Waterdeep Dragon Heist - Campaign Thread (DM: Webgambit)

A more subdued than usual Vassa eventually wanders down later in the morning and notices the group discussing the letter. Walking over to read it, the bard shakes his head before grabbing a cup of coffee, muttering, "It figures that the killer would get saved by his influential boss, I guess. Apparently you really can get away with murder in Waterdeep if you have the right connections."

Shaking off a seemingly foul mood, the slightly disheveled looking bard smiles warmly at the others before saying, "Still, we put on a half-decent show last night that got their attention it seems. Kudos again to all of you, by the way, especially those who got up on stage. I know that's not an easy thing to do! Regardless, if I was a betting man.... and I am, I'd wager that Soluun will want revenge for our mockery. I reckon we might see him again in the future, especially considering he's not getting this back.

The grinning half-drow reaches behind himself to draw out from beneath his cloak an item comprised of a wooden handle and a protruding metal pipe - a pistol similar to the one they'd seen on Soluun.

Selinae flinched a little as the gun was brandished and rubbed her sternum distractedly......

" When?", she said looking confused.

"The night Soluun first attacked me, though of course I didn't know who he was at the time. I incapacitated him after he wounded me, and then I took this and his sword as compensation. If I had known then what I know now, I would have dragged his sorry arse to the nearest watch station."

When Vassa mentions the sword, he nods at Silver. Rubbing his temples as though he has a slight headache, the bard nurses his coffee before saying, "You're right... and wrong, Phae. He might be beyond our reach for the moment, but this matter is far from dealt with. Still, what next? Focus on preparing the Manor for its opening night? Delving back into the sewers in search of famed lost treasure? A jaunt into the lovely and scenic Undermountain? Or something else? My planning strike rate is 0/2, so I think i'll leave the decision making to someone else for a while."

[OOC] Being distraced and not too perceptive, Vassa misses Sel's movements when he brandishes the pistol. 

"Phaedra, you are correct. I will send a message and suggest they pursue this this on their end"

Elon walks outside to find a messenger boy to get the message to the rightful place. Once he does, he heads back inside. "So, what else is on the table besides these great pancakes and coffee?"

Sel looked momentarily discombobulated then she grinned, " Oh! With magic? So he had two then?"

Quote from Damian_May >>

Sel looked momentarily discombobulated then she grinned, " Oh! With magic? So he had two then?"

 
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve, Sel. As I'm sure you do as well. And yes, since he had one on his belt when he was sitting across from Silver, I assume that he has access to more of these strange weapons - pistols, I think he called them. I must admit, I'm itching to try it out, though I don't have enough materials for a lot of shots... assuming that I could even work out how to use it."

[OOC] DM - would I need to make some sort of check to load or fire the weapon, or do I just attack with disadvantage due to not having proficiency?

" Ok...we'll you guys are...mostly...more fun than stevedore work.  But is there some way to earn an actual wage by hitching my wagon to you?"

Bason comes up from the basement, still groggy from the late night. He goes and grabs a cup of coffee.

Quote from vassasunstar >>

"Still, we put on a half-decent show last night that got their attention it seems. Kudos again to all of you, by the way, especially those who got up on stage. I know that's not an easy thing to do!

Bason shivers. "Never going on stage again! That's terrifying." 

Bason listens to the other's talk for a bit. "So, the murderer is gone. Then, what's on the agenda for today folks? If we don't have anything else, I could start another keg going. I have the cask of Mead aging, but maybe a nice Ale? We'll also have to decide what we want to stock from the guild. Two exclusive CrimsonBrow brew's are great and all, but you probably need some of the other stuff too."

Quote from Damian_May >>

" Ok...we'll you guys are...mostly...more fun than stevedore work.  But is there some way to earn an actual wage by hitching my wagon to you?"

 "I guess, once we get this place up and running it should bring some income."

"As far as what to do next, we could either go check with Phaedra's Lady of the Scones and see if she is ready for our assistance, or go to the Yawning Portal tavern and then into the portal and explore the Under Mountain.  But first, maybe we should look for more cats or Gazers."

" Lady of the Scones?"

" Undermountain? On purpose?"

Silver just looked around and nodded "I'll put out a notice through my contacts to keep an eye out for this man. Though I assume Vassa is right, especially since two half-drow have decided to keep his items they took from him. Though I do enjoy all the trophies we seem to be collecting - a stuffed gazer and the sentiments of a racist drow. Though I have to agree with you Vassa that you had seized the opportunity, but if you had taken him to the watch I'm sure the end would've been the same. His boss paying off his exit - if we encounter this man again there will now only be one way to settle this with him." He paused just taking a sip, placing the mug down and staring at it for a second as if a memory stayed at the top of the glass

"Unfortunately the only guild I would trust to handle this man in any legal form would be the Harpers or the Order of the Gauntlet." Silver just looked around the room and smiled "As for what we should do next - I think that means we need to decide what we want to be. A group of people from the shadows helping to keep Waterdeep safe, a group of adventurers who travel and solve problems, or a group of misfits who having no place to go form a weird family based unit that owns a tavern and seems to get caught up in random misadventures." he just chuckles for a second "Or a group of misfits who just seem to keep being randomly involved in incidents. I know that I have some things I need to still do before my life ends, but for now this is fun and I feel my path may eventually find a crossing point with how this group is going."

Vassa helps himself to a second cup of coffee and nods at Silver's words... though the bard makes no attempt to hide the grimace that crosses his face when his fellow half-drow implies how they might have to 'settle' the score with Soluun.

Looking up into Phae's eyes, the troubadour murmers, "The Harpers... indeed. A group I would like to learn more about. But for now, you all raise an interesting array of questions, ones that call into discussion not only WHAT we do as a collective, but also how and why. Interesting times ahead, it would seem.

But bringing the focus back to the here and now, and this may just be the dissapointment of last night's non-event speaking, but my vote is that today we poke our heads down a well and see what there is to see below."

"I must say, I 've wanted to see what's under that tavern and it would keep us from making more guild enemies"

"Yes, my string fingers are getting itchy." Kestrell rubs his pointers and middle fingers together.  "Need to make sure my bow still works."

"As for the future, there's plenty of time to think of what you all want to be.  Me, I'm happy to have a little fun here and a project with this tavern.  And one day I'll find this cobbler Whites fellow and get a decent pair of boots."

As you're all conversing on what's next the windows of the taproom rattle as the roar of an explosion fills Trollskull Alley. Charred bodies and anguished screams fly through the air. A thick cloud of acrid smoke billows outward from the blast, which seems to have occurred right outside your door.

What's everyone doing?

"What in the..." Kestrell jumps up and runs to a window that looks out on the alley, trying to see what is going on out there and if the front door might be safe to use. 

Perception: 11

Vassa's crossbow appears in his hand instantly - strangely enough, it's already loaded. The now caffeinated bard rolls to a window on the other side of the front door to the one that Kes ran to. Peering through the glass, the half-drow's body is taught, tense with anticipation as his violet eyes scan the street outside.

[OOC] perception 6

As you gaze into the streets you see people emerge from their houses and shops to survey the devastation. You also see bodies laid out in the street, eleven people presumably dead.

Kestrell will attempt to open the door and run a couple steps out the front and then 20 feet to the left.  If he gets that far, he'll pause and see if anyone is attacking him and he'll shout "Vassa, do you see anything?"

Noticing no immediate threat, Vassa follows Kes out into the street, slowly making his way to the right as he glances around at the devastation. *Coughing* in the explosion's dusty and smokey aftermath, the bard gingerly kneels down beside the mangled and motionless body of a man, one of the guild workers who had been helping to fix the establishment the half-drow thinks sadly. The grim-faced musician reaches out to gently close the man's eyes. 

"Yeah, Kes. I see dead people."