Sessione 5 – Charmed, I’m Sure

The party made their way to Warehouse 7 based on the information they got from Luca. They were looking for Orsini and the shipment of contraband. Gianna was tasked by the Doge with delivering a message to Reza Hosseini, a blue Dragonborn. What an unlikely ally for Venice!  Gianna had been thinking about him ever since she met him. Her affiliation with the Order made for a general distrust of Dragonborn, but he seemed to have some role to play for the Doge. What she wouldn’t have given to have been able to read the message she delivered!

The party approached the warehouse from the west. Nico, Fancy, and Guido went around the south face of the building, while Volpeo went around the north.

To the north, Volpeo found a wide entrance into a courtyard area. He could see many doors, but he couldn’t tell where they went.

To the south, the other three found a small canal with a gondola, a loading dock, and a door. They decided to use the gondola as a platform to get to the other side of the narrow canal, but all they found on the other side was barrels of wine. They connected with Volpeo, as he finished his circuit of the whole building. The party decided to use the northern entrance that Volpeo found, as Nico could see at least two men working with the cargo on the loading dock just inside the southern entrance.

They went around to the front and tried to listen to what was behind the first two doors, but both Nico and Fancy failed. They could tell that this was just the other entrance to the loading dock, so they knew there were two henchmen up ahead.

Fancy decided to try to dance and charm them, but it didn’t work. She definitely had their attention, but after some flirty banter, the two men, Paulie and Tommy, told her she didn’t belong there and really needed to leave.

Of course, having moved around the barrels to talk to her in the first place, Paulie was now in a position to watch her leave, and he had full view of the party.

Well, all except Nico. Nobody could see Nico.

A confrontation ensued, but it didn’t go to combat – at least not yet. Guido and Volpeo had Paulie and Tommy convinced that they were sent by Servidio at the docks. They bore a message that trouble was on the way, and they were sent to lend a hand. Paulie and Tommy didn’t know what to make of any of that, so Paulie went to get Matteo Rosso, his boss, in the other room.

Of course, as soon as Matteo came out to the courtyard and saw them, he recognized them from the butt-whoopin’ they gave him at the Mocenigo’s dinner party the other day.

NOW, the combat ensued.  Two more henchmen came out of a room on the other side and joined in.

After a couple rounds, Fancy charmed Matteo and convinced him to tell his henchmen to put down their weapons. He did, and the men listened. The party also put up their blades.

Because of the charm spell, Matteo believed that they really were sent by Servidio, and that a raid was coming to the warehouse. He told them about Orsini's upcoming meeting with Kouris at the Shattered Goblet tavern. They convinced him that they were there to pick up Orsini’s shipment early and get it to safety. Volpeo snuck a peek inside the nearest crate to find it full of crossbows and bolts.

Matteo ordered the men to load up the seven crates marked with flames onto the gondola at the loading dock and saw the party off safely.

They decided to take the entire shipment back to the Doge. As they took turns poling the boat away from Murano, they looked through the crates. Nico found three crude grenades, Guido found a few healing potions, and Volpeo found a dagger of such beautiful construction, he knew it just had to be magical.

As the party sailed down the canal, Volpeo belted out O Mio Babbino Caro into the dark sky of the morning’s wee hours.