Details, Details...

"Details, Details..." (C1.S09.2) is a one-shot in the first campaign of The Vanguard.

## Synopsis

The story opened with the players sitting at breakfast – where Ween, at least, was getting hammered. There was a pounding on the door. Lt Mog got up from his breakfast and answered. A paladin working for the Lords of Waterdeep was demanding to see the Vanguard Elders. Mog pledged protection, then talked to Grom and the others, then brought the paladin back to them. Later, the paladin returned. Valeria sent a message to the players, then teleported in. It was too noisy, so she teleported them all, including the table, to somewhere else. She then tasked them to go with the Paladin, Sir Valence, and investigate the disappearance of a Waterdeep magistrate named Thidor Solly. This was the crime Vanguard had been accused of, because apparently Solly had disappeared but left a writ that sort-of accused the vanguard of skullduggery.

Along the way to Solly’s estate in the north ward, the players saw at least 2 groups of thieves, one from the Plague rats and one from the Crimson Syndicate, heading deeper into the ward. A runner also came up to speak with Sir Valence. He ended up sending his whole squad north.

The players decided to investigate the outside area first, learned a few things. They looked for signs of forced entry, checked for magic (and part of the house does radiate magic). They saw that the fountains were no longer working (ie no longer magical).

Inside the players talked to the staff. They wanted to do some interrogations of the staff which proved to be challenging.

They searched the house. They found the area where Thidor would sometimes have “MM” meetings & put together how the paintings of mages and priests had been were removed but did not make too much of it. They saw that old furniture was removed/relocated, but didn’t realize they were in the “study.”

In the library they found the blood stains, and ichor stains. They also found the peephole from the library into the study which was new & discovered that the study was warded.

They entered the study and found clues that there had been a struggle there – blood residue. They found some silver dust left, and salt. They found the secret drawer in the desk, and Thidor’s working copies of the writ. Ween read them, and of course summoned the Devils again (not the same ones this time). Combat ensued between a bearded devil, a swarm of devil wasps, and 2 spined devils vs the players. The players – who were low on magic or silvered weapons – eventually found a combination of attacks that killed the swarm and then the bearded devil. The other 2 split.

The guild members tried hard to track the halfling after he left, but once he was over the wall they lost the trail.

## Guild Dispatches

The following are messages from the guild members who participated in the mission. They contain valuable information the guild can use to piece together clues.

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> *Ween here! For those who do not know me, I am the tiefling chaotic sorcerer. I was having a GREAT time at the tavern drinking, eating, laughing and singing celebrating the holiday of our great lord! Until this paladin arrived and interrupt a great feast and pull me out of the tavern and told by order of the Vanguard to help this paladin boss (he was bossy) to investigate a missing rich lord (who's a powerful wizard, who cares)! Anyway we march off to this mansion on other side of city and once we were at this mansion and enter through the gate, I was impress how beautiful this property was! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! That for another day, our job was to find out what happen here.*
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> *We started to look around on outside of the mansion and found a shack in the back. We look around and inside this garden shack, we found some abnormal thing and detected some magical aura (teleportation, I believe) and some items possible clues. Then we move to the mansion itself, we search high and low through out the building and found a lot stuff (no, I didn't steal anything... paladin in group too dangerous to try). One thing for sure, a lot of paintings and expensive items (thieves would make a killing in this place, haha)! Well back to the investigation, we found a room in the back that looks like the wizard office/library... I enter the room and felt strange in here like demonic strange! The other member of Vanguard enter as well, except for the paladin. He could past through the doorway (I realized there was a magical barrier that was baring him from entering the room). I was laughing so loud, at moment all of the sudden demons appear out no where and began to attacking us (I am not going to bore you with the detail of the fight), we dispatch the demon (with my help of course) and later found the same magical aura here as in the garden shack. In end we figure it had to do with the gardener (he manage to escape, paladin will give chase), so our job was completed and paid for finding out who done it! So, see you next time!*
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> *- Ween Hanisakura*
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1. ↑ Be aware that this is told from the player’s perspective of the adventure. Details and happenings may have been presented with some liberties taken to fill in the blanks from poor memory and scribbled notes. Other players should be asked about their views of what happened, and are also welcome to type their stories to share.