ESIDENTS OF TuOLLSKULL ALLEY ARE SHAKEN
by a loud whoosh, rattling windows, and the
screams of city folk. A fireball spell has just
detonated in the street, and the neighborhood
is thrown into chaos. As members of the City
Guard, the City Watch, and the Watchful Order
of Magists and Protectors rush to the scene,
the characters are afforded a chance to assess the
damage and investigate further. This incident sets into
motion the main plot and puts the characters on a colli-
sion course with those who want to find and claim Lord
Neverember's hidden cache of gold.
The fireball goes off early in the morning, at a time
when all the characters are in Trollskull Manor. Read
aloud the following text ro set the scene:
Windows rattle as the roar of an explosion fills Trollskull
Alley. Charred bodies and anguished screams Ay through
the air. A thick cloud of acrid smoke billows outward
from the blast, which seems to have occurred right out-
side your door.Let the players tell you what their characters are doing
at this moment and how they react to the explosion.
Those who want to guess the nature of the explosion
can, with a successful DC^13 Intelligence (Arcana)
check, conclude that someone just cast a fireball
spell outside.WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?
Dalakhar, a rock gnome spy working for Lord Dagult
Neverember, was on his way to see the characters when
the fireball went off, killing him and ten other people.
The gnome is important because he was carrying the
Stone ofGolorr(see appendix A)-the key to finding
Lord Neverember's hidden cache of gold.
Hounded by agents of the Zhentarim, the Xanathar
Guild, and Bregan D'aerthe. Dalakhar was unable to
escape from Waterdeep with the artifact, so he planned
to entrust it to the characters briefly, for surely the folk
who rescued Lord Neverember's son could keep it safe
where he could not.
By the time the events of this chapter have played
out, the Stone ofGolorr has changed hands a few times
and the characters have learned more about the big pic-
ture-though they still have a long chase ahead of them.ZHENTS CAUGH T I N THE ACT
Three members of the Black etwork, including the
Zhent assassin Urstul Floxin (see appendix B), were
close to nabbing Dalakhar when they were caught in the
blast. Of the three, only Urstul survived. Though he was
wounded, he was able to pluck the Stone ofGolorr from
Dalakhar's pocket before fleeing the scene. While other
survivors were coming to their senses, Urstul stumbled
through the smoke and haze and eventually made his
way back to Gralhund Villa a short distance away.CHAPTER^3 I FIREBALL