We cornered her and convinced her to drop her weapons. She introduced herself as Harria Valashtar and demanded to know why we had attacked her associates. She also told us she needed to avoid both the Xanathar and the Zhentarim. We let her go with minimal supplies and took a moment to rest. The next room was full of dead bodies and spiders. One body had been dead for at least ten days, and it had two fang marks on its legs. In a side corridor, we found a closet full of skulls, and in a hidden room at the end of the corridor was a copper helmet and a throne.

We spent the next couple of days running errands and purchasing furniture for Lif’s Last Call. The following morning, representatives from the city knocked on our door. Barris Willowhelm and Caldona Glittergleam, a priestess of Waukeen, told us that a reward was due. She said that a total of 522,763 gold was recovered from the Vault of Dragons and that our cut was 52,276 gold and 3 silver. They told us that we were not to discuss the amount with anyone.

The morning at Trollskull Manor began with a flurry of letters and errands. Greemus received a missive from Lady Phaulkon about some disturbing discoveries regarding the dark shards we’d found. They were apparently fragments of a much larger obelisk called the Nightstone, which could absorb and release necrotic energy. She told us she would keep us updated and to look after our new friend, Cornelius the Brave.

We were all gathered and went to the Open Lord’s office. She advised us that many people have searched for the gold in the past and found nothing. However, she would review whatever we had found. Duelo explained our need for the three keys, specifically the gift from a queen. I interjected and mentioned a book I had seen that could be a great addition to my library and would fulfill the gift requirement. Laeral considered our request and offered a long box containing a Teal Green Quill Pen. She said if we were successful, she would discuss our payment and include the book. She also told us to use the phrase, “The wizard’s gift was very helpful,” if we retrieved the gold.

At Toshi’s insistence and Volo’s prodding, I began to attune to the Stone of Golorr. It was strange, like a thousand whispers trying to take up residence in my head at once. As I was getting a feel for the stone, Melandran started talking to someone none of us could see or hear. She eventually convinced him to reveal himself, and he introduced himself as Lif, the ghost of Trollskull Manor’s former owner. Toshi, ever the gracious host, offered him a drink, and we all settled in to learn about his past with the tavern. We offered to restore the place and let him tend the bar again. He accepted, and I could feel a weight lift from my spectral shoulders.

The next morning, as the repairmen arrived to fix the place up, Duelo noticed a message written on the mirror: “Last Call!” We talked it over and decided Greemus should use the Nimblewright Detector to search for the “children’s toy” from the horse’s tale. He flew over the city as a raven for a couple of hours, but there was nothing. Meanwhile, Duelo went to Steam and Steel to check on the weapon he was having made.

The air at the Gralhund Villa was thick with tension, even before we’d done a thing. Twelve-foot stone walls surrounded the whole place. Greemus, ever cautious, sent his raven familiar up to scout. No sooner had it flown over the wall than it was spotted by a couple, a man and a woman. Before we knew it, the little guy was gone, snuffed out like a candle. It was a bad omen.

After the events at The House of Many Faiths, Greemus went to meet with Lady Phaulkon about the crystals and the effects we believe are linked to them. It was during this time that Duelo and I went back to The Yawning Portal to inquire about this Kris Weatherly individual that we learned about. Duelo thought maybe Davil Starsong would have some insight through his connections across the city of Waterdeep. Sadly the lead turned out to be a dead end and we didn’t learn anything of use.

Once we had our fill of breakfast at the MacGregor Farmstead we headed back to Trollskull Manor where we would spend some time discussing how we wanted to go about fixing the place up and then contacted some workers to come out and start construction. We had noticed a bulletin board was erected along the street outside recently and we went to see if there was anything of interest posted. Among the various leaflets and posters there was a cryptic request seeking adventurers to help The House of Many Faiths to resolve an issue on the grounds. It wasn’t much but we thought it couldn’t hurt to stop in and see what it was about.

As we all stood at the bar within Trollskull Manner enjoying some warm Sake, courtesy of Toshi, the topic of what to do next came up. It seems Greemus had taken the opportunity to go speak with representatives of the local druid order at a place called Phaulkonmere Villa and they had asked for his help investigating a disturbance happening each night around midnight at a farmstead not far from the city. With no other leads on jobs that might earn us some extra coin, we decided to head there tonight. Greemus begins to fill us in on what’s going on there and suddenly Melandran mentions she stayed at this farm just after arriving at Waterdeep. I couldn’t help but think of what a coincidence that was.