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Session Thirty-One: The Curse of Beauty

General Summary

The session starts with Cora and Nyx traveling to the City Watch barracks to meet the Captain of the Watch Fullar Nightstalker. Upon arrival at the barracks, Nyx and Cora ask Captain Nightstalker they want to interrogate the two Zhentarin prisoners from the Kolat Tower. Captain Nightstalker takes them down to the cells where the two prisoners are being held. Captain Nightstalker brings the first prison into the side chamber where Nyx and Cora were waiting. They recognize the half-orc as Yorn who was reading on of Volo’s Guides when they encountered him in the tower. Nyx ask Yorn about what he saw while in the tower. Yorn tells Nyx his friend signed him up to join the Black Guard. He did not care much for the Black Guard but he had to do what they told him. Most of the soldiers in the tower left him alone as his friend told them he ate babies and was know as Yorn the Terrible. While in the tower, he saw a woman he called a nightcrawler was talking with the Black Guard’s leader Manshoon. They were talk about a plan which involved tearing the weave. With the nightcrawler, there was an elf which Yorn described as being cold and looked into your soul. The cold woman was doing some type of strange magic stating she had to look through other’s eyes. She was helping the nightcrawler make plans. There was another older woman who was being bossed around by her daughter. The daughter was scary as she complained of always being hungry and ordered her mother to find her fresh meat. The woman brought stuff to the small lady in the tower to make. The woman worked and stayed in the second tower which he did not go in. Nyx thanked Yorn for his information. Cora asked for the second prisoner to be brought to him. The prisoner claimed his name was Avani and he was one of Manshoon’s apprentice. He told Nyx there is nothing but death awaiting him and refused to answer any of Nyx’s questions. After returning the prisoner to their cells, Captain Nightstalker asked if there was anything else they needed. Nyx asked Captain Nightstalker if Yorn could be spared the death penalty for being a Zhentarin soldier and to have him turned over to her as a servant. Captain Nighstalker told Nyx he could not release Yorn but would transfer the request. Captain Nightstalker turned and asked Cora what she would like to do as she was the Council Member who opened the inquest. Cora agreed to have Yorn released to Nyx and Avani sentenced to death. Yorn was brought to Cora and Nyx and informed about his released. Yorn agreed to it and Cora signed off on the paperwork. They depart the barracks and return to the Trollskull Manor with Yorn.
  Cora and Nyx find Valna in the manor. They decided to go talk to Mirt as Nyx had information he may of know who nominated the party to receive nobility status. They travel to Mirt’s manor where they encountered his servant. They tell the servant they want to talk to Mirt if he is available. He tells them Mirt will speak with them and escorts them into the study. A few minutes later Mirt comes into the study. They notice Mirt is pale and walking with a limp he was trying to hide. Nyx asks Mirt what happened and he tells Nyx he was attacked during the night on his way to a special meeting. Mirt described three Night Masks came out of the shadows and attacked him. He was able to fight them off but one stabbed him with a blade. There was an unknown substance on the blade which was not poison. Magic was able to stabilize him but he feels it will not stop it. Cora inspects the wound and notices it looked infected but what caused the wound was not of natural properties. Nyx using her arcane knowledge discovered someone was able to use the pool of radiance as carrier for the essence of the shadow plane. Valna asked if she could cure Mirt with her lay on hands which was positive energy. Nyx had a theory if Valna used some radiance she maybe able to cure Mirt. Nyx hands Valna a vial of radiance which Valna took. With the power of the radiance in her Valna was able to cure Mirt. Mirt thanked the three for their help. Nyx asks Mirt what he knew of the Masked Lord who nominated the group. Mirt tells them he was the Mask Lord who nominated them. Mirt and Open Lord Silverhand felt they needed someone who could be trusted to watch the other nobles and help the citizens of Waterdeep. The Harpers agreed it would be in the best interest. Mirt did not want to tell the party as they were concern the other nobles would find out and shut party out. What happened at the corniation was unexpected and Mirt apologizes for the attack. Mirt continues by saying there were ten Masked Lords who were working together to stop the treat. Three of them are dead. The other Masked Lords are in hiding but it seems like the assaassins know where to find them and the identity of them. Nyx tells Mirt about Freda and what has happened of late. Mirt tells Nyx he will inform Open Lord Silverhand and if he had any other information he would pass it along. The three leave and return to the Trollskull Manor.
  At the manor they find Lord Gundwynd back on his feet after recovering from the vampire’s influence. Nyx asked if Lord Gundwynd had any hippgriff in his stock Valna could have. Lord tells Nyx he did not but he had a good friend who is a tracker for him which was tracking down a herd of hippogriffs for him. Lord Gundwynd said his friend hurt himself and was going to a temple of Sune for help. Lord Gundwynd tells Nyx his friend’s name is Falthrax Loderr and he is a dwarf. Lord Gundwynd tells Nyx Falthrax owes him a favor and he should be able to get a hippogriff for Valna. Lord Gundwynd, after a few minutes, remembers the name of the temple as the Temple of the Restfull Lily and it is in the High Forest about a day journey to the southeast of Waterdeep. Nyx, Cora and Valna decided to make a quick trip to find the hippogriff leaving behind Galrik as he was trying to bond with his wyvern and Sneatcha as he was reading the books he had found.
  After a day’s journey, Nyx, Cora and Valna arrive at the Temple of the Restful Lily. They enter the temple and find a man standing behind a counter. As they enter the temple the man greets them and introduces himself as Seath. He tells the girls about the services which the temple provides. Nyx pays for a night at the temple. They noticed Seath was being over top and ask him about it. He tells them he hates pushing all the services but the temple needs to make a profit. Seath finishes off by tell the girls three sisters runs the temple and each one of them has a special blessing to help those in need. Nyx asks about Falthrax and Seath states he checked in a few days ago to get help with his knees. He did not know where Falthrax was but he would leave word they were looking for him. The girls leave the lobby and begin to explore the temple. They locate the temple’s bath and hot spring and stripe down to enter the sping. Inside they find a pool being fed by a fey spring. Nyx and Cora enter the spring finding the water rejuvenating. They tell Valna to come into the water but Valna tells them she does not like to swim. Cora wildshapes into a hippo and Valna climbs on her back as she puts her legs into the spring water. Cora and Nyx notice a female face break the water surface and quickly goes back under. Nyx calls out to the woman. The woman appears out of the water and asks what they were doing and if they were spying for the sisters. Nyx explains they are looking for someone and the woman asks if Cora is one who speaks with nature. Nyx tells the woman yes as Cora wiggles her ears. The woman introduces herself as Cyrena and she is a naiad. The spring is her home and she is concern about her friend Sylvarie who she has not seen in almost ten years. Sylvarie was the half-elf who founded the temple and asked if she could help those who need it with her fey springs. Nyx asks if she knew where Sylvarie would go. Cyrena didn’t know but felt Sylvarie was still close by as she could feel her life force. Nyx asked if Sylvarie had any items she wore and Cyrena told Nyx about a necklace to Sune which she always wore. They tell Cyrena they will try to find Sylvarie for her.
  The girls leave the springs and get dress. They make their way into the lounge where they get their names done. In the lounge they witness one of the sisters talking to two halfings from Neverwinter. They over hear the halflings tell the sister they do not want to be disturbed. The sister makes her way over to the girls and talks with Nyx. The sister introduces herself as Morganna and tells Nyx she has the gift to reverse the aging process. Nyx inquires but fells Morganna is being less truthful. Morgana tells Nyx if she changes her mind she would be glad to help. Morganna tells Nyx her other sisters, Greenbones and Azirssa, have the gift of changes one form if they do not like it and to make one more fit. Nyx thanks Morganna for her time and focus on a locate spell to find Sylvarie’s necklace. Unable to locate it they decide to explore some more.
  The girls find the treatment rooms. A male drow approaches them and introduces himself as Ilmar the head aesthetician. Nyx asks for a massage from Ilmar. Ilmar takes Nyx into a room and gives her a massage. During her massage, Nyx notices Ilmar was wearing a silver harp pin. Nyx ask Ilmar about the pin. He tells Nyx he can not talk in the open but will talk to her in her room. He quickly explains he is here looking for his friend Sylvarie as well. Nyx agrees to meet as she leaves the room. Cora and Valna enter after Nyx to receive their massages from Ilmar.
  The girls leave the treatment rooms and make their way to their room. As they are about to enter Nyx’s room a male kobold wearing a patchwork dress approach them asking them if they want to be pretty. Cora was entertained by the kobold and agrees as Nyx and Valna follows them. The kobold leads them outside to the grounds behind the temple where sister Greenbone and her dog were. The kobold points to Grennbone and shouts pretty. Greenbone makes her way over and introduces herself. She asks the girls if there is anything she could do for them. They reply they were exploring and did not want any treatment currently. Suspicious of the sisters, Nyx uses her truesight and notices Greenbone was a green gag in disguise and her dog was a hell hound. Nyx warns Cora and Nyx as they move away from Greenbone. Nyx senses the necklace is close and she finds it coming from an abandon shrine. Nyx forces the door open they enter the shrine. Inside the shrine they found several mirrors broke with a statue to Sune. They find a stairway going down. The girls make their way done into a cavern underneath. In the cavern they find a pool and a figure with a hood over her face. The hood figure heard the girls enter and in a serpent voice asked why they were her as she approached them. Nyx tells them they are looking for two friends. The hood figure accuses them as working for the sisters as she drops her hood revealing she is a medusa. Cora starts to turn to stone but Valna blesses Cora was a second chance finding the resolve to overcome the medusa’s stare. Nyx convinces the medusa they are not going to harm her and the medusa covers her face. Nyx finds out the medusa is Sylvarie. Sylvarie tells Nyx the sisters are hags and they placed a curse on her. She is stuck in her form as long as the curse is in place. The only way to end the curse is to destroy the painting. Cora notices something glowng in the pool and tells Nyx. Nyx reaches into the pool and pulls out a golden hand mirror. She stores the mirror away to identify later. They agree to find the paintings and exit out the shrine.
  As they exit out the shrine, Greenbone confronts them. She tells them she can not let them go and reveal their secret. She lunges at Nyx as her hell hound charges from behind her. Nyx and Valna stike down Greenbone as Cora is attacked by the hell hound’s fire breath. Cora calls down lightning stiking the hell hound. The hell hound turns to attack but is struck down by Nyx. Nyx searches Greenbone and finds a set of keys. They make their way to a small tower by the abandon shrine. Nyx notices a gargolye watching the entrance to the tower. She tells the gargoyle they are entering and not to stand in their way. Nyx uses a key and opens the door. Inside she sees a dragonborn cleaning the room. She asks what the dragonborn is doing but all the dragonborn can say is she must clean the room. Cora and Nyx make their way up the staircase as Valna guards the entrance. In the second level of the tower, they find Falthrax struggling with a pot on a fire. Nyx asks Falthrax what he is doing and Falthrax says he must prepare dinner for the sisters as it is his job. They notice Falthrax is under the hags curse and continue to explore the second room on the floor. As Nyx reaches the door, a second gargoyle comes alive and attacks Nyx. Nyx counters and strikes it with Cora finishing it with a strike of lightning. Inside the second room Nyx finds four paintings showing a woman wanting great beauty, a woman wanting to be stronger, a man wanting to be bigger and a man wanting to be younger. Nyx casts fireball into the room destroying the paintings. They return to find Falthrax no longer under the curse. They head down stairs where they hear Valna say the dragonborn down in the room changed into a woman. Nyx and Cora tell the woman and Falthrax to wait with Valna as they go and track down the other sister.
  As Cora and Nyx exit the tower the two other sisters were waiting for them. They yell at them for killing their sister and they charge to attack. Cora casts a spell causing the earth to grapple one of the sisters as Nyx moves in and attacks the other sister. One sister tries to break the grapple but fails as the other tries to attack Nyx and misses. Nyx kills the one sister as Cora unleashes a fire strike against the other sister being pulled into the ground. In a last bit of strength, the sister breaks free from the ground and lunges at Nyx who finishes her off.
  Ilmar approaches from the temple seeing Cora and Nyx had killed the sisters and released the curse. Sylvaire exits the abandon shrine and thanks them for freeing her. The woman tells Valna her name was Gorba and she wanted to become strong to help her family but was cursed by the sister. A tiefling approaches Cora and claims he was a victim as well as his name is Glitter. He tells her he wanted to be a few inches taller as Cora winks at him and Nyx rolls her eyes. He tells Cora he reconginzes her as a council member and tells her he is a spy for a Masked Lord. Nyx demanded to know which Mask Lord and he tells her Vajra Safahr the new Blackstaff of Waterdeep. He also says he is part of the jewerlers guild in Waterdeep. He gives Cora, Valna and Nyx some gems as a way of thanking them. Sylvaire takes the girls and they go see Cyrena. Cyrena is happy to get reunited with Sylvaire and she gives the girls a fey blessing. The girls make sure everything is secure before leaving with Falthrax.
  Falthrax tells Nyx of a single rare hippogriff which has taken up a nest close to the forest. They head to the nest where Valna notices an all white hippogriff. She is drawn to it as she steps out of the clearing and approaches it. It acknowledges her presence as it watches her approach. Valna has an instant connection as the hippogriff accepts her. After a few hours of Valna bonding they thank Falthrax and teleport back to Waterdeep. Cora and Nyx leave Valna to be with her hippogriff and check in on Galrik. After five long days of trying to bond with his wyvern Nyx and Cora help Galrik bond with it.
  They leave Galrik with his wyvern and set out to see if they can find a gargoyle because Cora was intrigued by the ones in the tower. After searching around Waterdeep, Nyx finds a gargoyle on top of the courthouse. Cora makes her way up to the roof to speak with it. After some confusion as to what to say to a gargolye she was able to convince the gargoyle she is a fighter against evil and defender of the innocent. The gargoyle,Gadeon, agreed to take up temporary residence at the Trollskull Manor to see if Cora is true to her word.
  In his shop, the pixie brothers are questioning Friac why he is making a dead thing. Friac tells them it is a golem but the pixies show no interest. They tell Friac the Goblin King would not make a dead them but a clockworks creature. The gnome told them he needs the Goblin King, the master of creations, to come and help him a thing no one has seen before. The gnome paid the pixies some pine cones and promised more riches if they find the Goblin King. Friac dismisses the pixies as he settles back on working on his golem. The brother doubting if the found the king disappear to discuss if the make a mistake leaving their home.
  Session ended.

Rewards Granted

Experience for the session: 3,620 xp. Party's total experience to date: 152,101 xp.
Cora, Nyx and Valna get the blessing of the fey (+1 to saves which last for a year and a day) and 500gp in gems each.

Notes

  • Three green hags were tricking people into curses.
  • Mirt was the Masked Lord whom nominated the party for status.
  • The Night Masks are working with the Zhentarim to cause a tear in the weave.
  • The Night Masks are assassinating Masked Lords which are aligned to fight the evil in Waterdeep.

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