You are currently located in the coastal City of Saltmarch in the The Grand Duchy of Rhyl. You all met in and left the White Tears Orphanage all at once. You all grew up on the streets supporting each other, keeping a low profile to preserve your independence. Never wanting to join any of the local gangs or groups, you have been repeatedly hired by The Dead Hand syndicate – you have performed well and kept your mouths shut… more important than success in many cases. For this, you have been asked to do another job.

The Setup

You stand in a dimly lit warehouse on the shore of The Emeraldheart – Lake Caolite, in the City of Saltmarch. The smell of freshwater mussels under the floor that juts out over the water is present, along with a distinct lack of anything else. Xavier, your normal contact, makes the sign of greeting, and one of silence – as in “whatever this is, it never happened”.

The Job: He nods and introduces two others – during the conversation they make no ‘cant, and wear nothing that marks them as part of the syndicate. They are Jordan and Dale – obviously not their real names. They mention the appreciated silence and have come to offer you a job. They give you a run down of the basics and you ask questions and trade proposals. In the end, the job pays well for the danger of family politics. You negotiate a fee of 1000 silver crowns each, plus any loot you grab can be liquidated into coins for zero cost. Any survivors divide the half-shares of those who fall along the way. Lastly, if needed, free passage on a ship up the Beyne River west if you need to get away.

The Specifics

The story Behind It: Two rival Old Rhylian family houses in opposition in the capital City of Rhylan and its surroundings. These are mid level families in the political hierarchy. The Lyford family is currently ascendant in an arena of about a half dozen old families. This includes many temporary offices and oversight of lands for taxes. The Passfield family has sought out artifacts from the fallen east for generations, sponsoring adventurers. They have found something, something they claim is such a wondrous gift for the Ducal family that the long standing rivalry will end, they will have lands and power, and intend to raise themselves, and even perhaps send their enemies into exile. The Lyford family has uncovered this plot by the Passfield family and wish to intercept this gift and do the same, perhaps turning some of the temporary power into permanent.

Immediacy Drives the Job: The Lyford family is hiring you, through these two intermediaries – Jordan and Dale. The Passfield family is sending a large band of independent mercenaries to escort the item west. You need to travel swiftly in front of them, break into the facility it’s stored in, secure it (do NOT take the container it is in), and return without being identified, to a rendezvous point in the City of Sheffet.

The Item: The item is a light splitting crystal that sends colored streams all over, amplifies music and supposedly helps healing – definitely a toy for the wealthy. It is said to possibly mount in a music box and wind up to fill an entire ballroom hall with its power.

Defenders: Darkstone Security. The name is familiar to all of you. They are security experts, and known for leaving no one alive to talk against them. They have rented an old villa in Kemethian Station in the County of Dunaine to the east. It is unknown the exact composition of forces there, but at least a dozen and probably more hired help who have no idea what’s going on. The object is being kept there in secret until the mercenary band can secure it and return it to the capital. Go there, get the object, and then go to the City of Sheffet nearby. A message will be waiting at the Thirsty Mare’s Tavern of where to go for the hand-off.