Session 04 Summary

General Summary

The session opened in the Zhentarim warehouse on Candle Street, with the party questioning the sole remaining Kenku. Having surrendered, the sufficiently intimidated creature was found to be challenging to communicate with. Yet the party still managed to extract some information from several voice clips it mimicked. They learned that the Xanathar Guide was responsible for the violence in the warehouse; that the “pretty boy” had been tied up in the back room; and that he’d then been taken “to the boss” through the sewers, which could be navigated by following a series of “yellow signs”.
After letting the remaining Kenku leave (alive), the party began investigating the warehouse. In a closet under the stairs, they found a man hiding under some canvas tarpaulin, who identified himself as Renaer Neverember; the son of the former Open Lord of Waterdeep, Dagult Neverember. Pleased to have been rescued, the young lord explained that after leaving the Skewered Dragon with Floon, they’d been jumped by Zhentarim thugs and taken to this warehouse and tied up. But then the building was raided by rivals from the Xanathar Guild, who killed all the Zhentarim. In the confusion, Renaer managed to slip away and hide in the closet, where he remained to avoid the Kenku who were left behind to watch. He also believes that the Xantharim mistook Floon for him.
After some entertaining and persuasive storytelling by Horus, Renaer revealed some more information about the motivations for the recent actions of the two factions; that they believe Dagult Neverember embezzled a large amount of gold while he was Open Lord and that he hid that money somewhere in the city. The treasure can apparently be located using an artifact known as the Stone of Golorr, which until recently was in the possession of the Xanathar Guild, but has been stolen. Renaer thinks the Zhentarim wanted him because they thought he knew something about the Stone, but he said he doesn’t and that he hasn’t spoken to his father in years.
Upstairs, Lunchmoney and Hawthorne investigated the balcony and a series of offices that were mostly unused and filled with rodents and cobwebs. In a broken desk drawer, Lunch found an unused “Paper Bird”; an uncommon magical item that can be used to send a written message to a designated recipient.
At that point, the party heard noise from the courtyard outside that turned out to be the City Watch showing up to investigate the violence. Lunch recognized Captain Stagat and after a brief exchange, the watch took custody of Renaer and allowed the party to leave the scene, but not before warning them to “Leave this dirty business to the City Watch” and “Keep the blood of the streets.”
The party then navigated through the city to an alleyway behind the warehouse that they’d spotted previously, and passed through a manhole cover into the sewers once again. Once underground, they were able to navigate through the passages by following the yellow markings on the walls, until finally reaching a three-way intersection that appeared to be guarded by a Gazer. The aberration was quickly slain by a well-aimed Eldritch Blast and a Ryu-style Axe uppercut that split it in two. It’s at this juncture where we resume our story.

Report Date

11 Jan 2024