A Change of [Divine] Heart, and a Goodbye

19 Kythorn 1492

Nuitt and Zanalor made little effort to move quietly. They saw a familiar cook approach and three floating eyes bob into view as they turned to sprint up the stairs towards the main level. A south wall of the Arena started to resolve into a in a familiar round stylized door and open as they rushed past. Nuitt insulted the odd animated armor as you all eventually found your way up to a vacant Guts and Garters.

The Xanathar tavern and the public square outside were littered with bodies and signs of recent battle. Bodies of guild thieves and warriors lay next to others in Waterdavian livery; the city guard has been battling with members of the guild, perhaps even some that had come up in search of the missing party. Despite the din of battles echoing from nearby, you quickly found your way back to the Flagon and Dragon. Which was good, because the DM hadn’t imagined you’d try to go anywhere else so that’s where the help was.

When you first returned to the Flagon and Dragon, it was much changed from your time here just two or three days prior, one more uncecessary reminder of the fates moving faster and farther than you imagine. It was bright and almost crowded with signs of 10 or 20 breakfasts still scattered the tables. The retinue of the Open Lord and a few notable guests were stationed here. Perched at the bar near Cai’lel and talking with Silverhand sat the familiar form of Thorvin Twinbeard. He seemed to be compaining that a Guard Captain was still held prisoner in the lair, but stopped short when he say the two return.

Lareal didn’t go to any pains to explain her presence, allowing Thorvin to tell the party about

• a paranoid Xanathar “…paranoid. Erratic. Even more so of late as many in the guild seem to slipping away into Skullport or up to Waterdeep to go raiding with all manner of horrors. He wavers between blaming the Zhents and caving to a growing fear that Undermountain itself"
• A captured drow scout he was hoping to interrogate himself. “There are two noble houses that have been locked in battle in the mountain beneath. House Auvryndar and House Freth. The Auvryndar scout we had was going on and on about Freth trying to summon a demon. It’s strange to see any of them in Skullport.” When Nuitt mentioned they’d found said scout, Thorvin was excited and asked if he was safe. Nuitt lied and said yes, remembering that Pessius had offered this drow to Xanathar as a hostage and the beholder immediately blew him to pieces.
• A Guard Captain (Mike joked that he was named Janzo, when in fact I named him Janzo. "You know him?"") that had led a sortie down the first few levels of undermountain and held important information. Held in the cells near Nilhoor and the Kuo-Toa.

An injured dwarf, Joroth Brighthelm, introduced himself and started in on a request from the Lords Alliance. Propped between a table and the thief Katabek Insale, he said the Open Lord and others [Gwydion] vouched for the party, and he needs you to find a missing party of four dwarves and their leader Falkir Gravelfist. “A helm like a boar’s head and a big emerald…” Lareal told him to rest and that this business could wait. He retired, and Lareal introduced Helion Moonstar, another half drow patron conencted to a noble house known for collecting magic items.

Helion Moonstar’s retinue included a familiar face. The metal nimblewright Nim approached, introducing himself as a finder of magical items and a master of disguise. He had gears and gadgets popping out at odd angles and a voice that he could change to sound like…. Different kinds of robots. I should have given inspiration points for using the Commodore SAM emulator, and did so retroactively. Nim was offered to the party and agreed to join, saying he had a secret mission of his own. Which is secret. Or is it?

Helion and a dark skinned Chultan priest are providers of magic items. Lareal says this missing emerald is particularly important, as the arcane engineers of House Moonstar imbued it with scrying powers to keep an eye on undermountain. But it has failed or gone missing, leaving Waterdeep in the dark and at risk. There was clearly more to this story, but Joroth had told Gwydion of your arrival. The paladin came downstairs.

"Joroth said you’d returned, and faster than the Harper thought."" His eyes immediately take in the silvered fdragon shield in Nuitt’s hand. “Where are the others?” He was visibly upset that that you left them behind [it is a defining trait on Gwydion’s character sheet – inspiration point for npc]. "I have alwasys sworn to bring others to safety at all costs. Especially friends. I don’t know you enough to have thought better. But you” looking at Zanalor, “for you, I’d have hoped, At least our friends. At least.." thinking better and only late of what you have lost, sits quiet. “How did you leave them?”

Zanalor [won an inspiration point himself] offered a pointed reply. "Not well, and I’m going back with or without help, so you can go back and sit on your little wall and do nothing.…" offered some conciliatory comment and pledged to help in a rescue mission.

He and Lareal moved forward, confirming that the dust remains of Froderick were beyond their power to restore, but Nuitt volunteered his one slim hope, the Luck Blade from Ravenloft. He threw the dust in the air and waved the sword like a magic wand. The room grew cold and dark, then a bright light flared, and a booming voice responded. “Froderick was a good servant, but other services are needed in this new hour of peril. I send you another servant. Help him do what needs to be done.” The wish spell was not used, and when the light faded, a crouching figure (hero landing) introduced himself as Peter, a celestial warlock in service to the astral deva Eirwyn.

Zanalor, fidgeting to return to the rescue, asked the other warlock a pointed question. “What good are you, Peter?” The dark-skinned newcomer responded promising “goodness and justtice and.. some firepower to your effort”

Before the party left, Lareal and Gwydion collected Froderick’s dust and shield. She walked to Nim [the only one besides Gwydion who could use it]. "Make good use of this and honor its [last] bearer." Nim responded with something about detecting magic. But as the party left, she finished. "Froderick did more for Waterdeep than any of you know."