Adventures in Everlund
Chapter 7 - Missionaries on a Mission
17th of Mirtul, 1492 DR
The party blinks in the bright morning light, the Hall of the Moon standing tall and regal behind them. They start off along the cobblestone streets toward Ironclad Creations, the city around them bustling with its various morning activities. As they arrive, they are greeted by the rhythmic sound of iron on iron. Stepping under the high ceilings of the forge, they are met with the sight of Hilda’s rippling muscles covered in soot. Her hammer slams down, sparks flying with each blow. Nimly calls out, “Hilda!
Hilda sets down the breastplate she’d been hammering. "Ah, Nimly! Good to see you.” She adjusts the bellows and hangs her tools on a peg. “Your timing is perfect. The armor for Thorn is ready and waiting." She wipes her hands on a grimy cloth and gestures towards a small barrel near the edge of her workbench. “Take a look! And who are your friends?”
Yávië and Valeria introduce themselves to the blacksmith as Nimly and Thorn move over to the armor, running their hands and paws over it and sniffing at it, using their mental bond to confer. The gnome turns back to Hilda with a big smile. “This looks great!”
At Hilda’s gesture, Thorn hops up onto a table. “Alright, let's get you fitted up!” She proceeds to strap and buckle Thorn into the armor, adjusting and showing Nimly how to help the giant rat into and out of his barding. "There, what a fine beasty! The armor fits him perfectly.” Thorn hops down from the table, striking a fierce battle pose in his new studded leather. Yávië laughs as Thorn makes a practice dash across the middle of the workspace, weaving between barrels with agility. She pats his head and admires the armor up close. “Awe, it’s lovely!”
Nimly pats his pockets and turns to his new friends. He coughs and shuffles his feet. “Um, I’m just a few gold pieces short.” He looks brightly at both of them in turn. “Could I borrow 2 gold? I’m good for it!”
“Sure.” Yávië upends her coin pouch into her hand, exposing ten gold pieces. She delicately picks up two and hands them to Nimly. The gnome smiles, “You won’t regret this.” He takes the 2 gold and dumps out all the coins from his own pouch, leaving the lot on the counter. “As agreed, 150 gold, thanks Hilda!”
Thorn walks with a strut as they depart the blacksmith, making their way back out onto the cobbled streets. The armor is surprisingly quiet, without any noticeable clank of metal or squeak of leather. The party heads for the East Barracks in search of Thorne. Yávië talks as they walk. “I need to update you both on a conversation I had last night with Lirael. She revealed that she’s not just a minstrel; she’s also an active member of the Thieves Guild.”
Nimly and Valeria exchange a nod, as both of them believe quite easily that the charismatic and skillful musician is also a thief. The gnome thinks about the gem he gave Lirael last night. He would be upset if someone had stolen it, but he had been happy to part with it for the connection it had made.
Yávië goes on. “I was told that the guild is aware of the bandit problem and they aren’t involved in it. Lirael gave the impression that they do want it solved. She also told me they have some interest in the Celestial Orb, though they do not have it.”
“That’s good to know. I’m not surprised the Thieves Guild has a dim view of the way the bandits have strangled the town. It’s destabilizing and crass; a proper thief will leave you with a smile in addition to your pouch being lighter.” Nimly smiles and shakes his head. “The orb is still out there and we will find it.”
Valeria walks in silence for a time with her gaze thoughtful and far-away. "We could get more out of Thorne on the bandits. How many are there? When do they spell out those on duty? A detail like this could involve as many as 5-15 people, given that they are keeping any eye on the family around the clock.”
Yávië nods along. “Some good questions to ask Thorne.”
The East Barracks comes into view and the party has no trouble getting by the grumpy guards. A different pair is on duty, and it is clear that Anara’s instructions have been handed down. The party enters the building and finds Corporal Thorne in his office. He looks up at them with a countenance heavily burdened by both fear and hope, his hair disheveled and his eyes wide. “My family has been notified. Are you ready to move forward? I’ll follow my normal patterns for the day, and pray to Selûne that my family is saved.”
Nimly pushes the door closed and Yávië steps up to Thorne’s desk. “Yes, let’s talk about patterns. How many bandits are watching your family? Where are they located?”
Corporal Thorne sighs, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. “There are usually two to three guards watching the house at all times. They rotate shifts, but there’s always at least one stationed near the front and one near the back. They may be overly confident though, as no one has challenged them on this.”
Nimly listens, nodding. “Getting your family to safety and avoiding bloodshed where possible will be the goal. May Selûne watch over your family so you and yours can move past this impossible situation.”
Yávië considers. “I may be able to use my skills to completely avoid a fight, though getting your family out of there before the fighting starts would be just as good. Those brutes deserve some steel as payment for their deeds.”
Thorne looks at each member of the party and closes his eyes. "You have all my thanks for this… and from my wife and two small children. We might be free of this soon."
Valeria bows and heads for the door. “We will be in touch after your family is safely hidden away.”
With more of a plan in place, the party leaves the East Barracks. The morning is still cheery and bright. They walk along, sorting out the details. Yávië toys with her necklace as she expands her proposal in avoiding the fight, speculating on ways they may use stealth and trickery. They walk west to the river and follow it downstream, passing Silverleaf Estates and the Enchanting Arcanist shop. The main barracks and armory comes into view ahead of them.
Nimly turns toward Valeria, “It’s past time to introduce you to Captain Anara. We’re about to head into battle and she hasn’t been made aware that Thorne is being blackmailed to help the bandits infiltrate the guard. We will give a progress report on this case.”
Captain Anara stands just inside the main entrance and greets the group as they approach. Her eyes sweep over the party, noticing much and saying little. “Nimly. Yávië. Good morning.” She gestures toward Valeria. “Who is this?”
Valeria smiles, standing a bit straighter. "Well met, Captain Anara. I am Valeria of Colton. Rune Knight and now an Acolyte of Selûne." The captain gives her a slight smile and nods.
Nimly looks around cautiously. “Captain Anara, could we speak privately?”
She nods. “Let's go to my office.” They make their way down a hallway and through a door with a simple placard on it, settling into the available spaces to sit. Sunlight shines through a single window and illuminates a large wooden desk that dominates the center of the room. The surface of the desk is neat and there are a few sparse decorations placed around: a potted plant next to the window, an ornate dagger on a wooden stand, and a few framed commendations on the wall.
Nimly clears his throat, “I’m here to give an update on the investigation. Along the way, I’ve found it necessary to retain two subcontractors…” Thorn squeaks “… two additional subcontractors. They are vital to the success of this inquiry. Our mission has changed somewhat. After interviewing all the parties we could, it became clear that Thorne was acting entirely out of character. When we pushed him, he admitted that he had been blackmailed for about a month to assist bandits to infiltrate the city guard and the supply chains to the city. He gave us this list of known bandits that are likely within the city undermining it at this very moment.” Nimly passes Anara a copy of the names and descriptions.
She takes the list, her expression becoming more serious as she scans Thorne’s list. "This is troubling, indeed. The bandits have been growing bolder. We suspected there might be some infiltration and this confirms it."
“The bandits accomplished all of this by using Corporal Thorne’s family as hostages, holding them as prisoners in their own home.” Nimly begins pacing. “We are on our way to resolve that situation, escorting the family to safety while dealing with bandits on guard there. Afterwards, I advise we make moves against those on this list that think they are still protected by Thorne’s coerced silence.”
With a grim expression on her face, Captain Anara's eyes follow Nimly as he paces to and fro. "That’s troubling news, but I’m not entirely surprised. The bandits have been a growing problem. When they have gone to such lengths, they must be dealt with swiftly and decisively. Your plan to rescue Thorne’s family is sound. Once they are safe, we can focus on rooting out the infiltrators and bringing them to justice."
Valeria listens, before slowly stepping forward. "Captain? As I said before, I come from Colton, which is a walk of about two weeks to the east, through the foothills of the Nether Mountains or the tangled trails of the High Forest. Some bandits attacked me when I was back in that region and I took a map from them afterwards. It appears to show a headquarters. They also had a journal that showed various travel routes taken by merchants and others with valuables." Valeria pulls out the map and the journal.
Captain Anara takes the items from Valeria and ponders them for a moment. "May I keep these? There is a similarity in the bandit operations, even so far away. It’s possible that the leadership is connected." Valeria assents and steps back.
Yávië examines her nails and takes out a knife. “Do you have a preference on how you would like us to deal with the bandits at Thorne’s house once we’ve removed his family to safety?”
Captain Anara frowns. "If it is possible to incapacitate them and return them for questioning, that is my preference. However, if that is not possible, please take whatever measures are necessary to protect yourselves."
Nimly stands. “Understood. We are headed to rescue Thorne’s family now. Before dinner, they will be safe.”
Captain Anara rises, opening a drawer in her desk and removing a small hourglass. With a look that sweeps over those in the room, she begins to sing an enchanting melody, holding the intricate hourglass in her hand. As she sings, a shimmering aura envelops the party, granting them Group Foresight. The party feels a surge of confidence and clarity, ready to face the challenges ahead with advantage on attack rolls granted by Captain Anara's powerful melody. She finishes the song. "May the blessings of Selûne be with you on your mission."
Nimly laughs, “I already knew that you were gonna do that. Well, I already …will have known that you were gonna…” Nimly trails off, confused. Valeria pats the gnome on the shoulder. “Hey, you couldn’t have known. Being a hero can be hard sometimes.”
The party exits the barracks and strides confidently towards the Silverymoon gate, still feeling a bit strange after the effects of Captain Anara’s blessing. Their boots leave the cracked cobbles of Everlund and begin crunching on the dirt road that, should they follow it, would lead all the way to Silverymoon. After a short time out of the city, they see a smaller trail that leads off the main road towards the Thorne family residence.
On alert for anyone who might be following to foil their mission, the party looks around and does not see anyone tailing them. They leave the Silverymoon road and head in the direction of the river, where a number of small farms are hidden away in the forest and rolling hills. The sounds of the city have fully faded by this point. The chirping of birds and the wind in the trees fill the silences as they continue to plan their next moves.
Nimly turns to Valeria as they walk and asks, “Do the Temple of Selûners do house calls?”
Valeria frowns. "What do you mean?"
“Well… I’ve not paid attention to this sort of thing. If we were to wear these initiate’s habits and cloaks, could we get close without suspicion?” Nimly pantomimes holding a book of scripture. “Hello! My name is Initiate Sparkleshine! Have you heard of our Lady of the Moon?”
Valeria looks uncertain. "Hmmm. I’m not sure. I don’t like lying about the Lady of the Moon. I just joined the Temple."
Nimly smirks. “Quite. Shall we don these costumes of religious adherents in earnest… and then try to convert the bandits after we subdue them? You might be able to mark this off for a merit badge.”
Valeria beams. "Now, that could work! I had thought I might act as a diversion at the front while you two get the family out the back. Wearing the habit and cloak will be a great misdirection."
Yávië chimes in. “If I am able to get close to a window on the side of the house, I could get them out almost immediately with Fey Step. The guards will need to be kept busy while we get the family away to safety.”
Nimly stares off into the distance ahead. “I suggest that we capture or kill whatever guards will be present. It will make Captain Anara’s moves more effective if the bandits don’t know their leverage is gone. I volunteer to remain mobile and make sure that a fleeing bandit doesn’t get far. Thorn and I will make short work of any straggler.”
Valeria frowns and holds up an initiate’s habit. “Well… I will clank around and hit things once we get to that point. I’m working on my sales pitch for Selûne so I can make this convincing."
Nimly clasps his hands. “Great! Thorn and I plan to melt away from the group as soon as the house is visible, keeping to the forest and preferably somewhere elevated to keep watch. We will be ready to act. If any runners try to leave or if reinforcements show up, we will handle it.”
Yávië nods at the gnome. “Definitely. I will go around the opposite side of the house and when the moment is right, I’ll Fey Step the family out of there. I’ll run them up to you and Thorn. Valeria will be needing help by then, I expect.”
“Play it by ear. If we sneak the family out and do it well, all the heat will be on you, Valeria.” Nimly takes a few running steps and hops up to clap the knight on the shoulder.
Valeria grins, thumping her chest, "I'm destined for great things. Taking down a bandit operation is just the beginning!"
As the house comes into view, Nimly and Thorn melt away into the forest. Yávië stays hidden and begins to circle around to the far side of the house. Valeria dons her initiate’s robes and begins walking up the path to the front door. As she gets closer, she can make out a scowl from a short stocky man in leather armor standing guard.
Intrepid adventurers and DMs, I hope you enjoyed this tale!
May your rolls be critically high or dramatically low, adding flavor and excitement to your campaigns!