The team, fresh out of Xanathar's lair, finally escape back to the surface. Meloon Wardragon, the plucky hero of Force Grey, asks that the team ought to head back to Blackstaff Tower immediately to inform Vajra Safahr the Blackstaff about what has happened. On their way, some of the prisoners depart the team's company. Xia Shung, the bard from the Musician's Guild, informs Ray that she was one of the string quartet performers at the Cassalanter villa who was scheduled to play before the mess at the garden party unfolded - and she was so looking forward to seeing him play, too, after hearing about his performance from the Dragondown festival. In thanks for saving her, she stops by the tavern later and provides a stirring performance about the heroes who saved her in the form of a song called "The Downfall of the Eye Tyrant". Claudio Benzreck, the stuffy noble, departs company with just a short reminder that he wants the team to not speak to anyone about what happened. A few days later, they received a letter from him that he offers them his thanks and again not to repeat what happened to anyone as he's rather embarrassed about the whole affair, and would rather put it behind him as soon as possible... but, if they need a favor that only a man of high society could grant, he'll see what he can do. Arthright Grayfalcon, the dockworking swashbuckler, apologizes for not being of much help, and while he doesn't have too much to offer, he knows plenty of people who associate with the Dock Ward, including many guilds, as he used to be quite a prolific sailor himself but retired from that life to pursue a quiet life of fishing in the harbor. He also offers to take them to a friend of his, a peculiar woman named Grinda Garloth, who owns some kind of sea-worth crab apparatus that she uses to hunt for treasure. The team looks like the enterprising sort and he can put in a good word for them... but she might still test them to see if they are worthy of using it. Hyustus Staget, the City Watch captain of the Dock Ward, regrets that the party had to bail him out of a jam... again. He contemplates retiring after all of this, but says that with Xanathar and the Zhentarim shut down, peace might finally return to Waterdeep. He quietly asks Enigma not to talk too much about his situation because he doesn't want word getting around that he was kidnapped twice in a span of a few months, but in exchange, he's willing to make some allowances if the team needs special City Watch help in the Dock Ward area. While it can't be anything egregious or that puts citizens at risk, he might be willing to overlook a crime or send a convenient City Watch patrol to a location if it serves the city's interests. The rest of the team continues on to Blackstaff Tower to report to Vajra. Mirt is still there, of course, and Vajra takes them to her war room to discuss the events. Upon learning that Nihiloor was destroyed, she rewards the team with an item they had been thinking about during an earlier exchange, a Cape of the Mountebank! Anyone can wear it to trigger a Dimension Door spell, which could be a great infiltration or extraction tool if used at the right time. In addition, Vajra takes the two invalids from Nihiloor's lair off their hands, stating she'll take care of them and make sure they're restored to full mind and body. Mirt also follows up with his thanks for completing the task of acquiring Sylgar and everything else going on with a set of Potions of Advantage, which can grant the team an edge at a critical moment. Meloon Wardragon states that he didn't expect to survive his gambit against Xanathar, fully expecting to clash head on with the eye tyrant, but had a change of plans half-way through and instead lead Xanathar and his goons on a wild goose chase, still buying Enigma enough time to escape as he had planned, while still somehow giving Noska and his men the slip on his way back to the team. Meloon says that he's going to cool off for a while until Vajra calls him away, and he'll be sticking around at the tavern to help protect it. He doesn't even need payment - just some good food and drink to keep him company until this whole thing blows over is enough! Marcellus unfortunately would not be returning to the tavern - he informs Ray that he and Mirt think that, after what happened, Jarlaxle might try and make some kind of play to get his unicorn back, which is currently being hidden at House Ulbrinter. He intends to stay with Renaer and guard it alongside Remallia Haventree until the time comes that it needs to be moved or when the Bregan D'aerthe are defeated. It's clear Jarlaxle isn't going to give up on the vault so easily... before departing, however, Marcellus hands Ray a book he found in Ahmaergo's stuff, a bronze trimmed tome with a picture of a draconic woman staring out over the sea on a boat on the cover, titled "Wild Blue Wonder" written by a bronze dragon named Riverdak. He says the book might be of interest to Ray due to his newfound connection with his draconic origins... Thorvin Twinbeard thanks the party for getting him out of there. He says he's not going to return to Skullport - he thinks that whatever is left of Xanathar's forces there will not take too kindly to his presence, so he's going to stay at the House of Inspired Hands. Sigurd welcomes him, of course. Thorvin also tells the team that he was able to scavenge a project he was working on the side while they were running around bombing the place. He intended on finishing it, but Xanathar assigned him to work on the wretched machine that made plaster from the statues of people he petrified. He thinks that he could easily finish it with the help of the House of Inspired Hands, and asks them to visit him in a day or two to check on his progress. After divvying up the loot, the team decide to head back to the tavern and relax after the mess they just managed to survive (realizing their new capabilities along the way), and contemplate their next steps. Sigurd lays out the options - the team could head to the Brandath Crypt right now and try to open the Vault, or they could try and deal with Jarlaxle first. The team collectively is worried that Jarlaxle will make a play on them when they have the vault open, as he is very sneaky and cunning, so they figure to ambush him first before he does the same to them! They bide their time for now, and over the next few days, a few events take place... First, they visit the House of Inspired Hands and visit Valetta and Thorvin there. Thorvin presents his finished project - some kind of strange crossbow-esque contraption called an Alchemist's Firethrower, which repurposes alchemist's fire to be used as a sticky projectile and can occasionally belch jets of intense flame over a small area. Anybody with crossbow training can use it, but the team elects that Enigma might get the most use out of it. Valetta also confirms that she's heard of the woman named Grinda Garloth, who owns something called an Apparatus of Kwalish - in fact, Valetta has made attempts to study it in the past but was rebuked at the time and driven away. She says that it is an incredibly marvel of technology and could be used to explore the sea - and perhaps get close to Jarlaxle's ships, as he is likely on high alert after everything that's happened. She will plan accordingly when the time comes - as a cleric, she can bring some useful spells to the situation. Unfortunately, she had to decommission her gatling gun as the City Guard would not continue protecting her unless she did, as it was deemed too dangerous, so she can't bring that. She does mention that in order for Jarlaxle to be taken out of the running, the team will have to do something about his ships as a whole and possibly steal his submarine, the Scarlet Marpenoth, of which there is actually a model on display in the temple. The model gives the team some ideas on how they might infiltrate Jarlaxle's operation... Later on, they pay a visit to Grinda's place, assisted by Arthright Grayfalcon who shows them the way. She lives in Mistshore, the rundown, burnt-out section of the Dock Ward, and meet the cranky old hag, who is displeased Arthright has brought more people to her abode but tolerates them for the time being. She says she moved out here in order to avoid having people bother her (a ploy that seems to have failed) and when questioned why that is, she admits that she used to run with the Xanathar's guild a long time ago. Occasionally, some buffoon named Noska Ur'gray comes by and tries to get her to sign back on but she refuses. She desires to keep to herself and continue hunting for treasure in Deepwater Harbor. In any case, Grinda allows the team to borrow the Apparatus of Kwalish... on the condition that they first use it to hunt for treasure. Sigurd is all too pleased to be given the chance, while Enigma, who tags along (as the machine can only host two people) is less than excited. Ray swims along nearby given his underwater capabilities, but Yuan, Io and Arthright remain at the shack, as Yuan is forced to tolerate long, boring, tedious, and probably dubious fishing stories by Arthright while the others are away. It actually goes rather well... although Ray notes that there is a predator lurking about the waves which they were not informed of, a rather large shark which they've actually had a run in with before. Fortunately, it is too far away to notice the team and they manage to elude its notice. That might be an issue later, though... Grinda seems pleased that the team was able to come back unscathed. As per the deal, she would take half the treasure and allow the party to keep the other half of what they found, and she allows them to borrow the apparatus for their own purposes when the time comes. This could be useful in sneaking aboard Jarlaxle's ship! Enigma is less than pleased with the experience... Later that day, the team heads to Lightsinger Theatre to watch Ireena Kolyana and many others finally perform. Many of high society are in attendance, as well as that of the Han family and several key authority figures such as Laeral, Vajra, Mirt and Jan. Much to Enigma's delight, he also gets to witness Victor and Chewy perform as the Hydragon Quartet! After the performance, they return to the tavern to actually find Victor and Chewy waiting for them, and they stop by for a drink and tell a tale or two. Victor relates how the situation with the Cassalanter children is going. Unfortunately the Han family haven't had much luck in figuring out a way to break the contract that Victoro and Ammalia set up, though they did manage to finally capture Osvaldo, but Solo's pulling a favor with an old friend, someone who helped him during his adventuring days and who knows how souls work better than anyone - a lizardfolk theurge by the name of Driette. The party seems surprised he knows of her, but Victor isn't surprised at their knowing of her. "Hah! That old pile of scales is always hard at work somewhere in the background. She helped us out a long time ago, you know - provided the information and secrets we needed to take out a longstanding enemy of Solo's... a lich and his monstrous forces. Even got into the thick of things at the very end, and whoo boy, her magic is something else. She still visits Sanctuary from time to time to do business and trade notes with Solo. Don't let her literally cold exterior get to you too much. She has her own way of caring for us, even if she isn't very good at showing it." Victor mentions the Han family will be returning to Sanctuary soon, taking the Cassalanter children with them (who are doing well in the face of everything, at least), and are relinquishing the Cassalanter estate to the city in the meantime while they try and sort out the whole Asmodeus issue, having struck a deal with Laeral. If the Han family can salvage their souls, the Cassalanter children can take over as rightful heirs to the Cassalanter lineage, with Osvaldo Cassalanter becoming the new head of the estate if they are able to save him. It's a daunting task, and time is running short, but they've got to try... the children, of course, don't know the terrible fate that might await them if they fail. They are also unaware of their parents' own involvement in that fate - only that Mommy and Daddy made a mistake and have to go away for a while. At the very least, the children, who were privately tutored and never allowed to leave the estate, are excited to see Sanctuary and play with the likes of Chewy and others. With that, Victor and Chewy depart their company (albeit less than gracefully, as Chewy has a bit of trouble getting through the door). The last remaining business comes in the form of a message that Xalvador, the tavern manager, relays - he has a message from his contact in the Vintners', Distillers', and Brewers' Guild, a man named Hammond Kraddoc who supplies the tavern with new spirits and alcohol. Xalvador says that Hammond has mentioned Mr. Hatchett, the owner of Hatchett Brewery that is being built where Frewn's Brews used to be, has recently completed construction and he wishes to take the party on a tour of the facilities since they'll be working close together, before the brewery officially opens, while they're getting workers and supplies in place. Xalvador says to let him know if they want to take him up on the offer to make the arrangements. The team would have some time to themselves before their upcoming siege of the Sea Maidens' Faire. Things are coming to a head now, and after Jarlaxle is dealt with, the final remaining location, Brandath tomb, is all that remains. What could be there... Sigurd says he's going to do some investigation on his own regarding that, and see what he turns up, as the rest contemplate their next moves... Sigurd also mentions one final thing - it has occurred to him that Jarlaxle must keep mass quantities of smokepowder aboard the Sea Maidens' Faire, as Nar'l Xibrindas, the BD spy, had to have acquired it somehow since he was connected to the Bregan D'aerthe. Should this be the case, that might be an interesting - and explosive - opportunity to knock out one of Jarlaxle's ships! What awaits the team aboard the Sea Maidens' Faire? And what will Sigurd discover through his investigation of the Brandath family? How are they connected to the Vault of Dragons? Find out next time, on Waterdeep: Dragon Heist!