Loose Ends
You can use the following optional event to address
what happens to the Zhentarim in the aftermath.BAD nME To BE A ZHENT
Within days after the events that local broadsheets
dub the "Gralhund Villa Bloodbath," the City Watch
c racks down on the Black Network. Even members of
the Zhentarim who have no known c riminal ties a re
rounded up and interrogated, including Davi! Starsong
(see appendix B). Characters who are members of the
faction are safe for the time being, as long as they keep
a low profile. Otherwise, they too are rounded up and
questioned over a period of several days. until t he Lords
of Waterdeep ascertain their level of involvement in the
violence at Gralhund Villa. The broadsheets jump on the
bandwagon by portraying the Black Network in the most
unflattering light, thus dealing a c rippling blow to the
faction's already questionable reputation.ENCOUNTER WITH !STRID HORN
This encounter occurs only if the characters were di-
rectly involved in the events that t ra nspired at Gralhund
Villa. After Davit Starsong is taken in for questioning,
l s trid Horn (see appendix B) sends a message to the
cha racters by way of a Oying snake. The message, writ-
ten in Common, reads as follows:I would like to know more about what happened at Gral·
hund Villa. If you can spare the time, meet me at Ahghai-
ron's Statue in the City of the Dead at highsun tomorrow.
You'll be paid generously for your time and trouble.- lstrid Horn
If the characters attend the meeting, use the following
boxed text to help set the scene, e mbellishing it to reflect
the season:Ahghairon's Statue is a well-known landmark in the city's
parkland cemetery: a tall, marble sculpture of a bearded.
robed wizard standing atop concentric steps and facing
west toward the skyline ofWaterdeep, his hands out·
stretched and a broad smile on his face. At the foot of the
statue stands a female dwarf clad in plate armor.If the weather is fair, characters can see pedestrians,
picnickers, and frolicking children throughout the cem-C HAPTER 3 I FIREBALL
etery grounds. It's clear that Istrid chose a safe, public
place for the meeting. Characters who succeed on a DC
15 Wisdom (Insight) check can tell that she came alone.
Istrid fears being arrested by the City Watch. Although
she wasn't involved in the matters concerning Gralhund
Villa, s he is worried that the Watch will uncover her
illegal currency-lending operation in the course of its
investigations. She offers the characters 10 pp just for
meeting with her and promises another 40 pp if the
characters agree to help her lie low for a tenday-half to
be paid once a deal is struck and half at the end of her
stay. If they decline her offer and the party includes one
or more Zhentarim members, she threatens that if she's
arrested and charged with a crime, she will reveal their
affiliation and bring them down with her.
Hiding Istrid. If the characters decide to let Istrid
bide out at their tavern, she uses a disguise kit to make
herself up to be a male dwarf named Jorn. If asked to
do so, she's willing to perform chores around the place
once she settles in. Ultimately, no one comes looking for
her, but the longer she stays hidden, the more testy and
demanding she becomes.
Jf the characters tolerate her bad behavior, Istrid
leaves at the end of the tenday as promised and pays
characters the remainder of what she owes. Characters
who a re members of the Zhentarim gain an added bene-
fit for harboring Istrid in her time of need: their renown
in the faction increases by 2.
If, on the other hand, the characters throw her out or
rat her out to the City Watch, Istrid becomes their mor-
tal enemy and tries to undermine them at every turn.
Harming Istrid. As a precaution against being dou-
ble-crossed, lstrid shared her plan concerning the
characters with at least one other member of the Doom
Raiders (see appendix B). If the characters betray or
harm Istrid, her former adventuring companions use
every resource at their disposal to ruin the characters.
The laws of Waterdeep discourage them from attacking
the characters openly, but they can damage the party's
business by scaring off their clientele, and characters
might find themselves the targets of worse if they dare
to leave the confines of the city.Level Advancement
If you're leveling up characters using story milestones
instead of tracking experience points, the characters ad-
vance from 3rd to 4th level if they conducted their own
investigation into the fireball incident and affected the
outcome of events in Gralhund Villa. Otherwise, they
are still 3rd level at the start of chapter 4.