The tavern has hired a new comer, a brownie by the name of Pepper and her loyal eagle companion Lazalea.

The group is planning their next move to sneak and spy above ground to understand what the orcs are up to. They want to influence this city in their favor.

The market district roared with life.
Orcs barked prices from crowded stalls.
Goblin buyers shoved through narrow lanes carrying sacks of meat, rusted tools, and poorly hammered armor.
Smoke drifted from cookfires.
The smell of blood, sweat, and roasting meat hung thick in the air.

Wagtag disappeared first.
The goblin slipped into shadow like water through cracks.
She scaled walls and crawled across rooftops until she settled behind a cluster of merchant stalls unseen.

Above the streets, Pepper and Lazalea took flight.
The eagle circled high overhead while Pepper watched the crowds below with sharp eyes.

Dor-Rez entered openly.
A hood and heavy cloak concealed most of his gnoll features as he moved calmly through the center of the square.
Just another face in the chaos.

The first theft came easy.

A careless merchant brushed past Dor-Rez near a food stall.
One quick movement.
One cut string.
A heavy pouch vanished beneath his cloak.

Twenty-five gold pieces.

Later, while the crowds remained distracted by trade and shouting, Dor-Rez slipped behind the market into the narrow residential alleys.
Pepper swooped low on Lazalea, inspecting windows and rooftops before signaling the all clear.

The chosen home stood unlocked.

Dor-Rez entered quietly.
Inside, the house was poor.
A pot of stew simmered slowly above weak coals.
The scent filled the cramped room.
Little else of value remained downstairs.

Up above, drawers were overturned and boxes searched.
Most were empty.

Still, hidden beneath old cloth and cracked dishes, Dor-Rez uncovered a stash of copper.
Two hundred coins scraped together by someone desperate enough to hide them.

Meanwhile, Wagtag waited patiently behind the merchant stalls.
Listening. Watching. Learning.

Rumors drifted easily through careless mouths.

Elf attacks had grown worse beyond the city walls.
Trade routes were becoming dangerous.
Some whispered invasion.
Others whispered revenge.

Wagtag listened to every word.

More importantly, she spotted where one merchant stored his earnings.
A heavy coffer box tucked beneath canvas and crates.

She waited.

Then Pepper made her move.

With a sharp cry, Lazalea dove into the market square.
Talons snatched strips of fresh meat from a vendor stall before the eagle beat its wings hard and climbed skyward.

The merchants erupted in fury.
Two stall keepers sprinted after the bird screaming curses into the crowded streets.

That was all Wagtag needed.

The goblin darted from hiding.
Small hands seized the heavy coffer box.
Then she vanished into the maze of alleys before anyone noticed.

Dor-Rez moved calmly through the confusion as shouting spread across the square.
No panic.
No hurry.
Only another cloaked figure blending into the crowd.

Pepper led her pursuers on a long winding chase across rooftops and market roads before finally losing them beyond the district.

By the end of the night, the guild’s growing fortune stood at:

50 Platinum
1000 Gold
500 Silver
450 Copper

The thieves guild was growing stronger.
And above them, the city remained unaware of the shadows gathering beneath its streets.