Waterdeep: Dragon Heist Fronts - Cassalanters

The Goal

Above all else, the primary goal for the Cassalanters is to save their children from the Faustian deal they made with Asmodeus. If they must sacrifice the success of any of their other aims, they will do so in an instant.

In addition to the above, the pair is also in political conflict with the Open Lord and the Masked Lords of Waterdeep. Having ascended to the pinnacle of the noble caste, they now aim to rule Waterdeep. With all of the conflict erupting in the streets between the Xanatharians and the , they see now as an opportune time to put extra pressure on the established rulers.

The Plan

Unlike the Zhentarim and the Xanatharians, the Cassalanters ultimately only care about saving their children. They will postpone any other goal without hesitation if necessary.

Primary Goal - Saving the Children: Paying With Coin

The Cassalanters have two paths to saving their children. The first, and most preferred, way is to buy back the souls of their children using the cache of embezzled dragons.

This presents a number of issues. Firstly, they must avoid being visibly involved with other factions. They have carefully curated a reputation throughout the city and making deals overt deals with either the Luskans, Xanatharians, or the Zhentarim would put that in danger. Additionally, it would invite attention from other factions like the Open Lord and Force Grey.

Having said that, the Cassalanters are no strangers to secrecy. If the opportunity presents itself under the right conditions they would be willing to align with another faction as long as they can remain at a distance. The most likely ally would be Manshoon.

If they are unable to strike a deal for the eyes, they will attempt to acquire them through other means. Like Xanathar, they will engage third parties to perform the actual crimes. This could be the heroes themselves, or it could be another smaller faction.

As the contract's deadline approaches, their desperation will intensify.

Primary Goal - Saving the Children: Paying With Souls

Should the Cassalanters fail to accrue enough dragons to make the payment, they will default to their contingency plan. They will use the Lieruin celebration (if your campaign is not happening in the spring then choose a different holiday to represent the feast) as a cover to commit the atrocity. On this holiday, noble houses will open their doors to the less fortunate, oftentimes providing hot meals, while performers spin tales with illusions.

Ammalia is known for her philanthropic work, particularly for running a number of soup kitchens in the Field War. She will use these soup kitchens to spread word of their feast. Her reputation of caring for the less fortunate works as the perfect cover for the scale of the feast the Cassalanters plan to host.

As an additional cover, the party will be much larger than the 99 souls needed. The invitation is open to all who wish to attend from the Field Ward. They have also invited a number of nobles (likely members of the Cult) and other influential members of the community. Only a few guests, randomly chosen from the lower class crowd, will be served the poisoned food.

To create another layer of distance from the sacrifice, they have left all planning of the event to Willifort and Jandar. This includes deciding who will receive the tainted dishes.

Secondary Goal: Ruling Waterdeep

After striking the deal with Asmodeus, the Cassalanters began their meteoric rise through the ranks of nobility. The very nature of their business, banking, and money lending gave them relevance while their philanthropic endeavors cemented their legitimacy. They now sit at the apex of the ladder and are setting their eyes on the city itself.

This would ideally manifest as Victoro assuming the position of the Open Lord. However, that chair has been occupied for the last three years by the Witch-Queen of the North, Laeral Silverhand. Understanding that the seat would likely not naturally become available, the Cassalanters hope to create political and social tension between Laeral, the other nobles, and the citizens of Waterdeep. Should Laeral be voted out of office, Victoro would likely be the next Open Lord.

Bases of Operations

Cassalanter Villa - Primary

Sea Ward, Temple District - Dragon Heist, pg. 117

An extravagant estate with dozens of lavish chambers for the masters of the house and their guests. It rests atop an ancient temple of Siamorphe which has been recast for Asmodeus.

Asmodean Shrine

North Ward, Mansion Hills East - Alexandrian

A nondescript residence that has been repurposed as a hidden shrine dedicated to Asmodeus. Was purchased by the Cassalanters upon discovering an ancient Hell Cyst below the house.

Converted Windmill - Satellite

Southern Ward, Waymoot - Dragon Heist, pg. 88

An off-the-books property purchased by the Cassalanters. They now use it as a meeting location for lesser members of the Cult.

Family Mausoleum

City of the Dead - Dragon Heist, pg. 70

The Cassalanters will only use their family mausoleum for small meetings in which they wish to ensure complete secrecy.

Tactics

“Partnerships”

It is absolutely essential that the Cassalanters maintain the façade they have carefully crafted. In order to do so, they will work through other parties. These may be other noble houses, guilds, or even other factions. Before collaborating with these external entities, Victoro will ensure he has some form of collateral.This can take many forms. Whether it is information, gold, loyalty, or some other mechanism, Victoro will not hesitate to squeeze if he feels he is losing control of the situation. Many such deals are made without the other party truly understanding the position that they are putting themselves in.

Information Gathering

Victoro uses imps and spined devils in a variety of ways. The first is to gather information. The imps will often assume the form of ravens so that they can eavesdrop on conversations throughout the city. The spined devils will act as additional eyes, watching from the rooftops.

Politics

The Cassalanters are also using the conflict between the Zhentarim and the Xanatharians to put extra pressure on the Open Lord. As the conflict continues to escalate, they will use their influence to plant the idea that Laeral is not in control of the situation. These whispers will start with other nobles at the Cassalanter’s gatherings, but will eventually spread to the heads of the guilds with who they work closely. They will also plant stories in the papers and ‘actors’ in taverns to spread the rumors to those outside their social circles.

As the conflict persists, they will increasingly amplify their philanthropic efforts. These efforts will be very public so that, as the city becomes more and more frustrated with the Open Lord, they are made to appear as the saviors of the city.

To ensure the pressure continues, they will use their contract with Asmodeus to ensure that devils continue to terrorize the city in controlled intervals. The more fear and uncertainty about the safety of the citizens they can create, the more likely they will be successful.

Domination

These tactics are the last resort and will only be used if the Cassalanters are truly desperate.

Victoro has both the rod of rulership and the ability to cast charm person, command, and dominate person. Ammalia can cast friends, charm person, suggestion, and confusion.

Members

References

1. Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (Amazon)

2. Death Masks (Amazon)