Revealed in death to have been Masked Lords, twelve lords were murdered over a bloody two-months in the fall of the Year of the Scarlet Witch, 1491 DR. An assassination attempt on the Open Lord herself was foiled, and the city is still reeling from the events of the past year. It’s believed the full council of Masked Lords has still not been filled.
The ringleader of the plot was Braethan Cazondur, a very wealthy landlord, later revealed to be a Masked Lord himself. His bid to become ruler of Waterdeep claimed the lives of several of his fellow Masked Lords as well as fourteen Guildmasters.
Other conspirators among the Masked Lords were Kassalra Maremthur, an ointment and philter merchant; Gruthgar Hrimmrel, a shipwright and landlord; Lammakh Heirlarpost, a trader specializing in connecting guilds with raw ingredients; Belgantur Haelhand, a metalworks and smelting merchant; and Landarmyn Voskur, a wealthy ship fleet owner and Sword Coast property investor.
Allies of the traitorous Lords included a worshiper of Asmodeus named Belvarra Bowmantle and a mind flayer named Suthool, an agent of the Xanathar. Deputy Master Imindur Glenmaur, second in command of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors was a co-conspirator, along with Qasmult, a powerful mage of the Order.
Other agents of the conspirators included young Waterdhavian nobles Tasheene Melshimber and Zaraela Raelantaver, and Roysark Cuthbarrel, Guildmaster of the Splendid Order of Armorers, Locksmiths, & Finesmiths. Darleth Drake and Shrikegulk of the Dock Ward were hired killers, along with other possible criminals.
The assassinations ended in a plot to murder the Open Lord Lady Silverhand and her advisor Elminster the sage. At the end of a violent mage duel, a neighborhood in the Trades Ward was reduced to rubble, and the assassins defeated. Rumors say the wizard Elminster was laid low, reduced to a cloud of silver fire. The devout of Mystra say the great mage will return, that the goddess is not done with him, but when that may be no one knows.
During his fight with Open Lord Laeral Silverhand, Cazondur was slain by his own ally, Suthool the mindflayer, who received orders from their master, the Xanathar to stop the Masked Lord, whose ambitions didn’t sit well with the crimelord’s goals.
The ringleader and nearly all of the conspirators were killed by their actions. The Watchful Order mages Glenmaur and Qasmult were captured and are held in the dungeons of Waterdeep Castle with Suthool the mindflayer. Tasheene Melshimber escaped and fled into Undermountain. There is a bounty of 2000 gold dragons on her head.
