Session 7: Walking in the Dark

Ches 23 dawned gray and rainy. The Batmen had a few leads that they wanted to follow up on. The Cassalanters, a powerful noble house, had asked for some help in dealing with a threat to their children. They had asked Davil Starsong about Urstul Floxin, and Davil told them he'd help them out if they completed a mission for him -- deliver some potions of mind reading to a woman in a purple cloak. And they still had a nimbleright to find with the nimblewright detector.

The group decided to take care of the mission for Davil first. Graycen went to Weirdbottle's Provisions to meet with Davil's colleague, Skeemo Weirdbottle. The decrepit gnome was creepy, but gave her the potions. Using her stealth, she avoided an ambush set by the Xanathar, and delivered the potions to a woman in a purple hood, who thanked Graycie and handed her a velvet bag with fifteen platinum coins. The woman banged on the roof of the stagecoach she was sitting on, which took her away. Returning to the Yawning Portal, Davil filled them in on the intrigue currently plaguing the Zhentarim. Recently, another group of Zhents led by Urstul Floxin came to Waterdeep. Where Davil wants to play things slow, keep it under the radar, and mostly use the trade in weapons and mercenaries to build influence, Floxin has bigger dreams, wanting to use violence and fear to control the city more directly. He's interested in the money because there's a group of Zhentarim trying to rebuild Zhentil Keep, and with a large donation to the effort, they could get a seat on the Zhentarim Council. The party asked if there's anything they could do, and Davil said he was keeping an eye on it, but he'd let them know. He also said they should talk to Dalakhar, and sent a priest with them to cast speak with dead.

The priest was quite taciturn, but his name was Flint, and he seemed to have an in with the people at the morgue, as they let the group in without the usual formalities. There they learned that Lord Neverember had ordered him to infiltrate the Xanathar's gang to steal back the Stone of Golorr. He intended to give it to Renaer, since he was a servant of Renaer's father. But unfortunately, he was ambushed by the nimbewright and killed.

After meeting Davil, the Batmen head to the Sea Ward to meet with the Cassanlanters. Along the way, they notice a villa that Dagrim recalls belongs to the Dezlentyrs. Hank talks his way in, but without a plan to get Lord Corin Dezlentyr to talk about the nimblewrights, it goes nowhere. However, Chip sneaks a look in the backyard and sees young Hermione sparring with a nimblewright. Unfortunately, the nimblewright doesn't match the description of the one that killed Dalakhar, and they continue to the Cassalanters.

The Cassalanter villa might just be the most spectacular in Waterdeep; it is certainly the most spectacular the party has ever seen. The majordomo leads them to the entrance hall. It has a magnificent harpsichord to the side of a plush crimson carpet. Light from a crystal chandelier refelcts of more than three dozen holy symbols of Siamorphe, creating an almost divine glow. Ammalia Cassalanter stands waiting in the center of the hall. She greets them warmly, but before she can continue, two eight years old run into the hall. She chides them gently, and tells them to play in the butterfly garden, but when she turns back to the group, her face looks sad. "I hope you can help us save our children."

Lady Cassalanter leads the party through their library, which in addition to an enormous collection of books includes the sizeable head of a black dragon. Against a wall stands a portrait of the Cassalanters with their three children. They proceed into the reading room, where Lord Victoro Casslanter meets them. The room features a lovely view of the gardens, where the Cassalanter children are chasing butterflies. Lord Cassalanter thanks the Batmen in his deep voice, and pleads for their help. The children were cursed by Asmodeus at birth. Fortunately, like everything with Asmodeus, there is an out. The Cassalanters discovered a ritual where, if they sacrifice one million dragons to him on 11 Tarsahk, their children will be saved. As rich as they are, they haven't been able to raise that kind of cash -- however, Neverember's enigma would enable them to save their children. The Stone of Golorr is key to solving Neverember's Enigma. They understand that the party doesn't work for free, but they don't need all the money, and could pay the group 10 percent, 50,000 dragons. Chip thinks that isn't quite enough, and they also add that they'd certainly owe the party a favor. The Batmen agree to help the Cassalanters. Lord Cassantler thanks them, and says they should get in touch once they have acquired the Stone of Golorr.

The party decides to spend some more of the afternoon looking in the Sea Ward for nimblewrights, and a block north of the Cassalanters, their rod vibrates again. There is apparently a mechanical man inside of the Temple of Mystera. Dagrim goes inside the House of Wonder, and gives the priestess there a story about how he's here to study and would she show him to the library? Unfortunately, she doesn't buy his story, and he's seen out. After this failure, the Batmen give up on searching the Sea Ward, and return to Trollskull alley. Back at their tavern, they decide to spend some more time in the evening looking for nimblewrights. This time, they head east, the same direction the guilty nimblewright went after killing Dalakhar. In just a few blocks, the rod goes off, right in front of Gralhund Villa.

The first thing the Batmen do is send Rasool up to the wrought iron gate to see if he can get them inside. Feeling safe behind the thick iron bars, the surly groundskeeper is not intimidated by the man with the glowing red eyes, growls at them, and walks away. Rasool considers bounding over the front wall on a busy street in broad daylight, but the rest of the party convinces him that they don't need to deal with the Watch in addition to everything else. Dagrim digs up what he can recall about the Gralhunds -- they are a minor noble family who had hoped to ascend to the upper nobility on the strength of their service some years ago, but were disappointed. The team decided to wait until night, and then see if they could infiltrate the villa.

Once night had fully fallen, the party went around to the east side of the complex, and Graycen climbed the wall and lowered a rope to help everyone else up. Marty pointed out the groundskeeper and his two mastiffs below, and Dagrim hurled a charm of sleep at them. To his surprise and horror, nothing happened. He decides he wants to burn the large complex of stone buildings to the ground. After dissuading him from this idea, Hand and Chip circle north. There are a couple copses of trees they think could be used to sneak up to the main building, and avoid the preternaturally strong groundskeeper. But they decide it's too much, and they'll come back later. As they regroup before heading back to the manor, they see the nimblewright they were chasing climb up to the roof of the villa, and run away too the west. Hank casts longstrider, while Graycie uses her knowledge of the back ways and alleys to keep up for a while. They see the nimblewright turn south, but the mechanical man does not tire, and they lose him in the night.