Harpers

The Harpers approach good-aligned characters who show promise as spies. One such character receives the following message, written on a paper bird:

Renaer tells us you are a good bet. He bought you tickets to the opera tonight at the Lightsinger Theater in the Sea Ward. If you are interested, meet Mirt at intermission. Private Box C. Formal attire is required for admittance.

— message

Enclosed are tickets for the entire party to The Fall of Tiamat, an opera sung in Giant describing the evil dragon queen's defeat at the Well of Dragons.

Mirt

If any of the characters join the Harpers, Mirt becomes their main Harper contact throughout the adventure.
Lightsinger Theater is a high-end establishment located in the Castle Ward. If the characters meet Mirt in his private box during the opera's intermission, he describes the Harpers and offers membership to eligible characters. Characters who accept receive a silver pin of a harp within a crescent moon, along with their first mission (see the Harpers Missions table). Mirt also tells them that if they ever need to speak with him directly, they are welcome to visit his manor in the Sea Ward. If the characters do visit Mirt's manor, there's a 90 percent chance that Mirt isn't home and no one answers the door.

Harper Missions

Party Level	Mission Brief	Mission Requirements and Reward
2nd	“One of the drays working in the city is pulled by a talking mare named Maxeene. Locate her, find out if she’s learned the identity of any Zhent operatives, and if so, determine their whereabouts.”	Characters can find Maxeene, a draft horse with an Intelligence score of 10, with a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Maxeene speaks Common, and characters must try to convince her that they’re Harpers by making a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the check succeeds, the horse recalls giving a ride to a sun elf and his half-orc bodyguard two days ago; she picked them up at an intersection (she doesn’t recall which one) and dropped them off at the Yawning Portal. They talked about hiring spies to root out Xanathar Guild hideouts in the city. Maxeene’s descriptions of the passengers match the appearances of Davil Starsong and Yagra Stonefist. Reward: Each Harper character gains 1 renown.
3rd	“Uza Solizeph is an old woman who sells books out of a narrow three-story building on Sorn Street in the Trades Ward. She claims to have trapped a monster in her shop and fears for the welfare of her books and her cat. The City Watch isn’t likely to lend a hand, given Uza’s propensity for tall tales, but the Harpers owe her a favor. You’ll find her sobbing at Felzoun’s Folly, a tavern on the corner of Sorn Street and Salabar Street. Make haste!”	Uza (LG female human Mulan commoner) describes the threat as a “monstrous orb of many eyes” that chased her cat, Fillipa, into the shop. The monster is, in fact, a gazer. If the characters met a gazer in chapter 1, they know what they're up against. Uza lends them the keys to the front and back doors of her shop. Characters find the interior in shambles and hear a cat meowing on the third floor. The sounds are coming from the gazer, which is hunting Fillipa. The cat has so far eluded the nasty little predator. Reward: Each Harper character gains 1 renown if the gazer is defeated. Uza also gives the party a used spellbook containing four 1st-level and three 2nd-level wizard spells.
4th	“One of our members, Mattrim Mereg, has allied himself with a gang of doppelgangers and believes the Harpers should recruit them. We need an unbiased opinion. Track down and speak with each of the doppelgangers, and gauge their trustworthiness.”	The characters must speak with five doppelgangers, starting with their leader, “Bonnie,” who works at the Yawning Portal. She needs a few days to round up the other doppelgangers, who agree to meet at the tavern in human guises. Characters must interview each doppelganger and succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check to ascertain its trustworthiness. Only “Bonnie” is trustworthy. Reward: Each Harper character gains 2 renown. Every contributing party member receives 50 gp.
5th	“Lady Remallia Haventree is hosting a party at House Ulbrinter, her villa on Delzorin Street, located between Vhezoar Street and Brondar’s Way in the North Ward. We have reason to suspect that drow spies have infiltrated the guest list. Attend the party and root out the disguised drow. Dress sharply.”	Remallia Haventree knows of the mission, but it’s not revealed to the characters that she’s a Harper. There’s one drow spy in attendance: Jarlaxle Baenre. He uses his hat of disguise to appear as a young actor from Luskan named Erystian Demarne. A successful DC 24 Wisdom (Insight) check is needed to out Jarlaxle. Impressed by the perceptive adventurers, he thanks Lady Haventree for an entertaining evening and dashes off, but not without first tipping his hat to the character or characters who exposed him. Reward: Each Harper character gains 2 renown. Every party member who attended the party receives 200 gp.