AW003

## AW003 - The Gang Frightens a Masseuse

### Elturel - Evening

The world's most oblivious watchmen finally wander down to the gang to investigate the goings on. Billie and Sitka dump the Night Blade bodies in the river, Sylas bundles a swaddled Amrik over his shoulder, and Puffin uses *Disguise Self* to replicate Amrik and imperiously head off the watchmen with a story of repelled bandits before they get close enough to real Amrik to notice the pink handcuffs. With a combination of good deception and poor perception, plus a well-timed *Thaumaturgy* from Kalo imitating a screaming woman up the hill, the flustered watchmen run off to investigate and the gang make their way towards the safe house.

### Elturel Market - Evening

As the gang move through the market, Puffin (as Amrik) is beckoned aside by the elven proprietor of fantasy Bed Bath & Beyond. Under the pretense of an arrived order of fancy bath salts, the vendor reveals sotto voice that Mortlock Vanthampur has escaped. Sitka in character as Amrik's paramour rescues Puffin and the charisma power siblings seal the ruse. Puffin throws the vendor 5gp and gets some fine gooseberry bath salts in return.

### Safe House - Evening

The gang are not sure what to do with Amrik once they get him to the safe house. Concerned about releasing him but also not wanting to kill him in cold blood, they plot to get him drunk and send him on a barge to Baldurs Gate with the help of the Flaming Fist. Billie and Kalo get him blubbing about his mummy issues, and he starts to drink.

Through a combination of intimidation, booze and psychiatry, the gang learn that the Vanthampurs are collectors of occult artifacts and Mortlock brought one such artifact to Elturel, thinking to give it to High Overseer Kreeg. It was of evil nature, and his mother had been using it. Mortlock believed Kreeg would help expose his mother, not knowing they were in cahoots. Kreeg took the artifact and threw Mortlock into a dungeon under a private bathhouse within the Lathander's Bathhouse complex, which is accessed via a secret panel in one of the massage tables.

Passed out drunk, Amrik is searched and Puffin finds the following:

* An invitation for Amrik and guests to access private bathhouse 3 at Lathander's Bathhouse
* 100gp thrown to Sylas, who divides it among the gang (+20gp each)
* A *Dagger of Venom* which Puffin holds onto until someone else needs it
* 2 sets of keys tossed to Kalo; one ornate and marked with Vanthampur sigils, and another grimy set of 5 with one bigger than the rest

The party long rests: Kalo communing, Puffin drinking until he passes out in a hammock, Sitka (?), Billie curled up on the fur rug, and Sylas (?) while Tarina arranges Amrik's rendition.

### Elturel Festival & Lathander's Bathhouse - Morning

The gang heads to Lathander's Bathhouse through the festivities, mostly in their disguises except for Sylas who wears only the cloak.

At the bathhouse, Billie nails a nat 20 perception check as she notices one of Amrik's bodyguards slipping quietly into private bathhouse 3. Puffin sweet talks the concierge into letting the group in with towels, wine and grapes. The gang moves into the courtyard where they meet Jebaz the Halfling masseuse. After whiffing insight checks, they request bacon sandwiches and more wine and grapes, which Jebaz skips off to get. Kalo and Billie get into a conversation and ask about Mortlock, at which Jebaz is clearly perturbed, reverses direction and heads back towards the private bathhouse building. Sylas tries to head him off, but Jebaz panics and runs inside. Roll initiative.

With Kalo and Billie dodging crossbow bolts from inside the building, the buffed Sylas runs into melee, trades some blows and eviscerates a screaming Night Blade before darting inside. Puffin vaults off Kalo's shell through a stained glass window with a nat 20, skewering a Night Blade in midair with his new hand crossbow and *Hidden Stepping* into invisibility before they could react. Billie charges into the bathhouse and *Action Surges* 2 thrown handaxes into one of the Night Blades. Kalo tips through the window after Puffin and casts *Scorching Ray* at the two Night Blades, badly injuring one and ending the round.

The episode fades to black as the timid Jebaz pops his head up from under the water of the western bath, hoping to avoid notice.