Waterdeep: Camel Heist (2020)

Well, it was a castle. I dare say we can fortify this room somewhat and keep a look out for returning patrols. 

Varinth hunkers by one of the slit windows.

I'll take first watch says Vaz Let's get these two fit to travel and then head back to town.

Vaz takes a large swig of his wine with shaking hands, the events of the last couple of hours finally starting to hit home.

Shall we just spend the night here and head back in the morning? Or rest here for an hour and then make camp somewhere a ways away? As he says this Dekhan will distribute the wealth he found on Vyerith. Anyone know anything about this necklace?

Vaz will take a quick squiz at the necklace;

Arcana: 16

Strix considers forcing a march since no one would rest when he wanted to earlier, but that kind of pettiness only really reminds him how uncentered he's feeling. A little meditation will sort that out. He volunteers for first watch, hopeful that his perception roll stands :)

Right lads, we'll stay the night and see if the lass has any information for us. She'll be in no mood to cooperate as we've taken her family jewels but we'll give it a shot. I can be persuasive. Maybe set her up in the Owlbear room since it's made te hold a monster (it has a ceiling right?). Someone wake me if the drow should come to so I can get te work. Otherwise I'll take the last watch and wake her with a bucket o' water.

Varinth, you scrutinise the amulet and its gem; the gem is not a crystal, yet seems to have some properties of one, specifically arcane properties - it would work as an arcane focus, if you chose to use it as such.  This strikes you as odd; you didn't observe Vyerith using any magical abilities.  You also recall that she grabbed the amulet and appeared distressed specifically when she saw Incantis.

As far as you recall, the Owlbear's former prison did indeed have a ceiling.  

Incantis, the two dwarves seem exhausted rather than wounded, and overwhelmed by what has happened to them in the last days.  Tharden Rockseeker smiles weakly up at you in response to your questions.  Wave Echo Cave and the Lost Mine are one and the same, my friend.  They are what my brothers and I have been seeking for the last few years, our chance at wealth and success, our greatest find.  And almost the cause of our deaths.  Perhaps Gundren is already dead.  He shakes his head, I won't believe it, he's twice as tough as me. 

He takes a few moments to gather his thoughts.  We barely scratched the surface - made it perhaps two chambers inside, before realising what we had found.  Gundren set off to bring the supplies we would need to head further down into the mine.  We stayed behind, keeping watch, delving a little; we got attacked by some kind of monster one day and my brother was wounded - not too badly, but we rested a few days and then tried to make it to Phandalin.  That's when we were taken by Grol's tribe, and, well, you know the rest of the story I suppose.

Aye. Spider to the fly or visa versa. My guess is Gundren is been used to navigate fer the spider so perhaps still alive at Wave Echo Web. We'll camp out and head for it and them on the morrow. Ara now which one o' you can tell us how te follow this cursed map to our prey?

You'll go to the cave, and find Gundren?  Tharden says.  I... thank you. 

His brother now speaks for the first time.  Thank you, please, find Gundren if you can.  Give them the map, Tharden.  Tharden does so, offering the map to Scupper.

Right, well that means the drow is mostly jest gonna tell me about our spider when she wakes and we can forego the whole wherefor and wherein...

With that lads, gnight.

Scupper makes sure Vyerith is locked good and tight in the owlbear room and goes to sleep outside it. If no one objects, he'd love the fancy necklace.

Varinth on second watch. He will stick mainly to the Throne Room, checking out the windows for any movement. On occasion he will patrol to the makeshift prison and back again.

Perception: 12

Since the Drow is going into the Owlbear room, Strix first closes and bars the exit to the south (the door to the outside the Owlbear went through), then puts his bell strings tripwires (using Pitons if necessary) across the 2 eastern doors out of the bedroom that adjoins both the prison and Krol's room, a 3rd one across the Owlbear room door in case the drow gets free and a forth across Krols room door in case someone manages to squeeze through those windows ((OOC : I found a slug in my sink yesterday. I don't know how it got there but I'm now paranoid about things that can squeeze through tight spaces)). He points it out to the others before they settle down. When not doing the occasional walk-around, He positions himself in the top right corner of the bedroom beside the Owlbear room so that he's in a blind corner relative to the 2 entrances and facing the Owlbear room door. If "light activity" allows, he'll maintain an illusion of a huddled Strix in the window alcove opposite, which faces the door out and the curtain north, whenever he's bunkered down.

Varinth and Strix, your watches pass quietly.  Sildar and the Rockseekers sleep peacefully near the beds in Grol's throne room.  Vyerith appears to wake after 2 hours, but remains still, tied up and manacled as she is.  Repeated casting of a cantrip would not be 'light activity'; occasional casting is okay, I suppose.

Who's on watch next?

Dekhan shifts about nervously Are we sure it’s the best idea to leave Vyerith alone and unguarded in the owlbear room? There may be a secret door we don’t know about and drow have inherit magic... perhaps we should keep an eye on her, maybe even secure her further. Wrap her hands and gag her so she can’t bespell us and tie her hands to pitons driven into the ground so it’s impossible for her to escape. Do you Rockseekers know anything of her?

 The Rockseekers, before falling asleep and getting a proper rest, would have told Dekhan that they know nothing of the drow.  Up until a few minutes before you rescued them, they were bound, gagged with hoods over their heads in the small prison room, able to hear two people arguing nearby but unable to hear much of what they said.  After they were brought into the throne room, they heard Vyerith demanding that the dwarves be killed and their map destroyed, and Grol demanding large sums of money for doing so.

Perception 13

Scupper will attempt to attune to the necklace. If it's just a focus the it's a good change up for freeing a hand. If it's something more, Scupper tends to think he's qualified now te deal with darker purposes (though Incantus is possibly moreso in reality but hasn't spoken up for it). After that and some rest, he'll start interrogation of Vyerith.

 Good morning te ye, Vye. We've got a lot te talk about today. I have te decide whether ye give us enough te let you live and you have te decide if you're feeling like dying or not. Now honestly, I'm not too well aquatinted with the politics o' the hells or the abyss and I can't say if serving some eejit calling himself the black spider (watches to see any indications that the spider is a she) is a way into Lolth's good graces. I kinda tink she'd be insulted. Either way, the lads and meself have an agreement, we mostly do things lawful and just but if'n someone "evil" - that's you - is poor with informing the good - that's us - with necessary details te perform our duty...I gets me way. I should let ye know we had a run in with some o' Grol's orcs. I skinned one alive. I took his eyes. I took his fingers and his toes. He told me his deepest secrets and begged me te kill him. I'd hate te ruin ye in the same fashion, lass, but ye haven't been very cooperative. Also, I know ye drow are fond of torture so I'm planning on stepping up my game in case ye get judgemental on me.

Scupper, Vyerith scowls at you, and watches you as you speak, her dark eyes glittering in the dark night.  If you want to assess her reaction to calling the Black Spider 'himself', you can make an Insight check.  Her mouth twitches slightly as you refer to yourself as 'good'.  At the end, she says nothing.  

The gem appears to function as an arcane focus, but you aren't able to attune to it or learn anything more about it.  You can make an Arcana check too, if you wish.

Third watch passes without incident; anyone staying up for fourth and final watch?