Waterdeep: Camel Heist (2020)

Strix, being an obedient sort, climbs down into the crevasse (pitons an mallet and rope at the ready if necessary) to see what all the fuss is about. 

Do I go after it? asks Varinth

Scupper just stands there looking at the arm and keeping his mind as blank as he can of the things he wants to do...but flashes of abject cruel violence and torture dance into his mind a bit so he just quietly sings a sea shanty to himself and keeps his eyes down.

 ♪ ♫  What shall we do with the drunken sailor?... ♪ ♫  What shall we do with the drunken sailor?... ♪ ♫  What shall we do with the drunken sailor earl-ay in the morning...Whay hey up she rises...  ♩  ♬ ♭...Whay hey up she rises... ♩  ♬ ♭...Whay hey up she rises...  ♩  ♬ ♭...

Deception 20

Strix, the base of the crevasse is poorly lit, messy and stinky.  Make a Perception check to search for treasures.  Anyone else who wants to join in can do so.  The walls of the crevasse are solid and riddle with holes and small bits that protrude at odd angles - in other words, extremely easy to climb up and down.

Scupper, there's no response from the creature, and no indication that it's present.

Perception 13

Dekhan, you climb down into the crevasse and assist Strix in the search.  You find one thing of note; a wooden chest, partly-covered in old bones and clothing under the north bridge.  It is lodged in place, and also closed.

Perception 19 if still needed for searching. 

Strix takes a closer look at those bones to see what they might be from and if any would make a good ceremonial dagger or a cameo, then checks the chest for traps and a lock

Strix, you don't turn up any more treasure or useful items, though there are plenty of bones that might make a ceremonial dagger.  They are mostly humanoid, humans, half-elves, a few half-orcs, halflings and gnomes.  The temperature down in the crevasse is a little cooler than you might expect, though you're not sure why.  You take a look at the face of the one corpse that's only about a week old - it's reasonably well preserved and there's enough of a family resemblance to tell you that this is probably Nars and Nilsa's father.

The chest is not trapped or locked.  You and Dekhan open it together; inside you find the following:

• 160 silver pieces
• 120 gold pieces
• five malachite gems (each worth around 15 gold pieces)
• two vials of potion of healing
• a scroll of augury
• a longsword +1 with the name 'Talon' inscribed on the blade and the hilt in the shape of a bird of prey with its wings spread.

 Seeing the corpse of the father of the family they just liberated, Dekhan’s face takes on a grim cast and dark light crackles around his eyes. Mercy will be in short supply from here on out.

 Strix gives the father's corpse a sideways look, then frisks it for any kind of closure-offering jewellery, crests or similar adornment.

He takes a half orc bone. They're a far less touchy people about this kind of recycling.

Strix, you don't find anything on the corpse; you imagine that the Redbrands probably took everything already.  You get a decent half-orc leg bone.  

(was not so much loot I was looking for as any recognisable token that could be offered to nars n nilsa, but yeah, would make sense for him to be picked clean.)

Strix  clambers up the western edge, unless the source of the coldness is more apparent on that wall of the pit, and helps Dekhan to ferry the goods up to floor level for distribution. 

Strix and Dekhan make it up to the west side.  You now see that there are three ways forward: a passage that twists as it heads west (F6), a flight of steps leading down (D13), and a passage heading south (H15).  

That's a no then? Asks Varinth Oookay then... Vaz gives the snake of flames a casual pat before snapping his fingers. The snake and fire blink out of existence leaving a confused smoke ring.

Vaz walks over to the edge of the southern bridge. Which one do you think it rigged? Vaz will inspect the bridge looking for some kind of trap.

Investigation : 18

Whilst doing so he also mentions Oh and if we're taking votes, I say we go the north west exit. Let's take down the mage pronto before he has time to, I dunno, research or something. I don't know what proper wizards do.

Vaz, yeah, they rigged the southern one.  Anyone walks across that will take a nice twenty-foot tumble into a pile of bones.  Probably not enough to kill them outright, but enough to make a nice dinner for the now departed creature, whatever it was.  Given how erratic the creature was in its speech, you guess that maybe it was the Redbrands who rigged the bridge, but you can't be certain.

The north bridge is fine, though.

Should we expect the creature to return? I'd hate to have it show up at a bad time. Or do we count it among the defeated and assume it's chosen to leave whilst in our good graces. I don't wanna find anything poppin' up behind us in battle...

"That'd make me awful displeased", he adds in a dark voice filled with malevolent intent, just case it's still listening. Then he follows Vaz to the safe bridge.

"Nice memory on that rigged bridge, Vaz. I'd forgotten, and a fall for me is twice as far," as he chuckles and gives a sidelong glance at the crevasse.

Cheers Mister Scup. Want I should light a fire in the tunnel it went down? Should keep it from our back for a bit but if it gets out of control the smoke might tip off the Wizardry Types. advises Vaz

Dekhan stares after the departed creature for a moment in consideration. As vile as that creature was, I didn’t sense any ill will from it, I don’t think it would attack unless compelled to. Mind you, I wouldn’t want to break my leg falling into this crevass and have to rely on it not trying to eat me, but I don’t think it’ll outright attack us.