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Session 1 - A Friend in Need

- Waterdeep Dragon Heist

The Adventure Begins in the City of Splendours

The Yawning Portal

Our tale begins in Waterdeep’s most famous tavern, the Yawning Portal - a bustling establishment built around an enormous well that leads down into the deadly Undermountain. Our unlikely trio had gathered here seeking work and adventure when fate intervened in the most dramatic way possible.

Bar Brawl & Monsters

The evening started with typical tavern drama - a brawl between some tough-looking thugs and a half-orc woman named Yagra. Our party wisely chose to let the locals sort out their own problems, watching from the sidelines as the fight reached its natural conclusion. The thugs dragged their unconscious companion out after their leader shouted for them to leave.

But the real excitement began when a massive troll climbed out of the well, followed by several stirges(nasty flying bloodsuckers). The tavern erupted into chaos!

Durnan, the legendary tavern keeper, proved why his reputation is well-earned by single-handedly demolishing the troll. Blue managed to land some solid hits on the beast and took down one of the stirges, while Cog eliminated another. The final stirge had latched onto Null, but Durnan’s expert crossbow shot picked it off before any real damage was done.

In a stroke of bad luck (or physics), the dead troll toppled over onto Blue, pinning our scaled friend under its massive bulk. Seeing Blue’s contribution to the fight, Durnan personally helped free him, offering a respectful “Nice job” - high praise from the gruff tavern master.

A Mysterious Patron

As the excitement died down, the party was approached by Volothamp Geddarm- “Volo” to his friends - a flamboyant writer and self-proclaimed expert on, well, everything. He had a problem: his friend Floon Blagmaar had gone missing after a night on the town, and he needed capable adventurers to find him.

Volo paid them 10 gold pieces each upfront and promised much more upon Floon’s safe return. While the party had some reservations about his grand promises of wealth, work is work, and a missing person case seemed like a good way to get our feet wet in the big city.

The Investigation Begins

Following the Trail

The party’s investigation led them through several key locations:

Blue’s Street Contacts: Using his knowledge of Waterdeep’s underground, Blue connected with an informant who revealed crucial details - Volo had been seen drinking with some lord at a tavern called The Skewered Dragon. They’d left together later that evening, followed by five suspicious men.

A Crime Scene: Our heroes stumbled across the aftermath of what appeared to be a gang conflict - blood in the streets and city guards cleaning up the mess. The guards were less than friendly, especially toward Cog and his ingenious little automaton. The party learned to keep their heads down around the authorities.

Old Xoblob Shop: This quirky purple-themed shop provided both shopping opportunities and information. Null acquired a rather mysterious candle that refuses to light, while Cog embraced the local fashion with a purple hat and a pipe that blows purple bubbles. The shopkeeper confirmed that five men had indeed attacked someone outside his establishment and mentioned seeing a distinctive black tattoo featuring a winged snake.

The Skewered Dragon: Our breakthrough came at this rough dockside tavern. Through careful conversation with the staff and patrons (including a very forward individual called “Roger in the corner”), the party learned a shocking truth - Volo’s friend hadn’t been drinking with just any lord, but with Lord Renaer Neverember himself! The two had spent the evening gambling and drinking before leaving together, where they were subsequently followed by five men. They also learned about Candle Lane and a door marked with a snake symbol.

Into the Shadows

The Zhentarim Connection

Following the leads, the party found themselves in the narrow, lamp-lined alley called Candle Lane. Cog was particularly offended by the poor maintenance of the street lamps - a professional insult that has clearly become personal.

The party discovered the door bearing the winged snake symbol and, through their knowledge of Waterdeep’s underworld, identified it as the mark of the Zhentarim- one of the city’s most notorious criminal organisations.

Breaking and Entering

After struggling with the more conventional entry methods, they decided on a direct approach through a window. Null went first, slipping through with shadow-like grace and perfect silence. However, when Blue attempted to follow… well, let’s just say stealth isn’t always about finesse.

The wall beneath the window completely gave way, sending Blue tumbling to the ground in a cascade of stone and mortar. So much for the element of surprise! Cog wisely remained outside as the commotion began.

Combat!

The crash immediately alerted four kenku- strange bird-like humanoids with a talent for mimicry and mayhem. The battle was chaotic and desperate:

Round 1: Blue found himself surrounded by three kenku while still picking himself up from the rubble. Thinking quickly, Null Used his mysterious shadow abilities to teleport across the room to a set of stairs, but one of the kenku broke off to pursue him.

Cog, seeing his companions in trouble, abandoned stealth for speed and slipped through the door. With perfect timing, he reached the stairs and delivered a devastating sneak attack to the kenku threatening Null.

The Teamwork: Null and Cog made quick work of their opponent at the stairs, while Blue proved that sometimes the best defence is a good… bite? Using his natural lizardfolk weapons, he eliminated one of his attackers decisively.

The Chase: As the remaining two kenku tried to flee, Blue pursued them. He managed to knock one unconscious, but the last one escaped through a door - potentially to raise an alarm or simply to flee the area entirely.

Current Situation: The party now has an unconscious kenku in their custody and find themselves split across the room - Null and Cog positioned at the stairs leading to the upper level, while Blue stands near the large door the final kenku escaped through.

Where We Stand

As our first session draws to a close, our heroes find themselves in the middle of a Zhentarim stronghold, having just fought their way through the first wave of resistance. They’re strategically positioned throughout the room - some at the stairs leading up, others watching potential escape routes - with an unconscious kenku that might provide valuable information.

They’ve confirmed that both Floon and Lord Renaer Neverember are likely being held somewhere in this complex, probably on the upper level. The investigation has revealed this is far more than a simple missing person case - they’ve stumbled into the dangerous world of Waterdeep’s criminal organisations and noble politics.

Despite some spectacularly unsubtle moments (looking at you, collapsing wall), our party has proven effective in both investigation and combat. They’ve learned to work together under pressure, combining stealth, magic, and raw determination to overcome our first real challenge.

The adventure is just beginning, and the City of Splendours has many more secrets to reveal!

Next time: Deeper into the hideout, the search for our missing persons continues, and the mysteries of Waterdeep begin to unfold…

Party Roster