Session 77: Deck Retrieval Part 2. Report

General Summary

Session 77 – Wednesday April 10, 2024 – Deck Retrieval Part 2 – The Plan.

4-hour social session 5:30 PM to 9:40 PM.

The Stone Bearers. Party of 6:

It is the 14th day of the month of Hammer (Deepwinter) in the 51st year of the Age of Enialis (Mid Jan.)

• Abrash – Wood (Desert) Elf, L12 Druid – Jacob Munson (Remote)
• Ajani– High Elf, L12 Wizard – Nathan Gioconda
• Gazlowe – Goblin, L12 Artificer – Josh Pozsonyi
• Cassidy – Human, L12 Blood hunter – Ryan Armstrong (Remote)
• Isabella – Forest Gnome, L12 Barbarian – Jackie Armstrong
• Juan Peyote – Gnome L12 Paladin – Will Johnson

Planning.

Cassidy went outside and sneezed, bringing Juan into existence who immediately charged and knocked over a trash can. The party gathered in the B&B and discussed options. Gazlowe made a disguise for Juan and Abrash. Juan took on the alias Jimmy Heat.
The party discussed bringing in Joe the safe cracker, casting Dominate Person, burning the whole place down, searching for the other ½ of the cypher. They focused on finding the 2nd ½ of the cypher and knew there was an area in Ryan’s office that was unexplored. Ajani wanted to scry on the office after hours.

Hanging out.

Gazlowe hung out in the break room and observed those coming and going into the fencing room. They recognized the people who were coming in the back stairs were most likely selling stolen items. They noticed some items were then going upstairs and others to the forge area. Gazlowe introduced himself to a few of the rogues. He met Leon who told them that the word is getting around of what the “new guys” did to Clem.
Leon was carrying a large satchel and placed it down to talk with Gazlowe and Cassidy. As he picked it back up her threw his back out. He asked Gazlowe and Cassidy to take the satchel to the storage area upstairs and told him that Arthur has the key. They agreed to help, and Leon gave them a sheet of parchment that was a detailed inventory of everything in the bag.

Arthur apologizes.

Cassidy knocked on the door to Arthur’s office. The door was opened by Arthur’s assistant, and they saw Arthur making another pathetic offer to a street rat looking man. The man was disgusted with the offer but took it anyway and left. Then Arthur invited Cassidy and Gazlowe into the room.
Arthur apologized to Gazlowe telling him that he heard how they handled Clem. Arthur then asked Gazlowe to sit down and give him an analysis on a small pile of Jewels and gold. Gazlowe, with amazing accuracy, evaluated everything to current market prices. Arthur was impressed and apologized for misjudging him earlier. Arthur told Gazlowe that he’ll let the boss know of his skills. He then gave them the key to the storage area and told them where to place the goods and to come right back with the key.

The Storage area

Cassidy took the key, and they went to the storage area. Inside the storage room were multiple crates, some a bit messy and a few neatly stacked. Cassidy tried to make an impression of the key but didn’t have the right materials to do so. Gazlowe quickly took a small bag of salt and used rabbit glue to make a resin mold of the key.
They knew it would take some time to set and not wanting to look suspicious, they chose not to spend any time to search the room right now. They put the bag of treasure where they were told and left the room. Cassidy carefully went back downstairs holding the bag of salt carefully so as to not disturb it while Gazlowe returned the key.

Lunch break.

Ajani kept close watch on the house from across the street and noted the various individuals coming and going. He saw the 2 forge workers, half-orcs, leave through the back gate with Juan.
Juan was just standing around in the back courtyard coolly leaning against a wall, flipping a coin, and snapping. The orcs came up from the basement hatch and introduced themselves as Sid and Nancy. Juan introduced himself as Jimmy Heat. They invited “Jimmy” to come with them to get some lunch and ale from BWW’s (Bertha’s Wicked Wings.)
The three got a table and 3 pints of ale. Juan immediately chugged his ale and asked the half-orcs, “What’s taking you so long.” Sid and Nancy smiled and immediately downed their ales and got a few more rounds. After 6 ales in 3 minutes Sid had to stop as he excused himself to go throw up. Sid came back as Nancy and Juan continued another 3 rounds and Juan realized he couldn’t do anymore without losing it. Nancy smiled and had one more just to make a point. Juan drank his anyway and lost it.

Juan made friends.

Nancy burst out laughing. Juan nodded and gave her 100gp respecting her for drinking him under the table. Juan earned the respect of the Half-Orcs and they asked him if he could help them with a little something. They told him they have a bag in the basement of the shop that they need to have stored in the hallow of a specific tree in a nearby park. Juan said, “I don’t know what you mean, but sure.” Sid and Nancy showed Juan the very specific location as to where he was to store the bag they give him, and afterwards, they’ll give him a cut.
The orcs purchased more wings and a couple kegs of ale to bring back to the Common area in the shop. They entered the common room where Gazlowe and Cassidy were and Gazlowe and Cassidy watched Slack-jawed as Juan walked down with the orcs droped off the supplies, went into the forge area and came back out carrying a sack of something and then he left. It took Juan some time to remember where the specific tree was, but after about 15 minutes of tapping on trees, he found it and then went back and reported to the Orcs.

Gazlowe works the floor.

Dom Doodly found Gazlowe and told him that they could use some help on the Floor. Arthur had told Dom of the new guy’s skill at evaluation. Dom explained the sales rules, 10X street value and receive up to 2% of the sale. Lesser markups can be permitted but commission % will be cut to ½ of 1%. Gazlowe understood and went up to the floor. He had a couple customers, and not only did he sell for the full 1,000% markup but both customers were very happy with the deal. The other salespeople were astonished at “Danny Oceans” sales skills.
Cassidy hung out in the break room and watched the other associates. Everyone was watching Gazlowe like a hawk, very untrusting at first. But as he made the sales, the attitude shifted. They all started talking about how the new guys dealt with Clem and they have great sales skills too! Some talked with admiration, and others with envy.

The Boss.

At the end of the day, Ryan Philip called Cassidy (Virgil) and Gazlowe (Danny) into his office and expressed his appreciation for the skills displayed. Ryan told them he could offer them a more permanent place on his staff if they continue this work. He told them he plans to have an opening soon and will offer them a room if they’re interested in some more lucrative work. He gave Danny 5% of both sales he made, 100gp.
In the manager’s office Cassidy looked at the bookshelf and saw scrape marks on the floor. She recognized that it was a secret door, and it slid to the left. Ryan bid the characters a good night and asked them to please return in the morning.

Later that night.

The party gathered at the Hag’s B&B and reviewed their day’s activities filling each other in on what they did and learned. They spent some time going over what Juan did and understood that some were clearly stealing from the boss and using Juan to put the goods outside. The party discussed how they could use this information.
Cassidy mentioned the secret door in Ryan’s office and wanted to go in and examine it. Ajani agreed to Scry on the room. After dinner they saw that a light was still on in the Boss’s office. Ajani cast scry, he observed a map on the desk of Waterdeep and someone was turning papers on the desk, but he couldn’t actually see the person as they were somehow invisible to him. The only other thing Ajani learned is that Ryan has a detailed map of Orilius’s home. Ajani explained what he saw to the others. Cassidy and Gazlowe knew that there are some spells and magic items that could prevent someone from being seen by a Scry spell.

Options…

The party continued to discuss their various options. Cassidy pointed out that they know there are some stealing from the boss. They could use that information to get on the boss’s side even more. Gazlowe had concerns with that and wanted to be sure they had a better thought-out plan before they go down that road. Juan suggested they get the whole crew to go against the boss.
Cassidy wanted to go into the shop and search the boss’s office for the 2nd half of the cypher. Gazlowe wanted to work in the lab and play with his artificer items to prepare something useful. They discussed the option to JUST get the Deck of Many things, but Gazlowe wanted everything in the vault. Isabella was concerned with making another powerful Enemy. Juan said, “This time we steal from him, then next time we plan another heist and cut him in…”

Even Later that night.

Around midnight, Gazlowe polished up the key he made with Rabbit Glue earlier and it was amazing. He gave it to Cassidy. Cassidy prepared to walk through the walls into the secret room in Ryan’s office. Abrash turned into a fly and went around to the front door to sneak into the building and meet up with Cassidy. Ajani agreed to first scry on Ryan. Unfortunately, the scry was somehow blocked even though Ajani knew he could bypass any wisdom save.
So not knowing if he was in the office or not, Abrash and Cassidy proceeded with their plan. Cassidy went ethereal and turned herself invisible. She didn’t go directly into Ryan’s office but through the showroom wall and then through the wall that he knew was a secret room. Meanwhile, Abrash (as a fly) flew under the front door, past the guard who was just barely awake and under the door into Ryan’s office.

Even the best laid plans…

Ryan heard the fly in the room and saw it land on the big window. However, a large thud was then heard behind his secret door. Cassidy assumed the wall was to a room, but it wasn’t, it was to a stairwell. As she passed through the wall she fell to the stairs. She caught herself and didn’t fall down the rest of the stairs, but she heard movement in Ryan’s office. The secret door opened, and Ryan looked down the stairs. Invisible and in her ethereal form, Cassidy dropped below the stairs again.
Ryan took 3 steps down the stairs and stood there listening intently. Cassidy found herself in the forge area and was very disappointed that the secret bookcase simply led to the basement! After a few minutes of silence Abrash flew to the bookshelf and landed on it. Ryan heard the fly again but ignored it for the moment. After another minute and not hearing anything else, Ryan shrugged and went back up. Returning the book to the bookshelf, the door closed quickly. Believing Cassidy to be safe, Abrash didn’t move.
Ryan turned and stared as the window as he went to a desk and grabbed a flyswatter. He searched the window for a few moments listening intently for the fly, but Abrash didn’t move. Ryan slowly walked backwards to his desk and sat down returning to his examination of the famous wizard’s (Orilius’s) house.
Abrash waited for Ryan to return to his work and then slowly (as a fly) walked down the bookshelf and then under it looking for a way to make it to the secret stairs. He found a way but got stuck. 11 Minutes later he worked himself freed without any serious damage and made it down to the basement.

In the basement.

Cassidy searched the whole forge area. She heard voices in the Fencing Room (where the vault is.) She learned that those in the room were clearly evaluating items and determining if they were traceable stolen items, something that could be clearly identified by any unique features or simply common items with no obviously unique traits. Unique stolen items were to be melted down while other items would return to the floor. There was nothing else new to learn in the forge area.
Abrash flew down to Cassidy and landed on her shoulder, covered with dust and cobwebs etc. Abrash telepathically told Cassidy what he learned and the two left through the back stairs to the outside courtyard. The large, buff guard by back gate opened it to let Cassidy out. Cassidy meandered to the bar to be sure she wasn’t tailed and then made her way back to the Bed and Breakfast.

In the morning, we plan!

The party went to the local T-Rechs cigars and coffee and got some coffee and then went back to the B&B to eat leftover wings and fresh coffee. Gazlowe had completed his device that casts invisibility up to 10 times allowing the party to all turn invisible. The party then shared all the information they had gathered and discussed their various options again.
Gazlowe wanted to form a solid plan. Cassidy and Gazlowe wanted to search a couple more areas they haven’t fully searched yet. Ajani wanted to talk to Joe the Safe cracker. Learning that Ryan Philip was still looking at plans of the home of the wizard Orilius, Ajani and Gazlowe talked about getting in on that and using it somehow. Juan suggested getting some paintings of Ryan in compromising positions and then blackmailing him.
Gazlowe expanded on the Blackmail idea knowing that the Lord’s Alliance has nothing on him, and the party does have some evidence. But they weren’t sure that Ryan would really be vulnerable to blackmail to the point where he’d give up the Deck. Gazlowe also thought about telling Ryan about the betrayal and theft of the gold by some of his workers.

Splitting up again.

Juan went to the bakery, bought 100gp of bread and covered himself with it. He went to the street corner where he could keep an eye on the back gate but wasn’t so close as to draw attention and started to perform Ogre Kabuki theater. Ajani and Abrash went to the basement of the shop to find Joe and Gazlowe went to the shop floor.

Talking to Joe the safecracker.

Ajani and Abrash found Joe in the basement common room. Ajani started striking up a casual conversation with Joe and asked for help in the back room (that was silent.) They got up and went into the back room. They saw Clem’s body was still there starting to smell bad. Joe opened the door and asked another of the works to go find Bertha and tell her, “We’ve got a body for her.”
Ajani continued to talk to Joe and asked him if he would be interested working for him rather than Ryan. Joe listened. Ajani told him that they’d offer 20%. Joe said that’s better than Ryan pays. Ajani cut straight to the chase and told him, “We mean to rob Ryan’s Safe and need a safe cracker.” Joe’s eyes opened wide. He told him for that job he’d need 50%, anything less wouldn’t be worth his life. He also told him, he’d need some time with that particular safe, and they’d need to be sure the room was clear and probably a diversion to keep everyone away.
Ajani told him to think it over and they’d get back to him. He tried to read Joe and even though Ajani knew that wasn’t his best strength, he came away with a good impression that Joe might be with them on this. Joe did tell Ajani that there is one thing that would make this a lot easier. Joe told him that he has part of a code that he’s hidden in the forge area, but it’s only one part of a 2-part code. If the party found the 2nd half of this code, he’s sure he could break that and then getting into the safe would be a breeze. He told him the code would most likely be written on a single sheet of paper and would look like a string of numbers, dashes, and commas. Without both parts, either part is useless. Ajani smiled a bit knowing that the party has the first part already but told Joe they’d look for it.
Abrash tried to read Joe’s mind and learned that Joe had several countervailing thoughts. On one hand, he considered a double cross, on the other he was thinking that 50% of what’s in the vault would be fine and perhaps lead to more work. Joe was keeping all his options open and didn’t have any strong loyalties, but was a bit concerned regarding how the party killed Clem.

Ocean is a Shark

Gazlowe worked the floor until lunch and again was the most outstanding salesperson on the floor. The boss would come out and watch him for a few moments and Gazlowe (“Danny”) was closing the sales and the customers walked away happy. The other sales folks were starting to talk, Cassidy encouraged this by telling the other sales folks, “Ocean is a Shark.”
Unfortunately, Cassidy spoke mostly in Abyssal, and others were concerned. Rather than simply building him up as a great salesperson, the others started to believe, “Danny has the devils influence.”
The other sales folks respected Gazlowe’s aka Danny Ocean’s skills but also started to get a healthy fear of him. Danny and Cassidy heard another sales associate say, “Smokey is getting kicked out tonight, Danny and his crew are getting his room.”

At lunch, we plan some more!

After lunch the party gathered and shared their individual learnings. Gazlowe wanted to see the place where the half-orcs have their dead drop. Juan was sure he could find it again +- 20 minutes of looking. Gazlowe proposed that since Ryan seems to trust him, he could warn Ryan of the theft and after Juan makes a drop of the goods into the secret location, he could get Ryan out to look at it. During that time the others could go in and search Ryan’s office for the code.

The plan starts.

Juan met the half-orcs at lunch time and after Lunch, they invited him back to the forge area. They gave him a bag of gold bullion and scraps to take to the hiding place. Juan took the bag again through the back door and Gazlowe spotted him leaving. Gazlowe watched Juan walk to the small, wooded grove and then spend the next 14 minutes searching for the right tree.
Juan eventually found the bag shaped hole in the tree and made the drop. Gazlowe noted the location and then went and told the others that the plan is in motion. Isabella downed her invisibility potion and met Cassidy in the basement by the stairs to the secret door waiting for the boss to leave.

The plan goes a little sideways.

Gazlowe went to see Ryan. Ryan first told Gazlowe that he’s got a room for him and a couple of his team if he wants. Gazlowe appreciated it and told Ryan that he’s being betrayed, and some are stealing from him, and he can prove it. Ryan believed Gazlowe and asked Gazlowe to show him where the goods are hidden. Gazlowe took Ryan outside the to the small grove. On the way Ryan cast Mage Armor and detect Magic.
Isabella was invisible and took on the role of watcher. Cassidy went ethereal and went into the Ryan’s office. Cassidy started searching the desk and spotted the maps of Waterdeep and the house of the wizard Orilius. She left the maps and went to the bookcase. Quickly scanning she found a book by the famed code maker Hawthorn Blacwkood. She grabbed the book and quickly scanned through it, looking for the other half of the code but saw nothing obvious. She also knew that a complete search in every book would take hours by herself.
Outside, Gazlowe slowly walked through the grove and after a few minutes led Ryan to the tree. Ryan crouched down and found the bag, he opened it and saw the gold that had been melted in his forge and the bits and scraps that were stolen. He stood slowly with a determined look on his face. He looked at Gazlowe and said, “Come with me, we’re going to close the shop for the day, kick out folks and then empty my vault…”

Campaign

The Forest

Protagonists

Thomas Elliot

Abrash Asim

Chaotic Good Moon Wood Elf (Folk Hero)
Druid 1

9 / 9 HP

STR
7

DEX
10

CON
13

INT
8

WIS
19

CHA
14

Report Date

15 Apr 2024