WHAT HAPPENED THAT NICHT?
Volo is embarrassed to admit he might have gotten his
friend Floon in trouble, and he resists providing all the
details of what happened the night Floon disappeared.
Beset by writer's block, Volo met Floon Blagmaar for
drinks at the Skewered Dragon two nights ago. They
drank and gambled for a few hours, and then Volo left.
That's the last he saw of Floon.
Unbeknownst to Volo, not long after he departed, a
drunken Floon met another acquaintance, Lord Ren-
aer Neverember, at the tavern. The two left together,
with Renae r offering to walk Floon home. Five Zhen-
tarim thugs working for Urstul Floxin (see appendix
B) jumped both Floon and Renaer. They took them to
a warehouse in the Dock Ward, so they could question
Renaer-the son of Lord Dagult Neverember-about
the whereabouts of the Stone of Golorr and his father's
hidden cache of dragons. Before the interrogation could
begin, members of the Xanathar Guild ambushed and
killed the Zhent guards in the warehouse. The new
arrivals mistook Floon for Renaer, knocked Floon un-
conscious, and dragged him away while Renaer hid and
escaped their notice.
Floon was taken to a Xanathar Guild hideout in the
sewers. A small gang of kenku was left behind at the
Zhentarim warehouse to kill any other Zhents who
might show up at the warehouse. The presence of the
kenku has prevented Renaer from trying to leave the
warehouse.
FINDING FLOON
Volo last saw Floon outside the S kewered Dragon, a
dubious (and Zhentarim-owned) tavern between Net
S treet and Fillet Lane in the Dock Ward. The following
encounters kick off the characters' investigation.
En route to the tavern, ·'Blood in the Streets" is a
chance for characters to see the City Watch in action.
If the characters decide to look around, "Searching the
Dock Ward'" gives them a feel for their surroundings,
and they might discover a strange place, "Old Xoblob
S hop," that warrants further exploration. Once they ar-
rive at their destination, "The Skewered Dragon" is an
opportunity for the characters to get information from
the patrons, which leads them to "Candle Lane,"' where
their quest continues.BLOOD IN THE STREETS
As the characters travel through the Dock Ward, they
come upon the aftermath of a bloody clash between the
Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim:As you turn a corner, you find yourselves on a street that
has been cordoned off by the City Watch. Lying on the
cobblestones are a half-dozen corpses, seemingly the
victims of some terrible skirmish. Watch officers have
disarmed and arrested three blood-drenched humans
and are in the midst of questioning witnesses. One of
the officers sees you. "Get on," she says. "Nothing to
see here."The skirmish that occurred here has nothing to do with
Floon·s disappearance but represents an escalation in
the conflict between the Zhe ntarim a nd the Xanathar
Guild. A dozen guards of the City Watch have arrested
three bandits and are questioning witnesses while
waiting for wagons to take away the criminals and
the corpses. The survivors of the skirmish have been
stripped of their weapons and forced to kneel with their
hands on their heads. All three, loyal Zhentarim agents
(employed by Urstul Floxin; see appendix B). are likely
to be accused of murder. They coldly catch the eye of
anyone who passes by, but the City Watch won't let the
characters anywhere near the prisoners.SEARCHING THE DOCK WARD
The Dock Ward is unsafe. You can set the mood by read-
ing the following to the players:I
Tall, densely packed tenements leave most of the
neighborhood in shadow at ground level. Most of the
streetlamps have had their glass smashed and their
candles stolen, and the smells of salt air and excrement
linger as you pass by rows of run-down buildings.On the corner of Zastrow Street and Fillet Lane is a
shop with a peculiar window display:One nearby shop stands out from the others. It has a
deep purple facade, and in its window hangs a stuffed
beholder. Above the door hangs a sign whose elaborate
letters spell out "Old Xoblob Shop."If the characters check out the shop. continue w ith "Old
Xoblob Shop."' If they don't. they find the tavern without
further incident; see "The Skewered Dragon"' below.OLD XOBLOB SHOP
When the characters enter, they quickly get a sense of
the strangeness of the place:A cloud of lavender-scented purple smoke trails out of
the shop's door as you peer inside. Every wall is painted
purple, and every dusty knickknack on the shelves is
dyed a deep violet. The hairless o ld gnome sitting cross-
legged on the counter wears plum-colored robes. His
cheeks are decorated with nine purple face-painted eyes.
The gnome lowers a pipe and exhales a cloud of lav-l
ender smoke before raising a hand. "Hail and well met!
Come browse the shelves of the most curious curiosity
shop in the world!"The shop is named after the stuffed beholder in the win-
dow-a fixture that is actually a magical sensor, through
which Xanathar can peer whenever it wishes.
The shopkeeper is a wizened deep gnome who spies
for the Xanathar Guild. A few years ago, he survivedCHAPTlR I I A FRIEND IN NF.l'D