It's All Witnesses and Victims at this Point [Session 32]

<< Previous Session | Next Session >>

Current Situation

• Party crashed and poison cured, the Trollmates help manage the scene of the festive slayings, getting a few answers, and many more questions. Thankfully, Mirt is still around to give some of the former, and provide plenty of the latter.
  
  

Session Summary

• As all of the party-goers come out of the dancing funk, they spend their time trying to recover, or figure out what's happened to them, and around them. Their violent behavior has stopped.
• Z looks about for the vanished Rimpkin but the pesky bard is nowhere to be found. Z finishes heading up the stairs, and takes a look about. He catches sight of the nobleman across the table, and casts Sleep to keep him from potentially causing any more trouble. The man drops where he stands, snoozing away. Z approaches, and continues to assess, asking Elyana, "Hi, Elyana, what the...?"
• Mirt, very alive but moving slowly and recovering from being ill, is approached by Dhann. Lady Nandar is much calmer at this point, and Dhann gathers from her reaction that she expected him or Ely to be violent towards her when they first broke through the door, but when she recognized Dhann, began to calm down and let someone handle the situation.
• Dhann says to Mirt, "We've just arrived, there are multiple guests dead downstairs, is there anything we should know, right now? How are you?" The Cleric waits a moment, waiting to see if Mirt attacks. The moneylender recognizes him, but is only able to manage, "Get the bard!" And is still obviously not totally well. As he speaks, Dhann casts Healing Word a second time on Mirt, assuring him, "We've stopped the music."
• Downstairs, Esvele Rosznar, stunned, cannot make any moves. She stands, covered in blood, dumbfounded and confused. It is unclear if the blood is hers, or from someone else.
  
• Elyana, in the meantime, attempts Counterspell to keep Rimpkin from vanishing, but unfortunately, he isn't hindered in disappearing completely. And seeing Z by himself, asks, "Where's Barrett?"
• Barrett approaches Esvele and strikes nonlethally to knock her prone next to the table. Then, using his manacles, binds Esvele to the table leg with her arms pulled behind her to hinder any attempts at escape. He then backs off to get a visual both up the stairs and through the doors to the east.
• Z disarms the sleeping nobleman and checks to see if he's injured, and if need be, stabilize him. The Bard does so successfully, replying to Ely, "Barrett's downstairs, dealing with the crowd down there." Elyana remembers hearing Barrett yell "everything was fine" up the stairs, and she picked up on the sarcasm of that, so, with the bottle of poisoned moonshine, heads back downstairs.
• Mirt says again, "The bard - get to the bard," and Dhann replies, "Which bard? There were four." Mirt says the new one, on the table, with the flute, and Dhann says that while he's not sure who was playing what, the music has been halted. While asking Mirt how many people are in the house, he gives Mirt a healing potion to aid his recovery.
• With the potion, Mirt looks much better and is attempting to spring off the bed but isn't quite up to that yet. "I've no idea how many people are in the building. There were...a lot." As things got odd, he and Velrosa Nandar went upstairs to distance themselves from the escalating revelry and he hoped they could sit and have a drink together. However, someone had poisoned the moonshine prior to this, clearly having some good insight as to what Mirt would enjoy that night.
• Lady Nandar assures Mirt that she's alright, and Dhann says that if both she and Mirt are alright with it, he's going to go downstairs and check on everyone else, as there are multiple casualties and a lot of chaos. He asks again if there's anything to be on the lookout for besides the bard. Mirt doesn't think so. If the music has stopped, the dancing has stopped.
• Leaving the bedroom, Dhann asks Z, "Did you see a bard with a flute downstairs?" to which Z responds, "I followed him upstairs, and he disappeared practically in my arms." Dhann informs Z that the bard is apparently the source of the problems, and Z comments the bard is a very, very tricky one. Z also asks Dhann to check on the stabilized noble, and Dhann, avoiding the blood puddles, does so.
• Barrett continues to scan for more threats while approaching Esvele. He's not sure if the other people at the party are fully calmed down or not, but Esvele seems to have been coming down from the frenzy she was in. She seems to be attempting to hide tears, and is uninterested in anything going on around her, even the fact she's restrained, as if she's just realized something and is consumed with that thought. The Monk, seeing Elyana come down the stairs, says, "Ely, I think one of us needs to keep an eye on Esvele. I think she could still be a threat." and then asks if he or the Warlock should check the eastern room.
• Seeing Esvele, Ely quips, "Where's your boyfriend?" and then realizes, oh, they should probably look for Renaer Neverember. Barrett moves to be able to watch both Ely and Esvele, and Ely takes a blessing from him before checking out the room. It's difficult to make sense of anything in that room, but there are at least four dead bodies. No one seems to be moving.This is clearly a murder scene. Blood splatters the floor, walls, and even the ceiling.
  
• Elyana approaches the first dead bodies, seeing one on the couch, and another on the rug. Checking for the exact cause of death, but she can't tell what happened besides these people have finished bleeding out, judging from the amount of red across the rug and furniture. She doesn't recognize these people, and hopes that continues to be the case. So, as fate would have it, the next body she finds is Renaer.
• As far as she can tell, he's very dead. Ely calls out to Barrett, "Four dead bodies, not sure how they died, but I think that our dear benefactor, Renaer, is one of them!" Hearing this, Barrett yells up the stairs, "Dhann, we need you down here immediately - Renaer is dead!" At these words, Esvele lets out an absolutely bloodcurdling scream. Elyana attempts to check on Renaer, to truly see if he's dead, and he certainly seems to be. While she's not positive, the hole in his chest is most likely the problem.
• Dhann sprints down the stairs, hearing Barrett yell for him, and sees Esvele, covered in blood, chained to the table, and asks Barrett, "Where do I go?" and without breaking stride, follows Barrett's gesture into the eastern massacre scene. Ely, kneeling next to someone who has very red hair, is the next thing he sees. Hurriedly assessing the damage, Dhann thinks Ranaer may have just made an attempt to inhale, and Dhann casts Healing Word, saying, "Renaer!" and waiting to see if the nobleman improves. Thankfully - he does, and his wounds, up on closer inspection, appear to be haphazard and messy, while the other victims' bodies show much more strategic blows and stabs.
• Barrett tells Esvele to calm down, as Renaer isn't dead and isn't in any immediate danger. She glances up at Barrett and while the screaming stopped, she's no longer trying to hide her crying. Esvele is absolutely an emotional mess at this point, but still registered Barrett's words. Renaer is able to sit up, and immediately says, "She didn't mean it, she didn't mean it. It was some sort of trance. We were all dancing to the music, and then we couldn't stop dancing." He asks if Esvele is responsible for all the other bodies, and Dhann says they're not sure, and he then goes to check the other corpses. He is able to ascertain that they were very cleanly assassinated.
• Dhann, suspicious of the difference in wounds between Renaer and the other three victims, keeps an eye on Renaer throughout this. Renaer certainly seems to be telling the truth, but it's not sure if he truly understood what was happening during the mayhem. Dhann is also able to gauge from all the wounds, the same dagger has caused them all. Sharing a glance with Elyana, Dhann says to Renaer, "Well - if she did all of this, it's lucky she liked you so much..." And continues to look at the remaining dead.
• Z goes to talk to Mirt and Lady Nandar, keeping them company while the rest of the group investigates downstairs. Mirt seems to be clearheaded, and so does the Lady. No fog seems to be about them. Lady Nandar seems more talkative, and she explains that when she saw things getting weird, Mirt was already tipsy and so she got him upstairs - after cottoning her own ears - and barricaded the door to keep them safe. When she attempted, earlier, to get the music to stop, other patrons pulled her away from the bards. She thought Mirt was just drunk and didn't realize he was poisoned. The party was so that Mirt could have others "see the new one," in reference to the bard with the flute. Z praises Lady Nandar for her wisdom and asks them when they're ready, if they can go inspect the rest of the house. Mirt finds some clean clothing and will be ready in just a minute, and seems very concerned with what may have transpired downstairs.
  
• Elyana assists Renaer in standing and leaving the eastern room, and when he sees Esvele, runs to her and tries to ascertain if she's alright. She can't stop crying, and doesn't say anything, just staring at him. Barrett checks to see if the blood is indeed hers, and he finds that absolutely none of it is hers, but her dagger, on the floor next to her, is absolutely caked with red. It's a magical dagger, maybe, but definitely expensive. Barrett takes it, and Esvele doesn't notice.
• Barrett tells Renaer to wait a moment, and pulls Elyana over to speak with her privately. Ely, though, asks Renaer if they can speak with him with a couple of questions, away from Esvele, and he complies. There's a quick check of the remaining rooms, and there are about ten dead nobles, with the rest of the guests coming round and gathering in the main hall. It's all races, men, women, and they all share the marks of having been in the melee.
• The main story told is hearing music and being unable to stop dancing, but being driven crazy and the rest is a blur. Those who actively killed others, have no recollection of having done so. The three remaining bards are in rough shape, hands totally shredded from nonstop instrument playing. Dhann, administering assistance to them, says to them he knows the bard with the flute was the main culprit for the mayhem, and asks if he was a part of their troupe. Riznal - with the most bloodied hands - is recognized as a bard the Trollmates have seen playing at The Yawning Portal before. "No, we were just hired to join him, um...we've played at Mirt's before, but he was new. He said he needed extras, backup, I guess." The rumor is this Rimpkin is known for being very good, and the three were excited to play along with him.
• As Z, Mirt, and Lady Nandar make their way downstairs, Z guesses the two nobles upstairs were married and came together, but they aren't recognized. But Mirt knows, and they are Lord and Lady Curter. He asks Lord Curter to come downstairs, and he does, but the man is mostly in shock and doesn't seem to know most of what's going on. He does leave his sword behind, covered in his wife's blood.
• Rascal, during all this, takes the time to loot whoever may be left upstairs.
• Everyone gathered in the main hall, it's agreed the City Watch needs to be called. Mirt is incredibly unhappy, and says that this sort of thing was rumored to have happened a couple of nights ago. He didn't think it was anything like this until it happened here. Healing is given to those who might need it so no one is left in critical condition.
• Barrett and Z go to find the nearest City Watch members to report the incident.
• Ely and Dhann stay behind to keep watch on the nobles and be of any assistance. It's a somber scene full of rich people that don't seem to know what's going on. No one here seems outright suspicious, or like an accomplice, and everyone tells roughly the same story of the night. Over and over, they started dancing, it was fine, and then it very much wasn't. There are a couple of other universal points: some arrived late, and were personally beckoned in at the front door, almost hurried, by one of the bards, which is unusual. Fashionable lateness is common, being hurried in the door is not. The other thing is that Rimpkin appeared to have been personally interested in each and every person at the door, and would stop playing music to introduce himself. This is very weird. Everyone there does begin, in hindsight, to remark this is odd. He seemed to be looking for something called "The Greasy Cat." No one knows what this is, but he asked several people if they knew of "The Greasy Cat." Another performer? A tavern? No one can seem to agree just what this thing is, but they all agree on the name.
  
• Dhann asks Mirt if Rimpkin was asking specific people about this, but Mirt doesn't remember this being a topic of discussion at the party. Rimpkin never asked him. They'd met, the bard asked Mirt if he'd host the party, and Mirt said yes. At the Yawning Portal, Rimpkin introduced himself to Mirt and asked him if he'd host. "I'm new in town, and want to make a name for myself!" Others said they'd heard he was a good bard, so Mirt, enjoying hosting parties, agreed.
• Elyana asks if Mirt thinks Rimpkin tampered with the moonshine, and Mirt doesn't know. He grabbed the bottles from Durnan's before the party, when Durnan said he could have them. Mirt points to a bar in the dining hall, and there are a number of various spirit bottles. There are two more bottles of Elyana's moonshine, when there were originally four. One is open, one is closed, Elyana has a second opened, and poisoned one, and the fourth bottle is missing. Mirt then recollects that Rimpkin handed Mirt that exact bottle. It is ascertained that only one bottle, Mirt's bottle, is the only poisoned one. In the meantime, Dhann sends one more Channel Divinity into the room to help everyone a bit more.
  
• Dhann and Ely have been quietly investigating, and Dhann has described to Ely the difference in wounds on Renaer compared to the other nobles. Especially considering that some of these nobles were married, and none of them seemed to "hesitate" when killing their significant others, yet Esvele's attacks on Renaer seemed to show, almost, that she was holding back from as expertly killing him as she did the other nobles (as far as Dhann and Ely can tell). Dhann has told Ely to keep an eye on this, it's suspicious, and to let Barrett and Z know, whoever she talks to first.
• In the meantime, those two tell a City Watch member what's happened, and Barrett and Z make their way back to Mirt's house. A second Watch member follows back with them while the first heads off to get support. The one with Barrett and Z is very green, young, and lanky as all heck, but is ready to "secure the scene" - and does so by leaving the house for a little bit of air after seeing the bloodbath in the room Esvele was in. Barrett and Z go back to Esvele, the Monk wanting to ask her some questions with Z watching her reactions.
• Barrett asks the noblewoman if she's alright and recovered, to which she says yes, she thinks so. He asks if she remembers attacking him, and she says barely, and she apologizes profusely, saying she was in a rage of some sort and didn't recognize him. Working on the manacles, he asks, "It's a real shame what happened to Iris Braeton, isn't it?" It takes her a second, and then after a huge breath, says, "That was...terrible." Barrett says the gore here reminds him of the scene of what happened to Iris, especially the expert level of killing. Esvele responds that she heard it was bad. Barrett comments the violence in the other room seemed almost professional, and Esvele laments on Waterdeep's high number of professional assassins.
  
• Ely noticing movement by the table, goes over to watch Barrett and Esvele, joining Z, while Dhann goes outside to check on the City Watch member as well as wait for Emmer Jundhyll so that the Cleric can meet him at the door and explain what's happened rather than Jundhyll walk in on the scene with no context. The poor guy is very new and very shaken by what he's seen. "Ooh...hi...this is my third day - this is a little much. Eh, uh - you okay?" Before vomiting again.
• Barrett notices that Esvele had been attempting to break out of the manacles before being questioned. Z, watching her face, can see she's clearly hiding something, but he can't tell quite what it is, but she does have an air of sadness about her, more so than guilt. But - she does seem to be hiding some information about Iris. "I had heard that the boy was the target...but when the girl was killed, well, it was...very sad." She's familiar with the situation and is sad about it. Barrett comments on the slight scratches on the manacles, letting Esvele know he knows she was trying to pick the locks. She's hiding details, there's lying in her words, but it's not known if it's by omission or explicit lying. At this time, Renaer runs to check on her again, seeing the group gathered about her.
  
• Mirt has been taking charge of checking on others, seeing that this is indeed, still, in his house, and is serving drinks and attendance to anyone who may need it. Dhann hears the guards approaching, Jundhyll in full armor with his broadsword drawn. There are two higher level City guard officials with him, and Dhann also notices a griffin rider circling over the house, flying rather low. Jundhyll heads to Dhann, lifts him helm off, and asks what's going on. Dhann informs him of the party, the bard, music, and that they do have a name, and remarking, "It's all witnesses and victims at this point." As he explains the situation, Dhann brings Jundhyll inside and eventually to Mirt, as the host of the party.
• Dhann shows Jundhyll the rooms with the other dead, and gathering back in the main hall, Jundhyll comments that two nights ago, this exact sort of thing happened at another noble's party, and all the details are the same, at the Gott's manor, including the bard's name, Rimpkin. Thirty four died that night. Only two people survived, an old woman with a frying pan in the kitchen, and a young teen who hid. Aside, Dhann does confide to Jundhyll that Renaer's wounds at Esvele's hand did not seem as calculated as the others, and Jundhyll comments that as far as they could tell, everyone killed each other at the other party.
• Jundhyll goes on to say that Rimpkin, at the other party, was "A tall, dark fellow - dark grey skin, flaming red hair," and Z comments that that's not at all what he saw. They may as well have seen two different people. Barrett also comments that Rimpkin's instrument turned out to be a Mimic, and Jundhyll says there was no remark on this sort of thing at the other party. There was a harp player at that one, and they played until they bled to death from their ripped hands. Everyone there partied until death, besides the two survivors.
  
• Dhann asks if Jundhyll has heard of "The Greasy Cat," and Jundhyll thinks it's a tavern, as that's what the old woman with the frying pan said she thought it was. Jundhyll calls Mirt over, and Mirt confirms he's never heard of a Greasy Cat Tavern. Dhann, having been in Waterdeep for some time, cannot recollect a tavern by that name either. Barrett can't recall the name from any of his travels, but Z barely remembers a few words from an old, old song, and the words refer to a person "who is very hard to catch," and that this person is being sought by a number of other people. It's an old tavern song that Z heard a long time ago, a jaunty tune, perhaps about a legend. Elyana asks if Esvele has ever heard the name, and the noblewoman comments no.
  
• Dhann asks Z to see if he can remember anything from the night Iris died, now that Esvele is, once again, at the scene of an extremely bloody crime. A moment of reflection yields to Z that indeed, one was in purple and black leather armor, and looking again at Esvele, Z is pretty confident Esvele was there that night. He's not sure if she was the one who did land the killing blows to Iris, but this figure was on the roof, with two others, and Z can very much put together that the one in armor was Esvele.
• Barrett and Ely move to speak to Renaer, who is helping the survivors with anything that may need. He's also started taking care of closing the doors to the violence so the nobles aren't reminded any more than they have to be of what they've just been through. Barrett comments this is quite bad business, and Renaer can only agree. "You people always seem to show up right when you're needed, it's remarkable." Ely says, "It's lucky the friends we have, have us." Barrett remarks that Esvele was able to take out four people in a room, "With practiced ease...what do you really know about her?" Renaer says that her family has recently returned to Waterdeep after having been blacklisted by the other nobles, and the two of them met, and that she's an amazing woman, really. She's strong and capable, and comes from a very strict and difficult upbringing. "Unique," he calls it. At this time, Esvele notices that Renaer is speaking to the two of them, and comes over, quickly. Renaer, to Barrett, is telling the truth, but seems to have sparked some questioning in the young noble's mind, as if maybe he should speak to Esvele about just what she can do. Elyana, watching Esvele, gathers that the young woman is poised, collected, but doesn't look fake.
• Jundhyll gathers the Trollmates together and verifies all of the details they've gathered throughout the entire scene. "The Greasy Cat" is to be watched, or listened for, as he seems to be the root of all sorts of trouble. Everyone agrees to keep their eyes and ears open. Barrett mentions investigating or asking around at the bard's guild and bard's college.
• As everyone prepares to leave - Jundhyll organizing the removal of the dead - Ely calls Rascal back to her, and Mirt will take care of the cleaning of his house. The nobles begin to take their leave as well. Dhann approaches Mirt to check that he and Lady Nandar are alright to be at the manor by themselves. He also mentions that he and Mirt have a talk they need to have, and given what's transpired, and that it involves the welfare of the Blackwood boys involved, perhaps sooner is better than later. Mirt agrees, and asks Lady Nandar if she would feel up to joining the gang, and Durnan, at the Yawning Portal. She's happy to do so, once she's cleaned herself up a bit. Mirt also mentions to Dhann that he can be at Trollskull Tavern later that night to talk with the Cleric about their business.
  
• Z chats with Lady Nandar on the way to the tavern and that they'd still like to go to Nightstone to look at the library, and she confesses that she doesn't want to go to the library until whatever is happening in there, is resolved. "It's gone beyond strange, to terrifying." Now, at night, strange sounds are coming from the second floor. The first floor is mainly books, while the second is more offices and his detailed research. But at one point, there was even a scream from inside the library, sounding quite like a ghost. Nonetheless, strange things are happening at night - lights in all different colors, sounds, and she has no desire to go alone. Z is happy to escort her, and explore what's going on. "Sounds like bard magic!"
• Lady Nandar also comments those in Nightstone understand she needed some time away so she's not too worried about rushing back. Getting to the Yawning Portal, Durnan is seated by himself at a booth. On the way in, two acolytes of Cyric are leaving and Mirt looks at them oddly, not having been out in the city yet to have seen these robed figures. It doesn't seem too busy inside the tavern, and Durnan is reading and making notes in a book, whatever it is. He doesn't notice the group come in. Ely shouts, "Guess who we found!" and Mirt, waves. Durnan beckons everyone over, yelling, "Shove off! Go get a different one!" to two patrons at a table that he then drags to the one he's sitting at.
• "Mirt, where the hell have you been?!" To which Mirt says, "It's a long story, mate. It's been a long few days." While Mirt recounts what happened at his party, and after, Durnan dispells any idea, quickly, that there's any tavern that's named "The Greasy Cat," in Waterdeep, miles within the area, or even the Underdark. Dhann looks about, and doesn't notice any other acolytes.
• Barrett tells Mirt about the discussion with Elminster and Durnan earlier that day, and tells Lady Nandar that Drezlin came up, and that the group ran into "Him, or an avatar of sorts-" but Mirt interjects, asking Velrosa to check with Bonnie on the status of everyone's drinks. She's clearly happy to leave, and does so, and then Mirt beckons for Barrett to continue.
• On the topic of Drezlin, Mirt looks concern, sad, and grave. Drezlin Nandar was once a very good friend, and they go way back. "There was a time he was not a very good person. Way before Lady Nandar." Durnan agrees heartily. "He was caught up in the search for magical items, part of creating the book you now hold, and it was very important. Once he realized what he was doing, and met Lady Nandar, he wanted to change, to stop all that. He came to me," Continues Mirt, "and asked for my help to leave all of that. He knew I was connected in Waterdeep and we could help him in certain ways other people couldn't."
• "Frankly, he was going down a very dark path." A truce was made with the elves, a place set to found Nightstone, and Mirt and Durnan even helped fund the endeavor, and thought he was set straight. However, that now doesn't seem to be the case. And as far as Mirt or Durnan or anyone knows, Drezlin is very much dead. Mirt doesn't think this is the same Drezlin, maybe an echo, or before they could help him down the straight, perhaps a little crooked, but definitely not evil path. Drezlin was powerful, but Mirt didn't know him to do anything besides good, especially after meeting Lady Nandar.
• Dhann asks if Drezlin was already capable of magic before he died, and Mirt says yes. He could do small things - like prestidigitation for dishes, while courting Velrosa - but kept his magic mostly private, even from Lady Nandar, except for these little displays. But then, this was before he married Lady Nandar. Mirt knows Drezlin's past, overall, was very dark.
• His library is public knowledge, with the second story being "some texts that perhaps should not fall into the wrong hands." The hope was no one would ever go in, especially after his death, but now the group needs access. Mirt will tell the group how to get past his own wards, but Drezlin's own are still a mystery.
• Dhann asks Mirt to verify that Drezlin did indeed die by an arrow to the throat, for the Drezlin they saw on the The Roaming Isle had a horrific scar down the length of his face, "As if struck a terrible blow." At this, Mirt looks over at Durnan, who simply nods. Mirt says, "Damn."
• Durnan looks over the group and says, "That's most likely a Lich. A wizard who does not want to die." There will be pieces of himself, stored, he can come back from. "I once heard tale of a Lord Voldemort." If there's a Lich, that could explain a lot. But Drezlin simply dying and becoming a Lich doesn't make sense. Returning in this way would need to be activated somehow, typically by a servant or an assistant might handle that sort of thing. "But he would not have arranged such a thing, it's been too many years."
• Elyana wonders if he arranged it before he met Mirt and Durnan, and Mirt thinks this is possible. But regardless of when this happened, help will be needed. The group cannot take on a Lich at this time, he would be too powerful. Barrett comments it's possible there's more at play here than one dark wizard's desire to get past the grave, to which Durnan says, "Yeah I'll say, if you've got a Lich, mixed in with this Shadow magic...and Cyric? Nasty combination."
• Dhann asks Mirt about Lady Nandar's nightmares, and Mirt says so much makes sense now. Drezlin seems to be trying to get something from her, but Mirt doesn't know, and neither does Lady Nandar. It seems to be a physical thing, like a gem, or a key, but it's some sort of object. He tells her she knows where it is, but she doesn't know what he's talking about. Or maybe it's something needed to get into the study.
• Recounting the circumstances of his death: peace had been made with the elves to found Nightstone, but sometime later, out of nowhere, some of them decided to attack. The conflict was quelled immediately, but not before Drezlin, on the roof of the manor, was struck a killing blow with an arrow and fell instantly, most likely dead before Lady Nandar reached him. His body was interred at Nightstone. Durnan says it would be worth checking, "I've seen more than one walk out of a box."
• Dhann comments that it's interesting that Drezlin would give up his obsession for magical items to be with Lady Nandar, (to which Mirt says that Drezlin called Velrosa his "only treasure") but still want to settle specifically near the Nightstone, and Mirt chuckles wryly, saying that Drezlin called it his "last find," and wanted to be near it.
• Barrett asks if Erky might know more, and Mirt says probably not. Erky's traveled the circles of Waterdeep, to say the least, but didn't have much interaction with the Nandars.
• Barrett also asks Durnan about a magical item, "The Insignia of the Claws," and said Elminster said to talk to Durnan about it. Durnan replies it's a tool of the Cult of the Dragon, and doesn't know where to get one, as most have been destroyed. Laeral Silverhand or Vajra Safhar might have one or know where one is.
• Z asks if dinner can be gotten while they finish the conversation, to which everyone readily agrees.

-