Tensions are running at an all time high between the Dwendalian Empire and the Kryn Dynasty. Agents of the Bright Queen scour Wildemount for an ancient artifact, promising to restore balance to the wastes of Xhorhas. While the Cerberus Assembly extends the will of King Dwendal beyond his kingdom’s borders. Common folk find themselves on either side of the conflict.
Many seek out neutral space along the Menagerie Coast. But heroes cannot outrun their destiny forever, and in a run down tavern in Port Damali, four unlikely travelers find themselves banding together…
It’s evening, but not quite the rowdy hour at the local pub – Whiskey Business. A hulking sea-blue dragonborn sits at a booth, taking up most of the bench. A ridge of darker blue spikes back from between his ears to the back of his neck, and a jagged silvery horn juts out between his scarlet-red eyes. Faded scraps of leathers partially cover his upper body, but don’t cover his bulging muscles. In one hand he holds a pitcher of ale, which looks like a mere pint glass. The other hand is smoothing down the page of a battered but beautiful book – leatherbound, with golden letters along the spine, filled with dozens of thick parchment pages yellowed with age. His gigantic greataxe leans against the wall next to the booth, just within reach. He is leaning towards the page, squinting as if trying to make out the letters printed there – even though the book is full of mostly pictures.
Across the table from the dragonborn, taking up almost no space at all, is a slight half elf. Her spiked orange hair is bright and contrasts with her dark skin and dark eyes. A long ornate horn of bone with bronze detail is slung over her back. She takes a sips from her water glass, as she patiently watches the dragonborn struggle with reading the letters on the page.
“Ta- he… K- k- ne- kenig… Arg! I don’t know! What’s it say Artemis?” The muscular dragonborn looks slightly rediculous as he pouts over the children’s picture book.
“Hey Rocky,” the half elf soothes, “it’s okay, it’s okay. This is a real hard one.” She pushes her glass to the side and leans over the table. Pointing to each word at a time, she slowly reads “the, knight, slayed, the, dragon.”
Rocky looks up at Artemis, “How’s night able to slay a dragon? Is he afraid of the dark? And wait, I thought that letter makes a ‘k’ sound… now I’m just confused.”
Artemis smiles as she leans back on her side of the booth. “I’ve missed you Rocky.”
On the other side of the pub, a man stands surveying the scene. The bluish-green sash of the Zhelezo sits atop his guard’s leather armour. The black hilt of a slender blade can be seen at his waist. He has grey ashen coloured skin, dark black hair tied back, with an undercut, and pointed ears. He plays with the sporadic stubble across his chin, considering if he should go with his usual tonight or try something different. But before he can decide, a metallic tapping can be heard behind him.
An elf of middling height and fair complexion, with platinum blond hair messily curling down his back, limps towards the bar. Smoked blue lenses shield his eyes as he leans heavily on a cane and makes his way to a bar stool. A messenger bag slung around his shoulder.
Bursting through the door
Bursting through the door to Whiskey Business, is a woman in her mid-30s. She has dark skin and long braided dark hair. She looks tired, stressed, and her blue flowy robes are disheveled. The elf with the cane immediately clocks her and gestures for her at the bar to sit down. “Dr. Dennel?”
Dr. Cassie Dennel, an unofficial member of the Cobalt Soul and Calamity expert, is a wreck. No one is taking her seriously, they don’t believe the dangers she speaks of. The dark haired man moves in from the shadows to the bar on Dr. Dennel’s other side.
“Seems you’ve got a little problem,” he starts, “and you need some help?”
The two men eye each other briefly, before introducing themselves. The pale elf is a detective of sorts, named Vellym. Morgryn, has been a Zhelezo guard in the city for many years.
The commotion caused by Dr. Dennel is enough to catch the attention of Rocky and Artemis. When Rocky hears she needs help, he’s quick to offer his axe and pulls Artemis in as well.
In no position to be choosy, Dennel divulges to these four strangers that a dangerous artefact was bought at the Exalted Auction House today. An egg, of sorts, that is supposed to stay in a very cold environment. They buyer? a collector and Natural History afficionado. They wealthy noble, Alda Arkin, owner and curator of Arkin Museum.
The Hook
There is a gala tomorrow night where the newly acquired ‘stone’ will be on display. Dr. Dennel has exercised all of her other options. “I’ll pay you 1,000 gold pieces to steal the egg and bring it to me, so I can put it safely into stasis.”