Session 1: One Foggy Night at the Eye of the Beholder

It’s 10pm and the fog has long-since rolled into Langwon for the night, like it does almost every night. The moon is full, and shrouded by the fog. The stars are visible only from the highest towers in the city – the stars are for the rich. 

On the edge of Scumtown is The Eye of the Beholder (known locally simply as “the Eye”), a small and cozy tavern. Above the large fireplace  is a huge eye, taken from a Beholder. At one table a group of men is playing cards. At the bar two women, each carrying a longswords, are drinking, talking, and laughing loudly as they enjoy flagons of ale. A beggar goes from table to table with a cup. At one table a woman in a fine red cloak (too fine for this place) speaks quietly and secretively with and older man with a white beard.

The Player characters...

• Debbi Herri, a local musician and urban elf (and known to a few as an authentic bard) has come the Eye and plays with Greenteeth and the Darrels, a fairly terrible music troupe from outside the city walls. Her skill instantly raised the quality and the tip jar begins to fill.
• Young half-elf cleric Simon Templar follows the lady in red to the tavern, having been charged to keep track of her by his superiors.
• Mick Flynn, human thief, out looking for opportunity, notices the out-of-place lady in red going into the Eye. and follows her in out of curiosity.

The beggar successfully begs a few copper from Mick and Simon as Debbi plays on stage and observes the suspicious couple at the table, signaling her suspicion to Vern, the bartender. The lady in red and the old man tell the beggar to fuck off when he approaches them. He apologizes and makes his way out of the tavern. The old man suddenly stands up as if looking for something. He thinks the woman has stolen a scroll from him that he was trying to sell her. "You idiot!" she says "it was the beggar!" They get up to chase the beggar.

All the PCs follow them. Up the street the PCs see the couple has stopped at the entrance to a narrow alley between two buildings, and then follow the thief down there. The three PCs quickly introduce themselves to each other. Debbi and Simon follow the others down the alley, where they see that the beggar, who was obviously a thief, is climbing the side wall of a building, approaches the roof 3 floors up. Seeing this from the street, Mick climbs the building in front of him.

Up on the roof, Mick speaks in Thieves Cant with the thief, who is quite proud of himself. Below, the lady in red leaves the old man, exits the alley, and walks around the building, where the thief drops a small bone scroll case to her. He was working for her!! Debbi and Simon see this. On the roof, the thief takes off.

Simon, who knows the woman is part of evil cult, walks right up to her an uses his Command spell. "GIVE" he says, holding out his hand. She fails a fairly easy saving throw and hands the scroll to him. Realizing he has cast a spell on her, she says "THAT was a mistake" and casts her Chill Touch to attack Simon. However, Debbi has successfully use Vicious Mockery on the woman, now clearly a cleric, and she attacks with disadvantage, missing Simon!

From the roof Mick throws a dagger, hitting the evil priestess. More fighting. Debbi casts Hideous Laughter on the cleric, who again fails a save. The evil cleric falls to the ground laughing hideously and uncontrollably. Simon ties her up and gags her!

End of session. The PCs have captured a 5th level cleric of an evil Anti-Source cult, and have the scroll she sought to acquire. Simon can tell from the runes on the bone case -- it is EVIL.

XP: 150 each (50 for great roleplaying, 50 for clever and bold use of skills and abilities, and 50 for defeating a foe who could have killed them had they not used great teamwork and tactics.

Very interesting session for the DM to run. Not too many D&D games end with enemies still alive.