Today is a great day. I think my plan is coming together quite nicely. These so called Sons of Waterdeep aren't very bright and won't know what hit them. Once the Thorp artifact gets stolen from them and sold to a fence I will have 10,000 gold pieces to start putting this family back on the map. It will only be a matter of time before whoever buys the item tries to use it and by that time the old man will be dead and Simon will be under my wing and easily manipulated. I will finally be the head of the family and become rich and powerful. It seems like the sun is brighter and flowers blooming nicer today! Once I told those three mercenary leaders about the item and what it was worth, they couldn't agree to my terms fast enough. The first one to steal the item gets the gold. No rewards for second place. Those goody two shoes Sons of Waterdeep fools have fallen right into my plan. I don't see what the big deal about them is. Oh well, before too long they will either be dead or too beaten to do anything. Hmmm there seems to be a rather heavy knocking at the door. Bah, that old geezer of a butler can deal with it.  I am going to enjoy my wine. What is with all the loud voices? I had better go see what is going on and deal with these peseants. I shall be right back....

Final entry in the diary of Hulameros Rhond before he was apprehended by the Sons of Waterdeep and taken to prison

What an interesting month. When one of my contacts said that the artifact unearthed in Calimshan was now in Waterdeep I was not sure what to do. I have a firm belief that the more powerful the magic item, the stronger the drawbacks. Throughout my studies of history I have read time and again about how some incredibly powerful magic item twisted and perverted the posessor to it's  own needs or desires. I had no desire to own this thing, but it would be great fun to see some of the other houses clamor for it. I decided to hold a ball and once everyone had eaten I revealed to everyone the history of this item and that it was in Waterdeep. The looks on everyone's faces was priceless. I had invited one of the up and coming adventuring groups to attend as well. It put them in a perfect situation to get a contract to retrieve the item. This group, The Sons of Waterdeep as they are called on the streets, has done quite a few good deeds lately and I wanted to get the measure of them with my own eyes. It struck me that they could be wolves in sheeps clothing but after the events that transpired I firmly believe they are honest and good men. For the most part.... It seemed that there was something between The Hawk and Rallick Thorn so I may have to keep an eye on that. I am still surprised that they not only managed to find the item, but they defeated a Bone devil and a Horned devil in the process! Why those two foul creatures were here in the first place is a mystery but I am certainly glad they are gone! Then after talking to all the families about what their best offer was, they came to the conclusion that the item would best be gone from Waterdeep. From near as I can tell the item is somewhere at the bottom of the ocean. They showed an amazing strength of character in making that decision. They passed up riches and influence to make the right decision. I didn't think it fair that they should be penalised for doing what is right so I had one of my men put a chest with some gems in it in one of their rooms. I have confidence that these men are what they appear to be. I think if I need something done in the city I will reach out to them to see it taken care of. Good men are hard to find...

An excerpt from the personal journal of Eremeos Hawkwinter, one of the more powerful noble houses of Waterdeep.

Introspection with a vampire

.It has been over three hundred years since I saw my last sunrise. Oh, how I yearn for the days when I could bask in the noon day sun. Since I could lit my face and feel the warmth of a summer day... I remember with clarity the day my life changed forevermore. My companions and I had just finished clearing out an underground labarynth of caves and tunnels. It was was the lair of a beholder that had been the brains behind an evil organization that was terrorizing the neighbouring lands for years. We had emerged into the daylight somewhat the worse for wear but we had everyone alive and were looking forward to making camp and getting a good nights rest and recover our health and spells. In the middle of the night my watch ahd ended and I was in my bedroll sound asleep when our cleric Dravin cried out and raised the alarm. Before I knew what had happened we had a swarm of undead all around us. We did the best that we could do, but before too long we were falling one by one. I was using the last of my spells when i felt sharp teeth sink into my neck. The last words I remember hearing as a mortal was a dry rasp that said, "Orcus brings you his greetings."  I awoke the next sunset to the unholy embrace of vampiredom. At first I would only drink the blood of animals and continued to be a force for good. Alas, the dark embrace of undeath is pervasive and eventually all consuming. Over the generations my love for art and magic proved to be my undoing. Slowly I changed, became twisted by my desire to get the finest art, or the best magical secrets. Then one day Khelban Blackstaff himself sought me out for a piece of information that only I knew. Khelben knew he couldn’t force the information from me so he struck a deal. A boon of my asking in exchange for the knowledge I possessed. It took all of my might to dredge up the last kernel of good left in my heart to ask Khelben to make me permanently good again. Using a mighty Wish spell Khelban saw it done. His wish couldn't change me back, but what he did do was to channel his mighty energies to petition an audience with the god Lathander. Lathander looked into my heart and saw the good that I had done and still wished to do. A searing pain washed over me as I was bathed in the Light from the Morninglord. As the pain subsided I could feel that the evil that had come to reside in my heart had been cleansed from me never to return again. I was a new man. While still a vampire, my moral compass was restored, and I could continue being a force for good in the world. Orcus lost a powerful servant and I could continue my pursuit of art, knowledge, and magic without worrying about becoming evil again. 

-Finthrex Nevbur Vampire sage of Waterdeep