So the Lesson Here Is That Democracy Doesn’t Work

We remember that we have the Prince of Frost’s body in a jar, and we still have The Blackstaff’s body in the Bag of Holding. Baptiste takes the +1 longsword that we find in the cavern. We backtrack and make our way to the surface and see that the acid rain has stopped. We go to tell the captain that we need to teleport back to Waterdeep sooner than the ship ride will take. Pearl uses a teleportation circle and brings up the Waterdeep teleportation circle. 

Back in the city, we see that everything appears normal. We make our way back to our house in the city where Kai has been housesitting for us.

Pearl casts Identify on the Longsword and the Bracers on the Blackstaff’s Corpse. They are Bangles of Bardic Inspiration. 

• Bangles of Bardic Inspiration: a recipient of your bardic inspiration recovers 1dX of your bardic die + your bard level & regains one spell slot = to r your highest bard level divided by 2 rounded down. If they have no spell slots to regain, they instead double the HP recovered by 2. Once per day, you can expend an action to restore all expended uses of bardic inspiration. A person can only regain a spell slot from this feature once per day.

While we are debating on what to do with the Bangles, we hear a knock at the door. We look out the window and we see Krowen and a hooded figure. Brylwynn opens the door and greets Krowen. He says that he brings urgent news. “It seems that we have a friend who returned and has changed their way.” 

Sypha Fang, has a large tri-corner hat and horns, she is hiding under her hood. We see the familiar red-skinned Tiefling we have met a long time ago. She recognizes us immediately.

Caulkin pulls out his crossbow and Krowen calls him an absolute fool and tells him to lower the bow. Krowen that shares Sypha has been doing a lot of work for them recently. Sypha takes a moment to look at the group before she shares her story. She shares that there is a long story here to share, but she has a new patron. Her patron sent her here, but didn’t realize that she was being sent to us. She reveals that Jaerynos is her new patron, who we know is dead at this time. 

We make a deal with Sypha to split Clauth’s dragon hoard seven ways. She used to work from Sypha and states that she knows where the hoard is kept. We make a group insight check to see if we believe her story and Baptiste, who has never met her before, does believe her. He knows that very few people know the Prince of Frost’s real name, so her knowing it must hold some weight. 

• Baptiste and Sypha meet for the first time and swap stories. Baptiste lets her into his backstory.

Krowen mentions that we need to speak with Larael as soon as possible. We decided to meet with her in the morning. Sypha decides to sleep at an inn for the evening instead of with us. On her way out, Sypha makes eyes are Pearl and they two of them lock gazes 

• As Krowen and Sypha walk away and they acknowledge that our group is a “handful” and can be “difficult” to work with.

• The two of them discuss payment and her budget for the inn and he tosses her a bag of gold. She gets 15 cold coins.

The group sleeps for the evening. RC and Caulkin talk briefly about. We meet back up with Sypha outside of Castle Waterdeep and Krowen is present. We head inside and are recognized by the guards. We are brought to Larael’s private study where she is doing research on a way to get into Avernus. Brylwynn explains what we found in Ruathym and how we believe the shard was activated. We pull out The Blackstaff’s corpse and gives him to her. Larael excuses herself for a moment and leaves her office. We stand award awkwardly and wait for her return.

Larael returns with a post-cry glow on her face. She says “We know the risks we take in protecting the Sword Coast and the people here. While I don’t remember what happened when we got there, I know we set off to do anything it would have taken. I am glad there is a conclusion to what we did nearly 30 years ago. Thank you for confirming to me that our mission was successful and the shard was activated.”

• Pearl reveals that while she does the Resurrection Spell prepared, we are unsure the repercussions of resurrecting him on the shard being activated We share with her all of what happened when we found the Blackstaff as he was holding off the demon/cambian inside of him under the control of Beshaba.

• Larael states that given that information, we should not resurrect the Blackstaff.

She quickly changes gears and talks about her research on how to get into Avernus. They key we brought her is a key for Avernus, but it it not specific enough to get us to Zariel’s tower where we need to get. She is working on trying to gain access to the tower, or at least close by. 

• Larael states that she knows Krowen has vetted Sypha out and she is trustworthy to our group for the mission ahead.

Larael states that her scouts have relayed that the Dragon (Claugiyliamatar) in the Kryptgarden Forest is becoming antsy, but can wait a bit longer. We need to get the scepter from the other dragon. Her research she also revealed some other helpful and good information for us. 

Before we leave, Larael suggests we do a few things. The message from her husband reminds her of  a place where they spent a lot of time together. She also reveals that her contacts have been on the search for items for us that may be of assistance for fighting a dragon. She has reached out to her dwarven contacts.

• For Baptiste, they offered a Sheath of Farstriking: 

  • “Sheath of Far Striking. You must attune to it. Any weapon wielded by a person attuned to the Sheath can, as part of their attack actions, make all attacks on their turn (but NOT round) happen as if they were standing in a place they can see up to 100 feet away. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per short rest.”

• For Brylwynn, she gives her the Blackstaff’s Bangles. She revealed that these were fastened by Mystra herself as a gift for the Blackstaff. 

  • “Bangles of Bardic Inspiration: a recipient of your bardic inspiration recovers 1dX of your bardic die + your bard level & regains one spell slot = to r your highest bard level divided by 2 rounded down. If they have no spell slots to regain, they instead double the HP recovered. Once per day, you can expend an action to restore all expended uses of bardic inspiration. A person can only regain a spell slot from this feature once per day”

Krowen teleports us out of the city. Before we leave, some party members stock up on items and material components for casting spells. 

Sypha knows that some creatures and humans were trying to get out of Clauth’s service because he didn’t offer dental. People were starting to get on edge with Clauth because he was thinking of becoming a dragolich and becoming immortal. 

• Sypha shares that not every red dragon will attempt to reach dragolich-dom, so the fact that Clauth is aspiring to it, is concerning. 

Before Krowen leaves us to return to Waterdeep Caulkin pulls him aside. He hopes that his recent actions have helped regain his footing in the Harpers. Krowen tells Caulkin that he is back at square 1. 

It is about 1:00 pm after we finish speaking with Larael and make our way to Mirabar. 

Brylwynn entertains the group with her rendition of her infamous “Wonderwall” cover. As we make our way to the forest, we see polluted territory, sulfur smells, and no signs of wildlife. There are no signs of life as we approach the mountain. We get to the base of the mountain after a 2 day journey. It is now about 1:00 pm again. We see a cave mouth on the side of the mountain, and that is where Clauth’s hoard resides. From behind a crag, we see the wide wingspan of a giant red dragon appear. 

He looks down at us “So, I meet this rag time group of imbeciles. Those who challenge the doom of the desert herself. Who do you think sent you the hot air balloon to the Eye of the All-Father. You’re stupid to challenge me, and oppose me. Teaming up with Claug. to take on me? Pathetic. I don’t talk to my dinner, but you’re all very lucky. You will be the last humans to die by my fire before I achieve dragolich-dom.”