Waterdeep: Camel Heist (2020)

You all eventually head off to your shared rooms and settle down for the night.

Strix, you dream of Ika and her band of goblins; in the dream, they arrive in Neverwinter and quickly establish themselves with the aid of the allies you have suggested.  Ika becomes a notorious bandit with a roguish reputation; you see her leaping from one building top to another, swinging on ropes at implausible angles, bursting through doors with scimitar drawn, and racing through the midnight streets, always one step ahead of the bumbling guards.

Varinth, in your dream you sit in the common room of a tavern; not in Phandalin, but one near your home, one you are very familiar with.  There are only two people in the room; yourself, and sitting across the table from you, a small goblin.  In the middle of the table is a large pitcher of wine, and the goblin invites you to drink, which you do.  He invites you again, and you drink again.  And again.  The wine begins to taste more and more unpleasant, and you feel full to bursting, but you are unable to stop yourself as you drink and drink and drink, until finally blackness takes you.

Scupper, in your dream, you are standing on the crow’s nest of a ship at night, looking down upon the crew.  The crew of the Marid are no longer living creatures, but undead skeletons.  They talk and laugh as they work, apparently not noticing you.  Standing at the ship’s wheel is their foolish young captain; he is no skeleton, but nor does he live, and you see clouds of darkness swirling around him.  He points off to the horizon, and there’s the tiniest dot visible there – a ship.  The Marid turns, and the sails unfurl.

Dario, you of course do not sleep or dream.  As part of your meditation, you run through the events of the day, sorting ideas and facts, making connections.  Your thoughts are drawn to orcs, as is so often the case.  Your mind plays through the destruction of Phandalin five hundred years before; using the ruins that you have seen in the town, you map out the progress of the orcs as they burn and destroy and kill.  You see the map of the Sword Coast, and a stain spreads across the land, taking in the other ruined settlements you have visited, covering Phandalin, spreading north and west, and then fading to nothing.  This is all ancient history, and battles fought long ago.

Dekhan, in your dreams, you float in darkness.  Once again, you feel the presence of something vast, something ancient nearby.  Not the same as when you revived Sildar.  Not wise.  Just old.  Endless.  Cold.  You think if it ever noticed  you, your heart would stop dead in an instant.  Instead, it seems to be contemplating the darkness.  You hang there for hours, or so it seems; you attempt to speak but make no sound.  Suddenly you are gasping for breath, now falling rather than floating.  You hit the water and plunge into its cold, dark depths.  Then nothing.

Incantis, you dream of a star, shining bright, fierce, unknowable and yet endlessly fascinating; it holds all the answers, holds the very purpose of your life.  Then your viewpoint shifts, and you see that it was not a star at all, but a glowing jewel resting upon a metal surface.  There is a movement from above, and a hammer falls, striking the jewel.  It makes no sense – what purpose is there to hammering a jewel upon an anvil?  Yet the hammer rises and strikes again, and again. With each blow, the jewel glows brighter and brighter, until the bright white light fills your vision and you see nothing more.

You all awaken or rise from your rest in the morning, feeling refreshed.  Even those of you who drank heavily the night before have only a mild hangover that fades quickly with your breakfast meal.  

It's a new day. You've lots of leads to explore, and the town of Phandalin awaits. What would you like to do?

Dekhan will ask everyone to gather in one of their rooms so he can explain what he learned about the Redbrands last night. 

Dario comes out of his mediation and looks over at Incantis, mouth agape with drool trickling from the side of his. He let's his roommate rest a little longer and quietly exits their room and heads down to the bar and common area, looking for breakfast to fill his empty stomach. Waiting for the food Dario runs into Dekhan who tells him his plan for the group to meet in another room and discuss what was learned. Dario nods at Dekhan. With his food he'll head up to what room was chosen for their meeting.

Strix awakens from his dream of Ika, a pleasant grin on his face and a - Oh feathers! He leaps from the cot and races to a corner of the room, performing stretches and forms, twisting his limbs around his torso at unlikely angles until his blood redistributes itself. He heads downstairs for breakfast and to see who else is up.

Scupper awakes from his dream to sunlight, sure that he's back on the sea but concerned that he doesn't smell the salty air. No...he smells...manure. 

To be sure the world is gently rocking with the waves. To be sure he's above the decks. No...a cabin...but a high cabin. Light pouring in through a square portal. Not a crows nest at all. He blinks slowly and tries to get his bearings. A wooden floor swaying under his feet. The ships walls are odd though. They slope in at the top instead of along the keel. Is this upside down. Is he walking now on the cabins roof. His sea legs keep him steady with the waves as he wal-

Feeeeeeeck!

Scupper lands in a loose pile of hay after falling from the upper story of a stables somewhere in Phandalin. He sleeps another hour then wakes up and wanders back to the in. By the time he reaches his room, he barely remembers the journey at all.

He sleeps another hour then rises to the smell of rashers and eggs. One of the few improvements of waking on dry land.

Dario mentioned that he would keep Scupper out of too much trouble, and so he did, before heading back to the inn for his own meditation.  So nothing too severe happened.  A wagon was borrowed and ridden, yes, but the owner accepted reasonable compensation and you parted on good terms (Scupper, deduct 3 silver pieces from your inventory).  The goat was faster than Scupper, so it was a chase through town, not a ride.  And as for Scupper's epic showdown with Soodi, well, that tale is Dario's to tell, if he chooses.

 Scupper digs into breakfast without much talk of last night owing to a lack of memory for most of it. At one point he asks about the ship and realizes from the looks that this probably didn't happen and shuts up. After finishing, he'd go to whatever room for a recap of whatever the more productive members discovered.

 Dekhan will relate his information when everyone gathers in the room. Frida, the woman I was speaking to last night told me about a group of brigands who have been menacing the town. Taking people, killing them in the street. They call themselves Redbrands. I think we must stop them, we must stand against the darkness. Will you stand with me?

I'm with you Mister Dekhan Varinth says quietly, a strange kind of anger in his voice.

Dekhan looks at Varinth and nods his head. Then he smiles. I thank the light for that, Vaz, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Incantis listens closely to Dekhan's words, rubbing his forehead through his faint but unprecedented hangover. "The heavens move in mysterious ways, who are we to intervene on the behalf of those who's fates might be written?" He begins. "On the other hand...were it not for interventions of fate I myself would not be standing here. I'm willing to entertain your proposal Dekhan, as thanks and repayment for my rescue."

She say why Redbrands like that? Awful quick judge. She woman alone in bar. Not so quick judge her, huh? Think mebbe you not think with main brain. 

Have duty. Have job. Gobbies have Rockseeker. Member? Took Rockseeker gold, member? Duty. Job. Rockseeker have man loin, so no important now? What lady pay with, mmm? She pay all? Or Dekhan only?

Strix realises he's starting to sound agitated and pauses for breath.

Dario listens to Dekhan's pronouncement against the Redbrands and when he is finished talking Dario takes the center floor. "I heard the same rumors as you did, Dekhan. This Redbrand group has been wreaking havoc throughout the town and it's surrounding area. They seem to use a combination of intimidation and racketeering to keep the town under their thumb. We should talk to this Sister Garaele. She seemed to have taken a beaten from them. Also, they seem to be have a hard on against elves... not that it bothers me."

"Maybe jest figure out who's running this gang and start there. To be clear, no one is on board with removing the leader and taking over the gang? Good money in eh... racketeering and the like. So then maybe jest remove the leader and send the rest on their way?"

Quote from Nunberry >>

She say why Redbrands like that? Awful quick judge. She woman alone in bar. Not so quick judge her, huh? Think mebbe you not think with main brain. 

Have duty. Have job. Gobbies have Rockseeker. Member? Took Rockseeker gold, member? Duty. Job. Rockseeker have man loin, so no important now? What lady pay with, mmm? She pay all? Or Dekhan only?

Strix realises he's starting to sound agitated and pauses for breath.

 She offered no reward, carnal or monetary. There is a waiting darkness here, I can feel it. We must do what we can to turn the tide lest we be swept away. But as you say, perhaps I am too hasty. Say then that we invertigate these Redbrands, find the truth of the matter. If we find them to be evil then I will prevail upon you to aid in their removal.

Aye, Dario, it seems we heard tell tonthe same effect. My heart says root them out, but I will exercise caution. 

Scup, I’d say we’d be entitled to some of their ill gotten gains once we send them on their way. And something tells me that their being here ties into our missing benifactor as well, Strix. So, serve the Light, free the town, fill our purses, and find out more about our situation? Who’s in?

Quote from MarkDmitri >>

 She offered no reward, carnal or monetary. There is a waiting darkness here, I can feel it. We must do what we can to turn the tide lest we be swept away. But as you say, perhaps I am too hasty. Say then that we invertigate these Redbrands, find the truth of the matter. If we find them to be evil then I will prevail upon you to aid in their removal.

 Prevail away. Serve light Dekhan's problem. Strix like Scupper plan. Kill leader. Then take men. That give army. Need army storm castle. But.... Not stratjist. Will follow, long as Dekhan keep head straight. 

"I have no problem whatsoever with killing the lot of them...and of course claiming their loot... though the town might feel the brigands ill gotten gains are in fact the town's and therefore not ours. I only mention through experience of havin' liberated many an ill gotten gain. I'd hate to live through something and have to fight again to keep what we win. 

It doesn't seem altogether wrong that this could be connected to the Black Spider...a mine needs workers - be they contracted or shanghaied. A mine needs security and to keep prying townsfolk from exercising any undo interest.

Either way...to find ourselves a leader of the brigands, we should blackjack a lowly thug with which to interrogate. Vaz, yer in charge of killin' em with drink after. I'm happy to see to the question and pain portion o' the affair."