Go to Part 1

As I mentioned in Part 6C: The Vault of the Alexandrian Remix of Dragon Heist, you can basically run the main vault at the end of the campaign unaltered: The PCs get the vault doors open, journey down to the lower level, find the golden dragon Aurinax hanging out down there disguised as a dwarf with the dragonstaff of Ahghairon, and then somehow get the gold from him.

In practice, there are a few problems with this:

• Aurinax and his relationship with Lord Neverember is not previously established in the campaign. So at the very end of your epic story, the big conclusion hinges around this dude you’ve never heard of before. It’s very confusing and probably anticlimactic.
• If the scene ends in a fight, the low level PCs will almost certainly be brutally murdered by the CR 17 dragon.
• So the scene seems pretty heavily weighted towards social negotiation, but the way it’s designed makes this incredibly unlikely to succeed. (Multiple checks, with the designers actually telling the DM to ignore the rules to make failure more likely with stuff like “if even one character loses the contest, Aurinax senses that the group is lying to him.”)

So what you have is a confusing encounter which likely ends with the PCs either being forced to leave without the gold or being brutally murdered.

NEVEREMBER’S DRAGON

Spoilers: This is not how I ended my Dragon Heist campaign.

First, let’s identify what’s actually cool about this encounter:

• A huge pile of gold. Not only are these inherently awesome, but this huge pile of gold has been literally the goal of the entire campaign.
• Dragon fight. Dragons on top of golden hoards? Awesome. Dragon slaying? Epic.

This is largely all you need: Epic dragon fight. If you win, you claim the dragon’s hoard. Perfect note to end the campaign on.

What do we need for this to happen?

First, it shouldn’t be a gold dragon. Gold dragons are Lawful Good and explaining why one is down here guarding stolen gold inevitably leads to some sort of weird, convoluted continuity that the players aren’t going to care about at this point. (It’s the end of the adventure; it’s the time to be wrapping stuff up, not adding more back story.) It’s really easy to simplify this: There’s a red dragon. Neverember put the dragon here to guard his gold. How? I dunno. Dragon owed him a favor. He enslaved him with an artifact. It was a young dragon who just really wanted to sleep on a big pile of gold, and Neverember’s offer was irresistable.

Second, emphasize the big pile of gold. In the adventure as published, this is what the vault looks like:

Sort of a weird, complicated space with the gold tucked away in the back corner. Compare that to the epic painting of the dragon perched atop the hoard above! We don’t need all this distraction. Want a nice, simple dynamic here: Big pile of gold. Dragon.

So what I did was just have a large staircase leading down to the arched entrance of the lower vault. The vault itself was one big chamber with four pillars in the shape of dwarven hammers in  the middle of the room (matching the architecture above). In the square space between these pillars was heaped the huge pile of gold.

When the PCs arrived, I had the dragon behind the pile of gold. This gives you TWO big moments:

• Players see the gold and have a moment to really focus on and process that image.
• Dragon crawls up over the top of the pile! Oh shit!

Third, it will probably be rewarding to reduce the chance of horrible death by not having the dragon pursue the PCs if they flee. If Neverember enslaved the dragon and bound it to the vault, then this takes care of itself. Smart PCs who feel overwhelmed by the dragon will now be able to retreat, regroup, and potentially call on the powerful allies they’ve made throughout the campaign (which would make this big finale fit thematically with the rest of the campaign).

(Tangent: If you wanted to, you could hypothesize that this is a modified orb of dragonkind or a similar artifact which is suspended from the roof the vault and keeps the dragon from leaving. PCs who intuit what’s happening could use that to find an alternative solution to the dragon problem. But it’s probably an unnecessary complication.)

REALITY CHECK – HOW BIG IS THAT PILE?! If you do the math, it turns out that 500,000 coins don’t actually make for that big a pile. If you’re being generous in your assumptions, it’s probably about the size of a big pile of leaves. And why is it all in one big pile in the first place?!  Wouldn’t Neverember have his stolen hoard conveniently stored in coffers or bags or something? Why would he bring it all down here and then just pour it out on the floor?

First: Honestly, this is probably a place where you just need to care a little less. If the players do the math later and hit a fridge logic moment where they’re like, “Hey! That pile of gold shouldn’t have been that big!” it’s fine. It’s not going to detract from this big, awesome moment you had or the dragon fight that ensued.

Second: They’re in a big pile because dragons like sleeping on big piles of treasure. Stop kink-shaming. (If you want to add a bunch of leather satchels or coin coffers that have been ripped open by dragon claws and tossed in the back corner of the vault, that could be a cool touch, though.)

Third: Okay, you still care. Maybe the players have already done the math because they’ve been trying to figure out how they’re going to get all those gold coins out of the vault, so they’re already expecting a leaf pile of gold. Fair enough. Two things you can do:

• Who said the whole hoard was made up strictly of gold coins? Add a bunch of silver and even more copper to bulk things up. The gold is a thin layer on top, because dragons like the feel of gold on their scales.
• Look at that picture again. Notice the stone plinths sticking out from the corner of the hoard pile? Yup. Middle of the vault is actually a big stone pyramid and the dragon has piled all the gold and silver and copper on top of it, greatly increasing the perceived size of the pile. (Why? Dragons like big hoard piles. Again: Stop kink-shaming!)

Oh! Better yet, it’s actually a stone replica of Mt. Waterdeep. (If the PCs have been paying attention to the Dumathoin imagery throughout the rest of the vault, they might realize the Melairkyn dwarves have placed a huge sapphire worth 25,000 gold pieces in the center of this replica to echo the Heart of the Mountain. Up to them whether they desecrate the ancient holy place to dig it out. This can be a nice reward for groups that have ethically agreed to return the money to the city, however, because the sapphire wasn’t stolen from Waterdeep and the city has no claim to it.)

(Damn. That’s really cool. Wish I’d thought of this last night when I ran that final encounter.)

DESIGNING THE DRAGON

A brief digression on encounter design in 5th Edition.

With the remix of Dragon Heist I was worried, coming to 5th Edition for basically the first time, that the heists built around the villains’ lairs would be too fragile/difficult. This concern was primarily based on the number of times the book says any of the PCs going to these lairs will almost certainly die.

Not only was I taking stuff that was supposed to be too hard, I was also writing them up with adversary rosters so that the NPCs would dynamically respond to the PCs if the PCs were detected. Using this technique with encounters that are already extremely difficult can easily lead to TPKs, as I discussed long ago in Revisiting Encounter Design. (You can also read an example of this happening in actual play in my Playtest Report on Gamma World.) In actual practice, though, there was nothing to worry about for Dragon Heist: The NPCs rarely get a chance to respond dynamically because they’re generally dead before they can raise any sort of alarm.

For example, the books says that, “Lord and Lady Cassalanter are formidable spellcasters and devoted to one another. If one is assailed (…) the other arrives as quickly as possible. A direct confrontation with the Cassalanters will likely result in defeat for the characters…” But in practice the PCs can dish out so much damage that the “formidable” spellcasters will be dead before they can cast more than one spell.

In my game, for example, the PCs snuck up on Victoro, got a surprise round, and then all beat his initiative check. Two full rounds of unleashing damage on him and he was dead before he was able to take a single action.

This was not an isolated incident.

My experience with 5th Edition is still mostly limited to this single group, so it’s possible that my players are just really good. But the fact that I’m routinely seeing “Deadly” encounters (or stuff that’s even more difficult) getting curb-stomped by the PCs does leave me scratching my head on what effective encounter design actually looks like in this game. Because the point where the curb-stompings by PCs become mechanically unlikely seems to ALSO be the point where the bad guys have such outsized offensive capability that if the PC’s DON’T successfully curb-stomp them, they’re going to one-shot kill the PCs.

So right now it seems to have a real “choose your glass cannon” problem going on.

With that being said, my experience is still limited to a very specific campaign and I can already see that there are a number of other play dynamics that I need to actually run at the table. This notably includes:

1. Really huge mobs of bad guys. (These are comparatively rare in urban adventures like Dragon Heist.)
2. Long dungeon crawls or similar scenarios where long-term strategic play has a potential impact. (Also not really part of the Dragon Heist experience.)
3. Higher level adventuring. (With the remix, Dragon Heist tops out at 7th level.)

In any case, this influenced my design of the final encounter: I knew the dragon would be alone down there. But I wanted the encounter to be meaningful and challenging. It was, after all, the big finale of the campaign.

TARGET LEVEL: One other thing to discuss here is the expected level of the PCs for this finale. This is discussed elsewhere in my notes for my remix, but basically I have the PCs level up:

• After Chapter 1 (when they rescue Floon).
• After the Gralhund raid.
• After each of the heists.

There are four available heists, although the PCs may only need to do three of them. So the PCs will either be 6th or 7th level going into the Vault. (In the case of my campaign, the PCs did all four heists, but we were on a race to the end and I forgot to have them level up. So they were 6th level heading into the Vault.)

THE DRAGON: The first thing I did was to just pull up the list of available dragons. I’d decided a classic, fire-breathing red was the way to go, so:

• Ancient Red Dragon (CR 24)
• Adult Red Dragon (CR 17)
• Young Red Dragon (CR 10)
• Red Dragon Wyrmling (CR 4)

The Ancient and Adult Red Dragons are obviously too deadly. If you want to build an encounter strictly by the book, then I might suggest throwing a pair of Red Dragon Wyrmlings in there. A double dragon fight sounds cool. (You might even bump it up to a triad of wyrmlings for larger 7th level parties.)

But what I really wanted was that really iconic dragon-on-its-hoard encounter. So I decided to grab the Young Red Dragon at CR 10.

However, I’d already seen my PCs mop the floor with “deadly” CR 10 encounters. (Victoro Cassalanter, for example, is a CR 10 opponent and they’d rolled right over the top of him.) Having the dragon go, “ROAR!” and then do nothing while they turned it into a thin, red paste felt like an anti-climactic way to wrap things up.

(If it happens, that’s fine. Awesome even. The players will probably love telling the story of how they blew a dragon away. I’m just not going to deliberately design it that way, since that would be the opposite of awesome.)

What I concluded was that the plausible solution to this problem was to give the dragon some legendary actions. Generally only much more powerful monsters are given legendary actions, but they almost instantly solve the problem of the bad guy not getting to do very much before being wiped out.

Long story short, this is the dragon I designed. Feel free to plug it into your Dragon Heist finales:

YOUNG RED DRAGON
Large dragon, chaotic evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 178 (17d10+85)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft.

STR 23 (+6), DEX 10 (+0), CON 21 (+5), INT 14 (+2), WIS 11 (+0), CHA 19 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +9, Wis +4, Cha +8
Skills Perception +8, Stealth +4
Damage Immunities fire
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Multiattack.The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10+6) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+6) slashing damage.

Fire Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales fire in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 56 (16d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The dragon gets 3 legendary actions. These actions can only be taken at the end of an opponent’s turn. They refresh at the end of the dragon’s turn.

Detect. Make a Wisdom (Perception) test.

Bite Attack. Make a bite attack.

Wing Attack (2 actions). Creatures within 10 ft. make DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6+8 bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.

Something I’ve been asked several times since sharing the Alexandrian Remix of Dragon Heist is, “How are the PCs supposed to pull off the heist at Kolat Towers?”

The perception is that the opposition at Kolat Towers is so deadly that, if the PCs choose to engage it, they’ll get wiped out.

The first thing to understand is that, to a large extent, that’s what makes this such a great heist. The fact that the PCs can’t just bull rush their way through the opposition is both why they need to perform a heist (in order to avoid direct confrontation) and why the heist will be so utterly satisfying when they do pull it off.

With that being said, let’s talk a little bit about how this heist works in actual practice.

BROAD TOPOGRAPHY

If you’re not familiar with Dragon Heist or the Alexandrian Remix, here are a few key facts that should help you understand what follows.

(1) Kolat Towers is the headquarters for a sect of the Zhentarim ruled by Manshoon.

(2) There is a force field around Kolat Towers. Those wearing a pass-amulet can pass through the force field.

(3) You can also access Kolat Towers by means of teleportation circles that are located in various Zhentarim outposts around Waterdeep/Faerun. The Kolat Towers side of these teleportation circles are all located in a single hub at the top of one of the towers.

(4) This hub also contains a secured teleportation circle that leads to an interdimensional fortress that serves as Manshoon’s Sanctum. Using this teleportation circle requires the use of a teleportation signet ring.

(5) The primary target of the heist is a magical Eye, which Manshoon keeps in an astral vault in his library. The library is located at the top of one of the three spires in the Sanctum.

(6) Manshoon spends most of his time in his quarters or laboratory, which are more or less located at the top of the other two spires.

So, broadly speaking, you need to get access to Kolat Towers, use a teleportation signet ring to get access to the Sanctum, and then steal the Eye out of the library.

KEY FACTORS

There are a couple major factors to keep in mind when running the Kolat Towers heist.

First, as noted in the remix:

…most of the Towers’ inhabitants will simply assume that anyone who has bypassed the force field must have a pass-amulet and, therefore, must have legitimate business there. Their incredible security system has, ultimately, made them somewhat lax when it comes to actual security, and PCs who are smart enough to lean into that assumption can effectively seize a surveillance opportunity for themselves mid-heist.

This is really important. If you screw this up — by, for example, having the first NPC to see the PCs immediately scream bloody murder and call for help — then it’s going to be much, much more difficult to pull off a successful heist.

(It’s okay if the PCs screw it up, of course. That’s their unique prerogative.)

Second, the remix also has a section on “Questioning the Zhentarim” which describes what the typical Zhentarim thugs, apprentice wizards, and lieutenants all know about the layout of Kolat Towers, the location of Manshoon, the Stone of Golorr, and the location of Manshoon’s Eye.

The important thing to remember here is that all of these NPCs can (and likely will) be encountered before they enter Kolat Towers. That’s by design: If the PCs stumble blindly into a direct confrontation with Manshoon, then they’re probably screwed. To avoid that, they need to know where to go and, equally importantly, where NOT to go in the Sanctum.

Third, if things do go haywire and the heist fails, the original description of Manshoon from Dragon Heist (p. 160) should be kept in mind:

This version of Manshoon isn’t spoiling for a fight. He commends the characters for making it this far and shows no concerns for the Zhents they defeated to each him, since he considers all his followers expendable. The characters’ best chance of survival is to convince Manshoon that they can be cowed or bribed into working for him. Weary of his conflict with the Xanathar Guild, Manshoon suggests that the players prove their usefulness to him by hunting down and killing Xanathar in its lair…

I’d tweak this slightly, for the purposes of the Remix, to suggest that Manshoon’s top demand will be for the PCs to steal back the Eye that Xanathar stole from him. (Hopefully the PCs will do a better job of this new heist they’ve been pointed at.)

Regardless, at this point in the campaign it is very likely that the PCs have access to information (or people) that Manshoon dearly desires, and they should be able to trade that for their freedom and/or to form an alliance with Manshoon. This effectively gives them a mulligan on a failed heist at Kolat Towers.

THE FIRST HEIST

Let’s look at how this actually played out at my table.

One of the Zhentarim faction outposts is Yellowspire, a tower on the west side of Waterdeep used by Banite priests that contains one of the teleportation circles leading to Kolat Towers. The PCs learned of Yellowspire from their contacts in the Doom Raiders, a different sect of the Zhentarim who were opposed to Manshoon’s control.

Long story short, the PCs cleared out Yellowspire and the teleportation circle would become their access point for Kolat Towers. They also had a pass-amulet that they had obtained from raiding a different Zhentarim faction outpost.

At this point, the didn’t know much about what they would find on the other side of the teleportation circle. So they disguised themselves as Banite priests, using vestments and holy symbols gathered from Yellowspire, and went through.

Working their way down the tower from the teleportation hub, they encountered the statue of Duhlark Kolat in Area K10. They used the pass-amulet to get past the statue. (In reality, the statue simply floats into the air, issues a magic mouth challenge, and then sinks back down a minute later. But their experience was being challenged, holding up the amulet, and then watching the statue sink back down.)

Crossing to the other tower they provoked an attack from gargoyle guards and the sound of their fight attracted the attention of Yorn the Terror, a half-orc who had been trying to enjoy a little piece and quiet in the adjacent reading room with his signed copy of Volo’s Guide to Monsters.

Yorn saw their Banite robes and the pass-amulet they wore… and promptly ordered the gargoyles to stand down. “You have to show them the amulet,” he explained. “Otherwise they’re almost as big a terror as I am. Who are you here to see?”

The PCs thought quickly and offered up a basically random name that they knew to be associated with the Zhentarim: Agorn Fuoco.

I called for a Charisma (Deception) check at this point. It was a success.

“Agorn?” Yorn said. “I think you just missed him. He headed back through the portal to his quarters in the sanctum.”

“Through one of the other portals, then?” Pashar frowned.

“You came from Yellowspire?” Yorn said. “Yes. You’ll want the other teleportation circle. Do you have a signet ring?”

They did not. I could have called for a Charisma (Persuasion) test, but I decided to just let the result of the Charisma (deception) test ride forward.

“All right,” Yorn said, slipping a ring from his finger. “You can use mine. But make sure you have it back to me before dawn!”

“Pardon my ignorance,” Kora said. “But what happens if we don’t get it back before dawn?”

“I rip your arms off!” Yorn roared.

“Thank you! Much appreciated!”

Yorn gave them some brief instructions, telling them to ask Kaejva, on the other side of the teleportation circle, to give them directions to Agorn’s quarters. “And tell Agorn he owes me one.”

Yorn went back to his book, and the group rapidly backtracked to the teleportation hub.

At this point, of course, the PCs had everything they needed to smoothly access the Sanctum. And that’s exactly what they did.

THE SECOND HEIST

Ultimately, however, the first heist was not successful in retrieving the Eye: They lacked the key information of where it was located. Instead, they poked around for a bit, got a general sense of the Sanctum’s layout, and talked to a couple more Zhentarim who inadvertently told them where Manshoon’s quarters were located. Then they withdrew.

(In the process of withdrawing, they actually lured Agorn Fuoco back to Yellowspire and murdered him, too, but that has only a minimal impact on subsequent events.)

The first heist effectively became what we refer to as a “surveillance opportunity” in the heist scenario structure. They now knew a lot more information about their target, and they were going to use that to plan a second heist.

Their information, however, was incomplete. And, as a result, they drew an erroneous conclusion: They felt confident that Manshoon would be keeping the Eye on him. Thus, they believed that the target of the heist was Manshoon himself!

However, they also recognized that there was no way that they could go toe-to-toe with Manshoon, the Night King, Lord of Zhentil Keep, Master of the Black Network, and Scourge of Shadowdale.

Their solution was to go back to their contacts in the Doom Raiders — the other faction of Zhentarim in Waterdeep — and make a simple offer: “We know where Manshoon is. We have a way past his defenses. We’ll help you kill him, but you have to agree to let us take possession of a specific magical item in his possession.”

They didn’t even need to make a check for this: They’d already proven themselves to be reliable friends to the Doom Raiders, and given the circumstances there was no way that the Doom Raiders wouldn’t leap at the opportunity they were being given.

Independently I determined how long it would be before Zhentarim agents realized that Agorn Fuoco and the Yellowspire operation had been compromised. If that had happened, Manshoon’s Zhentarim would have cleared out Yellowspire, severed the teleportation circle, put Kolat Towers on high alert, and left the PCs high-and-dry. But the PCs moved quickly, and returned to Yellowspire before Manshoon’s Zhentarim realized anything was amiss.

They came with a Doom Raider strike force: Ziraj, Tashlyn, and Davil Starsong, all major leaders of the group, led a mixed force of four veterans and ten thugs. (The composition of the strike force was based on page 17 of Dragon Heist: “Tashlyn offers affordable mercenaries, either thugs costing 2 sp per day each or veterans costing 2 gp per day each.”) Yagra, the PCs’ primary contact with the Doom Raiders, also tagged along.

Their plan was simple: The PCs, once again dressed as Banite priests, would teleport through to the Sanctum. They knew from their previous visit that Kaejva, a wizard, stood watch over the arrival platform from an observation chamber off to one side. They would bluff their way past her, then circle around and kill her, before returning to usher the Doom Raider strike force through.

Here, however, their plan hit a snag: They flubbed their cover story with Kaejva and she, suspicious, prepared to cast a sending spell to summon Manshoon. One of the PCs were prepared for this however, and used misty step as a bonus action to pop into the observation chamber next to her, disrupt the casting of the spell, and throw the lever that would open the door for the other PCs.

Having killed Kaejva, they brought the Doom Raiders through.

From that point forward, their raid was basically clinical: Successful Stealth tests saw them systemically ambush and slaughter the Manshoonian zhents. (Several were sleeping. And the PCs knew where the others were likely to be congregating based on their prior surveillance.) It was overwhelming force applied to isolated, unprepared resistance.

The strike force did not, in fact, suffer a single injury before they burst into Manshoon’s private quarters.

THE DEATH OF MANSHOON

Manshoon was not so easily overwhelmed.

But what Manshoon had coming through the door at him was a platoon of twenty-four hostile warriors (including the PCs), and because there had been no warning he wasn’t prepared. He barely managed to get his robe of the archmagi wrapped around himself as the door burst open. He bought himself a few more seconds of time with a misty step followed by a wall of force, but he was pursued with misty step in kind and his concentration on the wall of force was broken. He managed to trap Davil Starsong in an imprisonment spell (the consequences of which are rather far-reaching and remain uncertain as of this writing), but then he was pretty much swallowed up by the Doom Raiders and PCs.

What’s the fall out of all this?

Well, the PCs have Manshoon’s Eye and are one step closer to restoring the Stone of Golorr. They also have his spellbook, robe of the archmagi, and staff of power. I made the decision to not limit the robe by alignment, so Pashar, the 5th level PC wizard, is glutted with power. The consequences of this, particularly with the PCs liberally spreading the word of their role in Manshoon’s death to the Harpers and Force Grey, are still to be seen.

If Davil Starsong had been around, he probably would have made a claim to these items. But with him imprisoned, the other members of the Doom Raiders who were present lacked the knowledge to push the issue. They’re fairly happy in any case: Not only did the PCs help them wipe out Manshoon, but with Manshoon dead they assisted in cleaning out the rest of Kolat Towers so that the Doom Raiders could move in. Even if/when Davil returns, he’ll probably rank “private interdimensional fortress” as a fair trade for the robe and staff.

OTHER APPROACHES

I don’t want to convey the sense that any of this is the One True Way™ for tackling Kolat Towers. Quite the opposite. The great thing about a well-designed heist scenario is that there ISN’T a One True Way™. The whole point is that the PCs are free to make their own plan and then we find out together whether or not that plan is going to work.

Honestly, even after the PCs made their alliance with the Doom Raiders I figured the most likely outcome of this plan would be that, at some point, the alarm would be raised and then Manshoon would arrive and lower the boom. It was exciting to see the plan come together and get pulled off in defiance of all expectations.

Other options that I’ve thought could work:

• Using disguise self spells to mimic the appearance of known Zhentarim agents and infiltrate the Towers.
• Actually pretend to join the Zhentarim in order to gain access to the Towers.
• Simply cut a deal with Manshoon.

What cool plan have you concocted? What have your players attempted? Did it work?

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