Port Royale Adventure

## To do

1. Maps
	1. Label
		1. ~~Velasca House~~
		2. ~~Velasca Dungeon~~
	2. Create
		1. Palace Ballroom - wip
		2. Member's club
		3. 2. The Clam Jammer Int. Ext.
		4. ~~2. Dock Ward Streets~~
	3. Upload
		1. Maps
			1. Palace Ballroom
			2. Member's club
			3. 2. The Clam Jammer Int. Ext.
			4. ~~2. Dock Ward Streets~~
			5. ~~2. Dock Ward Docks~~
2. Handouts
3. Tokens
4. DNDBEYOND
	1. NPCs
		1. ~~Hernan - a rogue~~
		2. Snowbunny - a ranger
		3. Theo - A human sorcerer, with a spider form
		4. ~~King Leslie - an aristocrat~~
		5. ~~Queen Yessica - an aristocrat~~
		6. ~~Isabella - an aristocrat~~
		7. ~~Elena - an aristocrat~~
		8. ~~Andros - A human fighter~~
		9. ~~Thomas - A fighter~~
		10. ~~Jozlin - A drow fighter (uplevel drow assassin)~~
		11. ~~Amalia - a sorcerer (more fun spells)~~
		12. ~~Velasca - a sorcerer (more traditional spells)~~
		13. ~~Mandingo - a monk~~
		14. James -- (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3469888-sir-james) AKA Puddles Braxton with a body made of water, immune to non-magical attacks, resistant to fire and cold damage. Can teleport to puddles of water. -- a fighter with weird water things
		15. Jet Black Rizla (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3469905-jet-black-rizla) -- Rogue that can cast darkness, and some cantrips
		16. Friendly Corrington (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3469924-friendly-corrington)-- A summoner that can summon a group of weak peons, and can support Rizla with healing
		17. Deathman Crothers (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3470131-deathman-crothers)-- A Way of the Long Death Monk.
	2. Enemies
		1. ~~Drow Assassins~~
		2. ~~Automatons~~
	3. Magic Items
		1. ~~Skin Salt Grams~~
		2. ~~Orator's Bracelet~~
		3. ~~The items from Velasca's House~~

## **DM SUMMARY**

The good king has been identified as an easy target by many factions at court: An evil cult that wants to take control and summon an ancient evil, a group of nobles, and now the party itself. Adding to this, he has put the queen in control of court, but she is a master manipulator, and she has turned the court into a giant game of lies and treachery.

The players must step into the fray to save or destroy the royal family. They will face lies, betrayal, and murder as they try to save the country from catastrophe.

Will they succeed in their mission? Or will they fall prey to the evil plot that is being hatched right under their noses?

## **TOP LINE SUMMARY**

The good king of Port Royale has been identified as an easy target for assassination due to his trusting nature. The party has been asked by a courtier close to the King to use discretion to sniff out the would-be assassin(s) before they are able to execute their plot. The party steps into the fray to save or destroy the royal family. They will insert themselves into the Port Royale Court, and face lies, betrayal and murder as they try to save the kingdom from catastrophe.

## **EVEN LONGER STORY SUMMARY**

The party returns to Port Royale, and are met by a frantic and nerdy looking elven lady that asks them if what they heard was true. She reiterates the story that the party told her, with some notable changes. Their reputation precedes them, which means that word of their exploits travelled to Port Royal faster than they did. She advises them to lay low, since Port Royal is not so friendly to pirates in general. Whether the party does or doesn’t lay low, they’re approached by an elegant elven lady who arrives with a small chest containing 2000 gp. She tells them that they can keep this money, but that her employer has requested their attendance at his manor.

The party arrives at the residence of Lord Theo Margaster, one of the newer members of the Port Royal Court. He explains to the party that he has a job for them that requires a lot of discretion, and that they’re the right people to do it. He’d like them to attend court with them. He will provide them with clothing to disguise themselves as courtiers from a sub-family of House Margaster, the Melhounds. He has learned of a plot to assassinate the King, and that he would like their help to sniff it out. It’s in his interest to not have the king assassinated, because it’s unclear who might take over, and what his relationship with them might be. He warns them that the court itself is complex, and that navigating it will be difficult.

The party arrives at court, and are introduced to 8 specific courtiers, 9 including Lord Theo. They’re then left to their devices, and are looped into a series of plots that take place around them that they have to make sense of. Each courtier is part of a series of events that are taking place regarding various plots on the throne.

## **FACTIONS AT PLAY**

The Daxos Cult  — The cult worships Daxos, an ancient evil that believes that people's souls are trapped within bodies that experience nothing but death and misery throughout their existence. It intends to create an army of soulless entities to free souls from the flesh that binds them.

The Nobles — The Nobles are mainly unaware of the Daxos Cult, and really just want to scheme for the throne, or power in general.

The Party — It’s unclear what the party wants, exactly. They’re pirates and are thrown into the court to sew discord.

## **MEMBERS OF COURT**

Lord Andros and Lady JozlinLord TheodoreIsabellaSir ThomasLady ElanaLazza SnowbunnyLady ValescaChillminister MandingoHernanSir JamesLady AmaliaKing LeslieQueen Yessica
King Leslie (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3469810-king-leslie-of-port-royale)— King Leslie is a good-natured man who is unaware of the plot to assassinate him and the conspiracy to take down the royal family. He doesn’t know about the cult’s attempt to revive an ancient evil, and will trust lord Theo with important matters of state. He doesn’t know why, but he really doesn’t trust Lady Velasca. The King just wants everyone to be happy.

Queen Yessica (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3469823-queen-yessica-of-port-royale)— Queen Yessica is having an affair with THE BLACK SPIDER behind the king's back. She is also secretly plotting to assassinate the king, and The Black Spider is helping her. the queen does not know that her ally is a cult member, and she does not know that the Black Spider is actually Lord Theo. She wants to assassinate the king so that she can marry Lord Theo.

### **The Daxos Cult**

1. Lord Andros of House Cabracho (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3470216-lord-andros) is a member of the cult. He is a cunning, manipulative man who knows how to exploit people's weaknesses. He is a master politician, and he will do anything to further his cult’s aims. He adopted Isabella and uses her to further the cult’s aims.
	1. Andros wants to replace the king with the resurrected Daxos.
	2. He is aiding Lord Theo in resurrecting Daxos through the queen.
	3. he is the ambassador to waterdeep
2. Lady Jozlin of House Cabracho (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3470178-lady-jozlin) a "reformed" Drow, who is now deeply involved with the Daxos cult. She is the consort of Lord Andros, but the two of them are only involved out of convenience, in that they both want to resurrect Daxos
	1. Jozlin wants to replace the king with the resurrected Daxos
	2. She is aiding Lord Andros whenever she can.
3. Lord Theo of House Lenguado is actually the BLACK SPIDER. He is a cunning and treacherous man who will stop at nothing to attain his goals. The Black Spider is a powerful evil sorcerer who is trying to resurrect an ancient evil that has been long thought dead. He is sleeping with the queen. He recognizes that Sir James is a threat, and wants to frame him for wanting to take the throne so that he will be executed. After that, he will seduce the queen, and use their resources to summon an ancient evil.
	1. Lord Theo wants the queen to give birth to Daxos
	2. He'd like Daxos to be King
	3. He needs the King dead.
4. Isabella of House Cabracho (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3469737-isabella) is a young girl from the streets who has been adopted by Lord Andros. She is a clever and resourceful individual who is willing to do whatever it takes to survive. She has fallen in love with Sir James, and she hopes to one day marry him and become a noblewoman herself. Though technically involved in the cult’s machinations, she would be willing to do anything to help Sir James if he asked her to.
	1. Isabella wants to marry Sir James
	2. Isabella also feels obligated to support her dad, Lord Andros
5. Sir Thomas (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3469845-sir-thomas) is a royal guard. He is a member of the cult, but is trying to determine the identity of the Black Spider so that he can take control of the cult himself. Sir Thomas is using Lady Elana as a pawn in his plot to bring down the king, and to take the throne for himself, and he is planning to assassinate Lady Elana once she has served her purpose.
	1. Sir Thomas is trying to find the identity of the Black Spider so he can take control of it.
	2. He is planning to have Lady Elana give birth to Daxos

### **The Nobles**

1. Lady Elana of House Necora (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3469755-lady-elana) is a noblewoman. She is a dangerous schemer who will stop at nothing to attain her goals. Though Lady Elana is in love with Sir Thomas, she is using him to gain information that could take down the queen, whom she suspects of treachery.
	1. Lady Elana wants to find information that could implicate the queen in some scandal
	2. She also wants to get closer to Lord Thomas.
2. Lord Lazza Snowbunny of House Necora, a wood elf noble from Faerun that married Lady Elana and is suspicious about Sir Thomas.
	1. Lord Lazza Snowbunny does not want to be at court.
	2. He is suspicious of Sir Thomas
	3. He suspects that Lady Elana is cheating on him.
3. Lady Velasca of House Merluza (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3470337-lady-velasca) is a noblewoman from a neighboring kingdom. She is a powerful sorceress, and she knows how to use her magic to manipulate people. Velasca is hoping to assassinate Lord Andros to take over his position as ambassador to Waterdeep. If Velasca achieves her ultimate goal, she will cut ties with Hernan and leave him helpless.
	1. Lady Velasca wants to assassinate Lord Andros, or get rid of him somehow, so she can take over his position as ambassador to Waterdeep.
	2. She is hoping to use Hernan for that, somehow.
	3. She's thinking about Hernan when she's with Man'o'shevitz
4. Chillminister Man'o'shevitz(https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3470236-chillminister-manoshevitz), Lady Velasca's Island Dwarf lover.
	1. Chillminister Man'o'shevitz doesnt have time for this nobility bullshit.
	2. He ignores most of what Lady Velasca says because she's amazing in bed.

### **Neutral Parties**

1. Hernan (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3471218-hernan) is a greedy drow sellsword who will work with whomever pays him the most. At this point in the story he is in the pocket of Velasca. He is using his relationship with Velasca to gain a position of nobility, and wealth.
	1. He will use anyone to get into the nobility, and may need to kill Man'o'shevitz
2. Sir James is a knight of the royal guard. He has a tired, and worn out look on his face, and his skin is permanently sun-kissed. He is a loyal and devoted servant of the kingdom, and he is willing to lay down his life to protect his comrades. Or is he? Sir James is being blackmailed by Lady Elena, who knows that he was a pirate from a crew that wreaked havoc on the coast of Baldur’s Gate. He has stolen the identity of Sir James to try to evade these people, and just wants to live his life as a knight. He is not above assassinating Lady Elena. He has no idea what is going on with the cult.
	1. Sir James is trying to lay low, but is getting frustrated with Lady Elena.
	2. He hopes to have her killed one way or another so that he can protect his identity as a former pirate.
3. Lady Amalia of House Dorado(https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3470314-lady-amalia) is a ridiculously good looking noblewoman debutante from a neighboring kingdom. She has slept with many people on the court, both men and women, and knows their secrets. She does not know anything about the cult, but she holds leverage over many. She also knows how to use her leverage to her advantage, and she will not hesitate to blackmail people into doing as she wants. She is a dangerously manipulative and powerful individual, and she must be dealt with carefully. She knows that Sir James is a pirate, that Lord Theo is in love with Lady Velasca, and that Lady Velasca is trying to assassinate Lord Andros. She also knows Lady Elena's secrets, but she does not believe that they are as important as the others.
	1. Lady Amalia just wants to have a good time, and isnt above usinLg people for that.

## **STORY ARCS**

### Chapter 0.5 Welcome (back?) to Port Royale

#### The Last Rites Inn

The party arrives back at Port Royale. Paraphrase the following.

> *You disembark from your ship, The Lusty Larry, named by your late Captain, Lecherous Dazza. With his untimely death from an unknown ailment, his first mate, Boner Jessup (his real name), has opted to sell the ship and distribute the money across the crewmates, of which there are 10, including him.*
>
>
> *You're greeted by a mousy looking elven lady with a notebook dressed in a traditional dress of Port Royale. She flags you down from the end of the dock, and when you stop to greet her, she is excited to meet you.*
>
>
> *Hey Guys! Hey! Fellas! My name is Elendria! You guys look like pirates! Say, that wouldn't happen to be the Lusty Larry, would it? What happened to Lecherous Dazza? Last I heard you were all involved in a heist of some sort. Tell me all about it so i can include it in my book, The Peculiar History of Pirates and the Warm Sea Vol 24! Don't worry, I won't publish anything until the statute of limitations ends.*
>
>
> *Elendria looks around and leans in to talk to the party quietly.*
>
>
>
> *Did you hear about what happened to Sharktooth Lucinda's flagship, over in the Palmas region out east? Be glad you're out here, where the seas are tame in comparison.*
>
>

Elendria writes down everything fervently, and when she finishes she asks the party what they're planning on doing while they lay low? Regardless of what they say, she says the following.

> *Sure, whatever. You've all been here before, so I don't need to tell you that Port Royale authorities can be strict on crime. Well... unless you're rich or well connected. Don't go around telling everyone you're pirates.*
>
>
> *If you ask me, the best place to lay low is always going to be at the Last Rites Inn in the Dock Ward. They take care of pirates like you, they never snitch, and they offer safe, and clean accommodations, which is rare for the Dock Ward in particular, but also rare of places that cater to pirates.*
>
>
> *One last piece of advice. Word travels faster than feet in Port Royale. We have a saying here: Portians are friendly people... except when they aren't.*
>
>
>
> *See you all around, and good luck selling the ship!*
>
>

If the party eventually makes their way to The Last Rites Inn, you can describe it as such

> *The Dock Wards in Port Royale are pretty standard, but with the nice weather they've been having recently, people seem friendlier than usual, and you find that it's pretty easy to make your way over to the Last Rites Inn. The entrance to the Inn itself is below street level, and when you go downstairs the savory scents of saffron fish stew, grilled seafood, malty ale, and sweet wine hits you, and a group of oddly civilized pirates are enjoying the afternoon dining al fresco. The front doors of the inn have been propped open to let air in, and no one really notices you as you walk inside.*
> It's been a while since you've been to Port Royale. At little bars like this, small bites to eat, like salted anchovies, citrus cured fish to fight scurvey, and cured tuna are free with drinks. Everyone here is extremely drunk and happy.
>
>

The Last Rites Inn has a very meager selection of drinks and rooms available, as it mainly caters to people who don't really care about the finer things in life.

 Room: Poor
 Ale (mug)
 Wine (chalice)
 Wine (bottle)
 Food (chef's choice)

> *As you are about to settle in for the evening, an elven woman appears at the bar that people are taking notice of. She is wearing an elegant blue dress, and doesn't look very comfortable in the dock ward, or in the bar that she's in. She looks to be looking around for someone, but stops when she sees you. With a painful grimace, she walks towards you, being careful not to touch anyone or anything. In her hands, she is carrying a small yellow wooden chest.*
> When she finally reaches your party she says, "I thought I might find you here. I'm Melaine, a messenger for Lord Theo of Port Royale. I'm here to give you this chest." Placing the chest on the table reveals it's considerably heavier than it looked in her dainty arms.
>
>

*The chest contains 400 platinum coins, neatly arranged into lines inside the box, not just haphazardly piled on top of each other like in a normal treasure chest.*

> She continues, "I'm to tell you that you can keep the contents of this chest, but that you'll get even more if you do a favor for my employer. He requests your presence at his manor in the Grove Ward tomorrow morning. I've already arranged a carriage to pick you up here in the... Dock Ward..." She looks around with an obvious sense of disdain on her face, more emotion than she exhibited when she saw the ridiculous racks of money in the chest. "Even though horses hate how it smells here".
>
>
> *As the party arranges themselves to speak to her, she interrupts them calmly.*
>
>
> *"That's all. I'm not here to talk actually. It's not my place to ask questions about the Lord's business. One piece of advice though. Piracy and aristocracy have a lot in common. You can't trust anyone. Lord Theo is a good and honest man. You should hear him out. I have to go. I really can't stay here any longer."*
>
>
>
> *She stops herself before she leaves and returns to the party briefly to sigh and then say "Not that I care but, by the way. Your captain, Boner Jessup -- Yeah, you're never going to see the money for the Lusty Lady. He's going to fence it off and disappear."*
>
>

Melaine has clearly been tipped off by Elendria **(DC15 Insight)**, who is also in Lord Theo's pocket. After Melaine leaves, the party is free to do whatever they want with the 400p that they've collected, and the evening will end without any surprises.

#### Lord Theo's Mansion

The next day, the players are awakened by the innkeeper knocking on their door. Sheepishly, he explains to the party that a beautiful woman and a carriage await them outside. The Innkeeper now thinks that the party is famous, or somehow important (DC10 Insight), and he is asking the party a lot of questions about their room, telling them about improvements that he's working on, and is really keen to make sure that their stay was pleasant.

It's hot outside. The party finds Melaine standing next to a horse-drawn carriage checking the state of her cuticles. At her feet are four small yellow chests equally spaced apart. She fakes a smile when she sees the party and stops them before they enter the car.

> *Melaine says, "You smell horrible. I sized you up earlier, and arranged for a set of clean clothes for each of you." She tells each party member which box of clothes are theirs. Inside each box is, indeed, a set of fine vestments.*
> "Change." she says, and she holds out her hand which is immediately grabbed by the carriage's driver, and she's helped into her seat at his side.
>
>

***Note:** Charisma checks with nobility will more often than not happen with disadvantage if you aren't dressed appropriately. Anyone with a noble background will know this.*

The party will then be taken through the Dock Ward, and across town to the Garden Ward, which gets its name from the wild growth of flowering vines that climb up the walls of all the buildings, and the numerous private and public gardens. Many of the buildings in this ward are mansions that are spread out across entire city blocks, and Lord Theo lives in one of these mansions. The front doors of his house open to a large private garden with fountains, seating areas, and exotic plants. As the party enters the gardens, Lord Theo steps down from the stairs of his manor with his arms open to greet the party. After introducing Lord Theo to the party, Melaine sneaks away unseen **(DC 20 Perception)**.

Lord Theo's house has a ward on it that alerts him to things that may be entering it. This is how he prevents magical listening devices and the like from spying on him.

> *A muscular man wearing what looks like an elegant toga (?) comes to greet you. He says his name is Lord Theo, and asks you about the clothes you're wearing, and about your journey, and then he tries to quickly usher you into his house. He says that it's safe inside his house, and they can speak candidly without fear of people listening to them.*
>
>

Lord Theo takes you to a small wine bar inside his house and pours each of you, and himself a glass. To demonstrate that is not poisoned, he is the first one to taste the wine, thinking about it a moment and swishing it around his mouth before nodding, and then pouring one for each party member. He toasts to you all "Long Live the King"

> *He says to you all, "You are here today because a little bird told me that you know how to operate with discretion and precision. <a bunch of details that he was able to glean about the work they did on the adventure>. <a question for his clarification>."*
>
>
> *Once he hears the answer, he says "Fascinating".*
>
>
> *Well, for the group that did that, this should be easier, and far more lucrative. No sense in beating around the bush here. Through my spies at court, I have learned of a plot to assassinate the King. The details of the assassination are murky. I don't know when, why, or how it will happen, nor do i know who is planning it, whether it's an individual, or whether there are multiple parties involved.*
>
>
> *What I do know is that a power vacuum in Port Royale would be deeply destabilizing to the entire region, and could lead to an all-out war. I also know that there are but a small number of people with regular access to the King, and those are the most likely suspects.*
>
>
>
> *A million people depend on Port Royal for their livelihood in one way or another. It's hard to put a price on that... but i'll try. 30,000 gp. If you can sniff out the assassins, and bring them to justice, one way or another. What do you think?*
>
>

Lord Theo will go as high as 50,000. Once that's all managed, he leaves them with some last information, before handing things off to Melaine, who is now standing behind the party **(DC20 Perception)**.

> *I've taken the liberty of setting you up with a small home which will be your "base of operations", so to speak. Melaine will see to your arrival. Once you're situated, you need to take a trip to **Steel & Stone**. It's a really special shop for high end weaponry, and since they work with intricate designs they also sell jewelry.*
>
>
> *Melaine has taken the liberty of commissioning something for each of you that will help you fit in at court a bit easier. You're going to need to look the part if you want to convince anyone that you are part of the aristocracy.*
>
>
>
> *Oh, that reminds me -- I'm currently arranging some alternative identities for you all. It's not really feasible for you all to be part of the same family, since you are all different races. I'm delving into minor families from Faerun, mainly from Waterdeep and the Patriar families of Baldur's gate. The aim is to avoid arousing suspicion from other members of court.*
>
>

And with that, Lord Theo bids the party farewell, and Melaine provides them with directions to their house, as well as a key to enter the residence. She also provides them with a letter for Steel & Stone, which, if opened, is instructions for someone named **Penny Blackthorn** to provide the party with Lord Theo's commissioned pieces.

#### Steel & Stone

PennyTreacleHenry's RingOrator's BracletSteel & Stone is a blacksmith and jeweler in the Garden Ward, probably about a 15 minute walk from Lord Theo's Mansion (The Garden Ward is fairly large). Similar to The Mansion, the facade of the storefront obfuscates a small garden which contains two stores -- a Blacksmith and a Jeweler. There's a smithy off to the side of the garden, but it isn't in use at the moment because Penny Blackthorn, the gnomish blacksmith and jeweler, only crafts on weekends to avoid disturbing the peace.

The blacksmith shop is staffed by Penny, while the jeweler is staffed by his wife, **Treacle Blackthorn**, who is an otherwise normal gnomish woman who just so happens to also wear ridiculous avant garde dresses to work.

Steel & Stone is an opportunity for the party to purchase weapons & armor, in addition to wondrous items, provided that they are jewelry. Two large guards stands by, keeping a watchful eye on the party.

Penny's demeanor is that of a friendly, cheeky little gnome. Treacle is a little more down to earth. Maybe too down to earth.

Treacle provides the party with a set of Orator Bracelets, and a Weird Ring.

> *Hey brothers. Don't be thrown off by the guard, man -- they're straight up squares -- I'm talking cubes, man. But they're here for our protection, and for the shop, dig?*
> *Hold up -- yo -- you're the cats that we was expecting to come by for these bracelets. Smoo.. I guess this ring is for the Tiefling... Tell Lord Theo I said "My bad, amigo", I wasn't able to accommodate his last minute request. But don't worry hornbro -- I've got you like Sonny and Cher, dig? A special piece, for my special piece. Yea. Let him know I had to bill him for an antique.*
>
>

Once the party finishes up in the shop, and they leave, they find themselves face to face with a group of drow assassins.

> *When you step outside of the shop you see a group of four masked drow dressed in black. Each of their faces appears to be obfuscated by a mask which itself looks like a face.*
>
>
> *You can't quite tell, but it looks like one of them is probably grinning under his mask, and that one draws a blade and exclaims "Boner Jessup sends his regards".*
>
>
>
> *Almost immediately, the guards enter the shop, and close the door behind them. A series of thick metal sheets manifest themselves over the windows and doors of the shop. The exit is blocked by the drow, and the party can't enter the shop either.*
>
>

In fact, the assassins have been sent by Lord Theo as part of a long con. They'll immediately blame Boner Jessup for the attack, especially due to the comment made by Melaine. If they don't recall, an insight check of 10 reminds them:

> *She stops herself before she leaves and returns to the party briefly to sigh and then say "Not that I care but, by the way. Your captain, Boner Jessup -- Yeah, you're never going to see the money for the Lusty Lady. He's going to fence it off and disappear."*
>
>

It will also provide Lord Theo with the opportunity to deliver Captain Jessup and the rest of his crew to the party.

#### The Next Day...

A couple of tough looking, and heavily armed guards appear at the house, and inform the party that they're going to escort them to Lord Theo's house, since it's too close to send a carriage. They aren't lying, but will agree to go away if the party doesn't trust them, informing the party that they should head to the Lord's Manor so they can all travel to the palace together.

When they arrive at the house, Lord Theo is feigning distress (DC22 Insight) about what happened to the party at the house. He informs the party that he will take care of this for them, and will make sure they're safe from him going forward.

He then proceeds to take them to the Palace.

> After passing through a large marble archway with an intricate golden gate, the carriage begins a slow and winding ascent up a hill, with large dense trees shading the carriages path. As it nears the top of the hill you see the grandeur of the palace appear from the top to the bottom. It's an enormous mansion made of what looks to be tan colored sand stone, and it has a large garden with paths, fountains and palm trees, and behind it sits the open sea. A ramp from the garden takes you up to a smaller garden that looks out over the lower garden, and your carriage comes to a halt at the door.
>
>
> Immediately a group of peons rushes down the stairs and makes a line at both sides of the carriage door leading up to a set of large thick wooden doors, which have been left open. Stepping down from the car, each of the peons looks up at you, and as you make eye contact with them, they each nod at you in acknowledgement. Lord Theo walks in front and beckons the party to follow him as he makes his way up a grand staircase and into the throne room.
>
>
> The throne room itself is pretty much what you'd expect it to look like. A series of columns line the sides of the room, and the words of gossiping nobles echo off the walls. Large windows line the walls -- many of them have been left open to let air freely move through the room. At the far end of the room, an older man who is obviously the king stands with a far younger, more beautiful, woman at his side, the queen. The two of them appear to be in a conversation with two other aristocrats, whose clothes appear far finer than most of the people in the room. All of them look your way when you enter the room, and they smile nearly in unison.
>
>
>
> Your boots squeak against the polished marble floors as you walk through the room. Lord Theo acknowledges a Court Herald, who stands to your side and clears his throat before announcing each of you under your fake identities.
>
>

The Court Herald announces each of the party members to a mostly quiet room, and then steps off to the side. After a brief pause, everyone resumes their conversations. Everyone briefly acknowledges the party with their eyes before returning to whatever it was they were doing. Everyone except a blonde half-elf in an orange flowing dress, who immediately approaches Lord Theo and curtseys in front of him, before acknowledging the rest of the party.
She introduces herself as **Lady Amalia**, and explains that this is her third season at court. She is a noble from a mainland kingdom, but has permanently relocated to Port Royale for the season. Well, that's not quite true -- she actually lives at a family estate outside of town, which she is also quick to invite the party to visit in the future, **Palmwood Manor**. Lady Amalia's position in the court is interesting; her family only recently was in power in Port Royale, and she'd like to get them back into power. Lord Theo leaves the party in the care of Lady Amalia, who tells them she will introduce them to the movers and shakers at court.

> NOTE: Everyone at court will casually refer to a party. The party is not invited to that party.
>
>

#### In the Garden with Amalia

After introducing the party to everyone, she asks the party if they'd like to step outside into the upper garden with her. When she's outside, her demeanor changes.

She's far more playful when away from the prying eyes of the court, and she immediately begins to pry into how the party knows Lord Theo. If there are any women in the group, she inquires as to whether or not they have slept with him, seemingly implying at the same time that she has. She asks them where they came from, and a bunch of questions about their past

She is suspicious of the party and isn't inclined to buy their stories, and implies as much by saying things like "That's fine. I understand why you might want to keep these things close to your chest". She notes that there are cliques at court, but that she is more of a social butterfly, bouncing from one man, and one group, to the next. She suggests that this is a good reason for them to trust her.

She also suggests that **Hernan**, a Drow sellsword in the pocket of **Lady Velasca,** is actually more of a neutral party than he might seem; she also implies that she has slept with him, by saying **"Once you go Drow you never go back, because they've likely enslaved you and dragged you to the Underdark."** She laughs a lot at that joke before looking a little nervous. She tells them not to use that joke around any drow they come across. She concludes by saying that she's joking; she actually hates the Drow, but that Hernan is an OK guy. Jozlin is a proper bitch though.

She also makes comments about how she's never met anyone from the families in question. At the end of this conversation, she informs the party that she is going to be throwing a party **tomorrow evening** at her house in the countryside.

#### The Game of Truths

At some point in the afternoon, there should be a commotion near the king, and the people should be sitting in their seats.

> The King calls to Lord Andros, and chuckles.
>
>
> "Lord Andros -- tell us about your sister! How does she fare these days?" he says.
>
>
> "I'd rather not, my lord" Andros responds, clearly perturbed by this topic.
>
>
> "Oh, come off it, Andros. How is she since the sea stole her memory?" Lady Valesca says, grinning. Lord Andros sits down. "Lady Elana. Remind us what game we were playing yesterday."
>
>
> Without standing from her seat, Lady Elana responds "It's called the game of truths."
>
>
> The King laughs, "I love it", he says.
>
>
> Lady Elana continues, "The good lady Belen hasn't been the same since an accident at sea stole her memory. The Game of Truths is simple, we tell various untruths about the world, and together we decide on the best untruth. Whomever tells the best untruth, as voted on by the people in this room, wins the game, but they also have to tell Lady Belen this untruth, which in turn will become her truth, reshaping her reality before our eyes." She laughs. "Of course, it's all in good fun, these things tend to resolve themselves with proper leeching and time, don't they?"
>
>
> Lord Andros is visibly annoyed by this conversation, but remains seated, hand in hand with Lady Jozlin.
>
>
> Lady Elana looks over at Lazza Snowbunny. "You've been awful quiet, Lazza. Why don't you go first."
>
>
> Lazza Snowbunny stands up. "Well, I'm kind of on the spot, but here it goes... Lady Belen, a truth about this world that you may not remember is that our lives aren't real, we're all just puppets in a game played by people who communicate our every move over great distances through magical rectangles."
>
>
>
> "My friends, this is what happens when you spend your formative years picking mushrooms in the forest", the King says. Everyone laughs at Lazza, and he sits down, ashamed, and feeling like an idiot. "Let's ask our new guests. Do any of you have any great new truths about the world to tell Lady Belen?"
>
>

Once the party comes up with an idea the whole court agrees that this was probably better than anything that they could come up with, and despite Andros' protests, they implore the party to go tell Lady Belen.

When lady Belen hears this new truth about the world, she freaks out. She starts to pull her hair out, throws up, and pees all over herself before passing out again. The nobles, who are all giggling in the hallway jump into the room and start laughing hysterically.

#### Returning Home

Lord Theo's carriage takes the party to his house, where he instructs the party to walk back to their own residence. On the way back they encounter a group of young aristocrats who take notice of them, and provide them with several backhanded compliments.

* Hey, sweet cloak.
* Where do people like you shop these days?
* Is this the new trend? Bohemian?
* Mate. Can I just say -- I wish I could be as confident as you... to go around dressed like that.
* Mate, is this your pad? I'm impressed. How did you focus on work when you were always worrying about your next meal?

If the party attacks the youth, kills them, or otherwise assaults them, Lady Amalia is seen in the background grinning, before walking down the street and disappearing.

#### A note from Lord Theo

When they arrive at their house, they find an envelope in the living room of the house. Inside, it contains the address of a building in the Dock Ward, and a specific storage unit, and instructs the party to head there first thing in the morning before going to Lord Theo's house. Once the letter has been read it immediately burns itself out, leaving only the address remaining.

### Chapter 1. In Bed with Lady Amalia

#### Another Gift from Lord Theo

If the party heads to the address at the dock ward, and enters the nondescript warehouse, they may be surprised to see the reaction from the workers present at the site.

> There are a handful of workers at the site that notice you when you enter. They immediately avert their gaze, stop what they're doing, and walk out of the building. The last one to leave pats one of the characters on the shoulder.
>
>

When they make their way to unit 3, they may hear the sound of someone crying **(DC 15 Perception)**. Sure enough, following the sound through the shelves stacked high with crates containing everything from spices to silks, the party encounters Boner Jessup, badly beaten, bloodied, and tied to a chair with an elegantly tied silk bow nailed into his sternum.

He doesn't look happy when he sees the party. In fact, he's pretty upset. The following things are said:

* He tells the party that he doesn't have the money from the ship. That he was swindled out of it (DC10 Insight) -- this is technically a lie, he wasn't swindled out of it, but he got lowballed pretty hard, and was then robbed by his own first mate, **Icetongue Lamorne**. He'll never admit this though, so the party will either think he's telling the truth, or a lie.
* When pressed about whether he knows anything about the assassination attempt, he will first say he knows nothing about it **(DC10 Insight)**. This is also a lie. While being beaten up, he was informed that someone made an attempt on their life.
* When asked if it was him, he insists that it wasn't, which is the truth.
* If asked if he considered running off with the money from the sale of the ship, he will lie again **(DC10 Insight)**. He doesn't know who beat him up.

Unfortunately, whether or not the party finishes him off, Lord Theo's crew will, one way or another.

#### Court Day

The party may make their way to court, and is free to talk to anyone there that they want to, Perhaps to start looking into who the assassins might be. They won't learn anything though, not through conversation. They're also free to explore the grounds of the castle, though there are a number of guards around that are watching them.

#### Palmwood Manor

> Your carriage approaches what appears to be a bustling countryside manor from a distance; every window in the house is illuminated. Since it's just a house, it's considerably smaller than the palace, and from the façade you can make out that there are 12 windows at the front of the house across two stories. The country house has a long road that leads to it and a modest iron gate. The gardens surrounding the house are equally modest as well, with no elaborate fountains or sculptures, or weird exotic plants, but are illuminated tastefully by small glowing orbs that cast uprights against the palm trees, a small number of stone benches, and small dimly lit rocks that mark the gravel pathway to the house.
> However, the closer you get to the house, the more obvious it is that there is no party taking place. The gardens are empty, save for a beautiful blonde half-elf standing on the gravel path in the distance.
>
>

When the party's carriage arrives at Palmwood manor, they are surprised to find that there is actually no one there, except Lady Amalia, who laughs at them for falling for the oldest trick in the book; the fake party at the countryside manor.

She makes some observations, including that she noticed the party is probably not aristocracy because they've been wearing the same clothes for 2 days, and possibly that their current clothes had obvious blood stains on them. She may note any of the following things.

She might also note that she actually does know people from some of those families, and that she's never heard of them before -- this is a lie **(DC15 Insight)**, she doesn't know anyone from those families. Lastly she informs them that she knows they're pirates, that she knows they came off the Lusty Larry. She has no idea who <the guy that looks like henry> is, but she intends to find out.

* The party likely came in on the Lusty Larry.
* The party <did a bunch of things>
* One of the party members already has a nickname -- **Two-Feat Biggus, Fistboy Bleukakke**
* She inquires whether the party was saddened by the loss of Lecherous Dazza
* She may lament that she was not able to find Boner Jessup, nor any trace of the Lusty Larry. She suggests that he may have been more than meets the eye, for him to have been able to fence off or dismantle a ship like that so quickly, and so discretely.
* She also implies that she is sleeping with Elendria.

While she didn't know all of this when she invited the party to her house, she suspected that there was something special about them, and that the invitation bought her some time to look into things a little. She is aware that she might come across as untrustworthy because of this, but assures them that she only needed to get them somewhere she was sure no one would be eavesdropping. She also mentions that there are snipers plated on the roof that are ready dispatch each of them if they sense that she's threatened. She whistles, and the party hears 6 whistle responses which indicate the sniper's positions.

She also smiles as she tells them that she doesn't care that they're pirates, and that she could actually use the help of pirates to retrieve something for her.

> "Palmwood Manor isn't the only house that's empty tonight. I've got it under good authority that a house of another noble will be mostly empty due to a party at the Palace of Arts tonight. Don't feel bad that you weren't invited, it was planned months back before anyone knew you. Not that you'd be invited even if they did...
>
>
> "I need someone that can get inside the house, and retrieve a chest from a hidden room behind a tacky marble statue of two nude men wrestling in a weird vertical position. The chest is magically locked, and you will not be able to open it, unless you can dispel magic, which I suspect none of you can."
>
>
> She grins at you.
>
>
> "Anyway, though the house is mostly empty, there are a few odds and ends to consider.
>
>
> "Firstly, though the house has no human security to speak of, it does contain autonomatron security. Being pirates, I'm sure you're no stranger to murdering and pillaging, but that's not what this is. We want to get in and out without issue, but if push comes to shove, just know that autonomatrons have no central nervous system, can't feel pain, and at 3000 gp a piece, are cheap enough.
>
>
> Secondly, there is, the small problem of the staff. I'm talking about the Automaton Engineer, the stablemaster, and some maids. Though not a physical threat, they could run for help, scream, or point you out in a line-up. You need to avoid them as much as you can.
>
>
>
> Anyway -- 500gp -- does that sound like a good deal?"
>
>

Lady Amalia will go as high as 2000 for the party.

She not reveal the name of the noble though, stating that putting a name to it will make it seem more personal, and might even make it harder for them to do their jobs. They should focus on getting in and out, not about whose house they are breaking into. They are breaking into Lady Velasca's manor.

While Lady Amalia does not have a map of the house itself, she tells them that the statue is pretty distinct, and that it's on the 2nd floor. She laughs at the party a bit more, and tells them that she feels a little bad that she tricked them into going so far out into the middle of nowhere that they won't need to leave empty handed. **And that's when she notices their bracelets.**

> Lady Amalia's eyes catch one of your bracelets, and they frantically dart around between everyone's wrists. Then, her eyes start to glow white, and she asks for permission before examining the bracelets.
>
>
> "These are... exquisite bracelets. And they're magical," she says. "Potent, and... complex magic. Where did you all get matching magical bracelets like this? You didn't find them at sea, that's for sure."
>
>
>
> Then, she looks at whomever Henry is, and says. "... just who are you, anyway?"
>
>

If the party tells her where the bracelets came from, she thanks them, and says something like "very interesting." If they don't, she says "Fine. keep your secrets."

> Oh right. Not leaving empty handed. Let me think -- I wasn't anticipating feeling anything when I tricked you to come out here, but you guys are all just so sweet that I feel bad, like I took advantage of you. So, come with me a moment.
>
>

She walks into her house, and on a small statue of a man holding a marble plate, a small pile of skin salt is available. She carefully divides it into four strong, but tiny glass vials and hands one to each of them. Each is a gram of skin salt.

She then sends them on their way back to their house, from where they can plan their attack.

#### Lady Velasca's House

Lady Velasca's house hides a century-old dungeon where her family stores some of their most prized heirlooms. Unlike the house, it's protected by animated armors. If the party steals them it'll be really hard to find a buyer for them, short of going to the black market and advertising it there. It will also take some time for Lady Velasca to find out what happened (provided the party is quiet enough), since she doesn't venture into the deeper crypts very often.

Every round, automatons move through the property, as do the 5 house staff members, the automaton engineer, the main butler, the stablemaster, and 2 maids.

1. The Atrium
	1. The entrance to the house is a large room with high ceillings and two large white statues on either side of a large door. Large paintings of the Velasca Family, the head of the household, his wife, and daughter, are prominently displayed around the room.
2. The Ballroom
	1. The ballroom is equally impressive, though empty at the moment. It has six formidible statues placed around the room, all of which are of cloaked men and women, with only slight variations between them. A steep set of stairs can be found to the North.
3. The Library
	1. The library is on the small side as far as libraries go. It contains hundreds of books on different topics. https://www.dndspeak.com/2018/02/19/100-library-books/
4. Gaming Room
	1. The gaming room is interesting. it looks like it's mainly used for playing some kind of dice game. The bar contains several bottles of high priced wine (60gp each, 10 bottes), as well as glassware. The papers on the table look to be labeled with a bunch of weird code words and things like that. It's a bunch of dungeons and dragons, modern, material.
5. Kitchen
	1. The kitchen here looks like it was used relatively recently, and that it wasnt cleaned up. There are a few boxes of vegetables as well as cutlery and the like inside an island in the middle.
6. Dining Room
	1. The formal dining room has two more of those hooded cloaked statues, but these ones are made out of bronze. Around the room are a handful of small cabinets holding blank papers, mostly.
7. Automaton Room
	1. This is a large steamy room full of a bunch of large pieces of bronze machinery, and pipes moving all over the floor and the walls. In the corner of the room are a bunch of scrap pieces of copper and zinc metals for smelting brass. There's also some Glass blowing materials here. Inside a large cauldron in the center appears to be several tiny shreds of brass, and inside one is a small mummified body. It's unclear what purpose this could be for, but a DC20 Intelligence Check (with advantage for Artificers) indicates that this room is used for building autonamatons.
8. Bedroom 1
	1. This bedroom looks to be well used on a day to day basis. The closet is full of fine women's clothing, the desk has a number of books open, mainly about the occult, and ancient demons, and a couple of (non-magical) scrolls sit on the counter waiting to be opened, their tie is sealed by wax. inside the chest in the corner are a few boxes of jewelery, containing 1000gp worth of extremely fine jewelery.
	2. There's also a set of 2 old keys that open doors in the dungeon.
9. Bedroom 2
	1. This bedroom is also well used, and is pretty much the same, except that it contains mainly high end mens clothing, and no jewelery.
10. Closet
	1. This is a spillover closet for room 8. The cabinet here holds even more jewelery (worth 250gp), and a bunch of cold-weather clothing in the large armoire.
11. Bedroom 3
	1. This bedroom is not used on a day to day basis, and all of the cabinets are empty.
12. Bathroom
	1. This is a bathroom containing a bath tub basin, a sink, and a toilet that dumps waste... somewhere, you guess.
13. Office
	1. This office does not look to be very well used. There's an open book on the counter labeled "THE ENEMY: PROCRASTINATION", but the book is on page 12 of 300. There are additional assorted books on the shelf.
14. Living Room
	1. This living room looks to contain a bunch of snacks, and small statuettes. The books on this wall are mainly dedicated to manipulation of the Weave -- self help books, really.
15. Bedroom
	1. This bedroom is not used on a day to day basis, and all of the cabinets are empty.
16. Closet
	1. This closet is for a guest room that is currently unoccupied. it is empty.
17. Bathroom
	1. This is a fine bathroom, but it doesn't appear to have been used in many weeks or months.
18. Bedroom
	1. This bedroom is not used on a day to day basis, and all of the cabinets are empty.
19. Master Bedroom
	1. The master bedroom of the house contains several paintings of the head of this family, Lady Velasca's father. Double doors lead to a walk in closet and into a bathroom
20. Walk in Closet
	1. The walk in closet contains a bunch of various pieces of mens and women's clothing. Maybe a little out of style. But there's also about 2000 gp worth of jewelery in the shelves
21. Terrace
	1. A terrace sits here overlooking the courtyard. From here you can see another balcony for the other house in the complex, about 30ft away.
22. Bedroom
	1. This bedroom is not used on a day to day basis, and all of the cabinets are empty.
23. En Suite Bathroom
	1. This en suite bathroom is very nice. In the corner of it is a weird statue of two men... wrestling. That statue conceals a hidden doorway that leads into area 26.
24. Bathroom
	1. This is a fine bathroom, but it doesn't appear to have been used in many weeks or months.
25. Bathroom
	1. This bathroom is heavily used by several servants. It's the only bathroom that they can use.
26. Stairs to Dungeon
	1. A set of stairs here wind down into god knows where.
27. Bathroom
	1. This is a fine bathroom, but it doesn't appear to have been used in many weeks or months.
28. Servant's Quarters
	1. There are 3 servants sleeping in beds here, taking the night off. Each of the chests at their feet store their most prized belongings, about 5 sp in each of them.
29. Servant Quarters
	1. This room is also a servant's quarters, but seems to be where the Artificer sleeps, as there are a bunch of engineering design type pieces of artwork on all the walls.
30. Terrace
	1. A terrace sits here overlooking the courtyard. From here you can see another balcony for the other house in the complex, about 30ft away.
31. Practice Room
	1. The practice room contains a number of different types of weapons and armor for training. Of them though, one stands out in particular. A gleaming rapier (https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/6609683-mendoza-family-rapier), clearly a custom piece made by Stone & Steel (1500gp). If you pick it up, you might get cut for 1d4 damage (DC 10 Dex).
32. Art Room
	1. This room is used for playing music. There's a particularly fancy Lyre here (https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/6609746-the-conductors-lyre), but other than that everything in the room is just pretty nice.
33. Dining Room
	1. The formal dining room has two more of those hooded cloaked statues, but these ones are made out of bronze. Around the room are a handful of small cabinets holding blank papers, mostly.
34. Storage Room
	1. The storage room is mainly the location where they keep their vegetables for preparation next door. it's also where they stash all their cutlery and china.
35. Kitchen
	1. The kitchen here looks like it was used relatively recently, and that it wasnt cleaned up. There are a few boxes of vegetables as well as cutlery and the like inside an island in the middle.
36. Stables
	1. There are 4 Riding Horses in this stable (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16997-riding-horse). Their pens have their names written on them, as follows.
		1. Chesca
		2. Elita
		3. Sancho
		4. Keitha
37. Fountain
	1. The fountain has gold coins at the bottom of it, roughly 40 gp thrown in for good luck.
38. The Three Pillars
	1. The first room in the house is completely dark. There are a handful of torch sconces around the room that can be lit, but until that happens, the party really just hears the sound of a fountain. The room contains three structural columns, and a small desk, which looks out of place with the rest of the room. There is a long, narrow set of stairs going down into the darkness.
	2. The desk contains details about the whereabouts and locations of Lord Andros and Lady Jozlin (DC15 Investigation with advantage).
		1. The two of them have a pattern of moment that takes them to the following places
			1. A building in the Market Ward which is pretty uninteresting, except that it has a garden on top with some strange smelling herbs.
			2. A bath house / brothel, which is pretty uninteresting as well, except that when inquired, the pair of them only visits a single woman, Sabina, who, at 19, is pretty young. She’s also a virgin, and her birthday is in 3 weeks.
			3. From there, they go to one of four places, all in the Market Ward.
				1. An Oyster Bar, Seaman Staines’ Bar
				2. A Private Members Club, The Marid Society
				3. A wine bar, The Noble Rot
				4. A "market alley" in the Castle Ward -- they follow a path into a subterranean black market.
39. The Fountain of Elisa Mendoza
	1. In the center of this room is a fountain depicting a noblewoman with an overfilling bowl in her hand. It's hard to read in the dark, but there is a name carved into the fountain, likely as an indication of who this woman is or was. The name written down is "Elisa Mendoza". It's an indication that the lower dungeon is actually the family crypt.
40. The Elevator Room
	1. The elevator room contains an aparatus with two bowls on either end that descend down into wells that appear to have no bottom. At present, the well on the right appears to have a bowl big enough to fit 4 people, but without a counterweight, those four people would immediately fall to their death. A marble statue in the center of the room adjusts itself as they enter, and it stands at attention, acknowledging their presence. It asks them to state their business for their records. The statue does not judge people on the basis of their records, so it's unnecessary for the party to try and convince it. When they are ready to go down, the statue beckons four brass animated armors in each corner of the room to come forward. Each of them grabs the chains and prepares to slowly lower people down the hole.
41. The lower crypt
	1. As the party is lowered into the hole, they may start to notice a blueish light below them. The same elevator appears in the center of this room, which itself is a long and wide hallway that glows blue due to the presence of small continual light stones that have been lodged into the tilework. There are four animated armors in this room that don't acknowledge the party at all when they arrive.
	2. The other animated armors in this hallway attack when the party is within 30 ft of them, or if another animated armor within 30 ft of them is engaged.
42. The Hall of the Ancestors
	1. This hallway contains a set of 10 crypts. Each of them has a small offering of gold coins on an alter by the side of the crypt itself. (50gp, 30 gp, 100 gp, 25 gp, 40 gp, 25 gp, 100gp, 60 gp, 10 gp, 30 gp)
	2. Each of the coffins contains the remains of these former lords and ladies. Though their clothing has long since rotted away, much of their jewelery remains. A tiara (200 gp), a set of fancy but outdated bracelets (120 gp), an assortment of various rings (5 rings, 100 gp each). It will take a lot of strength to move it though (**DC20 Strength**)
	3. At the end of the hall are three animated armors waiting for someone to try and steal something. They will be immediately notified about the party's presence, and will attack once the party gets within 30 ft, which is also how far they can move.
43. Mystra Altar
	1. This large room is used for paying worship to Mystra. It contains nothing more than an altar to Mystra, and a 30ft statue of her, but far more scantily clad than most normal statues (DC15 Religion to identify it, only because it's dressed kind of weird). Along the side of the room are several glowing crystals, which on close inspection are just made of glass. They omit a blue light in the room. There are also 7 golden roses that have been fused into the altar of Mystra. They can be removed carefully (DC 20 Sleight of hand). If they are removed intact, they will sell for 300gp a piece. If they are damaged they will sell for the weight in gold. 100gp.
44. This room is locked, but contains an archway that is actually a dimensional door to a field in the middle of nowhere about 6 miles outside of Port Royale. it's used as an escape route for the family. The wall has partially collapsed on the north side of the building.
45. This room is locked, but contains an archway that is actually a dimensional door that leads to a vantage point at the top of one of the towers in the castle ward. At least, it did at one time. The tower collapsed a few months ago, and so whoever goes through this door will fall onto that pile of rubble taking 3D6 damage.
46. This room contains four coffins in which legendary members of House Mendoza were buried with their artifacts of power. The 6 animated armors in this room will attack the party if they enter.
	1. Necklace of Courage (https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/6613271-necklace-of-courage)
	2. Blade of the White Rose (https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/6613221-blade-of-the-white-rose) and the Shield of Merryn Stoutflow (https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/6613227-shield-of-merryn-stoutflow)
	3. Robe of Swiftness (https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/6613320-robe-of-swiftness)
	4. And a Crystal Staff (Beryl) (https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/6614725-crystal-staff)
47. This room contains 7 extra animated armors, all of which will attack if the party gets within 30 ft of any of them.

#### The Oyster Bar

Aristocrats come into this oyster bar all the time, so there's not a ton happening here that the party can get into. If convinced (bribed with 50gp or persuaded DC 16), they will tell you that Andros sometimes goes to this venue with Jozlin, but occasionally he will also be seen there with his "daughter?" -- they dont know her name, but he usually sends her off somewhere on her own, and then proceeds to eat 30 oysters by himself.

#### The Marid Society

The Marid Society isn't a secret society, and people are generally proud to be associated with it. This is why they are so forthcoming with information about membership.

Here's what they tell them: Andros comes here on occasion, usually to meet with Lord Theo, but the two of them sponsored Sir Thomas for membership too, so he tags along sometimes as well. Andros only comes here when he's not with his wife; women aren't allowed. Neither are non-members, so the party will be forbidden from entering. If they want to be considered for admission at all, they will need to be sponsored by two existing members.

#### The Noble Rot

The Noble Rot is a quiet wine bar, also in the Castle Ward. In exchange for buying a bottle of wine from them, for 200gp, the party will lean that Lord Andros and Lady Jozlin go to the bar sometimes, and that sometimes Isabella joins them. Notably, she often comes here alone, but dressed in different clothes, and she's joined by a muscular, kind of worn-out looking knight (Sir James).

Notably, that same knight shows up with a much fancier looking lady sometimes (Lady Elena), a slender and elegant brown-haired lady, and they usually argue quietly before leaving together with her gripping his arm tightly. I don't know her name. They usually sit upstairs and pay us to move everyone downstairs.

#### The Narrows

The Narrows are a subterranean set of tunnels leading to Delver's Row. The party can learn about this by asking about it, or they might have heard of it themselves, but haven't been there.

> Like many Castle Ward alleys, this one has a number of small shops and restaurants crammed into whatever space they could manage. There's something puzzling about this alley in particular though, and you can't quite put your finger on what it is.
>
>

The puzzling feature of this alley is that everyone working the shops is blind. They have all been planted here by the brokers of Delver's Row, chosen as such so they can't reveal who may have entered into the narrows, as well as who never returned from them. They all have blind fighting though, and though they can't see faces, they are acutely aware to the sounds and movement around them.

Stealing something will be exceptionally difficult **(DC20 Stealth)**. The first time that someone attempts (if they fail), will be a slap on the wrists and a reminder that, though they can't see faces, they are acutely aware of everything happening around them.

There are a lot of ways for the party to find their way into the Narrows. They can ask somebody (not a market seller) **(DC 15, Persuasion)**, search for the entrance in the alley **(DC 20, Investigation)**, Hide in the alley and wait for someone to enter or exit **(DC 17, Stealth with Disadvantage)**, but in some way they should find their way in through a restaurant that operates as a front for the entrance to the Narrows.

Once they find the door that leads to the front...

> You open what may be the most nondescript door in the alley, and it leads into a small seamstresses shop, only there is only one seamstress there at the moment, and she's standing at the back of the room next to a set of wooden double doors.
>
>

The seamstress is actually a disguised guard, and she's protecting the entrance to the Narrows, which itself is magically locked. She's not going to acknowledge the party's questions about the entrance to the narrows at all until she hears the pass code, "Hezbollah". And when those words are uttered the doors open. She doesn't look up from the book she's reading.

> As the doors open, you hear the seamstress make a comment without looking up from her book, "The stairs down lead to the Narrows. Be safe, watch your step, and watch out for Troglodytes". The doors shut behind you and all that you can see before you is a set of stairs that disappear into the darkness.
> It's pitch black in the stairwell outside of the small amount of light coming in from below the door you came through.
>
>

And, if they have a light:

> Once you reach the bottom of the stairs you see a dark tunnel carved into the stone. The air down here is cool and thick with the smell of mold, and the number of different patheways before you suggest that this is some kind of maze.
> Beneath your feet is a slimy mud, and whenever you lift your foot, the gooey earth is quick to fill the imprint left by your boots, as if it means to conceal your steps.
>
>

The Narrows is home to numerous thugs and troglodytes. The former can be paid off, but the latter is mostly just hungry.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/17204-troglodyte

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/17035-thug

At the "end of it", the party will find a set of stairs leading down into Delver's Row.

#### Delver's Row

> You follow another set of stairs down, but this time every step you take gets you closer to the sound of people talking and drinking. When the path opens up, you're surprised to see a very well lit underground system of caves, seemingly hand-carved into the earth.
>
>
> This is the famed Delver's Row, not the biggest, but one of the most infamous black markets in the world. Ahead of you is a small table where a scrawny man stands in front of you waiting to greet you.
>
>
>
> "I trust the Narrows were good to you all today?" he asks with a smile.
>
>

The people at Delver's Row are not in the business of talking about who they do business with. If you pay them, they might reveal incorrect information to you. Unless they have a reason to trust you, they aren't likely to tell you anything.

They might be convinced to sell you the information if you can provide them with objects of considerable value, say objects stolen from Lady Velasca's house, or any of the items that were purchased from Steel & Stone. Once they've been convinced, they will tell you the following things:

* The people that look like the ones you're looking for have not been in the main hall.
* The best person to talk to is probably **Toneman Jizzabunch**, the ugliest gnome in the world, who runs the arcane and occult shop in the Row.
* Toneman hasn't sold anything to those two, and informs the party that they've only ever inquired about specific, underworld, related items, and that they havent been at all interested in much of what he has. **A small, cursed effigy of Daxos**. Maybe of value to a specific type of collector, but he parted with it for 50gp.
	+ The Quarter Masters, the people that run Delver's Row, typically deal with people of status that need a little more discretion. You should probably talk to them. Too bad they operate on an appointment basis.

#### The Quarter Masters

Getting to the quarter masters is easier than you might think. Typically they require an appointment, but only the quartermasters know who has appointments, which is a little weird. This is managed through the use of tiny familiars that sit on the shoulders of the two guards at the entrance to the Quarters. Each of them is a small uniquely colored lizard.

When the party approaches the Quarters, they will be asked for their name. When provided, the lizards run off to their relevant masters and then return quickly with information about invitations. If they provide the name of the nobles that they are, they'll be granted access to see one of the Quartermasters, they may remember that they have seen her before at Court. **Her name is Eloen**, and she's an Eladrin entrepreneur.

She doesn't tell the party anything particularly interesting. Just that her people typically deal in the trade of hard to find, legendary, or unique artifacts from forgotten ages. Since the party comes from court, she can be convinced that they are talking to her on behalf of Lord Andros **(DC18 Persuasion)**. Otherwise, she'll need to be bought by the party, and she won't come cheap.

If convinced, she could be told that her team has scoured Faerun, and really only found one thing that might be of interest to him. An ancient text about demons that no one has ever heard of. The book is cursed. Probably don't touch it.

If unconvinced, she will instead give them an opportunity to help her out.

> "Tomorrow evening at the North Docks (in the Dock Ward), she's expecting an unmarked ship to come in. It's a pirate ship, ordinarily sailing under the banner of an unremarkable pirate captain named **Money**, of course it doesn't fly that banner at port. They're carrying a package for me.
>
>
> Only... they don't know that I was the one who requested the package. They also likely don't know where the Narrows are and, if they even made it through, wouldn't know who to meet with when they got here. As such, they're expecting to meet someone at the dock, and to exchange the package they are carrying for a large payout."
>
>
> She gently puts her hands on a small chest.
>
>
> "And this is the payment. Only, it's not a payment. It'll detonate upon opening.
>
>
> I want you to give them this chest, convince them to open it in front of you, and then tie up any loose ends.
>
>
> The person who requested this delivery has requested discretion. You don't know me, I never sent you there. Once you have the package, and you've tied up loose ends, you need to bring the package to me.
>
>
> Once again, do not, under any circumstances, open the package, or try to look at its contents.
>
>
>
> Once you bring it here, we can discuss our next steps, and i can give you information that might be of interest to you."
>
>

She also offers them 1000 gp, payable if they are able to get in and out quickly.

#### Returning to Court

At court the next day, Lady Velasca may not be in attendance. Likely she is taking care of addressing the issue that took place in her house the previous night. In fact, many people are absent that day, and the people who managed to make their way to the party are pretty hungover.

#### The Dock Ward

Arriving at the dock ward the next day, the party will face off against The Money Pirates.

> A small, heavily battered ship arrives at this old and abandoned port. Travelling a bit too fast upon entry, the ship crashes into the harbor, and begins to take on water. The pirates on board are scrambling to get their things off of their ship, and they're throwing their belongings off the boat and onto the dock. A normal ship might have been able to take the very slight beating of crashing into a dock with only minimal repairs required, but this ship is in such a state of disrepair that a seagull could have capsized it.
>
>
> As the ship sinks, a group of crestfallen pirates stands in awe of their own misfortune, and they turn to face the pirates.
>
>
> "I guess you're the people we're supposed to be meeting with to receive this book. You have no idea what we've been through to get it. The ruins? Yeah. Haunted. Our cleric? Eaten! By Goats! Yes, Goats. Not Ghosts. Feral, rotten Goats!
>
>
> So we found the treasure. This book, apparently, in a sea of more valuable treasure. Ah, but the book? Cursed! So that was the end of our ranger. Or was it? On our way out we saw him walking around, as alive as day... but then? Of course. A revenant. Took out my dog, Matey, and our first mate, Dog. He's going to follow us for eternity! A fucking long time that is!
>
>
> So we managed to leave Faerun with the book, but then we're attacked by pirates! FOUR TIMES. We managed to fight them off, but the ship barely held itself together. And now we're here. Down a ship, a first mate, a cleric, and my dog. Pay up, so we can be on our way"
>
>
>
> He calls for a crewmate who holds a large chest in his hands.
>
>

If Money receives the chest and opens it, it will blow the top half of his body off, and do 10d6 damage to anyone within 10 ft of him. The dock itself will be partially destroyed. Anyone within 20 ft of him will take 3d6 damage and be blown back 20 ft. Anyone within 30 ft of the explosion will be deaf for a minute.

If the party engages in combat, the port authority will arrive after 3 rounds. The party should describe how they escape from the area unseen, or risk having to explain themselves to the guards.

#### Returning to Delver's Row

Back at Delver's row, Eloen will be happy to see you all. She hasn't heard what happened at the docks yet, but assumes that things went well since she party has the box with the book.

> "Thank you for bringing this. My client will be pleased. Now, as promised, I'll provide you with some information. What do you know about the entity known as Daxos? Probably not a lot.
>
>
> As far as I can tell, an entity known as Daxos pre-dates much of the modern era. Pre-dates Waterdeep. Maybe pre-dates the weave itself.
>
>
> I hadn't heard of it until recently, and there's not a ton of information about it given its age. But the crust of the forgotten realms holds memory as old as time, and so we found that the deeper we dug the more we found.
>
>
>
> Anyway, that's all for now. I hope you found this helpful! Probably not. Thanks for taking care of that problem for me!
>
>

#### Returning to Lady Amalia

If the party did all this stuff, including going to Delver's Row, and blowing up the other pirates, then she'll reward them by giving them another 2000 gp. She knows nothing about Daxos, and wonders out loud what the connection between him and this Daxos is. She tells the party that she will be in touch if she needs them again.

### Chapter 2. Sir James II

Lord Theo is having trouble finding information about Sir James, and so he considers his presence there a threat. He has received word that a group of pirates are going to be meeting with Sir James at a bar in the Dock Ward called **The Clam Jammer**. He doesn't want to reveal that to the party though. Instead he describes a very specific person. A person who he has simultaneously asked to find Sir James' cohorts and to use the code words **"salchicha, salchicha"**

> "A Half Orc, red eye patch, black overcoat with yellow silk underneath. Very distinct. You can't miss him. He's going to be carrying a small red chest."
>
>

Lord Theo asks the party to intercept this man, and to collect the chest he has from him using the code words **"jamon, jamonada"**.

#### The Clam Jammer

When they arrive at the Clam Jammer, they don't initially see the orc that they are meant to see. Instead, they see a few scattered groups of people, mainly pirates trying to lay low. Everyone in the place is armed, and most of them are keeping their hands next to the hilt of their swords **(DC12 Perception)**. While most parties here are alone, or in pairs, there's one table that looks to be a bit larger. 4 hooded men, obviously pirates, sit at a table with an extra seat available.

After some time, a man with a familiar gait **(DC15 Perception)** walks into the bar. Though dressed in civilian clothing, his face is unmistakable. It's Sir James. He sits down at the table for a moment, before one of the other men stands up and walks out through a side door leading to a seating area along the beach, where the sound of the waves on the will disguise their conversation.

Hiding themselves will be nearly impossible in their nobility clothing (DC 20 Stealth). In civilian clothes, or other disguises it might become easier (DC15 Stealth), but still difficult. Furthermore, evesdropping on the discussion is difficult **(DC18 Perception)** too.

* If successful, they hear a conversation between a group of pirates and Sir James (referred to as Braxton, or Puddles) that are discussing their plans to head out east to investigate some rumors of new magic coming out of Palma Noor. A new class of magic that could have an unprecedented impact on the weave itself.
* If they fail, they can only make out a few words: **Captain Tenmen,** **Puddles, Magic, Palma Noor.** They may also see, though not hear, Sir James shaking his head **(DC15 Insight** to reveal he did so regretfully**).**

And that's when the party sees that a half orc with a red eye patch, a black overcoat, and an ostentatious yellow silk outfit underneath carrying a small red chest approaching the pirates.

> The half orc says to the pirates "JAMON, JAMONADA", and extends the red box towards Sir James, who gives him a confused look. The other pirates at the table can be seen reaching for their rapiers under the table, and adjusting their weight in their chairs to spring to attack if need be.
>
>
> "I don't want whatever you're selling, my good man", James says.
>
>
> "I ain't selling nothin', but I got word that a group o' pirates'd be here, and you be matching that description,"
>
>
> "There's no pirates at this table friend. Perhaps you're looking for that group over there, they look like they could be pirates," Sir James says, gesturing towards you.
>
>
> He makes a glance directly in your direction, and his eyes widen as he recognizes each of your faces from court.
>
>
> He stands up quickly, toppling his chair over into the sand, and is quickly followed by his compatriots doing the same. Each of them draws a rapier or a cutlass from their belt in near unison, except one, who assumes a martial arts fighting stance, and they quickly move into defensive formations, some of them are facing you all, while others look around to see whether there are any additional threats in the immediate area.
>
>
> <Pause, and see if the characters do anything>
>
>
> "Mate. It don't need to come to this. Take the box, or I'll get in trouble," the orc says. "I'm unarmed."
>
>
> "You're a distraction." James says. He calls over his shoulder to the other pirates, "You've been followed. Run."
>
>
> And with that, the pirates take off running, scrambling up the beach to the street, and running down the street into the dock ward. The orc takes off after them, running a lot faster than you might have expected someone like that could run.
>
>
>
> "Mate, you forgot your chest though, innit?" He shouts after them as he runs into the distance.
>
>

Party stops to fight two of the pirates in the street, the orc runs past them.

Jet Black Rizla -- Fighter that can cast darkness, and some cantrips

Friendly Corrington -- A summoner that can summon a group of weak peons, and can support Rizla with healing.

Party stops to fight the other 2 pirates incl. James.

Sir James or Puddles Braxton -- a body made of water, immune to non-magical attacks, resistant to fire and cold damage. Can also teleport to puddles of water as a bonus action.

Deathman Crothers -- A Way of the Long Death Monk.

To start the fight, Deathman Crothers comes up behind Puddles Braxton's head, and kicks it off. It explodes into water, which gets all over the party and spreads water around the docks, before re-materializing. Then he steps to the side, and Puddles Braxton says "Drop your weapons"

They don't have to kill these pirates, and they can be convinced that they were sent to retrieve a box, the same one that the orc has in hand **(DC 16 Persuasion with Disadvantage)**. At the end, they collect the box, which contains 4 rows of 250pp -- worth 10,000 gp

When they arrive there, they learn that Sir James is actually a pirate named Puddles Braxton. His former crew, the Tenmen Crew (named as such because the captain is really strong) is heading east to investigate some rumors of new magic coming out of Palma Noor.

If Puddles dies, it will be devestating to Isabella, and she will swear revenge against either the party or Lord Theo. Theodore, Andros, Jozlin, and Thomas will be very happy.

#### Puddles Braxton: A Man of the Sea

If James is kept alive, he'll ask the party to meet him at Lady Amalia's countryhouse. Lady Amalia knows that James is a pirate as well, and as she is extorting him, he feels comfortable enough being at her house. On the way there, the party will contend with assassins from Lord Andros

### Chapter 3. The Great Hunt

One of the days, the party arrives at the palace and everyone is missing. One of the butlers informs them that the entire court has left to go hunting nearby. When they arrive, they find that the groups have organized themselves in an interesting way, and

* the queen and Lord Theo stay back.
* Lord Andros, Hernan, and Lady Velasca
* Isabella, Sir James, and Lady Amalia
* Lady Elana, Lord <elfname>, Sir Thomas, and the King.

Adding to the complications, some of the following might happen:

* A group of pirates is burying treasure in the wilderness
* the queen and Lord Theo engage in an amorous ritual in Infernal speech together to communicate with Daxos. If witnessed, it will reveal the the queen and the lord are in cahoots, but unless someone speaks Infernal and also rolls a dc18 religion check, they wont recognize the obscure ancient evil whose name is being invoked.
* Lady Velasca will try to use Hernan to assassinate Lord Andros, and make it look like he was killed by a wild boar. Depending on how he's feeling, he might not do this.
* Sir James will encounter the Pirates, who recognize him. He will threaten Isabella's life if she reveals his secret, breaking her heart, and pushing her deeper into the Daxos cult. Lady Amalia thinks this is all amazing.
* Lord <melfname> is on edge. He will grow jealous of Lady Elana, and challenge Sir Thomas to a duel. If Lord <melfname> wins, it will reveal that Sir Thomas was part of a cult. it will also drive Lady Elana away from the Lord, and she will conspire to have him killed. If Sir Thomas wins, he and Lady Elana will make love in the elf lord's blood. Lady Elana will then effectively be aligned with the Daxos Cult.
* The King may try to engage an Owlbear.
* There are also goblins, wolves, sprites, pixies, and a solitary owlbear roaming the woods.
* Also, numerous foxes, ducks, deer, boar, and a solitary unicorn.

Party Levels to 4.

### Chapter 4. Velasca and Hernan's Greatest Hits

Lady Velasca and Hernan catch the party on their way back to their home. They're having a glass on wine on a restaurant patio. If Lord Andros is still alive, they will give the party some money to buy new clothes, and send them to their tailor, which will put them in Lord Andros' path. A group of Drow thugs attacks Lord Andros and Lady <felfname>. If the drow thugs are losing to Lord Andros, Hernan will arrive to finish them off, and win Lord Andros' favor so he can get closer to him.

### Chapter 5. Jameses Ahoy!

The Daxos Cult wants to get rid of Sir James. They want to put him into a compromising situation to make him fall out of favor. To do this, they will convince the party that there’s a plot to kill the king. They alter the view of the party to look like Sir James, and ask them to position him around town, where he will be party to numerous crimes. Sir James goes into hiding.

### Chapter 6. The Daxos Cult's weakest link

Isabella goes missing and Lord Andros asks the party to go find her, supposing that she and Sir James are hiding out somewhere. If the party tracks Isabella, she goes into a dungeon beneath an abandoned pub, which is the staging grounds for the summoning of Daxos. If they track Sir James, they track him to a warehouse in the dock ward meeting with a group of pirates. They disguise themselves as Sir Thomas and ambush Lady Elana, Lord <melfname>, killing both of them. Sir Thomas, learning of this, goes into hiding.

### Chapter 7. The Black Spider

With lady Elana dead, and being framed for her murder, Sir Thomas is now too far away from the King and Queen Yessica. Sir Thomas reveals to the party that Lord Theo is actually a necromancer under the name "The Black Spider", and sends them to the abandoned pub to search for him. If the party agrees to kill the necromancer, and to frame him for Elana's murder, that's fine. Otherwise Lord Theo will dismiss the notions of being involved with a secret cult, and will offer to pay even more to kill Sir Thomas. Both Sir Thomas and Lord Theo are capable of summoning Daxos.

Party levels to 5

### Chapter 9. Summoning

With the King dead, and his guards in hiding or otherwise deposed, the cult will summon Daxos, birthing him from the queen, who is miraculously pregnant. Daxos is born weak, but the party must fight through all the remaining cult members as well as Daxos.

Party levels to 6

## The Line of Succession

1. King
2. Queen Yessica
3. ... Technically Daxos!
4. Lord Andros
5. Lord Theo
6. Lady Elana
7. Lady Velasca
8. Sir Thomas
9. Sir James
10. Lord Melfname
11. Lady Felfname

Isabella, Amalia, Hernan, and Chillminster <mdwarfname> are not in line for succession. Hernan would be below Sir James if he is knighted for some reason.

## Encounters

Since this campaign isn't heavy on combat, there will be a combat encounter most nights.

1. Assassins sent by any of the courtiers are sent to kill the party. This can happen anywhere. In a store, in their house, anywhere.
2. The party is led to the sewers by a shadowy figure who attempted to pick their pockets and attacked by Angler Goblins under a Beholder's control.
3. A group of thugs identifies the party members as nobility, and attacks them.
4. A group of uppity noble teens heckles the party and makes them feel bad. If the party kills the kids they see Lady Amalia standing nearby, smiling at them.
5. Depending on their Enemy
	1. If the party is making enemies of the cult, or investigating them, a group of Daxos Cult Necromancers attack the party.
	2. If the party is making enemies in the nobility, they will be led to a brothel and attacked by whores
6. A group of pirates recognizes the party from their exploits at sea, and the party has to kill all witnesses, or risk being exposed.