranks).
• In 1479 DR, he became a founding member of the Black Tears and helped retrofit the basements of Roarke House.
• Harug is now the Dwarf Master of the guild; a position created in order to guarantee the rights of dwarf workers.
• His nephew, Dorn Strongcroft, was also a member of the guild. He was killed in a collapse in 1486 DR.

Key Info:

• Friends with Laraelra Harsard.
• Founding member of the Black Tears.

Stats: Commoner Dwarf (MM p. 345)

• Dwarven Resistance: Advantage vs. poison saving throws. Resistance to poison damage.
• Stonecunning: Add double proficiency bonus to Intelligence (history) checks related to the origin of stonework.
• Speed 25 ft.
• Darkvision 60 ft.
• Languages: Common, Dwarvish

PARLEK LATERIFF

Appearance: Older man with a close-cropped gray beard, wearing spectacles near the end of his long nose.

Roleplaying:

• Adjusts his spectacles.
• Will frame his conversation by either referring to obscure tomes or by revealing a canny understanding of Waterdeep’s street-lore – the separation of what’s being gossiped on the street from why it’s being gossiped about.
• Likes to show off a cantrip he has that sorts “like with like” (useful for components or spilled jewelry supplies); he learned it from Laraelra and think it’s incredibly clever.

Background:

• Sage, smith, and sorcerer.
• Makes replica and counterfeit jewelry for nobles.
• Lives up on Mountainside.

Key Info:

• Founding member of the Black Tears.

List of Rare Books: Parlek has either recently acquired or is currently seeking.

• Arturo’s Moonsea Atlas
• Arienthil’s Journeys in the Moonshae Isles
• Grimoire of the Dukes of Fey
• Duke Nary’s History of 14^th Century Teshendale (primarily detailing the fall of Teshendale to Zhentarim slavers out of Zhentil Keep)
• The Idylls of Menzoberranzan by Krenaste Baenre (largely believed to be a forgery)
• Eldarin Friezes of the 11^th Century as Collected by Lord Wendell of Cormyr
• Onymatical Analyses of Clockworks by Belgos Glannath
• Memories of Kara-Tur

Stats: Mage (MM p. 347)

• Advantage on History checks.

MELOON WARDRAGON

Appearance: Meloon was once a northern barbarian in all his glory – tousled blond locks, glistening muscles. Now closer to forty than thirty, he cuts his hair short and has a beard that tends more toward scruff than not. Strapped to his side is a battleaxe forged from silver, electrum, and steel, with a handle wrapped in blue dragon hide, and a star sapphire set into its pommel.

• Over his heart he has a tattoo of the family crest of the Wardragons of Loudwater: A serpentine dragon wrapping vertically around a sword resting point down on a green field.

Roleplaying Notes:

• Endlessly optimistic, regardless of how dire things appear.
• Has the wily cunning of a veteran of many battles.
• Is drawn to young adventurers, seeing himself as a younger man in their exploits.
• Squints with one eye.

Background:

• Grew up in Loudwater, a thriving community home to humans and half-elves.
• He used to play on the Flying Fish Bridge in Loudwater: Ancient wards on the bridge cause trout trying to swim under the bridge to instead fly over the top of it. It was a local custom to catch one of the fish and then throw it back into the river for good luck.
• His father used to say, “Never trust a man who’s not got a little stuff on his boots. If a man is worried about where he’s stepping, he’s not working hard enough.
• In 1479 DR, he was a mercenary hired by Laraelra Harsard to help rescue Harug Shieldsunder and several other tunnel workers from a collapsed sewer tunnel under Waterdeep. They heard the tortured cries of a woman in pain. Investigating, they discovered that the cellar they were hearing the cries coming from belonged to Renaer Neverember. (In reality, it had been secretly rented out by Renaer’s father.)
• He and Laraelra confronted Renaer, who joined them in investigating the tortured womans’ cries and rescued Vajra Safahr, the Blackstaff’s Heir who had been kidnapped by Khondar. They, along with several of Renaer’s other friends, helped rescue Vajra and get her to Blackstaff Tower, where she assumed her rightful place as the new Blackstaff. (See Blackstaff Tower for details.)
• As a founding member of the Black Tears and, later, a member of Force Grey, Meloon spent years adventuring in the service of Waterdeep.
• Three weeks ago, he accompanied a fledgling band of adventurers on an expedition into Undermountain. While resting, the band was ambushed by a Xanatharian troupe. Meloon was overcome by an intellect devourer and became a slave to Nihiloor and Xanathar.

Key Info:

• Currently infested with an intellect devourer controlled by Nihiloor, a mind flayer working for Xanathar. (It requires a wish spell to restore Meloon’s brain.)
• His magical axe, Azuredge, wants a new wielder due to the intellect devourer and Meloon must engage in a contest of wills each morning (see Dragon Heist, p. 36).
• Keeps a room at the Yawning Portal.
• Founding member of the Black Tears.
• Member of Force Grey who reports directly to Vajra.

Stats: Dragon Heist, p. 210

FLOON BLAGMAAR

Appearance: Dazzlingly handsome. Flowing locks of red hair pour down over his shoulders. Blue-green eyes that swim with the depths of the Sea of Swords. A square jaw framing an enchanting smile.

Roleplaying:

• More beauty than brains, he expects to be well-liked by everyone he meets.
• A dazzling smile.
• Flirts shamelessly with attractive men and women (but desists if they show no interest).

Background:

• Used to work as an escort in festhalls, but is currently unemployed.
• Several months ago, he came upon a married noble engaging in some indiscreet behavior, and now lives off the generous bribe he is being paid to keep quiet.

Key Info:

• Friends with both Renaer and Volo.
• Very well connected, with friends all over the city.

Stats: CG Illuskan human commoner (MM p. 345).

• Ability Scores: Intelligence 7 (-2), Charisma 13 (-1)
• Languages: Common

Addendum: Manor Menu

Go to Part 1

TALISOLVANAR “TALLY” FELLBRANCH

Appearance: Half-elf with short brown hair in a simple bowl-cut. Large blue eyes. Wears a leather vest with small tools in its many pockets.

Roleplaying:

• Strong handshake.
• Very sarcastic.
• Rubs the tops of his ears as a nervous habit.

Background:

• Owner and chief artisan of the Bent Nail, located at the eastern end of Trollskull Alley (DH p. 32).
• Brother to Mellannor Fellbranch, the groundskeeper of the Phaulkonmere and representative of the Emerald Enclave (DH p. 35).

Stats: Commoner (MM p. 345)

• Chaotic Good
• Racial Traits: Advantage vs. charmed. Immune to magical sleep. Darkvision to 60 ft.
• Languages: Common, Elvish.

EMBRIC

Appearance: Flaming red skin with fiery red hair that writhes under extreme emotion. Eyes flare red when angry.

Roleplaying:

• Prone to extreme mood swings.
• Hair does a twirling dance (often intermingling with Avi’s) when drunk.
• Voice sounds like crackling flames.
• A faint scent of brimstone when he burps.

Background:

• Married to Avi. Co-owner of Steam and Steel, located at the eastern end of Trollskull Alley (DH p. 32). Tends the forge and is an expert weaponsmith.
• Belongs to the Most Careful Order of Skilled Smiths and Metalforgers.
• Claims descent from the efreet of Calimshan.

Stats: Bandit Captain (MM p. 344)

• Neutral Good
• Racial Traits: Cast produce flame at will (Constitution spellcasting ability, +4 bonus to hit with spells). Darkvision 60 ft. Resistance to fire.
• Languages: Common, Primordial

AVI

Appearance: Blue skin with beads of moisture twinkling upon it, with large, blue-black eyes. Smells of fresh rain. His blue hair floats freely, swaying and waving as if underwater. Wears miniature, animate waterfall (holy symbol of Eldath).

Roleplaying:

• Big, beaming smile.
• Rests his hand gently on Embric’s arm to help him control his emotions.
• When drunk, speaks like a whale.

Background:

• Married to Embric. Co-owner of Steam and Steel, located at the eastern end of Trollskull Alley (DH p. 32). Uses his magic to quench hot steel.
• Belongs to the Splendid Order of Armorers, Locksmiths, and Finesmiths.
• Worships Eldath, god of peace.

Stats: Priest (MM p. 348)

• Neutral Good
• Racial Traits: At will, control 5 ft. cube of water or freeze water for 1 hour. Swim 30 ft. Breathe air and water. Resistance to acid.

Languages: Common, Primordial

FALA LEFALIIR

Appearance: Wood elf with long, braided, coppery hair. A sprig of mistletoe woven into their hair above the right ear.

Roleplaying:

• If referred to as “he” or “she,” politely asks to be addressed as “they.”
• Offers up various herbal remedies to any problems (physical, social, etc.) people may be suffering from.

Background:

• Owns Corellon’s Crown, across Trollskull Alley from Trollskull Manor (DH p. 32).
• Member of the Guild of Apothecaries and Physicians.
• Friends with Ziraj, a Zhentarim who saved their life. (He visits Fala from time to time and Fala has set aside a room for him on the second floor of the Corellon’s Crown. See faction mission, DH p. 38.)

Stats: Druid (MM p. 346)

• Chaotic Good
• Racial Traits: Advantage vs. charmed. Immune to magical sleep. Speed 35 ft. Darkvision 60 ft.
• Languages: Common, Druidic, Elvish

VINCENT TRENCH

Appearance: Dresses in a sharp suit and smokes a slim pipe. Black hair with a streak of silver that hangs foppishly over his brow.

Roleplaying:

• Speaks concisely.
• Arches an eyebrow inquisitively.
• Puffs on his pipe thoughtfully.

Background:

• Private eye who runs the Tiger’s Eye, located towards the western end of Trollskull Alley (DH p. 32).
• Actually a rakshasa named Valantajar; uses disguise self before speaking to visitors or emerging into public (DC 18 on Intelligence (Investigation) check to detect). The spells lasts for 1 hour, so he notably excuses himself at such intervals.
• Investigations: 50 gp sufficient for most investigations, but if it’s a significant task (investigating major factions, for example), Trench might require a service in payment, such as slaying enemies that are hunting it, posting advertisements for its business in their tavern, or keeping tabs on someone he’s been hired to spy on.

Stats: Rakshasa (MM p. 257)

RISHAAL THE PAGE-TURNER

Appearance: Gold dragonborn. Pince-nez glasses at the end of his snout.

Roleplaying:

• Bookish, but with a deep, gravelly voice.
• Taps fingers of his hands together nervously.
• Small curls of smoke emerge from his nostrils when happy.

Background:

• Owns the Book Wyrm’s Treasure at the western end of Trollskull Alley (DH p. 33).
• Knew Lif, the former owner of Trollskull Manor, and arranged for the sale of his modest library after he passed.

Stats: Mage (MM p. 347)

• Neutral
• Racial Traits: Exhale 15-ft. cone of fire once per rest (2d6 fire damage; DC 10 Dexterity save for half damage). Resistance to fire.
• Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish

HAMMOND KRADDOC

Appearance: A rather portly gentleman dressed in a fine silk doublet with a fashionable dress coat of displacer beast fur. He has a thin moustache that angles down sharply, only to gently curl back up by the slightest of degrees.

• Always accompanied by Jinny (NG female tiefling commoner) who wears spectacles and silently records notes and conversations in a small book as Hammond speaks.

Roleplaying Notes:

• Sniffs at a perfumed handkerchief.
• Doesn’t like adventurers, but does like their coin.
• Warms up considerably (dropping most of his effete affectations) if engaged knowledgably by a fellow aficionado of wine and liqueurs.

Background:

• He was once the owner of the Elysium Fields, a vineyard south of Waterdeep. The Elysium Fields were destroyed when a group of adventurers ended up fighting a black dragon in the middle of them. Even if he could have rebuilt, the dragon’s acidic breath had permanently altered the Ph balance of the soil.
• He came to Waterdeep and joined the Vintners’, Distillers’, and Brewers’ Guild, using his vast knowledge of viticulture and personal connections to “improve the general fare of consumption in the city of splendors.”
• Gave Lord Dagult large bribes to cover up a scandal involving contaminated liquor in the Dock Ward (see Lord Dagult’s Papers).

Key Info:

• Representative of the Vintners’, Distillers’, and Brewers’ Guild.
• His guild offers a wide range of plans for a new establishment’s base selection of liquor and beer (ranging from 50 gp for a few very common selections all the way to 1,000 gp or more for a truly exotic selection).

Stats: N male Illuskan human commoner (MM p. 345)

BROXLEY FAIRKETTLE

Appearance: A laid-back halfing with mutton chops and bushy eyebrows.

Roleplaying Notes:

• Strongly urges membership in the Fellowship of Innkeepers’ to “avoid further harassment.”
• Relates everything back to the lamentable burdens of being a father of nine.
• Scratches his cheek thoughtfully.

Background:

• Broxley came to Waterdeep as a refugee when he was just a wee young hin. His father and mother had fled Secomber when it was overrun by the Urshani hobgoblins in the 1470’s.
• Broxley started as a scuttle-boy for the local taverns. He eventually worked his way up through the kitchens until he finally came to own a tavern of his own, the Barefoot Boards (which is scaled for and caters almost exclusively to halflings).
• Broxley often supported other tavern owners in the area (many of whom he had worked with or for over the years), and he was elected as the new North Ward representative of the Fellowship of Innkeepers’ a few years back.

Key Info:

• North Ward representative of the Fellowship of Innkeepers’. (Inns and taverns are few and far between in the North Ward, so he makes frequent visits.)
• Has long believed Trollskull Manor to be haunted.

Stats: LG male strongheart halfling commoner (MM p. 345)

ULKORIA STONEMARROW

Appearance: A female dwarf whose face has been frozen in a terrible, almost horrifying rictus.

• Never seen without her shield guardian (MM p. 271) nearby.

Roleplaying Notes:

• A permanent scowl inflicted by some unknown cause.
• But incredibly friendly and personable; like everyone’s favorite grandmother.
• Occasionally gets a distant look in her eyes, waggles her fingers, and will murmur something like, “That’s better.” under her breath. (It’s unclear if she’s pulling people’s legs with this routine.)

Background:

• Nicknamed the “Gargoyle” due to the horrible scowl frozen on her face. Frightens children and adults alike.
• No one knows where she lives, but it’s believed to be underground, possibly a cellar or a dungeon under one of the city’s oldest estates. (She uses teleport spells to enter and leave her home.)
• Once owned Trollskull Manor. She sold it to a family of shield dwarves who fell on hard times and sold it to a woman who made it into an orphanage. The woman, Arissa Mirthkettle, turned out to be a hag who was cooking and eating the children. It was then abandoned for many years before being acquired by a half-elf named Lif. Lif, for his part, was killed in a terrible accident when one of the support beams on his ale casks broke and collapsed on top of him.

Key Info:

• Used to own Trollskull Manor. Hopes the new owners make something good of it.
• Charges 300 gp for castings of glyphs of warding.

Stats: NG female shield dwarf archmage (MM p. 342)

MATTRIM “THREESTRINGS” MEREG

Appearance: Lanky brown hair hangs down around a face more plain than handsome. He wears gaudy clothes of purple and green, and carries a badly scarred lute that only has three strings left to its name.

Roleplaying Notes:

• Talks about how difficult it is to play [insert song name] on just three strings!
• A goofy, lop-sided smile.
• Breaks into song (and it really is quite good).

Background:

• Plays a lute that only has three strings remaining.
• Hides his true musical skills to maintain a low profile.

Key Info:

• A Harper spy who uses his busking gigs to cover his intelligence-gathering operations.
• Works with Cal’al Claddani, a half-drow Harper agent who works in the Flagon and the Dragon in Skullport.
• Knows about a Harper hideout called Dalagor’s Fortress, overseen by a dragonborn mage named Felrax, in the uppermost level of Skullport.
• Has befriended Bonnie the Doppelganger and wants to help her and her gang settle into the city.

Stats: LG male Illluskan human bard (DH p. 195)

JALESTER SILVERMANE

Appearance: A middle-aged man with thinning brown hair. Wears a loose doublet and pants of dark silver-grey. A lean, gaunt strength.

Roleplaying Notes:

• Lonely (after the death of his boyfriend) and looking for love.

Background:

• Hails from Cormyr, where he was a member of the Steel Shadows mercenary company.
• Left the Dales with several members of the company, including his boyfriend, Faerrel Dunblade, and came to Waterdeep.
• Faerral and Jalester befriended Elminster, who brought them to the attention of Laeral Silverhand.
• Faerral Dunblade, was killed in a street fight last year.

Key Info:

• Captain of the City Watch.
• Secret agent of the Lords’ Alliance who reports directly to Open Lord Laeral Silverhand.
• Charged with spying on adventurers to determine whether they can aid or will imperil the city.
• Can get the location of Xanathar’s Lair from Laeral Silverhand.

Stats: DH p. 205

YAGRA STONEFIST

Appearance: Seven-foot-tall half-orc with purplish-gray skin, a tousled mop of black hair, and shapely tusks to either side of her mouth. She wears well-kept leather armor and has a simple sword strapped to her side. She wears a large pendant of red jade, seared with the winged-serpent sigil of the Zhentarim.

Roleplaying Notes:

• Likes challenging adventurers to arm wrestle.
• Cracks her knuckles.
• Incredibly hostile towards slavers and Xanatharians.

Background:

• Yagra was rescued from slavers by the Doom Raiders. She and Ziraj the Hunter dated briefly, but it didn’t really work out. By the time they broke up, however, the Doom Raiders had joined the Black Network and moved to Waterdeep to take over the local Zhentarim.

Key Info:

• Zhentarim mercenary working for the Doom Raiders.
• Intermittently works as Davil Starsong’s bodyguard.
• Knows a “back door” into Xanathar’s Lair.

Stats: N female half-orc thug (MM p. 390)

• 1/long rest, when reduced to 0 hit points, drops to 1 hit point instead.
• Darkvision 60 ft.
• Languages: Common, Orc

Go to Part 6: Renaer’s Friends

Go to Part 1

PATRON TOPICS/AGENDAS

TALLY FELLBRANCH

• Introduces PCs to his brother, Melannor Fellbranch (representative of the Emerald Enclave).
• Offers his services to sculpt a wooden troll’s skull that could be displayed on the wall.
• She’s been commissioned to craft 8-foot-tall chess pieces for the Cragsmere Estate. It’s a major commission and she buys a round of drinks for everyone in the tavern to celebrate.

EMBRIC & AVI

• One of the Three Urchins has been shoplifting small metal trinkets from Steam and Steel.
• Ask for an introduction to Renaer Neverember. (Turns out Embric and Avi were stout supporters of Lord Dagult and expect his son to feel the same.)
• They’ve been hired to build a number of weapons of strange designs; serrated edges on odd surfaces, superfluous spikes, and the like. (Investigating this reveals that the commission can be tracked back to Grinda Garloth.)

FALA LEFALIIR

• Offers the PCs a sampler of foreign teas, in the interest of having them added to the menu.
• Introduces the PCs to Ziraj the Hunter, a member of the Zhentarim Doom Raiders (DH p. 201).
• Is interested in using the large oak tree outside Trollskull Manor as a place to grow silverbark, a valuable alchymical that they have otherwise been harvesting from the City of the Dead.

VINCENT TRENCH

• Meeting a client. (Either a simple member of the public, or possibly one of the other notable patrons in the tavern.)
• Looking to hire the PCs to contribute to one of his investigations: He needs a foppish young noble (Adric Thongolir, a half-steel dragon and youngest son of Lady Adiira Thongolir) followed.
• Vincent has been hired to investigate a series of petty thefts in Thundercross Alley (running perpendicular to Thunderstaff Way just north of Sashtar Street). A man named Irbyth Authamaun has had a particularly valuable gray jade statuette of a stone giant stolen from his house (which lies at the eastern end of the alley). (The culprit is a small, floating, magical skull named Mortaunto. The curious undead rapscallion has created a small nest of his magpie-like thefts in the Thunderstaff Villa, which lies just north of Thundercross Alley.)

RISHAAL THE PAGE-TURNER

• Sits quietly in one corner, sipping tea and reading an oddly titled book: Duke Avanice’s Vile Poems, Cults of Ancient Netheril, Umbral Reflections on the Kingdom of Man, The Journal of Captain Arienthil’s Journeys in the Moonshae Isles, Memories of Kara-Tur, The Seventh Codex of the Numinous Ascendants of Kaal, The Atlas of Forgotten Cartographies.
• If Lif has been pacified and is now part of the tavern’s culture, Rishaal will stop by with a copy of Richelle’s Poems, a book of elvish poetry which was once one of Lif’s favorites.
• His hands are bandaged. He came into possession of a cursed book that, when he touched it, caused his hands to burst out into boils.

HAMMOND KRADDOC (Vintners’)

• Dropping by to let the owners know about new spirits his guild has to offer: Blackberry seawine from the Nasaqh Estates on Mount Sar. Berg Brew, an alchemically frozen slurry that has ten times the alcoholic content of other beers. Entsap, brewed from the sap of treants. Storm Giant Ale, which is not actually bewed by storm giants but does have an electrical “tingle.”
• Chastises the owners for their current selection of beverages (even if he was the one who sold them).
• Discovers that Lif knew his father, Barbaros Kraddoc. Barbaros would actually stay at Trollskull Manor when he would come into Waterdeep to sell wines from the Elysium Fields. (Lif is saddened to learn that the Elysium Fields were destroyed.)

BROXLEY FAIRKETTLE (Innkeepers’)

• Asks the PCs to host the guild’s Leiruin Feast. (Extrapolate event from DH p. 162.)
• Offers to sell them a signatory license to the Fellowship of Innkeepers’ indemnification insurance for 20 gp per month: It covers the costs of any lawsuits held against them or their tavern due to injuries incurred during a stay. (He relates how the previous year a spice merchant nearly bankrupted an inn who didn’t have insurance when a magister held them liable for not only the magical healing of his injuries, but also for his lost wages during a period of physical and emotional recovery.)
• Dues for the Fellowship of Innkeepers are increasing by 5 gp per month starting on the first of next month.

ULKORIA STONEMARROW

• Relates the history of Trollskull Tavern, starting from the time of her ownership.
• She comes in hauling the carcass of a rust monster.
• Shield guardian shows up, but Ulkoria isn’t with it.

MATTREM “THREEESTRINGS” MEREG

• Looking for employment; or just permission to play for tips if that fails. (Yawning Portal is a little too intense for him this week.)
• He brings Bonnie the Doppelganger here to have a date. It turns into a complete disaster. (He might beg one of the PCs to help him salvage the night.)
• Sings “The Ballad of the River Chionthar,” an incredibly beautiful piece of his own composition telling of a young girl who slipped into the river and drowned. Each verse tells of some scene her body passes along the river, until the last verse speaks of how she passed through Baldur’s Gate and out into the sea.

JALESTER SILVERMANE

• Jalester is here to spy on the adventurers’ who made a rep for themselves rescuing Renaer. Once he’s assessed whether they (a) can be trusted or (b) pose a threat to Waterdeep, he’ll issue a report to the Open Lord.

YAGRA STONEFIST

• Challenging any burly-looking patrons to an arm wrestling competition, which she’s turned into a drinking game by taking a drink each time she wins.
• She claims a table in the corner and over the course of the evening she meets with a string of people – many of them sporting Zhentarim tattoos. She speaks quietly with them or slips them a piece of paper, and then they leave.
• She gets a crush on one of the male patrons tonight and does her best to take him home (or upstairs).

[FACTION CONTACT]

• Trigger the next faction mission.
• They’re here to meet with a different contact.

JARLAXLE

• If appearing as Captain Zord, he may bring along a number of Sea Maidens Faire carnies. They’ll bring strange creatures with them, perform a juggling act, do strange acrobatic tricks using the features of the tavern, and so forth.
• If appearing as a different fake identity, it’s more likely he’ll just quietly ensconce himself somewhere and observe the PCs, trying to get a measure of them.
• If appearing as himself, he’s here to negotiate: He wants something from the PCs in the Grand Game (information, a service), and he’s willing to bargain.

FACTION RESPONSE TEAM

• Keeping the tavern under observation from outside.
• Delivering a message from their faction (most likely to arrange a meeting).
• Staging a hit on the PCs, most likely in retaliation for their actions.
• Staging a heist, most likely targeting the Stone of Golorr and/or the Eyes.

PATRON TOPICS/AGENDAS – RENAER & FRIENDS

RENAER NEVEREMBER

• Requests an update on their investigation into Dalakhar’s murder (and the reasons behind it).
• Introduces them to some of his friends (roll on the “Renaer’s Friends” table).
• Invites the PCs to a party at Brandarthall.

VAJRA SAFAHR, THE BLACKSTAFF

• Lights have been seen in Kolat Towers, an old abandoned wizard’s tower in the Southern Ward. Despite everything that’s happening, she’s going to have to find time to check it out: Reoccupied wizard’s haunts are trouble more often than not.
• She knows uncomfortably too much about whatever the PCs’ last op was, although she doesn’t actually use their names.
• Tries to recruit the PCs into Force Grey. (Or, if the PCs actions have not distinguished them in this way, she sets a Force Grey member to keep watch on them.)

LARAELRA “ELRA” HARSARD

• She’s come to check out the “fiery-tempered temptress” who’s playing fast and loose with Renaer’s heart.
• Debriefing a Force Grey agent whose mission went disastrously. (Could be used to hook the PCs into doing a Force Grey faction mission – completing the failed mission – even if they aren’t members of Force Grey.)
• Her old friend Meloon Wardragon seems to be avoiding her lately and she’s worried about it. She doesn’t know what she could have done to alienate him.

OSCO SALIBUCK

• Has just returned from an expedition to the Tomb of Galari, an Archmage of Ancient Netheril. Young Harchan Roaringhorn led the expedition, clearly seeking something of import. (Osco does not know what; and it’s clear that Harchan was unsuccessful in whatever his aim was.)
• He has ordered one of every single liquor in the tavern, lined them up on the bar, and is working his way through them one by one. He is offering his (increasingly incoherent) critiques of each one at the top of his lungs.
• Lord Tylandar Roaringhorn is celebrating his seventieth birthday on the Roaringhorn estates in Amphail. Osco will be leaving Waterdeep for a couple of weeks (probably closer to a month), and he wants to have one last big party before he goes.

LORD TORLYN WANDS

• Lord Terras, who has had a feud with the Wands ever since Torlyn’s sister turned down his proposal of marriage, has filed yet another civil suit claiming that guests staying at the Wands’ ancestral hunting lodge have crossed over onto his property. He filed the suit in the Court of Amphail, just to make it more of a headache for Torlyn to defend it.
• Recently acquired an alchemical concoction that was supposed to counteract the effects of strong drink… and got himself into rather a spot of trouble at the Grinning Lion (a tavern in the North Ward). He drank far too much zzar (a fortified sherry with an orange color and an almondy scent), ate far too many fried eels, and woke up in an alley in the South Ward next to a snoring troll.
• Quietly reading The Salt of the Abyss by Ableworth Dirkley while sipping tea in the corner.

EIRUK WESKUR

• One of the journeyman under his watch had a teleport spell go awry. If anyone happens to visit an interdimensional pocket and happens to see the poor fellow, please let him know.
• Looking for Vajra: She was supposed to be here tonight and he’s concerned that she isn’t keeping the appointment.
• He’s gained a nasty scar across one cheek: One of the apprentices of the Order of Magists let a spell get out of control.

HARUG SHIELDSUNDER

• Has brought half a dozen dwarven tunnel workers from the Cellarers’ & Plumbers’ Guild to check out the new tavern.
• Malaerigo Harsard, Guild Master of the Cellarers’ & Plumbers’ Guild, has announced a steep rate hike in the guild’s dues. There’s a great deal of discontent in the rank-and-file, particularly among the dwarves.
• It’s the anniversary of his nephew’s death: He orders six dwarven ales (one for each year since Dorn’s death) and drinks them one by one. (Others who knew Dorn – like Laraelra, for example – may join in.)

PARLEK LATERIFF

• Recently acquired Sister Argutara’s Telestic Tome of the Draconic Tribes. Waxes rhapsodic about it.
• Comparing recent acquisitions with Lord Torlyn Wands.
• Arguing with Rishaal over the inconsistencies between Arturo’s Moonsea Atlas and Arienthil’s Journeys in the Moonshae Isles. (Parlek is convinced that Arienthil edited her accounts in order to gloss over or conceal various sites of importance she had encountered. He has an elaborate conspiracy theory suggesting, for example, that she was aware of a huge vein of black gold, a rare Feydark ore which is found in deposits throughout the Moonshae Isles and sparks intermittent “black gold rushes” when they turn up.)

MELOON WARDRAGON

• Challenges patrons to an arm-wrestling contest.
• Under the influence of the intellect devourer, asks probing questions regarding the Grand Game hoping to glean actionable intelligence from the PCs or their associates.
• PCs might notice he has a little purple fluid leaking out of his nose. (Potentially revealing the presence of the intellect devourer.)
• Speaks of how his hometown, Loudwater, has come under the control of the Zhentarim. The current High Lord, Telbor Zazrek, is a well-paid puppet of the Zhentarim and, through him, the Black Network maintains a stranglehold on the town. Any supplies not provided by the Zhentarim are punitively taxed and the cost of living in the town has skyrocketed.

FLOON BLAGMAAR

• He came here to meet with a pair of lovely brunettes, but now he needs help: They’re sitting over there in the corner – don’t look! I’m supposed to just be ordering drink, but I recognize one of them as being the wife of Lord Elamyr Belabranta. If Lord Elamyr finds out, he’ll send a griffon to eat Floon. (The Belabratas breed griffons for the City Watch.)
• His friend Bruzmyr Seerambra can offer a much better deal on the cost of liquor and ale than the Vintners’ Guild.
• His friend Riklyn Harvester has been transformed into an orange tabby cat by an irate sorcerer who was upset that Riklyn was trying to pick up a girl at the Old Skull Tavern. He’s got Riklyn with him (meow!) and he’s hoping the PCs can help turn him back. (Floon is mistaken: The cat is just a cat.)

Go to Part 5: Trollskull Patrons

The Forgotten Realms suffer cataclysms to explain why the world changes from one edition of D&D to the next.

This means that the transitions between editions are canonical in the setting.

Therefore, if you run a time travel scenario in Faerun, you must swap the edition you’re using as you go backwards into the past.

Do you redesign the PCs for the previous edition? If so, then they adapt to the time period.

Or do you just use their current stats and try to interpret them through the lens of the previous edition? They’re out of place in time. What does that feel like to the characters?

And how do the jagged edges resolve? There are no rules for using Hit Dice to recover hit points in 1st Edition, so can 5th Edition characters even heal in the 14th century? Can 4th Edition clerics (with spells that trigger the target’s Hit Dice) heal NPCs back then?

If you go far enough back in Faerunian history, though, things start getting really weird: You blow past the OD&D singularity and find yourself in an epoch of history ungoverned by the rules of any roleplaying game.

History books make it sound like the world was a fully functioning place, but that’s just a facade of narrative. In reality, the people of this epoch are rote automatons merely simulating the actions of a civilization. They are little different from a colony of ants or a hive of termites.

The only people possessed of a semblance of sentience are those leading military operations, for the world is governed by the the rules of Strategos N.

Does this work both ways? Are the PCs beacons of sentience causing automatons to flock to their presence, becoming military leaders by default?

Or is it the opposite? The PCs find their free will draining away and must either escape this epoch or attract an army of followers in order to grant themselves sentience?

Even further back, the rules become cruder yet. The terrain itself seems to lose cohesion, as it were built of molded sand. The economies of civilizations are no longer modeled, and the world becomes a gray veil of nonentity except for the bright beacons of meaningless wars.