The City Waits...

 Thinis, Throne of the Gods

As the caravan approaches Thinis, the road begins to ascend into a small mountain range jutting up out of the sand.  The horses labor and struggle to pull the cart up the steep path, and Amon himself begins breathing heavily as he nears the peak, reassuring everyone (mostly himself) that the climb is nearly over. 

Read or paraphrase the following aloud: 

As the party descends into the valley, Amon gives them an overview of the city while they can see its entirety.  Thinis operates under a strict class system, with the divinely appointed king at the top and the rest of the city arranged below him according to their wealth and ability, leaving the disabled and disenfranchised at the bottom of the social hierarchy.  Thinis is laid out according to this class system, and the closer the streets are to the palace, the more tightly guarded they are against commoners.   

Amon has papers that grant him access to the upper-class boroughs of the city, but the city guards will not allow anyone else to travel with him to the upper districts if they are too disheveled.  It’s been a harrowing journey, and before Amon can bring the slaves to their new masters, he must make them presentable.   

Once the players are satisfied with Amon’s overview, read or paraphrase aloud: 

Amon is in a great hurry to get the slaves to the safety of their new homes, but he considers it unprofessional to visit his clients accompanied by anyone besides the particular slave he is selling, so he will take the slaves one at a time to their pledged households.  He leaves the rest with the group in the market square where they can explore as they wait for Amon to come fetch the next slave.  Amon encourages the party to take this opportunity to patronize the surrounding businesses, but urges them not to leave the slaves unattended, and suggests they take turns watching over them. 

The merchant’s district of Thinis has everything for the eager patron; art and equipment of all types and quality, food ranging from the essential to the exotic, gambling houses, street acts, and even vendors of uncommon magical objects and potions.  If the players are lacking any kind of basic item, they can find it here.  They can also talk to the locals, who can tell them about the city, its layout, the social structure, notable individuals, or direct them to any kind of shop.  It is up to the players how to manage the slaves during the day.  There is no immediate consequence for leaving them unsupervised, but Amon is bound to notice on one of his return trips and will surely be annoyed by any irresponsibility. 

The story will branch at this point depending on whether the party decided to buy Vidarion from his brothers or not.   

Vidarion sold to Tentamun

If the party decided to buy Vidarion from his brothers, skip this section. 

While Amon is off making his third delivery, the character with the highest perception score will notice Tentamun skulking through the marketplace, leading Vidarion by a rope leash that binds his wrists together. Vidarion’s mouth is gagged, and his hands are encased in solid iron mitts that prevent spellcasting.  Vidarion limps along covered in dust, and his legs are scratched even worse than when the party saw him last. 

The main market square is crawling with soldiers (thugs, MM pg. 350) who are charged with keeping the peace.  If the party wants to rescue Vidarion, they will need to use subtle tactics, as Tentamun will call the guards to defend his rightful property if they confront him directly. 

Regardless of if they rescue Vidarion or not, Amon will be visibly troubled upon hearing the Tentamun is nearby.  He will immediately lead everyone to an alley in a different part of the city.  Once he feels they are in a safer place, Amon will resume his deliveries. 

If the players do rescue Vidarion at this time, Amon will need to use his contacts to find a new buyer.  Although he is glad to help Vidarion avoid undue suffering, he still views the rescue as a form of theft and resolves to give Tentamun a share of the profit from the sale the next time they meet. 

Vidarion sold to Heroes

If the party did not buy Vidarion from his brothers nor rescue him from Tentamun, skip this section. 

  Amon’s deliveries take up the rest of the day until only three slaves and Vidarion are remaining.  Finally, Amon returns with a lead on where to sell Vidarion.  He gathers up the group and leads them to the upper district of the city.  He is in a hurry since this buyer is the city’s captain of the guard, and today happens to be the only day of the week that he has time to make significant purchases. 

  The group passes the front gate of a picturesque estate, with a quaint garden and an impressive three-storied manor at its center.  Amon tells the party to wait out of sight in a nearby alley and leaves the other slaves with the party as he takes Vidarion to what is sure to be a humble life surrounded by luxury.

The Final Offer

While the party and the last three slaves (which three is up to you) are waiting for Amon to return, an ominous lone figure slinks down the alley.  It is Tentamun, and he calls out to the party with his hands raised for reassurance.  He is here to make one more offer for the party to work for him and abandon Amon (or ask if they’ve seen his “runaway”. Tentamun will be skeptical about claims that Amon intends to pay him back). He will make promises and excuses, putting on the friendliest act he can muster to win the players over. Meanwhile, cultists (MM pg. 345) (3 if the APL is odd, 6 if the APL is even) will sneak out of the doors and windows in the alley on the opposite side of the party.  They will each make a Dexterity (Stealth) check with advantage thanks to Tentamun’s distraction, contested against the characters’ passive perception scores.  They will be noticed by the characters with the passive perception scores they fail to beat.  The ones that are not noticed will automatically grapple one of the slaves and hold a scimitar to their throat. Characters who notice any of the cultists may choose to initiate combat, or continue to play along for whatever reason.  All three men will be grappled and threatened by a cultist if they are not stopped by the characters.  Once the cultists are in position Tentamun will change his tone, becoming threatening and cocky. He is feeling confident and is unlikely to leave empty-handed without some impressive negotiating skills and stellar ability checks on the part of the players.  If negotiations break down, or it becomes apparent the characters start stalling, roll for initiative. On the off chance the players accept Tentamun’s offer, skip to the “Betrayal!” section.   

Tentamun will start the fight by ordering the cultists to dispatch their hostages.  He will also do this immediately if the players begin combat themselves in hopes of pacifying them. During combat the cultists will attacking the three men whether or not they have any of them grappled.  If the men try to flee, the cultists will use their opportunity attacks to grapple them.  The cultists will automatically succeed any grapple contest against the men unless the characters directly intervene in some way.  If the characters do not come to the men’s aid, the cultists will kill them, at first one-on-one and then ganging up as the men start to fall.  The cultists will then turn on the party. Meanwhile Tentamun will rush in to attack the weakest looking character within reach (don’t forget his use of hellish rebuke).   

None of the combatants are willing to fight to the death.  If any of them start their turn with less than 1/3 of their maximum hit points, they will attempt to flee.  

In addition to his clothes, armor, and weapons, Tentamun carries 6d6 gp and a set of manacles with a key.  Each cultist has 4d6 sp, and a scimitar with matching skull-and-bone-shaped emblems. 

Betrayal!

If Tentamun is especially conniving, the players just might decide they want to join him for some nefarious antics.  If they accept his offer of employment, he will clap his hands with delight as he orders the cultists to take the slaves away.  Then, he will hide in one of the alley doorways while the party waits for Amon.  When Amon returns a minute later, he will wonder where the other slaves have gone before Tentamun reveals himself to gloat a bit and order the characters to murder Amon. 

Amon will defend himself to the best of his ability.  He can attack as a bonus action with the dagger concealed in his false hand.  Gonzo will use his action and reaction to expose himself before each of Amon’s turns (enabling him to use his sneak attack) and then retreat into the safety of Amon’s robes afterward. 

  Amon will fight to the death, but throughout the battle he will implore the party to renounce Tentamun and restore their honor.  He will sincerely promise again and again that it is not too late to do what is right, and he will forgive them if they repent.  If Amon manages to knock out 2 party members, Tentamun will join the fight.  Amon is just a little stronger than Tentamun, so it is truly up to the players to decide whom they will help win the day.  Along with his clothes, armor, weapons, and necklace, Amon carries 10 gold bars (worth 50 gp each) and 350 platinum pieces from his recent sales. 

  It is possible that the players take this route with the intention of betraying Tentamun once Amon returns, but by doing so they have endangered the three other young men, and Amon will not pay the party unless they are found.  Be prepared to play this out if you think it is a real possibility. 

Epilogue

As the last of the assailants are defeated, Amon rounds the corner of the alley to see the aftermath.  After assessing the damage, he thanks the party for stepping up to the defense of the slaves.  He then takes everyone to his Thinis home to rest for the night.  The next morning Amon completes the sale of the surviving slaves, and finally congratulates the party for a job well done and pays them for their services (and perhaps a little extra from the sale of Vidarion depending on the characters’ job performance, possibly doubling the original agreed payment).  He encourages them to stay in Thinis for a while, as there is ample opportunity for capable adventurers to find fortune.  As for Amon, he sets out to return to his country home in Seruvale should the characters ever need to find him. 

 Rewards:  The characters will each receive enough money from Amon to support a modest lifestyle for at least a month of downtime in Thinis while they look for more work.  They may also claim an extra bit of treasure from Tentamun and his minions, as well as whatever you decide to give them as a result of the random encounters they face. 

If the characters start this adventure at level 1, then they will reach level 2 by the end.  A group of level 2 or level 3 characters should gain enough experience to make it halfway to the next level.  It is possible for a group of level 2 characters to reach level 3 with this adventure alone if they face six or more encounters from the random encounter table.