Ok got some time to sit down and write a outline. I haven't put any names for locations or characters as I assume we will want to discuss that. This is very basic but I think it's a good frame to build on. Let me know what you think


In this adventure, the PCs must retrieve the "Cup of Kings" and return it to their employer. This must be done discreetly as word of the cup's theft cannot leak out to the public for fear of political damage to the king.

The king is old and kind. however he is also ineffective. He simply cannot see that some people do bad things. He trusts his people implicitly.

The PCs employer is the kings steward. He has great affection for his king but is very aware of his shortcomings. He is also convinced that something has been done to his ruler to change his personality.

The PCs must recover the "Cup of Kings" and return it to the king's steward. The king must never know of it's disappearance. This should be done as discreetly as possible.

The "Cup of Kings" is an ancient magical device given to the current kings ancestors hundreds of years past. It helps the kings of this land make wise decisions and protects them from mind altering magic as long as they are within it's range.

The city thieves guild is just an agent of the person(s) who want the cup. They were hired to steal it and get it out of the city.

The person(s) who want the cup cannot travel into the city as they are bitter enemies and would be attacked or imprisoned on sight.

The caravan is simply that a caravan that travels between the major cities of the kingdom selling goods and providing various services. The owner is a middle aged man that descends from a long line of caravan owners. His family often accompanies him on his travels as they have on this trip.

The Kings steward can be of help determining where the cup has gone. The kingdoms Archmage can track the cup in a limited sense enough to know that it is leaving the city on a caravan.

The PCs should attempt to retain employment with this caravan. They could serve as guards or as general labor. The caravan rarely carries anything of great value and has little need for protection in most cases.

Unknown to the PCs (and the caravan owner) a thieves guild plant has been employed with the caravan as a driver. This persons task is to see that the cup makes it way to it's destination. The PCs will discover this during their journey.

The cup's destination is a city controlled by a rival to the king. The ruler there knows that with the cups assistance he can invade and destroy his enemy. The cup is not "attuned" to one specific person and can be wielded by anyone. As a relative to the king the cup is (he believes) likely to be that much more effective.

The ruler of the city feels slighted as he is not a direct descendant of the current royal family. He feels he should be king. He has made several attempts to seize the throne by various means in the past all of which have been thwarted by various agents loyal to the king.

If the PCs succeed in retrieving the cup, they will gain a powerful friend in the kingdom that can help them during their careers.

If the PCs fail (or switch sides) they will gain a powerful enemy in the kingdom although most likely the rival ruler will take the throne and reward the PCs in some way. The agents loyal to the king will never stop trying to unseat the usurper and punish the PCs for their duplicity.