The morning sun cast its golden rays upon the Cracked Crate tavern, where the adventurers had spent the night after celebrating their first successful mission. Hat, the ever-curious homunculus creator, ventured out at the crack of dawn, determined to find the perfect piece of wood for his latest project. With the help of Bashem’s gang acting as lookouts, he managed to procure a suitable branch without drawing the attention of law enforcement.

Back at the tavern, Hat eagerly carved the wood, sending shavings flying across the common room much to the displeasure of the staff, Gene and Gerald. Pebblesong, amused by the mess, used her magic to make tiny flowers sprout from the scattered wood chips. Meanwhile, Thalmiir, restless in the absence of their patron Sterling, was tasked by Gerald to help rotate casks in the cellar, a job well-suited to his familiarity with such work.

As midday approached, Sterling finally arrived, carrying a large leather bag. He gathered the party around a table to share news of their previous job’s success. The customer was pleased with the evidence provided and the shard of the orbum, and a city captain had even put in a good word about the group to the hierarchy. While it didn’t change their immediate payout, Sterling assured them that such things could benefit the organization in the future.

Sterling then revealed the details of their upcoming voyage. He had secured passage for the group on the Windwhisper, a cargo ship captained by the skilled Bramblewick, set to depart on the 15th of Myrtuul. He suggested they meet the captain and familiarize themselves with the ship, which was currently docked at Dock 37.

As a result of their previous success, Sterling’s organization had been granted temporary use of tools typically reserved for members of Acquisitions Incorporated. Impressed by their logistics and organizational structure, Sterling hoped to test these tools with the party to determine their value in their ongoing relationship.

Each member of the group received a specialized tool based on their skills and role within the organization. Thalmiir was given the Hoardsperson’s Satchel, a magical pouch for sending small objects to Sterling or a holding office. Bartholemeow received a Whisper Jar for storing and recalling stories, along with storytelling tools. Pebblesong was bestowed a cartographer’s kit, while Waer’dara received Weaver’s Tools and a special abacus for tracking the living and dead. Hat, recognized for his intellectual capabilities, was given calligrapher’s supplies and fluency in Documancy, a semi-arcane language. Lastly, Bhakris was presented with the Decisionist’s Coin for his straightforward leadership qualities.

Sterling informed the group that their destination, Secomber, was experiencing shortages and high demand for goods, services, and adventurers. The journey would take approximately 20 days, with the first third by sea and the rest upriver. He also mentioned two primary factions conducting independent searches for the Urn of Chauntea, though he couldn’t recall their exact names, referring to them vaguely as the “Dazzlebobs” and “Punchguys”. These factions had been facing difficulties beyond the logistical challenges of bringing large groups to a small town, leading Sterling to speculate that something or someone might be actively trying to prevent progress. Later, Sterling recalled that their proper names were “The Keepers of the Jade Diadem” and “Operation Daybreak”, respectively.

The group then made their way to the docks to meet their ship’s captain, but instead were greeted by the first mate, Zara Storm, a tall, lean half-elf with sharp features, piercing blue eyes, and long dark hair. She informed them that the captain was absent and that they wouldn’t be sailing for a while, but offered them work in the meantime. Thalmiir enthusiastically volunteered, seeing it as an opportunity to prove his worth and teach Hat about the value of hard work.

During their downtime in Waterdeep, each member of the group pursued their own goals and interests. Pebblesong received a note from her sister, asking her to visit the Temple of Selune. There, she reconnected with her twin, Willowsong, and through various ceremonies and prayers, earned two divine favors from Selune.

Waer’dara received a disturbing recorded message from her family, delivered via a small, smooth, dark pebble. Her mother demanded that she return home, cease her “spider nonsense”, and prepare to be returned by an entourage to serve her duties as a daughter of House Dryaalo’ara. The message ended with about five minutes of unpleasant screaming from a different voice, leaving Waer’dara horrified, angry, and sad. In an act of rebellion, she dumped the message stone in a rubbish bin provided by Gene.

Hat, seeking to make some extra coin, engaged in minor criminal activities with the Bashem gang, including pickpocketing and light forgeries. While his reputation with the gang grew, Granny Bashem seemed to grow less pleased with him over time for reasons unknown. During one of his escapades, an urchin conspicuously dressed like Bartholemeow assisted with the pickpocketing.

Thalmiir and Waer’dara chose to work on the ship during the downtime. Thalmiir’s hard work and excellent performance earned him the respect of the crew, first mate Zara Storm, and even the captain. Waer’dara assisted in her spider form, using webs to move things around, which initially unnerved the crew but was accepted by Zara as long as she did a good job.

Bartholemeow continued his musical performances, slowly finding his groove and gaining a small following who eagerly awaited his next show. Pebblesong, still shaken from their last adventure, sought solace at the Temple of Selune, spending time with her sister Willowsong before their impending departure.

Bhakris Edge sought to become an official aspirant of the Order of the Steel Fang, participating in a ceremonial battle for the chance to obtain the rank of acolyte. As part of joining the order, he chose to be branded with their symbol and gained a fellow acolyte and battle brother who pledged alongside him.

As the group prepared for their upcoming voyage, they discussed potential companions, including Dabshabah the dragon and Gorka. While Gorka’s size would allow him to join without issue, Dabshabah’s presence would be more difficult to manage discreetly.

With their successful downtime in Waterdeep coming to a close, the adventurers felt accomplished and ready to embark on their travels, eager to see what challenges and mysteries awaited them on their quest to find the Urn of Chauntea.

Session Notes
  • The session begins with Ben, the DM, welcoming the players back to the Urn of Chauntea campaign. He recaps that in the previous session, the party celebrated their first successful adventure at the Cracked Crate tavern.
  • Ben mentions there was some unpleasantness with pocket-picking that was dealt with and won’t be repeated. He reminds the players that their patron, Sterling, told them to expect him around midday with news from the job completion meeting.
  • The DM asks if anyone wants to do anything with their morning before the midday meeting with Sterling. The party had slept in rooms upstairs at the Cracked Crate.
  • Dan, playing the character Hat, decides to spend the morning getting excited about creating a homunculus servant. Hat goes out at the crack of dawn to find a good piece of wood, likely ripping a branch off a tree in someone’s garden.
  • Some members of Bashem’s gang notice what Hat is doing and act as lookouts for him. Hat is able to get a nice chunk of wood without any law enforcement interference.
  • Back at the tavern, Hat excitedly carves the wood in the common room, making a mess with wood scraps flying everywhere. The tavern staff, Gene and Gerald, are displeased with the mess.
  • Dan suggests that once he finishes the homunculus servant, he’ll have it clean up the wood shavings for him.
  • Brian, playing the character Pebblesong, entertains herself by magically making little flowers grow out of the wood scrap pile every time it gets swept up.
  • Luke’s character Thalmiir, with Sterling away, is pacing around restlessly. To give him something to do, Gerald suggests Thalmiir help him rotate the casks in the cellar, noticing Thalmiir seems familiar with casks.
  • Sterling finally arrives around midday, carrying a large leather bag. He looks puzzled at Hat’s nearly finished puppet but shrugs it off. Sterling asks the party to gather around a table.
  • Sterling reports that the customer was very pleased with the evidence the party provided and the shard of the orbum. The city was also happy with the party’s performance, with a captain putting in a good word about them to the hierarchy.
  • While this didn’t change the payout, Sterling suggests these things can pay off for the organization in the future. He believes the rising tide of the organization’s fortunes will benefit them all.
  • Sterling has finalized arrangements for the party to travel on a ship called the Windwhisper, captained by the skilled Captain Bramblewick. They are scheduled to depart on the 15th of Myrtuul, coinciding with the new moon and favorable tides. The ship is currently docked at Dock 37.
  • Sterling suggests the party go meet the captain and make themselves known, as the ship will be loading cargo in the meantime before departure.
  • Dan asks for clarification on their long-term business arrangement. Ben explains the characters signed on as adventurers under contract and took on a sizable debt. Sterling will provide opportunities and means for the party to service this debt.
  • Each character signed a lengthy contract detailing the terms of this arrangement. Ben has a draft of the contract he can share with the players at some point. The expectation is for the characters to pay Sterling, but he is not obligated to direct their every action.
  • Sterling secured the party’s passage on the Windwhisper, a cargo ship without much extra space beyond their personal effects. He suggests they use the intervening time to plan and prepare for the voyage.
  • Sterling mentions that as a result of the powerful person being pleased with their previous job, his organization has been granted use of tools typically reserved for members of another group called Acquisitions Incorporated.
  • He is impressed with Acquisitions Incorporated’s logistics and organizational structure. In their system, crew members have specific jobs that come with tools to facilitate those roles.
  • Sterling has secured these tools on a temporary basis to test with the party and see if they add enough value to warrant continued use in their relationship.
  • Merideth discusses how her character Waer’dara’s interest in death can tie into her life-focused druid nature, as death is a part of life
  • The group decides to lean into the “fish out of water” angle for their characters working for Acquisitions Incorporated to avoid seeming incompetent
  • Sterling presents Thalmiir with the Hoardsperson’s Satchel, a magical pouch that allows sending small objects to Sterling or a holding office, facilitating payment of their debt
  • The interior of the Hoardsperson’s Satchel appears biological and has an unpleasant smell when opened
  • Sterling clarifies that he will not empty the satchel’s contents without some understanding, but expects them to make the minimum payments on their debt
  • Waer’dara questions the semantics of Sterling saying he won’t “empty the contents” vs. “withdraw from the contents”
  • Sterling gives specialized tools to each party member based on their skills:
    • Bartholemeow receives a Whisper Jar for storing and recalling stories, along with storytelling tools
    • Pebblesong gets a cartographer’s kit due to her familiarity with nature and navigation
    • Waer’dara is given Weaver’s Tools and a special abacus for tracking the living and dead
    • Hat is bestowed with calligrapher’s supplies and fluency in Documancy, a semi-arcane language, for his intellectual capabilities
    • Bhakris is presented with the Decisionist’s Coin for his straightforward leadership qualities
  • Sterling informs the group that their destination, Secomber, is experiencing shortages and high demand for goods, services, and adventurers
  • The journey to Secomber will take about 20 days, with the first third by sea and the rest upriver
  • Sterling will be less accessible in the coming days due to pressing business elsewhere
  • Thalmiir thanks Sterling for the opportunity and expresses confidence in the group’s future success, though insight checks reveal he believes they are doomed
  • The group reflects on their previous mission, noting they took four days to rescue two people, one of whom was already dead, but remain optimistic about their chances with their new tools and Puppet
  • Sterling informs the group that there are two primary factions conducting independent searches for the Urn of Chauntea, though he can’t remember their exact names. He mentions something about a “gauntlet fist group” and “silken glove”.
  • The competing factions have been having trouble beyond just the logistical difficulties of bringing large groups to a small town. Sterling is vague on the specifics, either because he doesn’t know or doesn’t want to share. He speculates that something or someone may be actively trying to prevent progress, and that the Orbum’s destruction might alleviate some of those problems.
  • Bartholemeow plans to perform nightly at various inns and taverns to earn extra money. He is able to procure medium armor (a scale mail) at base cost.
  • The group goes to the docks to meet their ship’s captain, but instead meets the first mate, Zara Storm, a tall, lean half-elf with sharp features, piercing blue eyes, and long dark hair. She informs them that the captain isn’t there and they won’t be sailing for a while, but offers them work to do in the meantime.
  • Zara explains that all aboard are expected to do their share of the work. Thalmiir enthusiastically volunteers, seeing it as an opportunity to prove his worth and teach Hat about the value of hard work. Zara appreciates Thalmiir’s spirit and gets him set up with the crew.
  • Upon returning to the Cracked Crate, Pebblesong receives a note from her sister, asking her to visit the Temple of Selune.
  • Waer’dara receives a strange delivery - a small, smooth, dark pebble. The innkeeper, Gerald, expresses unease about the person who delivered it, saying they gave him a “bad vibe”. Through the pebble, Waer’dara hears a recorded message from her grandmother, demanding that she cease her “spider nonsense”, end her “obsession with the surface world”, and prepare to be returned home by an entourage to serve her duties as a daughter of House Dryaalo’ara.
  • Waer’dara receives a disturbing recorded message from her family, which includes about five minutes of unpleasant screaming from a different voice at the end. Her mother demands that Waer’dara return home and cease her “spider nonsense”. Waer’dara is horrified, angry, and sad about the message and what happened to the messenger. She rebelliously dumps the message stone in a rubbish bin that Gene provides.
  • Hat decides to spend his downtime getting up to some crime, either pickpocketing with the Bashem kids or swindling adventurers with fake magic items like a bag of holding that turns into a normal bag after a long rest. Ben notes that kind of scam works best if you leave town immediately after.
  • For the smaller scams, Hat works with the Bashem crew. An insight check reveals that while Granny Bashem seems pleased with Hat at first, she grows less so over time for some reason, even as Hat cements his reputation with the gang.
  • Hat makes a series of ability checks to rob a struggling merchant through pickpocketing and light forgeries. He splits the 50 gold take with the Bashem crew, keeping 25gp. An urchin conspicuously dressed like Bartholemeow assists with the pickpocketing.
  • Thalmiir and Waer’dara choose to work on the ship during the downtime. Thalmiir makes an athletics check and earns 18gp plus a 25gp bonus for 9 days of hard work. His excellent performance earns him the respect of the crew, first mate Zara Storm, and even the captain. Thalmiir humble brags about his vast experience.
  • Waer’dara helps on the ship in her spider form, using webs to move things around, which freaks out the crew a bit. First mate Zara is accepting of Waer’dara’s spider abilities as long as she does a good job. Waer’dara earns a modest 9gp for the week.
  • Bartholemeow continues his musical performances, slowly finding his groove and gaining a small following who ask where he’s performing next.
  • Pebblesong, shaken from the last adventure, visits her twin sister Willowsong, an acolyte at the Temple of Selune. She seeks to center herself, gain the favor of the gods, and spend time with her sister before leaving. Willowsong admits she’s not sure she can bear Pebblesong going away.
  • Pebblesong and her sister Willowsong reconnect at the Temple of Selune. Through various ceremonies and prayers, Pebblesong earns two divine favors from Selune, which can manifest as minor miracles at the DM’s discretion.
  • During her time at the temple, Pebblesong notices a young halfling woman dressed in Bartholemeow’s clothes practicing with a healer’s kit in the corner.
  • Thalmiir spends the week proving his strength and worth on the docks, impressing the captain and crew. He begins taking more concentrated chemical drafts, noticing changes in his abilities. His reactions improve, allowing him to catch falling objects without thinking, a manifestation of his danger sense feature.
  • Thalmiir also develops an unwarranted sense of confidence, leading to reckless behavior while moving crates on the docks. He insists on lifting with his back and adding more weight, much to the concern of others.
  • Bhakris Edge seeks to become an official aspirant of the Order of the Steel Fang, followers of four gods. He participates in a ceremonial battle, with a 50% chance of obtaining the rank of acolyte.
  • As part of joining the order, Bhakris chooses to be branded with their symbol, likely on his lower back due to his armor style. He also gains a fellow acolyte and battle brother who pledged alongside him.
  • During the paladin training camp, a gnome dressed in Bartholemeow’s clothing is seen leading a horse out of the stables, though it is clearly not actually Bartholemeow.
  • The group discusses potential companions for their upcoming voyage, including Dabshabah the dragon and Gorka. While Gorka’s size would allow him to join without issue, Dabshabah’s presence would be more difficult to manage discreetly.
  • Waer’dara may have spent some time searching for Dabshabah early in the week, potentially impacting her earnings during downtime.
  • The session concludes with the group feeling accomplished after their successful downtime in Waterdeep, ready to embark on their travels in the next session.