Waterdeep: Camel Heist (2020)

Sparks fly off Varinth as he quietly says whoa.

Great arcs of blinding bolts arc between Varinth and the Hobgoblins creating a deafening thunderclap. As your eyes adjust back to normal lighting of the room small motes of dissipating energy can be seen drifting down onto to the now smouldering corpses of the Hobgoblins.

Combat is now over...

Pardon me. says Varinth, a little embarrassed by his own awesomeness.

You stand in the barracks of the now dead hobgoblins.  It's clear that this used to be a tower; only the ground floor remains, though the ceiling is mostly intact.  There's little furniture other than the four cots on the floor, and some weapons on racks on the walls.  The exterior walls to the west and north are crumbling and don't look particularly safe,  but the area has been kept clean and free of dust and rubble.  The four corpses, two of them still smouldering, lie dotted around the room.

Sildar looks at Varinth for a moment, nods, and walks back into the storeroom.

What would you like to do?

Varinth will look around trying to find nooks and crannies where they might be storing the dwarfs.

Investigation: 23

Scupper stands there utterly gobsmacked...

Feel free to do that when the fightin' STARTS next time, lad.

Rubbing the stars out of his eyes...

Feckin' hells that's...that's something te see...err not see. 

Varinth, you search the room and the hobgoblins.  The creatures are carrying a total of 14 gold pieces, which seem to have survived being shot through with electricity.  On the wall, you take a little time to investigate the weapons on the racks; there are five spears, four longswords, three morningstars, and two greatswords.  In the past where you've fought goblins in the wilderness, their weapons though functional have always been old and in poor condition, and unlikely to fetch a decent price.  These weapons, though nothing special or magical, are in fine condition and would probably find a buyer. 

You also notice a particularly fine quarterstaff. The quarterstaff is engraved with stylized feathers, is surprisingly light (1 lb.), and is worth 10 gold pieces.

There is no sign of any dwarves in the room, or any capacity to hold captives.  This is clearly a sleeping area for the hobgoblins, and you get the sense that King Grol commands a small army of different species or subspecies who tend to bunk apart from each other where they can.

Dekhan stands unsteadily and tries to reconcile the past minute or so in his mind. He shakes his head and lays his hands on his various wounds healing himself for 13 points. Lords of Light, Vaz! I’ve never seen anything like that! That was incredible! Is everyone alright? Anyone need healing?

Incantis stares mutely at Dekhan as if to say Uhh yeah you... and then turns to Vaz. "That was quite the magic trick, Varinth." It doesn't seem right in the moment to use the group's nickname for the wild sorcerer.

Strix tries very hard to smooth his hair down but some residual charge in the atmosphere thwarts him. "Shocking stuff, friend Vaz! Owe pint!" 

He compares the quality of the hobgoblin spear to his Redbrand one and trades up if appropriate, then notices the sorcerer's new acquisition. 

"Nice piece.....Stick fight!" He calls, swinging the shaft of the spear overhead, stopping a good six inches short of contact to avoid cracking a friendly skull. 

Right then. Let's keep moving a'fore they figure out they got company, the likes o' Vaz and his powerful magiks.

Scupper gives Vaz a wink and moves to the last door in the room.

Everyone got your pointy 'tings at the ready?

Varinth puts out the fire in the banquet hall and then joins the team at the next door, pointy things ready.

Dekhan is ready and focused on keeping pointy things out of him.

21 17 22 10

Scupper, you open the door leading east from the store room, and peek inside.

What you see looks almost like a shrine.  A stone altar stands in the middle of the room, covered with bloodstained black cloth. Golden ritual implements — a chalice, a knife, and a censer — are carefully arranged on top of the altar. Two archways to the south are covered with heavy curtains, and these are the only way forward.  You don't see anyone in the room, but it is a little darker than the others you've been in so far.

Scupper whispers back, "all right lads. Jest letting me night eyes adjust but lemme scout it."

Stealth 23

Scupper sneaks about the room, letting his darkvision give him a sense of the space... and beyond as he peaks between wall and curtain before sneaking back to the group to report on things.

Scupper, you get a few feet into the room when a goblin voice screeches from behind the altar:  Taaahh!  A shape drops from above, a hideous wormlike monstrosity with tentacles and a beak-shaped mouth.  There's a sickening squelch as it lands on the ground directly behind you.  

Everyone please roll initiative.

Init : 9

4 6 3 15

Initiative 10