Introduction
The city of
Waterdeep is well known for its citizens’ fondness for celebration. Barely a tenday passes without at least one festival taking place within the City of Splendors. Near mid-spring, during the month of Mirtul, one such occasion is celebrated by friendly competition between the different wards of the city. While the Plowing and Running holiday originated to celebrate the plowing of fields and running of livestock in rural areas, the metropolis of Waterdeep holds a series of foot, horse, and chariot races throughout the multi-day event.
Story Overview
The player characters attend the holiday celebration and are slipped a note explaining that something threatens to disrupt the festival’s main event. The adventurers meet with those running the event, who explain that one of the chariot racers has gone missing, and they ask for help.
After tracking down and rescuing the missing racer, it’s up to the adventurers to investigate further and try and figure out who was behind the kidnapping and what their motive was.
After collecting enough evidence, the adventurers confront the guilty party.
A Festival Disrupted
What was supposed to be a relaxing spring afternoon quickly turns into another dilemma for the adventurers to resolve. After settling into their seats at the Field of Triumph to watch the races during the Plowing and Running holiday, the group is presented with a note requesting their presence. Following the messenger leads the group to Lady Tarm and Barly Stonebrook. They explain that one of the races has gone missing under suspicious circumstances, and that they had heard from some sources that the adventurers to be trusted to handle the situation quietly.
Friendly Competition
The characters have made their way into the Field of Triumph, ready to be casual spectators of the races.
| The weather is mild on this spring day as you filter into the Field of Triumph arena for the races. This is the last day of the Plowing and Running festival, and each of Waterdeep’s wards has sent their own champions to compete in the final races against the other wards. The smell of beer and roasted meat on a stick fills the air, as the jovial crowd prepares to enjoy the friendly competition under a cloudless sky. |
On the way to finding seats, the characters can purchase small banners emblazoned with the colors and logos of the wards for 1 gp from various vendors scattered around the arena. Once they have found their seats, read the following:
| You find some empty seats on the south side of the stadium with a good vantage point. From here, you can see some workers preparing the race track. The crowd continues to file in through the main gate, and you expect that there will be no empty seats before long.
A teenage boy in fancy clothing approaches you and holds out a note, clearing intending for you to take and read it. When you do, its contents are short and to the point: “I am need of some assistance with today’s events. I have been told you can be trusted to handle special situations with discretion. There will be a reward. Please follow my messenger and come speak with me with all due haste. - Lady Tarm” The messenger waits for your response. |
Characters may make a DC 16 Intelligence (History) check to see if they recognize the name Lady Piat. Characters who are from Waterdeep can make the check with a DC 10. On success, the character recognizes the Tarm name as one of the forty-one noble family lines of Waterdeep, and believe she can be trusted. If the characters are distrustful and do not want to follow the boy, a random NPC in the crowd can help build their confidence by recognizing the boy as Rowland Tarm (CG female
Tethyrian human commoner), a member of the Tarm house, and asking him to pass along thanks to Lady Tarm for being such a gracious host for today’s event.
Upon following Rowland, he leads the group down towards the main arena floor, past some guards (who allow the group to pass freely upon seeing Rowland), through a long tunnel, and into a small marble chamber away from the crowd above.
A Plea for Help
Two people await the group when they arrive in the chamber beneath the arena. Lady Tarm (CG female
Tethyrian human noble) is a
human female in her mid-40s and is wearing a light blue dress in the latest spring style. Around her neck is an expensive looking necklace that glimmers with a feint white glow despite the lack of sunlight in this room. Barnly Stonebrook (LG male
strongheart halfling commoner) is a middle-aged male
halfling with thinning black hair. He is dressed in outlandish colorful clothing and has gold rings on every finger. He paces around the room nervously smoking a pipe as Lady Tarm greets the adventurers:
| Welcome, and thank you for coming. I am Lady Tarm and I am the host of this year’s competition. This here is Barnly Stonebrook, the master of ceremonies. We have a bit of a situation. One of the racers in the chariot race has disappeared under suspicious circumstances. We don’t want to alarm the crowd, and certainly notifying the City Watch will do just that, so we would like to handle this a bit more discreetly. You will be well rewarded for your time. Barnly here will show you where the racer disappeared from and gives you his thoughts on what may have happened. We do have the foot race and the horse race before the chariot race is scheduled, so we do have a bit of time before people realize something is amiss, but not long. Please find the missing racer with all haste. If you’ll excuse me, I have some other duties that require attention. I presume this matter is now in capable hands. |
As Lady Tarm and Rowland depart the room, Barnly takes a long puff from his pipe and starts to explain. There are several rooms under the arena itself for competitors, athletes, and entertainers to prepare themselves before events. Each of today’s racers was given their own room in this area.
One of the attendants reported some banging and yelling coming from one of the rooms. When people went to investigate, they found the room trashed, and the racer missing. Barnly asks the group to follow him to the room of the missing racer and briskly walks out.
The Crime Scene
Upon entering the room, it is obvious there was a struggle. A small table lies upside down on the floor. A wooden chair has had a leg broken off. The smell of red wine lingers as a puddle of
Westgate Ruby has spread across the floor from a broken bottle. Clothes are scattered across the room in haphazard fashion.
Barnly explains that this is the room where Saldor Dersk was preparing for the chariot race. Saldor is the representative of the North Ward in the chariot race. If the characters ask, Barnly explains that the races today are between one representative from each ward, after every ward held their own races over the past two days to find their champion.
Investigating the room doesn’t give a whole lot of details. An successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals there was definitely more than one kidnapper. Barnly can provide some additional information about Saldor, but he won’t volunteer the information unless asked:
- Saldor Dersk is a male human in his mid-20s.
- He has short blond hair.
- This is the third year in a row he is representing the North Ward.
- He won the chariot race last year, and was considered the favorite to win this year.
The Missing Racer
With one of the racers missing for the upcoming chariot race, Barnly Stonebook shows the group to the room where he went missing. He provides all the details he knows so far, including the fact that appears the victim was taken out a back door to the arena, one that is usually locked.
As the group learns more details and follows the trail out the back gate, they can look for clues for which way the kidnapped racer may have been taken. Unusual tracks or eye witnesses can provide clues that lead to an abandoned woodworking shop. The racer is inside with his captors, and it’s up to the group to enter the building and free him.
Following the Trail
At the end of a tunnel connecting the rooms beneath the arena is a door that leads to the streets. This door is usually for the athletes and entertainers who perform at the arena, and is kept locked. However, after Saldor went missing, this door was found open and unlocked, indicating he was most likely taken out of the area through this exit. If the players ask Barnly about the key to the door, he explains that it is being passed around among the racers and their attendants. Security for this event was lax, as the racers are regular citizens and not the type of people who would typically require tighter security.
Upon reaching the street, the party has a few options for locating Saldor and his kidnappers. There is a
half-elf beggar nearby, Adam Selevarun (CN male
half-elf commoner), who is happy to speak with anyone who gives him at least 5 cp. If asked if he’s seen anything suspicious or if the group describes Saldor’s physical appearance, the beggar admits to having seen him. Two figures in long robes and hoods were dragging him through the street not too long ago. When the beggar noticed them, one of the figures said, “No worry, he just drunk!” in an odd accent. The robed figures and the unconscious male headed down the street to the east a bit, then turned down an alley that leads north.
Footprints may be visible in the dirt and mud covering the city streets here. A successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals several footprints that are not
human. A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check learns that the footprints were made by several
goblins. Following these tracks leads down the street to the east several feet, then veer off to the north into a dead end alley.
The short alley includes a few residential buildings and a few small shops. At the end of the alley is a shop that is boarded up and appears deserted. A crooked sign hangs off the front of the building indicating it used to be a woodworker’s shop.
If the characters are following the tracks, they lead right up to the door of the Abandoned Woodworker's Shop. If the group found this alley another way, a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that the closed up shop is the most likely place for hiding a kidnapping victim.
The Recue!
If the party managed to avoid triggering the trap on the stairs of the workshop, they can make a successful DC 12 Dexterity (Stealth) check to reach the second floor undetected, where they kind find Saldor tied up in the northwest corner of area S4. In this case, the
goblins are still in their robes and have their backs to the players, giving any players who have reached the level without being detected a surprise attack.
If the trap was triggered or the group did not successfully stealth onto the second floor, the goblins are ready for them. They’ve shed their robes and are taking cover behind several of the crates and barrels scattered around the room. The goblins become hostile as soon as they notice the group.
Once the goblins are defeated, the players can make their way to the bound and gagged Saldor (LG male
Illuskan human spy). Saldor is unharmed, but a bit shaken by the circumstances. If a goblin is subdued and taken alive, he can provide some clues as to what happened with the kidnapping. A successful DC 13 Charisma (Intimidation) check or DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check gets the goblin talking. They were hired by a male human to kidnap and Saldor and were supposed to keep him here until after the race. They don’t know his name, but do know that he has a beard and was wearing a tabard that had purple coloring on it.
If the group kills all the goblins before questioning them, then Saldor has the same information, which he overheard when the goblins were talking among themselves. These two clues will narrow down the number of possible suspects. Saldor explains that he was relaxing before the race and having some wine when two hooded figures entered his room and surprised him. Before he could stand up, they attacked him and knocked him unconscious. When he woke up, he was gagged and bound in this building, and heard the goblins nervously asking “When will the man with beard be back to pay us?” and “I liked his shiny purple cape!”
When the group frees Saldor, he is anxious to get back to the arena as quickly as possible so he doesn’t miss the race. The group can escort him back to the arena and through the back door, the same way they came. Barnly is happy to see Saldor back, but is worried that some more trouble could threaten the race. He encourages the party to continue their investigation and try and figure out who was behind Saldor’s kidnapping.
Searching for Clues
Having rescued Saldor from his
goblin kidnappers, one problem has been solved. But the question still remains regarding who was behind planning the kidnapping and why. The group will learn more about the other racers, and try to discover a motive for the crime.
The goblin kidnappers may have provided clues if they were questioned after the battle. Saldor also has pieces of information that may be useful. The key to unlocking the back gate through which the goblins fled is another piece of evidence that could point the group towards the guilty party.
Suspects and Motives
At this point, the Barnly and the characters should realize that the only people with access to this area would be other racers and their attendants. Learning more about those racers and speaking with them would be the next step towards learning who might have been involved in the kidnapping. Barnly and Saldor are both available to give the group some basic information about each racer. See the table below for these details. No skill check is needed for the characters to learn this information. What the group learns from speaking with the other racers
will depend upon the questions they ask.
| Name | Ward | Race and Gender | Physical Description | Ward Colors | Ward Symbol |
|---|
| Saldor Dersk | North | Human male | Mid-20s, short blond hair | Green and orange | Dove |
| Vivil San | Southern | Human female | Late-20s, long red hair | Red and white | Mule |
| Kervir Sordig | Castle | Human male | Mid-30s, long black hair, beard | Blue and purple | Griffon |
| Kaiya Belanna | Trades | Elf female | Mid-200s, long braided blond hair | Green and purple | Tankard |
| Tasar Caylus | Sea | Half-elf male | Mid-30s, short brown hair | Blue and gold | sea lion |
| Petru Vados | Dock | Human male | Late-30s, short black hair, beard | Burgundy and orange | Shark |
What the party learns from speaking with the other racers will depend upon the questions they ask:
- Vivil San (CG female Illuskan human bandit captain) - Was looking for the key to unlock the gate earlier today to let in some assistants, and was told Petru’s assistant had it. She didn’t get a chance to track it down before the commotion.
- Kervir Sordig (CN male Chondathan human knight) - Was not in the area at the time of the kidnapping, instead he was in the arena stands mingling with some friends. If checked, his alibi is verified. Although his alibi is confirmed Kervir is indeed the guilty party, and used his assistant Brid as an accomplice.
- Kaiya Belanna (CG female moon elf archer) - Admits she once dated Saldor, but says they are still friends and she was worried about him when he went missing. If the group asks Saldor, he confirms this story and doesn’t believe Kaiya would have done this to him.
- Tasar Caylus (CG male half-elf veteran) - Heard Kervir guaranteeing that he would win the race this year. Tasar found this odd since Kervir isn’t known as one of the better racers.
- Petru Vados (CG male Damaran human berserker) - Admits that he’s not a permanent resident of Waterdeep, but several influencers in the Dock Ward registered him in hopes his experience would win the race for them.
If the players decide to try and locate the key, the information provided about Petru’s assistant gives them a start on its trail. Anybody in this area can identify Petru’s assistant as a young
tiefling named Damakos (LG male
tielfling commoner). Damakos is willing to cooperate with the investigation, but ask that Petru be present during any questioning.
Damakos has nothing to hide. He admits that he had the key earlier in the day, and that he used it to unlock the door to receive a shipment of ale for Petru, but insists he locked the door afterwards. Soon after, he had given the key to Kervir’s assistant, a boy named Brid.
Brid (N male
Ffolk human commoner) is easy to track down in the preparation area as well. When approached about the key, he looks around nervously and admits to having it, but swears he didn’t unlock the door with it. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check recognizes that Brid is not being honest. Brid isn’t likely to crack under questioning trying to politely convince him to tell the truth, but he is more likely to admit his part if threatened. A successful DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion) check or DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation) check gets him to explain his involvement.
Brid explains that Kervir told him to get the key and unlock the back door at a specific time. Brid did this, and when he opened the door, he was greeted by two figures in long hooded robes who walked with a strange step. They walked into the area without saying a word, and headed straight towards Saldor’s room. Brid panicked and ran down the hallway and into an empty room before witnessing what the cloak figures did. Kervir had told Brid to lock the door again once the cloaked figures had left, but in his panic, he forgot.
If the group asks Brid why Kervir wanted to kidnap Saldor, he says it was because of jealousy. Saldor had won the race before and all the praise that goes with it. Kervir had some bad luck lately, in both business and love, and looked at this as an opportunity to turn his fortune around.
Solving the Mystery
There are three clear ways the players can identify the person who hired the kidnappers and attempted to sabotage the race:
- Locate the key to the locked door and confirm who had it at the time of the kidnapping.
- Get a confession out of the kidnapper’s apprentice, who was an accomplice to the kidnapping.
- Identify the suspect using clues, describing them accurately.
The location of the key and the confession both come from Kervir’s assistant, Brid. Either one of those clues, or both combined, is enough to implicate Kervir as the mastermind behind the kidnapping. If the group got the two clues from the
goblins and Saldor about the physical description of the kidnapper, that narrows it down to Kervir exclusively. He is the only racer with both a beard and the color purple in their ward’s colors. Once the group is in agreement that Kervir is guilty, they can locate Barnly and present the evidence.
Presenting the Evidence
Once ready, the group can summon Barnly to the room they first met. Lady Tarm arrives shortly after. Barnly will also bring in the Ward Civilar of the Sea Ward, a cunning
halfling named Jak Smoothhands (NG male
lightfoot halfling knight), and five
veterans. Once they all have arrived, the anxiously listen to the evidence the group has collected.
Brid will repeat his story for Barnly and the City Watch as long as he has assurance that he won’t be sent to jail himself. The authorities are happy to make this assurance, as they understand the boy was simply used to unlock the door while Kervir had an alibi.
The Confrontation
With the evidence gathered and a suspect identified, the group presents their case to the authorities. The evidence will be reviewed. If it
is confirmed to be a solid case, the next step is to locate and apprehend the guilty party. But Kervir will not go quietly.
A Wanted Man
Assuming the party collected the proper evidence to implicate Kervir, everyone agrees that he must be found and apprehended. Ward Civilar Smoothhands and his soldiers head off to locate him, and thanks the group for their help. Barnly and Lady Tarm thank the group as well. Barnly slips one of the rings from his fingers and hands it to the party, which is a
ring of feather falling. Lady Tarm sees this, states that Kervir is still out there, and says that she will hold on to her reward until the races have ended.
The Final Battle
Although the mystery has been solved, Kervir has not yet been captured. Barnly and Lady Tarm thank the party, and invite them to watch the remaining races from a VIP box in the front row of the arena. As the group ascends from beneath the arena and enter the main arena area, the crowd cheers loudly:
| As you walk up the final steps from beneath the arena, the warm sunshine hits your face. The crowd erupts in a loud roar as you step onto the floor of the main racing area and head towards the steps leading towards the VIP seats. For a moment, you believe the cheers are for you. Then, you glance across the arena and see Kervir Sordig. He is in full plate armor, mounted atop a horse, and holding a crossbow. He shouts, “I thought maybe winning the race today would change my fortunes and make a name for myself. You ruined that plan. So now I guess I’ll just have to make a name for myself by killing you in front of this crowd. Prepare to die!”
He then closes the face shield on his helmet, lowers his crossbow, and charges towards you. |
Kervir is riding a
warhorse, and rides back and forth attempting to shoot characters with his
heavy crossbow. If he is dismounted, he drops the crossbow and draws his greatsword to continue fighting.
If Kervir’s horse is killed, Kervir must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. A saving throw roll of 5 or less means he is trapped beneath the falling horse and becomes restrained. On his next turn, Kervir can make a DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check to pull himself out from under the horse and end the restrained condition.
If Kervir is brought to 10 hp or less and is still mounted, he will attempt to flee by riding out the main arena gate. Characters will have 1 round to attack him as he flees. If Kervir manages to get away, the City Watch puts out a reward for his capture and several of them chase him down the streets of
Waterdeep.
Kervir will surrender is he is brought below 5 hp and he is dismounted. He will also surrender if he is trapped under his fallen mount and is surrounded. If he surrenders, the City Watch places him in
manacles and marches him out of the arena. The crowd cheers wildly as he is led away.
If the group kills Kervir before he surrenders or flees, the crowd cheers loudly as Kervir falls, but soon fall into an uncomfortable hush as they realize he may actually be dead. Two arena workers quickly rush out and drag Kervir’s lifeless corpse underneath the arena. Two other workers rush out and cover the puddles of blood. A minute later, Barnly arrives and apologizes for the interruption and assures the crowd the races will resume shortly. The crowd cheers at the announcement and quickly regains its jovial mood.
Aftermath
Regardless of the outcome of the final battle, the group is welcomed into their VIP seats by Lady Tarm and several other Waterdeep nobles. She thanks them for finally putting the matter to rest and ensuring that the rest of the day’s events can continue. Lady Tarm reaches into the loose sleeve of her dress, pulls out an
amulet of health, and hands it to the party. She also produces a small
pouch containing 100 gp and presents it to the group.
A Day at the Races
Now that the trouble has been dealt with the adventurers have the opportunity to actually relax and enjoy the festivities. This is an opportunity for the characters to socialize, both among themselves and with other
Waterdeep citizens.
The party is presented with several options for enjoying the races and participating in the festivities. Characters may place bets on the race and win some money. With Kervir Sordig out of the picture, the Castle Ward is short a racer. If one of the characters is interested, perhaps they can fill in and actually take part in the race itself.
Replacement Racer
As the characters take their seats, they overhear several people wondering aloud who will replace Kervir as the racer for the Castle Ward. If the characters are so inclined, one of them can volunteer to take his place! Only one character will be able to race, and the rules usually require that the racer be a citizen of the ward they are representing. However, Lady Tarm is willing to make an exception for someone who helped prevent her day from being ruined.
If a character decides to race, they will be escorted beneath the arena, to the staging area they are quite familiar with. There they will be introduced to their horse and given the colors of the ward they represent.
Placing Bets
Several people make their way through the stands before the race allowing citizens to place wagers. Characters are welcome to place bets on the chariot race. The minimum bet is 1 gp, and the maximum bet is 50 gp. Only two bets can be placed.
No odds are offered on the different racers, and each winning bet will pay back double the amount wagered.
The Race is On!
Once the racers are ready and all wagers have been placed, it’s time to race! There are six legs (and six corresponding rolls) in the race, but each leg will alternate between Wisdom (Animal Handling) and Strength (Athletics) checks. Whichever racer has the highest total wins the
race!
Conclusion
Having rescued the missing racer, solved the mystery, and dealt with the conspirator, the players earned a bit of time to relax and enjoy the races.
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