A Strange Stone

Xanathar Sewer Hideout

• #DragonHeist Emmaera pauses to investigate the mechanical beholder and notices that it has no magical qualities to it. Instead it appears to be of costume quality, like a parade float. The party realizes they can't trudge through the streets of waterdeep with the unconscious Kobold they captured in the previous battle, so Larys drops him unceremoniously on the floor. Busvine administers a healing potion which abruptly wakes the kobold from his unconscious state. Kal forces the Kobold into compliance by scruffing him like a dog, his feet kicking desperately in the air. Emmaera, Busvine, and Kal interrogate the creature. The creature reveals that the duergar he was working for was struggling to attune to something. After recalling that the stone did not ping as magical, the party investigates it and hypothesizes that it might be a fake. Meanwhile, Larys recruits the Kobold into indentured servitude back at Jorkin's Tavern.

Jorkin's Tavern

• (x:: Back at Jorkin's Tavern, the party notices a group of five or six city guard, an unusual sight within city walls. The group of guardsmen are loitering outside of Jorkin's, staring up at the tavern's sign above the door. One of the guardsmen spits on the ground. Larys yells a threat at the guards, who ignore him as they turn and walk away. Inside the tavern, Larys and Kal argue over the fate of their new Kobold slave friend. Larys has decided he doesn't like the Kobold's given name and tells him his new name is Jimbo. Kal intervenes and asserts that the Kobold should get to keep his given name. All three settle on the name Bruce. The party disperses in the tavern and go about their day.
  
  

Jorkin's Tavern Part II

• Several hours later, Larys is working on some light carpentry projects for the tavern when he's approached by Kal, who very clearly has a bone to pick with him. Larys turns to blow them off, but before he can even turn around Kal slugs him in the jaw. Turning back towards Kal Larys tilts his head to either side, the bones in his neck cracking as prepares to retaliate, but Kal throws their palms up and says that the punch was merely meant as payback for Larys driving Bonny's doppelganger family from the city. The rest of the party as well as the employees of the tavern have stopped in their tracks, expressions of surprise adorn each of their faces as trade glances with each other, unsure of how this interaction is going to go down. Before any of the onlookers have a chance to react, Larys shrugs off the assault and without a word throws a bar towel over his shoulder and returns to his tavern duties.)
  
  

The Yawning Portal

• The party briefly visits The Yawning Portal with Bruce. Emmaera chats with Durnan, showing him some boob action and attempts to hit on him which falls completely flat.

Jorkin's Tavern Part III

• #DragonHeist Back at Jorkin's Tavern, the party meets with Renaer, who seems to agree that the stone the party found was a fake.
  
  

The Dock Ward

• #DragonHeist The party travels to The Seven Masts Theater to meet with Laeral Silverhand. After entering through the stage door, the party is greeted by a large bearded man who recognizes them instantly and introduces himself as Rongquan Mystere. Busvine scans the theater and notices two Drow hiding amongst the rafters of the theater. Emmaera recognizes the actress Westra Moltimur amongst the actors on the stage. Rongquan tells the party that Laeral is indisposed but that he is a member of The Lord's Alliance he can speak ton her behalf in her absence. The party is reticent to speak to him, and before handing over the stone they found, Kal asks to meet with Westra. Kal, starstruck, fawns over Westra for a few minutes before asking Larys for one of his crudely drawn Jorkin's Tavern business cards to give to Westra. Rongquan reveals that Fenerus Stormcastle has been arrested by the city watch and awaits trial for theft by a magister. He suggests that Fenerus must have hidden the stone before his arrest.
  
  

The Fancy Theater

• #DragonHeist The party decides to meet with Mirt of The Lord's Alliance to ask for a favor getting access to Fenerus in jail. Mirt very obviously dislikes Fenerus, and tells the party that Fenerus is a member of the The BloodHawk Posse, who have been a thorn in Mirt's side for some time. Kal and Busvine convince Mirt to provide them with some help.
  
  

Jorkin's Tavern Part IV

• #DragonHeist Back at Jorkin's Tavern, a paper bird arrives, containing a decree from the Lords of Waterdeep, allowing the party exclusive access to visit Fenerus Stormcastle in jail. Meanwhile, Emmaera sends a paper bird to Laeral Silverhand, explaining the Beholder Float and the Cosmic Horror they found in the sewers.
  
  

The Courthouse

• #DragonHeist The party arrives at the Waterdeep Courthouse and hands the decree they received from Mirt to one of the guards, allowing them an audience with Fenerus Stormcastle. After the party is led through the jail and brought into an interrogation room in the depths of the jail, the prison guards haul Fenerus into the room in chains, and secure him to a chair in the center of the room. The party interrogates Fenerus, who tells them he will only reveal the location of the true stone if the party secures for him a complete release and pardon. The party figures that he's telling the truth, but make no promises.
  
  

Open Lord's Estate

• #DragonHeist The party returns to Jorkin's Tavern to speak with Jalester Silvermane about their mission to receive the stone given to them by the Open Lord. He leads the party to The Open Lord's Estate where the party is greeted by the Open Lord Laeral Silverhand, who surprisingly does not recognize the party at all. The party exchanges concerned looks as they realize the person they met outside of Fenerus's House, who had sent them on the mission to retrieve the stone and gave them the paper birds, was not the real Laerel Silverhand. Kal shares with the open lord the fact that they met somebody impersonating her, as well as the Xanathar Guild and Zhentarim's quest to steal the stone for themselves. They continue to share that the Gralhunds are involved in the search for the stone as well. They describe the involvement of Rongquan Mystere with the imposter, as well as Fenerus Stormcastle's association with the stone. They show the Open Lord the fake stone they found in the Xanathat Guild's sewer hideout, and the paper birds they received from the imposter. They share the story of their foray into the Xanathar Sewer Hideout and of the Cosmic Horror and the Beholder Float. The Open Lord receives this information without betraying too much of her feelings about it until the mention of Mirt, as Laerel's expression changes. As the party is relaying the details of their recent interrogation of Fenerus Stormcastle, Laerel leans over to whisper something to Jalester, after which he promptly leaves the room briefly before returning with a piece of parchment. Laerel tells the party that she could have them arrested, but in light of the party's openness about the events, she tells the party she will release Fenerus in pursuit of helping the party retrieve the stone. She then commands the party to do so and tasks them with finding the vault in addition to the stone. To this end, she hands the party the parchment from Jalester, which is revealed to be a decree for the immediate release of Fenerus Stormcastle.