04 // Templeton joins the party and discovers his city is under threat

As the party prepared to leave the Mayor’s office, Templeton P. Hedgepaw burst into the room, eager to offer his help. The young Harengon introduced himself as the son of an Outer Force officer currently on an expedition and expressed his determination to serve Fey Ember. The Mayor, clearly accustomed to Templeton’s frequent visits, instructed him to escort the party to Adventure Hall to meet Councilmember Chester Swiftwind.

The Purple Thread On the way to Adventure Hall, Smurk, still weakened and perched on Fert’s shoulders while clutching the onyx shard, spotted a translucent purple thread weaving through the city streets. He alerted the group, and they decided to follow it. The thread led them to a small stone building—a weather-protected sewer entrance. Before descending, Smurk handed the shard to Chappy and immediately felt relief.

The Sewer Skirmish The party ventured deep into the sewer system and soon heard an orc guard nearby. Smurk sent his familiar, Deathwing, to scout, but a magical spasm startled the bat and alerted the guard. The orc bellowed for reinforcements, but the party reacted swiftly:

• Templeton impaled the orc with a surprise spear attack.

• Fert used a thorn whip to drag the orc headfirst into the sewer channel.

• Chappy fired a critical shot to the orc’s posterior, delivering the killing blow.

The sound of another guard approaching from the stairwell prompted the party to reposition. Templeton braced himself at the base of the stairs. When the orc charged down, Templeton struck with surgical precision, his spear slicing into the Achilles tendon and sending the orc tumbling. He quickly followed up with a series of thrusts that finished the enemy.

The party inspected the orcs and discovered they wore simple clothing to conceal their identities. However, both bore brands identical to Smurk’s.

Mercantile District's Plot Deeper in the sewer, Fert carried Smurk on his shoulders while Smurk warged into Deathwing to scout ahead. The familiar found a locked door and overheard a conversation further down the hall. Creeping closer, Deathwing spied a Harengon representative of the Mercantile District negotiating with two orcs. The discussion revealed:

1. The Mercantile District had hired a mercenary group to unseat Fey Ember’s leadership.

2. The orcs provided goods to help fund the operation.

   
   

Templeton, enraged by the betrayal of a fellow Harengon, controlled his emotions and opted to strategize rather than act impulsively. The party prepared an ambush outside the storage room where the trade goods were kept, anticipating the Mercantile representative and the orcs would pass through.

The Ambush

The party executed their plan flawlessly:

• Deathwing ignited the room with dragon breath.

• Fert cast Wither and Bloom, draining the orcs’ vitality.

• Chappy followed up with Hideous Laughter, incapacitating the orcs with uncontrollable mirth.

  
  

The orcs burned and withered, dying amidst wild laughter. The Harengon representative hesitated, weighing his options, before lunging at Fert. Fert dodged the attack with ease.

Confronting Longscarf

Templeton stepped from the shadows and shouted, “Right Paw Longscarf!” The cry stopped the Harengon cold. Longscarf lowered his hands, realizing he had been exposed, and sneered. “Stupid bunny,” he spat, leveling the insult at Templeton.

Templeton, deeply offended (as calling a Harengon a “bunny” is a grave insult), declared himself a proud Hedgepaw, loyal to Fey Ember. Longscarf, recognizing the Hedgepaw name as belonging to a famed Outer Force commander, called Templeton a cowardly traitor.

Sensing the tension, Chappy cast a spell to compel Longscarf to surrender. Fert guided the subdued Longscarf into a secure room and tied his hands.

The Storage Room The party opened the storage room and discovered chests containing rare magical items and another onyx shard. With their mission complete, they decided to take Longscarf to Councilmember Chester Swiftwind for further questioning.