Chapter 8: Winter Wizardry - Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Chapter 8: Winter Wizardry. Manshoon yearns to rule Waterdeep as a tyrant, take over the Zhentarim, and use both seats of power to plunder and control the Sword Coast. He needs the gold in the Vault of Dragons to pay off Masked Lords and Zhentarim leaders whose support will be instrumental when the time comes to oust Lady Laeral Silverhand as Open Lord. Manshoon has a long list of powerful enemies, among them the Harpers, Elminster of Shadowdale, Halaster Blackcloak of Undermountain, and the Blackstaff of Waterdeep. These enemies would quickly move against Manshoon if they learned he was hiding in Waterdeep. For his evil plans to succeed, Manshoon must operate in the shadows for the time being. Facing Manshoon A head-on battle with Manshoon isn't likely to go well for the characters. That said, the wizard's greatest weakness is that he has powerful enemies in Waterdeep. The risk of exposure keeps him hidden, and the characters can thwart him by furnishing his enemies with proof that he's alive (after a fashion) and operating in Waterdeep. When it comes to Manshoon clones, deciding to "let the city deal with it" is a wise course of action. If the characters find themselves at the evil wizard's mercy, Manshoon will gladly trade their pitiful lives for the Stone of Golorr and the keys to unlock the Vault of Dragons. In exchange for helping him get the gold, he promises the characters 10 percent of the trove (50,000 gp). Manshoon has no intention of honoring this agreement, but it can help buy the characters some time. If the characters manage to kill Manshoon and the local authorities are made aware of the act, no murder charges are filed. Rather, the characters' actions are celebrated. Laeral Silverhand summons them to the Palace of Waterdeep to thank them officially, in her capacity as Open Lord. Sometime later, Vajra Safahr invites them to Blackstaff Tower to thank them for their service and offer them membership in Force Grey. Disrupting Manshoon's Operation Cha...