Artemis settles onto the long padded lounge couch inside of her genie patron’s vessel. The bronze horn is sitting behind a coil of rope in the broom closet of the Arkin Museum of Natural History. Familiar music is playing faintly in the background and Artemis allows herself to rest her eyes. It’s comfortable here, atop silk sheets and fluffy pillows.
When she deems it’s time, Artemis whispers under her breath, and in an instant wind whips around her. Back inside the broom cupboard, horn in hand. Artemis cocks her head, angling one ear to the closet door. She’s listening for the sound of footsteps and signs of the patrol.
Once satisfied, Artemis faces where she thinks the back of the museum is. She focuses, and whispers, “Rocky.” Then, feeling the connection take, “I’m in, I can hear guards up on this floor though. Will try and sneak down, but you might need to meet me in here.”
Rocky hears his friend’s voice in his head, and shout-whispers. “Oh, guys! Artemis can hear guards on the second floor.”
“Shall we, then?” Vellym leads the way back into the museum. He eases the door open and steps into the darkness.
Vellym, Rocky, and Morgryn take the short stairwell upwards, finding themselves in one of the museum’s back offices. Vellym and Morgryn quickly get to work turning the place over. Rocky paces nervously waiting for Artemis.
They find a series of interesting items:
- A small glass vial, with silvery gold liquid inside;
- Transaction records, and evidence of money laundering;
- A handwritten letter; and
- A tall creepy doll in a silk dress leans against the wall behind Arkin’s desk, with the nametag “Marigold”.
Vellym removes a sheet of paper from the ledger for future evidence and quickly reads the letter.Quickly reading the letter
Ms. Arkin
…rare, exotic flora… shadow vine. Not extinct…agent out of Xhorhas… Poison cuts off divine power. …transport sample? Or come and see?
– D.T.
Artemis pulls the hood of her midnight blue cloak up over her head. With a ritually cast detect magic spell up once again, she creeps out of the broom closet. The time she spent listening to the guard’s patrol aids her in slipping by, barely unseen. The detect magic spell comes in handy as Artemis avoids wards until she gets to the stairs down to the first floor.
She recalls the visage of the halfling guard upstairs. Using Mask of Many Faces, a faint shimmer rolls over her face and clothes, as she now looks exactly like them.
Tempted by Arkin’s locked desk, Vellym pulls out his thieves’ tools once more. Back facing the creepy doll, Vellym suddenly feels warmth on the back of his head. Opening the desk drawer and finding it empty, he turns slowly to see the glowing eyes of Marigold. Three knife-like claws shoot out of each hand. Vellym audibly gulps as he springs away from the doll’s deathly swipe.
With only one remaining ward to navigate around, Artemis freezes and locks eyes with one of the guards on the first floor.
“Shift change.” Artemis slurs, hoping the voice she’s using matches closely enough to the truth.
The guard further away nods, unsuspecting. But the guard making eye contact with Artemis narrows his eyes. “You’re early.”
“Artemis is taking too long, what if something happened?” Rocky looks to Morgryn, who is leaning against a wall.
Morgryn sighs heavily, starting to regret his choices. “I’m sure if something terrible was happening, you would know pretty quickly.”
As if on cue, they hear two things. First, the sound of metal on metal – the clang of Vellym’s cane parrying swords. Second, an unfamiliar voice.
“What’s wrong, Darrison?” A raspy, feminine voice calls out.
“Billy’s early, and Milanova ain’t here.” A soft male voice replies close to the door Morgryn is behind.
The sound of a scabbard being loosed puts Morgryn on edge, his soldier’s training beginning to kick in. He looks towards Rocky, but the large dragonborn is crossing the room towards Arkin’s back office, where Vellym is. Vellym’s in danger and Rocky is itching to hit something. Counting to three, Morgryn opens the door and sees the museum’s first floor in the dim light. Three figures, one of which he assumes is Artemis, halfway down the stairs.
Morgryn is glad he used some energy to cast Disguise Self earlier. He’s even more glad that he took on the visage of a guard who’s not on this floor.
“Francena, watch out. What- what are you doing here?” The guard named Darrison looks confused as he turns away from Artemis to face Morgryn. His hand on the hilt of his sword, fumbling with unsheathing it.
Red and black tenrils grow out of the tattoo on Morgryn’s right arm. The ink moves as the tendrils extend across his fingertips towards Darrison. Morgryn’s Hex takes hold.
Artemis jumps down the last three steps, narrowly avoiding the magical burst of energy she sets off. A ball of yellow-white lightning explodes out of the palm of her hand, striking Darrison square in the chest.
Finally getting his sword out, Darrison waves it between Artemis and Morgryn. But Morgryn is faster. Sabre in hand he cuts through Darrison swiftly. The red curls around the guard’s chest and neck, licking the skin that Morgryn has torn through with his sword. Darrison cries out in pain, and then drops heavily to the floor. Blood pools out of his body at an alarming rate.
“Rocky, good, you’re here.” Vellym has beads of sweat pouring down his face as he parries Marigold’s wolverine claws.
Rocky grins, stepping towards the doll, hoisting his greataxe from off his back.
“What? Darrison! What did you do to him?” The other guard, Francena? reaches for her weapon.
“Hold up, hold up.” Morgryn fakes breathlessness to cover the accent. “Darrison-traitor-” He breathes heavily, leaning on his sword.
Francena looks panicked between the guards’ visage that Morgryn and Artemis wear, and the dead body of Darrison on the ground.
“He-was- I got a tip from Madame Arkin earlier.” Morgryn lies through his teeth.
Knodding slowing, Francena’s shoulders relax slightly. Her sword is put back into its scabbard.
“Quickly, get in here.” Morgryn barks the command.
Francena jumps into the room, Morgryn and Artemis, wearing their disguises, step in quickly behind her.
A few loud noises startle them, as Rocky and Vellym spring across the threshold of the door to Arkin’s office. Slamming the door behind them, a pounding of softly wrapped fists bangs on the door.
“Ah!” Rocky exclaims as he sees the newcomer. Artemis drops her mask while she’s hidden from Francena’s view, so that Rocky can see her. Rocky slams a fist on Francena’s head, knocking her unconscious.
“Should we… tie her up?” Artemis asks.
“Probably…” Vellym pulls out a length of rope and secures the guard to a chair, pulling a makeshift hood over her head.
He then shares what he’s discovered about Arkin through the ledger and letter.
Artemis steps back out to the display hall, and holds her breath as she searches the corpse of Darrison. She finds a device on his belt that should help them navigate past the wards without setting them off. As well as a small dagger is etched with a five-pointed star on its hilt.
Vellym follows the others out into the exhibit hall. “Hmm, the Myriad.” He holds a hand to his chin as he sees the dagger.
“The what?” Rocky asks.
“The Myriad. A crime syndicate. They have many operations out of the Menagerie Coast.”
Artemis turns the blade over in her hand. “Just seems like a regular dagger.”
“Well, at least you killed a criminal.” Vellym’s face is difficult to read. He doesn’t seem impressed, but he also doesn’t seem particularly bothered by the events either.
Artemis leads the other three back up the stairs. Successfully testing out the magical ‘fob’ to bypass the wards she had identified earlier. Rocky posts up at the top of the stairs, just out of sight of guards, while the others slip into the gemstone room.
Rocky sees a faint green light glimmer past the cracked door, before returning his attention to lookout.
Quietly sneaking into the gemstone room, they immediately feel an otherworldy presence as they’re covered in green light emitted from the egg. This can’t be good, Vellym thinks to himself. The two guards have their back to them, and seem transfixed by this egg.
A hairline crack has developed along the egg’s exterior.
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