The group ponders what to do, while several svirfneblin move about cleaning up. One svirfneblin, approaches to being to sweep up the remains of the half-dragon, now a pile of ash. The group decides to investigate the corridor from which Draak had emerged with Nat as his hostage. Moving down the corridor the darkened hallway begins to lighten with an odd greenish glow. Many small glowing motes of dust-like particles float in the air. The group enters a room lit by the countless floating green glowing flecks. A large mirror occupies one side of the room, a large brazier burns an odd looking plant material which seems to be producing the green glowing motes, and a massive aquarium sits in the middle of the room.
Sylgar The 'Ancient' Goldfish
As the group looks around the room, a sour looking svirfneblin enters the room. He is pushing a cart with a large glass bowl, filled with water and a single large goldfish. He begins to transfer the goldfish back into its aquarium. As the group is discussing the safety of Nat, one of them brings up the statement that the Xanathar made that his goldfish is 158 years old. A little unbelievable for a goldfish. With that the svirfneblin makes a face and snorts. The group questions the deep gnome and it's found out that the goldfish, Silgar, is replaced often. The Xanathar never seems to notice that his prized goldfish is very often a slightly different in size, shape, color or fin shape. In order to save themselves from disintegration, the svirfneblin have for decades kept up this conspiracy to keep the truth from the Xanathar.
This does not put the adventurers at ease.
While they talk with Thulwar, the svirfneblin, a strangness begins to grow within some of the group. The odd glowing particles in the air turn out to be fungus from the underdark, carrying with it faerzress, the madness of the underdark. Fritz slowly begins showing signs of being paranoid and untrusting of the others. This makes progress difficult so Azula and Messick work together to covertly heal Fritz of his madness. Once the group begins ascending through the steep, and at times vertical, shaft which leads out of the chamber, they use the confines of the shaft to restore Fritz to his normal self.
Kobold Mess Hall
Emerging from the shaft they find themselves in a corridor. This corridor is less polished and decorative than the previous areas. This is because this area is more for the servants area, which they discover as they move forward until they find a large room filled with kobolds gathered together eating. The air is filled with a disgusting smell and the noisy group falls silent as the group enters the room. The adventurers are able to convince the multitude of kobolds that they are here at the behest of the Xanathar and they move through the room and enter the kitchen area. There they encounter a chaotic buzz of activity, as several sweaty kobolds rush about cooking meals for the hoard of kobolds in the outer room.Floating in the corner of the room is a creature, looking like a developmentally retarded beholder. Its body a pale white and its stalks bent and crooked. It floats silently ever watching. After aiding the kobolds in making and serving a more delicious meal, the group continues on.
They find a room with several tall fluid filled cylinders lined up in the middle of the room. Inside of each floats what seem to be the remains of beholders. Lining the room are several alcoves. Each alcove presents a small mural, which when put together, seem to tell the story of a beholder entering Waterdeep and over time becoming the leader of a large organization. It also tells the story of the beholders life cycle of each beholder begetting another beholder, which in time kills the previous one, preserving it and carrying on the legacy of the organization.
Clearly, the Xanthar has been many iterations of different beholders over the centuries. Each seems to hold some reverence for the previous ones, preserving their bodies here in this crypt.
The group finds a secret door behind one of the alcoves. There inside is a statue of a wizard. The wizard is posed, seemingly mid speech. The group doesn't recognize the likeness but they suspect that it probably is someone the Xanathar has petrified. Someone who the Xanathar holds in some regard, as it has put the statue here, hidden away.
Deciding to perform the costly spell Greater Restoration to un-petrify the wizard. Returning to life, the wizard continues with his speech, warning the Xanathar of the consequences of uncurring the wrath of Delphin the wizard! His speech halts as he realizes what has happened. With a groan, he looks the others surrounding him, and asks, knowling, "It petrified me, right?"
The others just nod.
He looks at the group and tells them he is going to leave, and invites them to join him if they wish. They tell him to hold on. They just have to do one thing.
They return to the kobold kitchen and attack the gazer. The kobolds cower in fear, not wanting to join the fray. Soon gazer is dead and Fritz cuts off what the group decides is the telekinetic eye stalk. They agree that this should do for one of the required keys to the secret vault under Waterdeep.
They return to Delphin and together they teleport back to the Mage's Guild in Waterdeep. Delphin is welcomed back, noting his lengthy absence. Delphin thanks the group and tells them that he must return to Daggerford. The group slightly summarizes what has been going on in Daggerford: the demon incursion into the city; the demon attack upon his tower. They leave out any particular stories of them wrecking or looting his tower.
With that Delphin leaves through one of the several teleportation circles in the Mage's Guild.
The group returns back to their Trollskull Manor.
The Frog Army
Life returns to normal for a bit. Until one foggy morning, one of the Trollskull gang, the ragtag group of orphans who have taken residence in the building behind the Trollskull Manor, runs into the manor and calls out to the kids who are eating breakfast there to come and see the frog army! It seems that near the Dock Ward there are hundreds of frogs that are hopping down the city streets.
Excited the urchins run out and down towards the Dock Ward. Some of the adventurers eating in the Trollskull Manor decide to follow. Who knows what trouble the kids will get into.
In the fog filled streets the group can hear the excited squeals of the Trollskull Gang as well as dozens of other children who have undoubtedly come to see what look to be dozens of huge frogs jumping down the street. The frogs seem to try to split up and enter as many houses as they can.
That is when they begin to hear the screams of fear and pain from within the households.
The group soon discovers that the frogs are really quasits in disguise and they are taking children. The group splits up and are able to easily deal with the small demons but there are so many of them. At least a few children have been taken as the group calls to their Trollskull urchins to make sure they are all accounted for.
They try to track the missing children but the fog and prevents any easy tracking. By now the city guard are arriving and a few inconsolable parents are merging in the street.
The group returns to their manor.
Anaxie Zephries Awaits Departure
There they find, Anaxie Zephries, the gnome cartographer who has hired the group to escort him to the Barrier Peaks, in search of his family and the fabled city of Daoine Gloine. Legend has it, the city is populated with people of crystal and is powered by a mysterious force unlike any found elsewhere in Faerun.
The adventurers look to each other and with a collective shrug, agree and head off to prepare.
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