Summary
CW: Cave In, Landslide, Mass Death, Genocide, Capitalism and Greed
A jaded, down-on-their-luck adventuring party unknowingly assists their archenemy when they rescue a group civilians trapped in a mountain cave by a landslide and some hungry wyverns.
Synopsis
In a roadside tavern near the central northern border of Kauvet, the party is approached by a small child and her father. Thinking they are fans of the unflattering book,
The Foe of Many Faces by Che Langston Strutting, the party gives them a cold reception until Otto realizes that the child is actually a fan of his musical career. After a quick autograph, the father arranges a deal with the tavern to allow Otto a quick performance. He and Grace take to the stage and deliver an outstanding number to as much applause as can be made by a small handful of people. The child bounds away in glee but the party’s elation is short-lived as the father produces a copy of the book and asks for it to be signed as well. Otto and Grace begrudgingly sign, but a command spell from Grace prompts the father’s quick exit. His child runs after him as does the tavern employee, because he hadn’t paid yet.
Later, the group is approached by a charming knight named Brandash Alkite, Brandy for short. He informs the group that there’s been a landslide nearby that has trapped a number of followers of
Lathander on pilgrimage. He barely needs to request their assistance before Tasha is up and moving followed by the rest of the group. As the party exits, the father, returned to the tavern by an angry goliath bartender, excitedly waves after the group shouting, “Long live the king!”
On the road, the party learns all they can about the knight and this mission, including that Brandy has a romantic past with their own
Grace Strongbones. Tasha struggles to ascertain just what religious ritual followers of Lathander might be engaging in in the area. Vincent realizes Brandy’s armor is freshly painted black and covered in ornate metals, gems, and leathers.
Using tools created by Grace and Henry’s expert survival skills, the party safely clears a path through the rubble to the cave entrance and works their way down to where the pilgrims are thought to be. When they arrive, they find a grisly scene. Those who aren't already dead or wounded have been backed into a corner by a violent and dangerous black-scaled wyvern. Another wyvern lies stabbed through on the cave floor, but eventually staggers back to its feet and attacks as well. The party springs into action, working to take down the creatures and save the victims.
After the creatures fall, there is still danger. Unstable from the landslide, the cave quakes and begins to collapse. The party works together to get as many pilgrims out as they can, saving 11 of the 19 trapped. Meanwhile, Tasha makes the startling discovery that under the stabbed wyvern was actually the body of a royal guard. There’s no time to inspect the mostly decimated corpse as the cave-in threatens to end them all. They escape with their lives and begin helping escort the wounded to healers. A noble by the name of Chewing Granby introduces himself to a less than amicable party. As payment for the rescue of the pilgrims, he restores the group’s status as a tier 1 adventuring party and offers them another job, one that will allow the royal treasury to unfreeze the group's funding and return their full wealth. Grace Strongbones agrees to the mission on behalf of a less than thrilled party. Granby, Alkite, and the pilgrims all depart, leaving the party to camp for the night in the plains of the valley.
As they depart the next morning, they are unaware of the mysterious child following them. After a week’s travel, they reach the coast to complete the accountant’s quest.
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