Smoll and Reade make a quick threat assessment of rooms surrounding the dining room and discover that Gralhund prisoner and Stone of Golor absconder Urstul Floxin has been liberated from the parlor at the expense of two house guards.
The party hustles upstairs toward the sound of fighting where, according to the debriefed servants, three children and a nimblewright are at risk. The battle of Zhent thugs versus Gralhund guards rages on amid many dead of each. The dwindling number of surviving witnesses pleases lawyer Luth, but only in a legal defense way.
Reade spots Urstul in a smallroom to the south attempting to beat down a door. When the party swoops in to help the house guards defeat the Zhent aggressors, Urstul abandons his quest and leaps over Reade to escape. Togy chases him into a ballroom and through a stained-glass window into the alley below. Luth magically sleeps out glass-embedded Urstul from the busted window above.
Togy collects sleepy Urstul back to Gralhund Manor pantry before the city watch can arrive. Smoll, having already crushed everyone in need of crushing upstairs, takes charge of binding and interroging Urstul in the pantry.
Upstairs, personable Janky smooth talks his way through a door, object of Urstul’s earlier pique, where he meets Lord Gralhund barricaded in his study. Of note are several caged, winged snakes, conspicuous symbols of Zhentarim; a circle of half duplex teleportation, destination unknown; and some unknown possession that Lord Gralhund stashes in the room just before opening the door. Conflicted and apprehensive, yet grateful for the rescue, Lord Gralhund supposes that the adventurers work for Zhent recruiter Davil and refer them to his overbearing wife, one room over, for any inquiries regarding that Stone of Golor.
While Luth admires the teleportation circle, Janky and Reade coax out Lady Gralhund and her half-orc, yet all-imposing, bodyguard. A contest of assertions and threats informs the party that the Lady’s nimblewright has safely secreted away the Stone of Golor, but its destination remains her safe secret. Lady Gralhund plays the, “City watch is on their way, and it would be a shame if you were still here when they arrive” card. Reade plays the, “We have Urstul, your liberated Zhent prisoner, and he’ll sing like a snake bird” card.
- The Gralhund Manor incident reveals a schism within the Zhentarim faction resulting in open violence over possession of the Stone of Golor.
- Lady Gralhund appears to be the ambitious leader of some sort of Zhent faction break or coup.