Brazen Wolfe Tabletop

The Vipers Smile

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The party arrived in Imgard, weary from the road, lured by whispers of an opportunity suited to their talents. Whether slipping through merchant gates or braving the city’s seedy underbelly, they quickly grasped the harsh truth—coin dictated survival. Towering structures and golden-lit markets painted a scene of wealth and deception, where promises were as fleeting as the wind. Seeking discretion, they found themselves at the Wonky Mule, a tavern steeped in the scent of roasted meat and ale, where conversation swirled in a tangled mess of traders, mercenaries, and thieves.

Over two days, familiar faces emerged—an old storyteller spinning tales of lost glory, the battle-scarred bartender twins keeping order, and a finely dressed stranger sinking into a rigged card game among dubious company. Then, a cloaked figure stumbled near the party’s table, dropping a peculiar coin before vanishing upstairs. Recognizing the signal, the party followed into the shadows above, where secrecy reigned over promptness. Climbing the loudest stairs they had ever encountered, they soon found another of the strange coins beneath a door and knocked, stepping into a dimly lit room.

Within, the ragged figure before them shed his disguise, revealing himself as Lace, a Harper tracking the city’s disappearances. His grim tale unfolded: suspected abductors had been found dead, yet their likenesses continued appearing across Imgard and beyond. The Harpers, compromised by their notoriety, needed outsiders—neutral eyes that the infiltrators wouldn’t recognize. As the party left, a fleeting moment of unease gripped them when they locked eyes with a pale-faced figure descending the stairs, his passage eerily silent despite the groaning wood beneath their own steps.

Tracking the stranger through the dim-lit streets, the party watched as he slipped into a building. Listening in, they heard his hushed words—recruitment for fresh infiltrators, replacing those whose usefulness had expired. Yet, as his voice shifted, its masculine edge dissolving into something unnerving, the party peered through a window and barely contained their shock. His human face melted away, revealing the unmistakable serpentine features of a Yuan-ti. The realization struck hard—this infiltration ran deeper than they had feared. Before they could retreat, hulking figures stepped from the shadows, and the door creaked open. There would be no easy way out.

The Yuan-ti sought only blood, hoping to kill the party and assume their identities, but they had not accounted for their strength. The battle was swift, decisive, and left no witnesses. Within the room, a hidden compartment revealed parchment detailing infiltration efforts, key targets, and—most crucially—a scheduled gathering in the coming nights. With fresh intelligence and a semblance of a plan, the party disposed of the bodies and set their sights on Imgard Sanctum, where the city’s fallen heroes were honoured. But upon arrival, the guardians greeted them not in common tongue but with a hiss, allowing them entry. Beneath the glow of the fountain, they saw the unsettling reality—dozens of infiltrators moving with casual ease, their chatter masking coded exchanges. And when a group approached them, a wave of unease washed over the party, their instincts warning them that something was deeply wrong.

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PDF adventure – The Vipers Smile

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