Trollskull Manor Taproom:
Zarek leaves all the items and returns to the Trollskull Manor Taproom and Alley. Alley and Zarek look around the rest of the Taproom and find an old Pantry and the Kitchen in the south-east corner of the building.
The ground floor is strewn with debris. Broken chairs and tables dot the floor, while a large circle of mould grows over the old bar, fed by a steady drip of water from the cracked plaster ceiling. The hearth is cold, with several stones missing. Between the ever-present cobwebs and broken windows, the whole place is an abandoned mess.
Oddly, there is an unbroken mirror behind the bar.
Zarek and Alley discuss what the Rogue had uncovered and the mystery of the disappearing blood had Zarek worried. Alley seam more to think that it must has drained away, the cellar being so old and in such disrepair that the Gods only know where it have gone.
Alley: “Unless you think it was a Ghost that made the blood disappear.” Alley then makes a Ghostly noise, “Hooooo-wooooo”.
Zarek is insistent that something is foul and descends, from the Taproom, into the Cellar once more, with the intension of carrying out further investigations.
Zarek investigates the rubble filled, collapsed tunnel in the Ale Cellar and the Rogue can clearly hear the sound of flowing water, the sewer system of Waterdeep.
Zarek feels slightly ill as he remembers his last dip in the sewage that flows under Waterdeep.
Zarek: “Never again if I have anything to do with it.” Zarek assures himself.
Zarek believes that this damage is due to neglect as the area looks untouched. As does the ladder which he found neatly placed along the wall.
Zarek: “Whoever used this ladder last must have been many, many years ago.”
Zarek then examines the Talking Doll, without touching it, to see if he can gage when it was left here hidden behind the barrels. He concludes that it was impossible to tell, as he had nothing else to compare the condition with. But he would have said many, many years.
Finally, Zarek checks the Wine Cellar, and in particular the bricked-up tunnel leading off northwards. After Zarek spending sometime scrutinising the area, he came to the conclusion that the bricks where laid decades ago, but were not as old as Trollskull Manor, as that was built some 300 years ago.
Zarek filed to hear anything beyond the brick wall, he was not having a very productive evening so far.
Zarek climbs back up the ladder and re-joins Alley, in the Taproom, who had spent her time looking about the Taproom.
Alley: “Do you see anything out of place about the Taproom young Zarek? Take a close look about you.”
Zarek’s luck once more fails him as he can see nothing out of place or strange. Alley then points out the mirror.
Alley: “There, behind you is an unbroken mirror behind the bar.”
Zarek: “I told you that all was not as it should be in this building.”
Zarek and Alley then investigate the Pantry and adjacent Kitchen.
The remnants of a once-bustling pantry lie behind a creaky door, old wooden shelves line the pantry, their joints loosened with weathering. In one corner there is a pile of shredded cloth and sacks, forming a rubbish nest.
Zarek is slightly nervous of the nest and choses to poke it with his Rapier but nothing curries out of it.
Zarek then listens at the southern door and can hear the sound of scurrying feet and believes it is fine to enter the room. Zarek opens the door very quietly and peers inside.
A pair of rats run out of the kitchen and passed Zarek and Alley, who gives a quite cry as the dash past.
Tucked at the rear of the ground floor, the kitchen of Trollskull Manor is a broad, stone-floored chamber with the weary charm of a once-busy hearth now fallen into disuse. A large, soot-darkened fireplace dominates the far wall, clearly built for both warmth and cooking, with an ancient Black Iron Cauldron still hanging from a rusted hook. The hearth is wide enough to roast a whole pig, or something far less mundane.
Cracked flagstones line the floor, and the air carries a faint mix of smoke, grease, and dust. Wooden counters, dulled by age and years of chopping and mixing, line two walls, some warped with time and water damage. Open shelves above are home to old clay jars, spiderwebbed bottles, and a few pieces of chipped crockery. A battered spice rack still clings stubbornly to the wall, holding faded labels like “Thyme” and “Devil’s Tongue”.
A hand pump stands near a deep stone basin that once served as a sink, though whether water still flows is questionable until someone tests it.
Despite the grime and disrepair, there’s a lingering sense of hospitality in the bones of the place, as though it’s waiting patiently for laughter, clanging pots, and savoury scents to return. With some effort and a few Gold Dragons, this kitchen can be restored to a chef’s dream, or a tavern’s heart.
Zarek takes a look around and find nothing of interest or any recent signs of Ghosts. The Rogue then elects to open the locked door, in the south wall, which leads to Trollskull Alley. The lock is very well made, Dwarven, but the Rogue can open it at the second try.
Iomhar Rackham: “Locks are like women; they need to be lubricated so as you can slip in nice and easy like.”
There is no movement this late at night in the Alley, yet most of the builds have a light or two on. Zarek bolts the door close but leaves it unlocked.
Zarek: “Might as well check the door in the west in the Pantry, that should lead to the side of the building.”
The lock is exactly the same as the Kitchen door, Dwarven, but the Rogue can open it at the first try. Outside, it is still pouring with rain and the Thunder and Lightning had not abated. Zarek also leaves this door bolted but leaves it unlocked.
Zarek returns to Alley’s side and notices that something had been written on the mirror behind the bar.
“Closing Time”.
Zarek: “I knew it, let me wipe it clean and check the reflection.”
Alley rolls her eyes and Zarek can see nothing different or revealed via the reflection. There is an uneasiness between them as each thinks the other is playing games.
Zarek: “I think we have found everything we can here and we should check the rest of the building.”
Alley is looking about the place and exclaims how great this place would be if fully working once more.
Alley: “It would pay for our adventuring expenses and be a base of operations or secret lair.”
Suddenly, the jammed front door to the Taproom bursts open and a split second afterwards Lightning cracks and illuminates the Taproom and Thunder roars, letting out heroes know that the storm is right above them and that evil lurks within Trollskull Manor.
Alley looks obviously alarmed and the colour drains from her face.
Zarek is now less convinced that this would be a great place to keep, he knew that it would cost many Gold Dragons and they would need to return to the Zhentarim Warehouse and recover the Silver Bars and Paintings too, every last Copper Nib.
Alley covers the hole leading to the Taproom Cellar and they both make their way out of Trollskull Manor and head towards the stairs leading to the residential part of the build.
They find that this door is also locked, and Volo having not given them any keys, so Zarek needed to use his skills to enter the building. Luckily the lock was the same as the other, well made but the Rogue was now used to the mechanism and a drop of oil always helps.
Zarek listens out before he opens the door and decerns nothing with his poor hearing.
This room is sparsely decorated. A few old hooks can be found in the walls, but their painting was long ago sold or stolen. A pair of old chairs and a small table are pushed up against the west side. A cabinet once sat beneath the east window, but has been smashed to pieces.”
The fireplace is dark and cold, with a small puddle in the centre where the rain has come down the old chimney. The door to the south is open.
Zarek thinks this must be some Common Room where people would leave their cloaks and a place to relax by the fire. Zarek cleverly checks the floor for any recent activity and finds none. The rogue then heads to the southern door, which is slightly ajar, and listens there for any noise. He hears nothing and so closes the door shut.
The Rogue then Silently moves to the northern door and listens there too. Here he can hear the background noise of Trollskull Manor, just like behind the southern door, dripping water, the wind, the Thunder and Lighting. Yet it sounded damped. The door is unlocked and so the Rogue opens it, with his Rapier in hand.
Beyond the door, the Rogue finds that the chamber is long and has a balcony to the north.
This room is caked in thick cobwebs. The stink of decomposing flesh fills your nose, joined by an acrid stench.
The Rogue draws out his ‘Magical Candle’ and takes a closer look about the room.
Zarek: “It will be hard to get through all these Webs but I can’t see anything within.”
The Rogue believes the coast is clear and he enters, fighting with the webs to make progress.
Zarek: “I can see the Tower area, windows and another door outside to the balcony. What’s that…?”
The Rogue just manages to catch the movement of something above him and is fast enough to realise that the creature is to far to hit with his Rapier and so draws forth one of his Vial of Alchemist’s Fire and connects with, what he can now see is a large brown hairy Spider, the create and it is damage by the flames.
Zarek: “Run in Alley as they will allow me to get a more effective hit.”
Alley follows up, after the Rogue scurries out of the Den, and she cast ‘Fire Bolt’ at the Spider.
Alley: “I would rather not Zarek, use your Hand Cross-Bow, or learn to cast ‘True Strike’.
Zarek moves back into the room and between the two heroes they finish-off the Spider only to be further attacked by a Swarm of Spiders, children of the larger one. Battling the smaller Spiders is challenging, as the are fast and hard to hit, but they are vanquished and a large area of webs are cleared in doing so. A few of the smaller Spiders dash off into the Tower area and up into the rafters.
Alley: ”You need to make sure they are all dispatched Zarek, I wouldn’t want to share our new home with them. And what’s that awful smell?”
Zarek moves as quietly as he can and uses his Rogue skills to finish of the last 2 Spiders. Zarek has never seen anything like this beast before and Alley explains that the creature is Giant Wolf Spider.
After driving away the Spiders, Zarek finds inside the nest of the Giant Wolf Spider, the corpse of a recent meal, probably some unfortunate person caught from a back alley. The bones are small, but fully grown, indicating a Halfling or Gnome. Zarek finds a pouch and it holds 23 gp Gold Dragons. The Rogue also finds on the body and bag containing a hollow metal tube measures about 1 foot long, with a carved symbol and weighs 1 pound, with a small metal pin attached by a chain. Zarek takes both items and re-joins Alley.