The kobold returns, with decent quality rented clothes - nothing that would impress the nobility, but nothing that would embarrass you either. You can change - or wear your normal clothes or any special clothes you  have in your inventory, as you wish.

You move quickly through the streets of Waterdeep; Tobin and Titus have visited Lady Silverhand's manor recently and would know the way well. Soar, there are gardens here and there in this part of the city - it's very wealthy, and though you might attract an irritated glance of a guard or two, you can pick some flowers without provoking a more threatening response.

You arrive. You are shown inside. You wait a little while in a side chamber while the Lady is informed of your arrival. And then, you are shown into an impressive dining room, not overly large or gaudy, but clearly expensive, old and well cared for, comfortable and luxurious but more welcoming than intimidating, though this depends on how your character might view such things. There are red tapestries hanging from the wall, a beautiful tiled wooden floor with intricate designs of nature on the tile, a large wooden dining table with a green tablecloth and dinner settings for eight people, though only two are present and waiting for you.

Lady Laeral Silverhand is a tall human woman of indeterminate age, and a manner that suggests she values politeness and professionalism greatly. She is standing as you enter, and smiles. "It is good to see you. Welcome to my home, and thank you for your patience as I got ready. This is a friend, Elia," and she points to the human woman wearing a long grey dress standing at her side. Elia gives a small bow, but remains silent. "And I am Laeral Silverhand, to those I have not met before. Open Lord of Waterdeep since Dagult decided to step aside. Not a role I sought, but these are difficult times and we must all step up and play our parts." She pauses, waiting for those of you she has not met to introduce yourselves.

(En has not accompanied you; they may be waiting on the tavern roof still.)

Tobin:

Bowing deeply, Tobin says, “It is a pleasure to see you again, Lady Silverhand.  I fear I must mention that we have been troubled by arcane scrying attempts of late—I presume you have safeguards against such, but it seemed appropriate to mention it.”

As a show of respect, Tobin has no active magic spells going as he enters the mansion, though he has kept all his equipment.  The diminutive scholar is in newer and less ink-stained robes, but they are not particularly fancy in any way.

"I certainly do," the Lady says, "though I appreciate the warning. One can never be too careful these days. Though when was that ever not the case?" she asks, mostly to herself it seems. If she has noticed the diminutive scholar she gives no sign of it.

Soar would bring Gwen along (assuming she did not want to stay alone with the kobolds at the inn) but asks her to stay in the side chamber, if that is okay with the attendants. She explains that all of this is a little much for a girl. When she moves into the main room, just before the last speaks, she turns to the attendant and asks them quietly to keep an eye on Gwen.

She bows a bit awkwardly if sincerely as she listens to the first exchange.

Then she raises her hand. “Lady, I am Soar Jestalle, doomguide of Kelemvor. I’m not sure if you know of me but I along with Jalt here have been set on tasks fighting the cult since Greenest. We have seen success but recently we have failed. It would be helpful to know how much you know, so we don’t waste your time. I’d like to learn about what comes next and what has happened while we were away. But first I need to let you know about an elven girl we found in the woods off the path to Altand. She was trapped with some mushrooms that mess with your head, I got her out. She appears to have no memory at all. She is easy to get along with. I tried to find someone who knew her but had no luck. Tobin here, however, saw an invisible sensor trying to observe her on our way to Waterdeep. She is likely more than she seems, and I’d like to get to the bottom of it. I apologize for bringing this to your home but we have run out of ideas. Tobin, you may also want to tell her about the creatures you saw on the road here at night. They, and Gwen, could be totally unrelated to the cult, or not… but they could be more pressing, either way.”

Lady Silverhand listens carefully to Soar's words. "I will ask the cook to take your little girl to the kitchen; she will be well fed and taken care of, and perhaps will enjoy it - my cook has more grandchildren than she remembers. I will take a look at her later, but I would like to hear what Master Tobin has to tell. There is much to discuss tonight."

It's clear she is willing to fill you in, but wants to hear about your travels first. She does send a servant to look after Gwen; Soar can go with him if she wishes, and then return once Gwen is safely - and quite happily - in the kitchen and in the care of the elderly dwarf cook.

Titus politely declines the rental clothes, instead pulling out a few bibs and bops from his pack, an elegant silk scarf, a shiny brooch, and a black ribbon to tie back his long hair.  In mere moments he looks transformed.  As the other dress in the rented clothes he shrugs a bit 'A trick I picked up years ago, a handful of accessories, carefully applied can transform your appearance in a pinch.'

At Lady Silverhand's estate Titus hangs back, observing his new comrades and listening more than he talks.

Soar allows Gwen to go with the cook, and tells her to try to be helpful and perhaps she could learn something - she hasn’t been in many kitchens that Soar knows of.

She replies, “thank you for your understanding, hospitality, and generosity. I can tell you of our previous engagement, from when we left Waterdeep to our return, or when we met these two gentlemen. What would be best?”

Tobin:

Pulling out the sketch he made of the rider, Tobin waits for the right time in the story to pipe in and share what he saw.

Let us eat and talk at the same time, Lady Silverhand says, gesturing for you all to sit. Elia also sits, remaining silent but smiling faintly and clearly interested to hear the conversation.

The first course is vegetable soup, with a mix of different beans and a spicy tang. "Perhaps we should go through this step by step",  Lady Silverhand says. "Tell me first of your mission to investigate the dragon. Then I will tell you of what has happened in the city since you have been away, though perhaps Titus and Tobin have already spoken of it? Then tell me of your return and how you encountered each other, and I... we..." she nods at Elia, "can speak of what you might do next."

Soar's eyes flash with divine sense, looking more at Elia than Silverhand. "Are you with the Council? Forgive me for not knowing more."

Assuming divine sense doesn't reveal anything more than normalcy, and the response to Elia doesn't reveal anything shocking, she nods in thanks, takes a seat, and eats. It's been a while.

She begins to recount everything. Not too detailed, but also not seeing a reason to leave things out. If Jalt, Bazavur, or even Tobin and Titus make a note to stop her from any key point, she'll pause and allow them to speak whatever they wish. But she is at the end of her particular road and will talk about the task, the mystery in Altand, the initial encounter with the Chuth and Neronvain, the chase through the forest, the evidently useless blessing from the druid, the stakeout and attempt to prepare/ambush, the failure and the fight, the elf prince dropping, the party's fallen, Jalt and Soar waking, and all that unfolded with the dragon's bargain. Their magic items, including the black dragon mask, going to the cult. She takes responsibility for failing to drop the dragon and handle the cultists. Then she talks of raising Tangle and Bazavur, scraping together castoff weapons in Altand and returning to the lair to clear out the remaining cultists, with Chuth, Neronvain, and some other cultists gone. Return to Altand, and return to Daggerford where their old white dragon nemesis made an entrance and they were able to drive it off with the help of Tobin and Titus. She looks to them to take the story from there.

She's a lot more terse than normal -- this isn't a storyteller, this is an after action report and a preparation to offer resignation... to someone she's never met. She keeps forgetting that she can't really quit.

Soar, neither Elia nor Lady Silverhand is celestial, fiend or undead. Both maintain a neutral expression as you tell your tale, which takes a considerable amount of time as you are comprehensive and detailed in your telling.

If any of you would like to gauge their reaction, feel free to roll and Insight check. And if you have anything you would add to this stage of the story, please do add it below.

After you have finished, Lady Silverhand takes a moment, and then speaks. "That must have been a hard tale to tell. Defeat is hard. I have known it myself, on the battlefield as well as in the world of politics. I will not sugarcoat it. It was a defeat indeed, and you know this well I think. This evening we must be honest about that, and look on how we can move forward."

"But, I am getting ahead of myself. I promised to tell you of events in the City of Waterdeep since you left. First of all, there is myself. As I said, Dagult Neverember is no longer the Open Lord of Waterdeep; I have assumed that responsibility myself. Dagult remains in the city and is a member of the Council still, speaking for Neverwinter as he has always done, but I lead the Council now, as it appears no-one else can keep their squabbles from getting out of hand." She sighs, and takes a sip of her wine. "Perhaps I overstate the matter. Despite much bickering, there has been progress in gathering an army to face the Cult of the Dragon and its forces; soldier, scouts, rangers and mages gather to the north of the city and will march when the time is right."

"As for the cult itself, we are watching them. They have a presence in the city - I don't know if they know that we know, but we have been keeping them under observation rather than attempting to expel them. The more we can learn about their specific mission, the better. So far they seem to be keeping the members of the Council under surveillance. It is interesting; there seem to be some different factions, and they do not co-operate well much of the time. I am concerned that this may be a ruse, and they will strike in unison when it suits them. Still, I would rather have them where I can see them, so to speak."

"Now, Master Titus, you have performed well so far, and I would be keen to hear more of this white dragon. But first, I would ask you to share your impressions of these Champions of Waterdeep. How suited do you think they are to the task of facing the Cult and defeating it?" She stares directly at Titus, and waits for an answer.

Tobin:

Tobin listens carefully to the story, adding to his observations about the fight with the white dragon and giving details about the nighttime encounter with the cold riders headed for their city.

Insight:  12

(I'll respond to Insight rolls in direct messages this time, I think.)

Soar insight: 10

Tobin:

The librarian looks up from his journal where he has been furiously scribbling as Soar relates their tale as Lady Silverhand suddenly asks her incisive question.  A flash of insight strikes him as Laeral and Elia share a meaningful glance, and Tobin appears to relax a bit, though whether it is from his insight or not being the target of the Lady’s question is hard to tell.

Titus nods his head and proceeds to cover the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the party with clinical detail, calling up specific moments from the battle with the Dragon or recounting details he gleaned from each of his interviews during their travels.  He's concise and unsparing in his assessment of each of them before ending with a simple declaratory sentence 'In short, while they are individually very capable, they have yet to craft the kind of coordination it will require to dismantle the Cult and defeat the powerful forces arrayed against us.  I fear that without additional intervention this party is likely to continue to fall short of its objectives.'

He breaks eye contact with Lady Silverhand and turns to glance at his erst-while companions 'No offense intended, of course, simply laying things out as I see them.  You all aren't equipped, prepped or kitted to go toe-to-toe with a Wyrm.'

The Lady nods in agreement. Equipment can be provided. But it did not suffice before, nor will it again. Not without - as you say - 'co-ordination'. Or perhaps a better word would be 'leadership'? She looks at each member of the party in turn, but only briefly, and not inviting comment, at least not yet.  For myself, I do not regret the Council's decision to entrust this task to you. Whatever problems your group may have are merely mirrors of those found in the world, and certainly within the Council itself. We are hardly united, yet we must succeed.

The meal comes to an end; it's been a lengthy conversation and an excellent meal, but Lady Silverhand does not seem ready to end it yet. We should turn now to the next steps you will take. I would not wish to be accused of forcing you down any particular path. I have an opportunity to lay before you, one that will aid our cause greatly I believe, but have you other ideas? It may be possible to do both, of course. 

Soar listens to Titus, eyes forward, visibly processing his words. Hands still, next to her mostly-empty plate, meal forgotten. Her mind goes through the last, what was it, over a year? Felt like four.

Helping Jasa Redbrooke's family in Greenest with Jalt, Breena, and Elspeth. Finding success in learning about the cult and rescuing captives, and earning the trust of Governor Nighthill, Castellan Escobert and Healer Lasani. And Leosin Erlanthar and Ontharr Frume. Managing to find and track the Cult with the help of Ackyn Selabon in Baldur's Gate and following them with Nate and Nub. Making Ariana, her mentor, proud. Rescuing Princess Oltara with Udays from Lasfelro. Tracking the cult's booty and retrieving some of it, and helping Snapjaw and Longclaw liberate their castle from the bullywugs. Making a deal with Talis, the cult turncoat to sneak aboard Skyreach castle and making Blagothkus the cloud giant an ally to rid the castle of cultists traveling north. Defeating a dragon. Managing more Council business and meeting Tangle and Bazavur. Rescuing Maccath, and learning about the drakkhorn. 

Then returning to Waterdeep and being sent on two missions that turned out to be purposeless (though they did save the world from a yuan-ti godling) and dangerous (though the Cult is gone from the Misty Forest). 

The defeats fall harder. The utter defeat at the hands of Chuth, the loss of their tools, and the mask. Even if she was able to chase off Arauthator, go "toe-to-toe" with it, she knows she has failed. Coordination in this oft-changing group was something she'd been trying to achieve for some time. And failed, plainly. 

"I thought I was full of answers. Solutions. Hope. But I've come up short. A sane person would give up this life and go find a safe place to ride out the storm. Even though I've failed just now, I've done enough in this fight. More than most in Faerun have, and with a grin on my face the whole time, and helping others along the way. I've paid my dues, you could say. But. There's no safe place to ride out the storm. And I can't just give up. It's not in me. My will, and my faith won't allow it. And they'll find me even if I tried to give up and go away. I've hurt their plans too much, they are mad. They want vengeance." She looks at Jalt. She won't speak for him, but she gives him a look that says, 'perhaps we agree on this, if little else.'

"So, next steps? I'm not going anywhere. It's me or them. Us, or them, I think. I'd love to hear your idea, not just the opportunity, but also how we can better work together. My Lady, and Elia, perhaps. And Titus, and Tobin. Tell me what I can do better. What we can do better. The only idea I have? It's to use me, or us, as bait. Make us seem like an irresistible target. Broken, defeated, depleted, and exposed. But we are not broken. We are not defeated. With some help from someone who has our back after we've had others' so many times, we don't have to be depleted. And while we can seem exposed and out on our own, we have allies, perhaps waiting in the wings. Let them come, and we will break them."

"Your idea is probably better. But that's all I have right now," and she pats her empty pockets. "And, it turns out, I still have hope."

Titus shakes his head subtlely as the talk of a leader is broached 'I'm a cleaner, not a leader.  A fixer who can help knit things back together - but not the type to chart a course.'

I will be blunt. The tale you have told of what happened in the Misty Forest will cause division and confusion. The Council will start arguing, pointing fingers and wasting time when they should be united and focused. I believe two things are vital before you meet them. One is to select a clear leader who will speak for you. Soar is the obvious choice, but I have no authority nor desire to impose this upon you. I will ask you to sort it out amongst yourselves.

Lady Silverhand pauses for breath, and glances at Elia, who nods, and then resumes. The second is a victory; an achievement of note that will remind the Council of your past achievements, and give them hope. My friend can tell you more of this.

It is then Elia who speaks, her voice holding a tone of regret. I'm afraid your Council is not the only one divided, and struggling to act in the face of this threat. My own people are less united than they should be, hesitant when they should be confident, discussing and deliberating with little benefit. My name is Otaaryliakkarnos, and I serve on the Council of Dragons, speaking for the silver dragons who are my brethren. So far my people have played little part in the war against Tiamat. That must change, and I believe this is the manifest will of Bahamut. I ask you to come as ambassadors on behalf of the humanoid races, to speak to my kin and convince them to play their part.