A Flashy Smile
c. 100 ADW
Following up on leads from the attack on The Copper Wake, the Adventurer's Guild investigates the mining town of Red Hawk at the behest of the Council of Grand. They confirm the town is the headquarters for the Road Thieves Guild and confront the Guild Master, Rath "The Gilded Maw".
Referenced In
This module is referenced by the following lore entries:
Factions and Organizations
- Adventurer's GuildAlso known as Spear of Elina or Spear of the Goddess. A hundred years after the Dead Wars, the Guild has grown into a global hub for missions, with adventurers flocking to it from all over the world. It is currently led by Guild Master Master Thalin Fernstride in Kingdom Grand, with branches overseen by Guildmaster Teyla Coalmaker in Kdor, Elrin Veymar in Evenfell, and Alyndor "Aly" Marvale in New Arcanum. The Guild uses a ranking system, with new recruits earning a rank of Tin, Copper, or Brass; higher known ranks include Colbot, Steel, and Diamond. When Holt threatens to awaken He Who Slumbers, the four guilds unite their forces beneath Kingdom Grand.
- Council of GrandThe governing body of Kingdom Grand in the era c. 100 ADW. The City Watch of Grand is accountable to them and they oversee matters such as the city's supplies and taxes.
- Road Thieves GuildA notorious thieves' guild, also known as The Road, with its primary headquarters in the mining town of Red Hawk. They have an established command structure, with a Guild Master, Rath "The Gilded Maw", and a third-in-command, Brannik "The Ogre". The guild utilizes a network of young pickpockets in the city markets, who use a secret network of Hidden Tunnels to move about unseen. They are known to target specific valuable items, such as the Grand Grimoire of Grotesqueries and the Grimoire of Tyre and Merrick, trafficking them to buyers in other lands like Evenfell. Members are known for their cunning, expert parkour, and use of sneak attacks and cheap tricks like pocket sand.
Legendary Characters
- Master Thalin FernstrideA towering Firbolg who serves as the Guild Master of the Adventurer's Guild in the century following the Dead Wars. He has long black hair braided down his back, piercing blue eyes, and dark green fur, and wears a forest green and white Gi. His personality is calm and measured, and he is known for giving inspiring speeches that relate adventuring to baking. He expects discipline and creativity from his guild members. As Holt's treachery unfolds, Thalin grows weary but resolute, coordinating the four great guilds against the threat beneath Kingdom Grand. After the tremors from the Elderdungeon crack the city's streets, he opens a fresh recruitment drive to replace the guild members lost in the fighting, and later leads the hunt for a saboteur hiding inside his own guild. Troubled by a caravan of strangely well-guarded stolen keepsakes bound west, he hand-picks a party and dispatches them across the Western Wastes to New Arcanum to work with his counterpart Alyndor "Aly" Marvale, convinced the thefts are somehow tied to Biscuit's fate.
- Rath "The Gilded Maw"The Guild Master of the Road Thieves Guild, also known as Golden Maw. He is a calm, calculating, and cruel Lizardfolk with navy blue scales, an orange frill, and distinctive gold teeth. He rules his guild like a predator from his headquarters in the mining town of Red Hawk.
Locations
- GrimsbyA small hamlet that got attacked by Shadows. It was abandoned except for an old wizard named Gel. It has at least three houses. In the century after the Dead Wars, it serves as a port for receiving shipments of goods, like mining equipment.
- KdorA snow-covered nation located to the northeast of Kingdom Grand, known for its gleaming white-and-gold spire. It is one of the major nations connected to Kingdom Grand via teleportation gates in the century after the Dead Wars. Ruled by the Goldsteil family. The city hosts an annual Festival of Rebirth, celebrating Kdor's reconstruction and the rise of the Goldsteil family. The highlight of the festival is The Gauntlet, a multi-stage challenge course that tests martial, mechanical, and magical prowess. The rules are strict: no magic on others (only yourself), stealth is encouraged, and the only way to lose is to be knocked out. The competition includes puzzles, stealth challenges, skill challenges, and a final combat footrace. Only the top three teams receive prizes, with first place earning a special item and the Medallion of the Gauntlet. The festival features various shops, food stalls, and entertainment, with gold and white banners decorating the streets.
- Red HawkA mining town north of Kingdom Grand. In the century after the Dead Wars, it has become the primary headquarters for the Road Thieves Guild, under the control of its leader, Rath "The Gilded Maw". The townspeople live under the guild's shadow, denying any criminal activity to outsiders.