locks. She even installed the lock for him. Elaspra won't
easily divulge the name of the client or his place of resi-
dence. She has great respect for the Harpers, however;
a character who belongs to this faction and produces a
Harper pin to prove it can pry the information from her
with a successful DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check.
A character pretending to be a Harper can fool her with
a successful DC 16 Charisma (Deception) check.
Otherwise. the characters must either compel Elaspra
to release the information using magic, or they must
sneak a peek at her records, which she keeps in an iron
safe that can be opened with a knock spell or similar
magic. To pick the combination lock on the safe, a char-
acter must succeed on three DC 20 Dexterity (Investi-
gation) checks in a row. Each attempt made to pick the
lock requires an action.
From Elaspra or her records, the characters learn
that she sold the key to a man named Volkarr Kibbens,
whose address is an old windmill in the Southern Ward.
The key unlocks the door to his apartment, which he
shares with another man named Urlaster Ghann.
XANATHAR GUILD AMBUSH
As the characters leave the mausoleum, they are jumped
by four du ergar, members of the Xanathar Guild, who
slipped past the cemetery guards using their invisibility.
The leader, Gorath, accosts the characters in Dwarvish,
demands the Stone ofGolorr, and refuses to believe that
they don't have it. If the stone isn't turned over to them
promptly, the duergar enlarge themselves and attack.
Xanathar watches the battle unfold through the eyes of a
gazer (see appendix B), which stays out of the fight and
tries to remain unseen.
If this encounter occurs at night, there's a^50 percent
chance that Ambrose Everdawn hears the disturbance
and investigates. arriving after two duergar fall in battle.
The characters can convince him that they're not grave
robbers with a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion)
check. If they're polite, Ambrose escorts them out of the
City of the Dead and warns them not to trespass again.
Otherwise, he attempts to subdue them and turn them
over to the City Guard.NEXT ENCOUNTER
Once they trace the key to its owner, the characters can
head to the Southern Ward in search of Volkarr Kib·
bens. The spring chain continues with encounter 10,
"Converted Windmill."VILLAI N LAIRS
Chapters 5 through 8 describe the lairs of the main vil-
lains. The characters might want to explore the lairs for a
variety of reasons, including the following:- Disrupting the villain's operation
- Gaining an audience with the villain (perhaps to forge a
truce or an alliance) - Completing a special mission for a faction (see "Joining
Factions," page 34) - Investigating a false clue given to them as part of a
scheme concocted by another villain - Stealing the Stone ofGolorr ifthe villain has it, or finding
leads on its whereabouts when the trail goes cold
CHAPTER 4-I DRAGON SEASONMAUSOLEUM: S UMMER
The characters travel to the City of the Dead. which is
open to the public from dawn until dusk. One well-main-
tained mausoleum has the name CASSALANTER
e ngraved above its entrance. The outer door is locked
when the characters arrive in search of the Stone of
Golorr. A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation)
ch eck reveals that it has been opened recently, as evi-
denced by dirt smears on the door. A character can try
to pick the lock using thieves' tools, doing so with a suc-
ces sful DC 15 Dexterity check. A knock spell or similar
magic also opens the door.
Human footprints crisscross through the dust on the
upper level. A search of the underground crypt reveals
the bodies of three humans- two males and a female,
all dressed in hooded robes. Furthe r inspection reveals
that the woman is still breathing (unconscious with O
hit points).LEFT FOR DEAD
The three cultists were low-ranking members ofVictoro
Cassalanter's cult of Asmodeus. They were betrayed
by two cult fanatics acting on orders from Lord Cas-
salanter, who not only wants the Stone of Golorr but
also, as a security precaution, intends to eliminate cult
members who know too much about it. These three cult-
ists were felled by daggers and inflict wounds spells.
The survivor is Vaelle Lurval (LE female Tethyrian
human cultist), a 30-year-old Waterdavian florist. She
was brought into the cult by her boyfriend, Holiver Torn-
rudder, who lies dead nearby. The other dead cultist is
named Kaeth Warloon.
If she is healed, Vaelle regains consciousness. She
reveals that the cult fanatics, Arn Xalrondar and Seffia
Naelryke, would likely have taken the stone to an old
windmill in the Southern Ward, where they hold their
own ceremonies worshipingAsmodeus. Vaelle can
provide directions, or she can lead characters there if
she is healed fully, for the sake of avenging her mur-
dered lover.
Vaelle believes that the cult fanatics acted on their
own, not under Lord Cassalanter's orders. She won't
reveal the Cassalanters as the leaders of the cult unless
magically compelled to do so.NEXT ENCOUNTER
Proceed with encounter 10. "Converted Windmill."MA U SOLEUM: WINTER
The Stone of Golorr has revealed that the Vault of Drag-
ons lies beneath the Brandath family mausoleum in the
City of the Dead. The characters are unlikely to know
it, but the Brandath family is an old one. Lord Dagult
Neverember married into it for its wealth, and Lady
Brandath gave birth to his son, Renaer. It's a dark irony
that Neverember entrusted the location of his embezzled
gold to his dead wife's family. Renaer Neverernber would
be horrified but not surprised to learn the truth.
The cemetery is buried in snow, and though some
visitors are drawn to its scenic beauty even in winter,
the blizzard keeps most of them away. The crumbling