Waterdeep: Camel Heist (2020)

The day draws to a close.  You are in a lovely little valley where a stream flows between two small hills; the hills are covered in spring flowers, lots of yellows, blues and reds.  You have a clear view of the mountain ahead, snow upon its peak, and looking back you can still just make out the large dark mass of the Neverwinter Wood, though light is fading fast.

You could press on past sunset and perhaps reach the mine around midnight, or you could make camp here and continue in the morning.

Strix ponders Incantis' question. "Saw blood. Blood rivers. Meat. Much meat. Eyes gouged, tongues split. Lion lady, mean small guy, all stood, all fell. Meat." A note of what might be agitation or excitement creeps into his voice, then he makes a centering gesture with one hand and exhales. "Nothin 'nusual. Why ask? Inky see something sturbing?"

 Dekhan takes in the sights of the valley, he bends down and splashed the water from the stream on his face. He breathes deep and says I think this is a good place to spend the night, lads. Then set out and hit them at dawn...

You halt your journey in the colourful valley, and set up your camp.  The stars above are bright, and there is a sense of anticipation in the air as you bed down for the night.

Can I have first, second, third and fourth watch please, and a perception check from each.

3 9

Dekhan can take second watch if that’s good with everyone perception 10

Right...camping out and a good nights nigh afore the blood and carnage...

I'll take first watch tonight

Perception 21

3rd watch perception 18

Varinth will drink himself a little tipsy and volunteer for the last watch.

Perception: 17

Where does Incantis have the amulet with the gem that was Vyerith's?

Strix, as your watch starts and the light from the stars shines down upon the beautiful valley, you find yourself taking the almost-finished flute from your pack.

Make a bone carving check, with advantage because there are eyes upon you this night.

Nightbone : 20

(I will assume that Incantis is wearing the amulet around his neck.)

Varinth and Scupper, during your watch you notice that the gem that Incantis is wearing glows and flickers noticeably, becoming quite bright at times.  Scupper, with your very keen perception this night, out of the corner of your eye you notice one of the stars in the sky twinkling in an erratic pattern, perhaps chaotically or perhaps following a complex pattern that you cannot discern.  After watching for a while, you notice that Incantis' new amulet is flickering in perfect sync with this one peculiar star.

Strix, you finish the flute, or at least your contribution to it.  It is done, but it is not yet complete.  There is still something missing, but this work is not yours alone.  You will guard this precious object until the right location, and the right helpers can be found, and then the world will see your triumph.  You put the flute away very carefully until the time is right.  Soon, the thought comes to you, and not from you-know-who.  Very soon.

In the morning, you all awake, having completed a long rest.  Today you will enter, if you dare, the Lost Mine of Phandelver and confront the Black Spider and whatever other horrors lurk in a mine lost to the world hundreds of years ago.

Oi! Incantus. There was a star last night. Flickering about, as was the amulet on yer neck. This fella you've mentioned...Zhudun...I tink is what you called him. Said it was the name o' the corpse star? He a god or something, lad? Remember how Vye said something about "you promised it would be mine?" She were awful sore about it and hateful looks at you so I thought it weird but jest maybe elfish. But see, she were touching her necklace. So I'm tinking te meself and says I, "maybe she also followed Zhudie. Maybe through the necklace, she were talking te him? Maybe he promised her someting and maybe he promised you someting?" That's what I says te meself. So what you tink, lad? Didja dream of Zhudie? Is the Spider working with him? Be nice te have an inside edge eh?

(Incantis, you did not dream of Zhudun, or anything at all, this night.)

Varinth, please make a wisdom saving throw.

[ability]Wisdom[/ability]: 14

You pack up camp and head out.

It's another few hours of gently rising, and then less gently rising slopes up into the foothills of the mountains; the air is pleasantly cool, and the sky is a little overcast.  The map you were provided is sufficiently detailed, and landmarks of particular rock formations guide your steps; you are less than a day's travel from Phandalin, yet it is easy to believe that this mine was lost for hundreds of years.  If the stories of its past prosperity are true, this area must once have been busy with people, with a large road leading to and from the mine; nothing of that remains that you can see - the orcs who plundered and destroyed the mine did their job well.

Now you stand at the mouth of a cave; this is the spot marked on the map.  The passageway ahead is straight and descends slowly as it enters the side of the mountain.  The tunnel, at least the part you can see, seems natural and not carved, though well worn, with perhaps some of the edges smoothed and chipped away to make passage easier.  You stand on the threshold.  The tunnel ahead is dark, and before you it is likely that the mine is pitch black. 

Soodi gives a loud harumph, walks away from the cave mouth a good fifty feet and lies down.  Nothing ever looked as unmovable as this camel right now.