Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Lucidian was contemplating the offer. Finding someones friend who probably got drunk and then got lost was not an interesting story. However, this man was either really wealthy and protective over his friend or he was downplaying the difficulty of the task. Maybe there was a romantic love story hidden between the lines or maybe this man had fell to a dark plot to overthrow the local authorities. There were many possibilities, but only one way to get to know more.

"A hundred and ten dragons sounds like a very generous offer, but if you don't mind me saying, it makes me think that there is more to this job than you are letting on ... Could you please give us some more details about your magnificent friend and the circumstances under which he went missing?"
 
"Please, my dear new friends." Volothamp says, wringing his hands. "No need for mistrust.

"Floon, my dearest friend of them all, is a tall fellow, with ginger-blonde hair and beard. Very charismatic and very naive. I might have gotten him in a bit of trouble, to be honest." He smiles embarrassed, but doesn't say more on the subject. "We met for drinks two nights ago at the Skewered Dragon. I was there for a few hours, then left the tavern, but Floon stayed behind. The tavern is located between Net Street and Fillet Lane in the Dock Ward."

Felix Felix
 
Boo listened to his story, brow lifting imperceptibly. She'd pay exorbitant amounts of money—even steal some, should she not have it—to make sure her friends and family back home were safe, so she understood Volothamp's price. However, she also understood the tiefling's suspicion; one-hundred and ten dragons were a very high price to start with, and she wasn't in the habit of trusting the wealthy. She pinpointed the wringing of his hands, curious.

Sipping on her drink, which she realized with puckered lips was ale, Boo waited to hear the rest of his story, if only so she could reject him having known all the facts. Or facts he chose to share, anyway. Might as well finish her drink in the meantime.

The more he talked, the more suspicious—and intriguing—he became if only for the embarrassed smile he wore. Boo imagined she'd wear much that same expression should she ever walk back into her hometown after years of being away. That had been her fault. What of Volothamp caused his friend's potential abduction?

Boo lifted the mug to her lips for a second sip, thinking back to what she knew or had heard of Waterdeep's Dock Ward. Specifically, if she'd heard of the Skewered Dragon. Volothamp may be hiding something and, if he was anything at all like Boo herself, he may not give up the information so willingly as if they simply asked. She needed to corner him with specifics, should there be any.
 
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Once the food and drink arrives, Alma tucks in with much relish as she listens in on the conversation between the tiefling man and the wizard. Indeed, the offer of that kind of coin was rather tempting- gold would be necessary to gather supplies for the journey. And it never hurt to have a little extra tucked away for a rainy day. At the same time, she caught the shifting, suspicious glances about from the group and could understand those sentiments. On one hand, to offer such a vast sum of coin for what appeared to be a minor errand was suspicious, yet to reach hasty conclusions regarding a stranger might be undue.

“Mr. Volothamp, I’m sorry to hear about your friend- that is most unfortunate.” the gnome finally says, voice tinged with sympathy as beady eyes look over the enigmatic man. Taking another sip of mead, she watches the wizard’s demeanour shifts, seemingly put off by the scrutiny. Perhaps it was simply nerves, the weariness of a man concerned for a comrades well being. She couldn’t imagine how she’d react if word was sent that an old friend or family member had suddenly disappeared. All the same, she kept a steady gaze on the fellow, searching for any sign of deception or falsehood.

“As I understand it, Mr. Floon isn’t always mindful of the cities’ less, savoury elements, so to speak? And that you may have unintentionally put him in a predicament. But besides this, what reason do you have to believe that he’s in any danger? Are there any individuals in particular who would want to harm either of you?” Alma probes delicately, gingerly finishing the last few bites of her plate before looking up towards the stout wizard. When he seems to hesitate at her words, she gives him a pleading look.

“Please, I don’t wish to pry: we have only just met, after all, and you have a right to your privacy. At the same time, if we’re to have success in finding your friend safely and swiftly, we have to know what to expect, whether additional precautions need to be taken. You understand my meaning, yes?”

Insight: 13+4= 17
Persuasion: 10+3= 13

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"Oh, you think..." Volothamp looks at Alma for a moment, then laughs, shaking his head. "No, no, my friends. I'm not trying to lead you into a trap or anything! Or, well, rather, I shouldn't have mentioned that at all." He offers an awkward smile. "What I meant to say is... I really do not know where my precious friend has gone off to last night. I shouldn't have left him there, he doesn't think straight after a couple of drinks."

Alma, you judge Volo's expression and his gestures and know him to be speaking the truth. He continues acting shifty and is hiding something, but that something is not related with Floon's predicament. As if to confirm it, Volothamp continues.

"My dear Floon is a lovely gentleman, he wouldn't hurt a fly. Everyone likes him, really."

Boo, you try remembering what you know about the Dock Ward, but somehow your memories escape you. Whether it is because of the drink, or something else, you don't know, but the only thing you can recall about the Dock Ward is that it is of course the part of the city where ships dock and you know nothing of the Skewered Dragon.

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While the others might have been talking, Milon had been relatively quiet. You'd think that he'd been listening. Well...he kinda does, but he's also been 'sampling' the food that came earlier. It's been a while since he had proper food like these, so you'll have to excuse him if he'd take a few bites.

As brazen as he is, Milon is nothing if not observant. He probably won't be here if he's not, all things considered. It does seem like there's something that the gentleman hasn't been forthcoming about. Judging from the apparent gravity of the situation and the seemingly disporportionately large sum of money involved, it really doesn't take a lot to guess that there's something more to it. Even if the man has been seemingly nothing but polite and honest all these times.

"Maybe there was another reason that someone's trying to get him, then? You know, personal feelings aside." He said after he swallowed his latest 'sample'. It might have even been personal. Even if everyone liked him, there might be someone who takes offense at that, even if they barely knew him. "Was the area near his disappearance particularly dangerous?"
 
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"Everywhere is dangerous in Waterdeep these past tendays, unfortunately." Volo sighs. "The Zentharim and Xanathar are getting particularly unruly. It seems they have picked up news of the Stone of Golorr being in the City again." He says, then claps a hand over his mouth quickly. "I shouldn't have said that. No, no, let's wrap this up, brave adventurers."

Volo hands you over three pouches of gold, with ten pieces for each of you and doesn't offer any more explanation. It doesn't seem like you'll be able to get anything more out of him.

"Be careful, my friends, the clash between the Zentarim and Xanatar guild, has gotten worse. Everyone wants those dragons for themselves. And you have just helped beat up Krentz, one of the Xanatar's more problematic members." Volo informs you as he stands up from the table. "Stick together, I implore you."

Daylight is waning outside, but it will be a good hour before night falls. The Yawning Portal is located in the Castle Ward and your starting point of the investigation would be the Skewered Dragon in the Dock Ward, unless you want to do something else. It would take more than an hour to reach the Dock Ward on foot. You can also hail a carriage which would cost 1gp per person and would take 15 minutes.

You can also choose to leave it for another day and rent a room in the Yawning Portal (providing they are available) or do something else entirely.

Do you accept Volothamp's quest and investigate tonight?

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Boo doesn't like making decisions without knowing every playing piece, but Volothamp's slip-up eases her mind a little bit. They have more information now than they would otherwise and, on top of that, it pertains to what she was originally doing in Waterdeep: Hunting Dagult Neverember's treasure. She spares a glance towards the half-orc and tiefling, figuring they likely have the same reason to accept that she does per the conversation she overheard earlier. However, Boo refused to go alone.

"Hey." Propping elbows on the table, she gestured to the pair. "You are looking for—or know of— the stone, right? I am, too," Her gaze lingered on the tiefling a bit longer, recalling he was the one to initially bring up the story. With such an opportunity to earn their trust and form a party, she didn't worry so much about hiding her face. "Helping this guy might lead in the right direction." She looked to everyone at the table, then, feeling as though she'd spoken more in these last few seconds than she had at all since entering Waterdeep. Everyone there seemed capable of watching her back and Boo didn't want to waste another day trying to find a sense of security before deciding on whether or not to actually go treasure hunting.

"I'm in if you all are," she said, opting to take another sip of ale to ward off the jitters. What if they said no? She'd be back to square one.

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Lucidian was still not sure this job was as easy as bringing a drunk man home, but it wasn't like he had anything better to do tonight. He was also triggered by the goblin exclaiming that she too was looking for the dragon and his stone. It would be in Lucidians best interest to gather a group of strong adventurers around him. That way he would also have characters to play in his story.

"I would be delighted and ready to leave. Shall we investigate at once?"
 
Ah, crap.

He knew the man was trouble, but it seems that he had managed to put his wrong foot in front in Waterdeep's unrest. Now he might have just put himself in a situation that a person with less interest would probably just decide to skip town. Unfortunately for him, to do that might just set him back even more, both financially and potentially.

As their employer had given them the advance payments, Milon would only stare at it for a time. It wasn't until one of his new acquaintances voiced the situation rather succinctly. It seems that they might all be here for the same thing.

Now, he hadn't heard of the Xanatars much, but he did hear of the Zhents. Mercenaries worth their salt would do well to have heard of them, and if these Xanatars were at least confident enough to challenge them head on, he would do well to not tackle the resulting mess by himself.

"You can say that, yeah." Milon would sigh before continuing, "It's a bit late to be regretting the decision, really. How 'bout you?" He turned to the other gnome, "From the sound of it, we'll probably be better off doing this together."

In hindsight, it might have been a bit hasty of him to go all in on this hearsay.

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Watching the plump man walk away and leave them to their devices, Alma mulls over the offer while the rest at the table discuss the matter of their new ‘assignment’. They all seemed on board with teaming up- coin had a way of doing that, or at least smoothing out any of the usual protests that would accompany such a curious request. And though she wasn’t sure whether Mr. Volothamp could provide any assistance regarding her own endeavours, the half-orc and fellow gnome seemed to have their eyes on the same prize as she did. If nothing else, the coin would be useful for procuring supplies before setting off for the vault.

“If we are going to do this, we best not dilly dally. No time like the present.” the cleric finally responds to the half-orc, mind made up as she swigs down the last of her mead and leaves a handful of coin on the table for the meal. “Been meaning to explore the town a bit anyways- good to have some company when taking an evening stroll.” Safer, as well, given all that we’ve heard and seen so far in this city. Caution would serve us well here. Glancing over the lot of them, dark beady eyes scrutinize the trio a moment longer. An eclectic bunch, perhaps, but from what she could tell they seemed like a decent folk, and had proven somewhat adept at handling themselves. Time would tell whether they’d make for good companions in the long run.

Brows grow knitted for a moment, followed by a slight smile of embarrassment. “Oh, please forgive my manners- we haven’t exchanged greetings yet, have we? How rude of me… I am Alma Aldebaran, of the Reaching Woods- and who might you be?”

Powgow Powgow Cartoonicat Cartoonicat Felix Felix ArcticFox ArcticFox
 
You make your way toward the Docks, exchaging greetings and names, and feel the chilly wind on your exposed skin. The closer to the Docks you go, the more the air smells of fish and sweat. It is not the pleasantest of places in Waterdeep.

As you turn a corner, you find yourselves on a street that has been cordoned off by the City Watch. Lying on the cobblestones are a half-dozen corpses, seemingly the victims of some terrible skirmish.

Watch officers have disarmed and arrested three blood-drenched humans and are in the midst of questioning witnesses. One of the officers sees you as you approach.

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"Get on." He says. "Nothing to see here."

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Lucidian eagerly looked at the bodies lying on the street, his mind already going over all the possibilities of why a fight would have broken out. Maybe someone loved a person from the wrong house and was discovered? Maybe a conniving thief fleeced the wrong criminal mastermind? Or maybe some being from the outerplanes had simply attacked without explanation? Scenes like these always gave him so much inspiration for new dreams to make.

As the guard approached them, Lucidian took a step forward. "Our apologies, we wouldn't be lingering here if we were not specifically tasked with finding someone. Our patron's friend, Floon has gone missing in this area. He is terribly worried for his well-being and asked us to find him. The guy has ginger-blonde hair and a beard. Does that match the description of anyone you found here?"
 
"I said, nothing to see here." The City watch member stares you down. "Scram."

Behind him you can see the three arrested men being forced to kneel on the ground, hands behind their heads and disarmed. One of them turns toward you, giving you a cold stare.

Lucidian, you notice a strange tattoo on the man's forearm - a snake with wings.

Felix Felix
 
Milon frowned at the watchman's icy reception and had started to look around to see just how much the streets have been cordoned. He would flank Lucidian as his latest attempt to talk had been brushed off by the officer and whisper discreetly.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else." He said, his eyes already wandering to see if there's someone else that might be more receptive to questions.
 
After having introduced herself to the table with a simple "Boo" and left the Yawning Portal, she went ahead and left the other party members lead to the Docks. As they walked, Boo watched her surroundings. Jot necessarily out of caution, though she always did try to remain alert, but more... tourist fascination, the closer they got to the think of fish and sweat.

And blood. Her nose wrinkled. She looked at the remnants of a skirmish gotten out of hand and listened as Lucidian approached the guard... who wanted nothing to do with them. Typical. Guards really were the type to think with their weapons instead of their head.

Though irritating the man's tone was, she kept her mouth shut. Boo didn't fuss with law enforcement. Instead, she looked back to the bloody scene, hoping to find anything worth noting. Her eyes lingered on the men being questioned. How she'd love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.


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"Maybe you should." The guardsman agrees with you and turns his back on you, clearly cutting the conversation short.

Boo, with your keen eyes you realise that all three captives have the same flying snake tattoo, which clearly means that they belong to the same organisation. Some bodies left behind by the bloody skirmish share these markings as well, while others do not. A gang conflict, most likely. You suddenly remembering seeing this symbol somewhere else and someone clearly informing you that it belongs to the Zentharim, a local gang considered to be very dangerous, and something that Volo also warned you about.

Milon, as you look down the street, you see something else that draws your attention. One nearby shop stands out from the others. It has a deep purple facade, and in its window hangs a stuffed beholder. Above the door hangs a sign whose elaborate letters spell out "Old Xoblob Shop." You also see a sign for Net Street, which would indicate that the tavern should be nearby.

Do you want to check out the shop or continue toward the tavern?

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Milon sighed as the guardsman went out of his way to not cooperate with them. It might not have been the calmest of nights, but the least he could do is to answer a short question or two for a bunch of confused visitors looking for direction.

Thankfully, his short lookout had bear fruit, the sight of another tavern within reach. Now, the last one might not be one he'd be dying to revisit, but if there's a prime location to ask questions, it's a tavern. He'd hope that this one's monster-free.

As he nudged at the direction of the tavern to the others to bring it to their attention, his eyes also caught the shop's curious sign. "...The heck's a Xoblob?" He voiced his confusion audibly, in the hope that one of the others would have some idea.
 
The Zentharim? Boo squinted at the skirmish remnants. She understood Volothamp's concern, now. Better than before, at least. A pretty boy like Floon—or how he was described—would hardly last a second alone in a place like this. There were plenty of places to dine and drink in Waterdeep, surely, yet they chose the area crawling with gangs and gang fights? Boo couldn't tell if she should be suspicious of Volothamp or is he was just a well-meaning idiot.

Her half-orc companion pulled her attention from the scene. Quirking a brow, Boo peered past him to the deep purple shop. In the window hung a stuffed beholder so lifelike that she could have sworn it was alive at first glance. Huh. Weird.

"I'm not sure," she said, curiosity piqued. Beholder aside, maybe someone in the shop saw what happened here. With the tavern close by, maybe they saw Floon. "We should check it out, yeah?"

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Lucidian pricked his ear at the mention of Xoblob. He was very glad that he did not imagine his favorite place in Waterdeep. He hadn't realized they were so close, but the shop was right in front of them.

"It's not a what. It's a who. A lovely old guy, if a little crazy. Especially about the colour purple. He sells all kinds of bits and baubles. Each with so many different stories behind them, each more incredible than the last. Some of his stories are true though, but you have to bribe him the right way. Does anyone have something purple on them?"

He opened the door and greeted the old man like he was an old friend.
 
"Something purple...? I don't have one on me, no. I don't make it a habit to wear fancy colors like that in the first place." Milon answered immediately. Though, now that the others seem to have an interest in the shop, he turned back to do a double-take on it. The deep-purple aesthetics does support the claim. "Though I guess the tavern ain't goin' anywhere."

He followed right behind Lucidian as he enters the shop.
 
Boo shook her head. Budget and personal preference didn't allow room for vibrant, flashy colors like purple and other eye-catching hues. Unfortunate if that really was the only way to bribe him, but she could figure something out should they need an alternative. Probably. Hopefully.

Though Boo didn't have anything purple, she followed Lucidian and Milon to the shop, sparing a glance at the stuffed beholder as they passed the window. She gave silent props to whoever the taxidermist was; though it looked less alive close up than it had from a distance, it was still eerie. Then again, anything dead made to look alive held a certain discomfiting quality.

Inside, she looked around, now curious about the rest of the strange shop's inventory.
 

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