Fate has twisted an uncertain path into a promising future. The Urchin Prince may prove themselves as nobility. Yet the world keeps turning, and a web of danger is spinning around the very land the Prince hopes to reclaim.
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Dramatis Personae 

P.T. (Human Rogue) portrayed by TheHumbug

Edwyn (High Elf Gentlemen Thief) image     
     HP 13, AC 12 (No Armor)
     STR 8 (-1), DEX 14 (+2), CON 11 (+0), INT 13 (+1), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 15 (+2)
     Skills: Persuasion, Deception
     Shortsword, + 4 to hit, 1d6 + 2 piercing 
     Spells: Eldritch Blast, Message
     Special Notes: Darkvision 60 ft., Trace, Resist Charm, Cannot be magically put to sleep, Detect Magic at will (Warlock)

Alice (Wood Half-Elf Hitman) image     
     HP 17, AC 12 (No Armor)
     STR 12 (+1), DEX 16 (+3), CON 14 (+2), INT 9 (-1), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 10 (+0)
     Skills: Stealth
     Arbalest, + 5 to hit, 1d10 + 3 piercing
     Longsword, + 3 to hit, 1d8 + 1 slashing, or 1d10 + 1 slashing two-handed
     Special Notes: Can attempt to hide even if only lightly obscured by natural phenomena, Darkvision 60 ft., Trace, Resist Charm, Cannot be magically put to sleep

Rhogar (Blue Dragonborn Knight) image                                                      HP 20, AC 18 (Scale Mail with Shield)
     STR 16 (+3), DEX 10 (+0), CON 14 (+2), INT 10 (+0), WIS 8 (-1), CHA 16 (+3)
     Skills: Athletics + 5, Persuasion + 5
     Shortbow, + 2 to hit, 1d6 + 0 piercing
     Longsword, + 5 to hit, 1d8 + 3 slashing, or 1d10 + 3 slashing two-handed
     Lightning Breath, 5 by 30 ft. line, Dex Save 12. 2d6 lightning or half as much
     Special Notes: Resists lightning, has Shield Master feat.

Maps

Neverwinter

/--Afternoon, First of Kythorn, 1491 DR, Neverwinter--/

Neverwinter, once a beautiful jewel in the frosty part of the Sword Coast, has seen better days. Much of the city has been abandoned by the people after decades of hardship, war, and the spellplague. During its many troubles, a chasm ripped through Neverwinter and the people of the city thought Neverwinter could never recover from this disaster. It wasn't until Lord Protector Neverember made his full reappearance after being ousted from Waterdeep that things started to turn around... albeit with an iron hand. For so long, Neverwinter was the new frontier of lawlessness and the only good people left were the ones who couldn't afford to move away or the ones who could afford private protection. With the lord's reappearance some 3 years ago, things changed... possibly for the worst in the eyes of a criminal.

The long inefficient Neverwinter Guards were suddenly becoming well trained, investigators that worked for the good of the common people were being hired, and new laws were being exacted. While rich criminals with connections to nobility or law were able to continue their operations as always, it was the petty thieves that suffered the most under the new laws. That's what the common thieves felt anyway. The crackdown on crime in many of the richer areas, particularly where Lord Neverember housed his allies in Bluelake, made the victimless crime of lightening a noble's pocket of a few gold less viable. These days, most petty criminals seemed to steal from each other... or commoners who barely had even a single gold piece between them.

That's where P.T. comes into the picture. What is P.T. doing right now? Is he hanging out in the Tower District at the Fallen Tower (a tavern built inside of a wizard's... fallen tower)? Or are they in one of the abandoned buildings in the Chasm District that they made into their homebase? What is P.T. doing right now? He just run away from the scene of his accidental murder with the deed and has already come to the conclusion that Tresendar must refer to their family name.

P.T. is sat in a half-crushed spire in the Chasm district, split in the middle and leaning dangerously against a connected building. It's certainly a hazard, but in the years P.T. has spent here there has never been any issue, so they don't really care. Other things are on his mind right now, anyways. This unnamed tower is the closest thing to a "home" P.T. has, though there are a few others who know of it and squat there as well. 

Laid out on the slanted floor (which was once the wall) are the contents of the old man's bag. The deed, the letter, and the spellbook. And a mouse. She wasn't in the bag initially, but Socrates does what she wants. P.T. opens the tome, but the symbols within slide across his vision, squirming and dancing before his eyes. More legible, however, are the deed and the letter. Countless pages of fancy language and complicated legalese that, at the end of the day, mean one thing: the Tresendar manor is to pass to the next living member of the Tresendar family, and if none remain it is to pass to the Lord Protector Neverember, to do with as he sees fit. To the knowledge of most, the Tresendar family had but one member left alive, a man who is now quite unfortunately dead, and thus the manor is Neverember's.

P.T., however, suspects otherwise. For the emblem on the old man's clothing, the seal on the deed, and the wax stamped onto the letter were all the same as the emblem stitched onto P.T.'s coat. The coat that he's had all his life. P.T. doesn't know for sure, but he suspects that he now knows what the T in their name stands for. Criminal life has become less and less sustainable as of late, and they aren't sure just how much longer it will be before they end up jailed. The life of a lord, on the other hand, seems far nicer. P.T. has never before had a home, but now he has the opportunity to make one for himself. Still, he has quite the journey to perform before that opportunity can be taken. 

P.T. takes a deep breath, gathers up the items into the fancy leather bag, places Socrates on his shoulder, and thinks about what he needs to do first.

There are a few things to do before P.T. can leave, or at least these are some of the things that come to mind first:

1. Given how things are changing, they have some concerns about the Amphitheater kid gang. While P.T. isn't really a member anymore, being an adult and all, they worry about what will become of the child thieves who are novices in the art of survival compared to P.T. What could he do about them or for them?

2. P.T. needs Intel. Who are the Tresendars anyway? Since this is a noble family, would Edwyn know anything? He's just about the only one they know they can turn to about this question, though it is painful to admit it.

3. P.T. would need to ensure he is completely ready to leave, and he should probably join a caravan or get hired as a guard for a merchant. This step was borderline becoming an adventurer. He always saw the adventuring type in taverns or hustling around guild halls. P.T. could go to one of these sorts of locations and see what they see to learn more.

P.T. takes a deep breath in, and lets it out in a huff.

"...****."

In a hop and a skip, he descends down from the fallen spire, and begins looking around for a very certain type of bearded vagrant. To say that they weren't genuine would be inaccurate, since more often than not they very certainly were bearded vagrants. Still, some bearded vagrants have more connections than others, and he was on the search for the former type. When they find one, or some other person that might be able to deliver a message through the underground grapevine, he flips them a copper and speaks. 

"Crow the Peacock Mouse wanna jibber-jab. Lickle-split and that's two rusty boys. Clip-clop."
(Thieves Cant translation: Tell Edwyn that P.T. wants to talk. If you're fast, you'll get two copper coins. Get going.)

With that taken care of, P.T. rests under a half-dead tree and waits for Edwyn to show up, if he's so inclined.

(I hope you'll pardon my flavor, but P.T. is basically just trying to get in contact with Edwyn.)

(No worries, friend, you can embellish as much as you like since whatever you say doesn't affect any other players. I like it when players take agency!)

Inclined he is, or so it seems. Edwyn seems to pop out of nowhere as he pokes P.T. on the shoulder and hops away, expecting a stab or other retaliation from the shock of his appearance. Edwyn has an easy going smirk on his face, which makes him look like a rotten, two-timing bastard. He just has one of those punchable faces.

"P.T., I am quite pleased by your summons. Surely, it means you have decided to concede to our great rivalry and finally join me as my right hand associate." 

P.T. offers a tight-lipped smile in response to Edwyn's goading. Socrates chirps out a string of what are probably obscenities in mouslish. 

"Good day, Edwyn. As per usual, I'd like to invite you to please pinch your flapping lips closed, at least for a few seconds. You're getting spittle all over me. Now, as much as it pains me to say, I need your assistance. I want information, and you're regrettably my best source for this particular type. I want to know what you know about the Tresendars. Name your price, and I'll pay it."

"The Tresendars you say? What an interesting name to slip from your lips, dear fellow." Edwyn gives P.T. a knowing glance -- one which reads Oh, I know all about the Tresendars. He postures himself as the noble bastard you know him to be, standing tall and mighty. "Name my price? Well, I have a two part price: 1, I would like to know why you would like to know. And 2, I would like your assistance on a job I have running. It's nothing big, just a little B&E. Do you agree to these terms?"

"Oh, why couldn't you just overcharge me like a normal thief? You 'gentleman' types, I swear. Fine. I recently came across a certain document relating to the Tresendars, which may be of value to me if I get the knowledge I require. That's all you need to know. Now, what's this job? I still want a cut."

"So touchy. But I am glad to see you think of me as a gentleman, I'll take it as a compliment." Edwyn leans against the dead tree, somehow his posture still impeccably perfect. Quite annoying really! "The job is to break into a curiosity shop. I heard a rare book found its way into the collection there, and I'd fancy a look. You can have anything else of interest, but the book is mine. Hope you understand." He sticks out his hand to P.T. "So then, that's a deal?"

P.T.'s hand is limp as a dead fish when he places it in Edwyn's, distaste evident in his face.

"...Deal."

"So glad to have you for this most intriguing venture." Edwyn grins.

Fast forward, it's night and the streets in the Tower District have people milling about, but not as many as you'd usually expect to find in a city. Neverwinter is not quite as bustling as Baldur's Gate or Waterdeep. It is a shadow of its former glory. Edwyn meets up with you and you see there are no others with him. None of his goons or usual thugs he associates himself with. You do find that suspicious. Why would he invite you to something like this solo?

"Before you ask, I was going to do this alone. I don't need anyone else knowing my business, but I think having your hand at the lock would be better than me having a go at it." Edwyn seems to answer the suspicion head on. His confident expression doesn't fade a bit. "That's the place there." He points it out to you. Its a two story building, small and unimposing. The sign features what looks like a glinting eyeball surrounded by shimmers. "I've checked the place a few times... there is an unguarded side door. The guards on this beat are lazy and easily paid off to look the other way. We'd only need to worry about the man who runs the business, whose home is on the second floor. Follow me so far?"

“I follow. Any other security I might want to know about, a loud pet, perhaps, or one of those bells on the doors? Better yet, anything you’re conveniently leaving out for the fun of it? I’m going to be upfront here, you’re not half bad with a lock yourself, why give up some of the payout just for that?”

Not like he’d need that payout, anyways. Posh bastard.

"Smart one, aren't you? You know, you are a cut above. Just need a bit of training, and you'd make a fine gentlemen yourself." Edwyn commentates, clearly dragging the conversation out. "Truth be told, I think the shopkeeper might be a spellcaster of sorts. I've seen strange lights in his windows sputtering late in the night when I've cased the place. This tells us two things. One, sometimes he is awake in the middle of the night. And two, if he catches one of us off-guard, it will spell our doom. But with two... well, a lookout and a thief. That's classic I'd say. Lastly, I am not interested in any of this man's other wares. I care only for the book."

"Great. I've, um... never dealt with a spellcaster before." P.T. coughs awkwardly. After a pause, he hefts their thieves' tools. "Well, I guess we ought to get started. You tell me if you see something wrong. You know the signal." Unless Edwyn has anything more to say, P.T. begins heading to the side door, tucking Socrates into a pocket they've stitched onto the breast of their coat. As he goes, casually approaching like any pedestrian heading down a sketchy alleyway, he keeps a careful look out for anything around the door that might be potentially harmful or advantageous.

So far, this job is presenting as straightforward despite the whole spellcaster thing. Edwyn positions himself near the end of the alley and keeps his eyes peeled for anyone that might interrupt this escapade. You set your sights on the lock on the side door.

It seems to be a standard two lock door. There is a soft lock (easy) and a deadbolt (harder) to unlock. So you will need to work on one lock at a time. Which one will you work on first? Roll either an int or dex based thieves tools check in the post where you decide. 

Best to get the harder job done first, P.T. thinks to himself. He unsheathes his tools, which are kept in a dingy leather case around his belt. They rummage around for a few seconds, until they find a hook pick of adequate size. They stick a tension wrench into the lock, follow it up with the pick, and get to work. At the same time, he continues to occasionally stop and take a quick look about, making sure that nobody who might give a damn is approaching. 

Thieves' Tools: 7

Ahh, the satisfying click tells you that you managed to free the lock. With the deadbolt out of the way, it's just the last, easy lock left. Edwyn makes eye contact with you seeing that you seem relieved and smiles briefly before returning his attention back to the street.

Go ahead and make another check for your tools.

Thieves' Tools: 18

(big money no whammies)