Vault of Dragons/Transcript

Vault of Dragons
Stop the Xanathar from raiding the Vault of Dragons!
Area	Goal		Quests & Cinematics
Bruenor:	Oi, elf. Ye feelin' better after a bit o' Celeste's restorin'?
Jarlaxle:	I suppose. Everything's foggy, though. Like I can't quite remember certain events that have happened recently, preventing Nayeli from questioning me on them.
Nayeli:	Convenient.
Jarlaxle:	Isn't it, though?
Bruenor:	Less speakin' and more sneakin', both o' ye. 'Tis a safe bet that there's more o' tha Cassalanters' devil-worshipin' lackeys down here. And them Zhents ain't likely ta clear out on their own...
1	Defeat 25 Monsters		It's time to head into the Vault of Dragons! But devil cultists and their fiendish servants are the vault's first line of defense!
2	Defeat 25 Monsters		As the devils are driven back, Zhentarim spies join the fray!
3	Collect 25 Coin Pouches		No Zhentarim ever fought for anything but money -- so lightening the purses of these mercenaries might throw them off!
4	Defeat 25 Monsters		As fast as you drive them back, still more Zhents push in!
Nayeli:	Haven't you had enough, villains? The Black Network's claim on the Vault of Dragons has already cost you more lives than you can afford.
Zhentarim Assassin:	Your bravado flatters me, paladin. But your ignorance is your best feature by far. The Zhentarim are in this fight to win the hoard of the vault. And destroying the so-called Champions will be a fine bonus when it's done.
5	Defeat the Zhentarim Assassin		The Zhentarim assassin who leads this mob of Black Network fighters thinks her forces can stand against you. Show her the error of her ways!
Nayeli:	They're scattering, as I thought they would. The Zhentarim are leaderless opportunists, nothing more.
Bruenor:	I dunno. We been crossin' paths with 'em in tha city once too often if ya ask me. Some o' tha Black Network's plots run themselves just fine, whether they're answerin' ta a leader or no. But we gotta keep movin' fer now. Come on!
6	Defeat 25 Monsters		A last force of Zhentarim makes a rearguard attack! Send these spies on their way!
Bruenor:	That's tha last o' them Zhents run and gone. Nothin' like tha sound o' fleein' footsteps.
Jarlaxle:	You'd do better with your directional hearing if you took your helmet off once in a while. One of those sets of footsteps is coming toward us.
Chadwick:	Champions! It's so good to see you.
Celeste:	It's good to see you, Chadwick. But what are you doing here alone?
Chadwick:	I and the other apprentices split up to retrieve the dragonstaff of Ahghairon.
Bruenor:	Oi! Barok Clanghammer don't have tha staff?
Chadwick:	No. The attack on the Vault of Dragons caught us all by surprise. The staff is hidden in Barok's library, but it's proving almost impossible to find a safe route to it.
Nayeli:	Then we'll follow you. The staff might tip the balance in this fight -- meaning we can't let the Xanathar's servants get to it first.
Chadwick:	Follow me, Champions. These deep halls of the Vault of Dragons are all but forgotten.
Celeste:	The forces assaulting the vault would have had no reason to come down here, then. This might give us a chance to get ahead of them without a fight.
Jarlaxle:	I hate to interrupt anyone else's wishful thinking, but there's a suspiciously loud scuttling sound in the darkness to all sides of us.
Bruenor:	Oi, Chadwick. When ye called these halls forgotten, is there any chance ye were forgettin' what's down here?
Chadwick:	Perhaps a small chance...?
7	Defeat 25 Monsters		These empty sections of the Vault of Dragons aren't as empty as you thought! Hit these arachnids hard!
8	Collect 25 Spiderwebs		A pack of web spinners is intent on hemming you in. Cut through!
9	Defeat 25 Monsters		The longer this fight goes on, the more spiders are drawn to it!
10	Defeat the Tarantula		A monstrous tarantula has driven the rest of this spider mob into a frenzy! Take these vermin down!
Chadwick:	We're near the end of the empty vaults. That should be the last of the spiders. I hope.
Celeste:	We've covered a good distance either way. I just hope that the treasure of the vault is still secure.
Nayeli:	Voices ahead. The Xanathar's forces, no doubt.
Jarlaxle:	I don't think so. Whoever's giving orders is speaking Draconic.
Bruenor:	Oi! I can see 'em now. That's tha Cult o' tha Dragon! They must o' pushed in behind us after we trounced 'em at tha entrance ta tha vault.
Nayeli:	Every villainous organization in Waterdeep is after the hoard here. If these blackguards end up fighting each other, it might work to our advantage.
Bruenor:	Pretty sure that's gonna be a big 'if.' Here they come!
11	Defeat 25 Monsters		These dragon cultists stand between you and the dragonstaff of Ahghairon. Don't let them slow your quest!
12	Defeat 25 Monsters		The cult appears to have brought out its entire membership for this fight! Watch yourselves!
Chadwick:	We're here! The library! But the doors are open already...
Dragonwing:	There they are. Finish the vault's defenders! The dragonstaff of Ahghairon will be ours!
Bruenor:	Oi. Looks like them cultists is on tha same track as us.
Nayeli:	Then they'll be the first group to fall. They can't be allowed to claim the staff! Champions, hit them hard!
13	Collect 25 Daggers		The cultists have you surrounded -- and seem intent on taking you down at range! Disarm these dagger fighters while you can!
14	Defeat 25 Monsters		Close-quarters fighting in the library is slowing you down. Push through!
15	Defeat the Dragonwing		The dragonwing leader of these cultists prepares her followers for a savage counterattack!
Chadwick:	Here it is! The dragonstaff of Ahghairon! We've done it.
Nayeli:	I suspect we're only half done. The dragon cultists aren't likely to just let us walk away with this prize.
Bruenor:	Agreed. Ye hang on tight ta that staff, lad. Everybody on me! Then get ready fer another push!
16	Defeat 25 Monsters		The scattered dragon cultists are regrouping in an attempt to seize the dragonstaff. Hit them hard!
17	Defeat 25 Monsters		Dragon cultists on one side of you -- devil cultists on the other! These devotees of Asmodeus are trying to cut you off!
Bruenor:	Them dragon cultists is finally scattered. And they was scatterin' somethin' else as they went, looks like.
Celeste:	They were carrying gold dragon scales, just like we saw at the vault entrance. The Stone of Golorr said that the vault was being guarded by a gold dragon. At my best guess, the cultists must have planned to perform some ritual to control that guardian.
Nayeli:	Then we'd best make sure they can't reclaim that ritual's components. Or let anyone else claim them. Come on!
18	Collect 25 Gold Dragon Scales		Though the dragon cultists have fled, patrols of devil cultists and Zhentarim pick up your trail!
19	Defeat 25 Monsters		The Asmodeus cultists scatter quickly -- but a new force of Zhentarim step quickly into the breach!
Bruenor:	Oi. Is it just me, or is that cloaked blackguard leadin' tha Zhents lookin' familiar?
Nayeli:	Villain! I wondered when you'd turn up again. Or is this merely another of your simulacra, putting your cowardice on display for all to see?
Zhentarim Wizard:	So good to see you too, Champions. The time is right to claim what's mine -- and to deliver payback for your interference in my plans.
Nayeli:	Hiding behind threats won't protect you any better than that mask does.
Zhentarim Wizard:	Indeed? You mean to tell me you still don't know who I am? You have no idea the forces you stand against? How quaint. Take them!
20	Defeat the Cloaked Zhentarim Wizard		This cloaked wizard has threatened you once too often. Take him down!
Bruenor:	Feh! Another fight where that wizard slinks off in tha end. That one's slippery as an eel.
Nayeli:	A coward at heart, like all the Zhentarim. When the odds are against them, they'll break.
Jarlaxle:	With or without their leader, it looks like the rest of them are recalculating the odds as we speak. Get ready!
Chadwick:	There's so many of them! I don't know how Barok can be holding his own against them.
Nayeli:	Take heart in the fact that the Zhents are still struggling to control this area. If they had overcome Barok and claimed the vault, we'd know it. But we need to keep moving!
21	Defeat 25 Monsters		The last push to the Vault of Dragons is in sight -- but every Zhentarim in Waterdeep seemingly stands between you and your goal!
22	Defeat 25 Monsters		The Zhentarim are falling back -- to set you up for ranged attacks from the shadows!
Bruenor:	Them Zhents is fleein' so fast they're droppin' coins behind 'em.
Celeste:	And not just any coins. Look! Gold dragons straight from the city's mint. These are from the hoard, I'd wager.
Nayeli:	Then here's where we'll start ensuring that Lord Neverember's embezzled wealth is returned to the people of the city. Come on!
23	Collect 25 Misplaced Dragons		Leave no coin behind! All the wealth of the Vault of Dragons must be claimed for the people of Waterdeep!
24	Defeat 25 Monsters		Another gauntlet of Zhent spies stands fast to drive you back! Push on!
25	Defeat the Black Pudding		A monstrous black pudding patrols this section of the Vault of Dragons! And the Zhents are making use of it to set up a two-pronged assault!
Bruenor:	That's tha last o' tha Zhents fled finally. Or is they just regroupin' again?
Jarlaxle:	No, they're falling back. Because they can see what's coming. Xanathar Guild scouts ahead! It looks like the beholder's forces are finally getting ready to put in an appearance.
Bruenor:	Oi! Ye called that one right, elf. That's an occupyin' force tha Xanathar's set up across that bridge.
Chadwick:	It's a gauntlet we'll need to run. The bridge is the only route through.
Bruenor:	Then best we get movin'. Wouldn't want ta keep a beholder waitin'!
26	Defeat 25 Monsters		The servants of the Xanathar stand arrayed against you -- and seemingly surrounding the heart of the Vault of Dragons!
27	Defeat 25 Monsters		Crossing this crumbling bridge would be difficult at the best of times -- and a hail of ranged attacks from Xanathar Guild fighters won't make it easier!
Jarlaxle:	Incoming! Those fighters at the edge of the bridge are getting ready to throw something.
Celeste:	Those are flasks of alchemist's fire! If that heat causes enough of the stones of the bridge to fissure, the whole structure might collapse!
28	Defeat 15 Alchemist Fire Flasks		The Xanathar's lackeys are looking to destroy the bridge -- with you on it! Secure these flasks of alchemist's fire before it's too late!
Bruenor:	Them Xanathar fighters is runnin'! We done broke through!
Jarlaxle:	Their defensive line isn't the only thing broken through! The bridge is collapsing!
Celeste:	Bruenor! Nayeli! Is everyone all right?
Bruenor:	I think we're all accounted fer and none tha worse fer wear, Celeste. But oi, that were quite tha drop!
Jarlaxle:	We must be two storeys or more below the vault. Thankfully, the slope of the chasm slowed the descent.
Bruenor:	Still made a ton o' noise, though. And looks like that noise brought some company...
Xanathar Commander:	I tell you, something crashed down here. I told those fools that bridge wasn't... safe...
Bruenor:	Oi, friend! We was just about ta finish conductin' some business with yer associates upstairs. But I'm sure they won't mind if we deal with ye first!
29	Defeat 25 Monsters		You could all use a respite after that near-death drop. But a Xanathar Guild patrol has other ideas!
Xanathar Commander:	Fools! The Vault of Dragons is ours. The Xanathar will be here soon. Run while you have the chance if you want to save yourselves from his wrath!
Nayeli:	Believe me, villain, facing off against the Xanathar is a thing I've been looking forward to. Turn and run if you want to save yourselves -- and lead us to the beholder while you do!
30	Defeat the Xanathar Commander		This commander's empty threats mean nothing to you. Show these lackeys what their master can expect to face!
Bruenor:	I'm feelin' like we're getting close ta tha end o' this dungeon stonework. Chadwick, ye got any sense o' where we are?
Chadwick:	I think... yes! If we carry on straight through, we'll reach the main halls of the vault once more.
Jarlaxle:	I don't think we'll be the only ones taking that route. Look sharp!
31	Defeat 25 Monsters		Giant rats flocking to the noise of the fight are expecting easy pickings. Show them their miscalculation.
32	Defeat 25 Monsters		Another Xanathar Guild patrol catches up to you. Send these lackeys back to their master with the message that the Champions are coming!
Barok:	Who goes there! I swear, I'll send you scoundrels back where you came from the hard way... oh, hello! Chadwick! And the Champions! Well met, all of you.
Chadwick:	Master Clanghammer! We've found you at last.
Barok:	And vice versa, I might say. By the dust on you, I'm guessing you traversed the lower dungeons. The stairs would have been a better choice, I dare say. Ah! But you've brought my staff! Well done.
Bruenor:	Good ta see ye again, friend. And good ta see ye been holdin' yer own in this fight.
Barok:	For now, my good dwarf. But I fear this assault is far from over.
Barok:	Follow me, Champions. We might be able to get ahead of... oh, confound it. Too late.
Jarlaxle:	The Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim are going at it. And looting everything they can get their hands on, by the look of it.
Barok:	No! Those artworks have great sentimental value. Champions, help me retrieve them, please!
Bruenor:	As an invitation ta smash Zhents and Xanathar thugs goes, that one works as well as any fer me. Come on!
33	Collect 25 Pieces of Art		Zhent spies join the party -- and everyone is calling open season on the riches of the Vault of Dragons. Put a stop to this!
Celeste:	Here you are, Barok. But... my word, the style of some of those sketches look familiar. Those portraits of a gold dragon -- are those Nat's work?
Barok:	The young Illuskan girl in Trollskull Alley? Why, yes. I know that urchin well.
Bruenor:	Oi! Less traveloguin' and more combat sloggin'! We got new trouble comin' in!
34	Defeat 25 Monsters		All the forces vying to control the Vault of Dragons understand that the Champions are their biggest obstacle! It's a three-sided attack!
35	Defeat the Galeb Duhr		A galeb duhr roams these halls -- and this multifaction melee just got even more complicated!
Bruenor:	Them Zhent spies and devil cultists is finally breakin'! Looks like tha Xanathar Guild has won tha dungeon fer now.
Jarlaxle:	Lovely. That's going to go straight to their heads. They'll be downright insufferable now.
Nayeli:	I can think of a few ways to turn that into actual suffering. Come, Champions! The Vault of Dragons needs to be reclaimed!
36	Defeat 25 Monsters		A pack of gazers approaches to shore up the Xanathar Guild fighters. Don't let them get close!
37	Defeat 25 Monsters		As Xanathar reinforcements push forward, a hail of ranged attacks hems you in!
38	Collect 25 Gazer Eyestalks		Another force of gazers tries to tip the balance of the fight! Clip the eyestalks off these tiny aberrations to bring them to heel!
39	Defeat 25 Monsters		Each wave of Xanathar fighters you push back just leaves room for more reinforcements to push in!
Nayeli:	Another flock of gazers! Every time we get set to drive the Xanathar Guild fighters back, those flying monsters throw our lines into disarray.
Jarlaxle:	If it's disarray you're looking for, get ready. And listen...
40	Defeat the Gibbering Mouther		A roaming gibbering mouther threatens to turn this bedchamber battlefield into chaos! Take this aberration out, and quickly!
Bruenor:	Looks like we're gonna be successful there -- but not in tha way that counts. Tha Zhentarim again! Hit 'em hard!
41	Defeat 25 Monsters		What seemed like unexplored halls are revealed to be another Zhentarim staging ground!
42	Defeat 25 Monsters		You need to find the Xanathar -- and these Zhent rabble are intent on getting in your way!
43	Collect 25 Zhentarim Spy Symbols		The Zhents draw strength from their allegiance to the Black Network. Claiming their regalia will disrupt their focus!
Deekin:	Boss! Ahead! Treasure, boss! Gold everywhere! We found it!
Barok:	A false alarm, my friend -- courtesy of a false treasure room.
Deekin:	Treasure! Deekin is rich! Deekin retire now! No more adventuring!
Barok:	Deekin, no. It's all an illusion...
Jarlaxle:	Let him be, Barok. It'll take more time to explain it to him than for him to figure it out on his own.
44	Defeat 25 Monsters		This false treasure room has drawn the Zhentarim in. Time to make sure they never leave!
45	Defeat the Dwarf Moneylender		This Zhent master of coin is fighting hard to secure the hoard of the Vault of Dragons. Time to convince this group to consider a new investment strategy!
Deekin:	Doom, boss! More false coins! Deekin too smart to fall for this again.
Barok:	No, my small scaled friend. This is the true heart of the Vault of Dragons. This is the hoard of Dagult Neverember. The hoard to be protected. The cause of all this strife.
Deekin:	Treasure! Gold everywhere! We found it!
Celeste:	Deekin, the gold isn't ours. It belongs to the people of Waterdeep.
Deekin:	Doom...
Jarlaxle:	Yes, all of it belongs to Waterdeep -- after we deal with the small matter of our fee for the defense of the vault, expenses incurred, perhaps an honorarium...
Nayeli:	Not the time, Jarlaxle. Stand fast everyone!
46	Defeat 25 Monsters		You've reached the heart of the vault at last -- and a final pitched battle for control of the hoard!
Barok:	I think we draw close to the endgame here. It's time. Chadwick, my apprentice. Take my staff again, will you? And stand back, everyone.
Bruenor:	Wait, what's tha dwarf doin'... is he...? By me gran's gilded scale mail! Barok Clanghammer just turned inta a gold dragon!
Celeste:	I don't think that's quite true, Bruenor. Is it, Barok? Or should we call you...?
Aurinax:	You may call me by my right name, Celeste. I am Aurinax.
Chadwick:	Master Clanghammer... I... this...
Jarlaxle:	And he's fainted. Deekin, pick the apprentice up, would you? No, Deekin's fainted as well.
Celeste:	The Vault of Dragons is guarded by a gold dragon. So the Stone of Golorr told us. I should have realized it sooner.
Aurinax:	All that's important is that these villains who threaten the vault have remained ignorant. But they'll learn now what it means to waken a dragon's wrath. Fight with me, Champions! For the Vault of Dragons! For Waterdeep!
47	Defeat 25 Monsters		The elite forces of the Xanathar Guild, the Zhentarim, and the cult of Asmodeus are prepared to fight to the last! Which is good news for you!
48	Collect 25 Coin Pouches		The resolve of these enemy forces begins to waver! Seize their gold and hit them hard!
Nayeli:	There! The cloaked wizard is back.
Celeste:	And under powerful protections. That's a globe of invulnerability around him. Reaching him with magic will be difficult. But no... I'm reading even more power in the globe's magic. He's heightened its defenses. He'll be all but invincible behind it.
Aurinax:	Leave the wizard's defenses to me. If I can reach him with my fire, I can overwhelm his magic. But I'll need to be close.
Bruenor:	Ye heard tha dragon. Tight formation! Then attack!
49	Defeat 25 Monsters		The Zhentarim have the upper hand! And their masked master is still beyond your reach!
Nayeli:	Stand, coward! Or will you flee again from the justice you deserve?
Aurinax:	This vault is not yours for the taking, wizard. Stand your forces down and I will show you mercy.
Zhentarim Wizard:	You think I fear you, Champions? You think I fear any dragon? I have faced greater foes than you can conceive of! I have touched the darkness and returned to glory, and I will claim this dragon hoard for the Zhentarim! I am Manshoon, and this city is mine!
Celeste:	No! I should have realized...
Manshoon:	But you were too foolish to see. So let the truth that has eluded you all this time be the last thing you ever learn. Kill them all!
50	Defeat the Manshoon		Manshoon's Zhentarim make their final stand! With Aurinax at your side, the Champions attack!
Bruenor:	Aurinax! Is he all right?
Celeste:	He'll be fine, Bruenor. Manshoon wields powerful magic, but it's fading now.
Aurinax:	What... the fight... Champions, how do we fare?
Bruenor:	Tha fight's done, friend, and that dark-souled Zhent is done with it.
Nayeli:	Can that truly be it? The Xanathar isn't here. Did Manshoon's forces destroy the beholder?
Aurinax:	If they did, it would be fine justice for the city. But whether or no, we need to secure the vault once more. I allowed the bargain I struck with Neverember to hold me here too long. It is past time that this gold was returned to the people.
Nayeli:	There'll be stragglers from all the forces that attacked here still remaining, no doubt. We'll clear them out while you and your apprentices do what you need to do. Then we need to get word to the Open Lord and the Blackstaff of what's happened here.
Bruenor:	Aye. 'Tis a good day fer Waterdeep. But I got a feelin' tha day ain't done quite yet.
Previous: Waterdeep Under Siege		Next: Champions of Waterdeep