Recap

It has been a long night. 2 AM. You returned Floon. Volo has offered you the deed to Trollskull Manor. He explains that it is a good property with much potential. He intended on using it as research for a book, but alas he finds himself illiquid and must offer you this property in lieu.

Haunting: Awhile ago, the owners of the Trollskull Manor taproom disappeared. More recently, neighbours have complained to the city watch of haunting (who have draggged their heels, given the increasing gang violence). Volo has yet to make it past the entrance.

Purchase: Those who wish to be on the deed must accompany me to the Castle Ward, for the signing to be witnessed by a Magistrate. Magistrate Kylynne Silmerhelve. Sign the deed with the pen and inkwell.

Jalester Silvermane

You lot seem to have a healthy respect for law and order, and gods know the City Watch could use help right now. If you are interested in joining the Lord’s Alliance, come find me here in a few days.

Trollskull Manor outisde

  • 45 min walk from Yawing Portal.
  • The neighbourhood is quiet, respectable, and even vibrant. There are several other businesses and establishments in the Alley.
  • Four stories tall and boasting balconies, a turret, and five chimneys, the abandoned building is one of the grandest in Trollskull Alley.

Secrets

  • The house is haunted by two beings: Lif who is a harmless spectre, and his wife Falenas who is a deadly Banshee.
  • Falenas and Lif were killed by the assassin that Falenas hired.

Trollskull Manor inside

  • Tavern’s taproom is filled with broken furniture, tarnished silverware, casks of wine that have turned to vinegar.
  • With some broken windows the manor has been somewhat exposed to the elements, and is in quite a state of disrepair.

Exploring the manor

  • Who is exploring and doing what. Do they split up?
    • doors slam open and shut
    • plate smashes
    • “Closing time” and “last call” in the dust
    • Mug rises from the shelf, and is hurled at you - what do you do?
    • Hand reaches out from a painting and tries to grab you.
    • Hear a bone shattering wail once per day. (Every 5 mins roll a d20 - on a 19/20 hear it).
    • A few bones of small animals littered around, cats, a giant rat, and birds it looks like (from mimic)

Mimic

  • In an upper room, a closet in pretty good condition. As soon as PC approaches, is grappled by a Mimic

Basement

  • Two graves, Lif and Falenas. Dead for 6 months.

Banshee

  • Attic room contains Banshee. She hired an assassin to kill Lif, who also killed her and robbed the place.
  • Warning message on door. Elven: Don’t open. Banshee! (Lif wrote it).
  • Room is magically sealed.
  • There are two attic windows sealed up with boards (AC 10 - 6 HP each) that can flood the attic with sunlight - prevents Wail and takes Banshee to 29 HP.

Lif

Lif is a poltergeist. He will like and aid PCs that begin to fix the place up. He will then warn characters of rats and mimic.

Tavernkeepers’ Guild

One morning, PCs approached by a halfling named Broxley Fairkettle who informs you that if you are intending on running a Tavern you must register with the Tavernkeepers’ guild (100 GP).

Fixing it up

  • Hammond Kraddoc: Vintners’, Distillers’, and Brewers’ Guild
  • Justyn Rassk: Guild of Butchers

1000 GP total.

  • Furniture from bent nail.
  • walls and roof: Carpenters’, Roofers’, and Plaisterers’ Guild
  • basement and plumbing: Cellarers’ and Plumbers’ Guild
  • clean bedsheets: Launderers’ Guild
  • meat: Guild of Butchers; ale and wine: Vintners’, Distillers’, and Brewers’ Guild; bread and pastries: Bakers’ Guild
  • Dungsweepers’ Guild and the Loyal Order of Street Laborers

Trollskull Alley

The Bent Nail

A small wooden sign above this shop’s main door is bare except for a large, bent nail sticking out of it. The front room contains displays of ornate wooden furniture, as well as a selection of bows and crossbows. The wall behind the counter is lined with rows of finely carved wooden canes, quarterstaffs, and shields.

Talisolvanar “Tally” Fellbranch (CG), the owner and chief artisan of the Bent Nail, is a male half-elf carpenter and woodcarver. He is a commoner, with these changes:

Tally sells wooden weapons and shields at normal cost. He also crafts and sells furniture and wood sculptures.

Steam and Steel

During daylight hours, smoke and steam billow from the many windows around this indoor forge where metal weapons, armor, and tools are made. The forge is owned and operated by a married couple: a fire genasi named Embric and a water genasi named Avi. Both are members of the Most Careful Order of Skilled Smiths and Metalforgers. As an armorer, Avi also belongs to the Splendid Order of Armorers, Locksmiths, and Finesmiths.

You see a fire Genasi (efreet) blasting some metal with produce flame and pounding on it with big sweaty muscles, and then a water Genasi (djinn) shaping water from a bucket and cooling the metal.

Embric (NG) tends the forge and is an expert weaponsmith. He claims descent from the efreet of Calimshan and is prone to extreme mood swings.

Avi (NG) worships Eldath, god of peace, and uses his magic to quench hot steel. He is an expert armorsmith. Avi is laid back and speaks plainly.

Services

The genasi couple sells all metal weapons, armor, and shields listed in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook at normal cost.

Corellon’s Crown

Fala Lefaliir (non-binary, friends with a Zhent).

Herbalism and apothecary shop. There is a sign associating it with the Guild of Apothecaries and Physicians. Three-story town house, the third floor of which has been converted into a greenhouse. Its translucent glass walls allow anyone on the street to see the rainbow of flowers blossoming within.

You are greeted by a Wood Elf. “You bought the Manor, yes? You planning on fixing that place up? Pretty sure it’s haunted, you must be very brave. If you’re looking for potions, we have:”

Potion Cost
Potion of animal friendship 125 gp
Potion of climbing 50 gp
Potion of healing, greater 250 gp
Potion of healing 50 gp
Potion of water breathing 250 gp
  • Quest: obtain some Hydrathistle.

Tiger’s Eye

This private detective’s business is unremarkable on the outside, its only distinguishing mark an orange-and-black sign featuring a cat’s eyes. Inside is a regal apartment dimly lit by flickering oil lamps. The door is locked, and visitors must knock or ring the bell before being let in.

You are looking for someone, yes? No. You want information.

They are met by Vincent Trench, a human detective and the owner of the Tiger’s Eye. He speaks concisely, dresses in a sharp suit, and smokes a slim pipe. Vincent is in fact a rakshasa named Valantajar that always casts disguise self on itself before seeing visitors. The rakshasa has lived in Waterdeep for years, switching identities as often as needed to keep its true nature hiden. It has grown accustomed to living among mortals and, much to its own astonishment, is rather fond of Waterdeep and its citizens.

Services

Trench can discover any secret in Waterdeep, for a fee. Use your judgment when pricing its services; 50 gp is sufficient for most investigations, but if the characters want to learn secrets relating to the major antagonists of this adventure, the rakshasa might require a service in payment, such as slaying enemies that are hunting it, posting advertisements for its business in their tavern, or keeping tabs on someone Vincent has been hired to spy on.

Book Wyrm’s Treasure

The front of this bookstore is adorned with a charming sign of a gold dragon curled around a treasure hoard of books and scrolls. Inside, the shop is decorated with beautiful hardwood, and the earthy scent of old books permeates the air. The library fills two floors of this three-story building, and it somehow seems to contain more shelves than the building should be able to hold.

The shop is managed by a short dragonborn of gold dragon ancestry named Rishaal the Page-Turner, who lives on the third floor. Rishaal, a member of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors, is a mage, with these changes:

Rishaal is neutral.

Services

The shop contains books of all sorts. In addition, Rishaal has a small collection of spellbooks and allows wizards to copy spells from them at the cost listed in the Spells for Sale table. He can scribe any of these spells as a spell scroll but charges twice the listed cost for this service.

Zephyr Post

Birds of all colors can be seen delivering letters through the upper windows of this sky-blue townhouse at all hours of the day. The residents of Trollskull Alley and other nearby streets use the Zephyr Post to deliver letters to friends, colleagues, and mercenaries throughout Waterdeep. The inside of the shop is filled with the sweet aroma of Calishite incense.

The Zephyr Post’s hawks can deliver a message to any address in Waterdeep for 2 sp.

Sewer Access

At the east end of Trollskull Alley is a removable metal grate that covers an opening. Below the grate, a ladder descends 20 feet into the Waterdeep sewer system.

Rival

Emmek Frewn (NE)

So Volo outbid me on this property, and now you have it? Yeah you ding dongs sure look like business geniuses. (Chuckles: ding dongs hah). We’re going to run in you into the ground lady.

Gives a “free” beer.

Quests

Looking for money? Many factions in Waterdeep.

  • Emerald Enclave: an interest in protecting nature or the natural order to join the Emerald Enclave. Druids and rangers are especially welcome.
  • Harpers: Any smart, non-evil character can join the Harpers of Waterdeep. Bards and wizards are especially welcome.
  • Lord’s Alliance: To become a member of the Lords’ Alliance faction in Waterdeep, a character must be a Waterdavian citizen. Those with criminal records can also join, provided they demonstrate their allegiance to the city.
  • Xanathar Guild: Anyone can join the Xanathar Guild, which, despite its name, doesn’t have official guild status in Waterdeep. Before membership is granted, however, an applicant must pass a test that always involves the perpetration of a serious crime. Possibilities include murdering a guild member who has failed Xanathar in some fashion, kidnapping a Waterdavian citizen, collecting a ransom, robbing a hire-coach, or looting a warehouse.
  • Zhentarim: The Black Network has an open recruitment policy. Anyone can join. Tenacity and loyalty are highly valued (but not essential) traits in new members. The Zhentarim is a shadow organization that trades mercenaries and goods (including weapons) for profit.

Hydrathistle

There has been a shortage and the last time Fala tried to collect they were almost killed. Need you to escort them. 12 Stirges in a swamp outside town.

Fence their paintings / bars

  • 15 - 10lb. silver bars (50 gp ea., 750 gp total). DC 12 Investigation.
  • DC17 Investigation for 4 paintings (300 gp ea.)

Start asking around for a fence - Zhentarim or Xanathar guild. Need to be a member.

Buy some poison

Poison is expensive because it is highly illegal, although it is a relatively simple formula. Lesser Poison, Vial (25 GP). One use, DC 12 Constitution, for 1d4 damage. Can ask Fala how to make it for a cheaper source.

DC17 Investigation: find it. Otherwise, must join Zhentarim guild to obtain it (although they don’t sell it openly).

Quest to join Zhentarim

A flying snake with a parchment tied about its body visits one character in the dead of night. The message reads:

“Want to be part of something big? Speak to Davil Starsong at the Yawning Portal.”

Yagra Stonefist greets them and leads interested parties to a table in the center of the Yawning Portal’s taproom, where her boss waits with drink in hand.

Davil Starsong

Davil Starsong is the characters’ primary contact in the Black Network, at least initially. Over drinks, he shares the following information:

  • Davil is a retired adventurer. He and his adventuring companions joined the Zhentarim a few years back. They help people in need. (More specifically, they provide loans, mercenaries, and other services.)
  • Another Black Network gang has recently infiltrated the city and tried to take over the Xanathar Guild. They failed, setting off a war in the streets. Davil and his colleagues want to end the violence and restore the peace.
  • Davil offers membership in the faction to interested characters, then assigns them their first mission.

“Someone is killing elf and half-elf sailors in the Dock Ward — three dead so far, each one decapitated by a blade in the dead of night. Look into it, will you? Methinks the City Watch could use a little help.”

Characters who spend three consecutive nights loitering around the docks spot Heldar, a drunk half-elf sailor (bandit), leaving the Muleskull Tavern (on Ship Street in the Dock Ward). Characters who follow Heldar can save him from Soluun Xibrindas, a renegade drow gunslinger (see appendix B). Soluun hides in the shadows, blade drawn, waiting for the half-elf to stumble by. Spotting him before he strikes requires a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check. Soluun flees if reduced to half his hit points or fewer.

Emerald Enclave - Cat quest for Oleander / Mirage

Visited by a white cat that speaks the following message in a melodious male voice:

“Interested in joining the Emerald Enclave? Come meet us at Phaulkonmere in the Southern Ward.” The cat is an ordinary animal upon which an animal messenger spell was cast. It dashes away after delivering its invitation.

Harpers - Who is the “most good” character? Who showed the most compassion toward Renaer?

Written on a paper bird:

“Renaer tells us you are a good bet. He bought you tickets to the opera tonight at the Lightsinger Theater in the Sea Ward. If you are interested, meet Mirt at intermission. Private Box C. Formal attire is required for admittance.”

Enclosed are tickets for the entire party to The Fall of Tiamat, an opera sung in Giant describing the evil dragon queen’s defeat at the Well of Dragons.

Lord’s Alliance

Jalester:

“A gang war is causing unrest throughout the city. We have offered protection to members of the Dungsweepers’ Guild, and you have been assigned to protect a group of them. Meet them at the Muleskull Tavern, on Ship Street in the Dock Ward, at six bells and guard them while they work. Do this every day for a tenday.”

Actually an Order of the Gauntlet mission:

“We hear that the Zhents are paying gangs in the Field Ward to attack suspected Xanathar Guild members. Fights are breaking out in the ward daily. Stop a fight before it happens. We need to send a message to these thugs that further altercations won’t be tolerated.”