C2 E3: Guilds and Factions

The PCs start rebuilding Trollskull Manor and are inducted into various factions. The guilds start to make an appearance.

* Current Secrets
* Trollskull Alley
* Player Characters

This episode starts the morning of Ches 4th. It ends the evening of Ches 5th.

## Last Time

Last time, the PCs took possession of their new manor/tavern. They met the residents of Trollskull Alley, including three cute street urchins, a carpenter, a bookworm, an herbalist, a forge, and some sort of private detective. A revolving door of faction leaders showed up, having heard of your exploits from Renaer Neverember and Volothamp Geddarm.

The PCs joined several factions and went on some seemingly inconsequential missions. An old hermit on a mountainside gave a cryptic answer. Thug fights were dispersed. Scarecrows were vanquished. And now, some of them go to see a horse about a man...

## Offscreen Events

* Tally Fellbranch, the carpenter at The Bent Nail, assessed the carpentry repairs needed at 259gp total
* Vajra Safahr sent the reward of 100gp by courier to the manor, as well as another scroll of sending

## Onscreen Events

* Harpers mission
* Emerald Enclave return (75gp)
* Order of the Gauntlet return, induction, and followup (150gp)

### Harpers Mission

Mirt wants the PCs to find a talking horse that's a spy (Maxeene).

* When found, Maxeene can be convinced by charisma or by bribery (apples, hay, etc)
* Maxeene gave a ride to a sun elf and his half-orc bodyguard (Davil Starsong and Yagra Stonefist)) on Ches 1st. They were dropped off at the Yawning Portal. They talked about hiring spies to root out the Xanathar Guild hideouts and finding "another mechanism" for someone else
* Reward: 100gp, closer to being admitted to the Harpers

* Harpers mission return
	+ PCs can meet Mirt in his box at intermission again, or can send him a message via paper bird
	+ Mirt will arrange for money to be delivered, along with a box of 8 paper bird sheets
	+ Mirt encourages the PCs to pursue any leads they encounter and will send them a new mission soon "after a different field agent reports in"

### NPC Visits

* Broxley Fairkettle (Fellowship of Innkeepers) visits
	+ Talks about staff they could consider hiring
		- Cook
		- Bartender
		- Barback
		- Cleaning by the Launderers' & Cleaners Guild
	+ Answers other guild related questions
* Hammond (Vintners', Distillers', and Brewers' Guild) visits
* Emmek Frewn visits

### Order of the Gauntlet Induction & Followup

* Order of the Gauntlet oath ceremony (Oath of the Crown)
	+ Savra Belabranta asks Kaavu Icestrider if he accepts and will live each tenet:
		- Use faith in the law as your most potent member against evil in society
		- Overcome great challenges to civilization with heroic demonstrations of strength and valor
		- Justly punish acts of evil, wherever they may be found, for the good of the many
	+ Savra gives a silver Gauntlet of Gleaming to Kaavu & bestows upon him the title "Knight of the Gauntlet"

Savra Belabranta gives Kaavu Icestrider a new mission:

> "The Black Viper, a notorious thief long thought dead, has apparently returned to Waterdeep. They have already robbed at least a dozen noble estates. No one knows their identity, because they wear a mask. The *Waterdeep Wazoo* reported that she's actually a noble. Find out what else the publisher knows and report back to me.
>
>

* Publisher is Gaxly Rudderbust, a human Illuskan whose suit always has an ink splatter on it.
	+ expected routes
		- Persuasion/Intimidation: DC 14
		- sneak
		- bribe of 25gp
	+ secrets
		- Gaxly suspects the Black Viper is the secret, evil twin of Ammalia Cassalanter who wears a mask to hide disfigurement (this is false)
		- Further investigations can reveal it is not true—no one has ever heard of a twin sister to Ammalia Cassalanter
		- Really really good further investigation/history can reveal that the thief has been stealing papers and letters, not valuables. Expected to be part of the Great Game.

### Emerald Enclave Return

* Emerald Enclave induction
	+ Melannor asks Tovarish of the UFFR if he is interested in joining the fellowship of druids and nature clerics
	+ If yes, inducted in:
		- Jeryth Phaulkon bestows a Charm of Restoration. It's shaped like the deer's head in the logo.
		- "Preserve nature against the growing influence of humans. Work together to forge a greater world of prosperity and harmony."
		- Melannor gives Tovarish a crown weaved of vines from Phaulkonmere
		- Jeryth and Melannor refer to him as "Initiate Tovarish" now
	+ If no, Jeryth will still ask for help from time to time, but won't give gifts

## Todo / Happenings

*What did those fools get up to this time?*

* Short rest
* Turn in quests from before
	+ Tovarish inducted into the Emerald Enclave
	+ Kaavu inducted into the Order of the Gauntlet, received Waterdeep
* Pay Tally to repair the house & add furniture—will be done Ches 10th
* Broxley Fairkettle (Fellowship of Innkeepers) shows up, convinces the group to join the guild
	+ says he will talk to Hammond (Vintners', etc) and Justyn (Butchers)
	+ will not ask for payment until after opening
* Tovarish sends an animal messenger bird to the UFFR asking for someone who is a barkeep or cook
	+ "Received deed to Trollskull Tavern in Waterdeep. Send comrades who want to work by Ches 19. Cook, barkeep, barback. Send Skit after re-education too."
* Petunia's shop is being run by a midwife or apothecary friend
	+ 15gp upkeep to run the store while away
* Waterdeep Wazoo! (Ches 5th)
	+ Big bustling building with serifed sign
	+ Half-orc bouncer outside
	+ Characters bully their way in to talk to Gaxly Rudderbust, a large man in bright suits chewing a cigar
		- Gaxly starts writing down the PCs theories
			* Tovarish: stealing from the rich to correct wrongs
			* Tom: "I would wear a mask to commit crimes so that people didn't know who I was"
* PCs go to Cassalanter Villa to try and find Ammalia's "evil twin", no clues found
	+ decide to talk to Vincent Trench to know hear what he knows
* Kaavu goes to the Halls of Justice to say what he has learned
	+ Gets reward, promised more for more information
	+ PCs go to Yawning Portal to learn more about the Cassalanters, talk to Volo
		- Kaavu talks to Yagra, arm wrestles
* PCs talk to Vincent Trench about Black Viper
	+ Viper does not want money, must come from a noble family. Seems to be stealing information of a sort
	+ Recruit him for a month of investigation—10gp for looking, 40gp for the information
	+ Looking for information about who the Black Viper and what they want to know
		- Any connection between the Cassalanters and the Black Viper?
		- What information about the Cassalanters?
		- Seems to have an idea of where to start
* Courier arrives with box from Mirt, 10 sheets of paper bird inside
* PCs pay the Windowers' guild 150gp to redo the windows. 10 day turnaround--15th Ches

### Secrets Divulged

*What did the players learn?*

* ~~Davil Starsong and Yagra Stonefist of the Doom Raiders are trying to root out Xanathar Guild hideouts~~
	+ ~~They are also looking for something called a "mechanism" for an unknown benefactor~~