Morning light slanted through the bakery windows in warm, flour-dusted beams when the sprites burst through the door like a pair of triumphs given wings. Parchment crackled in their small hands, their faces alight with the kind of breathless urgency that meant something important had finally been seized.
“We have it,” Pandora announced, nearly tripping over her own excitement. “The plans.”
Ulbricht and Pandora unrolled the sheaves across a hastily cleared table. For a moment the bakery smelled not of sugar and yeast but of ink and old vellum. The mansion sprawled before them in meticulous lines: lobby, shop, greenhouse vast as a cathedral nave, upper levels with laboratories and lounges, and—more interesting still—a section scratched from the record, its purpose obscured as though someone had clawed the truth away.
Before they could linger too long over it, Gorka appeared. He took one look at the spread of parchment and the conspiratorial huddle and silently gestured toward the back. He had transformed the storage room into something almost reverent: crates arranged as seats, candles flickering against blank walls, a table set as though awaiting generals rather than bakers. The message was clear—this was not idle curiosity. This was war planning.
There, under the watch of guttering candlelight, they studied the map.
The greenhouse dominated the ground floor, a riot of glass and greenery. The party would unfold there among perfumes and blossoms. The shop and lobby would teem with guests. Above, a lounge perched on the second floor, accessible by a grand elevator from the lobby. Laboratories, a quarantine chamber, a main office—rooms that hinted at the true heart of Destiny’s enterprise—were marked upstairs. And beneath it all, something more: a chamber accessible by an elevator shaft that did not open on the ground floor. A hidden descent.
The air thickened with possibility.
They spoke of the weapon ban, of invitations secured through Sheila’s connection, of the delicate art of entering unarmed into a place that did not deserve trust. The sprites, for all their fervor, had little coin to offer. Instead, they pledged something older and more dangerous: favor. A boon from the fey was not gold, but it was rarely small.
Barnaby weighed that promise with the careful gravity of a wizard accustomed to contracts both written and unwritten. Thalmiir, ever practical, insisted on clarity. Risk demanded recompense. In the end, they accepted the bargain: retrieve the orchid, and the sprites would owe them. Such debts, in story and in life, had toppled kingdoms.
Ulbricht offered more tangible aid as well—temporary wonders shaped from sacrifice. A silent ring capable of swallowing sound itself. A fan that could borrow another’s voice. A hair clip that would track its wearer wherever they fled. They chose their tools carefully, weighing what they could not accomplish alone. In a heist, information was sharper than any blade.
And so they sought it.
Bartholemeow, with all the gentle audacity of a cat who had lived long among humans, leaned upon his connection to Sheila. Under the pretense of protecting the delicate balance of the Petit Fours’ “flavor chakras,” he coaxed what he could from Destiny’s staff. The building was warded. Not merely locked and guarded, but sealed against fey intrusion. Exclusion spells laced the lower levels—magic to keep out sprites and pixies.
That revelation hung heavy. Hat and Bartholemeow exchanged glances. If the wards repelled fey, why had they themselves passed unhindered? Was the magic selective? Imperfect? Or were they, in some way, already accounted for?
Upstairs, something else lay beyond polite conversation. The staff grew evasive at mention of the upper floors. There was security—magical and mundane—and though guests might drift into the lounge, the true workings of Destiny’s empire were not meant for idle eyes.
Elsewhere, in quieter hours, Barnaby sent a small mouse to scout the mansion under cover of night. The creature slipped through hedges and under doors, whiskers twitching. It found two breeds of staff: the golden-blazered employees who worked shop and lab, and armored guards who patrolled long after the lanterns dimmed. At least three, perhaps more. The guards did not sleep. The staff break room, however, smelled of bodies at rest.
They were not ghosts. They were simply… always there.
Waer’dara, in the guise of idle curiosity, took tea at the café attached to the greenhouse. Between sips of herbal steam she observed a small but telling detail: every staff member bore a key. Each time they passed from kitchen to greenhouse, they unlocked the door personally. Access was decentralized. That meant theft of a single key might not suffice—but it also meant opportunities multiplied.
Bhakris sought knowledge among rougher circles, but Destiny’s guards were an unknown quantity. The armored men were not drawn from local guilds or known companies. They were an isolated force, hired or trained beyond the city’s common rumor. That mystery unsettled more than it reassured.
By midmorning, the outlines of a plan had begun to take shape.
They would attend the party as invited guests, their weapons concealed within a Bag of Holding sewn discreetly into the lining of Barnaby’s voluminous formal wear. At the height of the evening—or near its end—they would vanish into a Rope Trick concealed within the elevator, hidden from view as the revelry ebbed and the mansion quieted. From there, they would emerge into shadow, armed and prepared, and move for the upper floors. The secret elevator shaft beckoned like a dark vein beneath the house.
It was audacious. It was fragile. It was, perhaps, the only path.
Pandora returned at last, arms laden with finery.
Waer’dara’s gown shimmered with a subtle pattern like spun cobwebs, delicate and ominous at once. Thalmiir stood tall in high-collared formal wear, dour and respectable, gold buttons glinting like distant stars. Bhakris struggled with the indignity of party dress in place of armor, though the lines of his vestments could not quite conceal the warrior beneath. Bartholemeow preened, small and immaculate, the picture of fey elegance. Barnaby’s ensemble—cloak, layers, and sweeping fabric—offered both grandeur and practical concealment.
They were, improbably, magnificent.
As they gathered the final pieces of their plan—magical fan, silent ring, stalker’s clip—the weight of what lay ahead settled into each of them differently.
For some, it was anticipation.
For others, calculation.
For all of them, it was the sense of stepping onto a blade’s edge.
The Petit Fours would be delivered soon. The mayor would attend. The greenhouse would blaze with lanternlight and perfume. Music would drift beneath glass and steel.
And somewhere within that gilded labyrinth, Destiny kept her secrets.
They would walk into her house smiling.
And before the night was done, they intended to walk out with her most precious prize.
The group waits just long enough for tacos to finish, then the DM (Ben) recaps the situation leading into the day of the party. Barnaby the Prodigious, Emeritus (Brian’s loxodon wizard) has arrived with word from Sterling, and is framed as potentially suitable as an “intern.” The party has been in reconnaissance/planning mode and has learned multiple key facts: Mid-morning, the sprites Olbric (often referred to as “Ol’ Brick”) and Pandora burst into the bakery carrying two heavy sheaves of parchment. Pandora announces they “got it” and that it will help the party find Destiny and “get better.” They reveal they tracked down the builder and stole (or otherwise acquired) the building plans/blueprints for Destiny’s establishment, emphasizing the builder no longer has them. As the parchment begins to be unrolled, Gorka enters, quickly assesses the situation, and wordlessly indicates this planning should not happen in the open. He gestures to his eyes and the windows, then ushers everyone into the bakery’s back storage room. The storage room has been pre-arranged by Gorka into a “heist planning HQ” despite nobody explicitly instructing him to do so: Bartholomeow attempts to praise Gorka’s leadership/management potential in Goblin, but Gorka’s unique dialect makes full understanding uncertain. The blueprints are laid out for the group. The sprites remind the party of time pressure: Olbric offers a significant magical trade: He says he has been meditating and will temporarily sacrifice his magic to manifest up to three temporary magical items for the party. He presents a list of possible items he can create (the list itself is referenced but not fully read aloud in the transcript here). Discussion immediately links this to the weapon/armor restriction: Pandora interrupts to point out a practical problem: the party needs appropriate clothing for a fancy event. The party reviews motivations and compensation. They clarify they are doing “odd jobs” in Waterdeep to earn money for their journey to find the Urn of Chauntea. Sterling’s letter is discussed as encouraging them to “take advantage” of this opportunity without directly implicating himself in illegal activity. Thalmiir (Luke’s dwarf barbarian) explicitly pushes for compensation from the sprites due to the risk of stealing an extraordinarily valuable orchid from Destiny. Olbric says the sprites have nothing to give up front (he turns out his “leafy pockets”). Olbric proposes payment in the form of favors: If the orchid is returned safely, “every one of us owes you a favor.” When asked what favors, Olbric emphasizes their strengths: The party presses for more concrete wealth. Thalmiir makes a knowledge check to assess what sprites can do. The DM calls for an Arcana or History check. Thalmiir rolls “right in the middle.” The DM explains folklore about sprites/boons: The party begins to reassess operational goals and what they know about the building and the orchid. The DM walks them through key building layout features from the blueprints. Ground floor (page one): Second floor details: A balcony exists on the second floor, but it sits over the lobby section (not over the greenhouse floor plan in the way some assumed). Upstairs areas include non-public spaces such as: A major irregularity is highlighted: Elevator-related observations: Off the lobby’s top-left corner is a vestibule leading to an elevator; this aligns with the elevator to the second-floor lounge. Another elevator-like symbol appears near/above the janitor closet (near the main office area upstairs). A similar-sized “box” exists in the secret/unnamed area (described as vault-like below), suggesting a possible vertical connection. They clarify what party areas will be open to guests. Bartholomeow learned from Sheila that parties usually happen in: The party debates possible targets beyond the orchid and possible routes. They identify interest in: They theorize the hidden elevator may go down to the secret basement area. They note three similarly sized “boxes” on the map: They propose this could indicate an elevator that bypasses the ground floor. They discuss external access, windows, and greenhouse structure. They consider smuggling/placing gear in advance and entry logistics. Discussion turns to staff identity, disguises, and whether “staff are ghosts.” A note is referenced claiming staff are “ghosts,” but the DM clarifies this is flowery language and not literal; the earlier issue was that staff did not appear to go home. The building map does not show obvious living quarters/dormitories, but it does include: The group speculates staff may remain on-site overnight. They debate getting to the second floor during the party. The party asks about staff dress code. The DM states staff wear clothing reflecting personal style but all share a common uniform element: Staff are of various species. The party discusses using reversible outfits or otherwise acquiring similar golden blazers for disguise. The DM clarifies that social interaction can be used as an information-gathering method (a “role”). The group considers using Rope Trick (Barnaby’s spell) as part of the plan. Pandora returns with party outfits for everyone. The party debates magical defenses and invisibility detection. They identify the need to understand warding/detection magic, especially since: They discuss gathering information about: Bartholomeow uses the “one information roll” to learn about magical security under a pretense tied to the delivery. Bartholomeow claims the petit fours are sensitive to magical interference and might be disrupted by stray spells “misaligning the flavor chakras.” The DM calls for a Deception check at DC 15; Bartholomeow succeeds. A staff contact (not Sheila) managing the delivery becomes concerned and reveals limited information: Bartholomeow confirms they entered the building without difficulty during this conversation and chooses not to reveal their own fey nature. The group consolidates what this implies about access. Barnaby proposes additional smuggling/storage tactics. They clarify the elevator vestibule oddity and doors. The DM prompts for remaining information-gathering actions and identifies possible categories: Barnaby performs a flashback scouting attempt using a familiar (a mouse named Tim). Barnaby’s goal: send the mouse in at night to learn what staff do after hours and/or test warding. The DM allows a flashback and calls for a Stealth-style roll for the mouse, DC 12. Bartholomeow adds Invisibility to the mouse (duration noted as one hour), granting advantage. The mouse’s stealth modifier is debated; the DM settles on an effective bonus (the transcript indicates the DM suggests a higher stealth, around +4, reflecting Dexterity and proficiency). Result: the roll meets the DC (“on the nose”). What the mouse learns: The mouse spends most of the night inside with a few close calls; if a mouse is seen, staff are expected to act. There are two categories of personnel: The guards wear armor. At night, things quiet down but guards continue patrolling. The mouse cannot fully enter the staff break room area, but by smell it believes several people are in the break room at night (suggesting overnight presence or sleeping there). Bhakris attempts to gather social intel about the party’s guest list. Bhakris tries to intimidate a butler into revealing party plans and who will attend. The intimidation is not very effective; the butler is “made of sterner stuff.” Still, Bhakris learns: The group begins selecting the three temporary magical items Olbric will manifest. They discuss a Bag of Holding as a way to transport all gear discreetly. They mention Bag of Holding capacity (noted later as 64 cubic feet or 500 pounds). They discuss the interaction between Bag of Holding and Rope Trick: They consider which magical tools provide unique capabilities beyond their existing spells/items: Bartholomeow notes they already have a Whisper Jar that can record and replay a voice, but they still see value in voice-changing/impersonation flexibility. Final selection, confirmed by the DM: Olbric agrees he can make those three items before the party (noting time is short). Additional last-minute information roll: Thalmiir asks around about Destiny’s security. Thalmiir uses his pit-fighting / rough crowd connections to try to learn how tough Destiny’s guards are. The DM calls for an Investigation check; Thalmiir uses inspiration to reroll, improving the result. Outcome: Waer’dara conducts a perception-based observation at the greenhouse cafe. The DM suggests she go have tea at the cafe and make a Perception check. Waer’dara uses inspiration to reroll but still does not roll well. Outcome: The party consolidates the core plan for the heist based on gathered intel. They summarize the intended approach: Deliver the petit fours as required. Attend the party in the newly acquired formal outfits. Keep gear concealed, likely using a Bag of Holding to store everyone’s equipment. During the party, gather opportunistic information and watch for security patterns and access methods (especially around the elevator, lounge, and staff areas). Near the end of the party (when it is winding down), use Rope Trick to hide for an hour at a time until the building is quieter and fewer people are around. After emerging from Rope Trick when it is quiet, sneak deeper into restricted areas (upstairs labs/office and/or down to the secret area) using what they learned and the temporary magical items. They acknowledge constraints and risks: The DM confirms end-of-session state and records key commitments. The DM notes the group will start next session as the party begins. The DM restates the three temporary items created for the heist: The DM confirms the party outfits were acquired somehow (Pandora’s source unknown), but they look sharp. The DM reiterates the consolidated plan elements: The session ends with the party preparing to deliver the petit fours, then dress for the party immediately afterward, with the heist plan locked in for next time.Session Notes