Episode 2
Calmin, Bergle, Hammy, and Garold were crouched in the cellar of the Golden Egg Tavern, well after midnight. After agreeing with Bentley on a suitable fee for their services, the newly-formed group had gone to speak with Quinn just after dark. The bony, white-bearded old man was more than happy to have someone solve the problem of his missing beer. He had explained that every time he had tried to stay on guard for intruders, he had fallen asleep. So there in the cellar the adventurers sat, waiting for the beer thief.
“How do we know they’ll come tonight?” Garold wondered aloud.
“We don’t,” whispered Bergle, “but Quinn said that every time he gets more ale, it’s always gone the next morning. So whoever’s stealing it must sneak in often.”
Calmin the gnome was crouched in the dirt by the rickety wooden stairs, a burlap sack in his hands. Despite his small stature, he was, without question, the strongest of the four. The plan was for Calmin to bag the intruder once they reached the bottom of the stairs. “Didn’t the owner mention he locks up every night? The thief must be good with his fingers. Good at picking locks, I mean.”
“Quinn,” Bergle said.
“Huh?”
“The owner’s name is Quinn.”
“Why are you sure it’s a he?” Hammy wondered.
“Oh,” Calmin said, “I don’t know.”
Garold waved his hands in silent alarm. “Shhh! I think I heard something.”
They all went silent, squinting at the floorboards above them in the darkness. All four of them heard a long, low creak coming from the front door. Then they heard a faint pit pat, pit pat, pit pat like small footsteps making their way across the main hall of the tavern. The footsteps arrived to the locked cellar door, which immediately swung open with another creak.
Hammy frowned. That door had definitely been deadbolted shut. There’s no way it could’ve been opened that quickly. Unless…
There was a long silence. The four investigators were holding their breath. They knew the thief was at the top of the stairs looking down into the pitch black cellar. For a moment, they feared their cover was blown. But soon enough, the thief continued down the stairs.
Calmin was pure focus as he watched the stairs, sack at the ready. Their quarry would be within arms reach any moment now…
Something was not right. The pit pat, pit pat of the footsteps continued down the stairs, but there wasn't anybody there. Calmin, Bergle, Garold, and Hammy stared wide-eyed as footprints started appearing in the dirt of the cellar floor, making a path towards the beer keg. Bergle suddenly had a realization. “They’re invisible.” He hadn’t meant to speak the words aloud, but it was too late. A yelp issued forth from directly above the footprints and a cloud of dust erupted as the invisible thief spun around and darted back towards the stairs fast.
“Don’t let it get to the door!” Bergle shouted.
Calmin dropped the empty sack and bounded up the stairs. He could hear the creature’s footsteps and had a pretty good idea of where it was. He made it to the cellar door first and slammed it shut. Calmin drew his sword and spun around, pressing his back to the door to block the doorway as the footsteps came scurrying up the stairs. The gnome focused on the noise and pointed his blade at it. The next thing he knew, he was on his back and the thief had run right over him, planting a foot on his face. The door was open and the invisible creature was sprinting across the dining room to the front door.
The rest of the group made it up the stairs.
“I need to be able to see it!” Bergle shouted. Hammy grabbed a tankard halfway filled with stale beer from a nearby table, and hurled it blindly towards the front door of the tavern. It sailed through the room and smacked into thin air, shattering on impact and covering the invisible creature with warm, sticky beer. The thief was small, shorter even than Calmin and Bergle.
Bergle immediately murmured an incantation and made a gesture with his hands. The beer-coated creature slowed, toppled face-first to the floor, and began to snore loudly.