The Dockmaster's Theft
The Dockmaster's Theft
The adventurers are hired by the Dock Authority to recover a stolen ledger containing the names of corrupt officials, taken by gnomish smugglers working for a mysterious crime lord. A tense negotiation at the Wailing Wyvern tavern descends into combat, forcing the party to navigate both sword and cunning to retrieve the ledger before the smugglers can smuggle it out of Athkatla via the docks.
Read Aloud
The stench of salt and tar hangs thick over the Athkatla docks as you approach the Dock Authority's limestone warehouse. A weathered human in merchant's finery—Dockmaster Merrick—paces nervously near the entrance, his knuckles white around a ledger. When he spots you, relief floods his face. He pulls you into a side office where three crates of Sembian wine block the window, and his voice drops to an urgent whisper: a ledger containing the names of officials on his payroll—people keeping the dock taxes low in exchange for coin—was stolen three nights ago by the Copper Rats, gnomish smugglers. If that ledger reaches the wrong hands before he can recover it, it won't just be his bribes exposed; his family will be marked for retribution.
Description
Merrick's office is cramped and deliberately shielded from public view. Wooden furniture bears the scars of decades of use; a desk stacked with manifests occupies the north wall. A loose stone beneath the desk conceals Merrick's personal coin purse (50 gp). Outside, dock workers haul cargo and shout orders. Merrick will offer 75 gp immediately and another 75 gp upon successful recovery of the ledger—total 150 gp. He knows the Copper Rats plan to hand off the ledger to a mysterious "Caravan Master" at the Wailing Wyvern tavern (a seedier establishment in the Docks Quarter) this very evening at dusk. He cannot go himself without drawing attention.
DM Notes
DC 12 Insight (Wisdom) check to detect that Merrick is deeply afraid, suggesting powerful people are after him. DC 13 Investigation (Intelligence) check to notice the loose stone and coins. The party might probe Merrick's ethics—reward clever questioning with additional details: the ledger was kept in his office (DC 10 Investigation suggests it was likely inside the locked desk), and the gnomes would need a fast way out of the city. The dusk deadline creates time pressure. Merrick will not follow the party or help directly but can provide a rough description of the Copper Rats' leader: a female gnome named Spry Copperkettle with a scar over her left eye and a fondness for tinny laughter.
Read Aloud
The Wailing Wyvern is a ramshackle tavern wedged between a rope-maker's shop and a boarded-up window. Its sign—a faded red wyvern with one wing torn away—creaks in the sea breeze. Inside, the air is thick with pipe smoke and the sharp tang of spilled ale. A fireplace dominates the western wall, its stones blackened by a century of soot. The bar runs the length of the eastern side, and five wooden tables fill the common room. The patrons are rough folk: dock workers, sailors on shore leave, and the occasional scarred cutthroat. A back door near the kitchen presumably leads to a storage cellar or alley. At a corner table beneath a salt-stained porthole, you spot four gnomes in leather armor, speaking in hushed tones. One of them—a scarred female with sharp eyes and a nervous laugh—matches Merrick's description of Spry Copperkettle.
Description
The Wailing Wyvern is a dive bar designed for illicit dealings. The common room has poor lighting (provided by the fireplace and a few oil lamps), offering shadowed alcoves. The floor is warped pine, sticky with decades of spilled drink. The gnomes are positioned defensively: Spry sits with her back to the corner, flanked by two gnome thugs; a fourth gnome (Fidget, her lieutenant) keeps watch near the back door. DC 12 Perception (Wisdom) reveals the gnomes are occasionally glancing at a ledger on the table between them—confirming this is the target. If the party approaches openly, the gnomes will attempt negotiation first (they don't want a tavern brawl, but are prepared for one). The bartender (a gruff dwarf named Thorin) will call for the town guard if violence escalates, arriving in 3 rounds. This pressure should encourage tactical thinking rather than pure combat.
DM Notes
Approach options: (1) Direct negotiation — Spry is willing to sell the ledger for 200 gp if the party offers it openly (DC 13 Persuasion). Spry will not reveal the Caravan Master's identity, only that the handoff is in one hour at the Eastern Docks. (2) Deception — A DC 14 Deception check convinces Spry the party is mercenaries hired by the Caravan Master to retrieve the ledger. If successful, she'll hand it over. (3) Violence — Combat erupts; use Encounter 1. The party can also attempt a stealth approach to pickpocket the ledger (DC 14 Sleight of Hand), but failure alerts the gnomes immediately. If the ledger is recovered peacefully, Spry will provide a warning: "The Caravan Master doesn't take kindly to broken deals." This is a hook for Encounter 2 or the conclusion.
Read Aloud
The Eastern Docks stretch into twilight, a sprawling maze of timber warehouses, cargo cranes, and moored merchant vessels. The smell of the sea mingles with fish and tar. Your breath mists in the cooling air as you approach the meeting point—a narrow alley between two warehouses marked by a faded anchor carved into the warehouse wall. As you round the corner, you see four cloaked figures emerge from the shadows ahead. The tallest pulls back her hood, revealing a scarred half-orc woman with cold intelligence in her eyes. Behind her, three hooded mercenaries draw curved scimitars. "I don't know who you are," she says, her voice like grinding stone, "but Spry Copperkettle does not keep her deals. That ledger belongs to me now. Step aside, and you live to see the sunrise."
Description
The Eastern Docks alley is a dead-end corridor flanked by 40-foot warehouse walls. Wooden crates are stacked haphazardly on either side, providing partial cover (three-quarters cover behind some crates). The ground is slick with salt water and algae (difficult terrain in patches). The Caravan Master (the half-orc woman, named Vex) intends to take the ledger by force if the party does not yield. She has three mercenary allies. If the party has already recovered the ledger peacefully, Vex will attempt to kill them and retrieve it. If the party is still carrying Merrick's original ledger, Vex is unaware and will instead demand they hand it over. This encounter is designed to be a Hard difficulty test of combat and resource management; if the party seems to be winning quickly, Vex will attempt to flee after the first round (using a potion or magic item) to set up a potential sequel hook.
DM Notes
Vex will not negotiate seriously; she is testing the party's resolve. If a PC drops to 0 HP, Vex may offer mercy in exchange for the ledger (non-lethal option). The mercenaries are not fanatical and will surrender or flee if Vex is defeated. Watch for the Wizard's control spells (Web, Hold Person) and the Druid's concentration abilities; provide enemies that can counter these (melee mercenaries to disrupt casters, ranged attacks to divide party attention). The Paladin's Lay on Hands and Channel Divinity should be tempting to use; plan for resource attrition before the final confrontation. If the party defeats Vex and loots her body, they find a map fragment hinting at further crimes (optional hook for follow-up sessions).
Monsters
Tactics
Spry attempts to flee toward the back door on her first turn if she takes more than 5 damage, using her Cunning Action to Disengage. The Gnome Thugs flank isolated party members and attempt Sneak Attack when they have advantage. Fidget moves between the common room and back door, denying the party an easy exit route. If Spry escapes, the remaining gnomes will surrender or flee. Spry will use her hand crossbow to attack from range and will not engage melee unless forced. The gnomes target the Wizard and Druid first, recognizing spellcasters as threats.
Terrain
The common room is cramped (the five tables limit movement), and the bar runs along the eastern wall. Oil lamps hang from the ceiling, providing dim light. The fireplace (western wall) provides bright light in a 10-foot radius. The back door is 30 feet from the party's entry point, behind the bar. Tables provide half cover. Broken glass and spilled ale make some areas difficult terrain (DC 10 Acrobatics check to move through without slipping). The bartender (Thorin the dwarf) will call for the town guard if more than two gnomes are killed; guards arrive in 3 rounds.
Monsters
Tactics
Vex focuses on eliminating the party's spellcasters first (Wizard and Druid), using her mobility to close distance. She uses her action to Multiattack (two scimitar strikes) and her bonus action to Disengage, allowing her to retreat behind crates if needed. The Scimitar Mercenaries are hired swords without loyalty; they will surrender or flee if reduced below 5 HP. Vex will attempt to grapple the party's strongest melee combatant (Barbarian or Paladin) on her second turn, using superior strength to pin them. If Vex is reduced to 10 HP or fewer, she will attempt to flee toward the warehouse wall (using Disengage + dash), creating an opportunity for the party to pursue or let her escape—the latter setting up a sequel.
Terrain
The alley is 20 feet wide and 40 feet long, flanked by 40-foot warehouse walls. Wooden crates (three-quarters cover) are stacked along both walls. The ground is slick with salt water and algae in patches; these areas count as difficult terrain (DC 10 Acrobatics to move through at full speed). The alley dead-ends at the eastern warehouse wall. A small window (5 feet high, 10 feet up the eastern wall) offers a potential escape route for small creatures. The Northern warehouse wall has a loading dock 15 feet up, accessible via a ladder for anyone making a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. Darkness descends fully during combat; the party can use torches or darkvision, but the enemies cannot see well. This gives ranged attackers disadvantage on attack rolls against targets more than 30 feet away.
A leather-bound ledger containing detailed records of bribes, payments, and the names of 14 dock officials on Merrick's payroll. The ledger also contains sketches and notes pointing toward the Caravan Master's involvement in a wider criminal syndicate. The ledger is worth 150 gp to Dockmaster Merrick (his promised reward) and potentially invaluable to the authorities if turned over to the City Watch—though doing so would expose Merrick's corruption.
A silver ring with a polished onyx stone, capable of protecting the wearer's thoughts from telepathic intrusion and divination magic. Uncommon magical item. If Spry is defeated, this ring can be looted from her body. Value: 250 gp.
A torn piece of parchment found on Vex's person, depicting a warehouse location along the Sword Coast and cryptic notes about 'the shipment' and 'a buyer in Luskan.' This fragment hints at ongoing criminal operations and serves as a hook for future adventures. Non-magical but valuable for information.
If the party defeats the gnomes and/or mercenaries in combat, they recover approximately 45 gp in mixed coinage, plus leather armor (worth 10 gp each piece, 3 pieces available if all mercenaries are looted).
Story Hooks
Recovery of the ledger leads to a moral dilemma: does the party return it to Merrick (receiving their 150 gp reward but allowing a corrupt official to remain in power) or turn it over to the City Watch (earning the gratitude of law enforcement and potential future connections, but losing Merrick's coin)? Vex's survival hints at ongoing criminal expansion in Athkatla; the map fragment suggests further investigation into contraband smuggling operations along the Sword Coast. If Spry survives, she may approach the party later as an information broker or alternative employer, creating a recurring contact.
Conclusion
Wrap Up
With the ledger recovered and the immediate threats neutralized, the party returns to Dockmaster Merrick at the warehouses. If they have the ledger, Merrick pays them their promised 150 gp and expresses profound gratitude, offering to assist them with future dock-related favors or information about Athkatla's underworld. Merrick mentions that the Caravan Master's true identity and base of operations remain unknown—a lingering mystery. The party can spend the evening celebrating their victory at a tavern of their choosing, or immediately report the ledger to the City Watch (Cormyrean authorities) in exchange for potential future opportunities and the gratitude of law enforcement."
Cliffhanger
As the party departs Merrick's warehouse with their reward, a cloaked figure watches from the shadows of a nearby shipping container. The figure is tall, moves with predatory grace, and bears the scent of smoke and steel. If the party glances back, they catch only a glimpse of a scarred profile before the figure withdraws into darkness—Vex, if she escaped, or a new agent of the Caravan Master's criminal network, marking the party as either valuable assets or future obstacles to be removed.
Next Session Hooks
- Investigate the Caravan Master's true identity and base of operations within Athkatla's criminal underworld, potentially leading to larger organized crime syndicates threatening the city's stability.
- Pursue the leads on Vex's map fragment regarding the 'shipment' headed to Luskan—a longer journey that could expand the campaign's scope beyond Athkatla.
- Follow up with Spry Copperkettle if she escaped, negotiating with her as an information broker or discovering her involvement in other criminal ventures that intersect with the party's goals.
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