// Cutscene, as I realize I didn't actually describe how you got to Waterdeep //

The apprentice mage Flewen urges you to step into the circle as soon as he finishes the spell. When you do so, you feel your ears pop slightly due to the difference in air pressure. The light around you shifts to a stark green-white, created by what appear to be floating motes of luminescence. 

You are...inside? Underground? There is stone all around you, and a staircase leads up and out of the chamber, out of sight. Besides the teleportation circle, this chamber also includes a small study alcove and a cot. Then, you notice a pale wisp of a girl. She has long black hair and wears a large amulet around her neck. Nice enough, though with a quiet voice, she introduces herself as Thestryl.

When you are ready to leave, Thestryl touches the amulet around her neck, and there is a a rock-on-rock grating sound from above. She leads you up the stairs and into a crypt—you were in a sarcophagus, and this is a raised crypt in Waterdeep's City of the Dead. If you turn around, you notice a massive armored construct holding the sarcophagus lid aloft. The construct looks to Thestryl as if it's waiting for further instructions. "Be careful traveling," says the young mage Thestyrl. "It's technically a crime to be trespassing in the City of the Dead after dark." She gives you a route to a nicer area of the city where the guard patrols are light enough that sneaking in shouldn't be an issue. "When you want to re-enter the chamber and make use of the teleportation network, simply speak the name 'Myrna' to my shield guardian. He will let you in."

Waterdeep is a bustling metropolis, known as "The City of Splendors" for obvious reasons. It is so large that no one really notices your coming and going, and the fact that you aren't a "local" is lost on most of the city's inhabitants. Absent are the strange looks or the friendly nods that you might receive in smaller locales. Your time spent here in relative obscurity is nice, though those with whom you interact start to notice how capable you are—they recognize that you're a "cut above" the rabble.

Derrikoth's Efforts 

The dragonborn works together with Rasa to line up a seller of magical artifacts, and finds an adventurer whose adventuring days are over—if her missing legs are any indication. She has a number of small but potent magical things for sale, and is protected by two tough-looking bodyguards on every meeting that she takes with the pair.

• Supreme potion of healing - 10,000 gp
• Potion of cloud giant strength - 10,000 gp
• A red shield, bound with black steel, which bears an emblem of black longswords crossed with each other - 700 gp
• Pearl of power - 500 gp

Genevieve's Efforts

The magical construct and Astra work together themselves, and are able to find a wizened elven thaumaturgist who dabbles in the arcane. A bit of collector, he has many items that he's collected over the years. 

• Spell scroll of hallucinatory terrain, 3,000 gp
• Superior potion of healing, 3,000 gp
• Decanter of endless water, 600 gp
• A bird's feather token 5,000 gp
• Twin wands of the war mage. These wands appear as gnarled vines that are twisted around softly glowing crystal cores—one is violet in hue, and the other turquoise. The collector says that, sisters as they are, these wands detest being separated from each other, and he is quite unwilling to sell them unless they are purchased as a set. 

Nirzeg's Efforts

The gith has had considerable luck in his research. He has uncovered all sorts of lore regarding Harshnag, mostly in the form of folklore and stories.

• Harshnag was apparently known by his title "The Grim," and was a friend and ally of the smaller races.
• He is described as bigger and stronger than the average frost giant, with piercing blue eyes and a pale blue beard. He is known for wearing the skull of a white dragon as his helm.
• Harshnag's booming voice was used on more than one occasion to warn citizens of impending danger.
• The giant made his home in a cave, in a place called Mount Sar.
• He was given the legendary Gurt's greataxe by Waterdhavian Open Lord Piergeiron, for services rendered.

The following week, when Nirzeg opens the tome, he finds that the letters have faded from the pages. The book doesn't seem to have suffered any damage, but the writing is simply gone!

Astra is quite interested in hearing how the two wands detest being separated and how they're sisters. "Well, my friend and I are interested in those wands, so they wouldn't be separated with us!"

Quote from Sarcasticfury >>

Astra is quite interested in hearing how the two wands detest being separated and how they're sisters. "Well, my friend and I are interested in those wands, so they wouldn't be separated with us!"

 "Excellent." The thaumaturgist smiles, and you can see glowing gold flecks in his eyes. "It is 1,100 dragons for the set."

Derrikoth picks up the shield, checking it out, before reaching for his money. "Do you think you could cover the shield with this pattern?"

He holds out a pin (which he's totally had this entire time yup) in the shape of a heater shield with a steel border and overlapping blue and platinum scales.

Quote from Persuasion >>

Derrikoth picks up the shield, checking it out, before reaching for his money. "Do you think you could cover the shield with this pattern?"

He holds out a pin (which he's totally had this entire time yup) in the shape of a heater shield with a steel border and overlapping blue and platinum scales.

 "Do I look like an armorer to you?" The legless adventurer scoffs at Derrikoth. "I don't know if you can or not. Worth a try though, I guess."

 
Nirzeg stares long and hard at the tome before calmly closing it, leaving his hands rested on top. After taking a deep, deep breathe, and then letting it go, he smiles to himself. All the while an increasingly nervous Zeek watches from the edge of the very same table, considering whether or not to fly off just -- anywhere but the room of the Githyanki. "... You know what, Zeek? This is fine. Totally fine. I've only devoted a several years of my life searching for a probably means to protect myself for that ******* ***** QUEEN OF DEATH!!" Angrily, he shoots up to his feet and chucks the book as hard as he can at a far wall, startingly Zeek into flying into the rafters. Then almost immediately after, he slams his fists down, hurting his hands against the thick mahogany, yet registering not the pain.

After several long minutes of heavy breathing, calm eventually, if but slowly, returns to the Gith. He again gives the tome a long look, takes another deep breathe, and the moves to put it back in the book of holding. 'Well, Nirzeg? O' Buddy oh Pal! There's always the other chances. Just gotta be patient...' He thought just before sleep later claims him.

The following day, Nirzeg seeks out Genieve, beseeching her aid in selling a few trinkets in the Trade's Ward. "I would really appreciate if yo do this for me, and you would receive... seventy percent of the profits of course! I just... well... Shit, you know I'm not exactly a 'people' person. Sure, you can trust me to honor a deal, and to step to mend bridges, as it were. But, uh... between the two of us, I feel you would turn far more a profit then I would on these alone... NOT to mention, this would be a golden opportunity to expand your horizons, and even sell your name, if you wish! So, what do you say?" With that, he'll of course show her the products to be: a handkerchief that seemed to produce its own perfumed scent(which he assured would work in any condition), a small figurine that continuously gave off the sound of gentle rain as a sleeping aid, AND a dagger that emitted a bright light(perfect for those needing to deal with theives in the night!).

"Easy a hundred gold altogether. Trust me. Maybe more if you really lay on the charm." He adds, waggling his near non-existent brows.

Hopefully with that out of the way, Nirzeg directs his focus towards researching Shield Golem creations; turning as needed to the temple of Gond, previous memories of his work on Genny, and even Myrna in hopes of piecing together a method. 

(Before you start hocking your magical wares)

Several days into your visit at Waterdeep, an ominous shadow falls over you. Nirzeg and Genevieve, out on the street, can see exactly why. Emerging from the clouds is a massive, floating...castle! It blocks the noonday sun, eclipsing the city and sending Waterdhavians into full-blown panic.

"Giants!" The shouts are heard all over.

The result, as one may have been able to predict, is complete pandemonium. Citizens stampede through the streets, looking for cover but finding little. Market stalls are overturned, people are beginning to be trampled.

// What do you do? // 

"Wow, that's a lot of dragons we have to catch for these wands..." Genny says as looks down at the wands. "Do you take gold?"

Genevieve blinks and tilts her head slightly at Nirzeg when he asks her to aid in him selling some items at the ward, the construct flattered he would come to her for assistance (though honestly, let's be real, he didn't have much of a choice, mister -3 modifier) but curious as to why he needed them to be sold. "I guess I don't mind helping you pawn them off, but why do you need them to be sold? If you need extra coin, I can--"

She is cut off suddenly by the yelling, her attention diverted to the people, then to the castle in the sky, her brows furrowing. "Giants? What are they doing here?" She questions, but doesn't expect an answer and looks to the Gith. "We should find the others. If this place isn't destroyed, I'll help you sell those items. Constructs promise." She nods to him before setting off to find Astra, Rasa, and horse boy.

Astra isn't too far away from Genevieve and Nirzeg as the castle appears in the sky. The first thing she does is find the Warforged before things get too chaotic and its impossible to do so. And it's pretty convenient when she finds Nirzeg standing alongside her as well  "We've got to find Rasa and Derrikoth before they get lost in the chaos! Then we can try and find out what these giants are doing here."

Derrikoth sighs, handing over his gold to the adventurer. "Paint will suffice, but I don't suppose you know any painters?"

Derrikoth is walking in the streets as the shadow passes overhead. As he feels suddenly cooler, he yawns, "Oh wow, I didn't realize how late it-," he cuts off as he hears the screams of 'giants!', "Oh."

He looks for a box or some sort of elevated platform to shout at the citizens and try to maintain some semblance of order, "Calm yourselves! Run away in a calm and orderly fashion!"

Persuasion: 18

"Glad to see where all on the same side. And, I'll hold you to that promise, Ms. Gennieve." He looks away from the masses, shaking his head. "... I'll send Zeek up to see what he might spy." Without waiting for a response, the Githyanki's form scatters like dust.

A few seconds later,  Nirzeg reappears in a swirl of dust atop a nearby rooftop to avoid the stampeding crowd, and leers down at the shaken masses. "Typical. Lazy chowderheads always panick'n... Granted-..." He turns his attention skywards to the castle. "That ain't shit I'd 'ove prepared meself for... ****'n giants couldn't give us another tenday." He chided, seeming less outwardly perturbed by events then he should've in that moment. In fact, he calmly willed his form and mindset towards a lighter step going forward.  A fearful, but dutiful Tressym rushes on past and skyward towards the castle.

Quote from Cherri >>

"Wow, that's a lot of dragons we have to catch for these wands..." Genny says as looks down at the wands. "Do you take gold?".

 The thaumaturgist looked confused at first, then laughed at what he assumed was a joke. 

Quote from Persuasion >>

 

He looks for a box or some sort of elevated platform to shout at the citizens and try to maintain some semblance of order, "Calm yourselves! Run away in a calm and orderly fashion!"

Persuasion: 18

 Derrikoth is now surrounded impressionable citizens, all of whom crowd around him for protection.

 In the meantime, you are able to locate each other just fine, and heralds can be heard through there area, urging calm, saying such things as “no harm shall befall you!” And “Lady Silverhand shall protect you!”

 The castle has come to a stop directly over the city, and hangs 1,000 feet in the air.

Astra looks at Genevieve and Rasa after Nirzeg steps away. "What should we do now? That castle is just hanging over the city."

"Lady Silverhand?" Nirzeg muttered to himself. After rubbing his chin in thought for a moment, a grin creeps into view. Seeing as Derrikoth was somewhat busy, the Githyanki called down to Rasa and the rest, "Oi! Unless some of you got connections to the Griffon Calvary, shall we try to find the Silverhand? Or, would our lovely bird's friends might conjure fliers for us?" As he says all that, Zeek glides back down at Nirzeg's mental beckoning.

Rasa eyes the Warlock, then the metallic bard, and then bows his head in Genny's direction.

"Lo siento, lovely Genevieve, pero I think you may be a bit, err, beyond my carrying capacity, yes?"

Then he turns to Astra. "Should we see what this fuss is all about, then?" He spreads his wings to their full span, had holds out his arms, offering Astra a lift.

"You callin' me fat?" Genevieve questions, almost offended at Rasa's words, but she quickly follows it up with a laugh and a dismissive wave. "No worries, but, uh, just be careful you two! Please. I don't want to lose two other teammates..."

Bardic Inspo on KFC and Fairy lady!

Derrikoth blinks, stunned that his shouting worked. He recovers after a moment, drawing his sword and pointing it towards the castle, "Fear not, fine citizens of Waterdeep! I, Lord Derrikoth Toknal, shall reconvene with my noble allies and investigate that castle ourselves! Whether it takes words or steel, we will ensure your safety!"

"Nirzeg mentioned that the city has a Griffon Cavalry. I'm sure that the griffons would be able to carry all of us to the castle without any problems. Quick, let's go find Lady Silverhand!" And Astra will attempt to find a guard or a herald that can give them directions.

Rasa will watch Astra run in the other direction and will shrug, then take off, following Zeek. He won't get too close, but will do his best to scout around the flying castle, getting a lay of the land.

Perception: 25