Session 16: The Asmodean Curse Report

General Summary

The early morning calm was broken by Wiley's anguished cries from the street out in front of the Prestigious Pint. Insisting he was ok, but that something feels "off," the party then began making plans for the day. Some more discussion on Wiley's state-of-mind as well as surface questions into De's behavior were tangled with indecision about what to do with the nimblewright, the stone, or any of the leads they'd acquired. Deliberations were cut short as an emissary of the Cassalanter family paid a visit - offering an invitation to the family home at the group's earliest convenience.   Before making their visit, most of the team stopped by Steam and Steel for some equipment orders. Meanwhile, Lars stayed behind to study the Stone further. His time with the artifact left him with few answers, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the Stone wanted to speak with him.. somehow.. but it was as though it couldn't see him properly.   After regrouping, the party made their way to the Cassalanter estate in the Sea Ward. Here they met the Cassalanter's children playing on the estate grounds. The young boy and girl were inquisitive and friendly. Lars, in particular, seemed to strike up a rapport with the duo. Lady Ammalia Cassalanter soon found the group and brought them inside the grand mansion. In the reading room, overseen by a large mounted Black Dragon head on the wall, the group was introduced to the patriarch of the family - Lord Vitorio Cassalanter.   Lord Cassalanter explained that they were seeking the group's expertise and assistance. The Cassalanter children were cursed before birth by a group of Asmodean cultists - doomed to lose their souls to Asmodeus, Demon Lord of the Nine Hells, on their ninth birthday. The Cassalanter's have discovered a ritual that will save the children, requiring a sacrifice of gold in the amount of "one shy of a million gold dragons." The Cassalanters explain that even leveraging all they have, they will not be able to secure the funds in time - less than two months. Their hopeful salvation lies in recovering the treasure known as "Neverember's Enigma" - focus of the current Grand Game. They fear their own agents don't posess the skill of the party, and having heard about their resuce of Renear along with their actions at the Rothehill Manor, they belive the party have the ability and the kindness of heart to help them.   After some deliberation, the group agree to help, taking payment for their services in the form of 1,000 gold now, and 10% of the eventual treasure (currently estimated to be roughly 500,000 gold in total). The party now find themselves with a time-bound quest, a mysterious artifact, funds to prepare themselves, and multiple leads to pursue. Careful thought will no doubt be placed into their next move; they now being active participants in the latest Grand Game of Waterdeep.