Session 24, Third Son Energy

The morning found Séantal, Talya, and Velessa gathered at a dockside café in Waterdeep's Dock Ward, their party considerably smaller than it had been. Vagnfríður had wandered off drunk to do as cats do, and Shane had disappeared into the gambling dens of Skullport, likely never to be heard from again. The three remaining companions — the pointy-eared gang, as Velessa called them — turned their attention to the matter at hand: the Cassalanters. Séantal laid out what they knew, that the noble family had struck a deal with a powerful fiend some ten years prior, that their children's souls were promised to Asmodeus if they could not provide ninety-nine souls and a massive sum of gold by a set date, with their eldest son Osvaldo already taken as a downpayment while the twins remained safe for now. The group agreed that their next move was to visit the Durenbolds, the one noble family whose name bore a check mark rather than a stain.

The Durenbold villa welcomed them warmly, and Valeriana greeted the party with genuine surprise and hospitality. Séantal wasted little time, carefully laying out the full weight of what they had uncovered — the fiendish pact, the poisoned banquet, the ninety-nine dead, and the threat looming over the twins. Valeriana's composure crumbled entirely at the accusations against her dear friends the Cassalanters, and she collapsed dramatically onto a nearby fainting couch, her wife Caith rushing to tend to her. Caith, a former adventurer with a sterner constitution, listened carefully and pressed the party for evidence, her expression hardening as the details mounted. In the end, she declared that she did not shy away from danger, and that if they were to assist in the investigation, they did so of their own free will — and so the Durenbolds agreed to help the party infiltrate the Cassalanter estate by bringing them along as servants to one of the family's near-weekly gatherings.

The group spent some time working through the logistics of their disguises. Velessa offered to craft a magical hairpin for Séantal that would allow them to conceal their tiefling horns and alter their appearance entirely, a project that would take a few days. Talya noted she could alter her own appearance through illusion, though the matter of Vagnfríður — seven feet of conspicuous cat — remained an unsolved problem. The Durenbolds confirmed that the Cassalanters rarely paid close attention to their servants' faces, and that passing the party off as new help would likely go unnoticed. With a plan in place, the companions prepared to make use of the time they had before the next gathering.

Their plans were interrupted when Talya received a telepathic message from Saresha, the merchant they had met aboard the Chionthar Princess. Saresha explained, with barely concealed anxiety, that the Thayan Embassy was holding her shop's license hostage until she arranged an audience between the party and a representative of Thay. The group made their way through the city to the embassy, where they found Saresha waiting outside in her finest dress, fanning herself nervously. Inside, they were led to a tall, tattooed Red Wizard named Yathra Soluun, who greeted them with polished diplomacy and ushered them into a plush, deeply red office where servants poured rich wine and Velessa requested Underdark cave crickets. Saresha, for her trouble, received a certificate extending her enclave's contract for two years before quietly slipping out of the room.

Yathra opened with an apology on behalf of Thay for the behavior of the Red Wizard Maelra, who had previously accosted the party, before revealing the true purpose of the meeting. She informed them that Thay was aware they possessed the Calamus Pactum — the infernal quill crafted in the depths of the Hells — as well as the hidden pages from the Nathlum describing a ritual called the Lawful Draw, and that they were traveling with Lysandra Mortain, the woman recently returned from death. In exchange for all three, Thay offered fifty thousand gold dragons and a writ of protection signed by Szass Tam himself, guaranteeing the party would never be troubled by Thay again. Séantal refused outright, noting that handing powerful infernal artifacts to a nation of power-hungry wizards with a long and bloody history of conquest was not something they could do in good conscience. Instead, they proposed something far bolder: a direct meeting with Szass Tam himself, or at least a proxy who could speak for him.

Yathra admitted, after some careful persuasion, that Szass Tam likely intended to dissect or complete the Ritual of the Lawful Draw himself. Velessa, reviewing her notes from the Nathlum's hidden pages, clarified that the ritual was not simply a means of breaking an infernal bond — with enough stolen power, a sufficiently clever infernalist could use it to attempt to mantle a god entirely. The group theorized that Szass Tam's bond might be with Bane himself, given Thay's history of Banite allegiance, and that the lich-ruler might be seeking either freedom from that bond or something far more dangerous. Yathra agreed to submit the party's proposal to Szass Tam, noting that any meeting would likely take place at the embassy with Szass Tam projecting himself rather than appearing in person. Outside, Saresha warned the party to remain cautious, observing that Thayans rarely made polite offers when they could simply take what they wanted.

With a meeting with one of the most powerful and dangerous beings in Faerûn now tentatively on the horizon, the party made their way to Blackstaff Tower to seek a witness of sufficient power and credibility. The guards at the gate were unimpressed by vague references to Thayan Zulkirs, and Velessa resorted to sending two telepathic messages to Gale Dekarios — the first reminding him of their previous meeting, the second invoking the words "Szass Tam" and "grand magical ritual" with enough urgency to bring him to the door. Gale appeared, visibly skeptical but intrigued, and led them through the tower's impossibly vast interior — larger on the inside than any exterior could suggest — up to the observatory at its summit. There, he introduced them to Vajra Safahr, the current Blackstaff of Waterdeep, a short, dark-haired woman whose quiet authority filled the room.

Vajra listened with grave attention as the party laid out everything: the Calamus Pactum, the Ritual of the Lawful Draw, Szass Tam's likely intentions, and the terrifying possibility that the ritual could be used to steal divine power. She questioned whether the bond Szass Tam sought to break was truly infernal or something older and more theological, and the group shared their suspicion that Bane himself might be the other party in the contract. When Séantal mentioned almost as an afterthought that there was also an active cult of Asmodeus operating within Waterdeep — the Ashmodai — and that the Cassalanter family appeared to be deeply involved, Vajra's expression grew even more serious. She commanded Gale, to his visible and grumpy displeasure, to accompany the party as their witness for the Thayan meeting, overruling every protest about his teaching schedule. She also requested that the party bring her physical evidence against the Cassalanters, promising to begin her own investigation in the meantime.

The day ended at the Blushing Mermaid, where the party found Velessa's three adopted daughters — Nysene, Russora, and Kaela — surrounded by shopping bags and laughing over a meal. The girls had spent the day earning their own coin by performing small magical services for locals, cleaning and finding lost jewelry, though Nysene cheerfully admitted they had been quite theatrical about it to justify their prices. Velessa jokingly accused them of raising con artists before sitting down to join them for food, the weight of the day's diplomacy settling into something warmer and more ordinary. Russora questioned why her mother was always so busy dealing with city crises even on what was supposed to be a vacation, and Velessa had no particularly good answer. The companions ate, bickered fondly about sleep and facial hair and the nature of magic, and let the evening carry them forward toward whatever impossible thing came next.

Last we left off, our companions — Séantal, Talya, and Velessa — found themselves a party of three, their numbers thinned by wandering cats and gambling dens. Over a dockside breakfast in Waterdeep's Dock Ward, they turned their full attention to the Cassalanters: a noble family who had bargained with a fiend, promised their children's souls to Asmodeus if they could not provide ninety-nine souls and a massive sum of gold, with their eldest son Osvaldo already taken as a downpayment while the twins remained safe for now. Seeking allies among the nobility, the group visited the Durenbold villa, where Valeriana collapsed onto a fainting couch at the very suggestion of her dear friends' guilt, and her wife Caith — a former adventurer made of sterner stuff — agreed to help the party infiltrate the Cassalanter estate by smuggling them in as servants to one of the family's near-weekly gatherings. With disguises in the works and a plan beginning to take shape, the companions prepared to make use of the days ahead.

Those days, however, had other intentions. A telepathic summons from the merchant Saresha drew the party to the Thayan Embassy, where a polished Red Wizard named Yathra Soluun offered them fifty thousand gold dragons and a writ of protection signed by Szass Tam himself — in exchange for the Calamus Pactum, the hidden pages of the Nathlum, and Lysandra Mortain. Séantal refused outright, and the group countered with something far bolder: a direct audience with Szass Tam himself. In the course of that tense negotiation, Velessa uncovered a chilling possibility — that the Ritual of the Lawful Draw, with enough stolen power, could be used not merely to break an infernal bond, but to mantle a god entirely. Szass Tam, they suspected, might be bound to Bane himself, and whatever he intended to do with that ritual was unlikely to be anything the world could afford.

Seeking a witness of sufficient weight for whatever came next, the party made their way to Blackstaff Tower, where — after some creative use of telepathy and the words "Szass Tam" — they secured an audience with Vajra Safahr, the Blackstaff of Waterdeep herself. Vajra listened with grave attention, commanded a visibly reluctant Gale Dekarios to accompany the party as their witness, and requested physical evidence against the Cassalanters before beginning her own investigation. The evening found the companions at the Blushing Mermaid, reunited with Velessa's three adopted daughters — Nysene, Russora, and Kaela — who had spent the day performing theatrical magical services for locals and cheerfully skirting the line between commerce and con artistry. For a few hours, the weight of fiendish pacts and lich-kings and divine mantling gave way to warm food, fond bickering, and the ordinary comfort of family. And so we pick up as our companions carry all of it forward — the impossible stakes and the small, precious things worth protecting — into whatever comes next...

The cat wandered off, Shane was gone, So three pointy-eared friends carried on. They called on the Durenbolds, Laid out all the dark folds — A fainting couch swooned, then Caith's word was drawn!

To the Thayan Embassy they went with care, Where Yathra made offers most rare: Fifty thousand in gold! But Séantal stayed bold — "We'll meet Szass Tam himself, if you dare!"

The ritual, Velessa revealed with a frown, Could mantle a god and pull divinity down. If Szass Tam held a bond Of which Bane was so fond, He might seize a god's crown for his own renown!

To Blackstaff Tower they climbed, names in hand, Till Vajra and Gale heard their tale as planned. Gale grumbled and groused, But Vajra's word housed The law — he'd bear witness as she'd command!

At the Mermaid, three daughters held court, Selling magic for coin of the theatrical sort. Velessa cried "Con!" But the evening wore on With food, family, and fond retort!

Hearke well, ye souls of curious mind, Of three companions left behind, When cat did wander, gambler fled, And pointy-eared three pressed on ahead!

To Durenbold's fine villa they came, And laid the Cassalanters' wicked shame; Valeriana swooned upon her couch, But Caith stood firm, no craven grouch!

Then Saresha called with trembling thought, And to the Thayan hall they were brought; Red Yathra offered gold and peace, But Séantal bade the bargain cease!

To Blackstaff Tower they climbed on high, Where Vajra heard their tale with watchful eye; She bound poor Gale to witness-duty's call, And swore to seek the Cassalanters' fall!

At Blushing Mermaid, daughters three did wait, With shopping bags and coin and tales ornate; The weight of gods and liches fell away, As family supped and laughed to end the day!

So the party is now down to three people because one member wandered off drunk doing cat things and another disappeared into Skullport's gambling dens, which is honestly a completely normal attrition rate for this group. The remaining trio — who Velessa has dubbed "the pointy-eared gang," a nickname that is doing a lot of heavy lifting — managed to make a noble ally, get summoned to the Thayan Embassy for what was essentially the world's most dangerous timeshare presentation, and somehow talk their way into a tentative meeting with Szass Tam, an ancient undead lich-king who rules an entire nation of power-hungry necromancers. Normal Tuesday.

Oh, and also? The ritual they've been sitting on this whole time might not just break an infernal contract — it could theoretically be used to steal a god's divine portfolio entirely, and Szass Tam is probably the one who wants to try it. Vajra Safahr, the most powerful wizard in Waterdeep, responded to this information by immediately drafting Gale Dekarios against his will, which is the correct response. The evening ended with Velessa's daughters cheerfully running what can only be described as a small magical scam operation on the citizens of Waterdeep, and honestly, they are the most competent people in this entire story.

Funny — Séantal

My circus gets smaller and more unmanageable every day.

Context: Dryly lamenting the shrinking party as Vagnfríður wanders off drunk and Shane disappears into Skullport's gambling dens

Funny — Séantal

Only one million in a lump sum for one at once? Like, come on, you gotta think capitalism. You gotta set up a business.

Context: Critiquing the Cassalanters' terrible return on investment for their deal with a fiend, suggesting they should have negotiated royalties instead

Dramatic

Valeriana Durenbold dramatically faints onto a nearby couch upon hearing that her dear friends the Cassalanters sacrificed ninety-nine innocent people to a fiend.

Context: The party's revelation about the Cassalanters' infernal dealings proves too much for the noblewoman to bear upright

Intriguing — Séantal

If all he is seeking is to break this bond, then I think arrangements can be made. But I have no plans on handing it over to you.

Context: Refusing Thay's 50,000 gold offer outright while leaving the door open for a direct meeting with Szass Tam himself

Funny — Velessa

Séantal, are you about to schedule a meeting with Szass Tam?

Context: Incredulous as Séantal casually proposes arranging a diplomatic summit with the lich-ruler of Thay as if booking a lunch appointment

Funny

Vajra Safahr commands a visibly furious Gale to accompany the party as their witness for a meeting with Szass Tam's proxy, overruling all his protests about classes and students.

Context: Gale sputters about his teaching schedule while the Blackstaff dismisses every objection, assigning his assistant to cover his classes

Funny — Velessa

Oh, I didn't know I was raising con artists.

Context: Reacting to her daughters' admission that they dramatically performed easy magic to make it look taxing, charging locals premium prices for trivial cantrips

Funny — Séantal

Also, there might be a cult of Asmodeus in your city.

Context: Casually dropping a bombshell about an active infernal cult as an afterthought while already heading for the door of Blackstaff Tower

1. A Morning at the Dockside Cafe

The party gathers at a cafe in Waterdeep's Dock Ward to discuss the dark secrets of the Cassalanter family and plan their next move.

Key events

• The party recaps the Cassalanters' deal with a fiend, which involved promising their children's souls to Asmodeus if they cannot provide ninety-nine souls and a million gold dragons by a set date.
• Séantal and Talya critique the poor 'return on investment' of the Cassalanters' devilish bargain.
• The group decides to visit the Durenbolds to seek more information and potentially find allies who aren't implicated in the cult's activities.
• The party debates whether to involve the Waterdeep Watch investigators, Barnibus Blastwind and Captain Hystus Staget, ultimately deciding to hold off until they have more evidence.

2. Audience at the Durenbold Villa

Séantal, Talya, and Velessa visit the Durenbold villa to reveal the truth about the Cassalanters' infernal dealings and seek help infiltrating their household.

Key events

• The party is greeted by Valeriana Durenbold and invited into the villa.
• Séantal explains that the Cassalanters struck a deal with a powerful fiend ten years ago, poisoning ninety-nine innocent people at a banquet to frame other nobles.
• The party reveals that the Cassalanter children were part of the payment; while the twins are promised to Asmodeus if the debt is not paid, the eldest son, Osvaldo, has already been taken as a downpayment.
• Valeriana reacts with shock and disbelief, dramatically fainting onto a nearby couch at the accusations against her friends.
• Caith Durenbold tends to her wife while questioning the party for evidence, ultimately agreeing to help the investigation with a stern resolve.
• The party proposes infiltrating the Cassalanter household by posing as servants or bodyguards for the Durenbolds at an upcoming weekly gathering.
• The group discusses various magical disguises, including scrolls and illusions, to hide their true identities, with Velessa expressing particular interest in wearing a maid's outfit.
• Velessa offers to craft a hairpin of disguise for Séantal to help them blend in, noting it will take a few days.

3. A Summons from the Thayan Embassy

Talya receives a telepathic message from Saresha, leading the party to the Thayan Embassy for an unexpected diplomatic meeting.

Key events

• Saresha contacts Talya telepathically, requesting a meeting at the Thayan Embassy and revealing that the Thayans are holding her shop's license hostage to force the encounter.
• The party travels through the Dock Ward, passing the Godcatcher, to reach the embassy.
• Saresha meets the party outside the embassy, appearing nervous and dressed in her finest clothes.
• Velessa and Séantal bicker about the appropriateness of Velessa's self-made outfits for meeting clerks.
• The party enters the embassy and is greeted by Yathra Soluun, a Red Wizard of Thay recognizable by her tattooed bald scalp.
• Saresha receives a certificate extending her enclave's contract for two more years as a reward for facilitating the meeting.

4. A Proposition at the Thayan Embassy

The party meets with Yathra Soluun at the Thayan Embassy, where Thay makes a massive gold offer for their infernal artifacts.

Key events

• The party is led into Yathra Soluun's plush, red-themed office and offered refreshments, including Velessa's request for Underdark cave crickets and Thayan delicacies for Talya.
• Yathra apologizes on behalf of Thay for the aggressive behavior of the Red Wizard Maelra Szandru.
• The Thayan representative reveals she knows the party possesses the Calamus Pactum, the Nathlum, and are traveling with Lysandra Mortain.
• Thay offers the party 50,000 gold and a writ of protection signed by Szass Tam in exchange for the three items.
• Séantal questions the true purpose of the items, suspecting Thay intends to use the Ritual of the Lawful Draw for dangerous ends.
• Yathra admits that Szass Tam likely intends to dissect or complete the ritual himself.
• Séantal refuses the immediate offer, citing Thay's history of aggression and power-hungry wizards, but proposes arranging a meeting with Szass Tam or his proxy instead.
• The group discusses potential witnesses for the meeting, including the Blackstaff of Waterdeep and the legendary otter-wizard Traxigor.
• Velessa inquires about purchasing rare Thayan spell tattoos, but is told she must first prove her friendship to the nation.
• Yathra Soluun agrees to submit the party's proposal to Szass Tam, noting he will likely appear only via projection.
• Outside the embassy, Saresha expresses suspicion, noting that Thayans usually take what they want rather than making polite offers.

5. Knocking on the Blackstaff's Door

The party travels to Blackstaff Tower to seek a powerful witness for their upcoming meeting with Thay.

Key events

• The party arrives at the gates of Blackstaff Tower and is confronted by dismissive guards.
• Séantal attempts to gain entry by mentioning information concerning a Zulkir of Thay, but the guards remain unimpressed.
• Velessa uses the Sending spell to contact Gale Dekarios, reminding him of their previous meeting and explaining the urgency involving Szass Tam.
• Gale appears at the gates, questioning why the group is involved with Szass Tam and noting their association with the cambion Mizora.
• Gale leads the party through the impossibly large interior of the tower, which has a TARDIS-like effect of being larger inside than out, ascending toward the observatory at the summit.

6. Audience with the Blackstaff

At the top of Blackstaff Tower, the party meets with Vajra Safahr and Gale to discuss the Thayan threat and the Cassalanter conspiracy.

Key events

• The party is introduced to Vajra Safahr, the current Blackstaff, in the tower's observatory.
• Séantal explains that Szass Tam is seeking the Calamus Pactum and the components for a ritual known as the Lawful Draw.
• Velessa presents her research from the hidden pages of the Nathlum, revealing that the ritual could be used to steal power from powerful entities and potentially mantle a god.
• The group discusses the religious history of Thay, noting Szass Tam's past allegiance to the god Bane and the possibility that his infernal bond is with Bane himself.
• Vajra Safahr commands a reluctant and visibly grumpy Gale to accompany the party as a witness for their upcoming meeting with Szass Tam's proxy.
• The party reveals the Cassalanter family's involvement with the Ashmodai cult and the sacrifice of ninety-nine souls, connecting it to the million gold dragons that disappeared from the city's vault.
• Vajra Safahr requests that the party find physical evidence to implicate the Cassalanters while she begins her own investigation.
• Velessa provides physical descriptions of Terenzio and Elzerina Cassalanter to assist the Blackstaff in contacting them.
• The party discusses the possibility of involving local temples, such as the Temple of Mystra, in the investigation.

7. A Family Reunion at the Blushing Mermaid

The party returns to the Blushing Mermaid to check on Velessa's adopted daughters and share a meal after a long day of diplomacy.

Key events

• The party arrives at the Blushing Mermaid and finds Nysene, Russora, and Kaela enjoying a meal surrounded by shopping bags full of new clothes and jewelry.
• Nysene explains that the girls earned their own money by performing magical services for locals, such as cleaning with prestidigitation, using an unseen servant to tidy houses, and using a familiar to find lost jewelry.
• Velessa notices the girls are wearing new jewelry, including a secondary symbol of Eilistraee, and jokingly worries she is raising con artists.
• Russora questions why Velessa is so busy dealing with dock explosions even while on vacation.
• Séantal briefly summons their modron assistant, 7-42B, who flits into existence before being dispatched to assist with banking logistics.
• The group discusses the difficulties of sleep, with Velessa struggling to adjust to the elven need for actual sleep.
• Séantal explains their philosophy of bureaucratic vigilantism, using knowledge of taxes and zoning to intimidate corrupt nobles into helping the city.
• The party discusses what their lives would be like without magic and reflects on the painful but necessary process of Velessa's surgical prosthetic limb craftsmanship.

Valeriana Durenbold

A noblewoman of Waterdeep who is close friends with the Cassalanters. She reacts with dramatic shock and disbelief to the party's allegations, nearly fainting onto a nearby couch at the accusations against her social circle.

Caith Durenbold

Valeriana's wife and the current title holder of the Durenbold estate, who inherited her noble position after her uncle's death. A former adventurer, she is more pragmatic and courageous than her wife, ultimately agreeing to help the party infiltrate the Cassalanter estate.

Barnibus Blastwind

A member of the Waterdeep Watch mentioned by the party as a potential contact for the investigation, though they decide to hold off on involving him.

Hystus Staget

A Captain of the Waterdeep Watch mentioned by the party alongside Blastwind as a potential investigative contact.

Saresha Imravel

A merchant and acquaintance of the party who is blackmailed by the Thayan Embassy to facilitate a meeting with the adventurers. She accompanies the party inside and sits in on the initial meeting with Yathra. Outside the embassy, she warns the party to be cautious, noting that Thayans usually take what they want rather than making polite offers. She receives a certificate extending her enclave's contract for two more years as a reward.

Yathra Soluun

A Red Wizard of Thay and high clerk of the Thayan Embassy in Waterdeep, recognizable by her tattooed bald scalp. She is polite and diplomatic, offering the party 50,000 gold and a writ of protection from Szass Tam in exchange for the Calamus Pactum, the Nathlum, and Lysandra Mortain. She admits that Szass Tam likely intends to dissect or complete the Ritual of the Lawful Draw himself.

Szass Tam

The lich-ruler of Thay, mentioned throughout the session as the one who desires the party's infernal items. He is a lich who has repeatedly attempted to conquer parts of the Sword Coast. The party suspects his infernal bond may be with the god Bane, and that he seeks the Ritual of the Lawful Draw to break free of it or potentially steal enough power to mantle a god.

Lysandra Mortain

The former Chosen of Jergal who has recently returned from the dead and is currently under the party's care. Yathra Soluun reveals that Thay is aware of her existence and considers her one of the items they wish to acquire.

Traxigor

A legendary archmage who accidentally polymorphed into an otter and decided to make the transformation permanent. He is mentioned by the party as a potential powerful witness for their meeting with Szass Tam's proxy.

Gale Dekarios

A wizard residing at Blackstaff Tower who acts as a liaison for the party. He is skeptical of their connections but assists in bringing them before the Blackstaff after Velessa contacts him via Sending. He is visibly annoyed and grumpy at being assigned by Vajra Safahr to accompany the party as a witness for their diplomatic meeting with Thay, citing his teaching duties.

Vajra Safahr

The current Blackstaff of Waterdeep, a short, dark-haired woman of immense magical authority. She listens to the party's warnings about Thay and the Cassalanter conspiracy with grave seriousness, commands Gale to assist the party, and requests that the party find physical evidence to implicate the Cassalanters while she begins her own investigation.

Nysene Eomane

Velessa's eldest adopted daughter. She spent the day in Waterdeep shopping and earning money by using an unseen servant to tidy houses for locals. She greets her mother warmly and shows off new clothes and jewelry.

Russora Eomane

The youngest of Velessa's adopted daughters. She used her familiar to help find lost jewelry for coin and questions why her mother is always so busy dealing with city crises even while on vacation.

Kaela

Velessa's adopted dhampir daughter who joined the others in a shopping spree and helped earn money through magical services. She mentions that a clerk refused to sell her a more scandalous religious pendant of Eilistraee.

7-42B

A quadrone modron assistant summoned by Séantal. It briefly appears when Séantal references it before being dispatched to assist with reviewing tax codes and banking logistics.

Dock Ward, Waterdeep

A bustling, salty district of Waterdeep near the docks where the party starts their morning at a dockside cafe.

Durenbold Villa

The home of Valeriana and Caith Durenbold in Waterdeep. Less impressive than the Cassalanter villa but still a place of noble standing where the party is welcomed to discuss their investigation and plan an infiltration.

Thayan Embassy, Waterdeep

A formal building in Waterdeep located near the Godcatcher and the market. Features a plush office for Yathra Soluun filled with excessive red decor and stained glass windows where Thayan diplomatic and arcane business is conducted.

Blackstaff Tower

The imposing residence of the Blackstaff, the peak of wizardry in Waterdeep. It possesses a TARDIS-like effect of being impossibly larger on the inside than the outside, featuring an observatory at the summit where Vajra Safahr conducts high-level arcane business.

The Blushing Mermaid, Waterdeep

A luxurious tavern and inn in the Dock Ward where the party reunites with Velessa's adopted daughters after a long day of political maneuvering. The girls are found enjoying a meal surrounded by shopping bags.

Hairpin of Disguise

A magical hairpin that Velessa offers to craft for Séantal over the next few days to help them magically alter their appearance, including hiding their tiefling horns, while posing as a servant at the Cassalanter estate.

Calamus Pactum

A powerful infernal quill currently in the party's possession. It is a key component in the Ritual of the Lawful Draw and is highly sought after by the Nation of Thay, who offer 50,000 gold for it. Séantal refuses to hand it over, noting its potential usefulness and the danger of giving it to power-hungry wizards.

The Nathlum

An arcane book in the party's possession containing hidden pages that describe the Ritual of the Lawful Draw. Velessa reads from these pages during the meeting at Blackstaff Tower, revealing that the ritual could be used to steal power from powerful bound entities and that, with enough stolen force, a clever infernalist could attempt to mantle a god.

Spell Tattoos

Unique magical enhancements associated with Thay that Velessa expresses interest in acquiring during her meeting at the embassy. Yathra Soluun tells her that such secrets are shared only with friends of Thay.

Symbol of Eilistraee

A pendant featuring a moon and sword, the secondary symbol of the drow goddess Eilistraee, which the girls purchased during their shopping trip in Waterdeep. Velessa notices and approves of it.

Mechanical Limbs

Prosthetic limbs crafted by Velessa that are surgically grafted directly to nerves and tendons, allowing for locomotion without the need for active magic. Velessa explains they are cheaper than the magical Gondian versions and function even in null-magic zones, though the attachment process is excruciating.

Sending

Used twice by Velessa to contact Gale Dekarios at Blackstaff Tower. The first message reminded him of their previous meeting; the second explained the urgency involving Szass Tam and a grand magical ritual, successfully convincing him to meet them at the gates. Also used by Saresha to telepathically contact Talya and request the party's presence at the embassy.

Disguise Self

Discussed extensively by the party as a method to change their appearance, including height and features, to pose as servants at the Cassalanter estate. Velessa also offers to craft a hairpin that functions as this spell for Séantal.

Invisibility

Proposed as a potential way to conceal Vagnfríður's presence at the Cassalanter estate, as her size makes her difficult to disguise through other means.

Enlarge/Reduce

Mentioned by the party as a potential spell to shrink certain members to better fit their servant disguises, though noted to only last an hour.

Prestidigitation

Used by Velessa's adopted daughters to clean items for locals in Waterdeep as a way to earn shopping money.

Unseen Servant

Employed by Nysene to tidy up houses for locals as a paid magical service during the party's time in Waterdeep.

Locate Object

Mentioned by Velessa as a spell she should teach her daughters to improve their jewelry-finding business.