The Assassination of Johnny Goodfellow and Preventing a War....... by starting another one.

Most people say that my plans are overly complicated, but that's just because no one seemed to like the classic 3 step plan:

1. Enter
2. Improvise
3. Escape

So now there are what are technically substeps of step 1, because something always goes wrong, making step 2 necessary, and step 3 is a must because sticking around after step 2 is usually detrimental to ones health.

— Lorelai Wolfsbane, Hexblade employed by the Bronze Ravens

"Its an easy job," they said... "Just see how the new guys handle it," they said... "Please keep the chaos and casualties to a minimum," Jasper whispered as i walked out the door....... wait, what? Well shit.
They had 2 jobs:

1. Kill Johnny Goodfellow, a necromancer who killed and replaced a diplomat from Silmere and has been posing as him for the last decade or so.
2. Ensure Sorceress Queen Ikora and Crown Prince Makoto leave the meeting unharmed, after all, dead patrons dont pay. The elves haven't quite forgiven Ikora for accidentally sending a red dragon to their kingdom. And dwarves are know to take all trade negotiations deadly serious.

Step 1: Enter the Estate

How I did it:

• Ride up to the gate with the wizard who's guest I was (being owed a favor for an unfortunate incident involving a broken summoning circle and 3 Nalfeshnee).
• Have Wizard show invitation
• Enter Banquet Hall at the Wizards College of Narrow Cliffs to attend the once a decade trade negotiations.

What the amateurs somehow decided was a good idea:

• Show up at the gate, armed and without an invitation, demanding entrance
• Claim that a well respected and well known diplomat who has never shown magical talent in the past is a necromancer.
• Upon being "surprisingly" denied entrance, leave to come up with a new plan

Step 2: Improvise

"What fire?" you ask, dont worry, we are getting there.
My night:

• 4th Bell to 5th bell - Hors d'oeuvres an mingling. Introductions for my wizard friend to the Crown Prince and the Sorceress Queen. Chat up Johnny Goodfellow, slip him a slow acting poison because I have yet to see the amateurs. Hear rumor of 3 crazies causing trouble at the gates.
• 5th bell to 7th bell - Feasting, and speeches, and feasting, and talking, and speeches. At least the food was good and the wine, delicious.
• 7th Bell - Transition to the Ballroom for dancing. Continue to mingle with people known to the Bronze Ravens. Hear more disturbing rumors about the lunatics claiming necromancers have infiltrated the conference and (more disturbingly) that there was a kerfuffle at the docks during dinner several guards are missing. Start making my way closer to Mr. Goodfellow.
• 8th Bell - Smell of smoke. Wisps of it rising up through the ballroom floor. The rumors of a necromancer having surely reached Mr. Goodfellow by now I decide to act before he disappears. The majordomo comes in and shouting "FIRE, FIRE IN THE WINE CELLAR!" right around the time 3 bumbling idiots charge in with a fire-hound, weapons drawn. The dwarves cry treachery as they activate the enchantments on their clothes (all made of spun-silver) and suddenly there is a battle-square of fully armed and armored dwarves in the ballroom with hundreds of panicking people. Queen Ikora slips on a dropped serving tray and and catches a boot to the head on her way down, knocking her unconscious, and I have no idea where the Crown Prince has gone. The elves and truly more guests than I was expecting start to shimmering with protective enchantments and produce a rather impressively diverse set of weapons ranging from stilettos to a bardiche. Other guests start to flee the ballroom as the floor begins to noticeably warm. Most of the wizards present activate various baubles to teleport to their chambers, not expecting a night quite this exciting and finding themselves woefully under-equipped. The wildfire druid (one of the bumbling idiots) looks around, exclaims "OOOOOOO, I TOLD YOU THERE WAS CAKE!" and, almost as if the start signal had gone off at the Grand Melee, chaos erupts.

How I assume the comedy of errors went for our wayward amateurs. Stop me if you have heard this one before, a barbarian, a bard, and a druid show up uninvited too a party...

Step 3: Escape