Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 2023

In the turbulent wake of a catastrophic event that ravaged his life, bard Edgin Darvis (formerly of the prestigious Harpers) found solace in the seedy underbelly of society. The once-peacekeeper’s world was turned upside down when his wife fell victim to the merciless disciples of a Red Wizard he had apprehended, leaving him with an insatiable sense of guilt and a burning desire for retribution.

Edgin’s path diverged from redemption as he conspired with an eclectic ensemble of misfits: the fearless barbarian Holga Kilgore; amateur sorcerer Simon Aumar, whose magical prowess was as unpredictable as his temperament; rogue con artist Forge Fitzwilliam, whose enigmatic acquaintance Sofina proved to be a force to be reckoned with. This motley crew orchestrated a series of daring heists, but their luck ran dry when they raided a Harper stronghold, attempting to pilfer the fabled Tablet of Reawakening to revive Edgin’s deceased wife.

Their audacity was met with swift retribution as they were captured by the very order Edgin once served. Meanwhile, their cohorts escaped, leaving them to languish in the frozen tundra of Revel’s End for two long years. The harsh reality of their imprisonment was only matched by the crushing blow of learning that their accomplices had been busy weaving a web of deceit.

Upon their release from captivity, Edgin and Holga stumbled upon the truth: Forge, once a mere acquaintance, had ascended to lordship over Neverwinter, his mysterious rise to power shrouded in intrigue. The pair soon discovered that Kira, Edgin’s daughter, was being unwittingly manipulated by Forge, who had convinced her of her father’s culpability in their downfall.

Sofina, the enigmatic figure at the center of this web of deceit, emerged as a ruthless Red Wizard, hell-bent on exacting revenge upon Edgin and Holga. As they navigated the treacherous landscape, they decided to join forces with Simon and embark on a perilous quest to reclaim Kira and prove their innocence. The stakes were high: they required the Tablet of Reawakening to resurrect Edgin’s wife and clear their names in the eyes of his daughter.

As they prepared for the High Sun Games, an ancient spectacle rekindled by Forge’s cunning, they conspired with Doric, a druid whose ancient forest community was fighting against the forced logging orchestrated by the ruthless Lord. Shapeshifting into a fly, Doric infiltrated Forge’s castle, only to discover that the vault was protected by powerful magical defenses forged by the legendary Mordenkainen.

Simon believed that the fabled Helm of Disjunction held the key to disabling these formidable barriers. Their search took them to an ancient graveyard, where they enlisted the help of Holga’s ancestors to guide them toward the relic. Resurrecting the dead with a mystical talisman granted them temporary access to the ancient wisdom, allowing them to glean valuable information about the Helm’s whereabouts.

The trail led them to Xenk Yandar, a paladin who had fled his native Thay after Szass Tam turned its people into an undead army. Edgin was forced to swear an oath to distribute any bounty they gained to the people, and Xenk guided them through the treacherous Underdark in search of the Helm.

Their quest for the relic was fraught with danger as they navigated treacherous caverns and battled Thayan assassins sent by Sofina. With the help of a teleportation staff obtained from Holga’s halfling ex-husband, they finally secured the Helm. However, their triumph was short-lived, as they found themselves under attack by Themberchaud, an obese red dragon, before Xenk vanished into the shadows, leaving them to fend for themselves once more.

As Simon struggles to harness the potent Helm’s energy, they opt for a more measured approach, employing the staff to gain access to the coveted vault during the high-stakes games. Accompanied by Holga, Simon infiltrates the secure chamber only to find it eerily devoid of any tangible presence, save for a magical trap cleverly concealed within its walls. Meanwhile, Sofina, masquerading as Kira, quietly subdues Edgin, rendering him immobile and susceptible to manipulation.

The group’s subsequent capture forces them to participate in the games, but they soon find an opportunity to escape the confines of the stadium. Doric, ever vigilant, uncovers Forge’s clandestine plan to abscond with the treasure, loading it onto a vessel ready for departure. The group seizes the initiative, commandeering the boat and effecting a daring rescue of Kira from Forge’s clutches, who had threatened her life with reckless abandon.

As they make their escape, the team discovers Sofina’s true intention - to harness the power of the games to summon a massive audience, transforming them into an undead army using the very curse that ravaged Thay. In a bold countermove, the group employs the teleportation staff to transport Forge’s ill-gotten gains out of the boat and disperses them across the city via hot-air balloons, successfully drawing people away from the stadium just as Sofina’s spell was poised to take effect.

Enraged by her decisive defeat, Sofina launches a ferocious attack on the group, only for Simon to neutralize her time-stop spell, allowing Kira to deploy an invisibility pendant gifted to her by Edgin and Holga in their childhood. With this advantage, Kira swiftly secures an anti-magic bracelet around Sofina’s wrist, rendering her powerless.

In a subsequent confrontation, Sofina meets her demise at the hands of Doric, who had transformed into an owlbear. Crushed beneath the weight of falling debris, Sofina’s lifeless form serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating consequences of unchecked ambition. Meanwhile, Holga falls victim to mortal wounds, her life force slowly ebbing away.

In a last-ditch effort to revive his beloved wife, Edgin employs the ancient tablet, successfully restoring Holga to full health. However, this momentary respite is tempered by a newfound appreciation for the depth of their family’s bonds, as Edgin comes to realize that his desire to bring back his wife had been motivated primarily by personal longing rather than altruistic concerns.

As the dust settles, Doric signals an openness to exploring romantic possibilities with Simon, casting a warm glow over their tumultuous journey. In the aftermath, the restored Lord of Neverwinter declares the team heroes of the realm, their bravery and selflessness earning them a place in the annals of history. Meanwhile, Forge’s fate is sealed as he finds himself stranded at Revel’s End, his pardon denied as a direct result of his own ineptitude.