The sun had just set and the Red Cloak tavern crowd was in full swing as Gavin, a local merchant and regular, was buying rounds of drink. Gavin, “No one goes home thirsty tonight!” It would seem his shipment of elven silks had gone missing, and he had doubled down on the insurance. Umaul the Goliath played a jaunty mountain folksong about big city lights. Farlin and Aeldrin play cards at a table and before the gnome druid can buy the next round, Gavin is at their table with two pints, “Drink up friends lady luck is about tonight and there is coin to be had!” Nikhillish walks away from the priest Heidan, lost in thoughts about which parts of a future foretold have a ring of truth. The teen half-elf Charrd slides in to the tavern through a side door right into Gavin. Gavin, “Young Charrd find me later after you have had a drink, I have an errand to offer you.” Was it divine intervention, common need, or just blind luck that brought the 5 adventures to the Red Cloak tonight, and would see them leave together… maybe a little bit of each. It is not long before Nikhillish has struck up a conversation with the bardic goliath Umaul, and word that Charrd may have a job that would bring in coin had the entire group at a single table. Charrd the half-elf, Nikhillish Bosfa the sage, Aeldrin Freelight the retired soldier, Umaul Elfy Caldrithi the goliath bard, and Farlin Bafflewood a gnomish druid all gather around the same drinks and encourage young Charrd to include them in his dealings with Gavin. The group soon moves from the front of the bar to a back room where Gavin has setup a simple office to run his mercantile wares through Windbergen. Gavin tells the group, “You split the coin how you see fit, this is a simple spotter errand. You’ll meet Jubal’s right hand Samsung at the Happy Clam near the channel docs, and he will provide the details of what to watch for, and what actions to take, like follow or not.” A once enthusiastic group quickly clams up, except for a whisper here and there about not wanting to work for Jubal. Gavin try to reassure them, “Friends there is no murder involved cough as far as I know cough , that would be bad for my business.” Charrd apologizes to Gavin, “I did not mean to put you in a bad spot, but I don’t think these are the type of elements my friends and I want to get associated with. I hope we have not put you in a bad spot?’ Gavin, “Better to know now. I appreciate the errands you have run for me in the past, and will always keep you in mind for any other upcoming work. Don’t be strangers to the Red Cloak, and enjoy the rest of the night.” The party again find themselves around a table drinking pints, and talking through how to make some money. Aeldrin, “The Apocathary Guild posted that a shipment has gone missing and they would like to hire investigators.” Farlin, “I have a contact within the guild, I’m sure I can get us an audience in the morning.” Almost in unison the groups slams their pints (Umual’s Pitcher) on the table and nod agreement. They will gather again in the morning outside the tavern at 10am and proceed to the Guild hall together. … Farlin leads the party through the guild hall to his mentor’s workbench, and is greeted warmly. Farlin, “Cecil, my friends and I are interested in helping the guild locate the missing shipment, can you get us an audience with the Guild Mater?” Cecil, “This is dangerous work Farlin, not like gathering herbs in the forest and standing your grand against the wild animals there.” Farlin, “We have discussed the risks, but how dangerous can it be to track down a wagon?” Cecil, “Best we talk to the Guild Master” The party claims stray chairs scattered about the opulent Guild Master’s office. The floor to ceiling bookcase have several titles that catch the eye of sage Nikhillish, titles he has heard referenced but were not available at the Tower. The Guild Master explains that the wagon on the old east highway carrying rare elvish herbs grown in the elvish city of Flowence, went missing three days ago. A small detachment of mercenaries, “Black Swords” was hired to retrieve the wagon. They returned with a written report and body of Johnathan Longleaf a guildsman. The report read that the wagon had been driven 30-40 yards off the highway into the underbrush, the driver killed, horses dead, and the wagon burned to the ground all cargo gone or destroyed. The party asks clarifying questions like where can the body of the dead guildsman be found (Temple of Tyr), and agrees to find out whom attacked the wagon if the Guild Master approves. With a nod from the Guild Master, Cecil takes from a finely constructed box, a just a finely carved wooden baton, and handing it to Farlin, “You are now agents of the Guild, show the baton and you should receive the co-operation will need.” The party leaves heading to the three story white washed barracks of the Black Sword mercenary company, it is a short visit as Umual tears the mercenaries companies symbol from the front of the building tossing into the middle of the street. Only a quick appliance of a minor illusion keeps the guard who comes out to investigate from raising bloody hell. Half the party decides to continue to the temple of Tyr while Aeldrin and Charrd challenge the bureaucracy of scribes. The room is 10’ by 15’, the two (Aeldrin & Charrd) enter through the double doors on the south wall, and approach the two scribes sitting behind the table on the opposite wall which is bookend by doors that lead deeper into the Black Sword HQ, and last are the two guards that stand next to each of those doors. We represent the Apocathary guild and would like to interview the soldiers sent out to investigate their missing wagon. Neither scribe looks up from the page on which each is intently writing, but the one on the left comments, “A report was delivered to the guild” Aeldrin, “Yes we were given the details of the repot, but I had hoped to get a first hand account.” Messengers move in and out of the room taking pages off the waiting stack on the table before moving deeper into the bowels of the building, and it is not until one heads out that there is a commotion outside. Messenger popping head back in the double doors, “Uh, guys, there is something wrong out here.” One of the guards heads out side, “What the Hell!” Aeldrin, and Charrd, choose this moment to leave, and as they go they hear one scribe ask the other, “What were the names of those two?” Nikhillish, Farlin, and Umaul reach the temple of Tyr, and Umaul decides to stay outside while Nikhillish and Farlin approach one of the priests. Nikhillish, “Blessings brother, I come on grave business to inspect the body of a dead man deposited here.” Priest of Tyr, “I’m afraid I have no time for that today, as I have important duties for Tyr to perform. Perhaps you can come back tomorrow.” Farlin shows the Guild baton and says, “I’m afraid this can’t wait” The priest takes notice and more interest in the two as the guild baton is presented, “Whom are you looking for?” After several minutes of looking through the ledgers of the sleeping, the trio descends three levels of the temple and find themselves in a small room with the body of a man that is about to be prepared for the long sleep. Nikhillish begins the examination of the body and quickly identifies multiple arrow wound punctures with odd discoloration. Farlin performs additional examination and declares it’s an exotic poison extracted from the poison glands of the southern flying cobras, often used by snake cults. The party re-groups and the guild hall, and shares what they know with Cecil. Cecil confides with the group that there was a 2 nd passenger on the wagon, and he carried and artifact that is believed to be of immense importance. A distraught Nikhillish try and fathom why something so important would be transported this way. … After another nights rest the party ventures east to examine the ambush site. They find the wagon, and a stray arrows that is coated with the same poison. The party spreads out to attempt to find any other signs, and as they spot a body they are set upon by two Kobolds. Working well together they make short work of the forest rats, and search the dead mans body, only to discover his sole possession is a coin like snake coiled upon itself. Charrd leads the continued exploration and seeing another Kobold, he lull’s it to sleep with several arcanic symbols. And now, what do we do with a sleeping Kobold?