A guide to the City of Splendors would not
be complete without suggestions as to possible
adventures PCs of all
levels can enjoy within its walls.  A few are
presented here, in the form of plot outlines,
so that each DM can adjust events and NPCs
to challenge PCs of all levels (and so that
players who sneak a peek into theses pages
will not know for sure just how things are
going to turn out.  A good DM will add twists
of his or her own).  There is no need to use
these adventures with the endings suggested,
or 1 at a time.  A fine atmosphere of
intrigue can be created if 2 (or more!) of
these suggested spurs to adventure begin to
happen simultaneously, with PCs "in the
middle."  DMs should read through these
outlines, decide which ones to use in play,
change them somewhat to suit his or her
players or campaign balance, and, most
importantly, decide how to introduce these
into play.  Have fun!

1. The Shadow Thieves Strike
In an alleyway or other secluded area of the
City, PCs are attacked by an agile man in
black armed with poisoned daggers (which
he can throw with skill). His target appears
to be one PC in particular, and PCs will see a
second man running away whether or
the assassin's attack is successful.
This 2nd observer should escape cleanly
(although if the PCs give spirited chase, the
runner could lead them into an ambush in
the sewers beneath the City.)  The assassin
will flee by a different route, if possible.
From then on, the PCs will be attakced and
stolen from repeatedly, by a mysterious
band of thieves (and, if they venture into the
docks area by night, by hired fighters).  At
least once a week, game time, an assassination
attempt will be made on one of the
PCs--if the PC who was the target of the
1st attempt surviveed it, that PC will be the
primary focus of later attacks.

The hired fighters know nothing. Questioning
a thief or assassin (alive or employing
speak with the dead) is the only way for
PCs to uncover the plot. The attackers were
sent from Athkatla, a city in Amn where the
Shadow Thieves are based, to kill at least
one of the Lords of Waterdeep. One of the
PCs just happens to very closely resemble a
merchant of the City, Riyataivin, whom the
Thieves suspect (wrongly) of being a Lord of
Waterdeep.

Riyataivin is an investor in caravan trade
who rooms at various inns and rooming
houses in Southern Ward, buying and selling
wagons, draft animals, cargos, and
warehouse space for small but consistent
profit margins. He is a LN 0 level fighter, and
generally respected among his colleagues.
He likes to act mysterious, but has no special
knowledge of, or connection with, the
Lords of Waterdeep.

If the PCs do well against the Thieves,
they will earn the status of ?deadly enemies?
in the eyes of that organization, who will
become relentless behind-the-scenes foes.
The only way for PCs to end this is to
destroy the organization (a task that will
earn them the gratitude of the Lords of
Waterdeep, with perhaps orders to the
Watch to leave the PCs alone for a while,
whatever their activities). The headquarters
of the Shadow Thieves in Athkatla is a
subterranean complex connected to the
City sewers, built around ?The Assassins
Run,? a deadly training ground of traps and
obstacles. The Thieves? local (Waterdeep)
commander is the evil mage Marune, whose
lair is said to be north of the City, within
Mount Sar. Marune is of at least 17th level,
and his lair will have many traps and guardian
creatures, but details of these are left up
to the individual DM.

2. Screams in the Sewers
On any occasion when they are on a relatively
deserted street of Waterdeep by
night, PCs will hear incoherent, agonized
screams from beneath a sewer grate right
under their feet, which soon die away. The
grate can be pried up, to reveal a ledge just
above the flowing muck that is covered
with fresh blood, and a severed human
hand lies in this ichor clutching a partial
map of the sewers. DMs should draw a map
from the one given in Chapter 3 of this
book, revealing to the players only what
they want the players to know, although
obviously the portion where the PCs find
the map must be included, and at least two
entrances/exits to the sewers?and a way to
the Palace could well lead the PCs into other
adventures.

If PCs explore the sewers themselves,
they will soon encounter the cause of the
demise of the unfortunate thief with the
map: a giant crocodile on which is riding a
quasit, who seems to be somehow directing
the beast. The reptile will attack, and the
quasit will turn invisible and flee, using all
of its powers necessary to do so.

If PCs do not investigate the sewers, the
DM should carefully introduce news of the
strange and horrible deaths of a crew of
The Cellarers and Plumbers Guild underneath
the City streets, and of reports of
blood flowing into the harbor where certain
sewers empty into it. Talk will begin to
circulate around the taverns that the Cellarers
and Plumbers are refusing to do any
sewer work?and that a tiny creature (the
DM should describe the quasit) is seen scuttling
about often before fearsome monster
attacks in the sewers. Something is definitely
going on under the City. . . .

The quasit is the familiar of an evil mage
of minor powers, who has been hired by a
man called Neruudan to clear out the
sewers. Neruudan is an agent of Luskan,
who is staying at The Gentle Rest (#191, The
High Road, The Trades Ward), posing as a
gem-dealer. He is actually trying to set up a
smuggling ring in the City, using the fence
who owns the inn he is staying in and one
other?he has not yet decided who to
contact?that he can reach by means of the
sewers (see Fences in Chapter 4). Neruudan
intends to control the upper sewers of the
City, but is running into problems. He had
no idea that so many of Waterdeep?s inhabitants
used the sewers as regular highways,
and that its depths held such a selection of
dangerous creatures. This adventure could
well lead PCs into one (or both) of the
famous ?dungeons? of Waterdeep, Undermountain
or The Dungeon of the Crypt
and may bring them into confrontation
with Xanthan the Crimeland (q.v., Chapter
7) and his minions.

3. The Disappearing Dead
Word spreads rapidly through the City that
a family crypt, opened to add an unfortunate
?s bones to join the endless rest of his
forebears, has been found empty-even
though it was locked, sealed, and apparently
undisturbed. Permission was sought
of Piergeiron by the Watch to open two other
tombs, and received. They, too, were
empty. Someone in the City is stripping
graves?not just of treasure, but of bodies!

If the PCs do not investigate, this mystery
will never be solved. If they do, the logical
place to wait for something to happen is The
City of the Dead. The thefts occur only by
night; and while waiting, PCs will be watched
suspiciously by Watch patrols, and may
in turn observe and overhear (if they take
care to stay hidden, e.g. on the roof of a
tomb) some interesting goings-on between
other citizens of Waterdeep that may lead to
other adventures. The tomb thefts are done
under cover of magical darkness, often during
bad weather. Cloaked thus, an evil mage
with four to six servant gargoyles will enter
a tomb through the floor by means of a
passwall spell, and take the contents. The
tomb robbers will flee if attacked, but will
attempt to slay and take at least one attacker.
The mage is attempting to build a zombie
army for his own protection in his City villa
(DMs should locate the villa in an unexpected
area of the City, such as Sea Ward or
North Ward), as he plots to charm important
personages of Waterdeep, and amass as
much magic as he can (he has little at
present, but DMs are encouraged to introduce
magical items into the campaign for
this mage?s use, to heighten the tension of
any battle with him). If PCs take no interest
in the recurring tales of empty crypts, this
mage could come after their magic when he
has grown very powerful. The mage is quite
insane, and will escape if hard-pressed by a
means of a teleport spell or a teleport without
error to another, plane of existence, to
become a recurring foe for PCs.

4. The Kiss of the Goddess
A great gem known as ?The Kiss of the Goddess
? is brought to the Palace and presented
to Piergeiron by the Sultan of Volothamp,
the archmage Nairith Irizar, in reparation
for a mistaken attack upon a ship of Waterdeep
off the coast of Tethyr by galleys of
Volothamp engaged in fighting pirates.
(DMs may wish to forewarn PCs of this visit
by rumors and then news within the City;
the adventure will be far more vivid if they
attend the ceremony at court, and witness
the presentation.) Present at the ceremony
will be the archmage Khelben ?Blackstaff?
Arunsun and several other prominent wizards,
including Maskar Wands, Nain
Keenwhistler, and possibly Malchor Harpell,
as well as Piergeiron, Madeiron Sunderstone,
and Rulathon. PC thieves, like all
other thieves present in Waterdeep, may
think better of trying to lift the gem at the
ceremony).

The ?Goddess? the gem is named for is
Sune, the Goddess of Love, and it has a
unique magical power conferred upon anyone
touching it when it flares into radiance.
Once every 66 turns, regularly, the gem
flares with a blue-white radiance for one
round, and any one creature who first
touches it during that round will be healed
of all lost hit points, wounds, feeblemindedness
and blindness (lost limbs will not, however,
regenerate, and insanity will not be
cured) and will be invigorated, alert and
refreshed, and able to operate at a furious
rate of activity, if desired, without growing
physically or mentally tired, for 200 consecutive
turns. The Sultan will demonstrate
this upon a mouse in a ?running wheel?, in a
cage, before the court. Each time the gem
flares, there is a 7% chance (not cumulative)
that it will plane shift itself, and anyone
touching it, instantly to Sune?s abode on the
plane of Olympus, a rose-crystal palace of
hot scented baths and cozy bowers, from
which PCs will be teleported back to the
pinnacle of Mount Waterdeep, 1-12 days later,
by servants of the Goddess only if they
are, or become (perhaps losing levels or
class abilities in the process) worshipers of
Sune. Otherwise, they will have to find their
own way back to the Forgotten Realms.
(These planar details of the gem are
unknown to anyone in the City.)

If PCs are not present at the ceremony,
their should hear all about it, vividly told, by
someone in a tavern or inn, later.

Six or so days after the Sultan leaves, Piergeiron
has the gem carefully tested on volunteers
and criminals, and it works without
ill effects?although he will refuse any
requests that it be turned over to the priesthood
of Sune or used to heal all who request
it, saying sternly that it is still largely an
unknown and perhaps dangerous, or even
evil, thing, and that further studies are necessary
before he dares use it so. Those on
whom it was tested are kept under careful
observation, to find any ill or side effects.

One day the gem does not flare, and
mages called in to investigate say that the
?gem? in their hands is a thing of cut glass
that has never held a dweomer; a copy,
definitely not the quite real gem they used
the day before.

The real one has been stolen (by one of
the minor mages placed as a guard over it in
the Palace) despite the fact that two iron
golems flanked its protective casket, which
was atop a smooth-sided, twenty-foot-high
plinth, with orders from Khelben to attack
anyone (including the minor mages set as
guards) touching, or even approaching
within 10? of the gem. Khelben arrived to
activate and deactivate the golems each day
himself, but was not present during the
testing. The golems did not move, and the
mages swear they saw and heard nothing,
but the gem is somehow gone.

Exactly who took it, is up to the DM, but it
is suggested that magic be involved, and the
thief be (or have been working for) someone
in Waterdeep?perhaps Xanthas,
Maaril, Gaundos, or Elaith Craulnobur, all of
whom are detailed in Chapter 7?who
remains within the City walls, and hides the
gem somewhere in the City. One of the PCs
will be contacted by a man called Lathchar,
who pretends to be an agent of the Lords
and wants to hire the PC to recover the gem
or at least find out what they can about the
affair, offering 100 gp per person involved,
and another 100 gp in ten days, when he
meets the PC again, if results warrant it.
Lathchar will give the PC a password (for
use in emergencies only, he warns) that will
ensure that the watch co-operates with, or
at least does not hinder, a PC involved in
apparently shady activities who is confronted
by the watch. The password is genuine,
and will work for seventeen days after the
PC learns it (assuming he or she accepts Latchar
?s gold), but Lathchar himself is not?he
is a thief who wants the gem for himself,
and will shadow the PC(s) and attempt to
r o b o r ambush (with up to twenty
hireswords) the PC or any companion who
gains the gem. Lathchar wears an amulet of
proof against detection and location to conceal
his alignment, and may employ a wand
of magic missiles, sword of dancing, or other
magical item at the DM?s option to make
him a formidable opponent for the PCs in a
fight.

The theft was actually accomplished by
the mage and an accomplice, an evil cleric.
The mage had a glass copy of the gem fashioned,
and a copy of the casket it was
housed in, and equipped himself with a ring
of telekinesis and his accomplice with an
amulet of proof against detraction and location
and plate mail of etherealness. When
the normal rotation of guardian mages
brought the mage to the Palace, the accomplice
accompanied him (as an escorting
guard, in the usual manner). Outside the
chamber where the gem was guarded, in a
nearby ?jakes? (washroom), the mage cast
an invisibility spell upon the accomplice.
The concealed cleric accompanied the mage
to his post, and slunk into a corner, remaining
invisible and moving only when one or
other of the mages was speaking or making
other noise. After the other two mages had
gone ?off duty,? the accomplice waited until
the innocent guardian mage was distracted.
Then the guilty mage used his ring to send
the real gem in its casket to the floor in one
corner of the room, and replace it with the
copy. As no one visibly touched or
approached the gem within ten feet, the
golems did nothing. The mage then took off
the ring and placed it on the floor.

The invisible accomplice picked up the
ring and then carefully moved over to the
gem, slowly and carefully for utmost quiet,
as the innocent mage reappeared and
walked back to the plinth again.

Although both the Palace and specific
rooms within it (including the chamber
where the gem was guarded) have been
rendered proof against astral, ethereal, or
other magical passage, by means of gorgons
? blood mixed into the mortar and by
lead shielding, the plinth on which the gemcasket
rested is not so protected. The invisib
l e accomplice touched the casket
containing the real gem, simultaneously
becoming ethereal, and passed ?into? the
pillar with the gem. There he remained
until all the hue and cry had died down and
the mage signaled him that it was safe to
emerge. The moment the theft was discovered,
but before the high-level help actually
arrived to investigate, the accomplice cast
obscure object upon the gem itself, and
upon its casket

DMs should take care to remove the gem
from play (perhaps by use of the priesthood
of Sune, operating against PCs in an ?at all
costs, no holds barred? manner, to gain the
gem) if PCs somehow get hold of it and use it
as a "constant healer."
 

5. The Temple War
The DM can introduce this adventure
whenever PCs are near one of Waterdeep?s
temples to Tymora or Tempus (in the Sea
Ward). There will be sudden explosions
(perhaps a meteor swarm) from within one
of the temples, and PCs may see a robed,
masked figure emerge hastily from a Temple
door, burn a symbol on it with a firefinger
cantrip (the dagger of Tempus if the
temple is that of Tyche, and the circle of
Tyche if the temple is that of Tempus). This
will take but a single round, whereupon the
figure will twist a ring on its finger and vanish
into thin air, teleporting away, before
the PCs can reach it.

On the following round, a Watch patrol
will come at a run, and under-priests and
lay followers will pour out of the vandalized
temple. The PCs and anyone else nearby
will be suspected of somehow being
involved by both groups, and unless the PCs
do some fast talking, temple followers will
attack them, with the Watch trying to stop
the fight and apprehend the PCs. The Watch
will call in reinforcements as described in
Chapter 2, and in Chapter 7 under the
entries for Helve Urtrace and Rulathon.
One or more PCs will escape, but it is likely
that at least one PC will be held and questioned
closely.

The DM and players should roleplay the
entire interrogation. Co-operative PCs who
answer questions fully and submit to detect
lie spells cast by minor clerics of Tyr who
are present will probably be let go upon
providing the Watch officers with an accurate
account of where they now reside in
Waterdeep, and a promise not to move residence
without informing the Watch. The
Watch will also forbid the character(s) to
leave the City for at least ten days, with the
warning that a Magister may extend this
?grounding? period at that time. Gate
guards?able to themselves call on reinforcements
as noted above?will ensure
that the affected character(s) cannot leave
by any normal means.

The attack on the temple will be followed,
several days later, by an attack on the other
temple, and upon its door will be left the
symbol of the other priesthood involved. If
the suspect PCs have a good alibi for the
time of this second attack (e.g. drinking in
the public taproom of a respectable inn or
tavern, or being in a particular merchant?s
shop), suspicion on them will be lessened. If
not, it will increase (the Watch will investigate
both priesthoods, and find that both
were honestly not involved? detect lie
spells will be used to discern this).

If the PCs try to investigate for themselves,
they will be closely observed by the
Watch, but not hindered. It is suggested that
the PCs see a masked, robed figure that
closely resembles the one they saw outside
the temple if they do any looking in the
North Ward. If they attack or confront the
figure, or call the Watch to do so, the figure
will turn out to be a noble lady of the City
sneaking back from a lover to her home
(and unsuspecting husband). She will of
course be furious if the Watch is involved,
and very frightened if she thinks the PCs
have some connection to her husband, and
she will undoubtedly flee if given any
opportunity. If the PCs do not confront her,
but follow her, they will see a second
masked, robed figure resembling the first
(they will see this figure several nights later,
if they do confront the Lady). If this second
figure is followed, it will go into a certain
house on a quiet street somewhere in North
Ward. If the PCs investigate, they will be
attacked by armed men, and the masked figure
will turn out to be a wizard of some
power. All are members of the Cult of the
Dragon, and in the house they will have
some treasure'gold and minor magic?
stolen from the temples and from elsewhere
in the City, which they intend to take
to dracoliches somewhere north of the City.
If the PCs are forced to retreat from this
fight, the Cult members will immediately
try to leave the City with the treasure, and if
the PCs pursue, they could well end up facing
a dracolich in its lair.
 

DRACOLICH (Night Dragon)
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO APPEARING: 1 (unless called by a ring of dragons)
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: As per former dragon type
HIT DICE: As per former dragon type
% IN LAIR: 20%
TREASURE TYPE: B, H, S, T
NO. OF ATTACKS: As per former dragon type
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon and spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell immunities and spell use
MAGIC RESISTANCE See below
INTELLIGENCE: As per individual dragon
ALIGNMENT: Evil (any sort)
SIZE: L (dimensions vary)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil/Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 100%
Magic Use: 96%
Sleeping: 0%
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: Varies/As per former dragon type,
plus 1000 + 10/hp (if destroyed, along with host)

A dracolich is an undead creature, an
unnatural transformation of evil dragonkind
by powerful magic known to be
practiced only by the mysterious Cult of the
Dragon. Like human liches, dracoliches are
immune to charm, sleep, enfeeblement,
polymorph, cold (magical and natural), electricity,
insanity, and death spells or symbols.
By the nature of its making, a dracolich is
also immune to potions or items of dragon
control. Dracoliches can be affected only by
magical attack forms (against which they
have standard magic resistance, except for
the immunities listed), or by monsters witch
magical properties of six or more hit dice.
They cannot be poisoned, paralyzed, or
held. They cannot be turned by clerics, and
the knowledge of their ability to escape
destruction works in dracoliches a transformation
from cowardice to confidence; if a
dracolich ever triumphs in any battle, from
that point on, it is fearless (including immunity
to magical fear or psionic attacks causing
fear) and cannot be subdued.

A dracolich retains the keen senses (60?
infravision, ability to detect hidden or invsible
creatures within 1? per age level) it
enjoyed in life, but its bodily processes are
maintained magically; it need never eat
again for sustenance. Most dragons enjoy
eating?and a dracolich must eat if it wishes
to refuel its breath wepon?but a dracolich
never feels weakness, fatigue, or hunger.
Attacks upon a dracolich, due to its magical
nature, do not gain ?to hit? or damage modifiers
by type and breath weapon of dragon
attacked.

All physical attacks by a dracolich (jaws,
claws, and wing or tail buffets, where applicable)
do the damage dealt by the dragon in
life, plus 2-16 hp chilling damage. Opponents
struck who fail to save vs. paralyzation
will also be paralyzed for 2-12 rounds
by the touch of a dracolich. (The victim?s
immunity to cold damage, temporary or
permanent, negates the chilling damage but
not the chance of paralyzation.) Dracoliches
cannot drain life energy levels. They retain
the ability to cause fear in opponents (as per
the Monstrous Manual) that they had in life; as
a lich, the fear they cause is slightly
stronger?opponents must save vs. spell
against the fear aura at -1 (after all other
modifiers are taken into account). The gaze
of their glowing eyes can also paralyze creatures
within 4?; creatures of either 6th level or
above, or 6 hit dice or greater, save at +3. If
a creature ever saves against the gaze of a
particular dracolich, it is immune to the
gaze of that dracolich from then on.

Dracoliches can use any magic available
to them in life; once they have acquired a
full roster of spells (most are aided in this by
the Cult) they can never gain new spells, but
never need to study or concentrate to
replenish their arsenal. Their magical natures
revzitalize their spell ability, each spell
being replaced 1 day after it is cast. Instead
of casting a spell, a dracolich may attempt
undead control (as per a potion of undead
control) once every three days. Such control,
if successful, lasts for one turn only,
upon any sort(s) of undead present, and
such undead save at -3 vs. the control.
Control can be exercised up to 6? distant;
undead cannot be summoned by means of
this power. While undead control is being
exercised, spells cannot be cast. A dracolich
cannot drop control of undead and regain
it immediately after casting a spell?it must
wait three days before any attempt at control
will again be successful. Dracoliches
without spell-casting ability can use undead
control.

Dracoliches can employ their breath
weapons only three times a day, as in life.
Note that they will teleport (if provided with
a means such as a magical ring, by the Cult
or through their own acquisition of treasure),
or merely leave their bodies behind
and flee in spirit-form, to return to the
vicinity of the host (often a sword in their
own hoard) that contains the essence of
their spirit before being reduced to zero hit
points; few opponents can destroy a dracolich
outright. A dracolich can be destroyed
by a power word, kill, or by the destruction
of its host at a time when a suitable corpse is
not within range for the dragon?s spirit to
possess.

Dracoliches usually appear as they did in
life, except save that their eyes are glowing
points of light floating in dark eyesockets.
Some few are reported to appear skeletal or
semi-skeletal.
 

In any event, PCs will have to explain all to
the Watch to try and clear their names,
holding a live Cult member if possible for
the Watch to question. (The Watch takes disturbances
of the peace seriously in
Waterdeep?such can seriously harm trade,
and everyone is then the poorer.)

6. The Emerald Dragon Affair
A ship, The Emerald Dragon sinks just outside
Waterdeep?s harbor in a storm, and all
hands are lost. The DM should make this big
news in the City, and immediately follow up
with rumors that search parties of the
Guard employing water breathing and with
mermen aiding them have failed to find any
trace of the crew?not a corpse?nor of the
ship?s cargo, which is whispered to have
been chests and chests of gems; the sunken
ship is empty. A few days later, another
rumor should make the rounds: a sailor
known to be of The Emerald Dragon?s crew
has been seen by night, walking down Dock
Street by the water?s edge.

The PCs will become directly involved in
this affair when they are on a street in
Waterdeep. They will encounter a closed
wagon with a broken wheel; the wagon?s
driver will ask them, in apparent desperation,
to help change the wheel on the wagon,
by running off and buying a wheel from
any wheelwright they know of; he offers 7
gp to any one who brings him a wheel. Several
NPCs will hear the offer and rush off
towards the nearest wheelwright; regardless
of who comes back with the wheel, they
will be paid and the wagon-driver will offer
a further 1 gp per person to lift the wagon
and hold it up while the old wheel is pulled
off and the new one put on. PCs approaching
the wagon closely at any point will
become aware of a rotting-flesh smell coming
from the wagon. If they investigate, they
will discover what?s inside?if not, the wagon
driver will offer 2 gp more to anyone
who will guide him to the River Gate. The
driver will seem somewhat confused, not
entirely ?with it?, at all times. If a PC does
guide him, things will go well until the River
Gate is within sight, whereupon the driver,
instead of paying the PC this last fee, will
turn the wagon into side alley and attempt
to strangle him or her. If the PC fights back,
the driver will break free and run around
into the back of the wagon, and the PC will
then discover its contents. The wagon driver,
a former sailor of The Emerald Dragon,
has no more gold on his person, and will be
confused and helpless whenever PCs open
the wagon, as he is suddenly released from
psionic domination

Inside the wagon is the creature who has
been dominating the sailor, who will
attempt to dominate a lone PC, or psionic
blast the first PC if several others are
present, and try to escape in the wagon. It is
a mind flayer, (a prisoner from the ship),
who sits on six chests of gems (total amount
and value to be determined by the DM?
they may all be bloodstones, moonstones,
and/or pearls if the value should be kept low
in the interests of campaign balance), and
the stacked bodies of The Emerald Dragon?s
slain crew, all of whom have had their
brains sucked out. The mind flayer will try
to do the same thing to each PC, escaping by
probability travel with a chest of gems only
if hard-pressed (i.e. by the arrival of lots of
Watchmen with mages in support, or by
persistent attacks from the PCs). It will
attempt to get out of the City with the wagon
if possible, if necessary levitating atop a
Gate-tower and dominating gate-guards to
attack each other, and the sailor or a PC or
another citizen to drive the wagon, to do so.
(Anyone successfully dominated who is
driving the wagon will not be killed for their
brain until the illithid finds a better human
slave to control.) PCs attacking apparently
innocent, dominated citizens?or gateguards
?will not, of course, be very popular
with the Watch.

7. The Unmourned Passing of Roungoze Haballanter
This adventure can begin whenever PCs are
drinking in a City tavern, except The Bowels
of the Earth tavern in Dock Ward.

They will notice a man seated alone in a
corner, in robes, drinking wine and reading
some notes on two scraps of parchment. His
hat and staff are on the table in front of him.
If any of the PCs look at him overlong (he
certainly looks like a wizard) he will look up
and glare at them. If any PC approaches him
he will cast a push spell and keep them at
bay, glaring but saying nothing. After a
time, the tavernmaster will approach him
rather nervously and place a small, unlit
brass lamp on the table, saying, ?Excuse me,
good sir?be ye Roungoze Haballanter??
The man will only stare at him, and the
tavernmaster will continue, ?Because if ye
are, then this is yours. A man left it last
night, saying ye?d want it when ye came.?
The man will then nod, curtly, and the
tavernmaster will return to the bar.
Roungoze will then reach for the lamp. The
DM should ensure that PCs are attentive to
this, by attracting their attention by the
scared white face of the tavernmaster as he
passes, or by another means.

The lamp suddenly changes to the small
(four-inch-tall) form of a man in robes, who
casts a spell at the astonished Roungoze?
and Roungoze, arms moving frantically in
the casting of a spell, fades slowly away to
nothingness? disintegrated. The tiny figure
then turns a ring on its finger and vanishes
(teleporting away). There will be an uproar,
but PCs will notice that Roungoze?s hat,
staff, and one piece of parchment are still
on the table (the other scrap of paper was
disintegrated with the unfortunate wizard).
The tavernmaster will call for the Watch,
who will confiscate everything when they
arrive ten rounds later?but in the meantime
everyone in the place will examine the
table, the wine, and the three items. If PCs
detect magic, nothing is magical?but DMs
should make them aware that all eyes are
upon the items while they (and others)
make such examinations. There will be
utterly no chance for anyone to pocket,
hide, or substitute something for any of the
items unobserved.

When the Watch arrive, they will ask for
statements from everyone, and if any of the
PCs have cast a detect magic, identify, or
any other spell, several people will say so,
and identify the spell cast by the PC(s) correctly
if these are not unique. The Watch
will want to know the spell results. The
adventure will end there unless the PCs get
a look at the surviving page of notes, before
or after the Watch arrive. They are in Common,
and read as follows:

?Then did I essay the studs down the
length of the rod, with most spectacular
results. That closest to the bulbous end
caused a blade to spring forth from the ball,
whilst the handle shortened, and behold! I
held a blade such as a fighting-man might
wield with pride in bloody battle, and from
the faintly-glowing blade burst flames,
which ran up and down the steel in a manner
most wondrous. The studs had retreated
into a recess in the handle, under the
grip of the fingers when holding the blade,
but the second stud, which is twice the size
of the first, could readily be distinguished;
and when pushed, the sword-blade vanished
back into the ball right speedily, and
from it flashed forth yet another blade,
broadening to an axe blade, whilst the the
whole lengthened again to form a battleaxe.
I continued in my investigation of the weapon,
most careful to try every manner of its
employment, several times in peril of my
fingers, at the least?and I can state without
reservation that the item is indeed a ?Rod of
Lordly Might,? as the mage Dassalar
describes it in his Items of the Power
Arcane, the standard work on the subject. I
have left the rod safely as we agreed, in the
bowels of the earth, and collected my fee
without demur from your apprentice. I
remain, as ever, your willing hireling.
Phloid Shaustrayt, Sage"
 

Questioning by the Watch will reveal that
no one in the tavern knows of either Phloid
or Roungoze, and as one man says, ?. . . and I
know every sage in the City.? (DMs should
decide beforehand whether he indeed does
or not, but the Watch officers will nod in
agreement; it should be obvious to the PCs
that neither man is a Waterdhavian.)

There is one clue as to the whereabouts of
the Rod in the note: the ?bowels of the
earth? referred to is really The Bowels of
the Earth tavern, in Waterdeep?s Dock Ward
(if the PCs are not familiar with it, it does
have a rather rude signboard hanging out
over its door, readily visible to any passersby,
and the DM should mention it if the PCs
ever pass that way, and see if they make the
connection). No one in Waterdeep knows of
Phloid Shaustrayt or Roungoze Haballanter,
but if the PCs inquire about the mage Dassalar
of any Waterdhavian magic user or Palace
courtesan or official, they will recall
that a sage who owned the only known
complete copy of Dassalar?s famous book
Items of the Power Arcane used to own The
Bowels of the Earth tavern, in the docks. A
lot of innkeepers and older merchants have
heard of Dassalar, and will suggest asking a
mage or at the Palace for more information
about him.

If the PCs do go to The Bowels of the Earth
and use a locate object or physical search to
uncover the hidden rod of lordly might,
they will discover one of two things, at the
DM?s option; either the rod will be long
gone, someone else having figured things
out and got to it first (this is best if the DM
thinks PC possession of the rod would
unbalance play), or the rod will be there, in
an old satchel behind a huge keg in the cellar,
with a startled fighter of high level and a
ring of spell turning on one finger already
with it in his grasp; he will fight his way out
if PCs try to take it by force, and will expect
trickery if they try to bargain for it. DMs
should note that the cellar?s confines (20? X
40?, with a 5? high ceiling, and dotted with
several thick pillars that support the floors
above) make it hard for area-effect spells to
be cast without endangering the entire
building and other party members, hard for
many PCs to engage this fighter in physical
combat, and easy for the fighter to topple
barrels onto, or to reach PCs close enough
to see him at all, with the rod or his sword.
The cellar has a back way out, connecting to
the sewers; if the PCs give chase, the sewer
descriptions in Chapter 3 should be consulted.