Session 4

Session Recap

Provided by Rick

After luring in a number of would-be assassins and finishing them off, you’d unfortunately drawn attention to yourselves and brought the rest of the gang on you as pressed forward to meet them. After a heated skirmish against a fairly well-trained group of killers, you managed to win the day, keeping alive a couple of the hired thugs for questioning. As you began to tend to your wounds, wipe the gore off your weapons, and rinse the taste of vomit out of your mouth for those who couldn’t handle the stench of the sewers, suddenly all of you but Gar’rick find yourselves dropping your weapons, unwilling to take any action, while Gar’rick is stunned, then grappled with tentacles that came out of the ground. Out of the shadows, Greivar (Rath Modar) appears, and just behind him a is a lithe, female figure with 6 arms and a snake-like body.  Grievar then sinks the group partly into the floor which he hardens with you stuck inside. “Well, my dear friend, Torj,” he says acidly, “it seems you and your little friends weren’t entirely forthcoming with me, hmm? And after all I’ve done for you! Everything I did to help you discover your true powers! All the power that awaited you by my side! This is how you repay me? With betrayal! Well, my boy. It seems you weren’t a total waste after all. He struts forward and grabs Torj by the wrist and says, “Buzarach, dispatch the rest of these vermin! Find me afterwards for instructions.” In abyssal, Buzarach says, “With pleasure.” With a word and tap of his staff, Grievar disappears.

Buzarach, seems to take particular interest in Arannis and his bow, saying, “Something …. Familiar about you. But ... no time for questions. I’ll deal with you first,” but just as she lunges at Arannis she appears to hit a wall and staggers back. At this point, Blackstaff Khelben Arunsun, Captain Rulathon, Lord Byronae Trilluach, a cleric from the Font of Knowledge, and 2 other guards step from a portal. “Demon!” the Captain shouts. You signed your death warrant entering our city!!” The Captain, Trillauch, and the guards move forward, and a dizzying melee ensues. Buzarach manages to kill one of the guards during the battle and badly wounds Trilluach, who is healed just in time by the cleric, and all of you are enraptured by the incredible battle taking place before you. Finally, the demon, whose efforts appear to turn desperate when she can’t escape, is overcome as she nearly dispatches the cleric by an incredible coup de grâce from Trilluach, taking a glancing blow to his head in the process.

With the battle finished, Blackstaff first casts a spell over the body of Buzarach using a small container while the Cleric sets about healing the wounds of his companions. Blackstaff then removes the barrier before you and dispels any magics controlling and containing you. Trillauch approaches, apologizes for their late arrival. They had been tracking Rath Modar, but he suddenly was off their “radar,” which should not have been able to happen, and even after he returned they had a hard time pin-pointing him and could only find your group directly after he had left. It is also exceedingly difficult to simply gate in a demon within the city, but they assume at this point that he had used the lower sewers as a springboard, and presumably that’s where Rath returned. Blackstaff has set up wards, and is pretty certain he is still in the city with Torj.

You tell them what you know so far about the Seeing Gem, Captain Drask, Juror Thrane, Lord Thann, and the meeting. They agree to take the prisoners and question them, including to see what they may know about Saltare’s sister/family. They also agree not to retrieve the Seeing Gem until you’ve completed your research. As you appear to have information to clear Gar’rick’s name, they have no issue with allowing Gar’rick to continue with the group, but do insist that he does not leave the city without returning to Castle to clear the charges. Ideally, you will continue to work with them to unravel this plot with Drask, Thrane and Thann while they try to track down Rath Modar and Torj, and ensure no more demons are brought into Waterdeep, or if there are, track them down and destroy them. They assume Rath will be after the Seeing Gem and the box, which is fairly well protected at the Font of Knowledge for now. They hope you will find out what Drask, Thrane and Thann will do next to end their plans and perhaps lure Rath into a trap.

With the assassin threat removed, you now have a few choices before you:

1. There is enough evidence against Drask for hiring the assassins, and perhaps against Juror Thrane that you may not have to do anything at this point;
2. As Rath Modar has kidnapped your friend, it is likely he will find out about the meeting happening in the morning, and there’s a good bet he won’t ask nicely for the (fake) gem, so you could case the warehouse and call in the cavalry before (or after) things get heated;
3. Look for clues as to where Torj might be held; or,
4. Get out of dodge while you can before things boil over…

You don’t have a lot of leads on where to look for Torj. You do have intel on the warehouse. You know what the assassins look and sound like. You do know that at least Captain Drask is not someone you could take head on. Juror Thann is a bit of an unknown. Lord Thann seemed a bit of a light weight but looks can be deceiving. At the same time, if you hatched a plan that kept them from be turned into mush but turned over to the authorities…

Session Summary and Overview

Summary and Overview

- The party lured and defeated a band of assassins in the sewers, capturing two for questioning.
- While tending wounds, a magical effect dropped all party members except Gar’rick into helpless states; tentacles grappled Gar’rick.
- Greivar Staffshard revealed himself as Rath Modar and was accompanied by Buzarach, a six‑armed, snake‑bodied fiend. Rath Modar partially buried the party in a hardened floor and kidnapped Torji.
- Buzarach assaulted the group and took a particular interest in Arranis and his bow.
- Khelben Blackstaff, Captain Rulathon, Lord Byronae Trilluach, a Font of Knowledge cleric, and two guards intervened via portal. A fierce fight ensued; the party and allied defenders defeated Buzarach (who killed one guard and nearly slew Trilluach).
- Blackstaff dispelled the prison/compulsion magics, tended wounds, and removed the party from containment. Rath Modar escaped.
- Prisoners were taken for questioning. Blackstaff and the city authorities asked the party to continue investigating the merchant/noble conspirators (Captain Drashk, Juror Thrane, Lord Thann) and to help track Rath Modar and recover Torji. Castle authorities agreed to let Garrick remain with the group provided he returns to clear charges before leaving Waterdeep.

Immediate consequences (story and mechanical)

- Rath Modar is confirmed as a major antagonist and is actively operating inside Waterdeep.
- Torji is a current captive and a direct bait point for Rath’s wider plan.
- The Seeing Gem and the warded box (containing the Stone of Golorr or related artifacts) at the Font of Knowledge are prime targets; Blackstaff believes Rath will pursue them.
- The party now has tacit support (and oversight) from Blackstaff and Font of Knowledge allies but also a clear mandate to avoid escalating citywide demonic incursions.

Key NPCs introduced or elevated this session

- **Rath Modar / Greivar Staffshard** — revealed as the mastermind; duplicitous mentor figure to Torji and orchestrator of assassinations and demonic incursions.
- **Buzarach** — six‑armed snake‑bodied demon; fought the party and showed interest in Arranis’ bow.
- **Khelben “Blackstaff” Arunsun** — powerful mage who intervened personally; established wards and coordinated prisoner custody.
- **Captain Rulathon** — City Captain engaged in tracking Rath Modar.
- **Lord Byronae Trilluach** — Font of Knowledge ally; nearly slain but saved by a cleric.
- **Font of Knowledge Cleric** — healed the party and allied in the fight.
- **Prisoner assassins** — captured for interrogation; potential sources for confirming Drashk/Thrane/Thann involvement.
- **Captain Drashk; Juror Thrane; Lord Thann** — remaining conspirators linked to the earlier warehouse meeting and assassins (investigate/case as leads).

Artifacts, motifs, and clues reinforced

- **Seeing Gem** — confirmed high-value target and a likely lure for Rath Modar.
- **Warded box / Stone of Golorr** — remains in Font custody; still central to Rath’s aims.
- **Arranis’s bow** — attracts demonic attention; Buzarach’s hesitation suggests a ward, attunement, or link worth investigating.
- **Tactical pattern** — Rath uses the sewers as staging grounds and summons fiends through hidden springboards; he can temporarily mask or evade city tracking.

Player choices presented at session end

1. Press charges against Drashk/Thrane and turn evidence over to authorities.
2. Stake out and/or reinforce the warehouse meeting — call in city forces at an opportune moment.
3. Search for Torji’s location and attempt a rescue.
4. Withdraw from Waterdeep to regroup before Rath escalates