The adventuring women are in a tavern called A Pair of Black Antlers. Earlier in the day, they raced their new friend Gunter Frume through the city on horseback. After the race, he asked them to speak with him privately in the back room of the tavern. Curiosity leads them to the door he disappeared through. All except Vola (half-orc wizard). She stays behind in the tavern to keep an eye out for shifty folk.

In the back room is an oval shaped table with a dozen chairs around it. There are no windows, so it is lit by bright lanterns along the wall. The broad-shouldered man, Gunter Frume, sits at one end of the table, and their smaller monk friend Leosin sits at the other end. The barkeeper is currently setting out glasses and a few bottles of deep red wine. Leosin stands and greets them, “It is good to see you again, ladies.” He pours wine for everyone, and the barkeeper leaves the room.

For the first time since meeting the women, Frume does not have a smile on his face. He begins, “New friends, we asked you to come here to discuss important matters that could affect much more of the world than just the surrounding Greenfields. Let me explain. Firstly, I am a member of the Order of the Gauntlet, a faction of clerics and paladins that vow to spite injustice and evil wherever it is found. Leo is a member of the Harpers, a group that strives to promote equality of all people by removing power from the undeserving.” He pauses and sips his wine. The barkeeper returns with plates of meats and cheeses and fruits, then promptly leaves again. At this point, everyone is sitting and enjoying the refreshments.

Leosin clears his throat and speaks next, “Although our two organizations were formed by different means, we are allies against evil. The Order is loud and makes their presence known to their enemies, but the Harpers are quiet and work in the shadows. We both agree the Cult of the Dragon poses a bigger threat than each of our groups can handle on our own. Please tell us what you found in the cave near Greenest.”

The women retell what they discovered in the cave, including their encounter with Snacks the Nothic and finding three dragon eggs. They pull out the map they found with a line drawn up the coast.

Leosin studies the map. “I see. This line must be where they are taking the treasure they stole from those towns. And what became of the dragon eggs you found?”

“We ate the eggs. Scrambled them up for breakfast the next morning.” Zelena (elf wizard) says in all seriousness.

Frume, visibly confused, responds, “That is one way to kill a dragon I have not heard of.” He smiles and laughs loudly, then bangs his fists on the table. “Thanks to you all, we know more of their plans. We are forming a new organization to oppose these raiding cultists, but we need more information. You have shown you are more than effective in battle and can quickly adapt as situations change. We need a group that can also keep their heads down and follow the cultists’ movements from afar. Would you be up to this task?”

Nimby (gnome ranger) stands up in her chair, “Yes, this sounds like an amazing adventure. Will you be joining us?”

Frume sighs, “Alas no, I have to organize my paladins to march through Greenfields. Many villages lost people and supplies in the raids.”

Issa (tiefling druid) leans into the table and asks, “Will we be paid? We don’t work for free.” Then she reaches for some grapes.

Frume nods. “When next we meet and every time thereafter, I promise to give your group one thousand gold per dragon slayed. Whether you follow this path with us or not, I have a feeling you will be encountering the mighty beasts sooner or later. Show me proof, of course, with scales or a claw. For now, all I can provide is transportation and cash to cover travel expenses.” Issa shrugs at this and pops a couple grapes in her mouth.

Leosin interrupts, “We have one more question for your group. Would any of you be interested in joining either the Order of the Gauntlet or the Harpers at this time? This would give you access to and support from other members but is in no way required to be our elite task force for tracking the Cult.”

Phoebe (human paladin) finishes her wine and slams it on the table, “Absolutely, I want to join! I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than smite evil with other paladins.”

Frume claps his hands together. “Excellent! In that case, I have a brief task for you before you all leave town. Consider it a kind of initiation. Last night, a prisoner escaped from our high security facility and ran off into the forest. Can you please retrieve her for us before anyone else gets hurt? Several of the guards are under clerical care and might not make it through the day.”

Phoebe says, “I will do this task to the best of my ability. What do I need to know about this prisoner?”

Frume pours more wine for himself and says, “You do not need to do this task alone, Phoebe. Your friends are your true strength, don’t forget that.” He stares intensely at her, but she looks away. “The prisoner’s name is Helga, and she is a medusa. Beware her gaze. She was brought here to face justice for killing innocent farmers, but she proved more dangerous than we anticipated. Bring her back dead or alive. We will be here when you return to give you guidance on following the Cult’s actions.” He stands up and sips his wine, “Helga went north, that is the last we heard. Good luck!” He claps Phoebe on her back and motions to the door.

The adventuring party of female warriors exits the back room of the tavern with a new purpose. They could do great things together. Their friend Vola is not in the tavern waiting on them, so they proceed without her. Hopefully she will be back when they return with the medusa. Phoebe excitedly leads them out the Northern gate of the city. They walk for about half a mile along the road before they find an overturned wagon. Rushing ahead, Phoebe looks inside to find a statue of a dwarf holding a battle axe. “That’s strange. The statue didn’t break when the wagon flipped over,” she says to the others.

“That’s not a statue. Don’t you know about medusas? They turn people to stone. He may still be alive in there,” Issa comments and brushes off a leaf that landed on the dwarf’s head. “Everyone, be ready to close your eyes at any sign of movement so you don’t also turn to stone.”

The group moves forward along the road but quieter. Upon the next hill, they see two more statues at the edge of a forest. One is a human in the process of drawing a shortsword, and the other is a half-elf with a bow pulled back. From behind the statues they hear a hissing sound. They quickly duck behind the trees and shield their eyes. A swarm of snakes slithers out of the forest around the statues, not the medusa they were expecting.

Nimby hesitates to react because her best friend is a snake, but from her own pocket Snakey slithers out and joins the swarm! “Snakey, no! Wait!” She screams in horror as Snakey and the others try to attack her friends. Phoebe jumps out from her hiding spot behind a tree and starts chopping away at the snakes with her broadsword. Nimby runs out and tries to stop her, “No, don’t hurt them! One of them is Snakey!” She looks around frantically for him, but there are two dozen snakes sliding up her legs now.

Zelena readies a fireball and watches behind the statues for more movement. An arrow shoots out from behind a tree and hits Nimby in the arm. Zelena’s elf eyes peer through the dense forest and sees a humanoid figure with a bow and arrow, whose long hair seems to stick up and move on its own. Zelena releases the fireball in the direction of this figure. BOOM! The forest bursts into flames, and the person is knocked to the ground.

Issa wild shapes into a tiger and leaps into the flames. The mysterious figure stands up, and all can now see this is a woman who has snakes for hair—a medusa. The hair snakes all hiss in Zelena’s direction just as Issa pounces onto the medusa’s head. Phoebe shakes off the snakes at her feet and runs into the flaming fight. Nimby intensely watches the swarm of snakes until she sees one she recognizes. She jumps on the ground on top of Snakey and grapples him. He tries to bite her. “Snakey, look at me! Snap out of it! You belong to me, not to her.” Snakey smells her, blinks at her words, and nods. She hugs him tight, “Oh, Snakey, I knew I didn’t lose you! Okay, let’s take her out.” Snakey wraps around her neck like a scarf, as he often does. Nimby then shoots a couple arrows from her bow toward the medusa, snapping off one of her snake hairs.

Helga the medusa shoves the tiger off and stands up again. “You paladins think you can control me? I am mighty Helga, and you will never take me back alive.” Her hair snakes hiss again, this time in Nimby’s direction. Nimby quickly shields her eyes, but Snakey’s scales turn a gray color. He falls to the ground as a stone statue.

The group pauses for a moment in horror at the loss of their companion. Nimby screams as the other snakes swarm around him and strike at her ankles. Phoebe lifts up her broadsword and says, “We do not need to take you back alive. You will pay for your crimes right here.” She swings the broadsword down and chops off half of the medusa’s hair snakes. Issa, as a tiger, bites off the rest of the hair snakes. Zelena shoots a firebolt right at the medusa’s heart, and Helga falls to the ground. As she drops, so does the magic controlling the snake swarm around them, and the snakes slither away back into the forest.

Nimby reaches down toward her petrified companion with shaking hands. “Snakey, are you still there? I’m so sorry. I should have kept you hidden.” He is cold to the touch. She cries out and shoves him into her backpack. Zelena puts a hand on her shoulder. Issa, still a tiger, lets Nimby ride on her back into town. Before leaving the scene, Phoebe chops off the medusa’s head with her broadsword. The group quietly walks back to the tavern, A Pair of Black Antlers.

In the back room, Gunter Frume and Leosin are leaning over a map of the Sword Coast. They look up in surprise as Phoebe throws the head onto the table. “There’s your medusa. We took care of your problem, but it cost us. There are others out there who need help too.” Leosin quickly moves the map out of the way of the head, and Nimby nimbly places Snakey on the table too.

With tears in her eyes, Nimby pleads with Frume, “Can you help? He means everything to me.”

“I am so sorry this happened, but I am glad it was not any of you. That would be a harder problem to solve. Yes, of course, I will send for a cleric right away. Wait here.” Frume exits the room quickly.

After a few moments he returns with a very old man with wrinkles upon wrinkles and a white beard that falls to his knees. Zelena is holding Nimby, letting her cry it out. The old cleric strokes his beard then places his tiny hands on the petrified snake. “Thor, let this snake live to fight another day,” he prays with a shaky voice. Slowly the snake’s scales return to normal and he blinks at the group. Nimby screams and grabs Snakey and hugs the old cleric. He just smiles and pats her back. “And there were others on the road you said?” Nimby nods and holds up three fingers. The cleric shuffles out of the room.

“Thank you for catching up to the prisoner. Now, that that is sorted, more business. The map you gave us from the cave shows the Cultists will be passing through the great city of Baldur’s Gate.” Frume points on the map at a coastal city. “I can put your group on a boat to float down the river here.” He points again. “I suspect the cultists will join a caravan to travel north. There is safety in numbers on those roads. When you get to Baldur’s Gate, look for a merchant called Fletcher Joe. He can help you find work on this caravan to blend in. Remember, your mission is to watch and follow, not to engage. Does your group have a name? Or is one of you the leader?”

The adventurers look at each other and shrug. Issa, who is still a tiger, pushes Zelena forward. “I guess I can be the leader, but we don’t have a name yet, I’m sorry.” Zelena says.

“I look forward to hearing your group name later then. Before you leave, please take this gift for joining the Order of the Gauntlet as official allies.” Frume offers Phoebe a longbow, which she takes excitedly. He also pays them fifty gold for travel expenses and provides rations for the next few days. “Either I or Leo will find you in Waterdeep to hear of what you learn on this caravan. The cultists were seen leaving Beregost yesterday, so you have about a week before they arrive at Baldur’s Gate. The boat ride will only take a couple days. Good luck!” Frume and Leosin shake hands with Zelena and Phoebe, then pat Issa’s tiger head. Nimby pulls them both in for a hug.

“Before we go, I am interested in joining the Harpers. They sound fun and sneaky.” Nimby says confidently to Leosin.

Leosin smiles and responds, “Oh, good! That would be wonderful!” He pulls out a piece of paper from his pants pocket. “I have orders here to investigate Dragonspear Castle, which happens to be along the trade route you will be following. It has been abandoned for decades, but recent witnesses have seen lights in a few of the windows. The mission is to sneak inside, recon the area, and get out safely. The mission is not to engage anything currently living in the castle. Are you up to the task?”

Nimby excitedly takes the paper from him detailing the mission notes. “Yes, it should not be a problem since we are going north anyways. Thank you, Leosin.”

Leosin puts his hands together and leans down until he is eye level with her small gnome figure. “Please be careful, friend. This castle has a dark history of bloody wars. I can meet you in Daggerford to hear your report. It is the next city above Baldur’s Gate along the caravan.”

Nimby squeezes his hands and looks up at Frume. “We will all stay as safe as we can be under the circumstances. You stay safe too so we can have another drinking contest.”

“Haha. I look forward it. Farewell, comrades against the Cult.” Frume waves goodbye to the group as they depart to find their rooms for the evening.

-There should be some type of initiation into any formal group. I looked up ideas online for simple “one-session” tasks for paladins or for the Harpers.

-The problem with pets is that they are vulnerable. Another problem is they are easily forgotten, by both players and by the DM, until they are useful. This encounter tested the group’s bond and their loyalty to their first pet. Although, a ranger’s companion is more than a pet. They have a telepathic link, almost like a familiar. They can communicate and often move/think/act as one entity.

-Often a player will miss a session. Sometimes you can explain it in the narrative. Other times they just disappear for no reason (Vola here). Other times they keep up with the party but take no actions and do not speak.

-Nimby assisted in the editing of this episode.