# February 2, 2026 | Outclaws > [!Summary]+ meta >**Role Call**: [[Tendy]] • [[Boldran Evans|Boldran]] • [[Styx]] • [[Cheeto]] • [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] >**Where We Are**: [[Sharn]] > **Tagline**: Every man needs an everyman. [[E7 - Pants Optional|↶ Last Session]] | [[The Bleeding Veil| Campaign Home ↝]] ## This Session The party returns to the [[Drunken Dragon]] after their ballista-dodging escapades, where a talking rat delivers cryptic gratitude from Chandra and [[Bloody Spear]] offers to forge some Emerald Claw armbands for a modest fee. After some shopping for healing supplies and selling a bottle of fancy wine, the crew hatches a plan to infiltrate the warehouse by carrying a "wounded" Captain Blinton back to his compatriots. The ruse works almost _too_ well, right up until they meet [[Arthemis d'Cannith]], who's been expecting them the whole time and offers them a job. ^session-summary ### Session Log #### The rat knows things A talking rat thanks the party for helping Chandra and drops some cryptic wisdom about favors from "her new family." - The rat says their assistance is "much appreciated" and if they ever need a favor, just "whisper it to the wind" - [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] immediately wants to know what resources these folks have and if they can scout the warehouse with rats (because naturally) - The party debates whether they should save this favor for the "final battle against the BBEG" when the rat lands the killing blow - [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] pieces together this is probably someone important, looks at [[Boldran Evans|Boldran]] meaningfully: "Resources aren't an issue" #### [[Hascal d'Ghallanda|Hascal]] stocks the bar At the [[Drunken Dragon]], [[Hascal d'Ghallanda|Hascal]] immediately spots them and starts pouring drinks, including setting up five bottles plus a Shirley Temple for [[Kouneli]] "because he's like a child" - The party immediately starts arguing about whether they actually completed the job (ontological debates while [[Cyran Forge-Acolyte Unit 10-D|Tendy]] just wants to check out the warforged doing forgery work in the corner) - [[Lhara]] materializes to grill them about what happened #### [[Bloody Spear]] and the art of forgery [[Cyran Forge-Acolyte Unit 10-D|Tendy]] spots [[Bloody Spear]] tucked away doing some quality forgery work with their integrated tools. - They're working on a deed and shipping manifest (50 gold pieces for the job, not bad) - [[Cyran Forge-Acolyte Unit 10-D|Tendy]] gets excited about the craft: the paper types, ink choices, all the technical details - The shipping manifest references something between [[Sharn]] and [[Arcanix]] - [[Bloody Spear]] drops some lore: "Everybody heard something valuable moved through the lower wards two nights ago" #### The Emerald Claw fashion show The party realizes they need disguises and [[Bloody Spear]] is _right there_. - [[Cyran Forge-Acolyte Unit 10-D|Tendy]] asks if they can make armbands to match the Emerald Claw uniforms - [[Bloody Spear]] gets excited: "Of course I can! I have nothing if not an expert forger" - Initially quotes 50 gold per armband (300 total for six people) - [[Cheeto]] gives them 3 gold, [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] throws in 1, eventually they scrape together 10 gold for materials - [[Bloody Spear]] needs to hit the shops before they close, promises to return in two hours - [[Cyran Forge-Acolyte Unit 10-D|Tendy]] gets philosophical about serving coin vs serving gods (as one does) #### Shopping montage: healing edition While waiting for [[Bloody Spear]], [[Cheeto]], [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]], and [[Boldran Evans|Boldran]] head to Overlook to stock up on supplies. - They find an apothecary run by a halfling who's clearly not getting much traffic (everything's covered in dust) - Score a healing kit (5 gold) and a healing potion (50 gold total) - [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] tries to trade a bottle of fine wine but the halfling directs them next door to the Green Trellis - The apothecary gets SUPER excited talking about candy-making and his family's taffy-pulling tradition - Gives them free taffy for the kids in the lower wards after [[Boldran Evans|Boldran]] asks nicely - [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] suggests making _healing taffy_ (potion-infused candy) and the halfling is absolutely delighted by this business idea #### The Green Trellis wine appraisal Next door at the Green Trellis, which lives up to its name with actual green trellises and running water. - Place is fancy: soft lute music, gentle water features, very classy - The proprietor examines [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]]'s wine through an eyeglass - Identifies it as "an ancient Galifarian blend, actually. Not exactly rare, but not exactly not rare" - Offers 5 gold pieces (which [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] immediately takes) - The whole visit happens at like 9:40 at night because apparently wine collectors keep late hours #### Planning the heist (sort of) Back at the tavern with [[Bloody Spear]]'s fresh armbands, the party debates infiltration strategies. - [[Styx]] can impersonate Captain Blinton's face and voice (but not his clothes) - Plan crystallizes: carry the "wounded" Blinton back, claim they rescued him from kidnappers - [[Cyran Forge-Acolyte Unit 10-D|Tendy]] and [[Boldran Evans|Boldran]] will support him while he acts beat up - [[Styx]] makes himself look wounded - swollen mouth, can barely talk - They'll claim they're from another Emerald Claw post, just happened to find their guy - [[Lhara]] tells them they have until sunrise to retrieve the schema or they miss their window - She confirms: take it to the professor at [[Morgrave University]], NOT his personal residence #### Midnight sled rental The party heads back to Crystal Bridge to rent their sleds again (because public transit after a heist seems unwise). - Different guy on night shift is hesitant about renting stuff out this late - [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] flashes his house mark, offers extra gold, and schmoozes hard - Night shift guy caves: 12 gold for the sleds plus 3 gold in his pocket for "discretion" - "You seem like upright folk. And after all, it is the upper wards. What kind of trouble can you even get into?" - (Narrator: They were about to get into a _lot_ of trouble) #### The infiltration: act one They approach the warehouse from the direction of the last trolley stop, carrying "wounded" [[Styx]]-as-Blinton between [[Cyran Forge-Acolyte Unit 10-D|Tendy]] and [[Boldran Evans|Boldran]]. - Three guards snap to attention as they approach at midnight - [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] launches into the cover story: found him beat up by shifter dudes in the upper wards, rescued him, he could barely talk - Guards are skeptical: "Where'd you say you were from again?" - [[Boldran Evans|Boldran]] turns it around: "Where are _your_ bands? Make sure we got the right guys here" - Guards recognize "Captain Blinton" and immediately shift: "We've been looking all over for Blinton!" - They gesture toward the barracks tower to get him patched up #### Plot twist: the boss wants to chat Just as they're halfway across the gap, guards call them back: "The boss wants to talk to him." - They're ushered into the warehouse proper - Inside: massive docking bay, 100+ feet wide, open to the sky on one side - Sky coach docked in the center, four ballistas flanking it - Most importantly: the skimmer is on a metal table, surrounded by people - One figure stands out immediately #### Enter [[Arthemis d'Cannith]] Slim, white-skinned, bald, wearing clothes that scream "I actually _live_ in Skyway, peasants." - Dark blue leather coat with an emerald flame hand embroidered on the armband - Most striking feature: intricate pearlescent dragonmark running from his scalp down his neck to his shoulder, shifting with the light - Greets them with a grin: "Well, if it isn't Captain Blinton and his merry pursuers" - Immediately sends "Blinton" to go eat cheese and drink ale in the office (dismissing [[Styx]] from the conversation) #### The sales pitch Arthemis has been waiting for them and _definitely_ knows who they are. - "Your deeds today. Quite impressive. I am impressed." - Offers them work: "You will not want again. All you have to do is come work for me" - Calls [[Garthen Daela|Professor Daela]] a scholar with "no vision" - Claims the professor and his sponsors run a "disloyal monopoly on ancient artifact research" - His vision? "Prosperity for all, those sorts of things" - [[Boldran Evans|Boldran]] stares daggers at this wealthy man talking about prosperity while kids starve in the lower wards (but keeps it internal) #### The negotiation gets weird [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] tries to negotiate some kind of freelance arrangement. - Suggests they could work small jobs here and there without officially joining - "Maybe jobs you didn't want pointed back to you with guys wearing giant blazing green talons" - Points out having non-obvious Emerald Claw operatives could be useful - Arthemis admits it's a good pitch: "Every man could use an everyman" and flips [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] a single silver coin as a token #### The Schema sets sail Arthemis orders his people to "load it up" and an Emerald Claw captain collects the skimmer. - Guards from outside file in and board the sky coach - Arthemis heads up the gangplank with his crew - The sky coach is huge (twice normal size), unmarked except for "Khyber from Below" on the side - Privately owned, not affiliated with House Orien or transport guilds - He calls back: "Keep that coin on you. I'll let you know when I need you" #### Meanwhile, in the cheese room [[Cyran Forge-Acolyte Unit 10-D|Tendy]] investigates the office while eating cheese and drinking ale. - Finds a black leather-bound logbook on the desk - It's a journal of warehouse activities: objects moved, vessels, sales, visitors - Written in shorthand they don't recognize - Also spots a bookcase and a chest - No interior walls, so limited privacy for any shenanigans #### The party considers their options As the skimmer gets loaded onto the sky coach, the party faces a choice. - [[Brian d'Orien|Brian]] traded a silver coin to [[areas/ttrpg/the bleeding veil/campaign resources/cast/Kouneli|Kouneli]] for the feather fall charm - Plan forming: [[Styx]] could Misty Step onto the sky coach, grab the skimmer, and jump off with feather fall - The rest of the party would need to bolt for their sleds - Alternative discussed: [[Boldran Evans|Boldran]] could tie really good knots on the mooring lines (weaver skills FTW) The sky coach crew is casting off lines. The skimmer is aboard. Arthemis thinks he's got them convinced. The party has approximately 30 seconds to decide what they're going to do...