The Gilded Auction Heist
The Gilded Auction Heist
The party is hired to steal a powerful artifact—the Beacon of Eternal Vigilance—from an auction house in Ghirapur during a gala where the city's elite have gathered. What begins as a straightforward heist becomes complicated when they discover the artifact's previous owner was murdered, and the current "buyer" is a planar horror posing as a merchant prince. The party must decide: complete the heist to prevent a catastrophe, or expose the truth to the authorities.
Read Aloud
You push through the double doors of the Skyship Tavern and are immediately hit with the clang of gears, the hiss of steam valves, and the smell of roasted nuts and expensive ale. Above you, the tavern's vaulted ceiling opens to the sky of Ghirapur, where airships dock at gleaming mooring poles. The place is crowded with merchants, artificers, and a few shadowy figures who avoid the lamplight. In the far corner, a tiefling woman sits alone at a table draped in deep purple silk, a single glass of wine untouched in front of her. She watches you with the focused intensity of someone used to getting what they want—and paying handsomely for it.
Description
This is the opening scene. The party meets their patron, Lyra Ashford, a wealthy merchant broker who has orchestrated the entire heist. She explains the job with careful precision: the artifact "Beacon of Eternal Vigilance" is being auctioned tonight at the Gilded Volt, the city's most exclusive auction house. It's a legitimate acquisition for her purposes—or so she claims—but acquiring it through normal channels will take too long. She's willing to pay 800 gold pieces upfront and another 1,200 gold pieces upon delivery. The artifact is locked in a secured vault behind the auction block. Lyra provides detailed floor plans of the building, the schedule of the gala, and the names of key security personnel. However, she's oddly evasive about why she needs the artifact and won't answer direct questions about its purpose. If pressed, she simply says: "The less you know, the safer you'll be." The party can gather information about the Beacon, the auction house, or Lyra herself if they perform Insight checks or social investigation.
DM Notes
This is a social scene designed to establish the heist's scope and tone. Let the party ask questions and roleplay negotiation. For Insight checks (DC 12): Lyra is genuinely concerned about something—her hands are steady but her aura projects anxiety. For Investigation or social checks about the Beacon (DC 13): The artifact was once owned by a prominent artificer named Kess Orinn, who died under mysterious circumstances three weeks ago. The artifact disappeared for two weeks before resurfacing on the black market and being seized for auction. High rolls (DC 15) reveal rumors that Kess's death was not natural. For checks about the Gilded Volt (DC 14): It's one of the most secure buildings in Ghirapur, with 12 guards on rotation, magical wards, and a reputation for never having been successfully robbed. This is good for building tension. The party should leave this scene with blueprints, security knowledge, and a sense that something isn't quite right.
Read Aloud
The afternoon sun casts long shadows across Ghirapur's brass-plated streets as you scout the Gilded Volt. The building is a marvel of geometric architecture: a three-story structure of polished white stone and mithral trim, with tall windows that glint like watching eyes. Uniformed guards in crimson-and-gold stand at the main entrance, and you notice the subtle shimmer of arcane wards flickering around the upper floors. Servants in matching livery bustle in and out through a side entrance, carrying floral arrangements and wine crates for tonight's gala. The building seems to vibrate with quiet, expensive importance.
Description
The party has from mid-afternoon until the gala begins at 8 PM to conduct reconnaissance and prepare their approach. They can gather supplies, scout the building's exterior and interior (the auction house has public viewing hours until 5 PM), gather information about staff members, or plan their heist route. Key locations include: (1) The public auction floor on the ground level, where the Beacon will be displayed before being moved to the vault; (2) The vault itself, located in the basement—accessible only via a narrow service corridor that requires either a key, magical knowledge to bypass wards, or stealth; (3) The staff quarters and changing rooms on the second floor; (4) The rooftop, which overlooks the city and has a service ladder leading down to the second-floor balcony. The security layout includes Captain Thorne (see NPC), two rotating patrols on each floor, and a magical alarm system connected to the Ghirapur city guard. This is a puzzle-solving scene where the party's approach matters more than dice rolls. A Rogue can scout ahead and find blind spots. A Bard can gather rumors or social intel. A Paladin can assess guard morale or detect the presence of magical wards. Allow creative solutions.
DM Notes
Lean into the party's class strengths here. The Rogue should feel like they're in their element—offer Stealth checks to identify security blind spots (DC 12 for obvious routes, DC 15 for complex bypasses). The Bard can make Persuasion or Deception checks (DC 13) to learn guard schedules or pose as a vendor. The Paladin can use their Divine Sense to pinpoint magical wards or use Insight (DC 14) to gauge guard alertness. Don't force a specific solution; let them discover that there are multiple ways in: (1) Stealth through the back entrance during servant chaos; (2) Magical bypass of the wards if they've acquired dispel magic or similar; (3) Social infiltration as auction house staff. The vault itself is protected by both a magical lock (dispel magic or a DC 16 Arcana check to understand the mechanism) and a physical lock requiring lockpicks (DC 14 Sleight of Hand). The alarm system can be disabled by cutting the right wire (DC 15 Arcana to identify which one from the main panel in the security office) or by having a caster use counterspell/dispel magic. Plant details that hint at the darker truth: guard chatter about "strange activity near the basement," a notice about Kess Orinn's "mourning period," and the appearance of a well-dressed merchant who arrived early with an unusual aura.
Read Aloud
The Gilded Volt is transformed. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling like captured stars, casting warm light over the auction floor where Ghirapur's elite mingle in silks and jewels. A string quartet plays in the corner. The Beacon of Eternal Vigilance sits on a velvet cushion behind reinforced glass on the auction block—a rod of silvered mithral about eighteen inches long, inscribed with flowing Azorius script, topped with a crystal that pulses with pale blue light. A smooth-voiced auctioneer moves through the crowd with practiced charm, stirring excitement for the night's main lot. As you move through the crowd—some of you in stolen servant uniforms, some mingling as guests—you notice something: a tall, impeccably dressed man in the back, watching the Beacon with an intensity that seems almost hungry. His eyes are wrong somehow—too dark, too reflective, like looking into deep water.
Description
This is the main heist scene, designed to blend roleplay, stealth, skill challenges, and a moral revelation. The party must execute their plan to reach the vault while the gala provides cover and misdirection. There are three parallel challenges: (1) Physical/tactical: navigating the building, bypassing security, and opening the vault (uses Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Arcana); (2) Social: avoiding detection, blending in, or manipulating guards and staff (uses Deception, Persuasion, Performance); (3) Moral: discovering the truth about the Beacon and the mysterious buyer. As the party moves through the building, they should encounter small obstacles and opportunities: a guard patrol they can avoid or distract; a nervous young staff member who can be bribed or intimidated for vault access codes; the security office where the alarm system is maintained. The big reveal happens when they either (A) overhear a conversation between two guards mentioning that the mysterious buyer is "not entirely human" and that Kess Orinn "was killed for refusing to sell the Beacon to him," or (B) the Bard or Rogue witnesses the mysterious buyer briefly dropping his humanoid disguise in the shadows—revealing something eldritch and wrong underneath. If the party reaches the vault successfully, they obtain the Beacon. But now they face a choice: complete the job and hand it over to Lyra (and possibly to this planar entity), or try to prevent its sale and seek answers about what's really happening.
DM Notes
Frame this as a heist with optional consequences. Use the party's chosen approach and let them feel clever. Skill challenges should use their class strengths: Rogue gets advantage on Stealth (DC 12 to pass guards unnoticed); Bard can use Deception to bluff a guard (DC 13); Paladin can use Insight to read people's intentions (DC 14 to sense when guards are growing suspicious). Place the vault at the end of a narrow basement corridor. The magical lock requires either (1) a successful Arcana check (DC 16) to understand the Azorius ward and find the keystone; (2) Dispel Magic cast at 3rd level or higher; or (3) the Rogue using their magical key-intuition (treat as Sleight of Hand, DC 16). The physical lock is DC 14 Sleight of Hand. The alarm system can be disabled from the security office (Arcana DC 15 to identify the right mechanism) or bypassed entirely if they steal the vault key from Captain Thorne. The mysterious buyer (named Therin Vex in Lyra's notes, but actually a Planar Leech—see NPC) should be visible but not directly confrontational during the heist. He's waiting for the Beacon to be auctioned; he doesn't know about the theft yet. This creates tension: will the party grab the artifact before the auction completes? The auction itself moves toward its finale around the time the party should reach the vault, so timing matters. If they're fast, they escape before Therin realizes the Beacon is gone. If they're slow, they encounter him as he's "exiting" the building with his purchase.
Read Aloud
You burst out of the Gilded Volt into Ghirapur's night streets, the Beacon heavy in your possession, alarm bells ringing behind you like an angry god. Guards shout. Footsteps pound on cobblestones. But then the crowd parts, and you see him: the tall man from the auction, now moving with an unsettling fluidity that no human should possess. His eyes glow with an eldritch light, and something writhes in the space around him—something almost invisible, almost hungry. "The Beacon," he says, his voice layered with harmonics that hurt to hear, "was never meant to leave that building." City guard whistles sound from multiple directions. You have minutes, maybe less, to decide: do you run to Lyra with your prize and collect payment, or do you stand and fight this thing—risking the guards, risking arrest, but possibly stopping something far worse?
Description
This is the climactic scene where the party must choose between completing their job or engaging with the moral complexity revealed earlier. They're caught between the city guard, a dangerous planar entity, and a patron who may not have told them the whole truth. If they choose to fight Therin (the Planar Leech), see the "Confrontation with Therin Vex" encounter. If they try to escape with the Beacon toward Lyra, they must make a series of skill checks to evade both the guard and Therin. If they choose to surrender the Beacon to the city guard or attempt to explain the situation, they'll face consequences but may gain allies and discover Lyra's true role. This scene should feel urgent and offer genuine consequences for their choices. There's no "correct" answer—each path leads to different rewards and complications.
DM Notes
This is a branching scene. Provide the party with real options and let them choose. If they fight, proceed to the combat encounter. If they run, give them a chase sequence using the rules in the DMG (DC 12-14 Acrobatics or Stealth to evade pursuers, with complications like having to jump between rooftops or dive into the canal system). If they try to talk or negotiate, allow Insight or Deception checks (DC 14) to buy time or learn more about Therin's nature. If they surrender or seek help from the guard, Captain Thorne will arrive and be skeptical but willing to investigate if presented with evidence. Lyra can be contacted via the sending stone she gave them earlier—and her response will depend on what they choose. If they're running with the Beacon, she'll praise them and tell them to meet her at a safe house (setting up a betrayal or final conversation). If they're fighting Therin, she'll be absent, and they'll learn she was using them as pawns. If they go to the guard, she'll disappear entirely, but they'll later discover she had connections to multiple factions. Play it loose and reactive based on party choice.
Monsters
Tactics
Therin Vex is a powerful aberration that begins combat in his humanoid disguise but will drop it if combat is clearly unavoidable. He opens combat with Eldritch Hex (DC 14 Charisma save, target disadvantage on attack rolls against him for 1 minute) and uses his Reach spell-like ability to create zones of magical interference. He relies on control and positioning over direct damage. If the party seems to be winning, he'll attempt to plane shift away rather than be captured or killed. The City Guards (Captain Thorne + 3 standard guards) will engage any combatant, but Thorne himself will hold back initially to assess the situation. If Therin demonstrates clear supernatural threat, Thorne will switch targets to him. The guards are professional but not zealous—they can be convinced to stand down or focus fire if the party explains the situation convincingly (Persuasion DC 12 after taking damage from Therin or seeing his true form).
Terrain
The encounter takes place in the cobblestone streets outside the Gilded Volt, with buildings lining both sides. There are multiple alleyways and side streets offering escape routes. Streetlamps provide light but cast deep shadows—difficult terrain (rubble, overturned carts) can be created by both sides. The party has knowledge of the local streets; Therin does not. Use this advantage. Weather: clear night, good visibility initially, but an excellent opportunity for the Bard's spell effects or the Rogue's stealth if they can break line of sight.
Monsters
Tactics
This encounter is optional and designed as an early-heist obstacle. Two guards patrol the upper floor of the Gilded Volt while the party is attempting to reach the vault. They're not expecting trouble and are more interested in appearing vigilant than actually being alert. They can be avoided with a successful Stealth check (DC 12), distracted with a Performance or Deception check (DC 11), or bribed with small coin or persuaded with flattery (Persuasion DC 10). If combat occurs, they're lightly trained and will attempt to call for reinforcements (Captain Thorne can arrive in 2 rounds). Combat is a poor choice; this encounter is designed to reward creative solutions and roleplay.
Terrain
The second-floor hallway is a narrow, elegantly decorated corridor with tall windows overlooking the auction floor below. Paintings and statues provide potential cover. A emergency alarm bell is mounted on the wall—if the guards reach it, they can summon reinforcements. The party has the advantage of knowing the floor layout from reconnaissance.
A silvered mithral rod inscribed with Azorius ward-magic, topped with a pale blue crystal that pulses gently. The Beacon is a legendary planar anchor that prevents extradimensional incursions within a mile radius when activated. It requires attunement and a command word (Azorius scholars know this, or the party can learn it from study). Mechanically: grants resistance to damage from aberrations, and at dawn, can detect planar breaches within 1 mile. If attuned by someone good-aligned, it provides advantage on saves against being charmed or frightened.
2,000 gold pieces total: 800 gp paid upfront, 1,200 gp upon delivery of the Beacon. This covers party expenses and provides a substantial reward for a level 4 party.
If the party helps Captain Thorne apprehend or understand the threat posed by Therin Vex, Thorne will offer to mark them as trusted allies of Ghirapur's guard. This grants them advantage on any social interactions with city officials and the ability to call in a favor from Thorne later (such as discreet assistance or a safe house). Additionally, Thorne will pay them 500 gp for the information.
A leather-bound journal belonging to Kess Orinn, the Beacon's original creator, detailing her discovery of Planar Leech entities and her efforts to create the Beacon as a defense against them. The journal contains research notes worth 300 gp to the right scholar and provides clues to other Azorius safeguards across Ghirapur. This item can be sold to collectors or given to the Azorius faction for goodwill and future alliance.
Story Hooks
The Beacon is a powerful artifact but also a target. Factions across Ghirapur now know the party possesses it or has connections to it: the Azorius will seek to ally with them, black market artificers will want to steal it, and other planar entities aligned with Therin might pursue them. The death of Kess Orinn is not fully resolved—was it truly Therin's doing, or is someone else involved? The Gilded Volt's reputation is damaged by the theft, and the party may be wanted for questioning. Lyra's true motives and faction allegiances remain mysterious, potentially leading to future complications or alliance.
Conclusion
Wrap Up
The session concludes with the party either successfully retrieving the Beacon and escaping with Lyra, reaching an understanding with Captain Thorne and the city guard, or engaged in direct conflict with Therin Vex. In any outcome, they've prevented Therin from acquiring the Beacon (at least for now). If they chose to work with the guard, they're hailed as heroes but will face questions from various factions. If they completed the heist for Lyra, she congratulates them professionally and vanishes, leaving them to deal with the aftermath. If they fought Therin and defeated him (or forced him to retreat), they've won a significant victory against an otherworldly threat. The Beacon is now in their possession, and they must decide what to do with it: keep it safe, sell it, or align it with a faction. Life in Ghirapur returns to relative normalcy, but the party has learned that threats in this city run deeper than street-level crime.
Cliffhanger
As the dust settles and the guard begins to restore order, Captain Thorne pulls the party aside. He shows them a burned envelope, barely legible, recovered from an alley near where Therin vanished: it bears the seal of an organization the party has never heard of—a spiraling symbol of a leech consuming itself. Thorne's face is grim. "Whatever that thing was, it wasn't working alone. This insignia... we've seen it three times in the past month. Twice on murdered artificers. Once on a warehouse that burned down. I think you've stepped into something much bigger than a simple heist."
Next Session Hooks
- The Planar Leech conspiracy: Other entities working for or with Therin are operating in Ghirapur, and the party must discover the scope of their network and plans.
- The mystery of Kess Orinn's death: The party may choose to investigate the artificer's murder and uncover her research into planar entities, which could provide crucial knowledge for future conflicts.
- Azorius faction recruitment: The Azorius mages recognize the party's valor in preventing Therin's acquisition of the Beacon and seek to recruit them as agents against extraplanar threats, offering training, resources, and access to forbidden knowledge.
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