Quote from CalaQuendi_Silverwand >>

“Frume understand that you would have preferred the hatchery destroyed. Maybe suggested  orders should be more clear.  Also with the hatchery still survived maybe something (or some people) that are more predisposed to good intentions move in.  Nature does not like a vacuum… and likely the handful of cult member remaining will not be much of an impact on the global scale of this mobilization… it is not always wise to attempt to eradicate every ant…” 

“If we are to continue harassing this dragon cult we will need more aid. What is your suggested next course of action? “ 

 Frume comments, "Well, I'll send a group to finish the hatchery and try to capture or kill those leaders that you left there.  I suppose a decent trade off with the eggs recovered.  I'll give you my vote on the council when the time comes.  We'll have a mission for you."

Pax is all ears and very attentive listening for what we can do next 

Quote from BillM328897 >>

During the drinking, Piotr seeks to speak with Ven and Erlanthar about what it means to be a Harper. He has heard enough about them to know the basics - loose knit group of people trying to maintain balance - and is considering formally joining it, instead of just allying with it, but would like to make sure that such a membership would not constrain his wanderings.  

To Frume, Piotr says, "Of course, we would have also liked to destroy the hatchery but delivering the news and the eggs were the most important needs at that time. Pax is right, others with better intentions should be able to step in to clean up what remains. Now, we must consider next steps. What do we know about the nearest cell of cultists?" 

 Erlanthar nods, "We are the Harpers. We are the Lord Protectors of the Realms, Fools, all―but the Gods look down and smile glory upon us. Weep for us, watch for us, and hope in us. We shall not fail thee.”— Harper Chant, composed by Ailadrea Stars-in-mist.

Our symbol. The Harpers' symbol comprised a silver harp and crescent moon, set upon a field of black or royal blue.

The Harpers as an organization was actually anything but organized. Rather, it was a confederation of individuals from contrasting cultures and backgrounds who bonded over the shared goals of maintaining peace, preserving knowledge, and protecting the downtrodden. Some Harper agents worked in small groups—often alongside friends and close allies—while others operated as lone operatives, who kept only informal ties with the group at large. Throughout the many years it endured, the Harpers had disbanded and fallen apart several times, only to reform later in some new iteration.

Right, then, good Lady Shandril, I shall try to tell thee something of what it is to be a Harper. A Harper holds peaceful sharing of the lands above all other goals. By sharing, we mean all the races living in and under the land, where each prefers to live, trading together where desired and need stir them to, and respecting each other's holds and ways—without the daily bloodletting that all too often holds sway in the Realms today."

 Erlanthar offers a pin to Piotr.

Erlanthar and Frume add, "Thanks to you three the Harpers now know that the cult is amassing treasure and shipping it north. Where exactly this treasure is going and what the cult plans to do with it are the next two questions that need answering. We would like the you to join the cult’s caravan and accompany it on the journey. The River Chionthar flows directly from Elturel to Baldur’s Gate. A sailing vessel can make that trip downstream in about three days if it ties up overnight for safety, or two if it risks pushing on through the night by lamplight. Frume has already arranged for such a boat to leave at dawn the next morning. We'll provided you with 50 gp each to cover expenses on the trip.

When you get to Balder's gate get through the city and hire on on the other side of the city.  You won't be able to take carts or mounts into the city.  Sell em and go through the gate into the city. Get to the other side of the city and hire on with out bound caravans as guards or whatever you like."

Actions:

“in general i understand the plan, however some in the cult know what we look like.  Any way to disguise us beyond an hour of a disguise spell?”

Frume adds, "Ahhh.  There will be many caravans there.  You'll beat the cultist there.  Keep your eyes open when you get to Balder's gate from the cultist coming through the city.  Then shadow them from Baldurs gate to Waterdeep as guards for a different caravan.  All the caravans travel together for safety.  You probably won't be noticed."

Piotr accepts the pin and turns it over in his hand, looking at it closely. "Thank you, you have answered my questions well. I will strive my utmost to uphold the goals and achieve the missions of the Harpers." He turns his thoughts to the upcoming mission. "I am happy to leave tomorrow to learn about the treasure the cult is shipping north and its intended use. I suspect we can blend in with non-descript clothes and keeping our heads down. To help with that, I will keep this hidden in a safe place." Piotr then puts the Harpers pin in his bag of holding.  

“ Sounds like a plan by chance do you know any caravan owners we could guard for? “

Quote from BillM328897 >>

Piotr accepts the pin and turns it over in his hand, looking at it closely. "Thank you, you have answered my questions well. I will strive my utmost to uphold the goals and achieve the missions of the Harpers." He turns his thoughts to the upcoming mission. "I am happy to leave tomorrow to learn about the treasure the cult is shipping north and its intended use. I suspect we can blend in with non-descript clothes and keeping our heads down. To help with that, I will keep this hidden in a safe place." Piotr then puts the Harpers pin in his bag of holding.  

 Erlanthar nods in approval, "Keep in hidden unless you know who's in eyesight of it.  I'm sure we will chat again.  You to Ven."

Quote from CalaQuendi_Silverwand >>

“ Sounds like a plan by chance do you know any caravan owners we could guard for? “

 

 Frume adds, "My contact is a human trader named Ackyn Selebon. He operates an equipage business in the Outer City north of the city wall, in a district called Blackgate. There he sells all the material needed for long-distance freight hauling: wagons, rope, netting, grease, chains, wheels, and so on. His shop also repairs wagons. He is not directly involved in the hiring of guards for caravans, but he knows people who are. With him to vouch for you, you should have no trouble getting hired on as guards for a northbound caravan."

"Works for me. Let's do it." Piotr has never been a part of a caravan so is curious about how this will work out. But he figures that he is with a good group so as long as they stay together that things will be fine. 

 Frume says, "You might change your appearance as much as they can in simple ways, to reduce the odds of anyone they might have met at the cult camp recognizing them. Just precautionary mind you."

You board the ship and get settled in.  The trip downriver to Baldur’s Gate is uneventful, in three days. If you bring your horses you'll need to sell them at the entrance to the city.

Baldur’s Gate is a bustling center of trade, with goods coming from north and south by wagon along the Trade Way and by ship on the Sea of Swords, and from the east along the River Chionthar and from Cormyr and Sembia. Baldur’s Gate is situated on a prominent bluff next to the river, overlooking an excellent natural harbor. It is divided into three distinct segments: the Upper City where the richest and most influential citizens live and where the city’s marketplace (the Wide) is located; the Lower City, which surrounds the harbor and where most of the city’s merchants live and conduct their business; and the Outer City, which lies outside the walls and where most of the city’s laborers reside in conditions that vary from crowded but clean to squalid.

Depending on timing, characters might have just a few days to wait in Baldur’s Gate, or up to a tenday. Most of that time should be spent contacting a merchant recommended by Frume and arranging affairs so they can spot the cult wagons when they arrive.

Frume’s contact is a human trader named Ackyn Selebon. He operates an equipage business in the Outer City north of the city wall, in a district called Blackgate. There he sells all the material needed for long-distance freight hauling: wagons, rope, netting, grease, chains, wheels, and so on. His shop also repairs wagons. He is not directly involved in the hiring of guards for caravans, but he knows people who are. With him to vouch for the characters, they should have no trouble getting hired on as guards for a northbound caravan, but he can’t give them work with a specific merchant.

Baldur’s Gate doesn’t allow wagons, pack animals, horses, or even dogs into the city. The streets are so narrow, steep, and slick from frequent rain that heavy wagons would be a menace. This is actually one of the reasons why Baldur’s Gate is such a bustling commercial hub: for goods to pass through the city from south to north, for example, they must be unloaded in the Outer City east of the wall, carried through the city by porters on foot, and reloaded onto different wagons north of the city for the rest of their journey. No road conveniently bypasses the city—a situation that the gate’s profiteering intermediaries work hard to maintain. Most merchants find it easier to sell their loads to those intermediaries and consignment dealers when they reach Baldur’s Gate, buy a new load of exotic goods from somewhere far away, and turn around and head back home, where they can again sell the new goods at a profit.

Along with wagons, guards seldom make a continuous journey through Baldur’s Gate. Guards for northbound caravans are typically hired in Blackgate where northbound wagons begin their journey. Selebon tells the characters that if they hang around any of the taverns or tent saloons near his shop, they are sure to see all the northbound traffic. They shouldn’t hesitate to use him as a reference if a potential employer asks for one.

The northbound journey from Baldur’s Gate is arduous, so merchants travel together for safety. Each merchant hires guards independently, but the common belief is that if everyone hires two or three and enough wagons travel together, the caravan is well protected.

Within a few days (the wait is up to you and the timing you’ve worked out for the cargo’s arrival from the camp), characters spot people they recognize from the cult’s camp on the plateau.

OOC - Roll a Stealth and perception check with adv  you've had days to prep and you know what you're looking for and don't want to be seen.

Roll Charisma (Persuasion) or Strength (Athletics) checks with adv highest roll will be used.

OOC - Add new party members here in the City at the hiring caravan if you want.

Ven Perception: 17

Ven Stealth: 26

Ven Persuasion: 29

Pax

stealth 24

perception 19

pursuasion 20

Piotr 

stealth 24

perception 18

persuasion 20

Advantage on rolls really helps 

if we’ve got a few days and it doesn’t hurt chances to get with a caravan.  I can try and round up alchemy supplies for various potions if posssible 

Quote from CalaQuendi_Silverwand >>

Advantage on rolls really helps 

if we’ve got a few days and it doesn’t hurt chances to get with a caravan.  I can try and round up alchemy supplies for various potions if posssible 

 You can find the stuff you need.  Let's say 18 potions...There will be 6 of us so 3 each

Within a few days you spot people you recognize from the cult’s camp on the plateau.

Rezmir, being a half-dragon, can’t travel openly in Baldur’s Gate; she’d be attacked by a mob. The city’s wealthy elite, however, often travel the streets in screened or curtained palanquins for both comfort and privacy. Rezmir does the same.

You spot familiar faces from the cult camp, the cultists are carrying or accompanying a palanquin where Rezmir rides. Yout catch a glimpse of her through a briefly parted curtain.  They don't spot you being well concealed and having time to layout good vantage spots to see traffic coming through.

Rezmir and her bodyguards come to Selebon’s yard to purchase five wagons and supplies (having sold the other wagons south of the city). Once they are equipped, local porters pack merchandise and supplies onto the wagons, cover them in canvas, and lash them down.

You have identified the cultists’ wagons and seen their arrangements.

There are 9 merchants looking for folks listed below. 

Achreny Ulyeltin (Male Human Merchant).

Beyd Sechepol (Male Half-Elf Merchant).

Edhelri Lewel (Female Moon Elf Merchant).

Lai Angesstun (Male Gold Dwarf Merchant).

Lasfelro the Silent (Male Human Merchant).

Noohar Serelim (Male Moon Elf Merchant).

Nyerhite Verther (Male Human Merchant).
Oyn Evenmor (Male Human Merchant).

Samardag the Hoper (Male Human Merchant).

OOC - We can roll randomly 1d9 to see which merchant we are hired on with.  WE will be bodyguards.  If you have anything you want to use to select the merchant let me know.

Humm. Just breaking above into groups

1 woman

5 humans

1 dwarf

two full elves (one was woman so double counted here) 

and one half elf

i assume our job is to get hired on by the caravan that might get used by the cultist… if we assume that the cultist are working with actual co-conspirator then I’d suggest illuminating full elves and dwarves   And focus on the humans and half elf   But I don’t know  

For how many days do we know in advance that these are the potential jobs?  

OOC I'd say 5 days to observe the caravan merchants. I had you roll persuasion for your hiring position.  Your perception rolls I'll use for observing each of the merchants.

Achreny Ulyeltin (Male Human Merchant). Ulyeltin is an independent wagon master with two wagons in this caravan. Both are hauling cured furs and uncured hides. He is a boorish man without a trace of civilization about him. He’s not unfriendly—just smelly, vulgar, and utterly without manners. His second wagon driver and two laborers, on the other hand, are perfectly pleasant.

Beyd Sechepol (Male Half-Elf Merchant). Ale and beer are so common that not much money can be made hauling them long distances. But that’s what fills Sechepol’s wagon. He will make his money on the road, selling his stock to his fellow travelers in the caravan. He is diplomatic and has a gift for defusing arguments to everyone’s satisfaction before they escalate to violence, but he is careless about gear and horses—a fault that can cause friction with those who hate to see a horse mistreated through thoughtlessness.

Edhelri Lewel (Female Moon Elf Merchant). Lewel’s wagon is loaded with exotic wood from the Jungle of Chult for the master carpenters and cabinetmakers of Waterdeep to turn into exquisite furniture. She is the exact opposite of Beyd Sechepol in temperament: impatient with people but exacting about her wagon and doting on her animals.

Lai Angesstun (Male Gold Dwarf Merchant). This ambitious merchant is hauling scented cooking oil and perfumes from Amn, hoping to make a huge profit from the aristocrats and dandies of Waterdeep. He talks about money constantly: how much he intends to make, how he will spend it, and how others will envy him for it. He will not spend a single copper buying anyone else a drink or a roasted turnip during the entire trip.

Lasfelro the Silent (Male Human Merchant).  From time to time, Lasfelro inexplicably breaks into merry songs and short stretches of joke-telling. His voice is a fine tenor and his jokes are hilarious. But these gregarious moods are always short. The rest of the time, he is silent as the grave, staring sullenly at the road ahead, barely moving on the seat of his wagon, seeming hardly to breathe. No one knows what he transports in his wagon, but it is guarded by a brooding gargoyle that is tethered to the wagon by a slim, silver chain.

Noohar Serelim (Male Moon Elf Merchant). Noohar and his mute brother, Selvek, are hauling exquisite wooden carvings made by the elves of Cormyr. Where his brother communicates only through sign language, Noohar may be the most articulate person the characters have ever met. Speech springs from him like music from the harp of Milil. The fact that he seldom has anything to say never seems to stop him from talking or others from listening.

Nyerhite Verther (Male Human Merchant). load of Calishite silk will make Nyerhite Verther a rich man in Waterdeep, or so he believes. Sadly, he did not inspect his silk carefully when he bought it, and it’s infested with worms. If anyone spots them and points them out to Verther during the trip, he becomes unhinged in his anger and grief.

Oyn Evenmor (Male Human Merchant). Evenmor is an independent wagon master hauling exotic birds to the lucrative markets in Waterdeep. He is a stubborn, argumentative man with strong opinions about almost everything, but he is generous when it comes to pouring drinks for those who will sit and argue with him endlessly.

Samardag the Hoper (Male Human Merchant). Perhaps someone who hauls crates of expensive, fragile porcelain in a bouncing, jarring wagon along the Trade Way must be a born optimist. In Samardag’s world, the sky is always blue, the weather is always fine, and the outlook for tomorrow is always bright. Odds are he would be a wealthy man if he hung onto his money, but he is a soft touch for every urchin and hard-luck story that crosses his path.

OOC - There are a number of Guards and NPC to meet along the way to Waterdeep. The stretch of road from Baldur’s Gate to Waterdeep is a journey of 750 miles. Horse-drawn or mule-drawn freight wagons cover 15 miles per day, depending on conditions. The animals need one day off after every six days of hauling to recover from their work. All things considered, the trip is expected to take two months. 

Mission reminder  - Harpers now know that the cult is amassing treasure and shipping it north. Where exactly this treasure is going and what the cult plans to do with it are the next two questions that need answering.

Also. My familiar can be invisible and try to investigate the ones that seem the most promising Ie. Try to see who they talk to and say while in the ‘privacy’ of their own home 

Rephrasing about the two month journey.  Are all caravans (Ie these 9) traveling together as a bigger caravan? 

Quote from CalaQuendi_Silverwand >>

Rephrasing about the two month journey.  Are all caravans (Ie these 9) traveling together as a bigger caravan? 

 All the caravans travel together for security against raids not that there will be any, but there can be stuff that happens along the way.

There are Civilians that go too.  Some on wagon some on horse maybe on foot.

It might be a bumpy ride.  grin.