Gralhund Villa Heist:
CHES 27th (The Claw of Sunsets – 1492 DR)
00:20 am
The Rogue and Bard look upon Gralhund Villa and spend some time planning their next move. They decide to both turn ‘Invisible’, as both their ‘Disguise Self’ Spells had ended, and they made their way to the south side of Gralhund Villa.
Alley begins to question Zarek regarding his intensions should they witness anything unpleasant and if he would in fact intervene.
Zarek felt like he had to defend his position and felt that he would continue with the mission.
Alley; “Even if they kill the Guards and give not quarter?”
Zarek: “Technically they signed up for this and surely know what they have gotten themselves into?”
Alley: “Know or hope if you see them killed. And what of poor Rosie who they have ravished, or ravishing allowing you to slip passed.”
Zarek: “I believe that the life of one does not outweigh the life of many and she would be fine in the end and we would be helping the many…”
Alley: “you sound like a true Nobleman Zarek and not the hero of the Filed Ward that I once knew.”
Zarek had learnt by now that Alley was always pushing him to do and be better in her own distinct way. Sometimes Zarek just wished she would just come out and say it clearly.
Or was this just the Sins of the Father that he knew so well too?
The pair moved up to the door on the south-east corner of Gralhund Villa, which was also next to the wall. The Rogue stops to first investigate the door, which he finds to be a heavy oak door, reinforced with iron bands and sealed which a hefty lock. Then the Rogue places his ear to the door, below the sliding-hatch used to look out from, and listens at the door.
The Rogue can just barely hear the noise of movement inside, over the sound of his pounding heart, and distinct noise of the shuffling of several feet.
The pair decide to climb the wall of Gralhund Villa and enter Gralhund Villa that way. The Rogue does his job and attempts to climb the wall, with the aid of the Bard, but failed to spot the smashed piece of pottery used to deter this exact type of activity. The Rogue tumbles to the floor and the noise must have alerted someone, as the sliding-hatch was opened and someone was looking at.
The fact that the Rogue and Bard were both ‘Invisible’ may have saved their lives this night as they were not spotted and the sliding-hatch was closed.
Second time lucky as Alley tried to climb this time and her strength and conditioning training paid off as she scaled the wall with ease and was even able to help Zarek up with her legs.
Zarek: “My, you have put on some muscle Alley haven’t you.” Zarek is unable to see her reaction.
Gralhund Villa Gardens:
Both can see, now they were over the wall and inside the grounds of Gralhund Villa, that the estate is well tended. As it was spring, large trees provide shade and the lawns are immaculately maintained and tended too.
Coach House:
To the east corner is the Coach House of Gralhund Villa, this stone building surely contains coaches and stables for the house. The door and building are ignored as they concentrate on Gralhund Villa.
There are 2 doors that the pair can see, one that obviously leads directly into the main house and a second that leads to the attached, single-story building. The pair decide to check one door each.
Zarek elects to listen at the door again on the western side of Gralhund Villa and which leads into it. The door is not as sturdy as the door on Saerdoun Street, which also lead into Gralhund Villa.
Alley silently moves over to the door and listens. The Bard can hear the sound of several people snoring. Alley joins Zarek and tells him what she has heard.
Zarek; “I know what that is, it must be where the Gralhund Guards live.”
00:25 am
Guard Barracks:
This one-story stone building attached to Gralhund Villa is on its western side.
Alley joins Zarek as the they investigate the door into Gralhund Villa.
The Rogue then proceeds to first listen at the door, only hears the distance sound of a scuffle and clashing swords and then he attempted to pick the lock with his Thieves’ Tools and he had no problem in opening the door, having first oiled the lock to prevent any unwanted noise.
The Rogue listens once more, checking that there was not anyone by the door or in the room beyond. The Tiefling hears nothing close, opens the door briefly and then looks inside.
Kitchen:
The locked wooden door leads from the Gralhund Villa to the estates Kitchen, which is stocked with cookware and utensils. A large fireplace is used for cooking meals and stands on the western wall.
Seeing that there truly was no one inside the room, the Rogue slips inside trusting that Alley can see him.
Zarek: “It’s a great ability to be able to have Blind Site, Alley can follow me and follow my signs. That ‘Smoking Bottle’ in Grinda Garloths shop would be very useful if we need to partake in more Heists.”
Alley follows Zarek into the Gralhund Villa Kitchen and he closes the door behind them both. A brief look and listen about the room alert the Rogue and Bard to the fighting close by and that there is an open door and a closed door in the Kitchen. The closed door to the south must lead to the door outside with the sliding-hatch and the open door leads north.
Zarek: “They must have gone that way Alley, follow me.” He says pointing to the open door.
Zarek noiselessly moves towards the open door and looks into the room beyond and finds a sight that turns the Rogues stomach.
Laundry Room:
The Rogue can see that this room is where servants wash clothing. It contains scrub buckets, wash basins, soap, mops, and chamber pots.
The Zhentarim have killed 2 Servants, an Older Male Human, the Head Butler possibly and a Younger Female Halfling, wearing the uniform of a Cook, and left their bodies on the floor. On closer inspection of the Cook, the Rogue can see that her upper garments were unbuttoned and she appeared to not be wearing undergarments.
Zarek: “Tymora bless her, but these Zhentarim are evil beyond my expectations and Alley knew this to be so.”
The Rogue leaves the bodies and does not check the body of the Head Butler of Gralhund Villa.
Zarek now remembered Alleys questioning and prepared himself for what may await him in the coming minutes.
The Rogue pushes on, as quietly as he can, remembering the ‘Elven Boots’ that he gave up for the team.
The Rogue moves further into the Laundry Room where he discovers several things and all of them are not pleasant. Zarek can smell the blood and voided bowls of battle in the room beyond, many people have been killed he thinks.
Then as he moves to the door, situated at the north-west corner of the Laundry Room, which leads to the foul smell he spots some narrow 5’ stairs that lead up to the next floor and more alarmingly, another dead body of an innocent laying upon them, bloody and dead.
The Zhentarim have killed another servant, a Middle-Aged Female Human, the Head Maid or house keeper possibly judging by her attire, and left her body on the stairs leading up. The Head Maid has a Ring of Keys on her belt that opens all the locked doors in the mansion as well as the Cabinets in the Great Hall which was overlooked.
Zarek tries and succeeds in not vomiting and continues on to the adjacent room. A brief glance is enough to let the Rogue know that it was the Great Hall of Gralhund Villa beyond, thanks to their view through the eyes of the Gralhunds Nimblewright.
However, what he saw within the room was enough to sicken Zarek to his core, he had seen dead body or two before, hell he was even renounceable for a few himself. But the sight of nearly a dozen bodies just reminded Zarek that it was all senseless death, just like the 11 bodies that perished in Trollskull Alley.
Zarek: “Death follows the Gralhunds like vultures.” The Rogue realises to himself.
The Rogue moves into the room.
Great Hall:
Zarek can see the following familiar Hall from the records of the Nimblewright Crystal Ball:
- The floor is strewn with many slain bodies. 2 Zhentarim Thugs holding bloody Maces stand on the main stairs in the north-west leading upstairs.
- The sound of further fighting can be heard by the Rogue coming from the top of a wide staircase in the north-west corner.
- Two iron chandeliers hang from the dark mahogany ceiling above a long dining table carved from red Larchwood. Chairs surround the table, with a particularly tall and elaborate chair at each end.
- Lining the wood-panelled walls are tapestries and locked wooden cabinets that contain fine dishes, silverware, and candlesticks.
- A fireplace with a black marble mantelpiece has a framed family portrait mounted above it. (The portrait depicts Lord and Lady Gralhund, their 3 Young Children, and a Family Dog.)
While looking about the Great Hall of Gralhund Villa, in more detail, the Rogue can figure out that lying about the room are the bodies of 8 Gralhund Guards wearing bloody and tattered House Gralhund livery over their Chain Shirts, as well as 2 dead Zhentarims in Black Leather Armour. All of the dead are Humans.
Then looking towards the 2 figures with Maces, Zarek is sure that they are Zhentarims, also clad in Black Leather Armour. Their orders must be to hold the room and make sure it is clear for their escape.
Zarek: “I wonder if they are aware of the other factions keeping an eye on Gralhund Villa?” The Rogue ponders as he carefully choses his next move.
Knowing the Nimblewright was held in the Family Library to the north-west of the Great Hall, the Rogue believes it may be the best place to look for or find information regarding the Stone of Golorr. He signals to the Bard to follow him and points in the direction of the Family Library, also then remembering that the office of Lord Orond Gralhund was also in the same room.
The Rogue is too anxious to reach the Family Library and manages to slip on the fresh blood, of a poor dead Gralhund Guard, and knocks a chair making it squeak on the stone floor.
Zhentarim Thug 1: “Did you hear that, go check it out one of those Guards may still be alive.”
Zarek dashes over to the Family Library to the north-west and is closely followed by Alley. Both the Rogue and Bard are quitter than a mouse and the second Zhentarim Thug does not even get a chance to hear them, let alone see them.
Once in the Family Library the rogue makes his way into the office of Lord Orond Gralhund and he quickly hides behind the open door.
Zarek: “Come to think about it both doors are open, this one to his office and to the Family Library itself. Also, there was no Nimblewright in the corner either?”
Zarek is not sure where Alley was, but she had stood in the centre of the room. Not only was she ‘Invisible’, she knew that she had to draw the fire of any possible attacks, while the Rogue used ranged abilities.
Alley: “I am now beginning to regret my choice of Bardic Collage and the Sword may be the short straw of combat. Maybe I should train to be a Rogue?”
After the second Zhentarim had returned to his post, not having found anything of a treat, the Rogue came out from behind the door and began to examine the room, Lord Orond Gralhunds Study.
Orond’s Study:
The room contained the following item of interest, curiosity and puzzlement:
- A 10’ foot square canvas wrestling mat is sprawled on the floor in the middle of the room, with various stains upon it.
- Velvet armchairs, small statues of naked men on pedestals, and tall mahogany bookshelves are arranged neatly around the room.
- A mahogany desk in one corner covered with papers, which consist of the Gralhund Study of the Grand Game.
Zarek first checks the room for a Secret Door which he believes would lead to the Stone of Golorr. He first checks under the wrestling mat, believing it would be where a pervert like this would hide his valuables and finds nothing. Next the Rogue investigates the bookshelves closet to him, most of the books are fake boxes made of painted cardboard. A few have bawdy and erotic drawings and salacious poems hidden inside them.
Zarek: “No, I think I am on the wrong track and they have the Stone of Golorr with them.”
The Rogue whispers to the Bard and explains his thinking.
Zarek: “The Stone may not in the Family Library, but I think we should check it for clue or leads anyway.”
Alley: “Agreed and I will keep an eye out behind.”
Before the Rogue leaves, the papers laying on the mahogany desk catch his eye. Zarek walks over to examine them further and discovers that they consist of the Gralhund Study of the Grand Game.
Zarek: “There are too many papers to read through right now and people’s lives are at risk. I will take them and we can go through them once we are in a safe place.” The Rogue whispered to the Bard.
Alley: “Agreed.”
Zarek, satisfied that they had spent enough time Lord Orond Gralhunds Study made his way into the Family Library, now more convinced that he had chosen the correct route.
00:30 am
Family Library:
The Rogue notices this wood-panelled library includes these features:
- Tall bookshelves are packed with Tomes. Sliding wooden ladders mounted on rails allow easy access to higher shelves.
- In one corner stands an Iron Lectern with a closed, locked, Red Leather-Bound Tome resting on it.
- Two padded chairs face a large fireplace. One has a wolf skin draped over it.
Alley choses to investigate the Books while Zarek heads for the two padded chairs.
Zarek: “The Wolf Skin interest me I will go and take a closer look.”
Alley: “I will look at the books, there may be further clues here.”
The Rogue walks over to the padded chair and can see the Wolfs Pelt is not of interest but there is however a letter. Orond was studding A Missive document from Castle Ward. He has left it laying on the arm of the library’s chairs.
A Missive from Castle Ward:
“We are now certain that the Second Eye was carried from the warehouse in the Dock Ward to Yellowspire in the Castle Ward. I no longer believe that it remains within Yellowspire, however. After observing the Zhentarim traffic here, I am convinced that they must be using a teleportal within the tower. If we wish to track the Second Eye further, we will need to access that teleportal or otherwise determine where it leads.
– Chirada”
The Bard finds that many of the books appear very old and must have handed down to Lady Gralhund by her parents, and they are well kept. Alley can see that they include Historical Texts, Play Scripts, Novels, and Poetry Collections.
Zarek is then drawn to the Iron Lectern with a closed and locked Red Leather-Bound Tome resting on it, in the corner of the Family Library. Once there he takes a closer look.
Locked Tome:
Although it looks like it might be a spellbook, the Tome on the lectern is something else the Rogue thinks.
Zarek: “Alley did you cast the ‘Detect Magic’ from the Wand?”
Alley: “No, we did not know how long it would take to enter Gralhund Villa and it only lasts 10 minutes.”
Zarek: “Wait, your Purple Crystal from Old Xoblob Shop, use that to see if it is in fact Magical.”
The Magical Crystal Detects Magic and glows when put next to the Tome. The Rogue fears that he may need more time to examine the Tomb and so picks it up and places it in his ‘Bag of Holding’.
Please make sure you have a list of Items in your Bag of Holding (500 lbs/ 227 kgs etc).
Next the Rogue heads back out to the Great Hall followed by the Bard. Once there he can still hear the sound of swordplay, intermingled with the sound of a large heavy object being smashed into another.
Lady Yalah Gralhund: “Leave now if you know what’s best for you, the City Watch is on the way!”
Zarek then turns to Tymora as he has two options. Either attempt to pass-by the two Zhentarim Thugs on the stairs and head up to where the Stone of Golorr truly is, or attempt to access the upper floor via the stairs in the servant’s area of the Kitchen and Laundry room. The Rogue tosses his coin into the air and it lands on the opposite side to Tymora. Zarek heads back towards the stairs in the laundry room.
All of a sudden two Gralhund Guards rush into the room from the Landry. They both have their Longsword and Shortswords drawn and the Rogue can see that they were not wearing armour.
Zarek: “They have been caught unawares, maybe this will give us the opportunity to get pass them and move upstairs.”
A fight insures and the pair wait to see if they can use the opportunity presented to them.
However, the Rogue, after waiting too long for the time that he thinks they have, realises that the Zhentarim have the advantage of the high ground and they fight in unity and even thought the Gralhund Guards appear very competent they are at a disadvantage.
Zarek: “We need to go.” The Rogue realises.
The Rogue makes it to the door but the Bard steps on a spent Cross-bow Bolt which cracks, alerting the two Zhentarim Thugs. Now more alert than ever, the choice seems to be the correct one.
None of the Zhentarim Thugs descend the stairs and so the pair make their way up the stairs.
Once on the first floor, the Rogue can see that this area, though clean and well kept, is not of the same style and elegance as the rest of the house.
Alley: “This must be the servants’ quarters, let us hope there is a way through to the Gralhunds.”
At the top of the stairs the Rogue can see the corridor forms a T-shape, with a door opposite the stairs and another two, facing each other around the corner. Zarek elects to investigate the door opposite.
The Rogue listens at the door and can only hear the sound of a crackling fire. He Oils the lock and silently opens the lock and door.
Head Maids Room:
This room is simple containing a small brazier, bed, wardrobe, table, chair and chest at the end of the bed.
Sensing that there was nothing more of interest here, the Rogue heads to the remaining two doors, one to the north and one to the south. Zarek takes the north and Alley the south as they both listen.
Zarek can hear the sound of a crackling fire and nothing else. Alley, on the other hand can hear the sound of people. Some moving, others quietly crying and one male voice telling the other to keep quiet.
The Pair believe that they staff are better off hidden up here and do not disturb of let their presence be known.
Zarek repeats the Oil trick on the lock of the second door and opens it to discover another room. This room was similar to the of the Head Maid only slightly larger.
Head Butlers Room:
This room is simple containing a small brazier, bed, wardrobe, table, chair and chest at the end of the bed.
Zarek and Alley head back to the Servants Stairs and they both realise at the same time that there was no way to the Gralhund section of the upper floor.
Zarek: “What now Alley, back to the Great Hall and make an attempt to get past the Zhentarim Thugs. Or should we try a window from the Gardens?”
Alley: “Remember that there was a balcony too, but that was at the front of the House.”
Zarek: there is also the roof.”
Alley: “But to what end, we still need to access the house via the windows then.”
Suddenly there is a loud popping or cracking sound that could be heard coming from the other side of the wall.
Zarek: “I think I know what that sound is Alley.”