Waterdeep: Camel Heist (2020)

"What say Vaz? Stay night? I'm not chancing my neck on these roads at night. Not ask you. Neeway, no stable. Well I'm not responsible for the horse, that's on your conscience. Soodi sleep kennels? We can't stay in this charnel house, Oaf. If the carrion crawlers don't get us the plague will. Hmmm...Burn bodies?"

Strix, you wouldn't be able to get the cart into the cave mouth, but you also can't get it that close to the cave anyway - the ground is too uneven, and the nearest you can get it is a hundred feet away.  It's a couple of hours of work to get everything transferred from the cave to the cart.  Soodi won't come into the cave itself - she could, she just chooses not to - but she'll help ferry stuff from the cave mouth to the cart.

Varinth, luckily, cannot smell the carrion but is intelligent enough to know the dangers of disease. 

How about we get the stuff onto the cart and camp outside Mishter Strix. Soodi can ferry back and forth and carry some herself. Once evryshing is out I can... cleanse the caves.

Strix nods and rolls his sleeves up.

[Montage : Push It To The Limit by Paul Engemann]

Vaz and Strix, you begin the hard work of carrying the goods out of the cave and loading them onto Soodi to take the remaining distance to the cart.  Some of the chests are packed with dried foods and a bit heavy, so it takes both of you together to lift them comfortably.  You work on past sunset, in the darkness of the cave and the night.  Strix, you notice, not for the first time, that Varinth is rather better at seeing in the dark than most humans.  

Eventually, the goods are stacked and packed tightly on the cart, and Soodi sinks slowly and gracefully to the ground.  As there are only two of you and you have both been travelling all day and now working quite hard, you will both take a point of exhaustion if you only sleep four hours and watch the other four.  You might take the risk and both sleep, trusting in your passive perception or Soodi to awaken you if there is danger, or you might leave the cart and rest elsewhere...

Dekhan will look to Scup and see what he thinks about Nars tagging along. If Scup isn’t opposed Dek will say If you come with us, you must promise to listen and obey immediately to whatever Scupper and I say. You have to give me your word, a man’s word is a powerful thing, Nars.  

Incantis is happy to accompany Dekhan's quest, he's interested by this Hag & spellbook. "Dekhan, what were you saying about this quest into the forest for this hag?"

Incantis smiles at Nena' enthusiasm, looking at her mother. "Your child seems to have taken to my song, if you'd like to hear." He touches the mind's of everyone present, hoping to demonstrate and emphasize the magic of a shared musical experience. His performance is wordless, but he focuses instead on harmony and mystical timbre.

Incantis, as you perform you see Nena's mother is startled, but she says nothing.  As the magical music flows through her mind, she starts to move a little, just a little, in time with the music.  You see a soft smile across her lips, and as you come to a close, you are a little surprised to see a tear in her eye.  

Nena is bouncing up and down almost.  It's the same, isn't it mama.  Is it?  Is it like papa?  The halfling woman looks at her, and says softly.  Many things about it are different; such a different style, such different harmonies.  But yes, Nenny, this is what your papa could do.  The two look at each other, and then the mother reaches over and pulls the girl into an embrace.

Back with Incantis: Thats great news, Cantis, Scupper and I are off to visit a tree I dreamt of last night. I believe it is important somehow to my quest. When we get back tomorrow or the day after we can plan out recovering the spellbook from the Banshee. I’d invite you to come visit this tree with us, but I could only find two horses for rent to make the journey. 

Strix wipes his brow in the dark, wondering why his companion hasn't walked into a wall or a ditch yet. "Good eyes, Vaz. Spishus good! Owly mother? No judging, all friend!" 

He looks around - the cart is too exposed to make a good campsite, but then they've worked too hard to just leave it unattended in the open. Should have brought bells and tripwires. No sense complaining now. Any creature drawn by the scent from the cave would surely take the easy meat over the challenge that the living represented. And any drawn by the goods.... well that's unfortunate for them.

"Friend Vaz, Cave Strix terble idea - Vaz sleep. Strix watch." He opens his eyes wide for emphasis. 

Dekhan, Nars stands up straighter at your words, and says, a little awkwardly but seemingly sincerely, Yes, sir.  I will listen and obey, and follow your instructions.  I give you my word.  He quickly rushes back to inform his family, and then meets you back with the horses with a small bag of food his mother has prepared.  I'm ready, he says breathlessly, more from excitement than exertion. 

Con save 13

Ooc : get in!

Strix, you pass the night awake as Varinth sleeps nearby.  Please make a Perception check as you keep watch.

Perception 25

Edit : should that be at disadvantage?

(Nah, you took the gamble with the CON save and it paid off.  I don't think there's disadvantage)

4

It's a long, boring but ultimately peaceful night, and you are not disturbed.   As the sun rises, you feel tired, but you don't feel as though it's affected any of your abilities or skills.  (You avoided the point of exhaustion with your CON save).

Varinth also wakes up, as does Soodi and the two horses drawing the cart.  What would you like to do?

Seeing Varinth stir, Strix hides the caltrop he's been jabbing into his leg to keep himself awake and stifles a yawn. 

"Rise! Shine! Sun up. *Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn* Mebbe Vaz drive?"

Scupper can't really remember if this journey is jest visiting a tree or trying to parley with a banshee...so he chooses to cover his bases.

If the lad thinks he can pull his weight, I have no objection. That said, Nars...if a bugbear or a banshee tries to cut yer heart out and feed it to ye, I can only suggest a good wine te pair it with. 

The night before, responding to Strix inquiring about his vision Varinth laughs hAha No, not that I wouldn' be proud tO havE a Owlie MAm! it'Sh just no thaT daRk I don sHink. IsH thA moOnsh out? He looks around unsuccessfully, sliding a little along Soodi who he is resting his back on. Itsh oKay I cAn take firsht WatCH, no wEe beashtiE gunnA get paSht...

Varinth passes out sitting up leaning against Soodi. His wineskin still clutched in one hand.

In the morning Varinth awakes with a start. PAVLOVA!

WHa oh hi Strix Varinth shades his eyes from the harsh and obviously malice sun. Yeah no I'll drive the cart. Just need to have a wee vomit first.

True to his word, Vaz has a vomit but there is not much that is "wee" about it. He feeds Soodi an onion and then takes to the reins. He has almost convinced himself that he is not still drunk.

Varinth and Strix, you check the cart, make sure that everything is in order, and set off shortly after sunrise.  It's a little slower going on the way back with the wagon so heavily loaded; it will take about two hours to get back onto the Triboar Trail, plenty of time to make it to Phandalin by nightfall.

"Where Triboar Trail meets Phandalin Road.  Late afternoon.  Elf, male, long hair, travelling west.  Hold and await pickup.  Do not kill.  Confirm."

Strix, the voice comes into your head abruptly, and you recognise it at once.  This is Chorisis, a drunken Cleric of Mask the god of Thieves, a loyal lapdog in the employ of Beartrap.  You’ve received instructions in this manner before, through the cleric's magical sending.  Rarely, though - you didn’t venture outside the city all that much.  Still, you know what it means, and you know that you’re expected to comply with the order, and to confirm that you will do so.  You have 25 words to reply (which you can do out loud or in your head only), and you are expected to be succinct, polite and professional, though your record on some of those points is… mixed.

The message surprises you; you had been given to understand that you were completing this job for Gundren at Beartrap’s request, and that you were relieved of any other obligations for the duration. 

In any case, the sender is awaiting an answer.  Varinth, of course, heard nothing.