Tyrus is curious. "And why be that?" he asks. [Unless this is something he would know, as a dwarf, in which case he would just nod in understanding, but I would still like to know.]

"Talking about the Mad Mage is a superstition, some say that the mad mage still lives down there and has done for hundreds of years.  Having been down there myself, I can confirm that it would definitely be possible.  I mean, look at Durnan, his been running the Yawning Portal for over three hundred years now, and well... I've been around for some time.  We went down there together, you know," he says. "Just, now we're talking about him... he'll probably be listening in to our conversation," and he gives you a look to watch what you say, as if he believes this to be an actual possibility.

"Whoa.  Are you guys, like, immortal, you and Durnan?   Is that why people keep throwing their lives away in that crazy dungeon? Some kind of fountain of youth at the bottom, maybe," Briga says. "I don't know  that much about the history of this city, it's been hard enough learning the ins and outs of day to day life here.  I've heard rumors, but really,  I doubt if a thousand year old mad mage is going to care to eavesdrop about our bar that much, unless he's looking for a new place to get a drink."  

"What be this about a mad mage?" says Tyrus, totally confused. "And how can you two, as humans, be still spry when most dwarves would be just wanting a warm place by the fire to rest their weary bones? Do you really be elves, or some such?"

"Undermountain changes you, Durnan lives in the Yawning Portal to remain close to it. And even he doesn't know why. But what we need to discuss I think we should discuss... elsewhere," he says poingiantly, before walking to a door that you hadn't noticed before.  Etched onto it is an arcane rune, and underneath the silver harp symbol of the Harpers.

Completely amazed that he somehow missed a whole complete door when he examined the room before, Tyrus follows Mirt to the door.

[OOC: Not expecting to succeed, but Tyrus has proficiency with Arcana, does he know anything at all about the rune? (Arcana check: 6 )]

[OOC: LOL. Clearly not.]

Going through the door, it leads into a tunnel that extends beyond everyone's darkvision.  You continue down this tunnel for about ten minutes, before arriving at the other end.  You then appear in a war council room.  Standing in the room are two other figures.  One is the Open Lord of Waterdeep, Laerel Silverhand.  The other is a dark skinned woman with black hair set into loose dreadlocks, and weilds a staff that hooks at the top.  Those from waterdeep would know that this would be the person in charge of magic in waterdeep, the Blackstaff. The two of them together like this would mean what is about to be discussed is very serious.

The longer it takes to pass through the tunnel, the more Tyrus becomes convinced that there is powerful magic involved as Mirt's house cannot possibly contain such a tunnel above ground level...

However, that is all forgotten when they reach the war council room and Tyrus goes to one knee upon seeing the Open Lord of Waterdeep.

"O-O-Open Lord. A pleasure, My Grace."  Griff goes to a knee as well.

Briga seems to take a moment to grasp the situation.  "What's the deal, here, Mirt? You've got lookalikes for the open lord and the Blackstaff? Are we doing a weird costume party here?  That's... ohcrapeveryone'skneelingthisisreal."  Briga promptly kneels as well.  

"The Abandoned Dragons, sorry to call you hear again.  Sorry for the uncertainty until this point, but before we get to questions, Vajrha, would you like to explain what you found? Renaer speaks highly of them, and though his father has done a terrible thing for the city, he is himself dedicated to returning the funds to waterdeep if they are found," she says.

The blackstaff nods.  "Always spoiling my reveals, my lord," Vajrha responds only half-jokingly.  "But yes, it was recently discovered that the previous Open Lord, Dagult Neverember, had hidden a cache of hidden gold under the city.  The Harpers and the Lords Alliance have discovered that it happens to be the cause of the entire war.  Apparently, there is some magical artifact, known as the Stone of Golorr, that has the ability to remove the memory of everything it once told you.  It is the only item that knows where the entrance to this vault is.  A group of my gray hands discovered that Xanathar was once holding the stone, and during a meeting for a peace treaty with the Zhentarim, the stone was stolen.  The Xanathar Guidl believe that the Zhentarim took it, and the Zhentarim are adament they don't have it.  At this time it has been..." the Blackstaff explains, but before she can finish, Mirt clears his throat for attention. "You know something, Mirt?" she asks.

"When the Open Lord informed me about the stone, I began investing resources into to tracking the artifact, in an effort to return the gold to the city, who it rightfully belongs to.  However, news seems to have spread, and now more people are also searching for the stone.  The Harpers have tried to delay the inevitable while keeping the stone safe until a group could come along without any suspicion.  That's where you come in.  I have an agent currently in the process of getting the Stone.  It's going to be some time yet, but I'll let you know when the time comes.  We don't know who else is looking, so until things cool down, we're going to hold onto it for safe keeping, before handing it off to you to retrieve the gold.  We need to make sure you are completely unconnected to this for as long as possible, until we're ready to play our hands," Mirt explains, the Blackstaff nods, "of course, in exchange for the recovery, we do offer a 10% share of the gold found to split amongst yourselves.  We have reason to believe that it is a substantial sum of gold down there." she adds.  "Well, you've helped this city out on multiple occasions. I know you have some duties to complete, and for now - continue with your current work, as if nothing has changed.  It's imperitive that you keep as non-suspicious as possible, if you accept this task at first.  Of course, such a discovery will be hard to hide from the city forever, and the if the Xanathar Guild or the Zhentarim get ahold of it first I dread to think what they would do with such a large financial benefit," the Open Lord also comments.

"Wait, so let me make sure I'm getting all of this," Briga says.  "Renear, the guy the gangsters mistook Floon for, Renear's dad, what, embezzled a bunch of money from the city?  And he's got it hidden in some place,  and a memory-erasing stone knows where the gold is?  And the Zhents and the Xanathar factions each think the other has this memory erasing stone?  I mean, maybe one of them did have it and they don't have memories of it anymore.  This is the craziest thing I've ever heard.  So they were putting the hurt on Floon, thinking he was Renear, thinking he knew where his dad hid this gold.  Is that it?   And now we're going to maybe get this stone, keep it on the down low, try to recover more gold than we can carry, return it to the city and keep a finder's fee?"   

"Why in the nine hells would the senior Neverember make a memory erasing stone that knows where this loot is?  Forget the mad mage - this guy sounds like he's not playing with a full deck.  It sounds like the whole thing could have been made up just to get the gangs fighting over it.  Oooh, that would be an angle - some new player in town trying to clear out the competition creates a snipe hunt to get the existing players to weaken themselves, fighting over nonsense, and then moves in to take control of the city's organized crime."  

Briga remembers the context, and then quickly assumes a more formal posture, adding, "But you all, err, know best, lordship and staff...holder... city staff, important, yes, very important people.  We're glad to help, I'm sure!"  

with the help of Griff's elbow Brigga returns to formalities. "Yes, of course we will help. And uh, we -- sorry... thinking isn't my strong suit... are you saying we just act as if nothing has changed? is that how we're helping currently?"

Being a stranger to Waterdeep, a lot of what was just said went right over his head.

Therefore, Tyrus says nothing and just looks around the war council room looking for something that might help him understand what the dark-skinned woman has just told them.

Are there maps on the walls? Drawings of people of interest? Names of organisations or people that might be involved?

If required, here's an Investigation roll: 22

LOL. It's all apparently Greek to him.

Unfortunately, all of the names that the Waterdavian dropped Tyrus isn't aware of. 

"For now, yes.  We'll have the stone delivered to you - but it needs to be kept quiet," the Open Lord answers. 

"The stone is currently in the hands of the Harpers, but with the Zhents involved, that may not be the best idea.  We need someone less familiar, but it's going to be a few days before our Harper contact will feel OK to return to the city.  When he does, I'll have him visit your tavern," Mirt says.  "Until then, I believe that at least one of you have a dungsweeper's guild escort to provide," he says with a smile.

Mirt leads you back through the corridor to his mansion, before his servant leads you out to the main entrance, standing outside the manor once more, what would you all like to do?

"I guess that's our cue to to make sure some dung sweepers are safe," Briga says.  "I'll need to make some time for the Order of the Gauntlet, though.  Depending on the dung sweepers shifts, I might be able to stop by there and then join you guys.  We keep a weird schedule these days - got to plan around things like operas and accepting knighthood and playing manager to dung sweepers in the same week.  Only in Waterdeep."  

OOC: If there is time, Briga will go to the Order to officially accept their faction offer that she was ambiguous about before, otherwise, she will go after the dung sweeper shifts are complete.  

"Be anyone interested in going to the Dock Ward now and having a look at the place?" asks Tyrus. "It be better to be finding out the lay of the land now than at 6 bells in the morning when we be supposed to be protecting the dungsweepers."

As your closer to the Order HQ, you make your way there first, where Savra initiates Briga and says "I'll let you know when something comes up - this gang war is keeping us busy so it'll only be a matter of time before something comes up," she says once the induction is completed. 

You then make your way to the Dock Ward.  Within the city walls, probably the roughest part.  The lamps here have been mostly smashed in, and not replaced having most smashed within a couple of days.  The city has stopped caring, and so have those that reside around the dock ward, which is mostly sailors and dockworkers.  The buildings here are not as grandiose as those in the Sea Ward to the north, but not as temporary as those in the Field Ward, just outside of the walls.  The lack of lights but maze of alleys between dock buildings makes for a rather dingy place where sunlight barely shines, and when it does the area is still cast in shadow.  The streets are kept rather clean, however.