Ashmadai:
CHES 27th (The Claw of Sunsets – 1492 DR)
01:00 am
As the Rogue and Bard make their way back to Trollskull Manor they discuss the avenues of investigation to follow including the Ashmadai, Zhentarim, Xanathar Guild, Cassalanters, Gralhunds and the Factions that constantly demand loyalty.
Alley: “We need to refine the information we have and choose our next direction.”
Zarek: “But there are so many villains after us we are now a target ourselves.”
Alley: “Then we use that to our advantage.”
Once back at Trollskull Manor, Alley and Zarek find the staff clearing up and preparing for the morning service, a big difference having the mothers and nannies of the wealthy families rather than Ashmadai Cultists.
Althaea, Elthaea and Ulthaea, the 3 Elf Barmaids were there, Ryba the Halfling Barmaid who always seems to be at work and Lif behind the bar.
They also spot, in the corner by the ebbing fire in the fireplace, 3 very familiar faces in Renaer Neverember, Floon Blagmaar and Volothamp Geddarm. Zarek felt happy at this because he had several questions regarding Parlek Lateriff and the Ashmadai Cultists.
Alley and Zarek sit down by their friends and Lif are suddenly there with some warm soup a flagon of Ale for Alley and Zarek. They both eat and drink while they listen to the three friends talk about recent culinary innovations and imported alcohols.
Then having finished his meal quicker than Alley, Zarek begins to question Renaer Neverember concerning Parlek Lateriff and the Ashmadai Cultists information recovered from the cabin of Jarlaxle Baenre.
01:20 am
Zarek: “Renaer, have you been able to look through the documents that we gave to Parlek Lateriff for you to look through?”
Renaer Neverember looked confused and was about to reply until alley interceded. Alley, sensing that it would be best not to involve the famous Volothamp Geddarm and the simple minded Floon Blagmaar, and so she mentions to them about Lif and his new ideas for drinks.
Alley: “Volo, Floon, please ask Lif to show you his new set of cocktails that we intend to offer, one may even be named after you Volo.”
The two acquaintances get up and make their way to the bar without a second thought. This allowed Renaer Neverember to consider his answer carefully.
The Rogue retell their interaction with Parlek Lateriff, how he came to Trollskull Manor to inspect their library.
Renaer Neverember: “Well that does sound like Parlek Lateriff, but…”
The Rogue continues to say that he had handed over documentation regarding the Ashmadai Cultists.
Renaer Neverember: “One moment Zarek, I think you have been confused. Parlek Lateriff left for Candlekeep the day after the Grand Opening of Trollskull Manor. It’s hard enough to prise him away from his books.”
Zarek: “What, that means that we have given that evidence away, but to who?”
Renaer Neverember: “Can you remember what the documents showed?”
Zarek: “Yes, but that is not the problem, I have given the evidence to, Tymora know who.”
The Rogue was able to recall most of the note from the documentation, but not all.
Zarek: “How was it that they knew, they must know Parlek Lateriff in able to look like him and sound like him.”
Alley: “We barely knew him Zarek, you were not to know.”
Zarek informs Renaer Neverember of the information that they gathered from the scrolls, notes and other information gather by Jarlaxle Baenre and how some of the writings were decades, if not centuries old.
Renaer Neverember: “Where did you gather this information from young Zarek, I feel you are getting yourself, and Alley, into trouble that you may not escape easily.”
Alley uses her ‘Earring of Message’ to communicate with Zarek, telling him to keep that information secret as we do not want to drag our three friends into the Grand Game.”
Zarek: “Let us just say a third Party and leave it at that, for both our protection.”
Renaer Neverember looks very concern and listens closely, not touching his goblet throughout. Having heard their concerns, Renaer Neverember suggests that they should contact the City Watch or someone in authority.
Not being provided the help he wanted, Zarek then began to question Renaer Neverember on the subject of his farther, Lord Dagult Neverember, which went down like an exploding Mephit in the gut.
Zarek: “Why did your father, Lord Dagult Neverember, send Dalakhar to Waterdeep and why was he keeping an eye on you.”
Renaer Neverember: “I know not why and I would suggest you ask him and not me. I am not my father.”
Alley and Zarek both stare at Renaer Neverember, Zarek to see if he was telling the truth regarding his dislike of his father, while Alley was looking at Renaer Neverember to see if there was anything to give away that fact that he may not be who he pretends to be.
The Rogue failed to sense that Renaer Neverember did not wish to talk about his father, Lord Dagult Neverember, or the evil deeds that he had, and is, involved in. However, he did remember not to mention Neverember’s Enigma or The Grand Game.
Zarek: “Dalakhar left his observations of you and went where, do you know? Where is your father now and would he come back to Waterdeep do you think.”
Renaer Neverember: “Again Zarek, I fear I am not, nor never will be, my father’s keeper and these questions should be directed at him. I am not part of his schemes.”
Renaer Neverember gets up from the table, excuses himself and goes to join Volothamp Geddarm and Floon Blagmaar at the bar.
Renaer Neverember: “I feel you are not listening, like all the others, and you do not seem to hear my words and so I will leave you to your own thoughts. Goodnight, Alley and thank you as ever for your gracious hospitality.”
Zarek looks really hard at Renaer Neverember and tries to work out if he was lying about his thought regarding his father, or if he was lying and he himself was a part of the Grand Game. The Rogue was so focused on the Ashmadai Cultists, that he failed to gage his reaction.
Renaer Neverember nods to Zarek and then collects his two friends and they leave to have one last drink at the tavern called A Maiden’s Tears, which just happens to be very close to Gralhund Villa.
Alley then mentions that she saw how Renaer Neverember still wore the Cameo of his mother, the one which held one of the Eyes of the ‘Stone of Golorr’ and repaired by Zarek himself, after too was broken by the Zhentarim Thugs in their warehouse in Candle Lane in the Dock Ward.
Alley: “The Ashmadai Cultists are the last thing on his mind Zarek, he is a man of revelry and parties, not battle and adventure.”
Zarek: “But Alley, these Ashmadai Cultists are another faction that we need to be aware of and we don’t even know who they are associated with.”
Alley: “You really need to stop and listen sometimes Zarek; he really has a hatred of his father. I guess we can ask for his help with knowledge of Waterdeep and his large circle of inflectional friends and nothing more. We cannot all be adventures, there would be no fun left for us.”
Zarek smiles as Alley manages to calm the Rogue and remind him that they were the one tasked with recovering the 500,000 Gold Dragon’s.
Zarek: “Your laughter rings in daring hearts, where risk and fate, their paths do part. In games of life, both swift and wild, you favour fortune’s fearless child.”
Then the plates and tankers were removed from the table after a slate tablet with writing was left in front of Alley and Zarek.
Alley: “Do not be alarmed, Lif has taken to writing on a slate with chalk. It is a lot easier, take a look.”
Alley hands Zarek the slate, Zarek fearing it to say that the Ashmadai were in Trollskull Manor, but it said that the Urchins had been fed and they were sleeping upstairs in Alley’s Master Bedroom.
Zarek: “Well it looks like we will need to wait until the morning to talk to them and see what they saw and heard at the Cassalanter Villa.”
Alley: “We have some time to go over the documents and scrolls that you discovered in Lord Orond Gralhunds dubious, and lets never talk about the naked statues and weird wrestling mat ever again, office.”
Zarek: “Of course Alley I nearly forgot. A little R&R, Reading and Research that is.”
01:35 am
Relived that the Trollskull would not be raided by the Ashmadai Cultists, Alley and Zarek first visit the Urchins in Alley’s Master Bedroom and happy that they were all well and unharmed, they made their way to their library.
The two Sages divide the documents and scrolls between themselves and begin to read, hoping to extract anything that may be urgent and if there was nothing, then they should head off to bed for a well-earned rest.
Zarek: “I will ask Lif to keep watch over us tonight and then we need to make arrangements.”
Alley: “I agree, we still have Ulkoria Stonemarrow’s ‘Glyph of Warding’ down stairs and I can even learn the Spell if we think we need to use it. I was going to use the Spell as a Spell Glyph and store in them Spells that I can cast and we could activate.”
Zarek: “O Lady Luck, we call your name, to bless our steps in fortune’s game. With courage bright and spirits high, we trust in you, as dice do fly.”
Alley smiles and thanks Zarek for the kind words, but insists the she is the Bard not him. Zarek thinks that not to be true as he has never heard her sing, not even a little.
Zarek first finds that these disparate papers, written in the hand of Orond Gralhund, concern the strategies and machinations of House Gralhund over the year.
This journal entry, and others like it throughout late 1491 DR some 12 ago, speak to the bitterness of the Gralhunds, who felt slighted by being excluded from the ruling council of the city, the Masked Lords.
Alley also find valuable information that gives an insight into the thinking of the Gralhunds.
It is clear from Lord Orond Gralhunds notes, however, that over the next few weeks his efforts to penetrate the Grand Game were thwarted. It was clear that the resources of the Gralhunds were limited. But Lord Orond Gralhund thought outside the cube. He embedded agents (referred to by the code phrases “Eagle” and “Catoblepas”) in Renaer Neverembers household. As Renaer Neverember was estranged from his father this was a long-shot at best, but it paid off.
Zarek: “We need to ask Renaer about these agents “Eagle” and “Catoblepas”, it could help us with the Grand Game.
Alley: “I think he will offer the fact that he no longer has either information or items that would help those looking for Neverembers Enigma.”
They continued to read on and found that:
Several weeks after Eagle had sent a communication, the Gnome Dalakhar abruptly stopped his surveillance of Renaer Neverember. Eagle played a hunch, followed up, and discovered that Dalakhar had ended up in the employ of the Xanathar Guild.
Zarek reads on and discovers that contemporary notes from other sources allowed Lord Orond Gralhund to begin piecing certain facts about the Grand Game and Neverembers Enigma.
The pair of heroes are happy to have found more information and history, but nothing regarding the Ashmadai.
01:50 am
Zarek heads for his room and insists that Alley takes the bed.
Zarek: “I am use to hard floors in my travels and it bothers me not that…”
Alley: “Fine I accept.”
Zarek finds that Alley answered to quickly and he might regret offering as he sleeps on the cold, hard planks of Trollskull Manor.
The Rogue opens the door to his personal room, the Spare Room, and his stomach drops as he sees, because of his Infernal Darkvision ability, how his things are stern about the floor, his chest open and no obvious sign of entrance by the intruder.
Alley casts her Spell, ‘Prestidigitation’, to lit the candle on Zareks desk.
The Rogue wishes to decern who or what entered his room and how they did so. He first looks about the ground and is unable to spot any tell-tale signs of one or more intruders.
Zarek: “Nothing, it must be something magical or with flight.”
The Rogue continues his search and checks the windows. Here he finds that subtle sign of where the intruder entered.
Zarek: “Look the windowsill is slightly wet, this is where they entered from. Look here too, small boot prints as if they were a Gnome or Halfling.”
The Rogue knows that it must have been the Female Halfling Rogue that operated with the Human Fighter and they crossed swords with them in the Zhentarim Warehouse in Candle Lane, on the edge of the Dock Ward.
After sending some time clearing up the room, the Rogue finds that the Lock given to him by the Nimblewright Nim, had been taken.
Zarek: “Looks like she also took something from my Private Bathroom too. That’s just vindictive.”
02:00 am
Alley and Zarek make themselves comfortable and get a very much earned 7 hours of sleep and then make their way down for a late breakfast in the Trollskull Manor Taproom.
Lif keeps a close eye on the pair throughout the evening.
09:00 am
Down in the Taproom Alley and Zarek have their breakfast with the Urchin’s.
Nat signs to Squiddly, and the Tiefling retells the events they witnessed while keeping an eye on the Cassalanter Villa. There were the main points of interest that Alley and Zarek noted hoping to find a connection to the Ashmadai Cultists:
- They did not see any of the Tieflings, that Alley and Zarek mentioned, outside of the Cassalanter House and Grounds.
- The Guards are very thorough and well trained. They stay on the Grounds.
- The Grounds of the Cassalanters’ estate are patrolled by the Guards. 2 of the Guards stand outside the gate of the estate, 2 Guards stand outside the front door of the house, and a total of 6 Guards patrol the grounds at any time. These Guards are all Humans and are outfitted in livery that bears the crest of House Cassalanter.
- The City Watch has small, single-person “Watch Boxes” set up on nearly every street corner in the Sea Ward, including the intersection just outside the gates of Cassalanter Villa.
- All the servants who work at the Cassalanter Villa seen to live in dingy homes in the Dock Ward or the Field Ward and travel across the city in the wee hours of the morning to arrive before the Cassalanters awake.
- All the servants leave by the early evening and the house is left with no one but Lord and Lady Cassalanter, their children, their personal attendants, and their guards.
Though the most alarming news that the Urchins told Alley and Zarek was that they saw someone leave the Villa that they did not see enter.
An Older Male Human with a close-cropped grey beard, wearing spectacles near the end of his long nose. The man was dressed in brown robes and carried some books with him.
Zarek and Alley both realise that it was the false Parlek Lateriff that they spoke to and handed over the information on the Ashmadai Cultists. They say nothing to the Urchins, pay them and thank then again for their diligent work.
Alley and Zarek have an hour of repose before they can continue their participation in the Grand Game and so they go to their library and collate and reassemble all the information they have and plot their next move.
- They will decide what to do with the Stone of Golorr.
- Work out what finances they have.
- GOLD 2 gp – Original Float Money 30 gp – 3 Male Human Zhentarim Mount Waterdeep250 gp – Eyecatcher Safe in a sack282 gp
- TOTAL GEMS, ITEMS:
- 250 gp – Neverluster – Black Pearls (10 x 25 gp each)250 gp – Neverluster – Ivory Statuette of a Monkey (250 gp)
- 500 gp TOTAL
- Replenish Magical Equipment and upgrade where needed.
- AC for Zarek.
- Talk to Barnibus Blastwind and Sergeant Saeth Cromley or visit the Tower of Order.
- Talk to Jalester Silvermane regarding joining the Lords Alliance.
- Talk to Renaer Neverember regarding the Cassalanters/Gralhunds and if they could be Asmodeus Cult members.
- Investigate further the Female Halfling Rogue and Human Fighter.
- Investigate the Old Man in the Hat that visited Trollskull Manor.
- Follow-up on Meloon Wardragon, mentioned in Alexander Brightlamps Journal, in connection with your parents.
- Zhentarim: Follow-up on Yellow Spire andgather information of the location and the Teleportation Circle.
- Zhentarim: Follow-up on Urstul Floxin and the Zhentarim Thugs.
- Xanathar: Follow-Up on the strange looking Weapons from Mistshore and Grinda Garloth.
- Xanathar: Follow-Up on Zemk who was handed over to the City Watch by you.
- Xanathar: Find Xanathar’s Lair.
- Jarlaxle: Decide what to do about Jarlaxle and Captain Zardoz Zord.
- Jarlaxle: Investigate the Seven Masks Theatre.
- Gralhund: Gather further information, or plans and decide if to return or not.
- Ashmadai(Asmodeus Cult): Gather information and or plans for the Asmodeus Cult’s location.
- Ashmadai(Asmodeus Cult): Gather information on who leads the Asmodeus Cult.
- Cassalanter: Gather further information and or plans and decide when to return or not.