The Case of the Wayward Wine
an #AdventureApril One-Shot
A band of eager, but inexperienced Adventurers have answered the call to join in an expedition, but there's trouble even before they can get started! Meeting at the lakeside dock from which they're to depart, they discover that some vital supplies have not yet been delivered, and they cannot leave without them! Can our heroes track down the missing goods so they can get started on their quest for fame and fortune?
This is an adventure for a party of three to five first level adventurers. While designed to be usable as a standalone "one-shot", it is also designed to be the ideal introductory adventure preceding the more expansive Archaeology for Fun and Profit adventure module placed in the Kingdom of Tyrnabay in the World of Cartyrion.
Specific game mechanics and statblocks contained in this adventure make use of the Laurels & Loot TTRPG rule system - a system currently still in development by the author. However, attempts will be made to provide sufficiently generic descriptions of locations, NPCs and encounters so as to be easily adaptable to any other fantasy TTRPG system.
The remainder of this text is for Gamemaster eyes only!
Stop here if you are a Player.
The Sweetwater Customs House is managed by Traggana Hornsby, a middle-aged female half-orc known to everyone who has trade business in town as a gruff, but fair-minded individual. A stickler for organization and proper procedure, she prides herself on ensuring that every parcel that passes through her customs house finds its way to its proper destination -- unless it's contraband of some sort.
The Customs House is a bustle of activity, and Traggana is extremely busy. She makes it pretty clear that she doesn't have time to converse with a gaggle of would-be Adventurers or the queries of any dockworker, captain or no. But if the name of Marquis Spikeberry is mentioned, the party will instantly get her attention. It will take her several minutes - and more than a few curses muttered under her breath - to find the records, but she will be able to confirm that two casks of Fuilmilis were indeed imported, and the account of the Marquis properly debited to cover the tariff. Teamsters from Glendicoot and Flindwhistleer brought the shipment in and then presumably took it to their dockside warehouse for delivery.
It was with a bit of trepidation eased only by the amount of coin dropped into his hands that persuaded Nartibrane to ensure the casks were delivered to the Count for the wedding instead of to the Lakeracer.
The party will need to be quite persuasive - or threatening - to get Nartibrane to admit to this, but even a little pressure will make him behave in a manner that makes it obvious he knows what happened to the casks. With the right incentives, he will eventually confess, and then call in a foreperson - the one the party originally approached - to find out how the casks were dealt with. The party will be told that they were sent to the manor house and delivered into its wine cellar three days ago.
The goblets and tankards were being brought to one of three satellite pavilions where kegs were arrayed on frames set behind a serving tables. Taps and hammers lay on the tables. The casks were of several sizes, no doubt the largest were filled with ale or perhaps mead; the smallest (no more than a foot or so in height) were of the type that commonly held strong spirits. Others were sized somewhere in between.
There are two armed folk, liveried in what the party presumes to be Count Crestrider's colors, standing guard over eacn of the "tavern tents". A few others are scattered about the site as well. The party can count 12 guards in all, plus one whose fanciful helmet plume marks him as some sort of guard leader. If the party conceals itself and watches for some time, they will find the guards remain posted into the night as well.
There are several ways the party could attempt to locate and liberate the two casks:They could attempt to simply overpower the guards, then find and escape with the casks. But the casks are far to heavy to move by hand, and the guards will support each other.
They could attempt to quietly subdue the two guards nearest the casks and then sneak away with the goods, perhaps under cover of darkness. But this would require them to first identify which of the three tavern tents house the two casks they're looking for. And any false move could alert the rest of the guards.
They could attempt to pass themselves off as laborers or delivery folk bringing goods to the site. This would require them to obtain the correct "props". With guards temporarily distracted, they could perhaps liberate the casks and make a getaway. Possibly, they could invent some pretense for having to retrieve "spoiled goods". With the right convincing, they could even get the guards to help them load the casks onto a cart or wagon!
If the party reaches the dock where the Lakeracer is moored, they will find the ship ready to sail the instant the casks and party are aboard. Crew are ready to cast off mooring ropes and get underway, and any pursing guards will not be able to do anything to stop them. Reaching the ship with the casks is the "success condition" for the adventure.
Whether or not the recovery can be tied to the Marquis, the party themselves may be marked as thieves - and hence no longer welcome - in Sweetwater. Their eventual return from the archaeological expedition might mean confrontation with the city watch and Count Crestrider.
This is an adventure for a party of three to five first level adventurers. While designed to be usable as a standalone "one-shot", it is also designed to be the ideal introductory adventure preceding the more expansive Archaeology for Fun and Profit adventure module placed in the Kingdom of Tyrnabay in the World of Cartyrion.
Specific game mechanics and statblocks contained in this adventure make use of the Laurels & Loot TTRPG rule system - a system currently still in development by the author. However, attempts will be made to provide sufficiently generic descriptions of locations, NPCs and encounters so as to be easily adaptable to any other fantasy TTRPG system.
The remainder of this text is for Gamemaster eyes only!
Stop here if you are a Player.
Arriving at the Sweetwater Docks
When you were recruited for the archaeological expedition, you were told to report to the town of Sweetwater and seek out Captain Wavedance and the lakeship called the Lakeracer for transport to the expedition base camp.
Arriving in Sweetwater you find a remarkably well-kept town of obvious wealth. You may not have been to this town before, but you know of it. It is the largest town in the county that shares its name. The spires of Crestrider Manor, the home of Count Walton Crestrider can be seen peeking above the trees on a hilltop north of the road into town. Villas of retired wealthy merchants and privateers dotting the countryside surround the town proper, and the high road is lined with stone townhouses that exude the prosperity of their residents.
The town is bustling with activity; everyone is preoccupied with the impending wedding of the Count's daughter. It seems that all of the merchants and tradesfolk in town have things to prepare, and the "Folk of Leisure" strolling the streets are discussing everything from what the bride will be wearing to the political ramifications of the marriage to the king's fourth son. It sounds like the wedding feast, scheduled for three days hence, will be quite a spectacle! You're not invited, of course, and even if you were, you're due to sail at dawn tomorrow.
Heading to the docks, you find the berth of the Lakeracer, the two-masted schooner that will carry you to your new job as a member of Marquis Spikeberry's archaeological expedition. But you arrive at amid some sort of confusion and dismay. Captain Wavedance, a Felisean whose rapidly twitching tail belies her obvious annoyance explains that some vital supplies have not yet arrived. They're at least a day overdue, and she won't sail without them. In frustration, she exclaims to you,
"Ye're the Adventurers... Now's as good a time as any to start earning yer pay. Stow ye're gear and then get out there. See if ye can find what happened to Lord Spikeberry's precious cargo, and bring it back so we can be off."
Arriving in Sweetwater you find a remarkably well-kept town of obvious wealth. You may not have been to this town before, but you know of it. It is the largest town in the county that shares its name. The spires of Crestrider Manor, the home of Count Walton Crestrider can be seen peeking above the trees on a hilltop north of the road into town. Villas of retired wealthy merchants and privateers dotting the countryside surround the town proper, and the high road is lined with stone townhouses that exude the prosperity of their residents.
The town is bustling with activity; everyone is preoccupied with the impending wedding of the Count's daughter. It seems that all of the merchants and tradesfolk in town have things to prepare, and the "Folk of Leisure" strolling the streets are discussing everything from what the bride will be wearing to the political ramifications of the marriage to the king's fourth son. It sounds like the wedding feast, scheduled for three days hence, will be quite a spectacle! You're not invited, of course, and even if you were, you're due to sail at dawn tomorrow.
Heading to the docks, you find the berth of the Lakeracer, the two-masted schooner that will carry you to your new job as a member of Marquis Spikeberry's archaeological expedition. But you arrive at amid some sort of confusion and dismay. Captain Wavedance, a Felisean whose rapidly twitching tail belies her obvious annoyance explains that some vital supplies have not yet arrived. They're at least a day overdue, and she won't sail without them. In frustration, she exclaims to you,
"Ye're the Adventurers... Now's as good a time as any to start earning yer pay. Stow ye're gear and then get out there. See if ye can find what happened to Lord Spikeberry's precious cargo, and bring it back so we can be off."
The "precious cargo" is two casks of Fuilmilis, a particularly rare and fine port wine imported from far-off Fey Point in the Grand Duchy of Elvenpass. This is a luxury that Marquis Wyrdswyrth Spikeberry simply cannot live without. Rumors are that the Marquis was on another "expedition" a few years ago, and his supply-master failed to deliver this wine on time. The Marquis saw to it that the poor merchant's career was never successful again, and Captain Wavedance has no intention of suffering the same fate.
Map of the Town of Sweetwater
Tracking the Teamsters
Captain Wavedance of the Lakeracer will inform the party that arrangements for delivery of their supplies is always handled by the firm of Glendicoot and Flindwhistler, but the best place to start would be the Sweetwater Customs House.The Customs House
The Sweetwater Customs House is managed by Traggana Hornsby, a middle-aged female half-orc known to everyone who has trade business in town as a gruff, but fair-minded individual. A stickler for organization and proper procedure, she prides herself on ensuring that every parcel that passes through her customs house finds its way to its proper destination -- unless it's contraband of some sort.
The Customs House is a bustle of activity, and Traggana is extremely busy. She makes it pretty clear that she doesn't have time to converse with a gaggle of would-be Adventurers or the queries of any dockworker, captain or no. But if the name of Marquis Spikeberry is mentioned, the party will instantly get her attention. It will take her several minutes - and more than a few curses muttered under her breath - to find the records, but she will be able to confirm that two casks of Fuilmilis were indeed imported, and the account of the Marquis properly debited to cover the tariff. Teamsters from Glendicoot and Flindwhistleer brought the shipment in and then presumably took it to their dockside warehouse for delivery.
The Warehouse of Glendicoot and Flindwhistler
The Customs House seemed busy, but the degree of activity in the warehouse of Glendicoot and Flindwhistler was far more intense - and chaotic. Hand carts and horse-drawn wagons were lined up outside waiting their turn to be processed. Inside, goods were being taken off carts and dumped into haphazard piles by one group of workers while another group retrieved the goods and loaded them onto other carts and wagons. A few of these exited toward the docks, but most headed back out into the town.
Any laborers that are approached will simply point to a foreperson without even looking at the party members. Any foreperson approached will likewise seem to ignore the interruption of the party, but will - in between shouting orders to the laborers - tell the group that they need to speak with Master Flintwhistler. If the party is simply asking something like "who's in charge", they won't discern any sort of reaction from laborers or foreperson. If, however, they explicitly mention the two casks of Fuilmilis, there is a chance (AWA check at DC14) that party members will notice a slight hesitation or flash of awareness across the face of the foreperson before they're told to seek out the owner.
Nartibrane Flindwhistler is the brains behind the daily operation of the firm. He is also the one that is always on the lookout for a way to make a bit more profit. While his partner, Hallifrazzle Glendicoot, is one of the most honest folk that the party will ever meet, Nartibrane is not beyond an occasional shady deal if there's money to be made. But Nartibrane is also the more politically astute of the pair, and generally wouldn't do anything to upset an important customer even if there was financial opportunity. To his mind, there are plenty of opportunities to gain coin at the expense of some lesser merchant or foppish resident of this town that couldn't do much harm to the company if discovered.
This is why Nartibrane's recent "business decision" waas so unusual. Marquis Spikeberry is, next to the king, most likely the wealthiest noble in the kingdom - and such wealth in Tyrnabay means the ability to seek retribution for misbehavior in rather unpleasant ways. But the local noble, Count Crestrider, had made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Count Crestrider had noticed the two distinctive casks on a visit to the Customs House to see about other wedding-related shipments. He asked after them, and when he was told they belonged to Marquis Spikeberry, the count mumbled something about the Marquis being rude and declining his invitation to the wedding, followed by more mumbling about the casks being an "appropriate wedding gift".
Count Crestrider had noticed the two distinctive casks on a visit to the Customs House to see about other wedding-related shipments. He asked after them, and when he was told they belonged to Marquis Spikeberry, the count mumbled something about the Marquis being rude and declining his invitation to the wedding, followed by more mumbling about the casks being an "appropriate wedding gift".
It was with a bit of trepidation eased only by the amount of coin dropped into his hands that persuaded Nartibrane to ensure the casks were delivered to the Count for the wedding instead of to the Lakeracer.
The party will need to be quite persuasive - or threatening - to get Nartibrane to admit to this, but even a little pressure will make him behave in a manner that makes it obvious he knows what happened to the casks. With the right incentives, he will eventually confess, and then call in a foreperson - the one the party originally approached - to find out how the casks were dealt with. The party will be told that they were sent to the manor house and delivered into its wine cellar three days ago.
Crestrider Manor
The manor house is well defended, but - fortunately for the party - is not the venue for the upcoming wedding. Large pavilion tents currently being erected near the manor's private docks suggest it wiill be an outdoor affair. If the party observes for a while, they will see wagons arriving with planks, frames, and benches to erect tables and seating beneath one of the huge tents. Smaller tents were being outfitted with more tables; some at the edges of the activity zone were having small stone ovens and roasting pits erected. Occasionally, servants or laborers scurried between manor and thee party site carrying bundles of linens, stacks of plates, and trays of goblets and tankards.The goblets and tankards were being brought to one of three satellite pavilions where kegs were arrayed on frames set behind a serving tables. Taps and hammers lay on the tables. The casks were of several sizes, no doubt the largest were filled with ale or perhaps mead; the smallest (no more than a foot or so in height) were of the type that commonly held strong spirits. Others were sized somewhere in between.
There are two armed folk, liveried in what the party presumes to be Count Crestrider's colors, standing guard over eacn of the "tavern tents". A few others are scattered about the site as well. The party can count 12 guards in all, plus one whose fanciful helmet plume marks him as some sort of guard leader. If the party conceals itself and watches for some time, they will find the guards remain posted into the night as well.
Obtaining the Casks
It should be pretty easy for the party to get to the point where they know that the casks were obtained by Count Crestrider, and they currently reside somewhere on the manor grounds. The main thrust of this adventure - and the portion that should be alloted the most time to complete - is the part where the party tries to figure out how to actually get their hands on the goods and get them safely back to the Lakeracer.There are several ways the party could attempt to locate and liberate the two casks:
If the party reaches the dock where the Lakeracer is moored, they will find the ship ready to sail the instant the casks and party are aboard. Crew are ready to cast off mooring ropes and get underway, and any pursing guards will not be able to do anything to stop them. Reaching the ship with the casks is the "success condition" for the adventure.
Aftermath and Further Adventures
If this adventure is being used as an introduction to a larger campaign, there could, of couse, be consequences depending on how the party solved it. If they were detected as stealing the casks, and if the guards succeed in tracking them to the Lakeracer, the Count will eventually be able to determine that Marquis Spikeberry managed to retrieve his goods. This means more rivalry - if not hatred - between the two nobles.Whether or not the recovery can be tied to the Marquis, the party themselves may be marked as thieves - and hence no longer welcome - in Sweetwater. Their eventual return from the archaeological expedition might mean confrontation with the city watch and Count Crestrider.
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