Session 65: The Vault of Dragons Report
General Summary
The party meets an elderly, slightly senile dwarf that greets them upon their entrance into the Vault of Dragons. He has bright blue eyes and slightly luminescent skin. He's holding an impressive staff that is inlaid with two dragon bodies circling up the staff. Their heads face each other at the top of the staff. Cameron Overholt can tell it's very powerful.
The elderly dwarf doesn't quite know how long he's been down there but he asks if the Open Lord of Waterdeep sent the party. They quickly realize he means Dagult Neverember, not Laeral Silverhand. He tells them he doesn't mind watching the Open Lord's gold but he needs to get home. He's having nightmares about a ghostly woman, a mad man, and flying snakes breaking into his home. He needs to get back. The party tries to get more information out of him but he's easily distracted and confused. He asks Andryn Stormpeak if she's happy to be home herself. As he moves further into the vault they see a massive hoard of gold and gemstones. Cameron asks after the man's staff. He gets a little protective saying it's his. It was a gift. As they're speaking the man is momentarily distracted and points to just behind himself. "Is he with you?" he asks just as he's shot with black energy.
The dwarf shimmers and transforms into a massive ancient sapphire dragon. He's hit by another bolt of energy. He lets out a telepathic scream. Cameron grabs the lantern of revealing looking for any invisible enemies. He discovers that Manshoon has been invisibly following them.
A lengthy fight ensues. Manshoon says to the dragon "I don't know exactly what you protect but I know that harridan of Halaster's wants it and unfortunately I owe her a debt" just before he stabs the dragon with a long obsidian sword doing major damage to the ancient creature. The party and the dragon manage to wound Manshoon, who in an act of desperation, casts True Polymorph, turning himself into an adult red dragon. The party manages to break Manshoon's concentration and finally kill the wizard.
Unfortunately, the necrotic damage done to the sapphire dragon is far beyond Andryn's capabilities to heal. As he dies he tells the party "the shard is unprotected. Find it in the Heart of the Mountain." He then mutters, "Five to bind. Five to banish. The last will protect the many." The party recalls they saw pieces of this phrase in the dragons lair under the mountain Khundrukar when they were looking for weapons crafted by Durgeddin for the Gilded Compass.
Jarlaxle Baenre and his men, along with Renaer Neverember and Meloon Wardragon arrive, telling the party that they were attacked by devils on the level above the vault. The party loot Manshoon and take his robe (Robe of the Arch Magi) and the amulet containing Davil Starsong. Cameron looks for his staff and the staff the dragon held but cannot find them. Cameron is less than pleased at both this and the fact there are no magic items in the vault. They put Manshoon's body in the bag of holding.
Jarlaxle and the party head back toward the surface where the City of the Dead is swarming with Waterdeep City Watch arresting all the faction agents they can find trying to get into the vault. Barnibus Blastwind tries to arrest the party but Jalester Silvermane arrives saying they're needed by the Open Lord.
The party arrives at the Palace of Waterdeep where the Open Lord is hearing petitions from Waterdavhians. She interrupts the proceedings to see the party. They tell her that they've found the missing money but want to know about Lord Victoro Cassalanter and Lady Ammalia Cassalanter. She tells them they are under investigation and their children have been put into a stasis while clerics figure out what can be done. The eldest son was also found and they're seeing what, if anything, they can do for him.
She thanks the party and offers them 10% of the missing money (50,000 gp). The party tells her they are indebted to Jarlaxle for his help. She seems not to trust Jarlaxle but thanks him all the same. He produces the staff the dragon held and hands it over to her. He says he would like to prove his and his city's (Luskan) loyalty to the Sword Coast. He says the safety of Waterdeep is the safety of the Lords' Alliance itself. Hopefully she'll remember that when they review Luskan's application to the alliance this week? The party learn that the staff is the Dragonstaff of Ahghairon, which grants certain dragons admittance to the city since dragons are famously magically incapable of entering the city. The wielder can also command dragons.
The party levels up! (level 7)
The elderly dwarf doesn't quite know how long he's been down there but he asks if the Open Lord of Waterdeep sent the party. They quickly realize he means Dagult Neverember, not Laeral Silverhand. He tells them he doesn't mind watching the Open Lord's gold but he needs to get home. He's having nightmares about a ghostly woman, a mad man, and flying snakes breaking into his home. He needs to get back. The party tries to get more information out of him but he's easily distracted and confused. He asks Andryn Stormpeak if she's happy to be home herself. As he moves further into the vault they see a massive hoard of gold and gemstones. Cameron asks after the man's staff. He gets a little protective saying it's his. It was a gift. As they're speaking the man is momentarily distracted and points to just behind himself. "Is he with you?" he asks just as he's shot with black energy.
The dwarf shimmers and transforms into a massive ancient sapphire dragon. He's hit by another bolt of energy. He lets out a telepathic scream. Cameron grabs the lantern of revealing looking for any invisible enemies. He discovers that Manshoon has been invisibly following them.
A lengthy fight ensues. Manshoon says to the dragon "I don't know exactly what you protect but I know that harridan of Halaster's wants it and unfortunately I owe her a debt" just before he stabs the dragon with a long obsidian sword doing major damage to the ancient creature. The party and the dragon manage to wound Manshoon, who in an act of desperation, casts True Polymorph, turning himself into an adult red dragon. The party manages to break Manshoon's concentration and finally kill the wizard.
Unfortunately, the necrotic damage done to the sapphire dragon is far beyond Andryn's capabilities to heal. As he dies he tells the party "the shard is unprotected. Find it in the Heart of the Mountain." He then mutters, "Five to bind. Five to banish. The last will protect the many." The party recalls they saw pieces of this phrase in the dragons lair under the mountain Khundrukar when they were looking for weapons crafted by Durgeddin for the Gilded Compass.
Jarlaxle Baenre and his men, along with Renaer Neverember and Meloon Wardragon arrive, telling the party that they were attacked by devils on the level above the vault. The party loot Manshoon and take his robe (Robe of the Arch Magi) and the amulet containing Davil Starsong. Cameron looks for his staff and the staff the dragon held but cannot find them. Cameron is less than pleased at both this and the fact there are no magic items in the vault. They put Manshoon's body in the bag of holding.
Jarlaxle and the party head back toward the surface where the City of the Dead is swarming with Waterdeep City Watch arresting all the faction agents they can find trying to get into the vault. Barnibus Blastwind tries to arrest the party but Jalester Silvermane arrives saying they're needed by the Open Lord.
The party arrives at the Palace of Waterdeep where the Open Lord is hearing petitions from Waterdavhians. She interrupts the proceedings to see the party. They tell her that they've found the missing money but want to know about Lord Victoro Cassalanter and Lady Ammalia Cassalanter. She tells them they are under investigation and their children have been put into a stasis while clerics figure out what can be done. The eldest son was also found and they're seeing what, if anything, they can do for him.
She thanks the party and offers them 10% of the missing money (50,000 gp). The party tells her they are indebted to Jarlaxle for his help. She seems not to trust Jarlaxle but thanks him all the same. He produces the staff the dragon held and hands it over to her. He says he would like to prove his and his city's (Luskan) loyalty to the Sword Coast. He says the safety of Waterdeep is the safety of the Lords' Alliance itself. Hopefully she'll remember that when they review Luskan's application to the alliance this week? The party learn that the staff is the Dragonstaff of Ahghairon, which grants certain dragons admittance to the city since dragons are famously magically incapable of entering the city. The wielder can also command dragons.
The party levels up! (level 7)
Rewards Granted
50,000 gp
Missions/Quests Completed
You found the money! The The Grand Game is complete.
Cameron Overholt
Andryn Stormpeak
Report Date
10 Apr 2022
Primary Location
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Related Characters
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