SC.1.2 No Good Deed

Session Preface

The sun sets over the Sea of Swords, painting the clouds over Waterdeep in vibrant orange glows and deep purple shadows, silhouetting a flight of doves swooping overhead. The natural beauty of the sky drifts in sharp contrast to the doldrums of activity along the muddy streets of the Field Ward. Here in the slums beyond the true inner walls of Waterdeep, the most destitute of residents eek out a living through the city's most unpleasant operations - slaughterhouses, tanneries, and anything else considered an affront to the senses of proper Waterdhavians.
You pass through the Northyard and Upper Towers gate and find yourself once more in the familiar North Ward, home to many of Waterdeep's noble families - at least those who can't afford the most opulent homes in the Sea Ward to the west.
Setting out for Hawkwinter Villa, you follow the High Road for just a block, the air filled with the noise of conversations, creaking wheels, and neighing beasts of burden. Cutting the city from north to south, the High Road is a wide, well maintained street filled with personal carriages, two-story drays, carts and other vehicles pulled by various animals. The only pedestrians navigating the traffic are members of the Dungsweeper's Guild, proudly keeping the streets pleasant and pristine. Along the road are stone pathways bustling with workers departing the noble villas they serve, headed for their families and homes in the Southern Ward.
You navigate the southbound crowds as you follow Thunderstaff Way before it splits. The noise quiets to a distant hum as you leave behind the thoroughfare, replaced with the chirping of evening birds and muted conversations from the residences along the narrow street. You stick to the northern fork in the road as it turns into Whaelgond Way, which spits you out almost directly at Hawk's childhood home's door.

Session Summary

Hawkwinter Villa

Hawk, Mya, and Thaust reluctantly proceed to the Hawkwinter Villa. They are greeted by a new villa servant, the half-elf Merellis, who at first does not recognize Hawk. After introductions, they are quickly ushered into the dining hall where Corvan and Enes eat while going through paperwork. They are greeted with a cold and formal welcome while simultaneously being admonished for their tardiness for dinner. Hawk sets to skip the pretense, pressing to wrap up their business arrangements regarding the Golden Harp.
In a calculated tone, Corvan reveals that Hawk is fortunate in that he no longer owes his father anything. He doesn't need to pay to buy back the Golden Harp. Unfortunately, he admits, it's because the Golden Harp burned down not a few tenday ago in an incident involving a wild magic sorceror. While a tragedy, he comforts them in that the previous owner, Mya's father, had worked hard to scrape together enough for a generous insurance policy, which made Corvan's investments whole. As a result, however, he subsequently had to release the deed to the Cassalanters who had acted as the loaning agent in the transaction.
Not wanting to leave them empty handed, however, he slides a separate document across the table to them. In this case, the deed to a property here in the North Ward recently acquired for which Corvan doesn't have the plans, given his focus on Newstone, where his wife and Hawk's twin sister Emilia now reside with the youngest sibling, Lacian.
Hawk immediately questions the motives behind this so-called generosity and is met with a harsh lecture regarding his failure to negotiate and for allowing Corvan to take such easy advantage of him in his business dealings. He calls the deed his last chance to put his mind to more than vagrant ideals and wastes of time. With that, he concludes their business and sends Hawk and his friends on their way.

Roaring Lion

Outside the villa, Hawk and Thaust are taken aback to see Endriel across the street watching over the home. With much to discuss since their last time together in Durindale, the four find a corner table at the Roaring Lion where they can catch up in privacy.
Sending the other two inside, Hawk pauses with Mya outside the Roaring Lion. He apologizes for his father, for lettings things play out the way they did, for knowing it would always end like this, even though its somehow worse than he imaged. He holds Mya's hands, realizing she has cut into her palms with her nails from clenching her fists so tight. He holds her, healing her hands, letting her sob. In her roiling emotions, the only words she can manage are to say, "I wish your father had died instead of mine."
Inside, Thaust gives Endriel a brief catch-up of their last visit to Waterdeep, discussing their involvement in Skullport and dealing with the Xanathar Thieves Guild, which clarifies much of Endriel's observations about the city. After Hawk and Mya rejoin them, they go over the contract they've been brought in on and their surprising new acquisition. Endriel explains his own efforts - that he has been trailing illegal arms dealings through the thieves guild and traced them back to Trollskull Manor, owned by the Hawkwinter family. Examining the deed closely for the first time, Hawk realizes that his father forged his signature on it, effectively putting him on the hook for the illegal dealings happening on the premises. Suddenly, the generous offer makes sense.
After finishing their drinks, they decide to go investigate their new acquisition and the illegal business for themselves.

Trollskull Manor

Cutting back westward through the North Ward, the party arrives at Trollskull Manor to discover a dilapidated villa turned tavern with boarded windows and an overgrown courtyard. After scanning the perimeter, the party follows Endriel through an open, broken window on the back of the building. He leads them to the hatch where he first discovered the weapons. With the premises clear, they spend a few moments investigating the stolen goods, noting that many of the weapons are longer blades than typically seen in Waterdeep - rapiers, cutlasses, and scimitars. They also discover a small residue of powder from one of the crates, caustic and bitter, and decide to save it for observation later.
While Hawk and Endriel continue investigating the illicit goods, Thaust does his best to comfort Mya, who wavers between sorrow and rage. Eventually realizing she sits in a dilapidated tavern - more than is even left of her family - she abruptly exits, going to sit beneath the rotting tree in the courtyard. Thaust follows and shares his own tragedies of Hawk's father's men attacking his clan and his home.
Back inside, Hawk and Endriel are interupted by footsteps overhead and orders barked. When a Xanathar Thieves Guild member opens the hatch, they find themselves blinded and pierced with an arrow. Hawk leaps back to the first floor, darting behind the presumed leader and holds them at knifepoint. As Thaust returns from outside and Endriel climbs back up, they manage to settle the tensions. Interested in leveraging the thugs to learn more, Hawk negotiates that they control to operate as normal, planning to stealthily follow them through the sewers back to a Xanathar base of operations.

Session Overview

Date Played:
June 2, 2024
Party:

• Endriel
• Hawk
• Thaust

Time Passed:
Marpenoth 14, 1493 - Marpenoth 14, 1493
NPCs:

• Corvan Hawkwinter
• Enes Hawkwinter
• Krentz
• Zemk