Michael's Report, 2023-02-19
General Summary
The party spent the night on high alert, expecting retaliation from the Zonthosh Guild for the death of Qisdinaru. However, the night passed without incident.
The next day, the Brightridge Record published a story about banshees being heard howling at Banshee Hill at 3 or 4AM. The Banshees were allegedly the resurrected dead of those who were killed by the Zonthosh Guild. The Record also printed a full retraction and apology for their story claiming that William DeFino is a Changeling. However, Lothel Bonerock denied issuing the retraction, and it may have been requested by someone impersonating him.
We stole a painting from the Firelight homeless shelter, because that's how we roll. The shelter was surprisingly busy, and no longer seems to be distrusted by the impoverished locals, who have been preferring the safety of gathering in groups.
We then used Djhim the Imp to explore Lashan's lighthouse and discovered a gruesome "workshop of flesh," a single flesh golem, and the simulacrum of Lashan Valchek.
In the Castle Ward, Savra Drake suggested that Istrid Horn's warehouse could be reserved for use by The Virtuous Gauntlet until Xev can purchase it from the city. Lana Silverhair informed us of a ritual she is developing, which would put the Beholder Zonthosh to sleep. The ritual takes 12 hours to cast, requires a Beholder eyestalk, and would require her to be in the tunnel network while casting it. Lana also gave us two Potions of Long Rest. At our request, she teleported into the Lair to carry out Vathash's plan to rescue the five remaining prisoners.
At The Goldstaff Tower, Wash gave Cedany Rowntree her care package, but she was annoyed by the interruption. Cedany communed with The Goldstaff to learn more about the Zonthosh Lair and discovered another secret passage. The secret passage connects Zonthosh's chamber to the western hallway and may not have been discovered by their guild.
Some notes on outstanding issues:
Silverhair's ritual needs a Beholder eyestalk, which will take a couple weeks for her to source if we don't get one ourselves
Two Zonthosh lieutenants remain unaccounted for, and Grum'Larr's home hasn't been located
Their intellect devouring operations have been put to an end
The remainder of their tunnel network has not yet been mapped out
It is about 3 days until the changelings property is fully in their name and we can tell Melanie Fallenbranch to fuck off
It is 5 days until the Firelights host their big party
There are reports of banshees howling outside of town
Regarding the Zonthosh Guild
Lashan Valchek's simulacrum remains in the lighthouse
We don't know the location of the gems that go with the Stone of Secrets, but it's a good guess that Lashan does
Still lots of work to do on The Friendly Ghost
Xev's two henchmen will be arriving tomorrow
Xev may be able to get use of a warehouse before we can actually buy it
Wash wants to check out Tymora's Fancy, the gambling den
Vathash has lots of crafting and book-learnin' to do
Rewards Granted
Two Potions of Long Rest
Created Content
New Articles
Places
Updated Articles
People
Places
Notes
World date: Moon Day, 14th of Reaping, 1493
10PM, back at The Friendly Ghost
Set up alarms
Vathash did one smithing check
Nothing happened overnight
World date: Anchor Day, 15th of Reaping, 1493
Brightridge Record news
Banshees back in Banshee Hill
Howling has been heard at 3-4AM in the morning
Banshees are the resurrected dead of those who were killed by the Zonthosh Guild
Retraction: apologies for false story about William DeFino
9AM awakening
Xev and Vathash spent some time crafting
10AM - Djhim arrives at the Brightridge Record
Lothel Bonerock is furious about a bogus retraction printed in his paper
Djhim summoned him to The Friendly Ghost
11AM at Friendly Ghost
Lothel says that he didn't include that retraction in the draft he sent for printing
Wash asked about how to get into the Firelight party, he said it's a party for the kids and we could show up with gifts
Asked about shrines or temples to Tymora - there aren't any, but there is a gambling den called Tymora's Fancy
1PM
Vathash finished his crafting (Masterwork Reivan Steel crafting tools, and masterwork elven breastplate)
2PM
Stealing paintings from the Firelight homeless shelter
The place is actually a bit busy today
Wash talked to one of the poor people
People feel safer in groups right now
Someone says Sullivan has been around the place for a long time
Sully says people were suspicious about the place, just because it was new and something unfamiliar about it
3PM at the Lighthouse
Vathash teleports Djhim to the top of the lighthouse
Djhim went down the stairs, saw what looks like the inside of a hidden door
On the other side of the door, there was a Flesh Golem (guarding the way up)
Djhim went back up to investigate the top more closely
It looks like the lamp has been lit lately (despite it supposedly having been inactive for decades)
Golem followed him up, but Djhim snuck past him on the way back up
Djhim entered into a "workshop of flesh"
Bloody tables, bits of flesh and bone, cutting tools
A flesh golem that appears to be half finished
Djhim left Wash's care package on the table with the flesh golem
Staircase down is invisible, but is simply hidden by illusion
Another workshop
Another table - ash laid out in a Human form
A simple bed with the Simulacrum of Lashan sleeping
Next floor down: a giant pit of garbage in the middle of the room
4PM at Thorfin's Home in the North Ward
Xev picked the lock
We took the sheets, pillows, and wine that Thorfin requested
Four bottles of wine, worth about 2gp each
Vathash searched the place, found nothing of note or of value
Vathash grabbed a bunch of books on engineering
5PM arrival at Castle Ward
Headed up to the prison area
Gave Thorfin his stuff
Thorfin is alive, and was excited by the news of the explosion we made (to kill Qisdinaru)
News is that Istrid and some others have been executed
Xev asking about getting ownership of the warehouse
There is a real estate office in the Castle Ward
Guard says that most seized property ends up on auction
5:30 PM
Xev went to see Savra Drake about the warehouse
She suggested that the warehouse could be reserved for The Virtuous Gauntlet, and Xev could later purchase it
Xev told her that his family has an import/export business from the Velden Isles
Savra says that Lana Silverhair wants to meet with us about her ritual
Lana Silverhair's office
Relics, paintings, etc commemorating past adventures
Also paintings of past Lords and Ladies Bright
She invited us to sit down and talk
She has developed a ritual that will keep a Beholder asleep for at least a few hours
One key issue with the ritual is that it takes 12 hours, and she needs to be relatively close by (in the tunnel network)
Requires a Beholder eyestalk as an ingredient
Can give us two potions
Potions of long rest
Convinced Lana Silverhair to carry out my rescue plan
She teleported in and brought out five prisoners (we had previously seen six)
One must have been turned by an Intellect Devourer
6PM, Goldstaff Tower
Wash gives her the care package (she was very annoyed)
Vathash asked her about the Zonthosh lair
She communed with The Goldstaff to get more info about it
It was originally built about 300 years ago
Dungeon areas weren't originally there, neither was the Z12 hallway
The Z6 and Z9 chambers are original
There is a secret passage between Z12 and Z10 (it was meant as a secret escape passage)
It's possible that they don't know about it
If we see Lana again, tell her "Nico sends his best wishes towards her."
A guard tells the party: Nico was the former Goldstaff, and was Lana Silverhair's husband
Report Date
19 Feb 2023
