HOUSE GRALHUND
---
The heads of t he Gralhund noble family, Yalah Gralhund
and her husband, Orond, a re providing coin and shel-
ter to Urstul and his fellow Zhents in exchange for the
promise of getting their fair share of the hidden cache
of gold. But the Gralhunds aren't willing to put their
trust entirely in the Black Network; they sent out their
own agent to shadow the Zhents, eliminate Dalakhar,
and obtain the Stone ofGolorr on their behalf. Yalah
gave the would-be assassin a necklace of fireballs with
instructions on how and when to use it. When it seemed
as t hough Dalakhar might give Urstul Floxin the slip,
this agent hurled one of the beads from the necklace to
stop the gnome in his tracks.
The Gralhunds' assassin is a nirnblewright (see
appendix B) that escaped from the House oflnspired
Hands, the temple ofGond in the Sea Ward, a month
ago. The construct hitched a ride on House Gralhund's
coach. Yalah Gralhund befriended it, offered it shelter,
and used it as a servant until she and her husband found
a more sinister use for it.
The incident with the fireball has strained the alliance
between the Gralhunds and the Black Network. Urstul
Floxin is refusing to hand over the Stone ofGolorr until
he speaks to his secret master, Manshoon. Meanwhile,
th e Gralhunds are weighing the risks of betraying and
murdering Urstul in their own house. If the characters'
investigation go well, they'll blunder into this den of
snakes before the chapter is done.UNRAVELING THE PLOT
During their investigation, the characters should learn
who or what cast the fireball (a nimblewright), why the
attack was commitled (to steal the Stone ofGolorr), and
where the stone was taken (Gralhund Villa). lf the inves-
tigation stalls, friendly NPCs might step forward to help
in exchange for compensation. One such figure is Vin-
cent Trench, the private detective, who lives in Trollskull
Alley (see chapter 2, area TS). The characters can also
consult with friendly factions such as the Harpers.The Crime Scene
In the wake of the explosion, people emerge from their
houses and shops to survey the devastation. The fire-
ball didn't set any buildings ablaze, but it left eleven
people dead:- One elderly female human who was out for a walk (no
one recognizes her) - Two cloaked male humans (Zhentarim sellswords)
clad in leather armor with sheathed longswords
Two female humans and one male half-elf dressed in
plain clothes (servants of wealthy North Ward fami-
lies, killed while running errands) - One male gnome (Dalakhar) wearing a burned cloak
and clutching a dagger - Two female halflings who were playing a flute and a
fiddle, and two male halflings who were dancing
The characters have only a few minutes to search
the crime scene before members of the City Guard ar-
rive. After that, they aren't allowed anywhere near the
O HAPT£R 3 I FIRl!BALl.
bodies, although invisible and similarly hidden charac-
ters can search the crime scene further. A search of the
bodies accompanied by a successful DC lS Wisdom
(Perception) check reveals the following:- One of the dead male humans has a black, winged
snake (the symbol of the Black Network) tattooed on
his right forearm. - The dead gnome has dry waste on his boots and
cloak, suggesting he has spent time in the sewers
recently. He also has a pouch containing five 100 gp
gemstones.
A character can try to snatch Dalakhar's pouch with-
out being seen by NPC onlookers, doing so with a suc-
cessful DC 13 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. On a
failed check, the character still acquires the pouch, but
someone observes the theft and reports it to City Watch
constables once they show up (see "The Watch Arrives"
below). This witness to the theft can be silenced with a
bribe of SO gp or more.
After the Blast.
The characters have a few minutes to examine the
crime scene before the City Guard arrives and cordons
off Trollskull Alley, posting six guards at each entrance.
The guards don't allow anyone in or out without permis-
sion from a s uperior officer. Another six guard s, includ-
ing a sergeant with 18 hit points, make their way to the
crime scene and watch over the dead bodies until the
City Watch arrives. Lingering smoke from the fireball
also attracts a Griffon Cavalry rider (see appendix B).
As its griffon mount circles the neighborhood, the rider
watches the streets and alleys for suspicious figures.THE WAT C H ARRIVES
Twenty minutes after the explosion, a City Watch ser-
geant named Saeth Cromley (see appendix B) escorts
a member of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protec-
tors named Barnibus Blastwind (see appendix B) to the
crime scene. Barnibus quietly takes charge of the inves-
tigation at t hat point, while Sergeant Cromley directs a
force of twenty constables (veterans) to knock on doors
and question locals.
Before allowing the corpses to be removed and taken
to local temples, Barnibus inspects the scene closely
and reaches the following conclusions, which he prefers
to keep to himself but might share with other members
of the Watchful Order:- The gnome was running from armed pursuers, of
which there were th ree. The third person who was
chasing the gnome isn't among the dead. - The gnome and his pursuers were moving toward the
tavern in Trollskull Alley (which Barnibus will soon
come to realize is the characters' property). - Neither the gnome nor his pursuers saw the
blast coming.
Given these findings, Barnibus decides to question
the tavern's owners and occupants, with Sergeant
Cromley by his side as a witness and bodyguard. Spe-
cifically, Barnibus wants to find out the gnome's identity
and whether he was known to anyone. The characters,