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Session 1a Missing Persons

- Waterdeep Dragon Heist

Session 1a: Missing Persons

Missing Persons One-Shot: Where Two Paths Converge

A couple days before our main adventure began

An Unexpected Partnership

This session introduced two new players to our campaign through a parallel investigation that took place a few days before Blue, Null, and Cog’s adventure at the Yawning Portal. Two other souls found themselves drawn into the same web of mystery that would eventually entangle our main party.

Eostre, our new Aasimar paladin, arrived at The Skewered Dragon with some serious personal baggage. Once sworn to protect Dagult Neverember, she’d been cast out when she dared to question his corruption. Now she was hunting down his son Renaer - not to protect him, but to figure out if the apple had fallen far from the very rotten tree. Talk about trust issues!

Silvyr, our Wood Elf druid, had much more mundane concerns (or so he thought). He’d spent weeks documenting environmental damage in the forge district and was supposed to meet with Lord Renaer about implementing some green solutions. Poor guy was probably expecting a boring meeting about tree planting, not a criminal conspiracy!

Neither expected to find the other, and definitely neither expected their target to be missing.

The Investigation Begins

Tavern Troubles

The dwarf barkeep at The Skewered Dragon was initially quite “short” with both our new friends (I’m not apologising for that pun). A couple of ales and some basic politeness went a long way though - turns out Renaer had been there earlier with a friend, but they’d left hours ago.

What started as two separate investigations quickly became a partnership when both characters realised they were after the same person. Despite their very different backgrounds - the armoured fallen paladin and the nature-loving city newcomer - they found common ground in their shared concern for Renaer’s safety.

Their first attempt at gathering more information didn’t go quite as planned. Careful Carl, a nervous merchant with a stutter, seemed like an easy target for questioning. But when Eostre tried the intimidation approach, the seemingly timid man surprised everyone by threatening to call the City Watch! Sometimes the quiet ones have more backbone than you’d expect.

Enter the Law

Just as our duo was regrouping from their failed interrogation, they found themselves approached by Sergeant Bella Stormwind of the City Watch. Instead of trouble, though, Bella brought opportunity - she was also looking for Renaer, and for reasons that went much deeper than a simple missing person case.

Bella had some fascinating insights into Waterdeep’s political situation. Apparently, corruption runs pretty deep in both the nobility and the Watch itself, but Renaer was one of the few “good ones” worth trusting. She recognised Eostre as someone “disgraced” by the corrupt Dagult - and in Bella’s eyes, anyone cast out by such a man was probably worth knowing.

With a City Watch sergeant backing their investigation, suddenly doors started opening that had been firmly shut before.

Breakthrough Moments

The real breakthrough came through some clever social manoeuvring. A table of card-playing dock workers led by Old Salty showed little respect for Bella’s authority - maritime folk and their independence, you know? Recognising this dynamic, Eostre came up with a brilliant plan: send Bella off chasing a “pickpocket” so the civilians could speak freely without “the brass” around.

The strategy worked perfectly! Turns out they hadn’t just seen Renaer and his friend - they’d actually played cards with them. The young lord had been good-natured about losing gold to common sailors, just enjoying a regular night out. More importantly, they’d witnessed five cloaked men with distinctive winged snake tattoos following the pair when they left.

Eostre’s military background immediately kicked in - those were Zhentarim symbols. One of Waterdeep’s most dangerous criminal organisations was involved.

Deeper into the Mystery

Purple Shopping and Confirmation

The party made a stop at Old Xoblob’s purple paradise of a shop, where the eccentric gnome confirmed the confrontation outside his establishment. He’d seen both men taken away in a carriage heading toward Candle Lane. Eostre, charmed by the old shopkeeper’s enthusiasm, picked up a mysterious purple key - whether it’ll be useful later or just a fun souvenir, time will tell!

Their investigation led them through a brief educational encounter with some street-level Zhentarim thugs. When they found them roughing up a civilian, Bella’s authority and Silvyr’s expertly-cast Entangle spell ended the confrontation in one decisive round. The captured thugs revealed some troubling intelligence - someone had inside information about exactly when and where to find Renaer.

Bella made the tactical call to release them with a warning rather than go through official channels. With dawn approaching and corruption in the Watch, they couldn’t afford bureaucratic delays.

Into Danger

The Hideout

At Candle Lane, they found their target: a nondescript door bearing the telltale Zhentarim symbol. Silvyr’s natural stealth allowed him to gather crucial intelligence by listening at a window - the prisoners were scheduled to be moved at dawn, and strangely, “bird people” were getting impatient.

This puzzled Bella greatly. The Xanathar Guild and Zhentarim were supposed to be bitter enemies, yet here they seemed to be working together. Something big was driving this unusual alliance.

A Hero’s Sacrifice

Just as they were planning our approach, fate intervened. A nervous messenger arrived with news of a “multiple homicide at the docks” - Bella’s captain was requesting her specifically. Despite her obvious suspicions about the convenient timing, duty called. A City Watch sergeant couldn’t ignore direct orders, even when they smelled like a trap.

Bella’s final words carried real weight: Renaer’s rescue was of “vital importance” to the city’s future. They couldn’t wait for backup - too many in the Watch were compromised. They had to act now, while they still could.

She walked into what she suspected was a trap because that’s what heroes do. They never saw Sergeant Bella Stormwind alive again.

The Trap Springs

Going It Alone

Without our experienced guide, Eostre and Silvyr attempted to infiltrate the hideout on their own. Silvyr’s Wood Elf heritage served him well in the shadows, but Eostre’s chain mail proved… less than stealthy. The clanking metal announced their presence long before they could gain any advantage.

What followed was five rounds of absolutely desperate combat against overwhelming odds. Four Zhentarim thugs and four kenku surrounded our heroes with nets and clubs, clearly under orders to take prisoners alive.

Silvyr’s Entangle spell became the MVP of the fight, immobilising most attackers and keeping the battle from ending immediately. His impressive concentration ability let him maintain the spell despite taking hit after hit - a real testament to his druidic training.

Eostre’s divine power blazed forth when she finally freed herself from the first net, her Divine Smite dealing devastating damage. But even celestial fury wasn’t enough against such numbers.

The end came when Silvyr finally succumbed to his wounds and lost concentration on the Entangle. Eostre, caught in a second net and rolling a critical failure on her escape attempt (ouch!), was soon beaten unconscious alongside her new companion.

Revelations in Captivity

Unexpected Meetings

They awakened hours later in a dank cell, but they weren’t alone. Lord Renaer Neverember and Floon Blagmaar shared their imprisonment, finally bringing together the meetings both characters had originally sought - though under very different circumstances than anyone had planned!

Renaer immediately recognised Eostre: “You’re the paladin questioning my father’s legacy, aren’t you? Perhaps we can find a path to redemption together.” To Silvyr, he expressed genuine excitement about the environmental work: “I was so enthusiastic about your forge district proposals!”

Through their conversations over the next couple of days, they learned about the Stone of Golorr - some kind of mysterious artifact the Zhentarim believed could lead them to Dagult Neverember’s hidden treasure. Renaer insisted he knew nothing about his father’s gold, having been estranged from the corrupt former Open Lord for years.

The most heartbreaking revelation came from casual kenku mimicry: “Sergeant found dead near the docks. Walked right into our trap, she did.”

Bella had paid the ultimate price for her dedication to justice.

Where We Stand

Eostre and Silvyr now find themselves prisoners alongside the very person they came to Waterdeep to find, though certainly not under the circumstances either had imagined. They’ve discovered that the problems in Waterdeep run deeper than any single criminal organisation, and this mysterious Stone of Golorr represents stakes higher than anyone yet understands.

Both characters have found their original missions transformed by their experiences. Eostre discovered a worthy cause in protecting rather than condemning Renaer. Silvyr learned that healing the city would require more than environmental restoration - it would need to address the social corruption poisoning its foundation.

Through trial by fire, they’ve proven their courage and character. Now they wait, bound in a criminal hideout, while somewhere in the city, other heroes begin their own investigation into the same web of mystery…

Next time: The main party’s investigation reaches the same hideout, and our prisoners await rescue…

New Characters Introduced