AOP:POC

## Point of Contact

READ THIS TO THE PLAYERS
 You smell the moisture of the Dragonmere in the air, the aroma of a fish market, and the scent of exotic spices and incense carried over the breeze. Between the carriages, the animals pulling them, the refugees, pilgrims and endless laborers, you also smell stale sweat, infection and enough armpits that it would gag a zombie. One part opportunity to three parts desperation, it smells just like you expected. Welcome to Westgate, indeed...

Unless you've arranged separate entrances, which could be great for role-play, the players are at the front of Westgate and ready to kick off the adventure.

The main trade highway to Westgate, the "**Grand Ride**," is flagstone paved for at least a hundred miles. All of the other roads roads, at least within a mile or so, are also cobblestone-paved, mostly as a function of giving the shod horses some grip to pull heavy cartage wagons. The cobblestones continue through the city, giving a hard landing and a harder, echoing acoustic as players walk the streets.

### Mounts: What to Do

The players were encouraged to have a "modest" mount – but now that they're here, what do they do with them? This sets the tone for what will be a factor through the whole mini-campaign.

* **At the Gate:** just outside of the city, point out the option to check their horses in at the stables.
* **If the players retain their mounts**, they'll need to be on the lookout for smaller stables inside the city walls (or hitching posts / pages close to places they want to visit).

### First Steps in the City

It's early afternoon and the players have options. They're there to find a job but there's a whole city to explore. The first thing players will notice (through you) is this is a city of commerce. The merchants are passing through: there's definitely money trading hands.

There are little signs, though, of how rough this town is: the merchants are running heavy security until they're outside the gates. Once the party is in the city, as they scout this new location, they'll note the resident merchants are practically conducting business in private keeps.

* **Inside the Gate:** Beyond the heavy armed presence protecting the merchants inside the city, note occasional town criers scattered block to block. Call the player's attention to the loudest, near the inner keep that appears to be City Hall. An official, formally dressed crier rings a bell, announcing ship arrivals and newer posts on a kind of bulletin board, an official place to post bills.
* **For those who can read**, some bills announce traveling acts and the venue they're playing, some announce ship arrivals on famous trade routes from the east, but most are some form of "Help Wanted." The players see some townsfolk occasionally point to bills, and the Crier takes a moment to read the bill to them, sometimes giving them directions if they're interested...

### What To Do

All the usual options are available, from scouting out the city districts, to finding merchants for immediate shopping, pubs for grub and scuttlebutt, or browsing the town's bulletin board by Westgate Keep (city hall).

The range of public houses in town is wide, from civilized carousing to brawling pits to virtual viper pits if the players looking for less-than-savory employers (or looking to hire henchmen that promise dirty deeds done dirt cheap).

* For the martially-inclined, check the city organizations and factions. The *Westgate Municipal Authority* (City Hall) and the *Eye of Justice* always has some work for sell-swords with scruples.
* The Zhentarim and the Mercenaries' Guild of Westgate has an endless supply of gigs for gray area "private military contractors."

Really, it doesn't take much to ask around to find a whole spectrum of prospects for the professional application of violence.

If the parties dive right in, looking for rumors, check:

* **The Westgate Rumor Mill**

If they go straight to The Next Step, they'll have an opportunity to put an ear to the ground later that afternoon.

For parties (or party members) looking for a little lighter entertainment, there are a variety of establishments suitable for adventurers, though not all of which are suitable for children playing adventurers. The Black Eye, the Blind Eye and the Purple Lady Fest Hall are all colorful locations to start adventures, especially for players who are 18 years of age and up.

### The Official Next Step

If (or when) the players look for clues and cues on their next move, direct them to the town's bulletin board by Westgate Keep. One freshly-applied post has a crowd gathered around it, if only because *the logo* *animates across the paper*. The text, written in clear common, reads:

 Stonehearth Attaché interviewing candidates at the Jolly Warrior Inn, today only.

This mini-campaign is designed around accepting *that* commission, but the setting can certainly be adapted to other campaign hooks.

## NEXT STEP

* If the characters take the cues, check the **Jolly Warrior Point-of-Contact page**.
* Say, I need to open up a **Westgate** tab...
* Wait: can you send me back to the **Overview Page**?