Introduction
This adventure is intended for one player and one DM, and it can start dynamically after a player is introduced to the Harborside Conspiracy. In a campaign with more than one PC, one can separate from the party and complete the adventure during downtime.
Running the Adventure
Machinations at Harborside is a short adventure intended for one character of 5th level or higher. This adventure revolves around a syndicate called the Harborside Conspiracy, the headquarters of which are located in Gullenshire. Gullenshire is the smallest and most prosperous port city of Hoverncast, the west coast of Durn. You can run the adventure during downtime, where one player could separate from a party without much consequence.
Part 1: A Nightly Cruise
The adventure begins when a player enters a tavern in Gullenshire. When their drink arrives, a folded note will be stuck under the bottom of the glass. If the player doesn’t order a drink, they will get an ale on the house. The note reads:
Your presence is requested at harborside tonight after dusk. Please arrive unarmed and make sure you are not accompanied by anyone, a boat will await you at the last platform. Your phrase is, “I like to go fishing by the moonlight.” Burn this note after reading.
If the player doesn’t realize this note is from the Harborside Conspiracy, ask them to make a DC 10 Intelligence check. On success, they will deduct this from the phrasing. As the player makes their way to the docks, ask them to make a Wisdom (Perception) check to make sure they’re not being followed.
No one seems to follow you as you make your way to the docks, maintaining a casual manner. As it’s starting to get dark, the sunset slowly fades away and the stars begin to appear in the sky. The docks are lit by lanterns along the way and the wood creaks under your step as you reach the last platform, where a small boat is indeed waiting for you. In the boat you see a small individual whose face you can’t make out from this distance. There’s room for exactly one more person on the boat.
When the player approaches the boat, they will be greeted by a halfling. He will be wearing fisherman’s clothes and there will be fishing equipment on the boat. He will say, “It’s a bit late for wandering around the harbor, isn’t it?” If the player will reply with their secret phrase, the halfling will say, “Then join me, friend. You can call me Renus.”
You step onto the boat and sit down in front of Renus. He unties the knot connecting the boat to the dock and starts rowing. You both sit in silence as he takes you far from the harbor, and away from peering eyes and ears. As you sail into the night, the moonlight flickers in the gentle waves of the ocean that rock the boat from side to side, and in the middle of nowhere, the rowing comes to a stop.
“Well now,” he says, “”
Appendix A
The Harborside Conspiracy
The Harborside Conspiracy is a syndicate based in Gullenshire, a port city in Hoverncast. It is composed of operatives that gather information undercover and work to gain political leverage within the city. They don’t get caught because they rarely do anything illegal, and when they do, they rely on their best operatives to do the job.
They exchange information for coin, use information to blackmail powerful individuals, and obtain information through every means you could imagine. They communicate in code, and most operatives don’t know each other. the Harborside Conspiracy has eyes and ears everywhere, and they even use magic to spy on activity in certain places.
the Harborside Conspiracy has begun to cover more area, sending operatives to different cities in Hoverncast. The problem is that that as it expands, its operatives are spread thin. At the moment, they are looking to recruit, and every single operative is extremely valuable.