10 // The Flame Emerges as Chaos Unflods

A Quiet Exit and a Timely Reunion

With their loot secured, the party carefully exits the underground hideout, avoiding the watchful eyes of Zhentarim guards. As they emerge, they encounter Templeton, who has rushed over after reading the note left behind. Now early morning—the day before Longscarf’s trial—the party retreats to Templeton’s home to rest. However, Templeton himself continues on to Adventure Hall to deliver urgent news to Swiftwind.

Enemy Strikes Back: Propaganda & Arrests

Eight hours later, Templeton returns and gathers the party for a noon meeting at Adventure Hall. As they step outside, they find the city alive with tension. A bystander informs them that The Ember Times is reporting on a so-called terrorist group known as "The Flame." The article paints Templeton as the leader, branding him the son of a disgraced father, while vaguely describing the rest of the party members in menacing ways. It accuses the Flame of disrupting Gimble’s community gala, stealing medicine meant for children, and inciting an uprising in the Mercantile District.

The report further alleges that the uprising was instigated by a tavern owner who had uncovered damning evidence against Gimble—the duplicated ledger produced by Scraat. Inspired by the Flame, this individual had rallied others before their public spectacle. Now, he, Balo Luci the tailor, and several others have been arrested.

Frustrated and feeling outmaneuvered, Scraat impulsively begins collecting newspapers from doorsteps, overwhelmed by the power of misinformation.

Templeton, shocked by the tavern owner’s arrest, impulsively suggests breaking them out of jail. However, Fert calms him, emphasizing the need for strategy and discretion. Chappy proposes using the newly acquired magic brooms and carpet for a concealed flight to Adventure Hall. Meanwhile, Smurk remains detached from the unfolding drama.

The Flame Takes Flight

The party departs—Fert, Scraat, and Templeton on the magic carpet, with Chappy and Smurk riding brooms. As they soar over the Adventure District, Scraat, in an act of both defiance and acceptance, throws the newspapers into the air.

Templeton, aghast at the littering, scrambles to catch them mid-air. Smurk, misinterpreting the act as theatrical flair, sets the airborne newspapers ablaze. Suddenly, their once-stealthy flight turns into a public spectacle.

Like a shapeshifting artisit, Chappy swiftly casts a series of spells and uses his disguise-making talents to transform the party’s appearance into an aerial stunt performance, a supposed celebration of the Archfey’s arrival. As Templeton reaches off the carpet to snatch the burning newspapers, Chappy’s magic envelops the group from head to tail.

Dangling precariously, Templeton locks eyes with a group of schoolchildren below. Expecting ridicule, he instead hears a chorus of cheers—"Fey Ember’s Flame, fight on!" The moment is brief, quickly fading as Chappy’s illusion fully takes hold, shrouding the party as they make their concealed approach to Adventure Hall.

A Meeting of Strategy and Revelation

Upon arrival, the Flame is ushered into the war room—a chamber dominated by a long table marked with a regional map of Fey Ember. Mayor Basil Scrambleton sits at the head, flanked by Councilmember Chester Swiftwind, Captain Lionel Lightfoot, and members of the Inner Guard. A new figure is introduced: Bellamy Shash, a commander of the elite Purple Dragon Knights from Cormyr.

The party is jokingly welcomed as the now-infamous Flame, but Swiftwind quickly shifts the tone, demanding the meeting begin. The following topics are then discussed: