An Offer you can't refuse

1. Introduction

They are taken prisoners. They do not have a way out. They are in Walsingham's power.

2. The Keep:

They find themselves in the guest apartments in the Keep. Everything is comfortable, but they are not allowed out. The door is locked behind them. Outside are guards. They can try to find an exit and search the apartment: Stuff to find:
1.Under one of the beds is a chest: Mechanical trap A Poisoned needle is hidden within a Treasure chest’s lock, or in something else that a creature might open. Opening the chest without the proper key causes the needle to spring out, delivering a dose of poison. When the trap is triggered, the needle extends 3 inches straight out from the lock. A creature within range takes 1 piercing damage and 11 (2d10) poison damage, and must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 hour.
A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check allows a character to deduce the trap’s presence from alterations made to the lock to accommodate the needle. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools disarms the trap, removing the needle from the lock. Unsuccessfully attempting to pick the lock triggers the trap.
200gp
2.Secret Lever behind the bookshelf Hint: pictures on the wall, but one frame has a saying: Books are the Keys to the Freedom of the Mind. opens the secret entrance behind the fire place
In one of the dungeons is a magic bow?
In the dungeon they can meet Lord Aylos Woodstock , who will lead them back to the guest appartment.

3. Negotiations

Keep is waking up, Libby Winks brings them breakfast, happy to still see them there. Kerina White comes to pick them up. Leads them out of the Keep through the Courtyard of the Cliffort towards the Great Hall: Roxala kal'Feng is practicing in the Courtyard, demolishing her opponents with careless brutality. Mockingly greets the Party.
White leads them into the Great Hall. Only a few people are already waiting for the Audience to begin.
Leads them to W's office.
W is friendly. Compliments them on finding the secret passage. Also on being clever enough not to fight and loose their lives. One has to know which fights to pick. The whole thing was a test.
W. wants the Party to work for him. He has stumbled over strange happenings in the last couple of months, such as the case of Nicolas DeVeere and his blackmail list. It makes him suspicious and worried, because he does not know, whether there is something connecting everything. He does have his spies and assassin's but these mysteries are more of a puzzle, that needs people with talents in this regard to solve it. The Watch is not private enough...
He thinks, the Party has already proven themselves to be capable in that direction and why not make their cooperation official - well, not official official, because ofc, officially he could not be working with them, but unofficially they would report to him.
Offers all of them money and certain perks (weapon's license, no official help, but certainly unofficially,) Wants Ty'avon, Slava and Erevan to have an Investigator's Office as a front. Vivian and Greybeard will work with them as assistants.

Ty'avon: Has a weapon on him. Could be arrested just for that. Has been involved in fights in the city. Also, is a Drow. Certainly of interest to the Elven Ambassador extradition? Has a reputation in the Warren as an investigator. What else does he want to do with his time. He is offered to be the head investigator.
Vivian: Very interested in her. Wants to know more about her history. Magic user, Sorceress, wants a place at the Silver Spire. Needed for her magical powers and arcane knowledge
Slava Slug: Tiefling, criminal, should be in prison anyway. Needed for his criminal talents and his connections.
Erevan: Interesting: Knows bloody everything about Erevan, since his mother arrived in Rhynmouth, but nothing about their Elven Empire backstory - wants to know more. Has found this curious letter in the Red Sun Hide out about the murder of Erevan's mother and that they stole something from her, but is puzzled, why anyone would want to kill an Elven scholar and what this thing was - must be important. Also, Erevan is needed for his fighting capabilities.

Greybeard: (Letter from the Knight Commander ordering Greybeard to accept W.'s recruitment) Needed for his healing abilities.

Hopeful Outcome:
Party agrees on working with them. W calls in Honoria Jarvis. Asks her to give over the "official" Investigator license, acts as if he is just doing the Party a favour.
Then he sends them off and tells them to speak to his secretary. Kerina Whitaker tells them, she will take them to their new HQ

4. The New HQ?

The Party and Kerina take the ferry over to The Warren.
They enter the Warren. The new HQ is in one of the main streets, the Promenade. It is over a herb and magical potions shop, called The Mortar and Pestle and run by Vornok Kiljahn.
Kerina leaves them halfway there, as she can't stand the smell and the dirt.
Vornok gives them the keys to the upstairs room, but warns them. He had rented them out before, but the guys just vanished and since then, no-one had been upstairs.

5. The Fight

Encounter: Combat
Important: In the Giant Mutant Spider's nest, the Party can find a music box, powered by Etherium. The Thief gang, who lived here before must have stolen it and the Etherium caused the spiders to mutate.
6. The Choice
After the fight with the spiders, the Party gets a surprise visit: Lucan Cavari  visits them. He had heard of their arrival and wants to know what they want here. If they talk to him in a civil way, he will suggest a much better HQ for them: The Shop in New Town, that the Red Sun were using as an entrance to the Cave system. Not only that, he will let them have the portal as well, which will give them access to the caves.

Backdrops

Encounters

Combat: 
First Floor:
Absolutely dark. The key opens the door and you enter the little ante room.
Only for people with darkvision: Spiderwebs are visible everywhere. Everyone entering the room has to throw a DEX saving throw (15). Everyone loosing is entangled. Every time people move, they have to repeat the DEX saving throw. They can use their action to try to free themselves from the spider web. They have to use a ST saving throw (15).
10x Mutated Spider  
Top Floor:
More lights through the attic windows:

Plot type

Overview

Subplots

• Picking up the Threads