Brazen Wolfe Tabletop

The Arcane Vessel

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The party’s quiet moment at the bar took a sudden turn when an unfamiliar coin caught their attention. A green-and-copper piece of unusual shape gleamed under the lantern light, drawing their focus in an almost unnatural way. Their trance was broken by the voice of a charismatic but sharp-eyed stranger, who questioned the coin’s origin. The party’s uncertain response only widened his grin, revealing that the artifact was no ordinary piece of currency—it matched one said to be locked away in the king’s vaults. And with the vault found emptied earlier that day, the coin’s presence in their possession had sealed their fate.

The atmosphere shifted as whispers spread through the inn, patrons quickly excusing themselves to avoid trouble. The bounty hunters made their intentions clear – they had no personal vendetta, only a mission to claim a reward. With their presence now unwelcome, the party was forced to make a difficult choice. Fighting would break the law and only raise their bounty, while leaving quietly meant walking into an uncertain fate. As they stepped onto the streets, they knew confrontation was inevitable. The only question was whether they wanted to win or simply survive.

Outside, the city murmured with unease. The bounty hunter Jet had escaped, but his pursuit was far from over. Rumors clung to the party like smoke, marking them as criminals despite their innocence. As they searched for answers, a lone figure watching them from a nearby alley caught their attention. Instinct drove them to follow, weaving through twisting paths until they arrived in a deserted courtyard. Their quarry, a wiry young man of wealth and cunning, confirmed their fears—they had been framed not for theft, but for possession of something far more valuable. He offered an uneasy alliance, warning that their time to act was limited.

Their pursuer revealed the truth. The king’s vault had never truly been robbed; instead, a noble had manipulated events to retrieve something the party unknowingly carried. A relic, a weapon, a key—their lives had never mattered, only the object they possessed. The bounty hunters were merely pawns sent to exhaust them until the item could be taken easily. The man offered them a choice—flee and survive, stay and be hunted, or work with him to expose the truth. The party hesitated. Trust was scarce, but rejecting this alliance could cost them everything.

Before they could decide, a boy rushed into the courtyard and handed them a note before vanishing into the night. Their new ally, Skall, studied the message with grim certainty – the noble had made their move, no longer needing the party or even Skall himself. To clear their names, they had to act fast. Slipping through the castle under the cover of distraction, they navigated its halls, hoping an anonymous warning sent to the king would be enough. But as they arrived at the vault, their worst fears solidified—the great doors lay open, guards unconscious on the floor, and the truth of what was taken waiting inside.

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PDF adventure – The Arcane Vessel

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