Session 28, Seal of Approval

With the Cassalanters arrested and their infernal dealings exposed to the authorities of Waterdeep, the party found themselves with a rare and unfamiliar luxury: free time. Velessa busied herself visiting the city's guilds, trading secrets with craftspeople and tinkerers, picking up new techniques in clockwork design and diamond cutting. Taliya, meanwhile, wandered through parks and attended shows, eventually finding her way to the Three Pearls nightclub for a well-earned evening of revelry. Séantal kept to themselves, and Vagnfríður quietly said her goodbyes before heading north to attend to personal matters, leaving the group a little smaller but no less spirited.

It was at the Blushing Mermaid that Velessa's sisters, Ilmryn and Nysene, finally caught up with the group. Ilmryn did most of the talking, explaining that their mother had originally sent them to drag Velessa back to the Underdark by force if necessary — but that they had told her, in no uncertain terms, to back off. Their mother was furious, and the consequences of that defiance were still unclear, but both sisters had made their choice. They wanted to come to Baldur's Gate. Séantal, in a moment of dry humor, produced a small clicker and offered Ilmryn a sweet bun as a reward for being polite to the group, which left Ilmryn deeply confused and Quillbit — had she been present — would have been rolling on the floor. The conversation took a more tender turn when Velessa, almost offhandedly, admitted that she kept a diary and that perhaps she wanted someone to find it and talk to her about the things she wasn't brave enough to say herself. It was a rare crack in her armor, and it hung in the air long after she walked away.

The party gathered their growing entourage and made their way to Blackstaff Tower, where they were shown to a restricted teleportation circle as a reward for their service to Waterdeep. In a flash of arcane light, they stepped through and emerged inside Ramazith's Tower in Baldur's Gate, startling Roland, who noted with mild exasperation that they didn't usually come through that particular portal. As they walked through the city streets toward their townhouse, the group debated what to call the old Eomane Estate now that it housed an entirely different family. No consensus was reached, though "The Wayward House" had a certain ring to it.

The homecoming was not what any of them expected. As they opened the front door, an unearthly choir filled the air — hauntingly beautiful, deeply unsettling, and entirely in Infernal. Following the sound to the library, they discovered Lysandra Mortain standing with her back to the door, conducting all of Velessa's imps as they stood in a row on the desk, singing hymns to Jergal. Velessa waited for them to finish, then applauded. The imps scattered in mortified embarrassment, while Quillbit threw herself onto the couch and laughed until she could barely breathe. Lysandra, unruffled, welcomed the party back and met Taliya for the first time with quiet, gracious composure.

While Velessa threw herself into crafting magical items and Taliya kept her company out of guilt for being the reason she was working so hard, Séantal returned to their duties at the Great Hall. During their shift, they spotted Mizora across the room — smiling and waving pleasantly, despite the fact that her ship was still being repaired in Waterdeep. It was the kind of casual impossibility that Séantal had come to expect from powerful fiends. More productively, Séantal drafted a proposal for a welfare fund aimed at the laborers and dock workers who had been rebuilding Baldur's Gate — the people whose absence would grind the city to a halt, unlike the Patriars whose disappearance would change nothing. To get the initiative moving, Séantal dropped one hundred platinum coins into the fund on the spot, drawing stunned looks from colleagues. Through careful political maneuvering and the quiet reminder of past favors, several Patriars were persuaded to publicly throw their support behind the endeavor, whether their enthusiasm was genuine or not.

Back at the townhouse, Velessa and Séantal turned their attention to the two books gifted by Szass Tam — the Red Annals of the Zulkirate and the Book of Dead Schools. The Red Annals proved to be a surprisingly compelling read: precise, dry, and occasionally brutal, written by Szass Tam himself with an apparent interest in historical accuracy over self-glorification. Séantal was immediately enamored. The Book of Dead Schools, however, was something else entirely. Its margins were filled with a complex system of shorthand symbols that, at first glance, seemed like ordinary scholarly notation. The deeper Velessa looked, the more she realized the symbols followed a mathematical structure — arranged not like annotations, but like the components of a spell.

Velessa began copying the symbols into her own books to test the system, only to discover that she didn't need to. The symbols were already there. Every book she pulled from the shelf had begun to take on the marks, the ink faint but unmistakable. She ran an experiment, sending a street urchin into a nearby bookshop to purchase a clean copy of one of Cicerox's works. When she stacked her infected book on top of the new one and waited, the symbols appeared in the fresh pages within seconds. The infection spread through proximity, through contact, through the mere presence of written text near the source. And then she opened her spellbook. The symbols were there too. So were they in her diary.

The full picture came into focus with grim clarity: the symbols formed a remote viewing network, and any text they infected became readable from somewhere else. The party spent the better part of a ten-day carefully reproducing the system in their own notes before surrendering the original, and it was during this time that Szass Tam himself reached out — his voice appearing directly in Velessa's mind, dry and amused. "Your diary was an interesting read," he said, and then said nothing more. Velessa's response was characteristically unbothered on the surface, though the implications were anything but.

With their notes secured and the books in hand, the party traveled through Ramazith's Tower to Candlekeep, stepping out into the restricted areas of the great library. They made their way to the office of Janussi, the Great Reader, who received them from her couch with casual authority, using a mage hand to open the door rather than standing. She recognized Velessa and Séantal and was introduced to Taliya, whom she greeted warmly. The party explained their purpose: they needed to borrow the Seal of Concordance, a powerful artifact forged on Mechanus and said to have been crafted by Primus himself, in order to help Szass Tam sever his ancient and ill-advised deal with the god Bane. Janussi listened carefully, her expression thoughtful and deeply skeptical.

To demonstrate good faith, the party presented the two Thayan books as gifts. Janussi activated a localized anti-magic field to inspect them safely, and the effect on the party was immediate — Velessa's illusion dropped, revealing the tattoos on her neck, while Taliya felt deeply uncomfortable as all the magic woven into her being was momentarily suppressed. Janussi read through the Red Annals with a faint, amused smirk, then turned to the Book of Dead Schools. Upon learning of its infectious properties and the remote viewing network it created, she produced a small mechanical seal from her robe — a device about the size of a coin that sprouted needle-like legs and clamped itself into the book's cover, neutralizing its magic entirely. It was, she explained, a tool Candlekeep used for particularly dangerous works.

Janussi agreed that the gifts were significant and that the request, while concerning, was not without merit. However, she informed the party that the Seal of Concordance was stored in the subterranean levels of the library — and that they would need to retrieve it themselves. The vaults below were not the most hospitable of places, she warned, and there was a particular complication: a dragon named Miirym, known as the Sentinel Wyrm. Once a silver dragon, she was now a ghost, bound to the subterranean levels by a spell so ironclad that even Elminster had been unable to break it. Centuries of isolation had left her deeply unstable, and she claimed ownership of any written work that entered her domain. Janussi advised the party not to bring any of their own books below, and noted that Candlekeep kept one person assigned at all times to simply talk to Miirym — because when she had no one to speak with, she became even more dangerous. The party exchanged glances. The seal was waiting for them somewhere below, guarded by a mad ghost dragon who considered every book in the world to be hers. It was, by any measure, a perfectly reasonable Tuesday.

Last we left off, our intrepid adventurers brought the Cassalanters to justice, exposing their infernal dealings to the authorities of Waterdeep and earning themselves something they rarely get to enjoy: a moment to breathe. Velessa sharpened her craft among the city's guilds, Taliya found her revelry at the Three Pearls, and the group was joined — unexpectedly and movingly — by Velessa's sisters, Ilmryn and Nysene, who had defied their mother's orders to drag Velessa back to the Underdark and instead chose to follow their own path toward Baldur's Gate. Through a restricted teleportation circle at Blackstaff Tower, the party made their way home, stepping into Ramazith's Tower and walking the familiar streets back to the old Eomane Estate — a place still searching for a name, but feeling more and more like one.

The homecoming brought warmth, laughter, and no small amount of chaos, including an imp choir performing Infernal hymns to Jergal under Lysandra Mortain's baton. But the levity gave way to something far more troubling when Velessa and Séantal turned their attention to the two books gifted by Szass Tam. The Book of Dead Schools, it turned out, was no mere scholarly curiosity — its margins concealed a sophisticated magical infection, a remote viewing network that spread through proximity alone, seeping into every written work it touched. Velessa's spellbook. Her diary. All of it, readable from somewhere else. And then, as if to confirm the worst of it, Szass Tam's voice appeared in her mind, dry and unbothered: "Your diary was an interesting read."

Now, with careful notes secured and the original books in hand, the party has traveled to Candlekeep, seeking the Seal of Concordance — an artifact of Mechanus said to be capable of severing Szass Tam's ancient and ill-fated pact with the god Bane. The Great Reader, Janussi, has received them with cautious warmth and agreed that their cause has merit. But the Seal lies deep in the subterranean vaults below the library, in the domain of Miirym — once a silver dragon, now a ghost, bound for centuries to those lightless halls, unstable, possessive of every written word that crosses her threshold, and very much not to be trifled with. The party stands at the threshold of something ancient and dangerous, armed with their wits, their courage, and the firm instruction not to bring any books. We pick up now, as they descend...

The Cassalanters fell, justice was done, The party relaxed — they had finally won! With imps singing hymns, And Lysandra's whims, The homecoming was quite a fun run!

Two sisters arrived, defying their mother, Ilmryn and Nysene chose one o'er the other; A sweet bun was given, A clicker was driven — Séantal conditioned them like no other!

The books Szass Tam gave held a terrible art: An ink-spreading network, a spy's counterpart. It crept shelf to shelf, Through diary itself — He'd read every word written straight from the heart!

"Your diary," he said, "was an interesting read," His voice in her mind, dry and planted like seed. She kept her composure, With practiced exposure, But the implications bloomed dark as a weed!

To Candlekeep's vaults, past the Great Reader's door, A ghost dragon waits on a cold, sunless floor. She claims every tome, And calls the dark home — The Seal of Concordance lies waiting in store!

Hearke well, ye souls of wandering fate, Who brought the Cassalanters to their state; In Waterdeep they rested, free from strife, And Velessa's sisters chose a different life.

Through Blackstaff's circle, bright with arcane flame, To Baldur's Gate the weary travelers came; The imps sang hymns in Infernal, row by row, While Lysandra conducted, soft and slow.

But darker gifts from Szass Tam's hand were laid — A book whose ink through every page had strayed; The symbols crept through parchment, shelf, and tome, And found the diary Velessa called her own.

His voice came cold and dry into her mind: "Your diary was an interesting read," he signed; She bore it well, as still waters do, Though what lay underneath, none fully knew.

To Candlekeep they went, to seek the Seal, Where Janussi warned of dangers old and real; A ghost-wyrm waits below in vaulted stone, Who claims all written words as hers alone.

So the gang wrapped up their Waterdeep villain arc, got gifted a teleportation circle like some kind of frequent-flyer reward, and came home to find their imps performing a choral concert in Infernal. Totally normal. Velessa's sisters showed up, defied their terrifying Underdark mom, and got rewarded with a sweet bun and a clicker, because Séantal is running a behavioral conditioning program on drow apparently. Then — because no good deed goes unpunished — the books Szass Tam gave them turned out to be a magical spyware network that infected literally every piece of writing in the house, including Velessa's diary, which the ancient lich had already read cover to cover. He called to let her know. Casually. In her brain. As one does.

Now they're at Candlekeep, trying to borrow a godforged artifact to help that same diary-reading lich break up with Bane, and the only thing standing between them and it is a centuries-old ghost dragon who has gone completely feral from loneliness and believes she personally owns every book ever written. The Great Reader essentially said "good luck, don't bring anything she can claim, and yes someone does have to talk to her every day or she gets worse." The bar for "reasonable Tuesday" in this campaign has truly never been lower.

Funny

Séantal pulls out a small clicker and clicks it once, then offers Ilmryn a sweet bun as a reward for being polite to the party.

Context: Séantal jokingly treats Velessa's sister like a pet being trained, much to everyone's amusement and Ilmryn's confusion.

Dramatic — Velessa

Maybe I want someone to read it and talk to me about the things I've written that I'm not brave enough to say.

Context: A rare moment of emotional vulnerability from Velessa, hinting she wants her sister to find her diary and open a conversation she cannot start herself.

Funny

The party enters their townhouse to find Lysandra conducting all of Velessa's imps as a choir, singing hymns to Jergal in Infernal, before the imps scatter in embarrassment when Velessa applauds.

Context: An utterly unexpected homecoming scene that left Quillbit rolling on the couch with laughter while the other imps fled in shame.

Intriguing — Szass Tam

Your diary was an interesting read.

Context: Szass Tam uses a sending spell to taunt Velessa after reading her private diary through the memetic infection he planted in the Book of Dead Schools.

Intriguing

Velessa discovers that the Book of Dead Schools' symbols have already infected her entire library, her spellbook, and her personal diary, forming a remote viewing network for Szass Tam.

Context: What began as a fascinating scholarly discovery quickly became a privacy nightmare, with Szass Tam having read Velessa's most private thoughts.

Epic

Séantal drops one hundred platinum coins into their proposed welfare fund on the spot, stunning their colleagues at the Great Hall.

Context: A bold political and personal gesture to kickstart a charity for Baldur's Gate's laborers, immediately drawing the attention of the Patriars.

Intriguing

Janussi activates an anti-magic field to inspect the Thayan books, causing Velessa's illusion to drop and her tattoos to suddenly appear, while Taliya feels deeply uncomfortable as all her magic is suppressed.

Context: A tense moment of magical inspection that had an unexpectedly revealing side effect for Velessa and a deeply unpleasant one for Taliya.

1. Aftermath in Waterdeep

The party reflects on the arrest of the Cassalanters and discusses future plans while still in Waterdeep.

Key events

• The party reviews the recent arrest of the Cassalanters following the evidence provided by the Pradixikai commander, including a contract proving their deal with Asmodeus that resulted in the sacrifice of 99 citizens.
• The group discusses the offer given to the Cassalanter twins to turn themselves in within ten days for a reduced sentence.
• Velessa offers to craft or upgrade magical items for the party using her skills in metalworking, jewelry, and weaving.
• Séantal and Taliya brainstorm potential magical items to acquire, including a Rod of the Pact Keeper and a Ring of Spell Storing.
• Velessa describes various utility items she could create, such as an automaton servant, a ring of water walking, and a flying broom styled like a scroll.
• Velessa reveals she has enchanted her torso to function as a bag of holding, allowing her to store items by shoving them down her shirt.
• Taliya pays Velessa in gold and platinum to commission a ring of fire resistance.
• Velessa visits local guilds in Waterdeep to trade trade secrets, gaining insights into new clockwork designs and diamond cutting techniques.
• Taliya spends her time visiting parks and attending shows, including a visit to the Three Pearls nightclub.
• Vagnfríður says her goodbyes to the party, heading north to address personal matters.

2. Clicker Training at the Blushing Mermaid

Velessa's sisters approach the party at the Blushing Mermaid with news of their mother's displeasure and a desire to join the group in Baldur's Gate.

Key events

• Ilmryn and Nysene approach the party at the Blushing Mermaid to discuss their situation.
• Séantal uses a clicker and a sweet bun to jokingly 'train' Ilmryn after she attempts to be polite to the entourage.
• Ilmryn reveals that they have 'poked a bear' by defying their mother's orders to drag Velessa back to the Underdark.
• The sisters explain they told their mother to back off and now wish to accompany the party to Baldur's Gate instead.
• Velessa offers her sisters rooms at her manor, specifically mentioning they can take over the space left by the missing Shane.
• The group discusses Shane's mysterious disappearance, with Velessa jokingly suggesting he might have turned into a chair.
• Velessa has a moment of vulnerability, hinting that she might want her sister to find and read her private diary to understand the things she isn't brave enough to say aloud.
• Séantal sends a message to their boat crew to let them know they no longer require transport.

3. The Shortcut Home

The party gathers their growing entourage and uses a teleportation circle to return to Baldur's Gate.

Key events

• Velessa gathers her 'two and a half kids' and her sisters to prepare for departure.
• The party arrives at Blackstaff Tower and gains access to a restricted teleportation circle as a reward for their recent service to Waterdeep.
• The group teleports directly into Ramessus' Tower in Baldur's Gate, surprising Roland, who notes they don't usually use that specific portal.
• The party discusses the naming of their new estate while walking through the city streets, considering options like 'The Wayward House.'
• Velessa shares lore about the history of Baldur's Gate and mentions drow colonies in Chult as they navigate the city.

4. The Infernal Choir

The party returns to their townhouse in Baldur's Gate to find an unexpected musical performance occurring in the library.

Key events

• Upon entering the townhouse, the party hears hauntingly beautiful but unsettling choir music sung in Infernal.
• They discover Lysandra Mortain in the library, acting as a conductor for a group of imps singing hymns to Jergal.
• The imps, including Quillbit, become embarrassed and disperse when Velessa applauds their performance, with Quillbit throwing herself onto the couch laughing hysterically.
• Lysandra welcomes the party back and meets Taliya for the first time.
• The group discusses Taliya's brief death during their recent duel with the Pradixikai, noting she was only gone for six seconds.
• Velessa jokes about forming a debutante ball for the imps to integrate them into Baldur's Gate nobility and society.
• Séantal and Taliya discuss the physical traits of tieflings, noting that Séantal is an outlier for not having a tail.
• Velessa departs to begin crafting magical items for the party and to check on the rest of her household.

5. A Day at the Office

Séantal returns to their duties at the Great Hall in Baldur's Gate, encountering a familiar fiend and proposing a new welfare initiative for the city's laborers.

Key events

• Séantal reports for their shift as a clerk at the Great Hall, accompanied by a curious but quickly bored Taliya.
• Mizora appears at the hall, offering a smile and a wave to Séantal despite her ship still being under repair in Waterdeep.
• Séantal checks on the progress of the information exchange with Candlekeep, learning that Irony has been assigned to facilitate trips through the portal.
• Séantal proposes the creation of a welfare fund to provide food and necessities for laborers and dock workers, modeled after the Cassalanter funds but with stricter oversight.
• To kickstart the initiative, Séantal personally contributes one hundred platinum coins, drawing significant attention from their colleagues.
• Séantal uses their political leverage and past favors to persuade several Patriars to publicly support the new charity fund, framing opposition as politically untenable.
• Velessa mentions the ongoing success of the House Vaeltharyn initiative to provide subsidized prosthetic limbs and sensory organs for the city's poor.

6. A Study of Thayan Tomes

The party spends time in Baldur's Gate analyzing two mysterious books gifted by Szass Tam before their journey to Candlekeep.

Key events

• Velessa and Séantal examine the Red Annals of the Zulkirate, noting Szass Tam's surprisingly dry and objective historical writing style, focused on correcting inaccuracies rather than glorifying himself.
• Séantal immediately takes a liking to the Red Annals for its precision and lack of embellishment.
• The party investigates the Book of Dead Schools, discovering a complex system of shorthand symbols in the margins.
• Séantal and Velessa realize the marginalia creates profound, mathematical connections between unrelated magical traditions, structured like the architecture of a spell.
• Velessa attempts to annotate a book on clockwork systems with the symbols, only to find the symbols have already begun to manifest in other books in her library.
• The party realizes the annotations act like a 'book disease' or memetic hazard, infecting any text they come into contact with.

7. The Infectious Annotations

Velessa conducts experiments to understand the spreading magical properties of the Book of Dead Schools, uncovering a dangerous remote viewing network.

Key events

• Velessa conducts an experiment by having a street urchin purchase a clean copy of one of Cicerox's works from a nearby bookstore.
• Upon placing her infected book on top of the new purchase, the symbols spread to the clean book within seconds.
• The group deduces that the symbols form a remote viewing network, potentially allowing an unknown party to access any infected text from afar.
• Velessa discovers that her own spellbook and personal diary have already been infected by the spreading magical annotations due to their proximity.
• Séantal contemplates the political power of the infection, imagining the leverage gained by infecting the private missives of the Patriars.
• Szass Tam uses magic to speak directly into Velessa's mind, mocking the contents of her private diary, confirming he is the one with access to the network.
• The party spends over a week meticulously copying the symbols and notes to replicate the effect for their own use before surrendering the original book to Candlekeep.

8. Audience with the Great Reader

The party travels to Candlekeep via Ramazith's Tower to negotiate for the Seal of Concordance with Janussi.

Key events

• The party uses the semi-permanent teleportation circle in Ramazith's Tower to travel directly to Candlekeep.
• Velessa and Séantal introduce Taliya to Janussi, the Great Reader of Candlekeep, in her private office, where she uses mage hand to open the door while remaining on her couch.
• The party presents the Red Annals of the Zulkirate and the Book of Dead Schools as gifts to facilitate the borrowing of the Seal of Concordance.
• Velessa explains that Szass Tam needs the Seal to unbind himself from the god Bane, and that the artifact would remain in the party's custody rather than being handed to the Zulkir.
• Janussi expresses deep distrust of Szass Tam, recalling his previous failed attempts to conquer the Sword Coast and his ban from Candlekeep.
• Janussi activates an anti-magic field to safely inspect the books, momentarily stripping the party of their magical enhancements and revealing Velessa's hidden tattoos.
• Upon learning of the memetic infection, Janussi uses a specialized mechanical seal with needle-like legs to clamp onto the Book of Dead Schools and neutralize its magical properties.
• Janussi agrees to let the party use the Seal of Concordance but informs them they must retrieve it from the dangerous subterranean vaults themselves.
• The party learns of Miirym, the Sentinel Wyrm, the ghost of a silver dragon who guards the library's lower depths, claims all written material as library property, and has descended into madness from centuries of isolation.
• Janussi advises the party not to bring any of their own books into the vaults and notes that Candlekeep assigns one person at all times to talk to Miirym to keep her from becoming even more dangerous.

Ammalia Cassalanter

A noblewoman of Waterdeep recently arrested for her involvement in a deal with Asmodeus that sacrificed 99 citizens of Waterdeep.

Victoro Cassalanter

A high-ranking noble arrested alongside his wife for infernal contracts and mass sacrifice.

Terenzio Cassalanter

One of the Cassalanter twins who is currently considering an offer to turn himself in to the authorities, noted to be more on board with the idea than his sister.

Elzerina Cassalanter

One of the Cassalanter twins, noted to be less inclined than her brother to accept the Blackstaff's offer of surrender.

Vajra Safahr

The Blackstaff of Waterdeep, who oversaw the arrest of the Cassalanters and extended a plea offer to the twins.

Vagnfríður

The party's tabaxi companion who says her goodbyes and departs the group to head north, addressing personal matters.

Ilmryn Xilraen

Velessa's favorite sister who approaches the party at the Blushing Mermaid. She reveals that their mother ordered them to drag Velessa back to the Underdark, but she defied those orders and wishes to live on the surface in Baldur's Gate. She is briefly 'clicker trained' by Séantal with a sweet bun.

Nysene Eomane

Velessa's sister who accompanies Ilmryn to the Blushing Mermaid to discuss their family's precarious situation and also chooses to defect from their mother's service.

Roland

An individual at Ramessus' Tower in Baldur's Gate who greets the party upon their sudden arrival through the teleportation circle, noting they don't usually come through that particular portal.

Lysandra Mortain

The Chosen of Jergal who has been maintaining Velessa's townhouse and managing the imps during the party's absence. She is found conducting an imp choir singing hymns to Jergal in Infernal, and she welcomes the party back with calm grace, meeting Taliya for the first time.

Quillbit

One of Velessa's imps who is found singing in the choir and later throws herself onto the couch laughing hysterically at the other imps' embarrassment when Velessa applauds.

Mizora

A powerful cambion who appears at the Great Hall in Baldur's Gate during Séantal's shift. She acknowledges Séantal with a smile and a wave, her presence notable given her ship is still being repaired in Waterdeep.

Irony

A tiefling scribe from Candlekeep who has been assigned to handle the information exchange between the library and Baldur's Gate, making occasional trips through the portal.

Szass Tam

The Zulkir of Necromancy and author of the Red Annals. His writing is described as precise, dry, and focused on historical accuracy rather than self-glorification. He is later revealed to be the one accessing the remote viewing network created by the Book of Dead Schools, and he taunts Velessa by commenting on her diary via a sending spell.

Janussi

The Great Reader of Candlekeep, also known as Jan. She is a powerful and scholarly figure who maintains a casual demeanor, often using mage hand for simple tasks like opening doors. She is deeply skeptical of Szass Tam and his motives, uses an anti-magic field to safely inspect the dangerous Thayan books, and tasks the party with retrieving the Seal of Concordance from the subterranean vaults themselves.

Miirym

Also known as the Sentinel Wyrm, she is the ghost of a silver dragon bound to the subterranean levels of Candlekeep by an ironclad spell that even Elminster could not break. Centuries of isolation have left her insane and obsessively protective of any written works within her domain, claiming ownership of all texts that enter her territory.

Waterdeep

The City of Splendors where the party has recently concluded a major investigation into the Cassalanter family's infernal dealings and spends their final days of downtime before returning to Baldur's Gate.

Three Pearls Nightclub

A local entertainment venue in Waterdeep that Taliya expressed interest in visiting during the party's downtime.

The Blushing Mermaid

A tavern in Waterdeep where Velessa's sisters, Ilmryn and Nysene, approach the party to discuss their mother's anger and their desire to join the group in Baldur's Gate.

Blackstaff Tower

The fortified home of the Blackstaff in Waterdeep, housing a secret teleportation chamber used by the party to return to Baldur's Gate.

Ramessus' Tower

A floating wizard's tower in Baldur's Gate containing a teleportation circle that the party uses to return from Waterdeep, surprising Roland upon their arrival.

Velessa's Townhouse

Formerly the Eomane Estate, this residence in Baldur's Gate now serves as a home for Velessa's extended family, including her sisters, apprentices, and a gaggle of imps. Upon the party's return, it was filled with the sound of an unearthly Infernal choir.

The Great Hall

The administrative heart of Baldur's Gate where Séantal performs their duties as a clerk and where the city's public works are managed. Mizora was spotted here during Séantal's shift.

Velessa's Library

A substantial collection of books within the party's townhouse in Baldur's Gate, which became the site of a magical 'book plague' during Velessa's experiments with the Book of Dead Schools.

Ramazith's Tower

A floating wizard's tower in Baldur's Gate containing a semi-permanent teleportation circle that links directly to Candlekeep's restricted areas.

Candlekeep

A massive fortress-library where the party meets with Janussi to negotiate for the Seal of Concordance. Its subterranean levels are a dangerous vault guarded by the spectral dragon Miirym.

Janussi's Office

A comfortable private chamber within Candlekeep where the Great Reader receives guests. It features a couch and can be shielded by a powerful anti-magic field to safely inspect dangerous artifacts.

Subterranean Levels of Candlekeep

A dangerous, restricted area beneath the Great Library that serves as the lair for the ghost dragon Miirym and houses powerful artifacts like the Seal of Concordance.

Ring of Fire Resistance

A magical ring commissioned by Taliya from Velessa to protect herself from fire damage, particularly from her own accidental wild magic explosions. Taliya paid two thousand gold pieces for it.

Rod of the Pact Keeper

A magical rod discussed as a potential upgrade for Séantal, providing bonuses to spell attacks and save DCs, as well as the ability to recover a pact slot once per day.

Ring of Spell Storing

A magical ring discussed as a potential item for Séantal, capable of holding spells cast into it for later use.

Bag of Holding

A magical storage space that Velessa has uniquely integrated into her own torso or clothing, allowing her to store items discreetly.

Clicker

A small device used by Séantal to jokingly signal Ilmryn as a reward for polite behavior, treating the interaction like animal training.

Sweet Bun

A sugary treat Séantal offers to Ilmryn as a reward for 'good behavior' during their interaction at the Blushing Mermaid.

Velessa's Diary

A personal journal containing Velessa's private thoughts and feelings. It becomes a point of emotional vulnerability when Velessa hints she wants her sister to find and read it, and it is later revealed to have been infected by the Book of Dead Schools' memetic hazard, allowing Szass Tam to read its contents.

Mòyuè jiàn

Velessa's black moon sword, whose name translates to 'Ink Dark Moon Sword.' It is a prized possession she named deliberately for its aesthetic qualities.

The Red Annals of the Zulkirate

A historical text written by Szass Tam himself, noted for its precise, dry, and occasionally brutal writing style. It focuses on correcting historical inaccuracies rather than defending reputations, including Szass Tam's own. Janussi found it fascinating and smirked while reading it.

The Book of Dead Schools

A scholarly catalogue of extinct Thayan magical traditions containing a mysterious system of shorthand symbols in the margins. These symbols follow a mathematical, spell-like structure and act as a memetic hazard, spreading to any nearby text and forming a remote viewing network that allows Szass Tam to read infected books from afar. Janussi uses a specialized mechanical seal to neutralize its magical properties.

Velessa's Spellbook

Velessa's personal tome of arcane knowledge, which becomes infected by the memetic symbols from the Book of Dead Schools due to its proximity in the library.

Anti-Magic Seal

A small metal device about the size of a quarter used by Janussi at Candlekeep. It sprouts needle-like legs and clamps itself onto the cover of a book to suppress its magical properties, used specifically to neutralize the Book of Dead Schools.

Seal of Concordance

A powerful artifact forged on Mechanus, said to have possibly been crafted by Primus himself. It is a perfectly balanced seal used for recognizing agreements across planar jurisdictions. Szass Tam seeks to use it to break his centuries-old deal with the god Bane. It is currently stored in the dangerous subterranean levels of Candlekeep, within Miirym's domain.

Calamus Pactum

A hellish black quill of significant power owned jointly by the party. Its existence and the party's refusal to surrender it forced Szass Tam to the negotiating table rather than continuing to send assassins.

Candlekeep Swimsuit Calendar

A humorous gift shop item sold at Candlekeep featuring scholarly figures, used by the library to raise funding. Velessa recommends it to Taliya.

Teleportation Circle

A semi-permanent magical portal used by the party to travel instantly from Waterdeep's Blackstaff Tower to Ramessus' Tower in Baldur's Gate, and later from Ramazith's Tower in Baldur's Gate directly into Candlekeep's restricted areas.

Guidance

A minor divinatory blessing cast by Taliya to assist Séantal and Velessa in their investigation of the complex magical symbols within the Book of Dead Schools.

Sending

Used by Szass Tam to speak directly into Velessa's mind and mock the contents of her private diary after reading it through the infected book network, confirming his access to the remote viewing system.

Mage Hand

Employed by Janussi to open her office door while she remained comfortably seated on her couch, demonstrating her casual use of magic for everyday tasks.

Anti-Magic Field

A localized zone created by Janussi to safely handle the infected Thayan books. It temporarily suppressed all magical items and illusions on the party, revealing Velessa's hidden tattoos and making Taliya feel deeply uncomfortable due to her magical nature.