86. Sharn: Dhakaan Heist Report

General Summary

17th Sypheros, 999 YK

• They spend some time trying to gather information on Karg. They go up to the university and cast Locate Object, looking for the byeshk greatsword, but they don't find one.
• They head up to the reception and Dax' Athla enquires about a "friend" that she's trying to find, Sophie McFinn. Unfortunately, it seems there is no one at the university with that name at current, and so Dax and her "friend" will never be reunited. So very sad :(
• In the process, however, she discovered that the information is stored on spellshards.
• Warden , in the form of a gecko, goes up to one of the spellshards and tries to access student records, but needs a password.
• Kalshana walks up to enquire about her timetable as she can't remember when her next lecture. When the clerk asks what she's studying, she just says "history". Eventually it's refined down to "Dhakaani History", her next lesson is tomorrow morning at 9am. When the clerk accesses the spellshard, Kalshana reads their mind and hears the password: "m0rgr4v3"
• With the password, Warden is able to access student records. He finds out that Karg is studying Dhakaani History, alongside literature, and where he lives. He also enquires about Jia Braun, and finds out she lives in the dorms and is studying transmutation magic.
• They head down to Lower Menthis Plateau, to find Karg's apartment in Center Bridge. Dax scopes it out from outside the window, and also goes into the building and checks the corridor and doors. She jams the lock on the front door of the building with some chewed up bread to prevent it being locked, and then the group wait for night time when Karg will presumably be asleep.
• Dax spends some time transcribing a spell, Warden rests, and Kalshana pretends to be a student.
• Lozaal visits one of the night clubs in Downstairs, and gets some advice on interacting with humanoids from a bugbear. Lozaal pulls a nonbinary halfling and they hook up in the bathroom.
• They get ready to heist in the evening, and Lozaal returns to the group drunk. Kalshana purges the alcohol from his system against his will.
• Dax makes herself, Lozaal and Warden invisible, and Warden uses Pass without Trace. Kalshana will remain outside on watch, and maintain the mind link.
• They break into Karg's apartment, with Warden turning into a snake and slithering under the door to check that the coast is clear.
• Lozaal leaves the primer to Dhakaani history that he wrote on Karg's desk.
• Warden goes into Karg's bedroom and sees that he is asleep and cradling the sword. He's also facing the door.
• Dax and Lozaal turn out the lights in the living room, and then make their way into the bedroom. Lozaal tries to take the sword, and realises it is too heavy for him to lift on his own. Warden turns back into his humanoid form to assist.
• Whilst this is going down, Kal is approached by an ettin she recognises, Yadha-Ro. Yadha-Ro goes to just push past her but then recognises her and confronts her. It seems like she's gonna break Kal's legs, but she's here for another reason and just pushes Kal out of the way.
• Kal raises the alarm in the mind link. Moments later, there is a knock on Karg's door.
• Karg is groggy and goes to investigate. He has a brief conversation with Yadha-Ro, but it seems that everything is fine. The ettin had come to check on him, fearing for his safety as they had received an "anonymous tip" that someone was in his apartment.
• Yadha-Ro waits around outside the apartment, and Karg goes back to bed. Before he goes to sleep, he whispers to the sword about how safe it makes him feel, it's hard to feel unsafe when you have a giant sword.
• Undeterred, the party hatch a plan to steal. Warden and Lozaal gently pry it from Karg's sleeping grasp, and then yeet it out of the window. Warden transforms into a Giant Owl and catches it, and then flies away. Lozaal climbed out the window and clung there with Spider Climb.
• Karg awakens moments later and realises the sword is gone. He punches the wall in anger, and Lozaal feels the impact even outside.
• Yadha-Ro bursts into the apartment and has a brief conversation with Karg, before charging back out and into the street.
• Karg slumps at his desk, with his head in his hands.
• Lozaal puts a note on the window stating that "when I learn more, it may be returned". The note is invisible until the invisibility spell is dropped, and so when Lozaal knocks on the window to get Karg's attention, he doesn't see it.
• Warden takes the sword out of the city and hides in the woods with it. It's too large to hide it otherwise and he can't carry it in his normal form.
• Dax and Kal return to Clifftop, and after two hours Kal uses Sending to contact Warden. Dax then sends Zedd to go find him and tell them where he is.
• Lozaal goes back to the night clubs for a while.

     

Sendings

Kal: "Hi Warden, Where are you? Love, Kal"   Warden: "Hoot Hoot! Ha got ya! In the Woods, Outside city limits, Nested sword, will await you here as I can't carry alone"   Kal: "Hoot! Zedd is flying over to pick up sword and you. Make yourself conspicuous to any wyverns. But not to anyone else. Obviously. Kal x"   Warden: "Okay? I mean surely that is one and the same but I will keep an eye out! tell her to look for an owl I will be circling the spot"