The explosion outside the front door of Lif’t leaves a giant crater and eleven fatalities: five human, of which two are Zhent; five halflings; and a gnome. Reade liberates a pouch of gemstones and a dagger from the gnome who seemed to be at the targeted geometric center of the fireball. This does not go unnoticed by a fussy busybody across the street whom Luth must charm into taking a 5 gp bribe to close her snitching mouth.
On a hot tip from herbalist Fala, Reade sprints after a limping, sewer-footed, cloaked, human survivor who took something off the fireballed gnome before escaping into the alley behind Lif’t toward The Bent Nail. Luth and Smoll follow to back up Reade, but the perp eludes them.
Togy finds a pair of eyewitnesses to interview. A little boy outside the building across the street from Lif’t observed an amulet fall into a rain barrel just as his halfling friends were blown up. Togy trades a couple of bird skull finger puppets for the dangerous amulet. The other witness, a wealthy waterdhavian, observed a puppet-like mechanical man toss something explosive from the same roof into the crowd in front of Lif’t.
Sergeant Cromley shows up with a contingent of city watch who cordon off the street and Lif’t customer entrance and transport the victims back to a basement morgue in the north ward. Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors investigator Barnibus Blastwind studies the scene and interviews witnesses. They take a civil forfeiture of the 500 gp gemstone pouch from Reade and the amulet of fireball from Togy.
Reade makes a visit to bookseller Rishaw to inquire about the witnessed bomb tossing “puppet”. The others receive visiting Broxley to request a cease-and-desist parle with Frewn regarding rat releases, kidnappings, and firebombings.
The party next visits Harper Mirt’s manse but he still does not answer his door.
Next up is a check-in with Force Gray who not only answer the door but also furnish some primo wine and snacks until an audience with Vajra can be had. Vajra offers the services of a sympathetic cleric to surreptitiously infiltrate the morgue and speak with the gnome decedent. While that cleric is dispatched, Vajra points the party in the direction of the local Gond temple, House of Inspired Hands, where they might find a rare nimblewright fitting the description of the fireballing “puppet”.
Smoll hangs back to oversee repairs and cleanup of blast damage and the successful reopening of Lif’t while the rest of the party visits the Gond temple. Disciple Valleta shows the party up to the attic where Nim, the live-in nimblewright, maintains a very productive workshop. It turns out that Nim has secretly constructed a nimblewright companion who has been at large for a couple of weeks. Displeased Valleta orders dismantling and removal of Nim’s workshop tooling and supplies. The party offers to locate the rogue nimblewright and, for a 500 gp reward, bring proof of its destruction. Nim quickly transfers some items to the party before confiscation:
Nimblewright locator begins spinning a little umbrella the closer it gets to any non-Nim specimen, carried by Reade.
Metal cube with a crank and switch that synthesizes barking dogs when wound and placed on a surface, carried by Smoll.
Stilt tubes with shoes on the ends, carried by Luth.
Backpack of parachuting, carried by Janky.
Metal pipe of ignition, carried by Togy.
The party returns to Lif’t for the night. The next day a courier arrives from Vajra with a dossier of the clerical infiltration. The cover letter warns of the gravity of the situation.
Name: Dalakhar.
Employer: Open Lord of Waterdeep Degalt Neverember.
Objective: Steal the Stone of Golor and deliver it to a trustworthy and virtuous group of adventurers competent to safeguard such an invaluable artifact.
Starting Inventory: Pouch of gemstones, dagger, black cloak, Stone of Golor.
Opposition: Considering the Stone of Golor was stolen from the Xanathar and earnestly sought by the Zhentarim, indeed anyone remotely interested in tremendous wealth, opposition is everyone.