Trollskull Manor & Liars Night

After having to kill their one time travelling companion, Lady Mara. The group returns to the city of Waterdeep.

Visiting Trollskull Manor, In The Daylight

They decide to visit their newly acquired property, Trollskull Manor, in the light of day. The building is covered in a light dusting of snow and the doors and windows boarded up. But the bones of the building look healthy enough. The roof is intact and there are no signs of intruders or squatters. Perhaps in this bustling city which teems with the poor and homeless, this might be an odd sign.

The group first peers through gaps in the boards over the windows. Inside is dark and dusty. Empty save for the tables and chairs in the main room of a long forgotten eating area. They pries off the boards covering the door and enter. The manor is cold and dry. A long bar with a mirror behind it stands at the far end of a spacious room.

Moving through the manor they finally progress to the upper floors they find rooms with old furniture and slowly deteriorating mattresses. Each claiming their rooms they return to the main floor to discuss what to do with this new acquisition.

A Cuious Visitor

Returning to the main floor they notice a thin man with greasy hair peering in through the windows. Confronting him they pull him inside. He introduces himself as Emmek Frewn, a business owner just down the street. He had seen activity in the manor and came to investigate. It has been a long time since anyone has been in this building.

He asks many questions as to their intentions of the building. Will they run it as a business? What kind of business? Will they go through the guild channles? The guilds will bleed you dry. If you wish to save more than a bit of money, he suggests bypassing the guilds all together. How will they know?

The group is not very interested in what Emmek has to say and don't entirely trust him. They send him away. But they notice that he had lingered a little on the porch, perhaps in the hopes of overhearing their plans or simply just to know more about his new neighbors.

The Previous Owner Refuses To Leave

While retiring for the night each of the group finds their respective rooms. Moving past Eda's room, Gunter finds her standing in a corner facing the wall. She is not moving but muttering to herself in an odd guttural voice. "Who is in my manor? They can't stay here. Must make them leave. This is my place."

Gunter, quietly closes Eda's door and goes to find the others. He explains what he saw and together the group goes to find Eda. They open the door and find Eda facing them, waiting for them. She wears and angry and malevolent look on her face which is not usual. She tells them to get out of her house. This is her business and no one shall take it from her. They fight until a visible energy leaves the body of Eda, leaving her standing empty an unmoving, and this energy moves about the manor attacking the group.

Finally the group is able to pause the battle long enough to ask the spirit what it wants and why it is attacking. It explains that it is the owner and proprietor of the Trollskull Manor. It makes no difference if he has died. It is still his. The group promises to let it stay and even continue working here but they are the new owners now. The spirit, Lif, agrees to the arrangement, as long as they return his remains to the manor, where he can then remain for as long as he wishes. With that the spirit of Lif, vanishes through the floor.

The Three Urchins

The next day, the group awakens to small faces peering into the manor from the windows. Believing it is Emmek again they are pulled inside. But it turns out it is three urchins, Nat, Jenks and Squiddly. They were curious about the new comers to the manor and ask if there's anything they can do for money. The group decides to give them a job, gather firewood and they hand Nat, a lanky 10 year old Illuskan girl, a gold piece. Excited the trio set off.

Messick decides to investigate the previous owner, Lif while Princess Elora will make arrangements to have repairs and renovations done to the manor.

Messick discovers that the previous owner of Trollskull Manor was an elf, named Lif. His remains have been moved to the elf crypt within the City Of The Dead, a massive walled cemetery just outside and attached to the walls of Waterdeep.

City Of The Dead

Messick goes to the City Of The Dead and is directed to the proper crypt, after some paperwork. He enters the quiet, dry and dusty crypt. Rows upon rows of boxed remains are housed on deep shelves carved into the walls. He finds the one he wants. His lantern of revelaing which he has been using shows a glimmer on the wall at the end of the room he is in. Approaching it with the lantern he can see that it is a hidden carving in the wall. Deciding not to carry on to far without the others he grabs the stone box containing the remains of Lif and heads out. Unfortunately, at the edge of the stone floor of the crypt, just before the earthen ground outside the crypt, the box refuses to pass the crypt. It simply keeps reappearing inside the crypt no matter the strategy Messick uses. Returning the stone box to its place, Messick returns to the manor.

Back at Trollskull Manor, Princess Elora has found the complicated bureaucracy that is the guild system in Waterdeep. Each guild refuses to do work that another guild might frown upon. Each guild demanding more than a bit of gold for their work. As well, some of the guild workers inform Princess Elora the process she must go through in order to run a business within Waterdeep. More permits and registrations than anyone had previously given thought to.

Procuring Invitations To The Ball

Their plans for the manor will have to wait though, at least for the moment. They must prepare for the ball at the Palace Of Waterdeep. Liars night is tonight and Princess Elora, is determined to obtain an invitation, due to her royal lineage. They leave their manor and hail the nearest carriage.

Travelling through the snowy streets of Waterdeep they arrive at the palace and, entering, they find the palace a flurry of activity, preparing for tonight's festivities. A small human woman, looking a little harried, holding a clipboard, directs various workers decorating the palace and moving furniture.

Princess Elora, approaches the woman and introduces herself. Recognizing Princess Elora as a noble within the city, the woman is easily persuaded to give Princess Elora and her entourage invitations for tonight's Liars Night Ball. Thanking her, Princess Elora uses her druid powers to help decorate, as flowers and colorful vines weave themselves around banisters and chandeliers.

Azula, the drow, now approaches the woman and demands the same invitation as a noble. But the woman is more afraid and appalled at the drow and her aggressive ways and refuses to provide an invitation without the proper Waterdeep paperwork, certifying Azula as a noble.

Azula, storms off and spends the rest of the day standing in lines, filling out paperwork and after hours of frustrating dealings with Waterdeeps finest civil workers, finally obtains the paperwork designating her as a noble.

Azula returns to the Waterdeep Palace and demands her invitation, showing proudly her paperwork. The woman quietly and unenthusiastically procurs Azula her invitation.

Returning to the Manor, Azula proudly shows everyone her invitation. Everyone else simply shows their own....which they obtained hours ago.

But now to find attire better suited to a costume ball.

<Insert Shopping and Clothes Fitting Montage>

Liars Night

Later that evening, as the sun sets, the city streets become filled with children of all races, rushing about in costumes from door to door asking for treats, under threat of harmless tricks. Gourds are carved and set out in front of homes and stores on the street. Small candles are strung out on lines hanging across the streets.

The group heads off and hails a nice carriage as they file in headed for the Palace. Before they can head off they are held up by a gang of costumed children. One of them holds a crossbow aimed at the head of Azula. They demand treats. Azula, hands moving in a blur, grabs the child's arm and twists it until the toy crossbow clatters to the ground. The sound of bone cracking and the child's screams of pain and horror.

The drow lets go and looks puzzled at the others. What? They had a crossbow....sort of.

The other kids run off and find the closest City Watch guard and a trio of City Watch approach the group. After a bit of explaining and Princess Elora healing the child's broken arm, the City Watch let them off with a warning.

They get back into the carriage and head off towards the Palace. Travelling through the city they see children and youngsters running merrily through the streets. The night is pleasant if a little cool. Soon the sounds of laughs and screams of delight change slightly as the group hears sounds of screams of fright and commotion from a little further on. The carriage soon slows, then stops, as a mass of people are running from something further up the street.

Trick Or Threat

Some of the group get out of the carriage to investigate, while Messick remains in the comfort of the carriage and Princess Elora refuses to fight in her new, and considerably pricey dress, so she begins to change.

They find small creatures posing as costumed children rushing from house to house demanding candy. When horrified residents flee, scream or otherwise not give them candy, they begin to destroy the house and attack the resident. When the adventurers begin to intervene they are attacked by arrows coming from some creatures standing upon rooftops.

Princess Elora, finally changed, summons her giant owls and together with the others, including Messick lobbing spells from the comfort of the carriage, make short work of most of, what they now see are, the goblins in costumed masks. City Watch guards begin arriving and take over the battle, with many of the guards riding griffons which are able to easily track the escaping goblins.

The group decides that, seeing Princess Elora has already summoned her giants owls, why not ride them to the Palace. Mounting their feathered companions, they take to the sky. But it is not long before griffon mounted City Watch surround the flying group and force them to land.

It would seem that flight in the city is prohibited, except for authorized personnel. Princess Elora is able to persuade a mounted City Watch guard that it is Liar's Night and it is their first ball in the Palace. It would be so amazing to make an entrance flying in on giant owls. The guard understands and agrees.

Remounting their giant owls the group flies over the walls surrounding the Palace Of Waterdeep, landing on the manicured grounds surrounding the castle. The nobles wandering the grounds, wine in hands stop and watch in awe and admiration of the new arrivals.

The Palace Of Waterdeep Ball

Each of the adventurers find a place within the ball. Eda is elated to find that the nobles find her hairless cat, Harry, elegant and refined. The tastes of nobles is definitely different than that of commoners. Eda is also tasked along with Gunter with keeping Azula, the drow, out of trouble.

Messick has caught the eyes of 3 daughters of a noble. They are intrigued by Messick's rough ways, being bored by the other young noble men fawning around them, talking of their family fortunes. Messick tells them that they are going to drink and drink hard. Soon Messick and one of the young woman retire to a quiet room in one of the upper levels of the castle.

Unfortunately for Messick, they are interrupted by sounds coming from an adjoining room. The girl hides behind a naked Messick as several robed figures wearing plague masks rush out of the room. One of them holding a large rounded stone. They did not expect to see anyone in the room. Messick blocks their way out they were planning on. So instead the creatures dart outside the room via the main door, entering the ball itself.

Messick calls for the others, using his sending stone. The others join in and try to prevent the creatures from escaping. Princess Elora conjures a pack of wolves which attack, drawing screams from the nobles in the main ball room. Messick uses calm emotions to quiet the nobles while the battle continues.

Finally, when the City Watch enters the castle, the creatures are all killed except for one which they have confined with Messick's magical shackes. Removing the creatures plague mask they reveal a beaked and black feathered creature. A kenku. They try interrogating the kenku but all they get back is a mimicking of a deep and rough voice saying "If you are caught that is your own problem." and "Return the stone to me here."

The Stone Of Golorr

Pulling from the kenku's grip they pull a smooth stone two hands high which fits standing in Messick's large palm. It has what looks like three eyes on its surface. Is this what that drunkard Meloon wanted them to steal? Messick places the stone in his pack before the guards approach.

Messick should probably put some clothes on now.