Le nain bohème

***Le nain bohème*** is the second episode of Waylon's path before uniting with Arpeggio and Håkon.

*While visiting his old friend Lt. Bharmyr at Angmírdan Manor, Waylon is apprehended by an anonymous assassin! Will he die here upon the mezzanine of Bharmyr's Arena?! (Probably not.)*

## The Mezzanine Menace

Alarmed by the masked stranger, Waylon calls out to Bharmyr to no avail. The stranger reveals a club. Waylon attempts to bargain for his life when an arrow bounces off the railing next to him! He jumps with uncanny agility into the arena to apprehend the shooter below. The other masked man follows suit. In the ensuing struggle, Waylon manages to stab the clubman repeatedly before a blunt arrow strikes him in the head, knocking him unconscious.

## Encore!

Groggily, Waylon awakes, surrounded by Lt. Bharmyr and his entourage. A nurse administers Waylon a potion of healing as the lieutenant hastily introduces his assistants Dresik and Torvald. Impatiently, the old dwarf belts:

> Hmph! If it weren’t for your obsessive deconstructive disorder and your inane prattling, I’d’ve had my lunch at the canteen by now. Whadya say we do supper at Silverale Hall in the Central District? They give free meals to flute fiddlers like you.
>
>

In spite of the lieutenant's gruffness, Waylon decides to accompany Bharmyr out of the Sceptre District. He notes the eerie quiet of the well-maintained streets; only the occasional foot-servant disrupts the midday calm. As they exit the guarded gates, the dwarves quickly find themselves walking along the very arteries of Athkatla, in which many bargains are struck, contracts are signed, and pickpockets are apprehended. Soon, Bharmyr spots a sign of an overflowing tankard and beckons Waylon into the grand and spacious establishment.

......

The bearded man looks around. Satisfied, he continues in a low voice to explain his predicament.

The son of his employer, Arpeggio Angmírdan, had gone missing shortly after he had trained him a number of days ago. His friend and co-worker Master Elias teleported the young man to Waterdeep to attend a corporate event managed by his father Agnaris. A source informed Elias that Arpeggio never arrived and that Agnaris was livid. Although the pair have approximately one week to locate Arpeggio, neither he nor Elias wish to raise suspicion by their absence. For this reason, Bharmyr sought the services of his old brother-in-arms.

## The Old Widow

In spite of his friend's optimism, Waylon has doubt in his abilities. Bharmyr acknowledges this and advises him to visit his Aunt Capy to settle an errand. "She offered me a special belt for the job, but I haven't had the time," he admits. After a few more beers, Waylon quits the tavern and reaches a block of buildings Bharmyr described. Unable to find the woman's abode, he walks around until a group of children begin throwing eggs at the wall of a somewhat dilapidated house sitting between two eloquent tradehouses.

Waylon apprehends the offenders and learns that the house belongs to a zany lady they call "The Old Widow". Upon knocking on the splintered wooden door, Waylon is greeted by Ms. Capy, who excitedly beckons him in. The eccentric elf reveals that she has been waiting for quite a while for someone to help her with a certain rat problem...

## Bibliography

Ball, Beth, and Ball, Jonathan. "First Blush." *Crystalline Curse Trilogy*. Dungeon Masters Guild, 8 June 2019, https://www.dmsguild.com/product/279400/Crystalline-Curse-Trilogy-BUNDLE.