A Deep and Creeping Darkness - PCs

Introduction

After spending time cultivating the purest expression of their truly heroic selves and generally living their best lives, our valiant party once again finds itself collectively in Beregost. They share stories of their individual adventures, and help out with the shop a bit. It's a welcome break to joke with Moxie, cavort with the various companions the party has assembled, and just kick back for a bit after another wide-ranging expedition. Of course, they all know that won't last for long, as life never slows down when you are the ... Agents of Candlekeep!

Be Prepared for Back to Work

Word is received that their benevolent patron, Teles Ahvoste, would like to meet with the party at Candlekeep for a little check-in. Prior to their departure, the party decides to make a quick stop in Kagain's Shop for some preparatory purchases. Shortly after entering and perusing the goods for sale, Creed is able to tell that this is likely some sort of fence, and not just your usual pawn shop. The owner, Barton, is a male dwarf, gruff of voice and demeanour, and unsurprisingly cagey about the source of the goods and how he's able to offer such low prices. Setting those concerns aside, the party sets about haggling over some magical items of interest. Aubrey manages to walk away with a Bottle of Boundless Coffee for a cool 40 gp. Maybe a little more than she hoped to pay, but knowing that hot, delicious, organic, fair trade coffee is always there to pick you up when you need that jolt ... priceless. Clint, who has been seriously diversifying his holdings with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of echo fighters and a poncho-clad, warhorse skeleton named Styx, is now looking to get into the arcane game. After some back and forth with the crafty salesman Barton, Clint purchases a spell scroll inscribed with the cantrip, Infestation, for 50 gp. (See Agbadza79's D&D 5e House Rules for why this will work for Clint.)

There is some further examination of a most unusual item, a feathered token of a Swan Boat, which apparently can transform into a massive, self-propelled, actual frickin' swan boat. Unfortunately, even at the low, low price of 4850 gp, it's still a little out of reach for the party. The shopping experience ends somewhat abruptly as Barton appears to be distracted by a knock on the window of the store from a mysterious figure. As the figure dashes off, Barton decides that it's 5pm somewhere and closes the shop for the day. With that, the party decides they may as well head off to Candlekeep to see what Teles wants.

An Unexpected Quest Giver

Our intrepid heroes have a largely uneventful trip toward Candlekeep, with most in the party wagon, Vanyel gliding serenely overhead, and Clint continuing to bond with his creepy, but loveable, undead steed. However, nearly as soon as the mighty fortress comes into full view, the party is stopped by a dwarf standing in the road, flagging them down. The fellow introduces himself as Taklinn Ungart, a gold dwarf hailing from the Giant's Run Mountains to the east. He claims to be a representative of Bottomless Speculation, a mining outfit. Taklinn and his company are interested in a tale of an abandoned mining town in the Cloud Peaks, reportedly located tantalizingly close to a vein of platinum that they had been tracing. When his company hit an impassable ridge without yet having discovered the mother lode, they began to explore the region, but ran into numerous difficulties.

Bizarrely, but fruitfully, they consulted with a giant diviner native to the region, who pointed the prospectors in the direction of Candlekeep and a tome called "A Deep and Creeping Darkness". Taklinn, not totally familiar with the requirements, attempted to gain entrance to Candlekeep with a few manuals related to his trade and some promotional materials for Bottomless Speculation, but he was predictably rebuffed. Crestfallen, but not defeated, he has apparently been harrassing seekers on their way to the keep for assistance, but had thus far come up empty. Following further explanations that re-opening a closed mine is substantially cheaper than starting to mine on the small veins they had found, the party accepts an upfront payment of 50 gp to obtain a transcription of the desired tome, with the promise of full payment of the transcription cost and an additional 50 gp as a reward upon its delivery.

Grim Tales

After entering Candlekeep, Fembris is able to quickly retrieve the book for the party. The book contains a series of vignettes centered on a mountainous mining town named Vermeillon. Reading it reveals a horrifying tale of a mining accident, killing over 40 miners. After that disaster, however, things only got worse. Inexplicably, the surviving miners began to disappear one by one. When they had all vanished, the townsfolk began to disappear as well, until the mine was forced to close and and the town was eventually abandoned. Some facts about the book and its story are as follows:

• A bard who heard about the catastrophe decided to chronicle the stories of the survivors. He travelled the area extensively, avoiding Vermeillon itself, but seeking out its former residents in nearby towns.
• His account failed to draw interest, and the book remained among the remnants of his bardic career until his granddaughter found it and sent it on its way to Candlekeep.
• The book has been in Candlekeep's collection for about ten years, although it was written roughly 60 years ago.
• The mining disaster took place in 1425 DR and Vermeillon was abandoned by 1428 DR.
• The inhabitants named in the book include Mayor Lei Duvezin, a kind and talented dwarf smith named Tormun, and his wife, Blenyss.
• Sketched on the back of the last page is a rough map of the village's location, with directions from the closest mountain town, called Maerin.

Understandably, this is somewhat unsettling for the party. Before long, they are summoned for their requested meeting with Teles. She offers her thanks for the fine work they've been doing and inquires as to any concerns or requests that the party might have. In general, they seem most presently concerned about the book they've just received and the dark portents it contains. However, Teles, along with some visions sent to Creed by his patron, Titania, offer encouragement that unravelling the mystery of the cursed town of Vermeillon is a worthy pursuit. Fortunately, Teles and Fembris are able to provide the party the location of Maerin, from which they can use the map in "A Deep and Creeping Darkness" to navigate to Vermeillon.

The Merry Way to Maerin

Reuniting on the Way of the Lion with Taklinn, the party attempts to dance around the tragic tale told in the book he sought in Candlekeep. Of course, Taklinn makes his promised payment, thus the book belongs to him. Rather than being deterred, Taklinn is emboldened by the potential assistance of such obviously experienced adventurers. He dangles an offer of a stake in the mine to sweeten the deal, although the details of this offer are vague, seeming to be contingent upon the amount of aid provided and the success they have in the operation. In any case, with the prompting of Teles and Titania, and the fact that if they didn't head to Vermeillon it would be a very short adventure, the party agrees and makes their way south to Maerin.

Once in Maerin, the party starts to make discreet inquiries regarding any folks who might be familiar with Vermeillon. They get a lot of blank stares or slightly fearful looks, but are referred to two former residents of Vermeillon who currently reside in Maerin. The first, Astra Vorn, is a florist in the town's market. Middle-aged now, she was a very young when the mining disaster and subsequent decay of Vermeillon occurred. She has hazy memories of the terror that slowly enveloped the town, a jumble of rumours and disappearances, but Astra very clearly recalls that when the nightmares came for her mother, her family fled the town.

When in Doubt, Drink!

The other individual with ties to Vermeillon is Lukas Grosvenor, the owner of the Bored Weasel Tavern. Cornelius' interest is piqued and he ventures in to meet Lukas. Lukas is quite elderly and somewhat gruff, but finds Cornelius to be a pleasant enough fellow. When asked about Vermeillon, he sorrowfully recounts his tale of woe. He and his wife, Lorna, were both miners there, but only Lorna was in the mines the day of the disaster. She never made it out, and Lukas didn't stick around Vermeillon for long after the disappearances started. When Cornelius tells Lukas of the party's plan to travel to Vermeillon and figure out what happened, Lukas asks him to place flowers on his wife’s grave for him, and to find her old necklace in a hollow of the tree in the center of the village and return it to him. Lukas gives them a rough map of the village, though he notes a lot can change in seventy years.

Lukas' spirits are lifted by the knowledge that someone might pay what should have been his own respects to Lorna's grave after all these years. Although Lukas is too old to travel to Vermeillon himself, at least these young adventurers could make the trip and set things right. Maybe they'll even figure out what the hell went wrong in that godforsaken place. With that spark of hope, the drinks start pouring! The rest of the party shuffles in and collectively discover that Lukas is a wizard of booze as he conjures up a signature drink for everyone. First, Cornelius is served up a Bluenose and a Sea Shanty. Aubrey receives a Treant Tea and becomes a leafy, wooden genasi, while Vanyel descends into a cosmic void via the Planar Guide, enveloping him in a perpetual ennui. Clint imbibes some Wyvern Wine, but is stout enough to avoid the hallucinogenic effects, and Creed bravely downs some Goat's Piss, earning a round of free drinks for all of the patrons and the adulation of his peers.

Party Checkpoint: 2022-04-10

A Hazy Evening ... err, Morning

As a result of the DM's physical condition, the following recollections may be a bit spotty. Please report any inconsistencies or errors to the editor for correction. The author will be scolded in proportion to the gravity of the oversight. That is all.

The next morning, the party is slightly nicked up following their Lukas nostalgia fueled bender. Creed recalls having some fantastical dreams, but is unsure if they are visions of future glory from his leafy green patron, Titania, or if they're the after effects of his deeply imbibed draught of Goat's Piss. Clint is a little fuzzy on whether that particular drink is constituted literally or not. Creed is strongly on the side of the latter, but all parties agree that the matter is best left unsettled. Vanyel, sadly, is still strongly feeling the ennui induced by his drink, the Planar Guide. This lack of feeling of efficacy will have periodic impacts during their travels to Vermeillon.

After sorting the results of their drinking out, I believe that Clint visited the local officials to seek any additional information he could get on Vermeillon. It seemed as though Clint was having some difficulty with his memory, perhaps a result of the Wyvern Wine, but little actual new information was obtained. Maybe something about a merchant that had planned to head to Vermeillon around a year back, but generally it was related that very few folks head that way and the road there would present the usual challenges of high mountain travel. Also, the party runs into Karras, who coincidentally had made his way to Maerin after REDACTED.

On the Road Again, or A Scourge of Stirges

Over three days of travel, what could one expect but three encounters? On day the first, the party is making good time, finding the brisk mountain air to be just what they need to clear their heads, aside from poor Vanyel, who soars listlessly through the air above. As expected, their reverie is disrupted by a sound of beating wings approaching from the east. The party detects the approach of some familiar and disgusting creatures, stirges. Nine to be exact, but fortunately, two are dispatched immediately. One is able to latch onto Clint, draining a full belly's worth of blood immediately, then dropping onto the ground. It appears to be in a blood coma, as it's unable to avoid a squishy, gory demise. The most spectacular action comes from our emo owl, Vanyel, following another of the stirges making a successful attack against him. Vanyel is able to wrest the stirge from his body and keep a hold on it, then dive bomb toward the ground, holding the stirge in front of him in an attempt to smash it into oblivion. It all goes nearly to plan, but the distraction of the creature's probing proboscis in his face causes Vanyel to lose the angle and the two separate on impact, neither the worse for it. Eventually, all nine of the things are dispatched without much difficulty and the party can rest easy for the night.

Another Day, Another Natural Disaster

The second day of travel finds the party climbing to slightly higher altitudes, which shifts the weather to higher winds and colder temps. Vanyel becomes detached from the party as his morose demeanour continues. While Vanyel is oblivious, the party is able to perceive the beginnings of a rock slide and stops in their tracks before the rocks can crush them into little tiny adventure pancakes. The rock slide presents a considerable obstacle, over fifteen feet tall and impassable without some additional implements or savvy. They are pinned in on the west by the frigid mountain river, but Aubrey and Cornelius contemplate fording it, given their physical advantages in that regard. Ultimately, a combination of tactics carries the day. Cornelius kicks things off with his Ring of Jumping, attempting to leap to the top of the rock pile. He makes it to the top, but nearly stumbles. Clint gets in on the action with a deftly tossed grappling hook and Cornelius is able to grab the line to steady himself. All the while, Aubrey has started the painstaking process of shaping water and freezing it into a lovely set of ice stairs. Eventually, Vanyel returns to the party to find that they've all successfully overcome the obstacle. Again, the party is able to find shelter for the evening and awakens refreshed.

Nature's Majesty, Attacked by an Abomination

On the third day, the party finds themselves directly across the river from one of nature's most majestic and noble creatures, a giant elk. While this is a normally a momentous portent in many cultures, on this day in the Cloud Peaks, it is an opportunity for our heroes to rescue a rare beast! For this particular giant elk is being attacked by a peryton, a horrendous monstrosity. While the peryton is able to land a few blows, madness ensues as Clint charges on his horse, which leaps into the air. Clint leaps off the steed's back, the uses one of his echoes to strike the peryton with his lance in mid-air. Vanyel is able to finish off the peryton with a precision strike from his longbow. The giant elk conveys a blessing on the party in thanks for their aid. Our adventurers are able to rest easily, satisfied in the knowledge that they've done a great service to Silvanus on this day.

At Long Last, Vermeillon

The village is eerily quiet. Plants and wildlife have overtaken the crumbling houses. Leafless vines climb rotting walls, birds and other small creatures nest in the exposed rafters, and gnarled trees protrude from the fallen roofs of a few buildings. The overcast sky adds an air of oppression to the scene, seeming to envelop the village.

— Candlekeep Mysteries - Vermeillon

Our heroes enter Vermeillon by the northwest road and immediately encounter an overturned and overgrown merchant's cart. The skeleton of the horse that once pulled this cart is found in the grass nearby, still tethered to the cart. Sadly, it shows none of the pluck and vigour of Styx, Clint's beloved skeletal steed. In the cart, a variety of items are uncovered, including the following: three bolts of fabric, two small casks of wine, a pouch containing 15 gp, and a ledger listing sales made to local settlements, one of which was Maerin. Vermeillon does not appear on the list and you have a pretty good idea why.

The next landmark to catch the attention of the party is the graveyard. In general, the graveyard is also overgrown and in a shabby state. There are many rows of headstones, with the most recent toward the back. These give way to several rows of cairns and the party notes the transition from headstone to cairn appears to have occurred in the middle of burying those who lost their lives in the mining disaster. Cornelius is able to identify the headstone marking the grave of Lorna Grosvenor, beloved of Lukas. Vanyel is able to conjure some flowers using his Druidcraft. After Cornelius lays down those enchanted flowers in tribute on behalf of the aged tavernkeeper, he hears a soft, contented sigh on the wind. Verily, true love never dies!

Our stalwart companions then make their way into the town proper. Cornelius completes the next act in the fulfillment of his promise to Lucas by collecting a necklace from the dead and grizzled tree situated in front of the grandest building in the small town. The necklace is "a thumb-sized platinum oval pendant threaded on a thin chain (20 gp), inscribed with For Lorna, Forever in a careful script."

Oh Mayor, Where Art Thou?

Confronted with the choice of exploring the melange of dilapidated buildings to the south of the tree or the large, formerly ostentatious by Vermeillon standards, building to the north, the party elects to start with the latter. They quickly ascertain that this building served the functions of a gathering place for the town, the center of government functions, and the home of the Mayor Lei Duvezin and her family. As our beloved adventurers make their way through room after dust-covered room, they learn and find the following things:

• There is a significant amount of dust in nearly every room, along with a hefty side of rodent droppings. Woe betide those with allergies that pass through this house!
• In the assembly room, there was found a chunk of raw platinum ore from the mine, a relic of more prosperous days.
• In the meeting room, there was "a faded oil painting that depicts Mayor Lei Duvezin, a dark-skinned woman dressed in a cream-colored frock coat with a pale green cravat at her throat. Her dark hair is pulled up in an intricate twist, and she wears delicate platinum and diamond earrings. Her hands are folded in her lap. One finger bears a heavy platinum signet ring, inscribed with a snowdrop blossom."
• The mayor and her wife, Tifra, had two children. The elder was a daughter, Nia, while the younger was a son, Tavin.
• In the master bedroom, there was found a number of half-written letters seeking aid from the various nearby settlements, including one that was completed, sealed, and addressed to Maerin. There is also the journal of Mayor Duvezin, which recounts the disaster, rescue attempts, disappearances, evacuations, and the Mayor's own nightmares.

The most notable room the party encounters is the library. In this place, a variety of books have been left open on the table in the middle of the room. Ominously, they explore topics such as trauma, nightmares, and mysterious disappearances. Another book is discovered, covering a variety of tales from the Feywild. It is marked with a note reading "Could this be the answer?" in a nearly unreadly scrawl. The bookmarked page described an unnamed fey creature that appears in places where fear has taken hold and the border with the Feywild is thin. It is described as living in subterranean nests and clinging to the shadows.

In many of these rooms, various members of the party experience a variety of phenomenon, leaving them rattled and unsure of their safety. Movement detected in their peripheral vision, ghostly voices whispering indistinguishable messages to them, distorted and bizarrely animated shadows, and shrieks all combine to torment them during their time in the house. From the upper floor, the party believes they have seen figures moving through the town. They attempt to pursue, but find nothing.

One More Thing (Before Bedtime)

After wandering outside, our incredible cast of characters explores a few more derelict buildings in the town. Of note, they find The Wand and the Hammer, the smithy run by Tormun and Blenyss, who were mentioned in A Deep and Creeping Darkness. While the interiour contains the requisite heavy layer of dust, some careful investigation reveals a false panel in the floor and after it is finally pried loose, within are found several finely made items, filigreed with platinum, including a shield and a pair of short swords. Cornelius is able to discover a magical platinum ring as well, which Creed pegs for having transmutative properties.

After this bit of exploring, the party elects to shelter in the mayor's house for the night. We'll see how that goes!

Party Checkpoint: 2022-04-24

Of Mines and Meenlocks

The supernatural disturbances continue unabated as the company attempts to get some rest, safe behind the stout doors of the mayor's house. Creed, Clint, and brave little Gizmo take the first watch, which passes uneventfully. Styx is placed in front of the house, his glowing red eyes fixed menacingly on the front door. What Styx sees is a mystery, for the undead horse only watches stoically and never reports. The second watch is taken by Vanyel and Aubrey, who will rely on their superiour darkvision and See Invisibility to detect any threats. They soon have to put these abilities to the test, as Taklinn wakes up and has to do some tinklin'. Despite the pleas from our watchers, he wanders off to a tree to the east. Pee shy as he is, Taklinn elects to position himself on the side of the tree farthest from the house, where he can relax and let loose. He even whistles a jaunty tune while relieving himself, likely feeling some joy to be awake from the nightmares that plagued him while attempting to rest. The song is soon cut short and Vanyel and Aubrey are unable to determine the cause of Taklinn's disappearance. With some quick thinking, Aubrey uses Locate Object to divine the whereabouts of Taklinn's very distinctive belt buckle. The belt buckle, presumably still attached to Taklinn, now seems to be in the mine.

After a probably too lengthy debate about what to do about the situation, the party decides that the situation implies some urgency and elects to head to the mine to rescue their dwarven charge. Unfortunately, the toll of witnessing Taklinn's disappearance, coupled with the nightmares during their brief, fitful sleep has left Vanyel and Aubrey in a state of exhaustion. The rest of the party was only able to manage a short rest. Entering the mine, our heroes find that the darkness is oppressive to a degree they have not encountered before. Clint and Vanyel are so distraught by this gloom and the increased mental assault by their unseen tormentors that they find themselves unable to think clearly.

The stalwart companions first make their way down the nearest branch to the south, where they find a high-ceilinged chamber occupied by countless bats, first spotted by centipede Gizmo. After accidentally disturbing them, Karras is able to stave off two swarms of the creatures with a well-placed Cloud of Daggers. Next, our heroes find a branch first heading northwest, then looping back toward the entrance. Creed and Karras, again with help from Gizmo, slowly make their way along the passage, until they are assaulted by two wretched creatures. After a brief skirmish, they somehow escape, seemingly vanishing into the stony end of the passage. After examining the walls, the party is unable to detect any openings, hidden doors, or magic that would explain the disappearance.

Following this unsettling encounter, the party returns to the main passage and continues to the northeast, where Clint examines what appears to be the site of the cave-in. While there are some loose stones, it is apparent that any attempt to excavate at this point would be fruitless. Instead, our heroes turn to another passage to the east.

Oh, you mean this Deep and Creeping Darkness?

The opening of this tunnel is nearly circular. Black moss covers the walls, floor, and ceiling of the tunnel as far as you can see. ... The moss muffles all sound, causing a lack of echoes and creating a sense of claustrophobia.

— Candlekeep Mysteries - Entrance to the Meenlock Lair

Upon entering this portion of the mine, even our sharpest-sighted heroes find that their darkvision is useless in the gloom of this area. That, combined with a realization from their previous encounter with the nightmare fey, lead the party to liberally deploy torches and magical illumination to keep the dark at bay. Karras wonders if it might be as simple as burning the creatures out and attempts to ignite the mossy walls with a Fire Bolt. While it was a truly exceptional casting of the spell, it only burns off a section of the moss. An examination of the stone uncovered by the incendiary magic reveals that "the walls are smooth, not rough-carved by pick and shovel like the rest of the mine." Before proceeding further, Vanyel puts the oft-overlooked hunting trap to good use, deploying it near the entrance of this section of the mine.

The party makes their way very deliberately through the tunnels now, being careful to maintain a well-lit perimeter and not to split up. As the tunnel bends southward again, Clint and Styx encounter another one of the grim fey creatures and manage to get a good shot in with Styx's skeletal hooves prior to the foul beast making a shadowy escape. Not too long after, our heroes reach a large chamber.

Mining for Minds

New scents greet you here: the musty funk of decaying fabric and old furs, and the smell of rot lingering in the stagnant air. Thick pillars of moss-covered stone support the twenty-foot-high ceiling, and waist-high stone slabs dot the cavern.

— Candlekeep Mysteries - Transformation Chamber

It is apparent that the table-sized slabs are used for some kind of gruesome ritual. Taklinn is bound to one, where he groans occasionally in agony, but is otherwise unresponsive to the party's inquiries, pokes, and prods. Again, the party works to set up an illuminated perimeter that extends nearly to the cavern's walls, but not quite. One by one, the inhabitants of this mine, the destroyers of Vermeillon, reveal themselves and assault the party, attempting to paralyze them and drag them off to be tormented. Aubrey's Twilight Sanctuary proves vital in preventing the party from suffering too much damage in the attacks, but Clint, Cornelius, Karras, and Aubrey all are paralyzed at some point in the fray. Styx wreaks havoc, destroying two of the creatures with its ferocious hooves. For portions of the fight, Clint sweeps the cavern on horseback, spearing meenlocks with his lance. Creed and Karras douse a few with oil and light them ablaze to great effect. Cornelius struggles initially with his Eldritch Cannon, but eventually the damn thing warms up and does some heavy damage. Even Vanyel, in his morose and debilitated state, is able to land a killing blow with his planar-enhanced damage. Slowly but surely, the party is able to gain the upper hand.

Throughout the battle, Taklinn remains paralyzed while Creed and Gizmo slowly free him from his bindings. The slab that he is on is damaged and topples over eventually, causing the dwarf some distress. Just when it appears that the stalwart companions are about to carry the day, they discover that the stone pillars in the chamber have been booby-trapped with dynamite. The final two meenlocks are able to detonate two of the pillars, causing a collapse of the chamber. Fortunately, the party is able to escape, Taklinn in tow, heading out the same path by which they reached the chamber.

Party Checkpoint: 2022-05-08

A Brief Epilogue

Emerging from the mine, Taklinn is overjoyed at both his freedom and the prospect of the riches he and his company might uncover in the now recovered mine. In a fit of exuberance, he offers the party 100 gp each as a reward for the rescue and for clearing the mine of the meenlock threat. Taklinn doesn't let himself go too far, however, as his crafty veteran business sense kicks in and he elects to not mention the previously discussed stake in the mine with the party. Apparently, the party is too dazzled with their survival and Taklinn's generosity to remember themselves. C'est la vie! What they do wish to remember is that there is a fey crossing here. Both Creed and Vanyel have a notion that it might be worth returning to this place to explore that at some point in the future.

Upon returning to Maerin, Cornelius makes a trip to the Bored Weasel, where he presents Lukas with the locket he retrieved from the tree. Touched by this heroic act, Lukas declares that the party will never pay for a drink at the tavern as long as he's still the tavernkeeper. Unfortunately, Lukas is in his mid-nineties, but it's a nice gesture nonetheless. The party sells off most of their recovered items and makes a tidy profit on the adventure overall.

An adventure for 4th-Level characters. Written by Sarah Madsen.

Completion Date
2022-05-08

Plot type

Adventure

Parent Plot

Candlekeep Mysteries - PCs

Related Locations

• Candlekeep

References

• D&D Map of Faerün
• Vermeillon Map
• The location of Maerin is on the northwestern most point of the Cloud Peaks, west of the Coast Way. Vermeillon is essentially three days ride southeast, traversing mountainous trails by horseback. See the excerpt from the Faerün map in the main text section.
• The Great Big Random d100 List of Tavern Drinks

Treasure

• 100 gp from Taklinn Ungart as a reward for obtaining a copy of A Deep and Creeping Darkness
• 100 gp each from Taklinn for saving him from the meenlocks and liberating the mine and town from those nasty nightmare fey
• The prospect of a stake in a platinum mine
• 3x bolts of common fabric (10 gp each)
• 2x small casks of wine (25 gp each)
• Pouch containing 15 gp
• Lorna's platinum oval pendant (returned to Lukas)
• Raw platinum ore (25 gp)
• Steel shield with platinum filigree in the shape of winding serpents (50 gp)
• 2x shortswords with platinum filigree on the hilt and pommel in a serpent motif (25 gp each)
• 10x iron bars, each weighing 10 pounds (1 gp each)
• Thin platinum ring, magical, transmutation - Ring of Swimming